Chapter 11: Family Members Cause a Commotion

Because she took a different taxi, Shu Yan arrived at the bureau half an hour early. She went straight to the special task force’s dedicated conference room, where colleagues from the general investigation department usually received the victims’ families.

Sure enough, the investigators were all there.

Besides them were three unfamiliar faces.

The older man and woman were Zhang Ruilin’s parents.

There was also a man in his twenties who resembled Zhang Ruilin somewhat.

Shu Yan guessed he might be Zhang Ruilin’s younger brother or something similar.

When she arrived, Lu Chengfeng stood up and pulled out the chair next to him.

“Director Shu, please sit here.”

Shu Yan looked at Lu Chengfeng. His expression was serious, yet his gaze toward her was unusually gentle.

At that moment, all eyes were on her.

She had no choice but to walk quickly over and sit beside him.

He still carried that faint scent of the ocean.

Just smelling it eased much of her nervousness.

Lu Chengfeng addressed the three strangers: “Mr. and Mrs. Zhang, this is Director Shu, the forensic expert in charge of this case.”

Before Lu finished, Mr. Zhang interrupted, raising his hand.

“Captain Lu, don’t say another word. I’m even more convinced your examination results are flawed. Such a significant case, and you put a woman in charge? I’m going to report you to the provincial authorities!”

Shu Yan sharply lifted her eyes to look at Mr. Zhang’s arrogantly defiant face.

There was not a trace of sorrow for a lost family member in his expression—only a confrontational intensity.

Shu Yan had seen countless bereaved families and understood their grief.

But never had any victim’s family attacked her solely because she was a woman.

She hadn’t expected such blatant misogyny still existed in today’s society.

At that moment, Shu Yan suddenly understood.

Zhang Ruilin’s cross-dressing might have stemmed from his dysfunctional family background.

The conference room fell into silence. Every investigator stared fixedly at Mr. Zhang, fists clenched tightly.

Liu Xun was about to stand and retort but was held back by Lu Chengfeng’s hand.

Lu said casually, “Of course you have the right to question our city bureau’s findings and to appeal to a higher authority. We can help you contact the provincial forensic department.”

Liu Xun looked at Lu Chengfeng in confusion.

Shu Yan remained calm, as if none of this concerned her.

Surprised by her composure, Mr. Zhang had expected Shu Yan to defend her results vigorously.

He never imagined the captain would even offer to help them connect with the higher authorities.

After a moment of silence, Mr. Zhang snorted through his nose.

“Captain Lu, I hope you understand the feelings of us as parents. We’re not trying to make a big fuss—what benefit would it bring us to escalate this to the province?”

“How about this: I’ll give you one more chance. Have Director Liang from your forensic center perform another autopsy on my son.”

“Impossible,” Lu Chengyuan said bluntly.

All three Zhang family members looked shocked, especially Mr. Zhang, whose face shifted from red to purple instantly.

Shu Yan also glanced at Lu Chengfeng in surprise.

After a brief pause, Lu Chengfeng continued:

“First, Director Shu is one of the city bureau’s finest forensic experts, with extensive experience in on-site investigations and autopsies. She has never made a mistake.”

“Second, although Director Liang is Shu’s superior, our work here operates on a responsibility system. If the victim’s family has doubts about Shu’s findings, the re-autopsy should be conducted by the provincial forensic department.”

“Third, I do not believe there is any issue with Director Shu’s results. If every victim’s family demands a male forensic expert simply because our expert is a woman,”

“that is blatant, naked gender discrimination. If I comply with such demands, it would be workplace bullying. Besides, it only increases our forensic experts’ workload without any real purpose.”

The investigators in the room all nodded in agreement, looking at Lu Chengfeng with admiration, itching to give him a thumbs-up.

Shu Yan was also moved by Lu’s well-reasoned rebuttal.

His arguments were sound and convincing.

At that moment, Mrs. Zhang spoke: “Director Shu, please forgive my husband. He cannot accept the reality that our son left this world so mysteriously. He is not discriminating against you because you are a woman.”

“Our Ruilin was an outstanding child—always top of his class. He studied abroad and, after graduating, joined his current company before it was even publicly listed.”

“Such an excellent person could never have such a fetish. He couldn’t possibly have liked wearing women’s underwear or played those perverse games. That is not my son—absolutely not.”

“Mrs. Zhang, I understand your shock,” Liu Xun took over, “but to be honest, based on our years of experience, appearances can be deceptive.”

“Often, the most outwardly proper people are the ones suppressing themselves the most. Such people tend to care deeply about their external image. Perhaps you really don’t know your son.”

“You’re talking nonsense!” Mr. Zhang lost his temper again.

“You say you don’t know your son, but do you? Just because you found some underwear and magazines in his room?”

“How can you prove they belonged to him? I say they belong to that woman. Without any testing, it’s obvious she killed my son to seize his inheritance!”

“Everything was planned and executed by that woman. She strangled my son while he slept, staged it to look like a suicide by hanging him in the wardrobe.”

“Afterwards, she moved her underwear and those obscene magazines into his room. Do you know what she used to do for work?”

“She was a hostess at a club. How many people working in places like that are clean? Only she would know about such twisted games!”

“Mr. Zhang,” Shu Yan interrupted, “if your son had been strangled, there would be signs of defensive wounds or violent trauma on his body.”

“But during the autopsy, we found no such injuries.”

Mr. Zhang was taken aback, then argued slyly, “Maybe that woman drugged my son with sleeping pills. Yes, she must have given him sleeping pills. That’s why there were no defensive wounds.”

“Is that so simple that I need to remind you?” Shu Yan replied.

“Thank you for your suggestion, Mr. ZhangI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.