The next morning
Since they had an active case, Han Bin and Li Hui arrived early and grabbed breakfast at the precinct cafeteria.
While peeling a boiled egg, Li Hui asked,
"Binzi, that Yu Hefeng guy… He looks decent on the outside, but how could he do something so disgusting?"
"The world's a big place. There are all kinds of people."
"What do you think his wife and daughter will think of him after this?" Li Hui said curiously.
"You can ask him yourself during the next interrogation," Han Bin replied, not bothering to entertain the idle gossip.
Li Hui grinned, seemingly imagining something, and took a big bite of the egg, polishing it off in two chews.
After breakfast, the two of them headed to the 2nd Team's office.
Whenever there was an active investigation, Zeng Ping would typically hold a morning briefing to adjust the direction of the case and assign tasks accordingly.
Once in the office, Han Bin made a pot of tea, poured himself a cup of green tea, and sat down with his eyes closed to rest.
He relied on his brain to work, so resting while he could helped him stay sharp during critical moments.
Before long, Tian Li, Zhao Ming, and Zeng Ping arrived as well.
Zeng Ping yawned and poured himself some tea too.
"Captain Zeng, didn't Captain Zheng say he'd add more people to our team? What's going on with that?" Han Bin asked, blowing at the floating tea leaves.
"We only have five people. That's fine for smaller cases, but with major ones, we're definitely short-staffed," Li Hui chimed in.
"I've been following up with Captain Zheng. He's still thinking about it. It's a matter of quality over quantity—we've got to find the right fit."
"What kind of person do you think would be a good addition to our team?" Tian Li asked.
"A complete team needs clearly defined roles. Even though we're a small team, we've got a solid structure already," Zeng Ping replied.
At that moment, Lu Wen entered the office.
"Captain Zeng, the forensic report is ready."
"Lu Wen, what's with those panda eyes?" Zhao Ming teased, noticing the dark circles under his eyes.
Lu Wen took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
"I've been working overtime for your case. Pulled an all-nighter to get it done."
"You've worked hard. I'll treat you to a meal sometime to make up for it," Zeng Ping offered and pulled over a chair for him.
"Just hearing that makes me happy," Lu Wen said, handing a stack of documents to Zeng Ping.
Zeng Ping waved it off. "Skip the paperwork. Just tell us the important parts."
Lu Wen nodded and said,
"There's no video of the victim on Yu Hefeng's phone."
"Could he have deleted them?"
"I already tried recovering deleted files—nothing," Lu Wen replied, shaking his head.
"What about the envelope and USB drive?" Zeng Ping asked.
"No fingerprints, no DNA—completely clean."
"Is there any way to trace the origin of the envelope or USB drive?" Tian Li asked.
"That's your job," Lu Wen shrugged, then left the office.
Zeng Ping examined the items. "The envelope and USB are both really common. Tracking their source will be tough."
"If you ask me, we should keep interrogating Yu Hefeng. He took the videos—he's still the prime suspect for the blackmail," Zhao Ming said.
"I agree with Zhao Ming," Tian Li added.
"Captain, how about letting Han Bin and me handle the next interrogation?" Li Hui suggested.
Zeng Ping turned to Han Bin. "What do you think?"
Han Bin frowned thoughtfully.
The voyeurism case had been solved, but the blackmail case was stuck in a deadlock.
Ring ring ring!
A sudden phone call broke the silence.
Tian Li glanced at the screen.
"It's from Chen Luyan's phone."
"Answer it."
She answered, and her face grew darker by the second.
After she hung up, Zhao Ming couldn't wait:
"What happened? New lead?"
Tian Li sighed.
"I'm afraid Han Bin was right."
"What do you mean?" Li Hui asked.
"Chen Luyan received another blackmail letter."
Thirty minutes later
2nd Team and the Forensics Team rushed to the Anyang Apartment once more.
They reached the fourth floor—Unit 408 had its door open.
Everyone put on shoe covers and entered the apartment.
Inside were two people:
Chen Luyan, sitting on the bed, looking visibly upset, and a young man on the nearby sofa.
"Captain Zeng, thank goodness you're here," Chen Luyan said, standing up with relief.
"We came as soon as we got the call."
"This is my boyfriend, Xiang Shaoming," she introduced.
Zeng Ping took a quick look—the guy was tall, slim, and looked decent enough.
"Where's the blackmail letter?"
"It's on the table. I remember you said not to touch it, so I used chopsticks to pick it up," she said.
Zeng Ping walked over and examined the envelope—it looked identical to the previous one.
Inside was, once again, a USB drive.
Han Bin picked it up. "When did you find it?"
"I wasn't home last night. This morning, Shaoming came with me to pick up some clothes. As soon as we opened the door, we saw the envelope on the floor."
"Looks like the same MO as last time—slipped through the door gap," Li Hui observed.
"Captain Zeng, didn't you already arrest the landlord? Why is there another letter?" Chen Luyan asked, clearly distressed.
Zeng Ping cleared his throat, feeling a little awkward.
Han Bin answered calmly:
"Based on our current evidence, the voyeur and the blackmailer aren't the same person. We're dealing with two separate cases."
"So that means the photos might still get posted online?" Xiang Shaoming looked worried.
"We'll solve this case as quickly as possible and catch the suspect," Zeng Ping assured them.
To ease the tension, Zeng Ping started assigning tasks:
"Tian Li, plug in the USB—see what's on it."
"Got it."
"Li Hui, go check the surveillance footage. See if anyone suspicious shows up."
"Yes, sir."
The odds of catching the suspect on camera were slim, but they had to try.
"Han Bin, check the doorway for any clues."
"On it."
Han Bin carefully examined the entrance area.
It was tiled, and unless someone had muddy shoes, they likely wouldn't leave visible footprints.
He circled around but didn't find anything noteworthy.
"Captain Zeng," Tian Li called out,
"The USB has the same contents as last time—those same shower photos and another blackmail note."
"Read the letter."
"Prepare 50,000 yuan by 7 p.m. tonight. Place the cash in the third trash bin on the north side of People's Square, east side entrance. This money is just a loan—I'll return it eventually. If I don't receive it tonight or if you call the police, I'll upload your photos online."
After hearing it, Chen Luyan looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"50,000? Where am I supposed to get that kind of money all of a sudden?"
"Don't worry, Luyan. We'll figure something out together," Xiang Shaoming comforted her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Ms. Chen, getting another blackmail letter means the suspect doesn't know the police are involved yet. As long as we set up a proper sting, we'll definitely catch them tonight," Zeng Ping reassured her.
(End of Chapter)