Chapter 2

Early in the morning, the streets were flooded with a steady stream of bicycles. Bicycle bells, laughter and conversation, and the occasional rumble of a passing bus engine blended together into a lively symphony. Su Man skillfully weaved through the flow of traffic, the hem of her light olive-green shirt fluttering gently in the wind. The branches of the plane trees lining both sides of the road intertwined overhead, casting dappled shadows across the pavement. Steam rose from the breakfast stalls along the roadside as people lined up around the frying pans to buy youtiao. The supply and marketing cooperative had just opened, and the sales clerks were removing the wooden panels from the storefront. An old man collecting recyclables on a tricycle slowly passed by, ringing his bell... Everything felt both new and strangely familiar. For Su Man, who had come from the modern era, it was an incredibly novel experience. She had only ever seen supply and marketing cooperatives in period dramas on television. She still remembered how fascinated she had been the first time she went to one with her mother to buy things. Everything had seemed so fresh and unfamiliar, even though the products inside had looked rather old-fashioned to her modern eyes. “Woo-woo—woo-woo—” Suddenly, the piercing sound of sirens approached from a distance. Two blue-and-white police cars roared past, speeding toward the eastern part of the city. The tense faces of the criminal investigators inside flashed past her eyes. Almost at the same instant, waves of intense noise crashed through Su Man's mind. It was a mixture of several powerful emotions: extreme anger, anxiety, and... profound grief. The noise was so intense that she nearly lost her balance. Her bicycle tilted sharply, and she only managed to steady herself by quickly planting one foot on the ground. “Comrade, be careful!” a middle-aged man riding nearby called out worriedly. “I'm fine. Thank you.” Su Man forced a smile, fine beads of sweat already forming across her forehead. The police cars had disappeared into the distance, but the lingering waves of emotional noise continued to reverberate through her mind. Su Man took a deep breath and climbed back onto her bicycle. It seemed her first day reporting for duty wasn't going to be peaceful after all. The unit where she was reporting today was the Binhai City Public Security Bureau. The Public Security Bureau was a typical building that combined Soviet-inspired architecture with practical Chinese design. The five-story main building had slightly shorter three-story wings projecting forward from both sides, forming a sturdy, concave structure. Above the main entrance hung a massive police emblem. Against its red background were a golden Great Wall, shield, and pine branches, giving the building a solemn and dignified appearance in the morning light. Su Man parked her bicycle at the entrance, straightened her police uniform, and walked toward the building. The security guard was an elderly policeman with graying hair. He was listening to opera playing from a transistor radio. Su Man walked up to the window and gently knocked on the open frame. “Sir, hello. This is my letter of introduction.” The old policeman turned down the volume of the radio and glanced over her letter of introduction. A kindly smile appeared on his face. “A new university graduate? I heard there was a young woman coming this year. So you're the one! Go straight to the Political Affairs Office on the third floor. It's the room at the end of the corridor.” He then glanced at Su Man's bicycle. “Park your bicycle in the shed behind the office building.” “Okay. Thank you.” After thanking him, Su Man rode her bicycle into the Public Security Bureau compound. Two jeeps and three blue-and-white Changjiang 750 sidecar motorcycles were parked in the courtyard. Two rows of plane trees stood along either side, their lush branches and leaves providing a touch of shade in the sweltering summer heat. After parking her bicycle in the shed, Su Man hurried into the office building. The cement floor on the first floor was polished until it gleamed like a mirror. The lower half of the walls was painted dark green, while the upper half was covered in simple whitewashed plaster. People in police uniforms hurried past one another as telephone bells, typewriters, and conversations rose and fell in succession. Everything felt both unfamiliar and strangely comforting to Su Man. She followed the stairs to the third floor and found the Political Affairs Office. The door was open. Su Man knocked lightly and heard a low female voice from inside. “Come in.” Su Man entered. A female police officer in her forties sat behind a desk. She had short hair cut just above her ears and a serious expression. When she looked up and saw Su Man, she actually froze for a moment. The young woman was strikingly beautiful. Her bright, delicate features were both charming and spirited. The police uniform suited her exceptionally well, emphasizing her confident and heroic bearing. Even the ordinary uniform seemed to look especially good on her. The woman took the paper bag from Su Man and carefully went through her personnel file. “Su Man?” the female officer asked. “Yes.” Su Man's voice was crisp and clear. “I'm Wang Shuhua, Director of the Political Affairs Office.” The woman stood up and extended her hand. “Welcome. I've read through your file. Your grades are quite good, and your internship evaluation was excellent as well. However...” She paused and looked Su Man over. “Criminal investigation is very demanding work, and it's especially difficult for female officers. Are you certain you want to join the Criminal Investigation Brigade?” “I'm certain.” Su Man's answer was completely decisive. Her counselor at the Public Security University had originally wanted to assign her to a relatively “easy” position, such as the household registration department or the archives office. But Su Man had insisted on working on the front lines. It wasn't to prove anything. She simply felt that was where she belonged. The only thing that made her uneasy was that she hadn't told her parents. The emotional noise representing her mother's anxiety and concern from that morning seemed to still be lingering in her ears... She planned to wait until she got home that evening, let things settle down, and then tell her parents. She would explain that becoming a criminal investigator had always been her dream and assure them that she would protect herself and give them no reason to worry. Wang Shuhua nodded, seemingly a little surprised by her determination. “Normally, we should take care of your paperwork today and arrange