Old Qian—Qian Zhihai—was taking his statement.

Through the observation window on the door, Shen Xin could see Bai Jifei’s profile.

The first time they met at the police dog training base, he had left a very good impression on Shen Xin.

Although his clothes were simple and ordinary, he had an excellent air about him.

At the time, Shen Xin thought he seemed like a successful man—even if he wasn’t successful now, he must have been in the past.

His speech and mannerisms all gave off a very respectable impression.

But seeing him again now...

His medium-length, layered hair was a bit greasy. His skin, which had been fair and clear, was now tinged with a faint pallor.

There was fine stubble on his chin, a sign of neglect.

Sitting there, he was involuntarily hunched over.

’It was like...’

Shen Xin thought for a moment, finding the right description.

’Like his very spirit had been drained away.’

He must love his wife very much. Her disappearance had clearly dealt him a heavy blow.

Just then, Qian Zhihai finished his questions, stood up, and walked out of the room.

Shen Xin went up to him and asked Old Qian about the situation.

"You know him?"

Qian Zhihai asked in return.

Shen Xin said, "I bought Loki from his kennel. I met him before the New Year."

Realization dawned on Qian Zhihai. He glanced back at Bai Jifei in the reception room and said, "All I can say is, his belief that his wife was murdered has some merit."

"You know about ALS, right? The disease where you slowly lose the ability to move. His wife has it. She’s in the mid-stage now, her limbs are almost completely paralyzed, and she relies entirely on a wheelchair."

Shen Xin was startled, immediately recalling the woman in the wheelchair.

She hadn’t moved at all. At the time, he’d wondered what was wrong with her. Now he knew it was ALS.

"Which means it’s impossible for her to have disappeared on her own," Shen Xin said.

Qian Zhihai nodded. That was exactly it.

How could a person who can’t even move go missing?

If she disappeared, it was highly likely she was murdered.

So, Bai Jifei had reasonable grounds to suspect his wife had been killed.

"By the way, do you think something’s off?" Shen Xin asked.

Qian Zhihai’s tone was a bit strange.

’What did he mean by "all I can say is," and "has some merit"?’

’It feels like he’s uncertain, not quite sure about it.’

Qian Zhihai said, "I asked him in detail. His wife, Jiang Qi, didn’t have any enemies."

To go as far as premeditated harm, even murder, it couldn’t be an ordinary grudge.

"Same with Bai Jifei. He’s just an ordinary person. He quit his job several years ago to travel the world with his wife."

"Then, three years ago, his wife was diagnosed with ALS. After treatments failed, they returned to Nanjiang and opened this kennel. Their social circle is relatively simple."

"That’s why I can’t figure it out. What kind of person, with what kind of hatred, would murder a patient with ALS who can’t even move?"

"To put it bluntly, they wouldn’t even have to lift a finger and take the risk. In a few years, Jiang Qi would probably be dead anyway."

"Besides, with a disease like this, just being alive is torture. If I were her enemy, I wouldn’t kill her. I’d just watch her live and suffer. Wouldn’t that be more satisfying?"

"Shen Xin, wouldn’t you agree?"

Shen Xin nodded thoughtfully.

Indeed, Qian Zhihai’s line of thinking was very logical.

It was ALS, an incurable disease. Once you get it, death is almost certain.

And just as Qian Zhihai said, being alive was a form of torture.

If the suspect held a deep-seated grudge against Jiang Qi, it would be better to just let her live and die in torment.

"Old Qian, you can never be too sure about that."

Having worked on so many cases, Shen Xin’s biggest takeaway was that the human mind was complex, and some behaviors didn’t always follow logic.

"What if the suspect wanted to kill Jiang Qi with their own hands, to enjoy the process of taking revenge personally?"

Qian Zhihai shrugged. No one could say for sure.

Shen Xin said, "So are you heading to the scene now?"

