TTS Chapter 10

With Ou Wei cleared, their only remaining leads were the person who paid Peng Xiangye to hack into Yuan’an’s system and the final video of a masked suspect leaving Zeng Guoyong’s home. Han Huaixiao had Wen Yu continue tracing the person who dealt with Peng Xiangye, while everyone else worked outward from the Yuan’an worker’s home as the center, pulling surveillance footage from every surrounding street to track the suspect’s escape route.

 

It was a crude method, tedious and massive in workload, but with no better clues, this was the only way forward. But after a full day of watching footage, everyone’s eyes were burning. By nine that night, Han Huaixiao dismissed the team and instructed them to rest and continue the next day.

 

Xia Hang went downstairs with Ling Yue. Ling Yue walked towards his car, asking, “Brother Hang, where do you live?”

 

Xia Hang said, “Huixian Residential.”

 

“I’ll drive you.”

 

“Sister Ling said you live on the east side of the city. It’s not on your way, I’ll just take a taxi.”

 

“It’s fine. At this hour, there aren’t many cars here.”

 

However, Xia Hang still declined. And yet, he got lucky; just as he stepped outside the Bureau entrance, a bus heading toward Huixian Residential pulled in. He jogged forward and boarded, and with the rush hour long over, the road was clear. Before ten, he was at the neighborhood gate.

 

Outside the gate was an old street lined with decades-old shops selling everything imaginable, from screws and fittings to bespoke high-quality custom clothes. But at night, when the storefronts closed, street vendors took over, selling trinkets, snacks, and late-night food.

 

Xia Hang passed a stall selling wontons and bought a serving of chicken broth to take home. But right at the entrance of the residential area, he saw a little girl running a small stall with two turtles in a bucket. Out of curiosity, he glanced over, and the little girl immediately called out, bright and eager, “Big brother, do you want a turtle? I raised them. I’m going to boarding school soon, and no one will take care of them, so I’m looking for a new owner. Do you want them?”

 

Xia Hang wasn’t interested in pets, but her clear, hopeful eyes made him soften, so he ended up walking away with a tiny bucket and a paper bag. The girl reluctantly stroked the turtles’ shells and instructed him, “Big brother, the food in the paper bag should last half a month. Remember to feed them and change their water, okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

At home, Xia Hang looked around and decided the balcony was best. He searched his apartment and found a larger basin under the bathroom storage cabinet, so he filled it with water and transferred the two palm-sized turtles into it. In the new environment, they froze, heads tucked in.

 

He poked them lightly with his finger. “I forgot to ask your little owner what your names were,” Xia Hang said. ‘I’ll give you new ones. Let me think… You’ll be Huaihuai. You’ll be Xiaoxiao[mfn]Both Huai and Xiao from Han Huaixiao’s name. Cute[/mfn].  If you disagree, move. If you don’t move, that means you agree.”

 

The turtles stayed still.

 

“No objections then? Done.”

 

After settling the new residents, Xia Hang noticed the wonton broth had almost completely soaked into the wrappers, so he washed his hands and ate it anyway. He should have showered and gone to sleep afterward, but he didn’t want to move. In the end, he collapsed on the sofa and drifted off, half-asleep, when the phone on the table buzzed.

 

Before leaving work, Zhang Tianhua had reminded him to keep his phone on. Thinking it was a work notification, he picked it up, only to see that it was from the Mingcheng Residential Building 1 owners’ chat group, the one he’d gotten into after that old man pulled him in that day. Someone asked if anyone had found a set of keys downstairs. Scrolling up, Xia Hang saw it was mostly chatter about the elevator accident, so he locked his screen and went to shower.

 

The plan was to draw a bath, but after those exhausting days, he’d likely fall asleep in it. When he came out in a robe, the phone vibrated again, showing it was still the Building 1 chat group. Xia Hang didn’t know what they’d been discussing before, but the screen was full of candles and praying-hands emojis.

 

Xia Hang scrolled upward and found the source: a message from the owner of unit 1204.

