Chongqing in September smelled of osmanthus.
Osmanthus trees lined every street, filling the air with an intoxicating fragrance.
Lü Qingqing savored the pleasant scent, which reminded her of home.
City life was undeniably convenient, but there were still aspects she found unfamiliar. Rickshaws, for instance, were unheard of in her village. Chongqing was a city of steep hills; even walking was strenuous, let alone pulling a rickshaw.
Of course, rickshaw pullers weren't ubiquitous in Chongqing, as they could only travel so far. The City Police Station, however, was one such place.
The last time Lü Qingqing had visited the station to submit a case closing report, time had been tight, and she hadn't had a chance to look around. This time, she arrived half an hour early, not for any reason other than to avoid crossing paths with Hu Jia.
The building was a three-story structure blending Chinese and Western architectural styles, featuring a hip-and-gable roof, two dormer windows on the north and south sides, and clad in small dark tiles. The south facade facing the street presented a traditional Chinese aesthetic with grey walls and dark tiles, while the north facade facing the river boasted a Western-style arched colonnade. Notably, the entire police station was perched on a sheer cliff 15 meters high, offering a panoramic view of the north bank of the Jialing River.
With some time before the meeting, Lü Qingqing decided to take a casual stroll through the building. To her surprise, a woman emerged from a corner, and they collided head-on.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Lü Qingqing quickly crouched down to help the woman gather the scattered papers.
"It's alright," the woman replied, glancing at Lü Qingqing as if she were a stranger. "Where are you from?"
"Ah?" Lü Qingqing smiled. "Jiangjin."
It was clear Lü Qingqing had misunderstood the woman's intention. The woman was actually probing Lü Qingqing's background, knowing full well that in a society driven by connections, one never knew who they were dealing with.
As expected, upon hearing that Lü Qingqing was just a small-town policewoman from the countryside, the woman abruptly placed the papers she had already folded onto the ground. "Take these to the judicial section. Honestly, walking without looking where you're going. Country women are so reckless."
The woman's sudden change in demeanor caught Lü Qingqing off guard. Watching the woman's arrogant retreating back, Lü Qingqing stood up to leave.
Help her send these to the judicial section?
Did she want me to post them on the notice board and make her tear them down one by one?
"Stop!" the woman's voice rang out.
Lü Qingqing pretended not to hear, not even turning her head.
This infuriated the woman. She rushed forward, attempting to grab Lü Qingqing's arm. Lü Qingqing feigned interest in a painting on the wall, spun around, and dodged her grasp.
"Is there something you need?" Lü Qingqing asked, acting as if she had just noticed the stumbling woman.
"Fine! You're very fine!" The woman, realizing she wouldn't gain any advantage from her earlier actions, picked up her papers haphazardly and left.
Lü Qingqing paid her no mind, walking leisurely as if strolling through a market.
Lü Qingqing didn't give such a minor incident another thought, especially since it involved a stranger whose name she didn't even know.
If nothing unexpected happened...
But of course, something unexpected was bound to happen.
Two hours later, Lü Qingqing saw the same woman again, and this time she learned her name.
Tong Meng!
A nice name, indeed.
At that moment, Tong Meng was standing before Ouyang, reporting her impressive findings.
"Qingqing, why are you here?" Ouyang Wen, now aware that this woman was not his brother's fiancée, addressed her by her first name.
"I'm here for a safety meeting. Now that it's over, I have some free time, so I came to visit," Lü Qingqing glanced at Tong Meng, surprised to find that the woman was one of Ouyang's subordinates.
Tong Meng's eyes blazed with anger. Qingqing? Such a familiar address!
"You carry on with your work; I'll just sit here for a while." Seeing Ouyang about to offer her a seat, Lü Qingqing quickly interrupted, not wanting her presence to disrupt their work.
Due to the difference in their ranks, Lü Qingqing and Hu Jia were not seated together. However, Hu Jia had waved to her, saying they would go home together after the meeting.
