Chapter Two: The Floating Corpse

Although he had been away for over a year, the time he’d spent working here was much longer, and An Changpu felt hardly any sense of unfamiliarity toward the Major Crimes Unit; everything remained as recognizable as ever, and he soon got himself ready. He had originally intended to wait for Qin Ruonan, since after all, she was a young woman, and it was her first day reporting for duty here—it was only natural she might have a few minor things to settle. However, Qin Ruonan simply placed her few personal belongings into her locker and, with an efficient nod to An Changpu, said, “Let’s go.”

Qin Ruonan was tall and slender; though she still seemed comparatively petite next to An Changpu, among women she was certainly statuesque. As the two of them walked downstairs together, she strode with such long, brisk steps that even the burly An Changpu nearly struggled to keep up. This prompted him to discreetly size up his new partner.

It seemed that this short-haired young woman was sharp and decisive, An Changpu silently judged. When they reached the car downstairs, Qin Ruonan’s next move made him chuckle.

Without hesitation, Qin Ruonan walked naturally around to the front left of the car, opened the driver’s door, and got in. She tilted her head toward An Changpu, who was still standing beside the car, and said, “What are you waiting for? Get in!”

An Changpu wasn’t yet familiar with her and felt awkward saying anything, so he got into the car as told. While fastening his seatbelt, he remarked casually, “I thought, since we’re heading out together, I’d be the one to drive...”

Before he could finish, Qin Ruonan shot him a chilly glance.

“There’s no such thing as gender difference when it comes to driving skills,” she replied evenly, though her displeasure was evident.

An Changpu had only meant to show a bit of gentlemanly courtesy, but to his surprise, it was misunderstood. He wanted to explain himself, but worried that it would only make things worse, so he held his tongue. Inwardly, he sighed—this new female colleague certainly had a prickly side and didn’t seem easy to get along with.

“Are you always this tightly wound?” After a long silence, An Changpu finally spoke; the oppressive atmosphere in the car was almost suffocating. He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he kept feeling that Qin Ruonan harbored some inexplicable aversion toward him, making her so stiff and distant.

At his question, An Changpu clearly saw Qin Ruonan’s body tense, her expression instantly darkening, though she quickly composed herself and replied coolly, “It’s required for the job.”

This only cemented An Changpu’s suspicion that Qin Ruonan must have some unfavorable impression of him, which explained her obvious rejection.

But the problem was, as he looked at this young woman, he could not recall any memory of her at all.

An Changpu was not one to keep things bottled up. He wanted to ask directly, but since he knew nothing about Qin Ruonan, such a blunt question might seem presumptuous or even self-important if she denied it. So, he suppressed the impulse and, to avoid making a fool of himself, fell silent.

The site where the report had come in—a severed body was found—was by the riverbank on the outskirts, just entering the city. Because it was far from the city center, the surrounding streets and levees were somewhat desolate. The autumn wind was strong, churning up sand and dust, making the air as murky as the river itself.

By the time An Changpu and Qin Ruonan arrived, the riverbank had already been cordoned off. A few curious local residents stood scattered nearby, craning their necks to catch a distant glimpse of the medical examiner and forensic technicians at work.

The two of them ducked under the tape one after the other, showed their IDs to the officers guarding the scene, and headed straight for the body. Doctor Zhao, the most experienced medical examiner in the C City Police Bureau, was squatting on the ground, carefully inspecting a bulging woven sack before him.

“Doctor Zhao, what’s the situation?” An Changpu greeted him as he approached.

Doctor Zhao looked up and was momentarily surprised before breaking into a smile. “Well! Xiao An, you’re back! It’s been over a year since I last saw you! And this is...?”

Qin Ruonan was a newcomer, recently transferred, and Doctor Zhao did not recognize her.

“Oh, this is Qin Ruonan, just transferred here from City B,” An Changpu quickly introduced her.

Qin Ruonan was very polite to Doctor Zhao, greeting him courteously, which made An Changpu feel inexplicably awkward standing beside them, given the clear contrast in her attitude.

“Doctor Zhao, I heard it’s a severed body?” With the matter at hand, An Changpu quickly refocused and inquired about the case.

“Yes, the lower half of a man’s body, packed in a woven sack and dumped by the river. The sack had air in it, so it didn’t sink, and floated downstream from the upper reaches,” Doctor Zhao explained, pressing on the half-corpse. “The level of decomposition isn’t high. I can’t determine the time of death for now—it’s been in the water, so we need to consider more factors. Also, you’d better have people search up and downstream; without the rest of the body, it’s hard to identify the victim.”

“Take care of your business. I’ll go talk to the witnesses,” Qin Ruonan interjected before An Changpu could respond, leaving him behind as she strode over to two men standing at a distance, both looking pale and mournful.

“That young lady is quite assertive!” Doctor Zhao remarked, watching her go, giving An Changpu a meaningful smile.

An Changpu could only offer a helpless smile and followed.

When Qin Ruonan reached the two men, she didn’t speak immediately but sized them up. The men, seeing someone approaching, looked up and, seeing it was a young woman in plainclothes, could not determine her identity and quickly lowered their heads again.

“You two are the ones who called it in?” Qin Ruonan waited a moment before asking.

The two exchanged a glance. The bigger man asked tentatively, “Are you also a police officer?”

Qin Ruonan frowned slightly, as if suppressing her annoyance, and nodded.

The larger man, looking a bit better off than his thinner companion, had enough composure to glance her up and down. Nudging his companion, he whispered, “These days, even female cops look like models!”

Ordinarily, such a comment, though a bit ingratiating, might have pleased most young women, even if they didn’t show it. But Qin Ruonan was not the average young woman. Her expression did not lighten; instead, her brows furrowed and a flicker of anger appeared.

Intimidated by her glare, the big man fell silent, not daring to say more.