Chapter 30

Tang Qingqing spotted a familiar figure as soon as she got out of the car and waved her hand to greet her:

"Sis!"

Qin Sa walked over with a smile, looking her up and down.

"In just a few months, you've grown quite a bit."

Tang Qingqing loved hearing that. "I'm also feeling much better now. This time, I didn't get as dizzy during the ride."

When Qin Sa saw Zhai Hongyi following behind, she raised an eyebrow.

"Who is this...?"

"This is Zhai Hongyi, the educated youth. My master was worried about me coming here alone and insisted he come along because he knows martial arts."

"Martial arts? No wonder." Qin Sa nodded and greeted Zhai Hongyi. "I'm Qin Sa. Judging by your demeanor, you must have grown up in a military compound. How about it, want to spar later?"

Zhai Hongyi remained silent but did not refuse outright.

Tang Qingqing quickly explained: "He's just like this, but he's actually very nice."

Qin Sa smiled, not taking offense. "We called you over right before the New Year, which means you won't be able to celebrate properly."

"It's fine. National property is more important. Besides, our brigade probably wouldn't have had much of a celebration anyway."

After saying this, Tang Qingqing couldn't help but ask: "Sis, I brought someone along. Can the organization arrange accommodation for him?"

"Accommodating a male comrade is easier. Don't worry. It's good that you're not traveling alone. You're too young, and we wouldn't feel at ease if you were coming here alone. Having someone with you will make everyone more comfortable."

The mention of Li Kang'an's fate came up again after Tang Qingqing's recent rise to prominence.

His gruesome death still pained everyone even after all these years.

Especially when the older generation of public security officers recalled it, they sighed deeply.

Knowing Old Liu's past, they were even more concerned about Tang Qingqing's safety.

Tang Qingqing was not only Old Liu's apprentice but also his granddaughter. If anything happened to her, it would be a devastating blow to the old man who had already faced so many hardships. They would also lose a promising and capable comrade.

Given her young age and lack of self-defense skills, her safety needed to be prioritized even more than that of other comrades.

Hearing this, Tang Qingqing felt very happy.

This way, not only was Zhai Hongyi's accommodation problem solved, but he could also accompany her on missions without being accused of lacking a sense of collectivism.

Although the Public Security Bureau had only sought her help recently, Tang Qingqing believed that as she grew older, she would have more opportunities to prove herself.

"Sis, we don't have much stuff. Let's head straight to the scene."

Qin Sa laughed. "The situation is indeed urgent, but we still need to eat first."

"It's almost the New Year, is the cafeteria still open?"

"Yes, the New Year is often when cases spike. While others celebrate, we work overtime. Our bureau chief hasn't had a proper New Year with his family in years; he always stays on the front lines."

"Those bad guys are really annoying. Don't they have families to celebrate with?"

"That's why they're bad—they prefer to strike when everyone is relaxed."

Tang Qingqing looked at the bicycle with some concern. There weren't enough seats for all three of them.

She was about to suggest walking with Zhai Hongyi to the Public Security Bureau.

But Qin Sa had already mounted the bicycle. "Qingqing, sit on the handlebars, Zhai Hongyi, sit behind me."

Tang Qingqing: "Will that even fit?"

"What's the problem? I've carried five people on this bike before."

Tang Qingqing was amazed, finding it hard to imagine such a scene. Was it like a circus act?

Zhai Hongyi frowned. "Let me carry you both."

"Hurry up! Do you think I'll tip you over? You underestimate me too much. I can ride steadily even on steep mountain roads."

Qin Sa rolled her eyes. "And you, don't think I can't tell you're young despite your height. Are you discriminating against female comrades? Do you think we can only be protected?"

With those words, it would be inappropriate not to get on the bike.

Under Qin Sa's assertive demeanor, Tang Qingqing and Zhai Hongyi both relented.

As it turned out, Qin Sa wasn't exaggerating. Her riding skills were impressive, and she was incredibly strong.

Even with two passengers, she rode swiftly.

Going uphill, she didn't even break a sweat.

Tang Qingqing had to cover her face with her hat to avoid the biting cold wind.

Zhai Hongyi, sitting behind, wished he could cover his face too.

It was the first time since childhood that he had been carried by a woman, especially with his long legs, making him feel awkward.

