Chapter 658 - 546: An Early Test, Double Happiness

Chapter 658: Chapter 546: An Early Test, Double Happiness

Shen Xin walked over to a nearby flowerbed and sat down, silently mulling over what Yang Zeran had said.

’You know... he really has a point.’

First, this person had never once appeared on the special task force’s radar.

But based on what Yang Zeran said, he knew Liu Baoli well—they were in the same patrol group and had even argued.

And the argument happened right after the giant panda was discovered and reported.

Second, he also had a connection to Wang Shulin and had even claimed to be his friend.

He might have just said it offhandedly, but they definitely knew each other.

Then there was the timing.

The first case was in November 2009, and Yang Guofa went to see Wang Shulin right after it happened.

’It felt like they were a crew. After Liu Baoli died, one of them, Yang Guofa, ran to Wang Shulin to get information and find out who killed Liu Baoli.’

Then, when the second murder occurred and he saw that Wang Shulin was also dead, he immediately resigned and fled to another city to find work.

’It’s as if he realized the killer was coming for their group, which made him scared and guilty.’

Shen Xin said, "Yang Zeran, two things."

"First, let’s say Yang Guofa was also involved in whatever this incident was, making him a target for the killer’s revenge."

"So if he fled out of fear after the second murder, wouldn’t the suspect have to go looking for him?"

"So I think we should visit Yang Guofa’s village and ask around. See if any strangers were asking about him after the murders."

"If so, we might be able to identify our suspect."

"Second, we have to find Yang Guofa. He might have been directly involved in the original incident."

"We don’t know his status right now. It’s possible the suspect already found and killed him. If so, couldn’t we run a nationwide search for victims to see if a Yang Guofa turns up?"

"If the suspect hasn’t found him, then he’s in hiding."

"It’s pretty hard for someone to disappear completely. And would he really have zero contact with his family?"

"And what if he got a new identity? Back in 2011, you could still get fake documents made. Maybe he completely changed his identity and went into hiding."

"But he went to work somewhere specific. He might have even sought out people from his hometown. I think if we follow the clues, we should be able to track him down."

"Anyway, there’s no point in guessing. Now that this guy has surfaced, let’s focus on finding him."

Yang Zeran agreed. He was thinking the exact same thing.

"Shen Xin, I have a strong feeling this case might finally have a breakthrough," Yang Zeran said, his voice filled with excitement.

Shen Xin was tempted to pour cold water on his enthusiasm.

After all, just a few days ago, the guy had been completely dejected and on the verge of giving up.

But he thought better of it and said, "Yang Zeran, I’m going to try something on my end. It might lead to a discovery. In any case, wait for my signal. Let’s stay in touch in case anything comes up."

Over the past few days, Walnut’s affection level had been rising steadily. It had already reached Stage Two, with six bars of affection.

The panda no longer held back, beginning to openly show his fondness for and reliance on Shen Xin.

’I came to Anjing on November 16th. It’s already been two months.’

Shen Xin decided to run a test ahead of schedule.

He wouldn’t wait for Stage Three to see Walnut’s memories.

Instead, he would first use photos of the people involved in the case to see if he could jog Walnut’s memory through their mental connection.

The theory was that it was all connected to the discovery of the giant panda, but that was still just speculation.

Having him identify the photos could at least confirm a few things ahead of time.

With that in mind, Shen Xin called Secretary Chen.

When he heard Shen Xin was calling to report on the case, Secretary Chen asked him to hold on for a moment.

Soon, Xu Jinguang picked up the phone.

"Just come straight to headquarters. We’ll talk in person."

Xu Jinguang sounded somewhat impatient.

Shen Xin thought for a moment and said, "Director Xu, why don’t you come over? It just so happens I’ve had a bit of a breakthrough and want to run an experiment."

’The zoo would be closing soon, so it would be the perfect time to conduct the identification after hours.’

"Oh!" Xu Jinguang’s voice filled with delight. He quickly agreed and told Shen Xin to wait for him.

He hung up, had Secretary Chen postpone an upcoming meeting, and immediately set off for the zoo.

