Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

Chinatown.

At nine in the morning, the streets had livened up, and with Christmas approaching, Chinatown was also infused with a festive atmosphere.

Although this is a Western holiday, when in Rome, do as the Romans do; many Chinese people had also started celebrating Christmas.

Yu Xiang Restaurant, a restaurant specializing in Sichuan cuisine, boasted signature dishes like Mao Blood Wang and Dry Pot Chicken Giblets — both dishes were authentic and generously portioned, drawing many regular customers.

At this time, the restaurant had not yet opened; the rolling shutter was also closed, and a thirty-something Asian man stood at the door, pulling the rolling shutter up, puzzled, "It's after nine, why isn't it open yet?"

This man was named Sun Xing, an employee of the restaurant.

Although the restaurant wouldn't open until eleven, there was much preparation to be done beforehand, requiring staff to arrive early to work.

"Thump thump..."

Sun Xing knocked on the roller shutter again, but there was still no movement inside, which he found rather unusual.

People lived in the restaurant, so why wasn't the door open?

Sun Xing took out his cellphone and made a call, but couldn't get through.

Sun Xing felt increasingly uneasy, fearing something terrible had happened.

He tugged at the rolling shutter again, but it wouldn't budge.

Sun Xing got a bit anxious, his eyes scanning around, contemplating breaking in but unsure where to start. Remembering his boss's temperament, he decided against it.

He walked to the side of the restaurant where there was an inward-opening window. Sun Xing borrowed a ladder from the nearby hardware store, climbed up, and peered through the window...

"Ah!"

He was startled, nearly falling off the ladder.

...

Late morning.

A Ford Explorer entered Wall Street, Jackson was driving, and Luke was in the passenger seat.

Luke looked around at the surrounding stores.

The previous day, they had searched Yoshida Ryosuke's vehicle and watched the dashcam video, discovering some new clues.

The dashcam had captured Hashimoto Yumi standing by the roadside, and it also recorded a suspicious vehicle — a black Volkswagen.

The vehicle had lingered at the scene for a full hour, and it was still there when Yoshida Ryosuke left.

Luke checked the license plate; it was a fake, increasing the suspicion.

Consequently, Luke began tracking the impostor car's movements through road surveillance...

That morning, Luke had found that the car was in Chinatown last night before vanishing.

Thus, Luke had driven over to patrol the area, checking for anything unusual.

Looking at a familiar restaurant by the street, Luke figured they could linger here longer, and even if there were no clues found by noon, they could still grab a meal, making the trip worthwhile.

While driving, Jackson said, "Captain, the victim was Asian, and this area near Chinatown also predominantly houses Asians. Could there be a connection between the two?"

Jackson's speculation was plausible, but on closer reflection, it didn't hold, as being Asian didn't necessarily mean community ties — it was like the French and Germans or the Poles and Russians; all were white but had fought for centuries.

Take the China-US relations, driven purely by conflicting interests, but when common interests emerge, the relationship naturally improves.

On the other hand, China-Japan relations can't just be resolved by mutual interests.

Luke looked ahead and saw several police cars parked at the curb, "Pull over, let's go take a look."

Yu Xiang Restaurant was already taped off by police, with quite a crowd gathered. Luke approached a patrol officer, flashing his badge, "I'm the commander of the 1st Squad of the Robbery and Murder Department, Luke Lee. What happened here?"

"The owner of this restaurant was murdered."

Luke crossed the police line and entered the restaurant to investigate.

A body lay on the restaurant floor, covered in a significant amount of blood that had already dried — indicating the time of death was not recent.

Luke approached and observed multiple wounds on the body, evident of stab wounds, one of which on the face caught his attention.

The deceased's face seemed to be marked with the letter 'a'.

The previously murdered Hashimoto Yumi also had a letter 'H' on her body.

Could there be a connection between the two victims?

Or the same murderer was involved.

If so, why were the letters carved on their bodies different?

Putting that together with the suspect vehicle being here last night, it all seemed too much for coincidence.

Luke contacted Reid and shared his findings and speculations; after discussing, Luke took temporary charge of the scene. If the two cases were related, they would be combined into a single investigation.

If unrelated, the case would be handed over to another department.

Next, Luke began examining the scene, finding unfinished dishes on a table not far from the body — a Mao Blood Wang, a Kung Pao Chicken, and a Tangerine Chicken, none of which were fully eaten but showed signs of being tasted, with no chopsticks in sight.

Luke speculated that the murderer could have been a diner who erupted into violence mid-meal, taking the used chopsticks to avoid leaving any trace for the police.

The boldness of this murderer was indeed alarming.

After inspecting the scene, Luke called over the person who reported the crime to understand the situation better.

The reporter was Sun Xing, an employee of the restaurant.

Luke sized him up and asked in English, "Are you Chinese?"

Sun Xing replied, "Yes, China."

Hearing this response, Luke, realizing the man was likely not fluent in English, switched to Chinese, "You're Chinese?"

