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White Legs Stuck in the Sand
墨書 Inktalez
At five forty in the morning, a thin mist lingered over the beach in Tiangang Village, Xiuyu District, Putian City.
Old Wang stepped onto the damp sand, holding a plastic bag filled with breakfast, planning to eat here before heading home.
This had been his unwavering habit for the past ten years.
In the distance, the waves gently lapped at the shore.
The June sea breeze still carried a hint of chill, causing Old Wang to shrink his neck. Suddenly, he noticed an unusual white outline not far away.
"Another tourist littering," he muttered as he approached, thinking it was a discarded plastic mannequin.
But as he got closer, the texture of the skin made him stop abruptly—there was a real human leg, standing upright in the sand.
He dialed the police number with trembling fingers.
Twenty minutes later, the head of the Putian City Criminal Police Team, Lin Haifeng, arrived at the scene.
At this point, Old Wang was still sitting in place, his cigarette long burnt out without him noticing.
"Seal off the area," Lin Haifeng commanded as he surveyed the surroundings, realizing that this beach was located in a secluded bay, two kilometers away from the nearest village.
The heavy rain from the previous night had washed away most of the footprints and tire marks, while the sea had carried away any other potential evidence.
Forensic expert Chen Ming crouched beside the body, carefully conducting a preliminary examination.
The deceased was a woman in her thirties, with an attractive appearance, and her time of death was estimated to be within the last 24 hours.
What stood out the most was that she was completely naked, yet there were no signs of sexual assault.
"Turn her over," Chen Ming instructed.
As the body was flipped, everyone gasped in shock.
The back and thighs of the deceased were covered in regular circular bruises, as if inflicted by some hollow tubular object repeatedly striking her.
These marks displayed a bizarre pattern, deliberately avoiding all vital areas.
"There are at least three hundred of these bruises," Chen Ming pointed to one of them and said, "Each strike used the same amount of force, as if performing some kind of ritual."
Lin Haifeng frowned. "Why would they insert her into the beach upside down?"
On the cement path leading to the beach, the task force discovered two Hongta Mountain cigarette butts and several strands of scattered hair.
These faint clues are evidence that the heavy rain and sea water failed to wash away.
But the more pressing question is: why did the murderer choose such an almost impossible-to-detect location, yet dispose of the body in such a conspicuous manner?
The sun began to rise on the horizon, dispersing the thin mist over the beach.
The body was placed in a black body bag, awaiting further autopsy examination.
Lin Haifeng stood by the sea, watching the receding tide.
In his twenty-year career of solving cases, he had never encountered a scene so full of contradictions: it needed to be both displayed and hidden; it was extremely cruel yet avoided direct confrontation at every turn.
The story behind this is likely far more complex than he could imagine.
In the employee records of Golden Dream City, the name Li Yongjun, so masculine in nature, left a deep impression. In her photo, she still retained the innocence from when she first arrived.
It was an evening in February 2009. She wore a slightly oversized checkered shirt and carried a faded canvas bag brought from Chongqing as she stood at the back door of the nightclub.
"Go put on some makeup; you start working tonight," Liao Anju handed her a makeup kit. "Remember, don’t think too much here; just make the guests happy."
Li Yongjun took the makeup kit, her fingers trembling slightly. She had never imagined she would walk this path.
A month ago, she had just finalized her divorce. Her ex-husband had already fled with their money, leaving her and their eight-year-old son to rely on each other.
"Sister, I'll only do this for six months," she told Liao Anju. "Once I save enough money, I'll go back to Chongqing."
Liao Anju smiled. "Sure, I'll help you get a bank card. This job pays quickly; if you work hard, six months will be enough."
And so, Li Yongjun began her life in Golden Dream City.
Unlike other girls, she never wore revealing clothes; she always donned knee-length qipaos, exuding an air of elegance mixed with a hint of mystery.
Before long, she became the star performer at the nightclub.
Every day at three in the morning when her shift ended, Li Yongjun would promptly head to the ATM to deposit her earnings.
She had set a rule for herself: to save at least five hundred each day.
The red passbook was hidden in the mattress, next to a photo of her son.
In the picture, the boy wore a slightly worn school uniform but had a radiant smile.
"He wants to attend a prestigious elementary school."
Once, Li Yongjun mentioned her son to Liao Anju, saying, "I need to work harder for another six months."
Liao Anju sat in front of the makeup mirror, touching up her makeup while watching Li Yongjun in the reflection. The frail woman was counting the tips from that night, her movements delicate as if she were handling treasures.
In the mirror, Li Yongjun's eyes were clear, as if this filthy place had not tarnished her in the slightest.
This gaze made Liao Anju feel a sharp pain.
"We're sisters," Liao Anju said, turning around and taking Li Yongjun's hand. "If you have any difficulties, just tell me."
Li Yongjun nodded but kept her distance.
This only made Liao Anju more displeased. As an old-timer in Golden Dream City, she had seen too many women like Li Yongjun, but none had managed to save over two hundred thousand in just four months.
One day in early June, Liao Anju's lover, Huang Jiling, lost all her savings once again. She stood outside the private room, hearing Li Yongjun softly comforting a customer inside, "Don't be disheartened; life will get better."
At that moment, a dark emotion began to grow within Liao Anju.
She touched her empty wallet, a cold smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.
"Yes, life will get better," she murmured to herself, already starting to plan the impending scheme.
The day before the incident, Li Yongjun received a call from her son.
"Mom, I got full marks on my final exam!" The excited voice on the other end of the line brought tears to her eyes.
"That's wonderful! Once I get paid this month, I'll come back to see you," she replied, carefully placing the enrollment form for the prestigious elementary school next to the savings book under the mattress.
That night, Liao Anju sent her a message: "Let's go to Jiuli Lake tomorrow and relax."
Li Yongjun replied, "Sure, sister."
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