Roses in Flames

Xiao Lin, Chen Yang, and Cheng Lei went down the mountain and arrived at the forensic room.

Upon seeing the contents of the evidence bag, Cheng Lei leaned closer and glanced at it. "Isn't this just sand from the mountains?"

Ye Yuntang shook his head, "It's not sand, it's industrial crystals produced by high-temperature sintering."

Xiao Lin narrowed his eyes, his expression cold and stern. "Is it dust from the sintering of aluminum, magnesium, silicon, or ceramics?"

Ye Yuntang nodded, "Yes."

Xiao Lin looked at Ye Yuntang and Shen Yan with approval, "That's a breakthrough."

After saying that, he looked at Chen Yang and said, "You should immediately arrange for someone to check if there are any aluminum die-casting plants, metal polishing plants, ceramic processing plants, or bearing workshops in the townships?"

Finally, he added, "The murderer destroyed the victim's face and deliberately severed both arms to eliminate all identifiable features. The focus should be on men who have disappeared without a trace in the past three months and have tattoos on their arms, or old injuries, surgical scars, or other distinctive marks."

Chen Yang nodded, "I'll arrange it right away."

Xiao Lin turned to look at the disfigured head on the autopsy table, his eyes sharp as an eagle's. "The murderer can disfigure the face, pull out teeth, and cut off hands, but what he inhaled into the bones cannot be hidden."

After three days of investigation and verification, it was found that three workers had resigned from a ceramic-metal composite factory.

Two of them don't match up in age, leaving only one, Wang Jun.

Chen Yang called a meeting with everyone.

He put Wang Jun's photo on the big screen.

Wang Jun, 28 years old, works in the factory polishing metal and is exposed to high-temperature sintering dust for a long time.

More importantly, he had a history of injury to his left arm, including a previous fracture.

"Finally, we're seeing some progress!"

"If there are no unforeseen circumstances, the deceased should be Wang Jun."

Once the identity of the deceased is confirmed, the scope of the subsequent investigation becomes much easier.

After several days of tension, everyone finally had a moment to relax.

Chen Yang immediately issued an investigation order.

But less than half a day later, a video from a team member shattered everyone's hopes.

In the video footage, Wang Jun is still alive and well.

He accompanied his wife to the supermarket, carefully selecting vegetables while carrying large and small bags. Later, he took his wife to a small restaurant for a meal and served her food.

A living, breathing person, standing in the sunlight.

The conference room fell silent.

The breath that everyone had just breathed a sigh of relief suddenly rose again and became blocked in their chests, feeling even more suffocating and heavy than before.

Ye Yuntang frowned deeply. "If the deceased was Wang Jun, he couldn't possibly still be alive."

Cheng Lei's face was long and sullen; he'd been staying up late a lot lately, and his eyes were bloodshot. "What on earth is this?"

The clues match up; is the person still alive?

What seemed like a glimmer of hope turned out to be a dead end.

After watching the video, Xiao Lin, who had been silent all along, looked at Chen Yang and asked, "Can you find any videos of Wang Jun working at the factory before?"

"We still need to investigate."

"Check it out as soon as possible. I think we're on the right track; there must be a problem somewhere."

Chen Yang nodded.

Xiao Lin also had work to do at Ye Cheng Bureau, so he opened his laptop and worked for a while.

He was exhausted after nearly 48 hours without rest.

He rubbed his temples, picked up his cup, got up, and went to the tea room to make coffee.

He had just left when Ye Yuntang came looking for him.

He wasn't in the meeting room; his laptop and phone were still on the table.

She walked over and sat down in the leather chair he had been sitting in.

She was about to rest her head on the table for a while when suddenly, his phone screen lit up.

A new friend request popped up.

Applicant: Huo Yuan.

Ye Yuntang narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly.

The name Huo Yuan sounds familiar.

She paused for a few seconds, then quickly remembered that Huo Yuan was a very popular female celebrity in the past two years. She was beautiful and cool on screen, with a striking and aggressive appearance. She was a recognized beauty in the industry.

Ye Yuntang's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

She took out her phone and searched for Huo Yuan's name.

In the photos that popped up, the woman had exquisite makeup, bold eyebrows and eyes, and was dazzlingly beautiful and elegant.

Ye Yuntang's hand holding the phone tightened slightly.

She remembered Chen Yang mentioning that when Xiao Lin was in college, he was passionately pursued by a campus belle from the neighboring art college, who later became a big star.

Could it be Huo Yuan?

Ye Yuntang's heart felt as if it had been gently stung by a bee; it didn't hurt, but it felt a dull, aching ache.

She knew that this was a critical period in the investigation and that she shouldn't be thinking about such things, but she couldn't help but let her gaze fall on those two words.

The big star took the initiative to add Xiao Lin as a friend.

While Ye Yuntang was distracted, she heard steady and powerful footsteps behind her.

Xiao Lin came over after making coffee.

Ye Yuntang didn't notice Xiao Lin; some information about Huo Yuan online flashed through her mind.

She is not only a big star, but also comes from a wealthy family and is a princess in Beijing's elite circles.

In terms of both status and background, she is a perfect match for Xiao Lin.

The more Ye Yuntang thought about it, the more depressed she felt.