"Yes, I am."

"Were you the first one to find the victim?"

"Yes."

"What was your relationship with him?"

"He was my boss."

"When did you last see him?"

"It was after nine in the evening, the restaurant was empty, so we started closing up."

"Specific time?"

"I can't remember exactly. In the restaurant business, there isn't a specific time. We stay open longer if there are customers, and we leave early if there aren't any."

Luke pointed at the table, "Were these three dishes on the table when you left?"

"No."

"Who's the chef in the restaurant?"

"Our boss is the chef."

Luke pointed at the dishes on the table, "Take a look, did he make these?"

Sun Xing walked over to check, "No doubt, just by looking at the presentation, it should be our boss's work."

"How many employees do you have in the restaurant?"

"Four.

The boss is the chef, and I'm the helper.

There's also a waiter, and a cashier who doubles as a waiter."

Luke pressed further, "Do you think these three dishes were made for himself or for customers?"

"Definitely for customers. Our boss is always frugal. Even if he drinks occasionally, he would make simple dishes, like a serving of spicy duck blood curd and some boiled peanuts. He wouldn't spend time making three dishes, and he couldn't eat them all by himself."

"Didn't you say you had already closed? Why would Ma Jiehui still be serving customers?" Luke, although not experienced in the catering industry, knew that restaurants tidy up before closing and would not likely cook for customers once closed.

Sun Xing explained, "Our boss is good at business. In his words, 'the customer is god, and must be well taken care of."

If we didn't look after them well, who would come back to eat? Even if it was closing time, if a customer came in, I reckon he would still cook for them."

"Last night, who was in the restaurant when you left?"

"Just our boss by himself; he sleeps in the restaurant at night."

"Why does he sleep in the restaurant?" As a restaurant owner, he surely could afford a place to live.

Sun Xing said, "Recently, our restaurant was burglarized at night. The thief took everything they could, and it infuriated our boss.

So, he decided to sleep in the restaurant. If someone knocked, a shout from him could scare them off."

A burglary in the restaurant?

Luke had encountered many thefts, but burglaries in restaurants were quite rare.

Luke probed, "Has your boss offended anyone?"

"No, our boss always believes that kindness brings wealth. He's always smiling and never offends anyone."

"Does your boss have any relatives in Los Angeles?"

"No."

"Go see what's missing from the store."

Sun Xing glanced around, walked over to the cash register, opened it, and said, "The cash from the store is gone; nothing else is missing."

"How much cash?"

"About 200 US dollars. Our boss wouldn't keep much cash, usually just enough for making change."

"Then why do you think your boss was killed in the restaurant?"

"I'm not sure."

Luke kept watching his expression, feeling he was hiding something, "Are any of the kitchen knives missing?"

"No."

"Why isn't there any surveillance in the store?"

"There used to be, but the last time the restaurant was robbed, the thief broke the camera, and the boss hadn't gotten around to fixing it."

"From what you say, your boss was a good man, so why was he murdered?"

"Could it be a burglar trying to steal and accidentally killing the boss?"

"I've never heard of someone coming to rob a restaurant, and from the crime scene, it doesn't look like a robbery; it looks more like a vendetta."

Upon hearing this, Sun Xing's face slightly changed.

Luke pressed on, "Sun Xing, are you hiding something else?"

"No."

"If you're not willing to talk, then I'll have to ask the immigration department to assist with the investigation,"

"No, no." Sun Xing panicked and sighed, "I really didn't want to speak ill of others, especially since the boss is dead, and I wanted to leave him some dignity."

Luke countered, "And then, let the murderer get away scot-free?"

"That's not what I mean."

"Then tell me what you know."

"I don't have evidence, just speculations. I'm afraid of wronging a good person."

"Do you think the police will believe whatever you say?

Speak boldly; we will investigate and won't wrong a good person."

Sun Xing sighed, "Our boss was married, but his wife and child are in the mainland, and he sent most of the money he earned back home.

He hadn't seen his wife for several years.

Actually, there are many like him, earning money alone abroad. It's manageable during the day, but at night, without someone to talk to, it's tough… I understand that feeling."

Sun Xing looked up at Luke and continued, "Over time, some men and women who get along start 'living together as a couple' to keep each other company in life, cohabitating here but parting amicably upon returning home."

Luke raised an eyebrow, "Your boss has been in Los Angeles for quite some time, he must have had a companion, right?"

"Yes, our boss also had a companion, but her husband came here a while ago, and our boss moved out."

"What's the name of your boss's companion, and what does she do?"

"Her name is Chen Hui. She was originally our cashier, but she quit a few days ago, and our boss had to find someone temporarily."

"Does Chen Hui's husband know about the 'living-as-a-couple' arrangement?"

"Chen Hui would definitely not tell her husband, but this kind of thing is too common in our circle. If her husband stays here long enough, he'll understand everything.

Which man could remain indifferent?"