Chapter 4 — Guide to Judgment

A kind of…warm feeling. The case seems to have returned to its starting point. Even more confusing and confusing than before. 6 “It's not him.” Those three words completely overturned our entire previous direction of investigation. Chu Minh is not the murderer. So who is the murderer? What do two completely unrelated words “painting” and “warmth” represent? The entire criminal investigation team once again fell into obscurity. Everyone is holding back a surge of energy, but don't know where to use it. The feeling of failure is like a wet towel, covering one's face. Truong Sieu was also rarely quiet. He locked himself in the forensic room, reviewing Tran Tuyet's autopsy report and case files over and over again, trying to find new clues from those cold data, but in the end could not get anything. I decided to go to Tran Tuyet's old place one more time. It was a college dorm room that had been cleaned out by her parents, leaving only a few old pieces of furniture remaining. If there is a "painting" clue, then in the paintings of Tran Tuyet, an art student, perhaps he is hiding a secret. After hearing the story, Truong Sieu proactively asked to go with me for the first time. The reason is: "One more pair of eyes, one more strength." I didn't expose him. Tran Tuyet's dormitory is very small, with only a bed, a desk and a wardrobe. Her parents took away most of her remains, but left behind some paintings and art supplies from when she was in school. The drawing paper was yellowed, mostly landscape sketches and a few portrait sketches of Chu Minh that were not drawn very well. We searched all the paintings but couldn't find anything. “Looks like it's a dead end.” Truong Sieu sighed somewhat disappointedly. I didn't say anything, my eyes fell on the thick sketchbook on the table. I walked over, picked up the notebook, and flipped through the pages. These are all basic sketching exercises, still life paintings and plaster statues. Just as I was about to turn the last page, my fingertips felt something unusual. The inside back cover of the notebook seems to be a little thicker than the rest. I carefully used my fingernail to cut along the edge. Inside there is a double compartment. In the double compartment, there was a sheet of sketch paper that had been torn in half. The edge of the paper has clear signs of being torn. On it is drawn the profile of a man's face. Only half of his face remained, from his brow bone to his jawline. But with only this half of the face, the drawing style is completely different from the previous paintings. The brushstrokes are gentle, the light and shadow are delicate, each line is filled with undisguised admiration and infatuation. There is absolutely no immaturity and superficiality in the paintings of Chu Minh. “This is…” Truong Sieu also stopped by, his eyes condensed. “Bring it back to the team.” I said: "Let the technical department try to see if it can be restored." After returning to the squad, Truong Sieu immediately took the damaged painting and ran into the technical room. He did it himself, using computer software to analyze the data, restore and simulate the missing painting. I, team leader Giang and several key members all gathered around the computer screen, tensely waiting for the results. Based on the existing lines and painting style, the computer adds the remaining half of the face little by little. Eyebrows, eyes, nose, lips... A man's complete profile slowly appeared on the screen. When that face became completely clear, everyone present was stunned. The person on the screen has elegant features and a gentle temperament. He is not Chu Minh. It's someone we all couldn't expect. Tran Tuyet's university major, a famous married painter in the city, Ngo Han. 7 Ngo Han. As soon as this name appeared, the atmosphere in the meeting room became even heavier than before. His social background quickly became clear. Forty-five years old, famous painter, visiting professor of the art academy at a university, happy family, wife is his university classmate, gentle and kind, the two of them

has a daughter in high school. He is an exemplary teacher, highly respected, and has a very good reputation in the world of painting and education, without any stains or criminal record. Wanting to touch such a famous figure in society, without authentic evidence, will cause huge public pressure. Team leader Giang's fingers tapped on the table top, his eyebrows furrowed tightly. “Teacher-student love?” A young police officer speculated. I shook my head. "Are not." I said: “Remember the word ‘warm’?” Everyone looked towards me. "Tran Tuyet's feelings for Ngo Han are probably not simply male-female love, but a kind of... admiration." I explained: "A girl full of enthusiasm for art, when faced with a talented, gentle and elegant teacher, it is very normal to develop worship and admiration. For her, that feeling is very warm, a form of spiritual trust and light."