A little over half an hour later, Xu Jinguang arrived discreetly.

"Yang Guofa?"

Xu Jinguang had no memory of the name.

Secretary Chen, however, did recall something. "I remember that name from the interview transcripts with the patrol team after the incident."

Shen Xin nodded, complimenting Secretary Chen on his excellent memory, then relayed what Yang Zeran had told him.

Xu Jinguang folded his arms and sank into thought for a long while before nodding slightly. "There are definitely some red flags with this guy. We have to find him."

His gaze grew sharper.

It was possible the man was still alive, living under an assumed name.

But there was another possibility: the suspect had already found Yang Guofa and carried out his revenge.

That would mean another life had been taken in this serial case.

Regardless, the case was moving forward, and that was a good thing.

A smile returned to Xu Jinguang’s face. He clapped Shen Xin on the shoulder and offered a few words of praise.

’It proved he’d been right to personally assign Shen Xin’s team to the case.’

"Right, what experiment did you mention?" Xu Jinguang asked again.

Shen Xin explained his idea.

Xu Jinguang’s face lit up as he listened. "Attaboy! This isn’t just an experiment—it’s a double dose of good news!"

He had studied Shen Xin’s cases and knew that Shen Xin could use animals to identify targets.

Identifying targets from photos was standard procedure for him.

He had brought Shen Xin in for this very reason: to train Walnut to identify photos of the people involved in the case and see if it could uncover any leads.

So, from his perspective, Shen Xin’s work was practically done.

"Not at all," Shen Xin said quickly.

This was just the beginning.

’What Shen Xin was really aiming for was to reach Stage Three and try to see Walnut’s memories of that year.’

’Walnut was only a year and a half old when it happened; he might not have formed any long-term memories.’

’Pandas are lazy because their digestive system and diet discourage activity.’

’So naturally, they aren’t keen on using their brains much either.’

’Whether he could remember something from years ago was a real long shot.’

Xu Jinguang canceled all of his appointments for the rest of the day and stayed until after the zoo closed.

He didn’t stay idle during the wait. He contacted Longzhou directly and ordered Wu Kaiwei to find Yang Guofa, no matter the cost.

"I want him found, dead or alive."

He told them to report any difficulties to him immediately, and he would personally coordinate the efforts.

The case had dragged on for another year, and now that there was finally a breakthrough, Xu Jinguang was growing impatient.

By the time Ding Yuwei had everything ready, it was almost 8:00 PM. A television set was rolled into Walnut’s enclosure.

’Simply showing him photos might not work,’ Shen Xin had considered. ’After all, photos are two-dimensional, and a person’s appearance can change subtly over time.’

But videos were different.

Especially sound. A panda’s vision is relatively poor; they rely more on their senses of hearing and smell to survive. They even identify each other using scent and sound.

There were many documented cases of rescued wild pandas who could still recognize their former caretakers years later.

That’s why Shen Xin had contacted Yang Zeran to find some video footage of Liu Baoli and Wang Shulin.

He would play it directly for Walnut to see if he could make an identification.

The TV was turned on.

Xu Jinguang watched silently from outside the enclosure.

Ding Yuwei operated the equipment while on a video call with Yang Zeran and his team.

Chang Zhigang and Cai Yaohai were on the other end, watching with keen interest.

"Walnut, I’m going to show you some things and ask you some questions. If you’re sure, nod. If you’re not sure, shake your head."

Shen Xin could understand Walnut’s thoughts through their mental link.

But the others couldn’t, so he needed a physical response.

Moreover, to establish a baseline and validate the experiment’s viability, they would play control videos in addition to the ones of Liu Baoli’s group.

The first video was of Ma Tao.

Ma Tao had once appeared on a CCTV program, and this was footage from the shoot.

Under Shen Xin’s guidance, Walnut put down his bamboo and focused his attention on the TV.

The volume was turned up high, and Ma Tao’s voice could be heard calling his name.

"Walnut, do you know who this is?" Shen Xin asked, pointing at Ma Tao on the TV.

Walnut nodded.

’I know.’

