"Boyfriend and girlfriend, I get it. Don't think I'm young and don't understand adult matters!"
"Hey, hey! He Xin, you're not exactly young either. You're not a minor, are you not an adult?"
"Compared to Aunt Liu, I'm still young. I'm still a virgin!"
"Uh, speaking of which, I don't seem to be a virgin anymore!"
As the two spoke, I felt my face flush with embarrassment. Several technical police officers and Yuan Hezhi nearby were secretly chuckling. Liu Yuning noticed their strange gazes and then rapped on the table, "Everyone, get serious! He Xin and Yuan Hezhi, you two head to the conference room immediately!"
Five minutes later, everyone from the Punishment Squad had arrived. It seemed another case discussion meeting was about to begin. Gao Mingqiang distributed the information he had gathered and began the slideshow. "I've pretty much investigated the victim's network of relationships. However, their relatives and friends don't seem to have any issues. They all stated that there was nothing unusual before the family's misfortune."
I didn't look at the files, instead focusing on Xie Chuchu. She quickly understood and produced the autopsy report. I scanned it carefully, but the findings were largely unchanged from the previous autopsies.
I asked Xie Chuchu intently, "Have you all finished the autopsies?"
"Yes, they all died suddenly from the impact of a violent explosion."
"Then there's only one thing left. Everyone, please watch this video!" He Xin played the live footage for everyone to observe.
Upon seeing the woman's ambiguous actions with the old man, Gao Mingqiang exclaimed excitedly, "You don't think they were... involved, do you?"
"Exactly. Have you investigated this, Mingqiang?" I looked at Gao Mingqiang.
"Not yet. When I investigated, I only knew that the old woman, Qian Yanbin's mother, died two years ago. After that, the old man remained single."
"This guy didn't even spare his own daughter-in-law. How disgusting."
"It could also be the woman's fault!"
The group engaged in a heated discussion, with many leaning towards the woman being at fault, perhaps due to her seductive, fox-like eyes.
Liu Yuning looked at her photo with even more disdain. "With those enchanting eyes, she's definitely a tramp. I saw plenty of women like that in my early days as a police officer; they always flirted around, attracted to any man."
"If this is true, how does it relate to the case?" Xiao Yuande interjected suddenly.
The others snapped back to attention, murmuring incoherently.
But I said, "The killer likely couldn't stand their behavior, but others, perhaps even Qian Yanbin himself, were unaware. So, they wanted to expose it to the world!"
"Even so, there's no need to kill them!" Gao Mingqiang said.
Liu Yuning shook her head. "This person has the technical skills to build a bomb, probably from studying a relevant field in university or as a professor. Their personality is very reclusive, preferring to hide away and work on their bombs. They probably look frightening and are afraid to face anyone. They must have been abused as a child, and possibly experienced similar situations in Qian Yanbin's family, leading to a vengeful impulse when they see such things."
"Exactly. People like that usually hide themselves, appearing unsavory. They would install the bomb when no one is looking and then enjoy the thrill of the explosion from a distance. They were likely still in the vicinity when the hotel incident occurred!" I reasoned.
"How is that possible? Aren't they afraid of being caught by us?" He Xin asked, surprised.
"According to investigations, many criminals linger at the crime scene because they want to experience the thrill of their crime. Some criminals even return to the scene to relive the event." I explained.
Gao Mingqiang nodded. "I've heard of this before. I'll go retrieve the surveillance footage from around the hotel and carefully check for any suspicious individuals at the time!"
"Have you thoroughly investigated the waiters?" Liu Yuning asked again.
"We have. It has nothing to do with them. The chefs are also likely innocent!" Xiao Yuande said.
I hoped so too. When was the bomb planted?
And did it have anything to do with that braised fish?
The bomb fragments were with Xiahou, but he wasn't at the meeting. When his name was mentioned, He Xin said, "He's still busy. He'll let us know when he has results!"
"Alright, let's check the hotel's nearby surveillance for now!" Liu Yuning ordered, and everyone stood up to leave. I didn't go to check the surveillance; instead, I sought out Xiahou.
He was still in a technical room, fiddling with the bomb fragments. Upon noticing someone enter, he didn't speak, engrossed in scanning with precision instruments.
I stood behind him for about two minutes before he finally spoke. "There are no fingerprints or other traces on the bomb. The craftsmanship is extremely sophisticated, not something an ordinary civilian could achieve. Moreover, he controlled the explosive very well, only affecting the area of that particular family. This indicates his revenge was targeted, and he didn't want to harm innocent people."
"Mm, how do you think he planted the bomb beforehand?"
"It was likely prepared the night before the incident. Then, the next day, he appeared somewhere in the hotel, observed secretly, and pressed the detonator."
"Was the bomb remote-controlled?"
"Yes, there's a chip here that receives signals!" Xiahou pointed to a section of the bomb and told me. Although I couldn't understand the intricate circuit boards, since the bomb was remote-controlled, it definitely had nothing to do with the dish. The killer likely saw the child starting to eat the fish from a corner of the lobby and deliberately pressed the detonator.
This was the most plausible explanation, but concrete evidence was still needed; otherwise, it would remain mere speculation.
Only with evidence to support it could it be called deduction.
This was the fundamental difference between the two.
After bidding farewell to Xiahou, I returned to He Xin's side. She, along with Gao Mingqiang and Yuan Hezhi, had been staring at the hotel's nearby surveillance for a long time but hadn't found any suspicious individuals.
When I joined them and relayed Xiahou's findings, He Xin adjusted the surveillance footage of the area around the incident table. I squinted, scanning the surrounding angles, and suddenly said, "The east and west are walls; they aren't the best observation points. Only the corridor upstairs is suitable. Try to retrieve the footage from that area!"
Hearing this, He Xin immediately followed my instructions and manipulated the keyboard. Soon, the footage of an upstairs corridor was focused on our screens. However, no one had passed through there, neither before nor after the incident. Just as He Xin was about to speak, I slammed the table and cursed, "The hotel is a public place. There are restrooms on both sides of the corridor. It's been half an hour; how could no one have passed through here!"