From Shen Xin’s tone, Qian Zhihai knew exactly what he was getting at. He shoved the report into Shen Xin’s hands and said, "Why don’t you take it? I’ve got another case that isn’t closed yet, anyway."

This was the preliminary investigation phase. The first step was to confirm whether Jiang Qi was missing or had been murdered.

If it was the latter, they would proceed with a murder investigation, and the whole team would get involved then. It wouldn’t make a difference.

Shen Xin nodded. He happened to be free.

Sun Zhao’s intention was still for him to be in charge of cold case investigations.

He had even given him the title of Cold Case Task Force Leader.

Not seeing Ding Yuwei, Shen Xin went to brief Sun Zhao on the situation.

Sun Zhao nodded without saying much. Just as Shen Xin was about to leave, he called him back and asked about his trip to the city bureau.

"Director Zhao isn’t thinking of transferring you, is he?"

Sun Zhao was a little reluctant to let Shen Xin go. Such great potential! He had only been in the criminal investigation team for half a year and had already solved so many cases.

"No way."

Shen Xin shook his head and joked, "Captain Sun, see how in-demand I am? You’d better hurry up and get promoted, too. Once you move up, then I’ll have a chance, right?"

All these merits and no promotion.

Sun Zhao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "I’d like to, but how can I get promoted if Director Lv doesn’t retire?"

With that, he waved his hand, dismissing Shen Xin.

Ding Yuwei wasn’t around; she had gone to the Media Department to edit a video.

Shen Xin gave her a call, then went to see Bai Jifei.

Seeing Shen Xin, Bai Jifei was slightly taken aback, but he quickly greeted him.

Shen Xin reassured him, "Try not to panic. I’ll go with you to your home in a bit to take a look. In the meantime, try your best to recall if your wife has shown any unusual behavior recently."

"Also, think about any other places your wife might have gone, or people she knows. Try to contact all of them."

Bai Jifei nodded.

When Ding Yuwei returned, Shen Xin also called for Yu Xiaoping.

They needed to see if there were any abnormal traces at the scene.

The three of them got into a police car, with Bai Jifei following behind in his own car.

Ding Yuwei quickly skimmed through the report Qian Zhihai had written.

"Their family backgrounds are both quite simple."

Bai Jifei is 39 this year, and Jiang Qi is 37.

Bai Jifei is an only child and a Nanjiang local. He was a top student who studied finance. After graduating, he worked in Songpu at an investment bank.

The two have been married for seven years but have known each other for eleven.

His wife, Jiang Qi, was also something of a career woman. She’s from Songpu, studied abroad, and went to work at a bank after graduating.

They met through work and eventually became a couple.

Both had high incomes, especially Bai Jifei, whose annual salary was over a million.

So, after getting married, they soon came up with the idea of traveling the world. They quit their jobs and began their journey.

They traveled for two or three years, visiting many places.

During their travels, Jiang Qi was diagnosed with ALS.

The couple searched all over the world for a cure, spending a fortune, but in the end, nothing worked.

Jiang Qi seemed to have accepted her fate. That was when they returned to Nanjiang and opened the kennel.

This seemed to have been a dream of Jiang Qi’s as well.

After opening the kennel, Jiang Qi focused on convalescing.

Bai Jifei, in turn, became his wife’s full-time caregiver.

Running a kennel and dealing with small animals all day meant their social life was relatively simple.

Ding Yuwei put down the report, hesitated for a moment, and voiced her question.

She had also thought of the question Qian Zhihai raised.

What kind of hatred would drive someone to murder a paralyzed ALS patient who was already waiting to die?

In the back seat, Yu Xiaoping couldn’t help but nod in agreement, finding it strange as well.

"Let’s investigate first and see."

Shen Xin glanced at Bai Jifei’s car following behind them in the rearview mirror.

Shen Xin didn’t want to jump to any preconceived conclusions.

But based on the situation described in the report, Jiang Qi’s disappearance was highly unusual.

And in a situation like this, there was, in fact, one common possibility.

The spouse did it.