Chapter 2864: The Qu Family Case

The night-shift officer at the Bairen Town Police Station stifled another yawn. Dawn was beginning to break—another grueling, sleepless night finally drawing to a close.

The wall clock had already chimed five times. His shift was almost over.

He surveyed his surroundings. The terrazzo floor still gleamed like new beneath the recently installed electric lights. Everything here was new. The Bairen Town Police Station had been completed less than six months ago, its modern facilities replacing what had once been the humble East Gate Market Substation.

On the white walls hung the massive police emblem, flanked by four large blue characters in Song-style script: National Police. Below hung Wen Desi's own calligraphy, the "Four Loyalties" rendered in precise regular script.

The duty officer sat behind the counter beneath this wall, keeping watch over the nocturnal inhabitants of the lobby.

Along the walls, several rows of backed benches held the night's collection of drunks—men found passed out on the streets and hauled in by patrol officers. They sprawled across the seats in various positions, their snores rising and falling in discordant rhythm.

An old man and a youth—farmers who had come to the city for petty trade only to fall victim to swindlers—dozed curled up on one bench. Their case couldn't be processed until the day shift arrived to enter it formally into the system.

A licensed prostitute with a swollen eye had reported being robbed and beaten while plying her trade at midnight. Too frightened to return to her lodgings, she huddled on a bench waiting for daylight.

The officer glanced down at the duty log before him. Night work had eased considerably since last month, when Ran Yao had shown mercy during the station's upgrade. When Bairen Town Substation became a full Police Station, a new substation had been established on Heyuan Street, significantly lightening the burden on night officers. After all, Heyuan Street had always generated the most nocturnal patrols and emergency calls.

Still, night duty remained demanding work. Bairen was unlike anywhere else—it was the most prosperous commercial district in all of Lingao. Years of migrant influx had inevitably produced its share of desperate souls, along with opportunists who arrived specifically to "strike gold." The public security situation was exceptionally complex, with criminal cases occurring frequently. Nighttime especially remained a peak period for thefts, robberies, and snatch-and-grabs. Even officers on watch duty who never left the station couldn't rest the entire night.

He glanced at the security alert level posted on the wall—yellow again. In all his time since graduating from the police academy and arriving at this station, he had never seen it otherwise. On the adjacent panel, the counter-terrorism alert level showed green.

Two years and one month, he calculated silently. That was how long remained in his service period at Bairen Station. Once it expired, he could transfer somewhere less demanding. Of course, he had no intention of becoming a stationed officer. Taking a post as a "village cop" meant essentially rooting yourself to that village for life...

As his mind wandered, the station's revolving door suddenly began to turn. The patrol officers who had gone out were returning. Their team leader, a second-level commander, checked the wall clock, signaled the others to wait, then pulled a cigarette case from his pocket. He lit one, took a deep drag, and exhaled the smoke slowly with weary satisfaction.

"Patrol's back?" the duty officer greeted him. "Any incidents?"

"Relatively uneventful." The leader took another puff, standing leisurely by the entrance—there were still a few minutes until patrol punch-out time. Behind him, his team members clustered around the water dispenser, drawing hot beverages from the thermal barrel. Every face bore the characteristic pallor of a sleepless night.

One officer suddenly called out, "Is there still coffee?"

"Long gone," the duty officer replied lazily, spreading his hands. "The Criminal Division's been pulling overtime every night this week. They finished it all by midnight."

"Damn!" The coffee-deprived officer cursed and rubbed his face.

"Drink less of that stuff," advised the middle-aged officer beside him. "It's terrible for you when you're already running on no sleep."

"Criminal Division has a big case again?" The team leader's interest was piqued.

The duty officer chuckled. "Ask them yourself when you go in."

"Another homicide, right? There've been noticeably more these past few years."

"There really weren't this many murder cases before."

"So many people have flooded in, all chasing wealth," said the middle-aged officer. "When I was a constable, this was all farmland. Forget people—you wouldn't even see a ghost!"

"Chase riches, find ruin," another officer remarked. "A few days ago, a body surfaced at the hydroelectric dam. Autopsy ruled it suicide by drowning. Investigation showed he was from Jiangxi, lost everything in a failed business venture."

"Poor soul. His family probably doesn't even know..."

"Why end it all? Go anywhere and work as a laborer, or take short-term work on a farm—at least you'd have food to eat!"

...

They chatted idly until the clock chimed again. Half past five. Everyone punched out and headed inside to change clothes, wash up, and stow their equipment. The cafeteria would open at six, when they could eat breakfast and go off duty. The duty officer sighed; he still had to hold out until eight.

He made a trip to the restroom, then refilled his teacup with strong tea. He waited idly behind the counter, watching the hour hand creep toward eight.

Fortunately, daylight brought activity. The formerly quiet lobby grew bustling: people arriving to collect relatives, citizens coming to report crimes, individuals processing ongoing cases, various liaison officers and coordinators... They came and went in steady streams, and the duty officer registered and processed them one by one. As a "constable" without specific processing authority, he could only log entries and handle matters by the book—work that required little mental exertion.

