Hanging While Standing

In the week after coming back, I was in a daze, absent-minded during meals and classes, and even tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep.

Wang Dali asked if I was under too much pressure from constantly cracking cases recently and suggested buying an old hen to replenish my body. In fact, my mind was full of Huang Xiaotao, but I couldn't tell him that.

I would sometimes send Huang Xiaotao WeChat messages, of course just some pointless ones like "What are you doing?" and "Did you sleep?" I had no dating experience at all from childhood until now, not even one-sided crushes, so suddenly acting like a love expert spouting sweet nothings was definitely unrealistic. But Huang Xiaotao seemed to be too busy with work, often not replying. Even when she did, it was just a few words.

But even if she only sent an emoji smiley face, it could make me happy for half a day. I was so obsessed that I would grab my phone to check every few minutes, feeling almost compulsively addicted...

People often say those in love are fools, and now I deeply understand this saying is absolutely true.

One day Huang Xiaotao called and asked Wang Dali and me to go to a certain restaurant that evening. When we arrived, Huang Xiaotao was waiting for us in the first floor lobby. She was wearing a T-shirt and jeans today, with sunglasses perched on her forehead, looking cool. I noticed Huang Xiaotao never wore skirts or dresses, probably due to her personality.

With Huang Xiaotao's striking figure, even plain clothes could bring out her voluptuous curves. As soon as he saw her, Wang Dali lasciviously said, "Sister Huang, you're dressed so beautifully today I'm about to have a nosebleed."

"Hasn't it only been a few days since I last saw your lecherous face?" Huang Xiaotao threateningly shook her fist.

"Oh dear, Sister Huang, go easy on me!"

Seeing their playful banter, I suddenly felt jealous of Wang Dali, though I maintained a poker face on the surface. Huang Xiaotao glanced at me and calmly said, "Song Yang, Old Tiger Sun is waiting for you guys upstairs."

"Why the sudden invitation to dinner?" I asked.

"Did you forget? Old Tiger Sun said earlier that when we got back, he wanted to personally host a welcome back party." Huang Xiaotao explained.

We followed Huang Xiaotao to a private room on the fourth floor. Wang Yuanchao was also there, drinking even before the meal had started. This old guy really could hold his liquor. I heard that a hopeless alcoholic could drink a whole kettle from just one peanut, and Wang Yuanchao wasn't far off.

Old Tiger Sun sat on the other side, playing solitaire by himself. The two were in their own worlds, probably used to each other as veteran colleagues at the police station.

As soon as Old Tiger Sun saw us come in, he stood up and greeted, "Nephew, you're here! This must be your assistant, Wang?"

"Chief Sun." Wang Dali politely addressed him.

"Haha, no need to be so formal. Just call me Uncle Sun. Have a seat, Huang, ask the server to bring out the dishes." Old Tiger Sun waved his hand.

After sitting down, Old Tiger Sun first apologized to me, saying he had originally planned to host a welcome back party as soon as we returned, but some things came up at the station that he couldn't get away from, delaying it until now.

Secondly, there was still follow-up work to be done for the last Spirit Cat smuggling case, during which some unexpected events occurred. The suspect, Yu Jun, committed suicide out of guilt in detention.

Hearing this news, I was slightly shocked and asked, "How did he die?"

"That guy twisted bedsheets into a rope and hanged himself from the iron window. His body was already cold when he was discovered the next morning..." Old Tiger Sun paused and couldn't help frowning. "But the death was very suspicious. He was over six feet tall and the window was about that high. Although it was a hanging, his feet were still touching the ground. This is very puzzling. His cellmates only noticed the next morning when they smelled shit and piss, and were screaming in fright when they saw Yu Jun stiffly hanging there."

"He hanged himself standing up?" Wang Dali stared wide-eyed in astonishment.

I involuntarily pictured a scene in my mind—in the dawn light, a lifeless man standing rigidly, a long red tongue hanging from his mouth, shit and piss flowing down his pants legs. It was quite an eerie scene.

My first reaction was that Yu Jun had likely been taken revenge on by the spirit cat he had enslaved.

Old Tiger Sun poured me some tea and asked, "Nephew, even the forensic examiners in Wuqu City are stumped by this. Do you have any insights?"

I shook my head. "I dare not speculate rashly. It's best to go take a look at the scene."

"No no, it's not worth making another trip to Wuqu City just to chat about it."

I thought for a moment and said, "Currently there are two explanations. First, it was a curse killing. Yu Jun was killed by the spirit cat in revenge."

Old Tiger Sun said, "We actually think so too, but this kind of reasoning doesn't seem appropriate to write in a report..."

"The second explanation is that Wuqu City is near the ocean so the humidity is quite heavy. Originally the rope was long enough for Yu Jun's feet to be off the ground, but dew condensed in the morning, lengthening the damp rope. Combined with the slight spinal elongation of a hanged body, this led to the scene the inmates saw that morning."

Old Tiger Sun's eyes widened and he slapped his thigh, "Oh my! Such simple logic yet I didn't think of it. Nephew, you're just too amazing!"

I modestly replied, "You flatter me."

"No no, not flattering at all. Back then when I discussed cases with your grandfather, he could always jolt me awake with a word. I admired him wholeheartedly. Now I completely admire you as well." Old Tiger Sun gave me a thumbs up.

"I just have some cleverness. There's still a huge gap compared to my grandfather." I answered.

Just then, Huang Xiaotao came in and laughed, "Chief Sun, talking about cases again?"

Old Tiger Sun guffawed, "Look at this bad habit of mine, can't go three sentences without mentioning work. Let's talk about something else."

Old Tiger Sun chatted with me about daily life for a while, mentioning his situation these past two years. He brought up that his precious daughter, Sun Bingxin, was currently studying forensic science in Nanjiang City. Sun Bingxin was around my age. I had spent some time at Old Tiger Sun's house during the summer break between middle and high school, and lived together with her for a period, so we could be considered childhood friends.

I curiously asked, "Uncle Sun, didn't you forbid her from becoming a police officer? How could you allow her to study forensics?"

Old Tiger Sun sighed, "Ah, don't mention it. My daughter has been pampered since she was little. How could I control her? She secretly changed her university aspirations without telling me. She was supposed to study law but insisted on forensic science instead. I was hopping mad when I found out, but there was nothing I could do. She just had to shed a couple tears and I would immediately soften. I could only indulge her."

I thought it was quite amusing that Old Tiger Sun was so authoritative as Bureau Chief outside, yet couldn't control his precious daughter at home at all.

Old Tiger Sun went on, "Bingxin keeps asking about you, wondering why you don't come over to play during holidays anymore. After she graduates she'll be working at the police station, and you're in your fourth year of university now, so I guess you two can meet up soon."

I said, "Bingxin was such a cute girl when she was little. She must have grown into a great beauty now, right?"

"Of course! My darling daughter is perfect in every way. No one is as beautiful as her!" Old Tiger Sun let out a boastful laugh. There probably weren't many fathers in the world as proud as him. After bragging, he sighed again, "So when she started school, with a class full of boys, her poor dad was worried to death. I had to personally drop her off and pick her up every day. I was so scared some little bastard would make a move on my darling daughter. Luckily my darling is only interested in studying and nothing else, which saved me a lot of worry."

I said, "Bingxin really lucked out with such a great dad. Listening makes me envious."

"Yes, I can't boast about anything else, but I can proudly say I made up for wronging her through the divorce with her mother. I have to compensate her doubly!" Old Tiger Sun guiltily replied.

At this moment, I suddenly noticed Huang Xiaotao glaring at me viciously. But she quickly averted her gaze. Was I imagining things?