The two returned to the station and went straight to the forensics department. Chen Shi urged Peng Sijue, “Captain Peng, please help me test something.”

Peng Sijue glanced at him coldly and asked, “What?”

“Remember the blood on the weapon...”

“I have already tested it.”

“No, I am not going to test the DNA. I am going to test its blood lipid content and compare it with the deceased.”

Peng Sijue looked at Chen Shi for a moment and replied, “Why do I need to listen to you? I have a lot on my hands, and I have no time to deal with your requests.”

“Captain Lin started to investigate again?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“Well, he just came back from the scene where Big Tiger was killed and brought back some evidence. I’m very busy right now, so go away.”

Lin Dongxue pulled Chen Shi’s sleeve. “Let's go!”

“Captain Peng!” Chen Shi suddenly raised the volume. “The impression you gave people has always been a calm, objective and impartial person, but you just said the phrase 'Why do I need to listen to you?'; I think this is very opinionated. Since I am involved in solving the case, why can't I use the resources here? Unless you only do things based on whoever asks you?”

Peng Sijue suddenly stood up and stared straight at Chen Shi. “What my character and personality is like is not up for discussion by the likes of you!”

Lin Dongxue was frightened. This was the first time someone had provoked Peng Sijue ever since she became a police officer. Chen Shi is like fountain grass[1], and dares to provoke everyone.

She kept tugging Chen Shi's clothes and motioned him to go, but Chen Shi did not pay attention to her. He spoke softly, “Please do me this favour. Of course, I am not asking you without anything to offer...”

Chen Shi took out a packet of mints from his pocket and placed it on the table. “It's a little gesture.”

Peng Sijue was stunned for a while and then smiled. “Do you take me for a child?”

“I can't get more expensive things.”

“Test the blood lipids? Why do we need to test this? You must explain it to me!”

“Will you help me?”

“Depends if what you say is reasonable.”

“I think you should test it out first. Then, when you see the conclusion, I will explain it properly to you then. It will be more efficient that way.”

Peng Sijue indulged for a moment and responded, “You better not lie to me. I am very vengeful. If you lie to me, don't enter this door ever again.”

“I dare not!” Chen Shi smiled.

Peng Sijue went to the refrigerator to take a blood sample and started the test on his work bench. He opened the bag of mints sent by Chen Shi and ate it whilst testing. The laboratory was very quiet. Lin Dongxue did not dare to speak out too loudly, “The blood of the same person... What is the point of testing it?”

“Is it from the same person? Why won’t your brain open? I have given you so many hints, but you still don't understand?”

Lin Dongxue had an epiphany. “Is it that... Is it...?”

“Just say it!” Chen Shi smiled and encouraged.

“Is it that the blood was left there in the past?”

Chen Shi couldn’t help but look up at the sky helplessly. “Your brain seems to get younger by the day! I feel utterly speechless.”

“Go die!” Lin Dongxue kicked him.

Peng Sijue held up a testing strip in his hands and looked up in surprise. “The blood lipid contents of the two blood samples is completely different, but their DNA is the same. I understand now. They’re twins!”

“Twins!?” Lin Dongxue was shocked.

Chen Shi’s eyes smiled, “This is the truth!”

“How did you know that?” Peng Sijue asked.

“At first, it was just a bold guess. How could the scene not have fingerprints, DNA, and salivary enzymes of the murderer? Why did the murderer spare the little boy? One more thing, when we mentioned the words 'mother and father' to the little boy that day, he suddenly showed an abnormal amount of panic! So I went to Kong Wende’s hometown and found his parents. This was just a bet. If Kong Wende had schemed with his parents before or after the incident, then it was unlikely that I could gain any intel from asking them. I used some skills to learn from his parents that Kong Wende was actually part of a pair of twins when he was born. However, at the time, the family was too poor to raise two children. They decided to abandon one by drawing long and short straws. His parents put the abandoned child in front of a temple in the neighbouring village and didn’t hear from the baby since. With this clue, the whole case was able to be explained at once. The male body at the scene was not Kong Wende, but his twin brother. Kong Wende is the murderer. The little boy saw his own father killing his mother and grandmother, so he lost his mind. Maybe the little boy is also on Kong Wende’s murder list. However, the saying that even the tiger who is very aggressive won’t eat their own young[2] is true after all, and he ultimately did not kill him.”

After listening to Chen Shi’s long story, Lin Dongxue and Peng Sijue were shocked for a long time and couldn’t speak. Chen Shi continued, “It’s ridiculous to listen to, isn’t it? Reality is sometimes more absurd than novels. In fact, there is a precedent for this kind of murder case where twins exchanged identities. In Texas, there was a twin sister who killed her older sister and lived with her brother-in-law for a few months. Later, because of a fire accident that exposed the clues, the police found the body of 'herself' in the house. The police responded similarly to that of yourselves right now, and later they learned that the dead one was the murderer’s twin sister.”

“So, you asked my brother to find a person who is very similar to Kong Wende?” Lin Dongxue asked, “Do you think he will escape from Long'An City?”

“No, actually, I think there’s a big probability he is still in Long'An. I asked my driver friend to help me find recent missing person notices. There is no such person similar to Kong Wende. If I were him, where would I hide? Yes, I would pretend to be my twin brother, replacing his identity. Long’An is so big, the police wouldn’t be able to think that the situation is like this even if their heads explode!”

Lin Dongxue looked at Chen Shi with surprise. She thought that he was just lazing around the past two days. It turned out that he had done so many things secretly and almost completely completed the investigation solo.

One person is better than a whole task force. She couldn’t help but ask again in her heart. Chen Shi, who exactly are you?

“I found out during the autopsy that there were a lot of calluses on the body, and the spine had a slight lumbar disc herniation. I guess he is a manual worker. I will inform Captain Lin and investigate following this lead!” Peng Sijue got ready to get the phone on the table.

“Captain Peng, thank you.” Chen Shi turned around and left.

On the way out, Lin Dongxue wore a very unhappy expression. This did not escape Chen Shi’s eyes. He asked, “What happened to you?”

“No... Nothing.”

“Let me guess. I told you before that I would help you make meritorious deeds, but now the truth is told to your brother through Peng Sijue, so you’re not happy, right?”

“No! No matter who solves the crime, the crime is still solved. Am I that petty?” Lin Dongxue pouted.

Chen Shi began a text message from his mobile phone. Lin Dongxue, who was waiting for comfort, saw this and her heart was even more unhappy. Chen Shi finished the text message. “Shared information is the basis of cooperation. If I hide things, it will waste the resources and time of the whole task group. This is a matter of principle and character. Telling your brother is one thing, but your brother might not be able to catch the person. I have a faster way to catch Kong Wende!”

“What is it!?” Lin Dongxue’s eyes shone.

“Follow me to the newspaper agency.”

1. It sways with the slightest of wind so it will stick on to whatever. They are using the stickiness of it as a metaphor for provoking. https://robertasgardens.net/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/image/800x1018/e9c3970ab036de70892d86c6d221abfe/h/a/hameln_ornamental_fountain_grass_002.jpg

2. An expression that means that no matter how ruthless and blood-thirsty you are, you still won’t be able to do the same to your own flesh and blood.