Tang Qingqing didn't notice his discomfort and happily praised Qin Sa's riding skills upon arriving.

This time entering the Public Security Bureau felt much more familiar, and she even introduced Zhai Hongyi along the way.

At the end of the year, the Public Security Bureau was even busier. Everyone was in a hurry, with no time to chat with others.

Occasionally, when she encountered acquaintances, they would simply smile at Tang Qingqing before disappearing from sight.

They rushed into the canteen, where Chef Li was delighted to see Tang Qingqing.

"Little girl, you finally came. Today, I'll make you a bowl of knife-cut noodles. You'll feel warm all over after eating them."

Chef Li took out the dough he had kneaded earlier, placed it on his arm, and started slicing it with a knife, his hands moving so fast that only blurs were visible.

The slices fell into the boiling soup, quickly filling a large pot.

The food quality had noticeably improved by the end of the year. The sauce was made from pork, fried to be especially fragrant, and paired with Chef Li's secret spicy oil, which made Tang Qingqing enjoy her meal thoroughly.

Zhai Hongyi also finished eating, and knowing there was no limit, he unreservedly had two large bowls.

While eating, it seemed like he was competing with Qin Sa; both ate faster than the other, making Tang Qingqing initially nervous and inadvertently speed up as well.

Realizing how uncomfortable it was to eat this way, she decided to ignore them and continued to eat slowly.

After finishing their meal, Qin Sa led the two to the crime scene.

The supply and marketing cooperative had been cordoned off with police tape, and a security guard was still on duty.

Seeing Qin Sa, the security guard hurried over.

He had long heard of Tang Qingqing's reputation and was surprised to find her younger than described. Despite finding it hard to believe, he did not dare to underestimate her.

"Comrade Tang, you're finally here."

Her humility made Tang Qingqing somewhat uncomfortable.

However, she had no time for such thoughts and began examining the scene.

The door to the supply and marketing cooperative was open, revealing a mess inside.

The shelves and counters in the outer room were ransacked, with many items scattered on the floor, creating a chaotic scene.

There were numerous footprints on the ground, haphazard and disorganized.

Tang Qingqing asked, "Where was the night watchman attacked?"

Qin Sa led her to a small room at the back, where a stove was present, now cold and extinguished.

"The night watchman stayed here at night. If there was any commotion outside, he would come out to check."

Tang Qingqing carefully followed the footprints and entered the room.

A pool of blood was near the stove, indicating that the night watchman was severely injured.

On the ground lay a brick split into two pieces, one of which was stained with blood.

Tang Qingqing pointed at the brick. "The night watchman was hit with this brick, right?"

Qin Sa replied, "Yes. From what we can tell, the thief climbed in through the window and attacked the night watchman from behind while he wasn't paying attention."

Tang Qingqing asked curiously, "Wasn't the window locked?"

"This small room has only one window, and the rest of the place is sealed. They couldn't completely close the window because of the stove, so they always left it slightly open."

Tang Qingqing walked over and saw that the iron bars on the window had been twisted open, creating a large hole through which someone could crawl in if they weren't too fat.

"It was already late at night, around three or four in the morning, when people are most drowsy. The night watchman must have fallen asleep, which is why he didn't notice anyone climbing in."

Near the stove was a recliner with a thin blanket, meant for the night watchman to rest.

Tang Qingqing nodded, first inspecting the entire area, then focusing on the shelves.

She squatted down to examine the footprints on the ground closely.

She took out her notebook, pen, and steel ruler, measuring and recording the data.

She also sketched the footprints, separating overlapping ones.

This process was lengthy, but no one urged her or grew impatient.

The Public Security Bureau personnel had also found footprints but struggled to determine which belonged to the criminal.

The supply and marketing cooperative had daily traffic, especially at the end of the year, with many people coming to purchase goods.

Although the room was cleaned before closing, some salespeople's footprints inevitably remained.

During the day, four salespeople worked there, and with the night watchman, that made five sets of footprints.

The first salesperson to arrive found the injured person and panicked, calling for help to send the night watchman to the hospital.

Many people gathered upon hearing the commotion, completely disrupting the scene, making the investigation difficult.

Qin Sa immediately thought of Tang Qingqing, who had precisely identified an arsonist in a complex fire scene. She believed Tang Qingqing could also track the thief from these footprints.

