On the eighteenth day of the first lunar month in 2026, just after the Lantern Festival, the capital has returned to its former liveliness, with busy traffic and pedestrians.

The average number of deaths per day in a metropolis of more than 20 million is around three or four hundred, so the impact of the occasional death of a person in a single place is not very large.

At about three o'clock in the morning that day, Chang Lele, who had been on the night shift for a day, carried his bag as usual and stepped on high heels from the gray stairwell to the third-floor room he shared with others.

She worked as a night salesman in a bar in Sanlitun, commonly known as a wine seller, and she was considered to be a showman rather than a seller.

Chang Lele sniffed, feeling that there was a strange smell in the stairwell today, and she was tired in her heart, this must be the fermented product that some tenant spit out drunk.

"Alas, keep persisting, maybe the lottery ticket you bought today can win."

She can only comfort herself like this, living in the capital is not easy, a North Drifter girl like her, with two bachelor's degrees, let alone buying a house here, it is already a luxury to be able to maintain her current life.

Looking at those peers who were selling their art and body, wearing gold and jade, moving from this dilapidated old house with an elevator, she thought about going to the sea more than once, and she was confident that with her posture and figure.

It is certainly not inferior to those who have done medical aesthetics.

But she is still a woman who pursues in the end, at the age of 26, she still firmly believes that as long as she takes the right path, success will come sooner or later.

Opening the door, Chang Lele immediately covered her nose, the house she rented was filled with a strong strange smell, and she even smelled blood, and the source of the smell.

She turned on the light and saw the door of her roommate's room in the master bedroom wide open.

The other two rooms, including her own, separated from the living room and balcony, were closed.

"Meijuan, are you there?" Chang Lele had the courage to shout, but she didn't hear a response, she mustered up the courage to walk to the master bedroom, and with just one look, she shouted in fright.

It turned out that her roommate Du Meijuan in the master bedroom was lying on the bed in a white wedding dress at this time, but the strange thing was that a fruit knife was inserted in the heart of her chest.

What's even more weird is that on her one-meter-eight bed, there is an extremely pale man lying next to her.

The man was dressed in a suit and tie, and seemed to have a smile on his face.

Chang Lele was frightened, she knew this man, Du Meijuan's boyfriend, but this is not the point, because this person died in an accident the day before yesterday, why is he here now?

The police station in the jurisdiction quickly arrived at the scene, and Chang Lele didn't fall asleep that day, except that as soon as she closed her eyes, she remembered the scene in Du Meijuan's bed.

And she can't remember how many people have recorded confessions for her.

She even had a feeling that the eyes of those policemen looking at her were not sympathy, but suspicion, as if she, the policeman, was the real murderer

Xu Zheng simply read the file of this case, and the first person to suspect it was Chang Lele.

Basically, in the handling of criminal cases, the suspects suspected by the police are all informants, for many reasons, and Chang Lele and Du Meijuan have a bad relationship, and the other three girls who live with them all know.

Although the two did not quarrel in person, the police knew from their contact records that there must be a conflict between the two of them.

Chang Lele marked Du Meijuan as a "flatbed bus".

And Du Meijuan marked Chang Lele as "White Lotus".

The confessions of their other three roommates also confirmed the incompatibility between the two of them, because they both worked in a bar, one did not sell his body, and the other sold his body again.

Born to deal with it.

In particular, Chang Lele complained more than once that Du Meijuan obviously has a boyfriend, but her private life is still so promiscuous, and she even occasionally brings guests back to the rental room.

This makes the contradictions between them deeper and deeper.

In addition, if you live together, you can't look up and see you down, and there are more small contradictions in daily life.

If it weren't for the cheap rent here and the proximity to work, one of them would have moved away.

"Elder Yan, you deliberately found out this case, is there a new discovery?" Xu Zheng felt that there were many strange places, and after the police arrived at the scene, the police immediately cordoned off the entire building.

Even the monitoring of the community and the surrounding area has been mobilized.

The current investigation and trace inspection, as well as the criminal police brigade in charge of the case at that time, all sent people over, and wanted to look for clues at the scene more than once.

But unfortunately, in the room of the deceased Du Meijuan, in addition to the traces of her and her boyfriend, the fingerprints and DNA carriers of five other men were found.

