Qin Feng pried open the dead man's hand, which had already stiffened, and had been in the freezer for a day, requiring some effort to open. There was nothing in the palm of the hand, but there was a scratch on the skin.

Apart from the fatal fall, the body also had various injuries from before. He gestured for Liu Yi to help him turn over the body. Liu Yi put on gloves. "This is strange too. He landed on the back of his head."

As the body was turned over, the back was even more gruesome, with large bruises formed.

"It should be a homicide; a suicide wouldn't cause these injuries," Qin Feng examined the wounds on the deceased's back, lifting the dead man's arms to reveal internal injuries. "Let's call the forensic pathologist to do an autopsy; there might be new discoveries." Qin Feng withdrew his hand, peeled off the gloves, and threw them into the trash.

The ribs protruded from the chest, indicating massive impact trauma, which could only occur if the person fell on their back. The face was relatively intact, but there was severe damage to the back of the head.

"We won't be having dinner today," Liu Yi said, though he still picked up his phone and walked out, calling the forensic pathologist. A homicide required serious attention.

Qin Feng patted Lin Fan's shoulder and gestured to him. "Let's go."

Lin Fan, removing his gloves, quickly followed. "Where are we going?"

Wei Bin asked, "Aren't you investigating the case anymore?"

"We are, but we also need to eat," Qin Feng said. "We'll leave the case in Liu Yi's hands and go eat."

Wei Bin nodded. "That's true. Let him handle his territory."

The three of them walked out together and bumped into Liu Yi. Liu Yi widened his eyes. "Where are you guys going?"

"To eat," Wei Bin patted his shoulder. "Work hard and solve the case soon."

With a wide-eyed look, Liu Yi watched as Qin Feng, accompanied by his girlfriend, disappeared. Wei Bin walked out, too. "Let's go. We'll meet up later."

It took Liu Yi a moment to find his voice. "Beasts! Have you no shame?"

Wei Bin treated them, and naturally, Qin Feng chose an upscale place. During the meal, Liu Yi called. Qin Feng answered, "What's up?"

"It's a homicide, confirmed. Do you want to come to the scene?"

"Address?"

Liu Yi provided the address, and Qin Feng hung up, putting his phone away. He glanced at Lin Fan, who was eating quietly beside him.

Wei Bin, across from him, spoke. "Liu Yi's call?"

"Yeah."

"What did he say?"

"It's a homicide. Do you want to visit the scene?"

"No, I need to go back; my wife is about to give birth." Wei Bin adjusted his glasses. "You guys go ahead. You and Liu Yi will have no problem solving the case."

After finishing their meal, they split up. Qin Feng and Lin Fan stood on the roadside, trying to hail a taxi. Lin Fan had her hands in her pockets, feeling cold. "Today, I saw the soul of that journalist."

Qin Feng guessed it and nodded. "How did he die?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask, but he said it wasn't suicide."

"Okay." Qin Feng hailed a taxi, and when one finally stopped, he opened the door for Lin Fan. "Do you want to go to the hotel or see the scene?"

"The scene." Lin Fan was deeply impressed by the journalist. Qin Feng closed the door, got into the car from the other side, and provided an address. "Let's go then. Follow me and don't wander off."

After thinking for a moment, Lin Fan opened Baidu and searched for Cai Yingfei's Baidu Baike. She handed it to Qin Feng. "He said the killer is this person."

Qin Feng took the phone, and his finger touched Lin Fan's hand. Lin Fan quickly withdrew her hand. Qin Feng glanced at her, wondering if there was poison on his hand. What did Lin Fan's extremely cautious attitude mean?

Lin Fan's phone was too old; as soon as she opened the search, it froze. Qin Feng handed Lin Fan's phone back. "How long have you had this phone?"

Smartphones were constantly being updated, and Lin Fan's model wouldn't be picked up even if it was thrown on the street.

"For a few years." Qin Feng took out his phone and searched for Cai Yingfei. Cai Yingfei was the founder of Zhongyou Food Company, with several brands of cooking oil. The first related entry was about Chen Lei exposing the gutter oil processing plant, which led to retaliation and his suicide.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Chen Lei exposed the gutter oil? Why was there no news about it?

Lin Fan put her phone back in her pocket. "I'll change my phone when I graduate."

Qin Feng refreshed the page, and the entry disappeared. The creation and deletion of entries on Baidu Baike were controlled by humans. Who did this? Was it related to Chen Lei's death?

"Why wait until graduation?" Qin Feng put his phone back in his pocket and only then looked at Lin Fan, coming back to his senses. Why? Because of money, right? "Do you like that brand?"

Lin Fan was startled. "Don't buy me a phone; I don't have many friends to call anyway."

Qin Feng reached out and ruffled Lin Fan's hair. "You rejected that too quickly. I didn't say I'd buy it for you."

Lin Fan's face turned red, embarrassed. Feeling overly presumptuous, she wanted to bury her face in the ground. In the end, she turned her head to look out the window.

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow, opened a shopping app, and started looking for a suitable phone for Lin Fan.

Half an hour later, the car arrived at Dongmo Community. Several police cars were parked outside the community. The community's security was poor, with no need for any proof to enter or exit. Lin Fan observed her surroundings; the buildings in this community were all quite tall, and she counted the lowest one as thirty-seven floors.

