Chapter 10: The Death of Duke Qin

Old Qin's skill in boasting has truly been honed over decades, and we, the younger generation, can only look up to him in admiration. Just in these few sentences, he praises me with subtle flattery, boasts about himself with overt compliments, starts with minor exaggerations, and concludes with grandiose claims, forming a complete series of interconnected boasts. With such eloquence, Old Qin could easily serve as a judge in a speech competition at the ministry.

The body of Old Man Qin was found on the north side of the wall, specifically at the construction site, which means that Old Man Qin did not die within the residential area. According to the recollections of nearby residents, there was indeed a loud thud heard at around 2:00 AM. Everyone had turned on their lights to check, but there was nothing at the bottom of the building. It is common for people in the building to throw garbage from their homes onto the construction site outside. The crowd merely cursed under their breath at whoever lacked public morals to throw garbage in the middle of the night, without giving it much thought.

I nodded, knowing that Li Bo understood my intention. I then heard Li Bo continue, "If a person wants to commit suicide, it is unlikely that they would write such words in a notebook. What would be more plausible is that Old Man Qin left a suicide note, instructing Qin Xiao to return this 10 yuan... Moreover, I really cannot think of any reason why Old Man Qin would want to commit suicide"

Just as I had sat down in the archive room for a short while, I saw through the window that a group of police officers entered through the side door, one of whom was unlocking the door. I frowned, left the archive room, and looked closely to find Li Bo among the crowd. I grabbed him and asked, "What is going on"

Li Bo organized his thoughts slightly and then said: "Master, in my opinion, the possibility of accidental death is quite low. This window is at least more than 1 meter high from the ground, and although the window is large enough for a person to pass through, Grandpa Qin is only about 1.6 meters tall. Even if he were to accidentally fall to the ground, it wouldn't be enough for him to fall directly out of the window!"

The items belonging to Old Man Qin have been sorted out and are packed in a noodle box. Inside, there are several pieces of clothing belonging to Grandpa Qin, half a jar of tea leaves, a white teacup with the faded inscription "Hygiene Model" that is many years old, half a pack of cigarettes, a semiconductor radio, a Zippo lighter, and a black leather notebook

The Special Cases Action Team is a temporary organization established in recent years, specifically responsible for investigating special cases that occur in various regions. During their free time, the members are engaged in their own activities, but when a suspicious or mysterious case arises, the members of the Special Cases Team must spring into action. Joining the Special Cases Team may provide the opportunity to clarify the case from two years ago, which is certainly much better than my current position.

The cause of death was indeed a fatal fall from a height, and it is impossible for human effort or tools to have caused this. Yang Xiaojun stated, "The time of death should have been around 2 a.m. Furthermore, no footprints or fingerprints were found behind or in front of him, which means he was not pushed by someone, or the perpetrator was wearing gloves."

In the past few days, I have continued to commute to work, assisting the intern with some file organization tasks. However, today when I entered through the side door, I discovered that Mr. Qin, who usually dozes off in the guardhouse, was absent from work. The small door of the guardhouse was tightly locked, and peering through the window, I could see the tea jar and tea leaves on the table, along with half a box of cigarettes.

The residential community is an old-style one, and this apartment building is located at the northernmost part of the community. Mr. Qin's family lives on the top floor, the sixth floor. Mr. Qin's bedroom is not sunlit, and it is also the last building. Therefore, until Mr. Qin's son and daughter-in-law discovered his body, no one had noticed anything. We have temporarily sealed off the scene, and Mr. Qin's son and daughter-in-law are currently giving their statements.

Almost everyone in the bureau knows that I am going to participate in the selection for the special case team. Even Old Qin has heard the news and said to me: "Xiao Shao, I, your Uncle Qin, have high hopes for you. Just look at our bureau, who is as capable as you? You truly remind me of my younger self. Back then, I would stand at the door, looking just like a police officer. There wasn't a day when I wasn't surrounded by a dozen young ladies. Fortunately, I wasn't the one guarding the entrance of the civil affairs bureau, otherwise I would have been married at least ten years earlier!"

Over the years, my experiences as a police officer have made me quite indifferent to death, yet seeing someone I know still brings a pang of sorrow to my heart, and a multitude of memories with Old Qin flash through my mind in an instant

However, it is said that the selection process for the special case team has always been unconventional, and even if one wishes to prepare, there is no clear direction for preparation. It is reported that in a previous selection, the team members were simply thrown onto an unknown island, and only those who could find clues on the island and successfully escape would be eligible to become a member of the special case team. It is easy to imagine that very few succeeded.

I still remember what Qin Bo said to me: "Once you are elected, I will treat you to spicy hot pot"

I handed this notebook to Li Bo, who glanced at it and then said: "This morning, I received a report from Qin Daxian's son, Qin Xiao. He and his wife woke up this morning and found that Qin Daxian, who usually gets up early to cook, was unexpectedly not in the house. They searched the entire home but could not find him, until they discovered Qin Daxian's body downstairs."

"We need to clearly distinguish between public and private property," Li Bo exclaimed, and then said to me, "Who says otherwise? I feel that there is something suspicious about Old Man Qin's death. Sister Juan is currently preparing the death certificate, and the report will be out shortly." As he spoke, Li Bo sighed and said, "Although my relationship with Old Man Qin is not as close as yours, I always felt that he was meant to sit here for a lifetime, watching the gates of the Public Security Bureau for a lifetime, and in the end, he also died with a death certificate issued by the Public Security Bureau..."