He was just contemplating what to do after getting off work when several people burst through the revolving door. All wore traditional clothing. The duty officer recognized the man in front immediately—Xia Zhongde.

Xia Zhongde was a fixture at the police station. He had made a thorough study of Australian law, and whenever the Qu family needed to deal with the authorities, he was the one dispatched to handle it.

His visit today obviously concerned the Qu family case from several days ago.

The duty officer wasn't a detective and knew nothing of the case's specific details. However, from snippets overheard from colleagues in the Criminal Division, he gathered that a maidservant of the Qu family had been killed by one of the concubines.

The case itself was straightforward enough. The suspect had been arrested immediately. Originally, it appeared to be a criminal matter arising from family disputes—not uncommon in this area. However, after the suspect was brought in, she refused to confess. During interrogation, she exposed several old cases and past incidents involving the Qu family, revealing a "case within a case." Several of the family's masters and servants were consequently detained. According to the detectives, it had nearly resulted in "taking down the whole lot."

"Comrade Officer, I'm here to process bail procedures." Xia Zhongde was exceedingly courteous. With a gesture, the servant beside him immediately produced a document from his carrying case.

"Bail?" The duty officer couldn't hide his surprise. The Qu family case involved multiple homicides and intentional injury charges. Formal arrests had been made just two days ago. How could bail be granted at this stage?

"Indeed," Xia Zhongde replied with an ingratiating smile. "This is the bail order signed by the Lingao First Circuit Court yesterday. Please review it."

The bail document was enclosed in an envelope, appearing flawless from the outside. The duty officer had no authority to open it. He recorded its receipt in the document register and said, "Wait here." Then he rose and headed toward the back.

The Criminal Division occupied the "old building" of the former East Gate Substation. Given the high caseload in this district, the two-story structure was now used exclusively by their unit. Upstairs held offices and the records room; downstairs contained the interrogation rooms and temporary detention facility.

The duty officer found the detective who had just come on shift and handed over the bail documents.

"Youwei, it's for the Qu family case," he noted.

"The Qu family's?" Lai Youwei also seemed taken aback. He casually opened the envelope—and his eyes widened in disbelief. After hesitating for more than ten seconds, he said, "Wait a moment. I need to report this to the section chief first."

He took the document and walked toward the section chief's office in the inner room.

The Criminal Division section chief of Bairen Police Station was a graduate of the third Criminal Investigation Training Class, personally conducted by Mu Min. Academy-trained, a disciple of the Emperor's own program—this was why he occupied this position. Though only around thirty, he was experienced and shrewd.

Upon receiving the document, he was immediately puzzled. Bail itself was nothing extraordinary, but the Qu family case remained under active investigation. Confessions, witness testimonies, and physical evidence had not yet formed a complete evidence chain. The investigation was far from concluded, yet here was a bail order. Moreover, it granted release to multiple suspects simultaneously.

The section chief was baffled. He read the document repeatedly, scrutinizing every detail. Black ink on white paper, the judge's signature and court seal clearly visible—absolutely legitimate. The bail receipt was attached as well: three thousand yuan.

He drew in a sharp breath. This Qu family was truly wealthy.

Though suspicions gnawed at him, the court's document carried supreme authority. He had no choice but to comply.

"Release everyone named on the list," he ordered.

"Chief, this case isn't closed yet. The evidence is incomplete..." Lai Youwei reminded him.

"I know. I'll report this matter to the higher-ups." The section chief's brow furrowed. "Release them first."

"Yes, sir!" Lai Youwei was about to leave when the section chief called him back. "Contact your most capable informant. Have him watch the Qu family. You continue monitoring this case."

"Understood. I'll arrange it immediately."

Lai Youwei went out and processed the procedures as swiftly as possible, releasing the three suspects on bail.

Three sedan chairs waited outside the station. The moment the released parties emerged, male and female servants immediately patted them with pomelo leaves for purification. Xia Zhongde beamed, bowing and clasping his hands repeatedly. "You've suffered! You've suffered!"

Watching the sedan chairs disappear into the distance, Lai Youwei felt his unease deepening. He had personally handled the Qu family case. The facts had initially seemed simple enough: Zhou Suniang, a concubine of the Qu family, had endured mistreatment by the legal wife and harbored murderous intent. At night, she crept into the legal wife's bedroom, intending to kill her. Unexpectedly, she killed a maidservant who happened to be sleeping in the same room instead.

After Zhou Suniang was brought in, she denied having any murderous intent. She admitted going to find the legal wife that night, but claimed it was only to inquire about her brother's whereabouts. Furthermore, she insisted she was now a free person with no subordinate relationship to the Qu family. She had no reason for "killing in desperation."

Lai Youwei was trained to detect when people were lying. He could generally see through deception. But Zhou Suniang's words struck him as half-true and half-false. Perhaps her stated intent to kill was fabricated, but her visit to the legal wife that night was probably not a simple "discussion" either.

(End of Chapter)