Forensic Forensic - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

When Luo Jianan entered the medical examiner’s office, Qi Ming was stitching up the dismembered body. “Aren’t you supposed to touch the body?” Luo Jianan asked, frowning.

“The case is closed, and the body is no longer considered evidence.”

Qi Ming’s suturing skills rivaled those of a surgeon. The stitches were placed just beneath the skin, leaving a thin, thin wound, unlike the thick, thick stitches left by Old Han. Old Han’s technique was impeccable, but when the family came to claim the body, the sutures on the body could be concealed, while those on the neck would need to be exposed.

Qi Ming believed that preserving the deceased’s appearance was a sign of respect for the deceased and their family.

In reality, Luo Jianan had brought Wu Ge to claim the body. Bai Yuemei and Wang Mingqi, mother and son, refused to claim Wang Xinji’s body, leaving Luo Jianan with no choice but to call Wu Ge. Now Wu Ge stood in the hallway, nervously tugging at the hem of his shirt, waiting to catch one last glimpse of his biological father.

“I called Grandma, and she told me everything.” On the way to the police station, Wu Ge tearfully revealed the secret of her life to Luo Jianan. “Uncle Wang and my mom and dad were college classmates. He and my mom started dating while we were still in school… After he got into college, our family couldn’t afford it, so Aunt Bai’s father supported him… When Uncle Wang was about to graduate, Aunt Bai’s father was critically ill. He went back to see him one last time, and he entrusted their daughter to him… To avoid being branded ungrateful, Mom broke up with him. After the breakup, she found out she was pregnant, but she couldn’t bear to abort me… Dad always loved Mom, and they got married… Later, when I went to work at the shipyard, Uncle Wang saw me and immediately thought of Mom. He went to Grandma to confirm that I was his daughter, and from then on, he decided to divorce… Oh, now I finally understand why Dad never took me to Grandma’s house…”

Unlike Qi Ming, Luo Jianan didn’t carry a handkerchief with him at all times. Fortunately, he still had half a pack of tissues in his pocket, so he gave it all to Wu Ge. He felt quite sympathetic towards the girl. Having lost both her parents at such a young age, she finally had a loving father, only to have him tragically killed. “By the way, I heard you were going to Hong Kong to study design?” he asked Wu Ge.

Wu Ge shook his head and sighed, “It’ll cost hundreds of thousands! I don’t have that kind of money. My parents’ work-related injury compensation went to my grandmother’s medical treatment, and I even took out a loan to pay for my college tuition.”

“Actually…” Luo Jianan weighed his words, “Your Uncle Wang, oh, your father, left a sum of money before he died—400,000 yuan. We can ask the police to issue a DNA certificate to prove your inheritance rights.”

“I know about that. Officer Miao told me.” Wu Ge sniffed. “But Uncle Wang wouldn’t have died if he hadn’t been saving money for my tuition.”

Luo Jianan wasn’t good at comforting people. After searching for words for a long time, he said, “He’s your father. He feels guilty for what he’s done to you over the years, so of course he wants to compensate you. Besides, you’re so promising, right? You’ve been accepted into graduate school, and he’d be happy too.”

“Honestly, I’d rather not have this compensation. Having family around is more important than money.”

If only everyone thought the same way. Thinking of Wang Xinji’s disappointing son, Luo Jianan sincerely didn’t want Wang Mingqi to know about the money recovery.

——————

“Are you ready?”

Standing in the corridor outside the morgue, Luo Jianan asked Wu Ge. Through the glass window, Wu Ge saw the body covered in a white sheet. Qi Ming stood nearby, waiting for the sheet to be removed. She took a deep breath and nodded. Luo Jianan raised his hand and knocked on the glass, conveying the family’s decision to Qi Ming.

The moment the sheet was removed, Wu Ge suddenly covered her mouth with her hand, trying to stifle her sobs. Luo Jianan, noticing her violent trembling, quickly knocked on the glass again. Qi Ming, upon hearing this, immediately covered the deceased’s face with the sheet again. When he emerged from the morgue, he saw Wu Ge, sobbing breathlessly in Luo Jianan’s arms.

Qi Ming tapped Luo Jianan’s back with a metal folder and said, “Wait until she calms down and have her come to the office to get Old Han’s signature.”

After crying for over half an hour, Wu Ge finally calmed down. After signing, Old Han told her, “The bureau will arrange cremation, but the urn will be ordinary. If you have any additional requirements, you’ll have to pay the difference yourself.”

“I’ll pay whatever it costs to use a better one,” Wu Ge sobbed, unpacking her bag and pulling out her wallet. Old Han quickly held her hand and said, “The crematorium will contact you. You won’t have to pay here. Miss, please accept my condolences.”

Wu Ge’s tears streamed down again. She held Old Han’s hand and nodded vigorously. Luo Jianan had been planning to take Wu Ge back to school, but she said she wanted to be alone, so he walked her to the curb and watched her get into a taxi and leave. Just as she was about to turn around, a Porsche SUV suddenly pulled up beside her. Gao Jinhai’s large face appeared in the lowered window.

“Hey, Boss Gao, what are you doing here?” Luo Jianan asked with a smile. “What’s the matter? Are you dissatisfied with the fine you paid?”

