Zhou Yi wasn’t sure if what he had just seen was an illusion. But this kind of acute perception was something he had forged through years of rigorous training. It was what people meant when they said someone had eyes in the back of their head.
He was about to chase after the disappearing shadow when the old man behind him grabbed his arm.
"Who are you, young man? I haven’t seen you around before."
With just a second’s delay, Zhou Yi lost the shadow’s trail. The hospital was already getting busy, filled with not just medical staff but also a growing crowd of patients.
"You’re Master Liu from the boiler room, right? I’m the new guy in the Security Section. Just call me Zhou."
"New guy? How come I haven’t seen you around?"
"I just started yesterday, but I’ve definitely heard of you," Zhou Yi said. He pulled out a fresh pack of Daqianmen cigarettes, tore it open, and offered one to the old man.
The old man didn’t stand on ceremony. He took it and casually tucked it behind his ear. Zhou Yi had conveniently bought the pack at a small kiosk next to the breakfast stand on his way to the hospital, originally intending to use it to "pay tribute" to Wu Yongcheng later.
"It must have been your Section Chief Song who mentioned me to you, right?" the old man asked smugly.
"That’s right. He said you’re a very warm-hearted person," Zhou Yi played along.
"Oh, so he just said I’m warm-hearted. Why didn’t he mention that I’m an Outstanding Worker and the 1994 Model Worker for our hospital?"
Seeing the old man get slightly irritated, Zhou Yi immediately grasped his temperament. He was straightforward, a bit stubborn, and fiercely protective of his personal honors. Otherwise, he wouldn’t still be bringing up a Model Worker title from three years ago all the time.
"Section Chief Song did mention it. Blame me, I just forgot."
Old Liu spoke with earnest gravity, "Young man, you can’t just forget something like that. This is the lofty ideal and pursuit of our working class."
"Yes, yes, yes, you’re absolutely right to educate me. Oh, what are you doing here?" Zhou Yi was, of course, referring to the old man pumping air into a bicycle tire.
"Patrolling."
"Patrolling? Aren’t you from the boiler room?"
The old man huffed in annoyance. "That Old Song. He doesn’t even tell his new subordinates about such important matters.
"Around the beginning of last year, a lot of people complained to the Security Section that their bicycle tires were being punctured and deflated for no reason, which really disrupted their daily commute.
"The Security Section staked out the area for a few days and finally caught two little brats. They confessed the moment they were intimidated. They said they had gotten into an argument with a doctor during a visit and wanted to get revenge. But they didn’t know which bike belonged to that doctor, so they just started vandalizing randomly.
"Even though the culprits were caught, the hospital staff still blamed the Security Section for not doing their job properly and demanded they patrol the area every day. One person had even fallen and knocked their front teeth out because of the deflated tires.
"But Old Song claimed he didn’t have enough manpower and was too busy to handle it."
The old man suddenly puffed out his chest, looking immensely proud. "At that critical moment, one’s ideological awareness truly shines. I stepped forward on my own initiative and said I’d do it.
"I am an Outstanding Worker and a Model Worker. When there are difficulties, if I don’t step up, who will?"
Zhou Yi nodded. The ideological awareness of the older generation was indeed different from that of the younger ones. "So you come to the bike shed to patrol every day?"
Old Liu nodded. "Of course. Rain or shine. I even specifically went to a repair shop to learn how to patch tires. If anyone’s bike has a minor issue, I can fix it."
Zhou Yi gave him a thumbs-up and praised, "It seems I’ll have to learn a lot more from you in the future, Master Liu."
"Ah, it’s all about serving the people. If there’s anything you don’t understand, just come find me in the boiler room."
"Master Liu, how many times a day do you usually patrol?"
"At least twice. Once around seven or eight in the morning, and once around four or five in the afternoon. If I have free time during the day, I’ll also come over and take a stroll."
"And at night..."
"I’m getting old and my eyesight is poor. I can’t see clearly at night," Old Liu laughed sheepishly.