Hearing footsteps getting closer and closer, she suddenly stood up from the leather chair, wanting to leave.

Just as she was about to leave, her wrist was grabbed by the man's long, strong hand.

Ye Yuntang instinctively tried to shake off the man's hand.

The man didn't let go of her, and she was both angry and annoyed, so she raised her foot and kicked him.

The man chuckled softly, his voice tinged with a hint of hoarseness and helplessness. "Tsk, so you've started domestic violence?"

He loosened his grip on her wrist slightly, his deep gaze falling on her small face. "What's wrong? Are you angry?"

These past few days everyone has been busy with the case, and apart from work, he and she haven't been close in private.

He was a little tired and longed to pull her into his arms and kiss her.

Thinking this, he couldn't help but pull her into his arms.

But she wouldn't let him hug her and pushed him away.

"What's wrong? You won't let me hug you anymore?" He looked at her, somewhat puzzled.

Ye Yuntang picked up his phone and handed it to him, "Look for yourself, a big star has added you as a friend."

Xiao Lin glanced down at the friend request, his brows furrowing slightly. "Who is it? I don't know them."

Ye Yuntang laughed in exasperation, her voice turning cold. "Just keep pretending!"

Huo Yuan is so famous, and she used to pursue him passionately. She doesn't believe he doesn't know her.

"Huo Yuan is the campus belle of the art school who pursued you for a long time back in college. Do you dare say you don't know her?"

When the past was brought up, Xiao Lin was silent for a moment before speaking calmly, "Now that you mention it, I do remember."

Ye Yuntang turned away, not wanting to pay him any attention.

The man glanced outside, and seeing that no one was coming, he hugged her from behind.

"I don't know why she suddenly added me. I rejected her when I was in college, and we haven't been in contact since."

He looked down at her, his thin lips kissing her earlobe. "You said I was petty and jealous, but look at yourself."

Ye Yuntang, embarrassed and annoyed, slapped away his hands that were holding her, "Let go! I'm not jealous. I'm a big star now, and a rich heiress, hurry up and approve it!"

Seeing her so sour expression, Xiao Lin chuckled, "What does it matter to me how famous or rich you are? I only care about the people I care about."

Ye Yuntang's heart skipped a beat, but she still stubbornly said, "Don't give me that. She took the initiative to add you. I don't believe you're not tempted at all."

Xiao Lin released her, picked up his phone, and deleted the friend request right in front of her.

"My friends list isn't something you can add just anyone."

Ye Yuntang recalled how she had added him as a friend and waited for a long time without him accepting, so she had to go and knock on his door to force him to accept.

"Yes, it's indeed difficult to add, but if others apply a few more times, you won't be able to resist."

Xiao Lin sensed the other meaning in her words. His brows furrowed. "You mean I'm promiscuous?"

"How could I easily sleep with someone who isn't so casual?" Perhaps she was angry, and she spoke without thinking.

The atmosphere in the meeting room seemed to freeze instantly, becoming stiff and icy.

Xiao Lin's aura suddenly turned sharp and cold, his handsome face so cold that people dared not approach him easily.

He stared at her, his thin lips pressed tightly together, and didn't say another word.

His gaze was so intense and cold, as if he were looking at a stranger.

Ye Yuntang's heart tightened; she then realized how hurtful her words had been.

But his face was so ugly and he looked so fierce that she didn't want to pay attention to him. She clenched her fists tightly, didn't look at him again, and walked quickly outside.

Soon, only Xiao Lin remained in the conference room.

He stood there, his chest rising and falling slightly, then closed his eyes to suppress his emotions.

The case is still ongoing, and Xiao Lin and Ye Yuntang haven't had time to deal with their personal matters since their argument.

Aside from work-related communication, the two of them never spoke a word to each other in private.

Neither of them was willing to back down.

Chen Yang found the surveillance video of the factory's annual meeting from six months ago.

The video footage of Wang Jun was very short, only a few seconds long.

In the conference room, this short video, only a few seconds long, was played repeatedly.

"Boss, is this Wang Jun? He looks exactly like the one who's still alive," Cheng Lei said.

Xiao Lin stood up and walked to the large screen. "Have you noticed anything unusual?"

Everyone watched the video several times and found nothing unusual.

Ye Yuntang also came to the meeting. She looked at the man standing in front of the big screen. He was tall and straight, with a cold and stern face and sharp eyes.

Once he gets into work mode, the extreme calmness and pressure he exudes is both handsome and charming, making it impossible to look away.

He glanced down, without looking at her even once.

Ye Yuntang felt a dull and uncomfortable feeling in her heart.

If she doesn't want to look, she doesn't want to look at him anymore.

Xiao Lin replayed the short video, and said in a low, calm voice, "Look at his hands as he eats."

Everyone looked intently again.

The scene flashed by in a few seconds.

Chen Yang spoke first, "He uses his left hand to hold chopsticks!" Then, as if he had just remembered something, he suddenly slapped his forehead, "Oh my god, I know! In that video from a few days ago, Wang Jun was eating with his wife at a small restaurant, and he was using his right hand."

Everyone was startled.

That's right, a person's dominant hand will not change.

Unless, they are not the same person at all.