“It’s not about the money.” Gao Jinhai got out of the car and waved the driver to move forward and not block the road at the Public Security Bureau entrance. “Is Teacher Qi here?”

“Yes, what do you want to see him about?” Luo Jianan noticed Gao Jinhai carrying a bag of X-rays, the kind used in hospitals. Gao Jinhai walked inside with a stern look on his face, saying, “It’s life-saving.”

Huh?

Hearing this, Luo Jianan hurried after him.

——————

Placing the films Gao Jinhai had brought onto the office lightbox, Qi Ming took a look and calmly made a diagnosis: “Synovial chondroma of the hip joint.”

“Ah? It really is a tumor, Teacher Qi?” Gao Jinhai’s face paled.

“This is usually benign. Didn’t the doctor tell you?” Qi Ming pointed to the small cluster of loose bone on the X-ray. “It’s stage one, so the chance of cancer is minimal. Surgery can remove the lesion. But you need regular checkups, as this disease can recur.”

“Benefactor! Lifesaver!” Gao Jinhai rushed over, grabbed Qi Ming’s hand, and shook it vigorously. “If you hadn’t sent me to the hospital, I wouldn’t have discovered this!”

Qi Ming’s brow furrowed slightly at the pain of the other man’s rough grip. Luo Jianan, noticing his expression, immediately intervened, “Hey, hey, hey, Boss Gao, our Teacher Qi’s hand can’t handle that. She’s holding a scalpel.”

“Ouch, look at how excited I am… Did it hurt, Teacher Qi? Sorry, I’m just a rough man, so I’ll rub it for you, rub it for you.” Gao Jinhai said, hurriedly taking Qi Ming’s hand in his palm and rubbing it back and forth, making Qi Ming’s face grow increasingly grim.

“Rubbing your mother’s head?” Luo Jianan tilted his head and rolled his eyes.

Gao Jinhai rubbed Qi Ming’s hand for a long time before releasing it. He patted his chest and said, “Teacher Qi, from now on, I, Gao Jinhai, will be your right-hand man. Ah, if you need any advice, even at my age, I’ll brave any danger!”

Before Qi Ming could reply, Luo Jianan stepped in front of him and said, “This Public Security Bureau, are they playing Young and Dangerous?”

“Oh, Officer Luo, Brother Luo!” Gao Jinhai, relieved, patted Luo Jianan on the shoulder. “Teacher Qi and I have a deep bond between the police and the public!”

Fvck your deep bond between the police and the public! You’re holding on to me and you think you’re right!

Luo Jianan’s complexion was already dark, and now it was darker than the bottom of a pot.

——————

After work, he called his mom and made plans to go back for dinner that weekend. Luo Jianan drove Qi Ming back to his apartment. Shao Chen hired a housekeeping company to clean the apartment, and now it looks brand new. Luo Jianan had gone upstairs to take a look and spent a long time playing with the large, motion-controlled TV mounted on the wall. He did have an Xbox One, but he’d only played with it once, right after buying it, and it’s been gathering dust in the closet ever since.

Qi Ming came out of the shower, cut up a mango and lemon from the refrigerator, and threw them into the blender to make juice. Just as he took a sip, his phone rang. It was Luo Jianan, saying he’d come see him later.

“Any case?” he asked.

“No, the underground water pipe burst near my house, and now the road is a mess. The property management said they’ll be cutting off the water and electricity for half a month.” Luo Jianan’s voice sounded a little dejected. “Xu Jie’s girlfriend’s back from vacation, so I can’t bother her. Dawei’s dorm doesn’t have room for me, so I wanted to stay at the bureau’s guesthouse, but it was full.”

“So you’re staying at my place for the night.” Qi Ming placed his phone on the counter and pressed the speaker. “Luo Jianan, you’re not too broke to stay in a hotel for half a month, are you?”

“I’m carrying a gun, so how can I stay in a hotel every day?” “The hotel?!”

“Why don’t you go home?”

“Haven’t you met my dad? I’ll be bored to death if you go back. Besides, I’ll have to drive you to and from work every day. I can sleep in longer if I stay with you.”

“I’m not that familiar with you, Luo Jianan, and I don’t like roommates.” Qi Ming thought for a moment, holding his juice glass. “How about this? You stay at the Holiday Inn. The business floor has good security, so your gun won’t get lost. Go to the front desk and sign for my—”

“Forget it! I’ll figure it out!”

The phone beeped. Staring at the darkened screen of his phone, Qi Ming could perfectly imagine Luo Jianan’s bruised face. He decided to ignore the slight pang of guilt he felt—Luo Jianan was a local, how could he not find a friend to stay at for two weeks?

But he had a gun, so it wouldn’t be convenient for him to go to anyone else’s house. After much thought, Qi Ming couldn’t ignore the growing guilt and called Luo Jianan back.

“If you dare hang up on me again, I’ll record a two-hour ghost story and play it on your computer on loop every day.” Qi Ming’s words stunned Luo Jianan. “For both of our privacy, you’ll sleep in the storage room on the first floor. Also, you must lock the bathroom door when you go to the bathroom. As for other rules, we’ll discuss them when you get here.”

Luo Jianan stared blankly at the phone for a long moment before saying dryly—

“What do you want for dinner? I’ll get it.”