It's just that these five people were all Du Meijuan's previous guests, and they all had alibi certificates, proving that they didn't have time to come over to commit the crime within the time frame of Du Meijuan's death.

So after the whole investigation, there are many problems in front of the police.

Du Meijuan died of a ruptured heart, and the murder weapon was the fruit knife, and the fingerprints on the knife were only her boyfriend's, but her boyfriend died on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

So who stole Du Meijuan's boyfriend's body from the funeral home?

Who killed Du Meijuan and framed her boyfriend?

What puzzled the case handling unit the most at that time was that they did not find out who stole the body from the funeral home and all the cameras nearby, including the dashcam in the past few days.

The murderer can't be locked.

And why did the murderer let Du Meijuan and her boyfriend lie on the bed in a suit and wedding dress, this is another incomprehensible question.

In short, the case-handling unit that investigated the case at that time, and the special case team that later restarted twice, basically investigated everything that could be investigated, but the real culprit was not found.

Yan Lao pushed the reading glasses on the bridge of his nose, "I didn't make any new discoveries, when I talked to you yesterday, I happened to be re-reading this case, I thought you were here, so I wanted you to try."

Maybe it's providence that wants you to solve the case, find the real culprit, and end the regrets of the case-handling personnel.

Comfort the deceased, and also untie the knot in the hearts of everyone who can't let go of this case in their hearts.

For example, the policeman, Chang Lele, as far as I know, ten years have passed, she should be 36 years old this year, alone, it seems that if this case is not solved, she may be lonely for the rest of her life. ”

Some people have a great psychological tolerance, while some people have a particularly poor psychological quality, and Chang Lele is such a person, and the impact of the death scene on her can slowly fade.

But ten years ago, everyone, including the police, suspected that she was the real culprit, and she just called the police, only to lose her job and be kicked out by her landlord.

Du Meijuan's family cursed her frantically.

Even her own family, let alone her neighbors, sometimes look at her with suspicion.

In this case, as an ordinary person, the only choice she can choose is to drift back to her hometown from the north and go out to work from her hometown.

Xu Zheng re-flipped through Chang Lele's confession, no less than ten, from the confession recorded by the police at the police station at the beginning, to the confession recorded by her again when the case was reopened three years ago.

Maybe Chang Lele is too nervous and will automatically go on the defensive, and take the initiative to forget some things, her confessions, especially the last few confessions.

There are many inconsistencies in the details, and she said to herself many times in her confession that she can't remember clearly.

It's not that she can't remember, it's that she instinctively wants to forget these things.

This situation is very common, ordinary people will be afraid for days when they pick up an elderly person on the road, go to the police station to record a statement, and may even get into a lawsuit.

Chang Lele, as the first reporter of this case, will be regarded as the first suspect every time the case is reopened.

Yan Lao's meaning just now is obvious, let Xu Zheng make no conclusive evidence, or if there are major discoveries during the investigation, otherwise don't disturb other people's lives.

Xu Zheng opened the video of Chang Lele's first case-handling unit recording a confession for her, and asked casually: "Old Yan, if you say that this case was found out by you at random."

I don't believe it. ”

On the first written confession, there is Yan Xinhua's signature, it is obvious that this is Yan Lao's name, and this case is also the case he handled back then.

"Stinky boy, if you don't say it, you're still a good boy." Yan Lao complained powerlessly: "This case seems simple.

The murderer stole the body of the victim's boyfriend from the funeral home and faked the scene of the crime.

But after so many years of several restarts, the investigators started from the victim and her boyfriend, as well as her colleagues and friends, and all the surrounding relationships, including prostitutes.

I checked them all.

The case was not solved.

I... I asked you for help, it was indeed selfish, I was indeed the deputy director in charge of this case back then.

Ten years have passed.

Alas..."

Xu Zheng felt a deep helplessness from Yan Lao's words, there was no policeman who didn't want to solve the cases he had handled before he retired, and no policeman didn't want to retire with glory.

But the world is impermanent, and there are few criminal investigation policemen who can persist until retirement, and no one can solve the case 100%.

Xu Zheng can't either.

If there is no system, let alone solve the case, it is estimated that he is still a patrol police officer at the Liulihe Police Station at this time.

Zhu Qing comforted the old man on the side, "Elder Yan, what you said, you are only in your early seventies, and you have to live for another twenty or thirty years."