This residential community is an old one, existing for about a century. It is nearly impossible to find anyone from the property management, and it seems that it will not be long before it is demolished. The location of Old Man Qin's death is quite suspicious. As mentioned before, the building where Old Man Qin lived is the northernmost one, situated approximately 1.5 meters from the community's wall. To the north of the wall lies a large abandoned construction site, which appears to have been inactive for a long time. On the side of the ground near the wall, there is a considerable amount of garbage, of various kinds. As previously stated, the building where Old Man Qin lived is the northernmost one, located about 1.5 meters from the community's wall. To the north of the wall is a large abandoned construction site, which seems to have been out of operation for quite some time. There is a significant amount of garbage on the ground near the wall, of various types.

What? I was taken aback, hardly believing my ears. Grandpa Qin had been here longer than Director Li; he had witnessed batch after batch of interns arriving, and watched as one old police officer after another retired with honor. For decades, he had observed this small world, so how could it be that, for no apparent reason, Grandpa Qin committed suicide by jumping off a building?

Aunt Li said, "Don't ask me, I don't know what's going on, it's really disgraceful, these people just lack quality. Throwing garbage in the middle of the night! Is it still possible to sleep?" As she spoke, Aunt Li spat a mouthful of thick phlegm on the ground and turned to go upstairs. Another young woman, however, said, "There are perverts lurking around this neighborhood, I've already lost three pairs of underwear!"

I still remember when I first came out of prison, Old Qin comforted me by saying: "Xiao Shao, having watched the entrance of the Public Security Bureau for so many years, I have encountered a myriad of people. I have seen the victims' families crying and wailing, the cold and heartless murderers, the terrified children, and the upright police officers. Everyone in the bureau knows about your case; you have been wronged. I, Qin Bo, have spent my whole life watching the entrance of the Public Security Bureau, and deep down, I truly envy you. If I were to express a wish, it would be to become a police officer, just like you, a good police officer..."

The cause of death can only tell us that Old Man Qin indeed died from a fall from a height, but it cannot tell us whether he jumped down himself or was pushed down by someone. Furthermore, it remains a question whether Old Man Qin jumped from his own room, from the rooftop, or from some other place.

"If you get elected, I, Qin Bo, will treat you to spicy hot pot across the street!" said Old Man Qin. Before I could scold this old miser for being so stingy, he continued, "What kind of look is that? Hey, don't get emotional, hold back your tears. You, my boy, are too genuine; this is all what Qin Bo should do..." As he spoke, he stealthily took half a box of Huanghelou cigarettes from me.

Li Bo continued to direct a few people to work, while saying to me: "This morning, Grandpa Qin committed suicide by jumping off a building"

This half can of tea leaves was given by Director Li, this Zippo lighter was a gift from me, and the notebook was issued by the bureau

I casually picked up this notebook and flipped through a few pages. Old Qin has a habit of keeping notes, perhaps due to his old age and poor memory. Most of what is written on it are trivial matters. When I reached the last page, dated yesterday, he wrote: "Today, while buying vegetables at the market, I forgot to bring my wallet and borrowed ten yuan from Old Zhang. I must remember to pay him back tomorrow." Most of what is written on it are trivial matters. When I reached the last page, dated yesterday, he wrote: "Today, while buying vegetables at the market, I forgot to bring my wallet and borrowed ten yuan from Old Zhang. I must remember to pay him back tomorrow."

Indeed, what needs to be determined now is whether Old Qin was murdered or died accidentally. I sighed and said to Li Bo: "Go find Yang Xiaojun..."

We entered Grandpa Qin's room and immediately saw the window. The wooden window, which has endured the elements for an unknown length of time, shows signs of wear from wind, rain, sun, and exposure. The red paint has peeled off significantly, and there are large amounts of wood shavings falling from the joints. A slight touch causes it to creak. Two of the window panes are open, creating a small space that a person could squeeze through if curled up.

The term for a body that has fallen from a height is referred to as a high fall, characterized by light external injuries but severe internal damage. We finally saw the body of the old man Qin, which was almost unrecognizable, with multiple fractures and a mixture of red and white fluids flowing from his mouth and nose, a shocking sight. Yang Xiaojun continued to explain to us: The focal point of the injuries is the right arm, but there are simultaneous injuries to the head, chest, pelvis, spine, and limbs, with severe damage to the bones and internal organs, multiple fractures throughout the body, and significant contusion of the brain tissue.

The deceased will never know what has happened above, yet the living must fulfill their responsibilities. Although I am an archive administrator, Li Bo understands the bond I share with Old Man Qin. He brought me and Juan Juan to the scene of the incident. The site has already been secured, and several police officers are questioning the neighbors in this building one by one

I said to Li Bo: "You, the captain of the second team, were trained by me. So, what do you think, have you identified any issues?"

We reluctantly arrived at Mr. Qin's residence on the sixth floor. The apartment is not large, approximately over 60 square meters, consisting of two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom, in addition to a living room. Mr. Qin has a son who is currently in elementary school and stays at school during the week, only returning on Saturdays and Sundays.

Of course, what I am referring to is the selection method for criminal police officers. As for how forensic experts are selected, I am not privy to that information. However, since Yang Xiaojun has already been confirmed to join the special case team, I must also work hard; this may be my only opportunity

In my opinion, this is very likely a murder case!" Li Bo said as he put on gloves and touched the old wooden window.