After about three hours, Tang Qingqing stood up straight.

In those hours, she meticulously examined every corner of the room, even venturing outside and further away.

Throughout the process, she wrote and recorded without speaking.

Squatting for so long, she felt dizzy when she first stood up.

Zhai Hongyi calmly supported her and offered a White Rabbit candy.

Tang Qingqing was somewhat surprised. How could this person have an endless supply of White Rabbit candies?

However, she didn't hesitate to accept the candy, peeled it, and popped it into her mouth. The moment she tasted the sweetness, her eyes narrowed in pleasure.

Qin Sa couldn't help but ask, "How is it?"

But Tang Qingqing didn't rush to answer. Instead, she asked, "Before the supply store closed yesterday, only the salesperson cleaned up, right? No one brought in any goods?"

"No, we don't take deliveries at year-end. Everyone tidied up the shelves and cleaned before leaving."

"Tidied up the shelves first, then cleaned?"

"Yes."

"Including our footprints, there are over twenty pairs of footprints in this room. Five pairs are particularly suspicious."

Tang Qingqing extended and fixed the steel ruler, pointing to the floor.

"These are the ones."

Qin Sa: "What's special about them?"

"Except for this one." Tang Qingqing pointed to one of the footprints. "The other four pairs show signs of carrying weight. After discovering the injured night watchman, how many people carried him away from here?"

A public security officer answered quickly, "Two! They were nearby residents who heard the commotion and rushed over. Seeing the night watchman badly hurt, they carried him to the hospital."

Tang Qingqing nodded. "Of these four pairs of footprints, two belong to those kind-hearted residents, and the other two belong to the thieves."

The thieves stole heavy fabrics and alcohol, so their footprints would be quite noticeable.

Qin Sa: "There were two thieves?"

"At least two can be confirmed. Whether anyone was on lookout outside needs further investigation."

"What about this pair of footprints without any weight? Whose are they?"

"These footprints are scattered throughout the room, very distinctive." Tang Qingqing pursed her lips, thinking of someone.

"Does the night watchman have some leg issues?"

The public security officer couldn't help but answer again, "Yes, yes, he does. Old Zeng's leg is lame. He used to be a loader, but after his leg was accidentally crushed, the supply store arranged for him to be the night watchman."

Even though Old Zeng became lame, he used to be a loader with great strength, making the leaders feel more secure having him guard the supply store.

No one expected him to be attacked from behind, rendering his strength useless.

"Is he roughly this tall? And thinner than him?"

Tang Qingqing pulled the silent Zhai Hongyi over to use as a reference.

"Yes, yes!" The public security officer nodded repeatedly, impressed by Tang Qingqing.

Without seeing her skills firsthand, one might doubt if such a young girl could do it.

Now, it seemed she was indeed capable!

"Is he around thirty-two or thirty-three years old?"

"Oh my, you got it all right! It's like you've seen him before!"

Tang Qingqing had never met Old Zeng, but seeing her guess was correct, she marked this suspicious footprint aside.

After confirming, Tang Qingqing walked out of the house.

After a few steps, she looked around, and a branch was handed to her.

Tang Qingqing was pleasantly surprised. "When did you find this branch?"

Zhai Hongyi: "At least I'm your assistant. If I couldn't think of this, I'd be wasting those two bowls of knife-cut noodles."

Qin Sa didn't understand why Tang Qingqing needed the branch but didn't ask, knowing she would understand soon.

Tang Qingqing began drawing circles on the ground with the branch, moving while drawing.

Both Qin Sa and the public security officer looked puzzled.

Qin Sa asked Zhai Hongyi, "What is she doing?"

Zhai Hongyi: "She's tracing the tracks."

"Tracing tracks? But there are no footprints on the ground."

Qin Sa rubbed her eyes, wondering if they saw different things.

"She's determining where the criminal's footprints should be, which helps accurately locate the second set of footprints."

"I see, she's meticulously deducing step by step."

Tang Qingqing walked for a while and stopped at a crossroads.

Upon closer inspection, they found four pairs of footprints with weight on this dirt road.

Tang Qingqing looked around, "Which way leads to the hospital?"

The public security officer, who had been following closely, said, "The hospital is to the west. You need to go down this path."

Tang Qingqing looked eastward, confident as she pursued that direction. "Come on, they ran this way!"