 

1204: [This elevator accident is too strange. How could all three elevators malfunction at the same time? It’s been so many days, and the police still haven’t found anything. Last night I dreamed of the owner of 1104. Do you think he’s… getting revenge on us?]

 

Revenge?!

 

Xia Hang’s pupils contracted, and his hand moved before he could think, taking a screenshot of the conversation as he kept on scrolling.

 

[What does dreaming about 1104’s owner have to do with this?]

 

[Has everyone forgotten who lived in 1104?]

 

[I remember now! The one who froze to death on the rooftop before the New Year!]

 

[1204, don’t say creepy stuff at night. This is terrifying.]

 

[Yeah, seriously. Everyone’s already spooked after what happened.】

 

[What are you talking about?! 1104 locked himself out on the rooftop, drunk, and froze to death! What revenge?! What does it have to do with us?!]

 

1204: [Uh… did everyone forget that after he locked himself on the rooftop, he sent several messages in the group that night?]

 

[Crap! Now that you mention it, I remember! I’m getting goosebumps!]

 

[Me too… Didn’t he ask for the property management’s number in the group? And no one replied?]

 

[If someone had given him the number… would he still…]

 

[🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️]

 

[🙏🙏🙏🙏]

 

………………

 

Xia Hang instinctively felt the messages were connected to the elevator accident, so he opened WeChat and sent the screenshots to Han Huaixiao.

 

Han Huaixiao was still awake, and he called almost immediately, asking: “Where do you live?”

 

As for Xia Hang, he had already begun changing clothes in the bedroom, knowing very well that as soon as Han Huaixiao saw the screenshots, he would head straight to Mingcheng Residential.

 

“I live in Huixian Residential. I’ll wait for you at the gate.”

 

……………..

 

Han Huaixiao arrived quickly. Xia Hang waited less than ten minutes before he saw the car pull up, but late spring and early summer in Lang City were still chilly at night. Xia Hang had stepped out right after his shower and caught cold air. Once he got in the car, he covered his mouth and sneezed twice.

 

Han Huaixiao glanced sideways and saw he was only wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt with no jacket. “So?” he asked, “planning to take sick leave right after joining my team?”

 

Xia Hang pulled a wet wipe from the console and wiped his hands, answering, “Would you approve it?”

 

Han Huaixiao replied mercilessly: “If a cold makes you want to leave, then you’re not suited for Major Crimes. Don’t bother applying for leave. Just request a transfer.”

 

“…Oh.”

 

Xia Hang didn’t respond again, but after a moment, he still noticed that the draft blowing from the driver’s side window had stopped.

 

“When did you join their owners’ group?” Han Huaixiao asked.

 

“Last time, when we came here to investigate.”

 

“What made you think of joining the group chat?”

 

That was something Xia Hang had learned during undercover work: crowded places with loose tongues often revealed overlooked clues. However, he didn’t explain in detail, only saying: “I wanted to see how the residents were discussing the accident.”

 

Han Huaixiao drove fast and knew the roads well, so they reached Mingcheng in the shortest possible time. After parking, Xia Hang followed him into Building 2 and silently sighed… They had to climb stairs again.

 

By the time they reached the 12th floor, Xia Hang was slightly out of breath. Han Huaixiao must not have wanted him to lose face in front of residents, so he waited until Xia Hang’s breathing steadied before knocking.

 

But at that late hour, and with Han Huaixiao not wearing his uniform… the owner of 1204 was a young woman living alone. Seeing two men outside her door through the peephole, she simply didn’t dare open up.

 

Han Huaixiao knocked three more times, but received no response, so he called the nearby police substation. After hanging up, he said toward the door:

 

“Ms. Sun, we really are police officers. We saw your message in the owners’ group tonight about 1104, and we need to ask you a few things. I’ve already contacted the local substation; you can call and verify.”

 

Sun Ying’s heart thudded hard. She searched online for the substation’s number and called, and the officer on the other end confirmed everything. Keeping the call connected, she finally opened the door.

 

Han Huaixiao showed his badge, saying, “Sorry to disturb you this late. It’s an urgent case.”