To avoid any trouble, Lü Qingqing had fled as soon as the meeting adjourned.
Now, she intended to hide in Ouyang Wen's office for a while.
Ouyang Wen nodded, gesturing for Tong Meng to continue.
"The deceased is He Yue, a street performer who made a living by training monkeys. He was a gambling drunkard, constantly frequenting taverns and gambling dens. He wouldn't leave until his money was lost or his alcohol was finished. Five days ago, He Yue won a small sum at the gambling house. While drinking at a tavern, his wealth was noticed by He Yunzhi, a tavern boy. He Yunzhi followed He Yue home, fatally stabbed him, and stole twelve yuan."
Having finished her report, Tong Meng produced an evidence bag.
The first item was a dagger, its blade rusted and its hilt loose. "This is the murder weapon, confirmed to belong to Zhang Yunzhi."
Next, Tong Meng took out two silver dollars and a stack of paper currency. "This is the money left at the scene, all of which was He Yue's gambling winnings from that night."
Finally, Tong Meng presented a stack of documents. "These are the testimonies, the autopsy report, and He Yunzhi's confession, which has been signed and thumb-printed."
Ouyang Wen took the documents and flipped through them. "Hmm? This case is rather peculiar! The crime was solved by a monkey?"
Tong Meng smiled. "Yes, it was the monkey He Yue kept."
She then added, "This was my idea."
Ouyang gave Tong Meng an approving look. "Excellent, that's a good idea. Haha, only you could have thought of having a monkey identify the killer."
Hearing Ouyang's praise, Tong Meng's face lit up with pride. Whether intentionally or not, she cast a challenging glance at Lü Qingqing.
Lü Qingqing looked at her as if she were an idiot, a mischievous impulse immediately taking hold.
"Brother Ouyang, is a monkey solving a case really that amazing? I've never seen anything so novel. Could I have a look at the case file?" The term "Brother Ouyang" instantly darkened Tong Meng's face.
Although Ouyang Wen was slightly taken aback by Lü Qingqing's address, he didn't think much of it. After all, he had called her "sister-in-law" for so long, it was only natural for her to call him "brother."
"It is indeed quite novel." Ouyang handed the case file to Lü Qingqing, not forgetting to praise Tong Meng.
Lü Qingqing accepted it unceremoniously and pretended to read it with a serious expression.
In truth, she wasn't really interested in the case file; she simply wanted to annoy Tong Meng.
What was she so proud of?
Her superior could be addressed as "brother" by me.
She worked tirelessly to solve a case, and I could get the file with a single request.
After all, case files were generally not meant for outsiders, let alone someone from a different department.
However, as she read, Lü Qingqing's brow furrowed.
"Ouyang," Lü Qingqing's address returned to normal. "There's something wrong with this case."
Tong Meng, still basking in the glow of Ouyang Wen's praise, was immediately displeased by this statement. However, seeing Ouyang standing nearby, she managed to suppress her words.
"What's wrong?" Ouyang asked, perplexed. All the evidence, both human and material, was present, and the suspect had signed a confession. Could there be a flaw?
"This case has a loophole. This monkey might have framed an innocent person," Lü Qingqing stated.
At this, Tong Meng could no longer hold back.
Using a monkey to identify the killer was her idea. Now, Lü Qingqing was claiming the monkey had framed an innocent person, which was essentially an indirect accusation that she had botched the case.
"Heh heh, I must say, madam from the countryside, it's not shameful that you haven't seen such an innovative method of solving cases. But don't flaunt your ignorance as an achievement. How many cases have you, a mere country cop, handled? I'd wager you've dealt with more petty thieves than I have serious offenders."
Hearing Tong Meng's words, Ouyang frowned and reprimanded her with displeasure.
"If your jurisdiction has more serious offenders than petty thieves, should I commend you as a guardian of the people?" Lü Qingqing retorted with a smile.
"You!" Tong Meng's face turned crimson with anger.
Ouyang's lips twitched. Lü Qingqing's sharp tongue was certainly not for show.