After helping Bai Mengyan deliver the keys to her father, Lin Chen had just driven into the area in front of Building 5 when he saw an elderly man wearing glasses walking toward him with a small dog. The old man came closer, carefully checked the license plate, and said with certainty, “That’s right, this is my daughter’s car.”
There was no doubt this was Bai Mengyan’s father. Lin Chen immediately got out of the car and greeted him warmly, “Hello, Uncle. I’m a friend of Bai Mengyan.”
The old man sized him up from head to toe. He felt the young man looked quite good… handsome, energetic, and carrying an upright demeanor that gave a strong sense of integrity.
Smiling, he asked, “Young man, what’s your name?”
Lin Chen felt that the old man’s gaze carried a mix of scrutiny and warmth… like a superior assessing a subordinate, yet also like an elder looking kindly upon a junior. It was a strange, indescribable feeling.
“Uncle, my name is Lin Chen. You can just call me Xiao Lin,” he said politely, locking the car and taking the key out of his pocket to hand over.
Bai Mengyan’s father, Bai Jiancheng, was a senior figure in the State Grid of J Province. Having worked in a state-owned enterprise for many years, he had seen many capable people within the system. Yet Lin Chen gave him a refreshing impression. Perhaps there was a subtle personal bias at play, but the fondness on his face was hard to hide.
“Xiao Lin, thank you for coming all this way so late to bring me the key. My wife went traveling, so I took the dog out for a walk and picked up a package. When I got back, I realized I’d completely forgotten the key,” Bai Jiancheng explained. He had even reminded himself before leaving, yet upon returning and checking his pocket, he found he had forgotten entirely.
“Uncle Bai, that happens all the time,” Lin Chen replied. He thought his task was complete and was about to leave when Bai Jiancheng suddenly said, “Xiao Lin, this package is a bit heavy. Could you help me carry it upstairs? And come sit for a bit so you’ll know the place.”
Since it was just a small favor, Lin Chen naturally didn’t refuse. He walked over, lifted the box onto his shoulder. It felt quite heavy. He couldn’t help thinking that Uncle Bai seemed like a straightforward, down-to-earth man.
Following Bai Jiancheng, the two headed toward the building entrance. As they walked, Bai Jiancheng said, “Young people really do have strength. If you hadn’t come, I’d have struggled quite a bit.”
“Uncle, you’re still strong and energetic. This isn’t much at all,” Lin Chen said as they entered the elevator, not forgetting to flatter him a little. The compliment made Bai Jiancheng smile with satisfaction.
After arriving at the apartment, they chatted briefly. Bai Jiancheng got a general sense of Lin Chen’s work. By the time they finished their small talk, it was already 21:30. Lin Chen said his goodbyes and headed home.
After Lin Chen left, Bai Jiancheng called his daughter. Sitting on the sofa, he hummed a cheerful tune. When the call connected, Bai Mengyan’s gentle voice came through, “Dad, what’s got you in such a good mood?”
Originally, he hadn’t expected anyone to deliver the key that night. Bai Mengyan was a flight attendant. Even if the key was at her place, it would be useless without her there. He had only called to complain a bit, yet after a few words, his daughter had unexpectedly said she would find a handsome guy to bring it over. That alone had surprised him.
Bai Mengyan was only 24 years old. Although she had countless admirers lining up around her, she showed little interest in any of them. She had never brought a man home, nor had she ever spoken about one.
Over the past few years since graduation, he and his wife had urged her to marry. However, Bai Mengyan always responded coldly. Even when they arranged blind dates or introduced suitable men, she wouldn’t even spare them a glance.
Gradually, their urging became nothing more than a routine formality. Bai Jiancheng had only one daughter and cherished her deeply. He feared that if he pushed too hard, she might get upset and distance herself from them.
“Xiao Meng, your friend is quite good. The young man is enthusiastic, full of energy, and works within the system. Very nice,” Bai Jiancheng said, mistakenly assuming Lin Chen was her boyfriend. Otherwise, why would she ask someone to deliver keys so late at night?
Hearing this, Bai Mengyan immediately realized her father had misunderstood. She quickly explained, “Dad, what are you talking about? We just met. We’re only ordinary friends.”
Bai Jiancheng assumed she was simply being shy and didn’t expose her. In his mind, he thought… who are you trying to fool? If he’s just an ordinary friend, why would you let him go to your home and get the keys while you’re not even there?
“Oh, then you can try getting to know each other. A man this good… once you miss him, there won’t be another chance. Haha,” Bai Jiancheng said cheerfully.
Bai Mengyan felt helpless. No matter how she tried to explain, it seemed impossible to clear up the misunderstanding.
A new week began. After adjusting to working with his colleagues, Lin Chen officially took charge of the Second Unit. Not long after the morning meeting ended, Xia Meng rushed into his office. She had previously worked in administrative roles and had little experience with criminal cases. From how anxious she looked, Lin Chen immediately knew something had happened.
“Go ahead,” Lin Chen said, handing her a cup of hot water, trying to calm her nerves.
“Captain, a body has been found in an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city,” Xia Meng said. Her eyes shone with excitement, clearly hoping to participate. For any police officer, being involved in a case was thrilling. Xia Meng had chosen this profession not only because she loved justice but also because she wanted to fight crime. However, since graduation, she had mostly been assigned to desk work and rarely worked in the field.
“Alright, let’s go together,” Lin Chen replied calmly. He had seen too many major cases to react strongly. Yet in that moment, Xia Meng felt as though he had changed… his gaze had become sharper and more resolute.
They quickly drove to the scene. Outside an unfinished building on Muling Road, police lights flashed. The area had already been sealed off with caution tape, and officers were moving in and out busily.
As soon as Lin Chen got out of the car, Officer Zhang Jie, who was maintaining order, approached him, saluted, and said, “Captain Lin.”
Noticing Xia Meng behind him, Zhang Jie gave a slight nod in greeting. Lin Chen took a pair of gloves and said as he walked, “Give me a briefing.”
“Fifteen minutes ago, the command center received a report. A body was found in this abandoned building. The caller was an elderly scavenger,” Zhang Jie reported.
Lin Chen nodded. In the distance, on a small mound of dirt, he saw a ragged old man trembling in fear. Lin Chen pointed at him and asked, “That’s the one?”
Zhang Jie nodded and led them over. He introduced Lin Chen to the old man, “Sir, this is the officer in charge of the case. Tell him what happened.”
The old man’s lips trembled. He looked flustered and at a loss. Beside him, Xia Meng took out her notebook, ready to record.
“Don’t be nervous,” Lin Chen said gently. Then he turned to Zhang Jie and asked, “Where’s the body?”
“Inside,” Zhang Jie replied.
Lin Chen followed him into the building. It had been abandoned for years. The interior was dilapidated, filled with a nauseating stench of garbage.
As he walked forward, he saw a large black trash bag lying there. From the outside, it looked ordinary. But as he approached, the horrifying truth became clear… inside were mutilated human remains, torn apart into pieces, scattered and piled together in a grotesque mess.
At that moment, Xia Meng stepped forward. The instant she saw the scene, her face turned pale, and she began vomiting.
Lin Chen calmly pulled her aside and said, “Don’t rush in like that. Go rest for a bit. This is normal for a first scene.”
“This is… too horrifying,” Xia Meng said, struggling to overcome her fear.
Just then, Lin Chen’s phone kept ringing. He took it out and saw it was Chen Ya calling. Without hesitation, he silenced it and continued working.