Of course he was familiar with Ma Tao.

Outside, Xu Jinguang nodded slightly. It seemed the panda could indeed recognize people.

Shen Xin gestured to play the second video.

This was footage from the breeding base where he’d been taken after his rescue.

"Walnut, do you remember this person?"

The camera focused on a young woman.

At the Jin City Base, this was the woman who had cared for Walnut as he grew up.

In the video, she called Walnut’s name in a heavy Kang Province accent.

Walnut slowly rose, crawled to the front of the television, and even reached out a paw, trying to touch the young woman on the screen.

He nodded.

Clearly, he remembered the keeper and recognized her voice.

He let out a soft call, as if trying to reach her through the screen.

He had been discovered in April 2009 and immediately transferred to the Jin City Breeding and Research Base, where he lived for two years.

This particular video was from early 2010.

In other words, even after eight years, Walnut could still remember the keeper who had raised him.

That meant that if he reacted to the videos of Liu Baoli’s group, his memories could be considered reliable.

Xu Jinguang understood the entire procedure. He silently clenched his fists in excitement, marveling at the depth of an animal’s emotions—to remember a keeper who had cared for it so many years ago.

After the two baseline tests, they began playing the videos of the targets.

The first video was of Liu Baoli.

It was a clip edited together from family home videos and footage from work events like mixers and annual parties.

The footage featured only Liu Baoli.

There was a segment of him celebrating his son’s birthday. In the shot, he was grinning happily and talking loudly to his son.

Shen Xin quietly ushered Ding Yuwei out of the enclosure’s entrance and stood by the doorway himself.

’He had to be cautious. If the footage triggered Walnut and sent him into a rage, the consequences would be more than he could handle.’

There were also video clips of him joking with colleagues.

It was as if the man, in both voice and appearance, was right there in front of them.

Walnut was stunned, staring blankly at the TV.

’Who?’

His mental voice sounded somewhat lost.

But his gaze remained fixed on the television; he seemed to be trying to identify the man, to remember.

He even reached out a paw, as if trying to touch Liu Baoli in the video.

Then he let out a low whimper.

’It’s him.’

Shen Xin’s heart skipped a beat. ’Walnut must have recognized him.’

’But this reaction...?’

’His emotions didn’t seem to be fluctuating wildly. There was a sense of familiarity, confusion, and also a hint of fear.’

It was a complex mix of emotions.

"Walnut, do you remember this person?" Shen Xin asked.

Walnut turned his head to look at Shen Xin, then nodded.

Xu Jinguang’s eyes lit up, and he tapped excitedly on the enclosure’s bars.

Shen Xin didn’t celebrate just yet. Liu Baoli had been present during Walnut’s rescue, so there was no way to confirm the source of this memory.

Shen Xin did not ask further.

’If he was going to ask, he’d have to do it carefully later on, not now. He didn’t want to confuse Walnut.’

Shen Xin signaled to play the next video.

It was Wang Shulin’s.

This footage had also been gathered from various sources.

It started with a video of him being interviewed by a reporter, his voice animated as he vividly described his discovery of the giant panda.

Walnut suddenly froze.

Especially when he heard Wang Shulin’s laugh. It was as if a memory had been violently unearthed.

He jerked backward abruptly, his reaction extreme.

Then he let out a series of sharp cries.

It was pure terror.

He spun around frantically in place, terrified and bewildered.

The TV continued to play, showing a clip of Wang Shulin boasting loudly to his colleagues.

Walnut suddenly pounced on the TV.

CRASH! With a deafening noise, he knocked the television over.

The TV screen shattered, but the sound was still coming out.

Walnut went berserk, shoving aside the TV stand and leaping onto the television, stomping on it furiously.

Even after Shen Xin reacted and yanked the plug from the power strip, Walnut remained in a violent frenzy, sinking his teeth into the television.

From behind the iron bars of the gate, Shen Xin called out to Walnut repeatedly, trying to calm him.

But the panda couldn’t hear him at all.

He paced back and forth in a rage, his cries filled with fury, as he smashed the television set to smithereens.