I will definitely see this case solved. ”

"Birth, old age, sickness and death, this is God's will, and I have to thank Xiao Xu for speaking of it." As he spoke, Elder Yan suddenly perked up, his face flashed red, his eyes were sharp and resolute, "The euthanasia bill was first promoted by you Changming.

Now although the pilot is starting in local areas.

But I'm ready to apply for euthanasia.

Ha ha... When I really can't hold on, I'm going to die with dignity no matter what.

By the way, I donated this stinky skin bag. ”

"You are..."Xu Zheng's heart twitched, and he had an ominous premonition.

Yan Lao smiled freely, it seemed that he was no longer a person of Hongchen, "Stomach cancer, advanced stage!"

It has begun to spread, and there is no need to treat it, so what is the treatment method of chemotherapy and drinking Chinese medicine, I have pushed it all.

With this time, I might as well work at the desk, in case I solve another case before I die. ”

Xu Zheng looked at Old Yan carefully, the old man's face was ruddy and shiny, and his eyes were slightly cloudy, but he still had energy.

No matter how you look at it, it doesn't look like a patient with advanced stomach cancer.

Of course, this is not his return.

"What, worried about when I'm going to die?" Yan Lao saw that Xu Zheng and Zhu Qing were heavy, and said with a hearty smile: "Life is rare for seventy years, I can live to this age."

I did a little practical thing for the common people in this world, and went down to meet those predecessors with peace of mind.

What do you say I have to regret? ”

Xu Zheng nodded, cleaned up his mood, and laughed again, "You're right, living a long life doesn't mean a wonderful life."

Since you want me to reopen this case, yes, but I have one more condition. ”

"Oh, it's different to come back from a trip to Nanyue Province, and I learned to talk about the conditions." Yan Lao became interested, picked up the large porcelain jar and took a sip of tea, "Let's talk about it, I still want people or money." ”

Xu Zheng shook his head, "It's not, it's power, it's not right, it's not right, we are now working in the Pursuit and Fugitive Bureau."

You have to tell the Beijing City Bureau that I am going to work part-time as a consultant to the criminal police detachment of their city bureau.

Of course, if you still have a little appeal, I can also serve as the captain of the backlog brigade of the city bureau. ”

"Poof!"

Yan Lao took a sip of tea and sprayed it all on the file in front of him, coughed twice, pointed at Xu Zheng and shook his head and smiled bitterly, "The position of consultant is nothing."

But the captain of the backlog brigade is at the level of the department, you dare to think about it.

But... Personally, I think you have the qualifications. ”

Xu Zheng knew that the old man couldn't do it no matter how much power and influence he had, so he retreated to the second, "The position of the leader of the backlog task force, this is no problem, right?" ”

Generally speaking, task forces are formed on an ad hoc basis, regardless of level, but there is still a point, part-time or multi-task, which is very common in the system.

But most of them have a real job, and the others are fictitious.

The leader of the task force is between the virtual and the real, so that he can justifiably use the police force and resources of the Beijing City Bureau.

The most important thing is that after the case is solved, he can also justifiably receive the corresponding rewards and credits.

Otherwise, he can only help the Municipal Bureau Serious Crime Brigade solve the case a few times before, and the case is solved, and the merit medal does not have him, as long as the Municipal Bureau gives him a little bonus and thanks.

"The stinky boy is quite calculating, and he doesn't suffer at all, yes!" Yan Lao still agreed in the end, "Restarting this case should have been the work of the city bureau, and it had to be in their name."

But since you want to take the helm and assemble your own staff, then I'll let out this old face and let you give it a try. ”

Xu Zheng hurriedly thanked him, and when Yan Lao said this, he agreed, if he could enter the Beijing City Bureau with this case, then he would naturally have two formal jobs.

Of course, his current file is still in the Pingjiang Provincial Fugitive Pursuit Office, and he is still on secondment, but after the one-year period expires, he will definitely be transferred to the Fifth Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security.

At that time, he will also take on the work of the Beijing City Bureau.

Then he earns performance with his left hand and merit with his right hand, as long as there is a unit that can produce good results, it will be earned for him.

Regarding the question of whether he can take on the concurrent role, Xu Zheng did not consider this, and it was a big deal to work hard with one hand and strictly manage with the other.