The next morning, I was woken up by a noisy alarm clock. Getting up was really painful!
I got dressed and went to call Wang Dali in the bunk below. He was hugging his quilt and refused to get up, mumbling unclearly, "Hey, let me sleep a little longer. Why do seniors need to live like high schoolers? Go to the meeting yourself."
"Fine, then you don't get a bonus this time!" I yelled angrily.
Wang Dali jumped up immediately, "Hey hey, wait for me."
We got dressed and took a taxi outside. On the way, the driver said, "Hey students, have you heard that a prostitute was killed in the southern district last night? She died a terrible death!"
"How do you know about it?" Wang Dali asked.
"Haha, what news can be hidden from us brothers? One of my buddies was driving around that area this morning. He happened to meet the owner of that hotel who had been hassled all night. He told my buddy about it during the ride. That hotel was operating illegally. Now there's a murder case. I guess they are doomed!" The driver gossiped.
"Really?" I pretended to be surprised.
Wang Dali covered his mouth laughing out loud, "Why does the police need a college student? Don't they have capable people?"
"I heard this college student is quite capable. Remember the headless corpse case at a certain university? He supposedly cracked that case. *Sigh* Why can't my useless son be as outstanding? He only knows how to play video games online!" The driver said.
I said, "Master, your information is quite accurate!"
"Of course!" The driver said proudly, "By the way, why are you two going to the police station so early in the morning? Don't tell me you are helping the police crack cases?"
"No, we are going there for business." I explained.
The driver burst out laughing, "I know, what a coincidence that would be! If it were really you, I'd give you a free ride, hahaha!"
Soon the car arrived at the police station. We paid and got off. Huang Xiaotao just walked out from the parking lot. Seeing us, she waved and said, "Song Yang, Wang Dali, perfect timing. Let's go upstairs together for the meeting."
The driver stared at me in surprise, "It really is you!"
"Yes." I smiled faintly.
"Didn't you say free ride just now?" Wang Dali said.
Huang Xiaotao asked curiously, "What are you talking about?"
Before we could explain, the driver had driven away quickly. Wang Dali chased him for a while, yelling, "Hey, didn't you say free ride? People nowadays are so ungrateful!"
"Did you have some dispute? Or should I call the traffic department to deal with him?" Huang Xiaotao asked.
"No, we were just joking around." I said.
"Have you had breakfast?" Huang Xiaotao asked.
"Nope!" I shook my head.
Huang Xiaotao called someone, "Add two more of the same breakfasts. Still deliver to the Criminal Police meeting room on 3rd floor."
Wang Dali was overjoyed, "Sister Xiaotao, you ordered breakfast for everyone?"
Huang Xiaotao smiled, "We worked overtime last night and got up so early today. I have to compensate everyone properly. People tend to be irritable and inefficient if they don't get enough sleep and food. I can't ensure good sleep, so at least I'll ensure a good breakfast!"
I said, "I didn't know you were so experienced."
Huang Xiaotao said, "These are all taught by my master."
We went to the 3rd floor conference room. It was still early so the police who arrived early were chatting casually around the table. Contrary to my impression of stern, serious detectives discussing cases, these police also had daily lives - chatting about their kids, TV shows, gossip. Only Wang Yuanchao sat alone in the corner, looking gloomy with a cigarette in his mouth.
Wang Dali nudged me, "That uncle doesn't seem to fit in with the group."
I said, "Maybe that's just his style!"
Soon the deliveryman brought the breakfasts Huang Xiaotao ordered, two big bags full. Huang Xiaotao told those who skipped breakfast to come take some. The conference room instantly filled with a joyous atmosphere.
The breakfast was abundant - soy milk, fried dough sticks, fried shrimp, potstickers. After eating, everyone arrived and Huang Xiaotao cleared her throat, "Alright, now that everyone's here, let's summarize the clues so far."
She pulled a whiteboard full of photos and key words to the front of the conference table and briefed everyone on the case details, which I already knew.
After she finished, she asked, "Anything else to add?"
One officer reported, "I checked the ID registered by the cleaning lady. It's fake, made by some local ID forgers who use information of uneducated rural farmers so they don't notice."
Another officer said, "I called the family of the victim Ma Lizhen. They lost contact years ago and had no idea what she did in Nanjiang or that she was missing and died!"
Yet another officer said, "I went to the Traffic Department early this morning and pulled surveillance footage from the intersection by the hotel. It shows a suspicious male leaving the hotel at 8pm on Oct 4, but the image is blurry without a clear face."
Huang Xiaotao then assigned tasks - the technical team to analyze the video for new clues, other officers to investigate middle-aged men with a history of stroke and the victim's interpersonal relations.
After she finished, she looked at me, "Song Yang, anything to add?"
I thought for a moment, "I suggest investigating if there are any patients in Nanjiang with an allergy to heterologous protein. It may relate to the murderer."
Hearing this term, everyone discussed amongst themselves. Huang Xiaotao asked, "Allergy to heterologous protein? What's this illness? I've never even heard of it!"
I explained that people with this condition cannot absorb and are extremely allergic to certain proteins. A common example is peanut allergy - people allergic to peanuts may even face life-threatening danger if they eat peanuts.
I hypothesized the murderer has this condition and is allergic to most proteins in normal food, except blood. His body has also undergone some abnormal changes due to long-term lack of protein, like fear of sunlight, pale skin, no body hair.
"If he doesn't eat food, how does this person survive daily?" Huang Xiaotao asked in surprise.
"Drinking blood!" I said coldly.
Wang Dali whispered, "Bro Song, didn't we sleep together last night? When did you research this?"
"What do you mean sleep together?" I yelled angrily, "I couldn't sleep last night thinking about the case, so I got up to flip through my old notes. Luckily I found something, otherwise I probably wouldn't have slept at all!"
"How long did you sleep then?" Wang Dali asked.
"Less than two hours probably." To be honest, I was so sleepy now I could barely keep my eyes open and just wanted to find a place to crash after the meeting.