It was Sunday, and Han Bin finally got what he'd been hoping for—he woke up naturally, with no alarm.
What a feeling.
When he got up, it was already past 9 AM.
He grabbed an apple to eat and lounged in bed, flipping through TV channels while playing on his phone.
Han Bin was still a young man—he had his lazy mornings too.
It was already late for breakfast, so he figured he'd just wait until lunch to eat properly.
He didn't leave bed until after 11 AM and headed over to his parents' place for lunch.
After the meal, Han Bin was cleaning up and doing the dishes in the kitchen.
Just as he was about to finish, his mother, Wang Huifang, came in and said,
"Son, your phone's ringing."
"Who is it?"
"Li Hui."
Han Bin wiped his hands and answered the call,
"Hello?"
"Binzi, what are you up to? Didn't check your WeChat?"
"Doing the dishes."
"We got a case. Come downstairs, I'll drive."
"Got it."
Han Bin responded, grabbed his phone, and headed out.
"Mom, I've got a case. Could you finish the last two plates for me?"
"Son, your apron."
"Oh, right." Han Bin took off the apron, hung it on the wall, said goodbye to his father, and left.
In the car.
Han Bin read the group chat on WeChat and got a quick overview of the case.
It was a blackmail case.
The victim was a young white-collar woman named Chen Luyan, who lived in Room 408 of Anyang Apartments.
Qindao City had home-purchase restrictions. Many people with spare cash but no good investment options would buy units in commercial apartment buildings.
They parked outside and walked into the apartment lobby. Li Hui looked around and said,
"Pretty nice place."
"Thinking about buying again?"
"These things take time. You've got to do your homework—ask around, do some research," Li Hui replied.
"In Qindao, commercial apartments usually come with 40-year leases. The advantage is there are no purchase or loan restrictions. The downside is a high down payment, expensive utilities, and high resale taxes."
"Bin-ge, look at you—so professional," Li Hui teased.
"Just know a little."
The two chatted as they walked up to the 4th floor.
Room 408's door was open. Zeng Ping and Tian Li had already arrived.
Han Bin put on shoe covers and entered.
The apartment was small. On the left was the bathroom, on the right was an open kitchen, and deeper in was a single open room with simple furniture: a wardrobe, desk, single sofa, wooden bed, and a wall-mounted TV. The decor was stylish and well-suited for a young person.
Sitting on the bed was a young woman in her 20s, short and slightly chubby with a round face and tear stains on her cheeks.
"You're here," said Zeng Ping.
"Captain Zeng, find anything yet?" Han Bin asked.
"We just arrived, about to take the victim's statement."
Since the victim was female, Tian Li took charge of the interview.
Tian Li approached with a notebook.
"Miss Chen, I'll be handling your statement."
Chen Luyan nodded.
"What's your name?"
"Chen Luyan."
"Age?"
"25."
"Are you local?"
"No, I'm from out of town. Came here for university and stayed after graduation."
"You reported someone tried to blackmail you. Can you describe what happened?" Tian Li asked.
"I had the day off today and got up late. When I woke up, I found an envelope just inside my door. I opened it and found a USB drive. I didn't know what it was, so I plugged it into my computer. It had photos of me taking a shower, along with a blackmail note."
"You said it was just inside the door. Inside or outside?" Zeng Ping asked.
"Inside."
"Where's the envelope and USB now?"
"Here." Chen Luyan opened a drawer and took out the envelope.
Han Bin put on gloves and examined it.
"It's thin enough to have been slipped under the door."
"What did the blackmail note say?"
"It said something like, 'I need to borrow some money. Get it ready for me. I'll pay you back when I can. If you don't give it to me, I'll post the photos online.'"
"I was so scared. I called the police right away."
"What time did you wake up?" Tian Li continued.
"Around 11."
"When did you find the envelope?"
"About 11:40."
"What time did you come home last night?"
"Before midnight."
"Did you notice the envelope then?"
"I don't remember."
"So it's unclear whether the envelope was placed yesterday or today," Tian Li clarified.
"Correct."
"You said the photos were taken in the bathroom—so the camera was likely there?" Han Bin asked.
"Probably. I'm not exactly sure."
"Han Bin, go check the bathroom. Li Hui, look into the surveillance," Zeng Ping instructed.
"Yes, sir."
Li Hui left. But Han Bin stood still.
"What's up?" Zeng Ping asked.
"Miss Chen, can you show me the angle the photos were taken from? That'll help us find the camera faster."
Chen Luyan nodded and led him to the bathroom doorway. She pointed to the southeast corner of the ceiling.
"Should be from that direction."
Han Bin looked up. There was a ventilation fan there.
He grabbed a stool and removed the fan, revealing a tiny spy camera.
"Wow, that thing's so small. No wonder it's hard to notice," Zeng Ping remarked.
Chen Luyan looked horrified. She hadn't imagined there'd be a camera in her own bathroom. All her privacy had been exposed.
Han Bin examined the device, then reinstalled the fan and left the bathroom.
"Officer, why didn't you take the camera down?" Chen Luyan asked, confused.
"I recommend leaving it for now," Han Bin replied.
"Why?"
"The person who installed it probably isn't watching it in real-time. They might not know you called the police. But if we remove the camera and they check the feed later, they'll realize something's wrong."
"Han Bin is right," Zeng Ping agreed. "Don't touch the camera for now. That way, the suspect won't be alerted and won't destroy evidence."
"Got it," Chen Luyan replied.
"This person managed to install a camera in your bathroom. It's very likely someone you know," Tian Li analyzed.
"How many keys are there to your apartment?"
"Four. I have one, my boyfriend has one, one is at my office, and the last is at my parents' place."
"Is this apartment rented or owned?" Zeng Ping asked.
"Rented."
"Does the landlord have a key?"
"No. When I rented the place, my boyfriend changed the locks."
"Besides your boyfriend, has anyone else used your bathroom?"
"It's a small place, no living room, so I rarely have guests over. I usually meet friends outside."
Zeng Ping thought for a moment.
"Does your boyfriend know you were blackmailed?"
"No."
"How's your relationship?"
"Pretty good, I guess."
"Have you been physically intimate?"
"No." Chen Luyan shook her head.
"I used to live with an ex during college, but it didn't work out. We fought all the time. Now I'm more cautious about that stuff."
"You don't need to answer that," Han Bin interjected gently.
"Oh, okay," Chen said, realizing she'd overshared. "Wait—you're not suspecting my boyfriend, are you?"
"He has a key to your place. We need to rule him out," Tian Li explained.
"Understood."
"Do you have anything of his here?" Han Bin asked.
"Why?"
"I found fingerprints on the camera." Han Bin said.
(End of Chapter)