 

“Sorry, I was afraid you might be… someone bad.” Sun Ying answered while visibly relaxing.

 

“You did the right thing,” Han Huaixiao said. “Living alone means being cautious.”

 

“You must be tired,” Ms. Sun said while bringing two bottles of water. “Have some water.”

 

Xia Hang smiled. “Thank you.”

 

Next, Han Huaixiao signaled for Xia Hang to hand him the phone, and Xia Hang opened the owners’ group chat and passed it over.

 

“Ms. Sun,” Han Huaixiao continued, “you mentioned in the group that on the night 1104 locked himself on the rooftop, he sent several messages in the chat. What exactly did he say? Can you tell us in detail?”

 

Sun Ying replied, “Those messages should still be in the chat. I’ll look.”

 

Han Huaixiao raised an eyebrow. “You don’t clear your phone storage?”

 

“Usually I only delete things when my phone warns me it’s full…” She laughed awkwardly. Ms. Sun searched the chat history and quickly found the messages Yang Xiaoyu sent that night, tapping the first one. He’d sent three clips, and his drunken, slurred voice spilled out:

 

[…who… who has… hic…]

 

[…who has the property’s phone… phone… number…]

 

[…send… send it… to… me…]

 

Han Huaixiao started recording the phone screen as he asked, “No one replied to him at the time?”

 

“It was already past one in the morning,” Sun Ying said. “Most people were asleep. Some people who woke up saw the first audio and realized he was drunk again. I thought he was acting up like usual. Many probably didn’t even open the second and third messages.”

 

Han Huaixiao caught the key point immediately. “Acting up again? He often got drunk and caused trouble at night?”

 

Sun Ying hesitated. “He’s gone now… I feel like it’s wrong to speak ill of him.”

 

“You don’t need to worry,” Han Huaixiao assured. “You’re helping the investigation. You’re doing something good.”

 

With that, Sun Ying finally explained: “Mister Yang moved in later than the rest of us. When he first arrived, everyone thought he was a pretty decent, handsome guy, and friendly enough. But within a month, people started complaining he had a lot of friends. They came over constantly, always at night, and always drinking, playing cards, and being loud. When they were drunk, they didn’t care about disturbing people. I got woken up by their noise many times.”

 

“You didn’t call property management?” Han Huaixiao asked.

 

“We did. The owners in 1004 even called the police several times. But every time the property or police came, they quieted down. After they left, it started again. Eventually, the whole building went to talk to him at least twice. Each time, he behaved for half a month before it started back up.”

 

“Did he know 1004 called the police?”

 

“He should… Their daughter was a nurse… always exhausted from work and kept getting woken up. Old Lin and Auntie Tian went to confront him many times, even arguing with him.”

 

“Besides those friends, did anyone else visit 1104?”

 

“It seemed like he lived alone. Never saw his parents. Besides his friends… I think… no one else.”

 

“Try to remember again.”

 

Sun Ying thought for a moment. “Actually…” she mumbled, “I do remember something. Not long before the incident, I came home from work one day and passed a middle-aged man in the lobby. He wore a hat and a mask, but his eyes looked fierce. I paid attention when he got off the elevator… he left on the 11th floor and walked toward apartment 1104.”

 

Han Huaixiao looked at Xia Hang, who understood immediately, pulling up a picture of their only suspect.

 

“Was it this man?”

 

“He wore a hat and mask… but this one also wears a hat and mask…” Sun Ying answered. “Looks similar enough.”

 

Next, Xia Hang opened a surveillance clip of the suspect, saying, “Look again.”

 

Sun Ying nodded slowly. “I think that’s him,” she finally confirmed. “His nose looks uncomfortable, seeing how he touched it twice. The man I saw also rubbed his nose a few times. The movement looks the same.”

 

Han Huaixiao and Xia Hang exchanged a look. They thanked Sun Ying and stepped out. Immediately, though, Han Huaixiao called the forensics unit and told them to come over. While waiting, he phoned the property manager to send over the keys to 1104.

 

………………………