"Master Liu, let me ask you one more thing." Zhou Yi glanced back at Du Xiaolin’s bicycle, a possibility forming in his mind.
Old Liu’s subsequent response confirmed his suspicions.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Old Liu left, leaving Zhou Yi alone in the shed.
Zhou Yi had completely figured it out this time. Whether it was before his rebirth or after, the killer would never have come to pump air into Du Xiaolin’s bicycle. It actually had nothing to do with whether he intervened or not. The killer had calculated from the very beginning that when Old Liu patrolled the next day, he would pump up the deflated tire. The killer didn’t need to do it themselves.
Furthermore, it was certain that when Old Liu came to patrol the shed around four or five o’clock yesterday afternoon, the tire had not yet been deflated. This meant that the killer had appeared in the hospital sometime between five in the afternoon and midnight. That made it highly probable that the killer worked the swing shift, just like the victim.
In the hospital, the only departments that operated on a rotating three-shift system were the emergency room and the inpatient wards. Other functional departments basically only worked day shifts. At most, the Security Section would assign one person to take the night shift. Coupled with the fact that hospitals in the 1990s weren’t overly massive and most staff members knew each other, there was a huge risk in purposely returning after a day shift just to deflate a tire. That did not align with the killer’s extremely cautious personality. Working the swing shift was different; they could just make up a random excuse to slip away for a few minutes.
Combining this with the information revealed by the young nurse, the target could essentially be narrowed down: a nurse or female doctor who worked the swing shift yesterday, whose husband or boyfriend was having an illicit affair with the victim. Moreover, the killer’s plot to murder Du Xiaolin had been premeditated for a long time.
Zhou Yi’s final question to Old Liu had been whether this particular bicycle had ever suffered a punctured tire before.
Old Liu had replied, "Yes, of course. Several times. I remember it happening during the day shifts or night shifts. That young lady cursed and swore about it for quite a while, and even went to your Security Section to complain."
This meant that to ensure Du Xiaolin saw a flat tire when she got off work last night and formed the preconceived notion that her tire was simply busted again, the killer had deliberately orchestrated a few precedents of puncturing her tire.
It seemed it was time to notify Captain Wu. For the matters that followed, he would have to go by the book.
* * *
In the office of the Third Brigade of the City Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Detachment, several more people had joined Chen Yan. They were all elite officers under Wu Yongcheng’s command.
Wu Yongcheng was pacing back and forth, his brows tightly furrowed. He muttered under his breath, "He’s just a rookie cop who’s been on the force for half a year. Is he really reliable?"
After struggling with the decision for a moment, Wu Yongcheng clapped his hands together and said, "Chen, let’s head to City Third Hospital."
Chen Yan, who was buried in organizing files, looked up. "Understood, Captain. I just finished compiling the personnel files for the emergency department."
"Good. Bring them along. I’ll read them on the way. You drive," Wu Yongcheng said, before turning to the others. "The rest of you, continue investigating Du Xiaolin’s social circle. Focus on her romantic relationships and any family conflicts. Oh, and also check if there’s any recent intelligence on released convicts or transient criminals. We can’t entirely rule out those suspects."
Just as the two were about to head out the door, the phone on the desk rang. A female officer answered it, asked a quick question, and immediately called out to stop Wu Yongcheng.
"Captain Wu, it’s for you. He says his name is Zhou Yi."
Hearing Zhou Yi’s name, Wu Yongcheng immediately jogged over and took the receiver. "Speak!"
On the other end of the line, Zhou Yi quickly relayed his discoveries and deductions.
"Alright, wait for me at the hospital. Chen and I will be there right away."
"No, Captain Wu. I’ve already verified the emergency department’s shift schedule. Aside from Du Xiaolin, two doctors and three nurses worked the swing shift yesterday.
"These people are all resting at home right now. My suggestion is to go straight to their doors.
"Take them completely by surprise!"