As they arrived in front of Building Five, Liu Yi shouted, "Over here."

Qin Feng hurried over. Two police officers were investigating the scene, and Liu Yi handed a pack of cigarettes to Qin Feng and lit one himself. He pointed to the top of the building. "He fell from here, thirty-seventh floor, no chance of survival."

"Where did he fall?" Qin Feng asked.

The lighting was too dim to see the ground clearly.

Liu Yi turned on a flashlight and handed it to Qin Feng. "Here, and there's blood."

Qin Feng put on gloves, took the flashlight, and squatted down to examine the traces on the ground. Fortunately, the property management of this community was not neglectful, and the scene had been preserved well.

There was a large amount of blood on the ground, and Lin Fan rubbed her nose; the smell of blood was strong. She also put on gloves and looked at the other side of the blood trail.

"Is there any surveillance?"

"No, this community was just built. The developer relinquished control, and the property management hasn't taken over yet, so it's currently in a chaotic state."

"Did Chen Lei buy a house in this community?"

"He rented it. A small journalist like him couldn't afford to buy a place in such a prime location." Liu Yi said. "Any discoveries?"

There must have been something in the victim's hand. Lin Fan, relying on her limited knowledge of criminal investigation, speculated that the victim's palm had a fresh scratch. The terrain here was flat, and there were no sharp objects around, so how could the palm have been cut? People should feel fear just before death. Few people clench their fists in fear, so it was confirmed as murder. The victim even remembered to clench his fist while dying. What was in his hand? She looked up. "Qin, can I go up and take a look?"

"Wait a moment." Qin Feng also felt that there was something in the victim's hand. He searched the surroundings but found nothing. "Who reported the police?"

"A resident of the community."

"Does the deceased have any relatives or friends in B City? Did he live alone?"

"Originally, I thought the deceased was single and living here. We got the information wrong; the deceased has a wife who is giving birth in the hospital. Want to go upstairs and take a look? There might be more discoveries."

Qin Feng stood up and walked upstairs with Liu Yi. After a short distance, Qin Feng felt like something was missing beside him. He turned around and saw Lin Fan staring blankly at a spot upstairs. He called out, "Lin Fan."

Lin Fan snapped out of it and quickly ran over.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing." Lin Fan put her hands in her pockets and walked forward. "Did the deceased's wife give birth?"

"This afternoon."

Lin Fan clenched her fists, feeling sad. "A boy or a girl?"

Liu Yi pressed the elevator button; Chen Lei lived on the thirty-sixth floor.

"A girl."

"Is she healthy?"

Qin Feng glanced at Lin Fan, who looked eager to hear the answer.

"Why is a kid like you so interested in this?" Liu Yi couldn't help but laugh. "I heard she's very healthy."

Lin Fan pursed her lips, saying nothing.

The elevator stopped on the thirty-sixth floor, where two policemen were gathering evidence in the room. The house was not big, with two bedrooms and two living rooms, a small layout. Qin Feng almost stepped on a piece of children's clothing when he entered the room. He picked it up and looked at it. "Is this for the child?"

"They should be. I heard Chen Lei hurriedly took his wife to the hospital last night, arranged for her admission, and then probably came back to get things she needed for her stay."

"What were those people looking for?"

"What?"

Qin Feng put the clothes into the box and looked around. "It seems like the killer ransacked this place. I heard Chen Lei recently exposed a gutter oil processing plant? Do you know about it?"

"I know a little, but it's not my responsibility."

"How's the follow-up investigation going?"

"The suspect has been arrested, and the evidence has been confiscated," Liu Yi said. "That's how cases like this usually go."

The room was messy, with things scattered all over the place. Lin Fan walked from one room to another, catching a faint smell of blood. The bed in the master bedroom had been moved. Lin Fan walked to the French window and looked outside. Chen Lei stared back at her through the glass. Lin Fan pursed her lips. "Your wife gave birth to a daughter. She's healthy and probably very beautiful. Which hospital is she in? I'll go visit her tomorrow."

Chen Lei remained silent, staring blankly ahead. Lin Fan turned her head to follow his gaze and saw the wedding photo of Chen Lei and his wife hanging on the wall. Chen Lei looked refined, and his wife was beautiful.

"I asked for the police not to seek justice for me. I'm already dead. I just hope the police can protect my wife and child and prevent them from being harmed. They are innocent and shouldn't be involved."

Lin Fan nodded. "Okay."

"Are you a police officer?"

Lin Fan was about to shake her head, then nodded. "I will be a police officer in the future." She involuntarily straightened her back and looked at Chen Lei. "What did they take?"

"Don't look for it anymore. The more they find, the more harm my wife will suffer. She has already lost me, and I don't want her to lose hope. Thank you. You will become a qualified police officer."

He suddenly disappeared, and footsteps sounded behind her. Lin Fan turned around to see Qin Feng coming over quickly. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Lin Fan immediately shook her head.

Qin Feng came over and looked out the window. "Did you see Chen Lei?"

Lin Fan nodded, looking up at his face. "Is Chen Lei's wife safe? Will she be harmed? If those people were after what Chen Lei had, there's a possibility they might harm Chen Lei's child."

"What did Chen Lei have?" Qin Feng stared at her with his dark eyes. "What was it?"