After that, Yang Heng went to the school several more times in a stubborn attempt to find Chen Er, but the useful information he obtained was scanty.
Jiang Cong stayed in the meeting room every day, closely scrutinizing the relationship chart drawn on the blackboard and analyzing all the possible motives behind the case.
His gaze lingered on Chen Er's photo, and he seemed a bit absent - minded.
In the photo, the young girl was wearing a school uniform, with her hair cut very short, looking a bit fluffy, just like a tomboy.
She was casually holding a lollipop between her lips and making a peace sign at the camera, her face brimming with a youthful smile.
Jiang Cong clearly knew that Chen Er was not the murderer.
But somehow, there was always a voice in his heart reminding him that the girl in front of him was not as simple as she seemed.
Jiang Cong let out a heavy sigh and lit a cigarette.
The curling smoke blurred his vision.
Nearly half a month had passed since the incident, but the special task - force established for the case still had no clue about Sheng Qingqiu's cause of death.
It was like a heavy stone pressing down on everyone's hearts, making it hard to breathe.
If Zhang Lu's murder was not established, then where was the real murderer hiding, and how did he manage to create this series of deceptions undetected?
One day.
Yang Heng walked into the meeting room listlessly. His initial eagerness when taking on his first case had gradually been worn away by the elusive truth.
Seeing this, Qin An patted Yang Heng on the shoulder comfortingly. "Don't be discouraged. Some cases are just like this. What we need to do is break through the dead - end."
Qin An was an old hand in the police station and had much more investigation experience than Yang Heng.
She had also encountered many cases that ended without a conclusion, either because they were too old or the evidence was insufficient, and she had to regretfully give them up.
She knew very well the feeling of having one's enthusiasm go unchanneled.
Yang Heng sighed and hung his head in silence.
Jiang Cong pushed open the door. Seeing Yang Heng lying dejectedly on the table, he knew that they had probably taken the wrong investigation direction again.
"Alright." Jiang Cong walked up to Yang Heng without mentioning the case. "Come out for a walk with me. Change the environment."
Staying in a confined space all the time with the brain in a tense state was not conducive to thinking.
Yang Heng originally wanted to decline, but since it was Jiang Cong who invited him, out of his deep admiration, he reluctantly agreed to Jiang Cong's proposal.
Yang Heng followed Jiang Cong out of the police station.
"Where are we going, Professor Jiang?" Yang Heng stretched and took a deep breath. He finally felt a bit better.
Jiang Cong rubbed the bridge of his nose and greedily inhaled the fresh outdoor air. Then he turned to Yang Heng and said, "I don't know," before striding forward.
As one of Jiang Cong's most loyal supporters, Yang Heng naturally trotted after him, afraid of falling behind even a single step.
Taking a walk with a genius was a different experience. Yang Heng silently brainwashed himself in his heart.
The two strolled aimlessly like this.
They passed through the bustling downtown area, where the traffic was constantly changing and moving.
Under the shade of the trees on both sides of the road, there were the fallen greenish - white pagoda tree flowers, looking extremely beautiful.
It was already a little past six in the afternoon, and old people out for a stroll or exercise could be seen everywhere on the roadside and in the park.
"How wonderful!" Yang Heng sighed sincerely. As a policeman, what he hoped to see most was such a simple and peaceful life.
There was no killing, only harmonious happiness and relaxed faces.
Jiang Cong's thoughts drifted away. It had been a long time since he had calmed down like this to reflect on himself.
Everyone said he was a professor. Every day, as soon as he woke up, there would be all kinds of help - seeking calls from various places, inviting him to conduct case analyses.
Jiang Cong didn't find it annoying. He loved this job, and the scale of justice in his heart was the driving force that kept him moving forward.
But spinning around like a top all day long, just like a pre - programmed robot, repeating the same thing day after day.
Jiang Cong let out a self - deprecating chuckle. When had he become so sentimental?
Pulling his thoughts back, Jiang Cong regained his usual serious and elite demeanor.
You watch the scenery on the bridge, while people in the building are watching you.
Walking in the crowd, Jiang Cong was naturally the focus. His white shirt exuded an air of abstinence, and he looked as elegant as if he had stepped out of a painting, constantly attracting the attention of the young girls.
"E - excuse me, may I have your WeChat contact information?" A young girl bravely stepped forward. Nervous, she stammered as she looked at Jiang Cong with pleading eyes, trying to arouse his sympathy.
However.
Facing the young girl's innocent and pitiful deer - like gaze, Jiang Cong still shook his head firmly without changing his expression. "No, it's not convenient."
The young girl let out a disappointed "Ah". Jiang Cong walked around her and continued walking forward.
Although Yang Heng sympathized with the young girl's situation, Jiang Cong was like a flower on a lofty peak. How could an ordinary person even dream of getting close to him?
Before they knew it, the afterglow of the setting sun was shining on every inch of the city.
Bathing in the afterglow, Jiang Cong seemed even more mysterious.
If Chen Er were here, she would probably praise him with the words, "The gentleman is like jade, well - crafted and refined."
Out of the corner of his eye, Yang Heng seemed to see a familiar back. Immediately, he ran in that direction and greeted the person cheerfully.
The person whom Yang Heng slapped hard on the shoulder turned around and looked at Yang Heng in confusion.
Jiang Cong stood aside. The man was clearly uncomfortable as he rubbed his chin.
If he really knew Yang Heng, he wouldn't be so nervous. He looked directly at Yang Heng without dodging, showing no extra emotions.
Obviously, he didn't know Yang Heng.
Yang Heng also saw the man's face clearly. His face blushed with embarrassment, and he kept apologizing. "Sorry, sorry. I mistook you for someone else. I'm really sorry."
"It's okay." The man waved his hand indifferently, not taking what had happened to heart.
Yang Heng watched the man he had mistaken for someone else walk away before he heaved a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, fortunately. I didn't do anything out of line. It's just that his back looks so much like the person I know."
Listening to Yang Heng's words, the noisy crowd around the vegetable market seemed to fall silent in Jiang Cong's ears.
As the sun gradually set, the figures became a bit indistinct.
Jiang Cong squinted his eyes slightly, focusing his pupils.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.
Grandma Wang was old, and her eyesight was probably not very good.
According to her, she saw Zhang Lu that night.
The light in the corridor was dim. If there was someone with a back similar to Zhang Lu's, Grandma Wang would probably not recognize him or would mistake him.