your pre-job training. But…” She glanced out the window. “There seems to have been a case just now. Most of the people in the brigade should already be at the scene. How about this? I'll take you to the brigade office first and let you have a look around.” She led Su Man down the corridor and stopped in front of an office with a sign reading **Criminal Investigation Brigade**. The office was a little over twenty square meters. On the right-hand side just inside the entrance sat a red telephone. Eight desks occupied the center of the room, arranged in pairs. The tabletops were made of gray-green painted particleboard, covered with stacks of disorganized files and various personal belongings. The legs were made of steel tubing, and the crossbars connecting them had been polished to a gleaming shine over the years. Four metal filing cabinets stood in a row against the western wall. The paint had chipped away in several places, revealing rust underneath, while stacks of old newspapers had been piled on top. The northern wall was covered with commendation certificates and silk banners. Starting with the 1983 “Strike Hard” campaign, they had been hung one after another, filling nearly half the wall from top to bottom. There was a door opposite the desks. It stood open, revealing an adjoining room with a long conference table covered by a pale gray tablecloth. The hanging edges had been carefully ironed flat. There was also a blackboard made of dark green frosted glass. It was so polished that it reflected people's silhouettes. But at the moment, the office was nearly empty. Only a young male police officer sat in the corner, head down as he sorted through some files. “Xiao Chen, is Captain Li here?” The young officer looked up at the sound of her voice. When he saw Su Man, his eyes brightened slightly. “Director Wang, Captain Li went to the scene. There was a murder at the machinery factory dormitory area in the eastern part of the city.” “What do we know about the victim?” Wang Shuhua asked. “A single female factory worker, twenty-three years old. She was found dead in her room this morning.” Xiao Chen lowered his voice. “I heard that... the condition of the body was terrible.” Su Man's heart sank. The compound emotional noise she had sensed while riding her bicycle flashed through her mind—anger, anxiety, and... profound grief. “This is Su Man, the new university graduate who was assigned here this year. She's reporting for duty today.” Wang Shuhua introduced her before turning to Su Man. “This is Chen Zhifei, a member of the Major Crimes Unit.” Chen Zhifei looked about the same age as Su Man. He was tall and thin, with a youthful, almost baby-faced appearance. When he smiled, two small canine teeth showed. “Hello, Su Man. Sorry about the situation today…” “It's all right.” Su Man smiled, then hesitated before asking, “Director Wang, if it's convenient... could I go to the scene and take a look? I'll just observe from the side. I won't interfere with the investigation.” Wang Shuhua frowned. “I'm afraid that wouldn't be in accordance with regulations. You're a new officer, and today is your first day reporting for duty…” “Let her go.” A deep voice came from the doorway. The three of them turned around and saw a man in his forties standing there. His police jacket was draped over one shoulder, and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows. His face was etched with exhaustion. He had a square face, a tall, broad-shouldered build, and a pair of sharp eyes that were currently fixed on Su Man. “Captain Li,” Wang Shuhua said. “This is Su Man, a graduate from the Public Security University who was assigned to us this year.” Captain Li was Li Zhenyue, the head of the Criminal Investigation Brigade. He looked Su Man up and down. “Public Security University? Did you work on any cases during your internship?” “Yes. I assisted with the investigation of a residential burglary.” Li Zhenyue nodded. He pulled a cigarette pack from his pocket, thought for a moment, then put it back. “The scene is complicated. You need to be mentally prepared. You can come, but you can only observe. Don't touch anything. Understood?” “Understood.” “Then let's go. The car is downstairs.” Li Zhenyue turned and walked out. After a few steps, he stopped. “Xiao Wang, help her complete the paperwork.” Wang Shuhua seemed about to say something, but Li Zhenyue had already strode away. Su Man nodded to Wang Shuhua and Chen Zhifei before quickly following him. As they went downstairs, Li Zhenyue suddenly asked Su Man, “Why do you want to become a criminal investigator?” Su Man of her previous life had asked herself the same question. Why had she wanted to become a criminal investigator? Was it because of her adoptive parents? Or was there some other reason? In her previous life, she had been an orphan. Her adoptive parents, who were both public security officers, had taken her in. Growing up surrounded by their influence, she had eventually applied to the Public Security University and become a criminal investigator after graduation. Looking back now, though, that wasn't the whole reason. She had genuinely loved this profession from the bottom of her heart. Even after all these years, the oath she had made upon graduating from university still rang clearly in her ears: _Forge a shield from flesh and blood, and spend a lifetime protecting the lights of ten thousand homes._ Su Man answered without hesitation, her eyes shining brightly. “To punish evil and uphold justice. To seek justice for the victims.” Li Zhenyue gave her an approving glance and nodded without saying anything else. The police car headed toward the eastern part of the city, and the atmosphere inside was heavy. Su Man could sense a powerful, continuous high-frequency hum of anxiety emanating from Li Zhenyue. His emotions were like a tightly stretched string, with pressure and responsibility pulling at both ends, threatening to tear him apart. But what concerned her even more was that as the vehicle approached the crime scene, an invisible and unsettling “emotional aftershock” seemed to begin spreading through the air. It was the unique “scent” of a crime scene—a mixture of fear and suffering, along with the twisted emotional imprint left behind by the perpetrator. To an ordinary person, it would have been nothing more than a psychological sensation. But to Su Man, it had gradually taken on a tangible form, becoming a layer of background noise, like the ceaseless mechanical roar drifting from a distant factory. Su Man stared at the streets rushing past the window, her hands unconsciously tightening. “We're here.” Li Zhenyue spoke to Su Man before bringing the car to a stop.