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墨書 Inktalez
All available police forces were mobilized as we began searching for Wang Yikai's body on the mountain north of the villa area. Our efforts paid off; two hours later, we indeed found Wang Yikai's corpse in the woods. He was still wearing his security uniform and cap when he died.
From the external examination of the body, there was only one visible wound. This wound was located on Wang Yikai's neck, a fine cut just below his throat. I put on gloves and gently pinched the sides of the wound, causing it to change slightly. Blood continued to flow from the injury.
It was clear that the body had not been dead for long; the cause of death appeared to be severed trachea and veins. The murderer must have acted quickly, as this did not seem to be the primary crime scene. There was too little blood on the ground, which did not match the expected amount from such a fatal injury.
"Call Guan Zengbin and tell her not to come over; we’ll take the body to her," I said after examining the corpse. "Continue searching; this is definitely not the primary crime scene."
As soon as I finished speaking, someone shouted, "There are a lot of bloodstains here; this should be the primary crime scene."
We followed the voice and saw a police officer waving at us about five or six meters away. We hurried over and found that indeed, there were numerous bloodstains in this area of bushes. The blood appeared to have sprayed out, directed toward where the body lay.
Following the direction of the blood spray, we noticed blood on branches and on the ground—some splattered, some pooled.
"There are bloody handprints here," Gu Chen gestured for me to come over.
I looked in Gu Chen's direction and saw the bloody handprints. Analyzing the continuity and direction of the blood on the ground along with the prints on the trees formed an image in my mind.
I closed my eyes and imagined myself as Wang Yikai. I was Wang Yikai, and according to our agreement, I had arrived at this location first. At that moment, my captors were already waiting for me here. One of them handed me cash, and after thanking him, I intended to leave. But just as I took a few steps, a knife suddenly appeared at my throat.
The owner of that knife snatched away my bag filled with cash with one hand while swiftly slicing across my neck with the other, severing both my trachea and veins. I wanted to scream for help, but all I could hear was a raspy sound as air escaped from my throat. I couldn’t shout; I had no way to call for help.
At that moment, a woman carrying Liu Fei'er arrived.
I finally understood that from the very beginning, these people never intended to let me leave alive.
They vanished into the woods.
I felt my life slipping away bit by bit; I had to return to the villa area if I wanted any chance of survival. So I stumbled toward the villas, pressing one hand tightly against my wound. But it was too deep; after walking five or six meters, I could go no further and collapsed onto the ground.
Then I waited for death.
In that moment, I felt engulfed in darkness, as if everyone had vanished from my side. Unconsciously, I began to tremble. The surroundings were void, and I felt as though I might never return.
It was only when someone tapped my shoulder that I snapped back to reality.
I opened my eyes, beads of sweat trickling down my forehead, soaking my clothes.
"Are you okay?" Gu Chen asked, patting my shoulder. "How are you feeling?"
I took a few deep breaths and replied calmly, "I'm fine."
Rubbing my temple, I realized that for a brief moment, I almost mistook myself for someone else. This was the precursor to the onset of self-blame delusion, but during my time in the psychiatric hospital, I had never experienced it even once. Did this mean that every time I investigated a case, I would fall ill? Was I destined not to be a police officer?
But what else could I do besides solving cases?
To prevent anyone from noticing something was off, I quickly added, "From the traces at the scene, we can deduce that the victim was likely slashed here and managed to move about five or six meters before collapsing. This indicates that the assailant acted swiftly and decisively. From the bloodstains, it appears the murderer didn’t get a drop on themselves—how is that possible?"
Gu Chen pondered for a moment before responding, "Let me borrow your neck for a second."
With that, Gu Chen moved behind me and swiftly drew his hand across my throat. I understood he was simulating the crime.
After a moment of contemplation, Gu Chen stated firmly, "The murderer must have received professional training. Based on my estimation, they used a knife or similar weapon to quickly cut Wang Yikai’s throat and then left. Due to the speed of the attack, the wound only ruptured after the murderer had distanced themselves, causing a significant amount of blood to spray out."
"That's truly ruthless," I said while rubbing my temple. "But is there anyone capable of such precision?"
Gu Chen nodded. "If the knife is sharp enough and the speed is fast enough, it can be done."
If there was someone like this among the kidnappers, it would suggest a more organized group of assassins. A sense of unease crept over me; orchestrating such an elaborate scheme meant the kidnappers were after a substantial sum of money—or perhaps something even more valuable.
"Let's go," I instructed everyone. "Get the body back."
Liu stood in front of me, casting a deep glance my way, as if pondering something, but ultimately chose not to speak. I sighed and smiled at him.
On the ride back to the City Bureau, I remained silent, simply rubbing my temples with my fingers. Suddenly, I thought of Zhao Mingkun, recalling the brief moments we spent alone in Lin Fen Tomb, that indescribable feeling lingering in my mind. Captain Shao had once said that if I weren’t a police officer, I would surely become a notorious criminal.
So what should I do moving forward? If I were to encounter Zhao Mingkun again, what would I say to her?
We transported the body to the Autopsy Room, where Guan Zengbin was already prepared. She held an autopsy knife in her hand, quietly sitting on a chair as if waiting for food to be served in a fine dining restaurant.
"I didn't expect another one to come in so soon," Guan Zengbin said as she stood up from her chair. "The skin from the other person on that lipstick has already been sent for DNA comparison. There are too many people in our country, and the DNA database isn't extensive. But I think if this kidnapper is as professional as they seem, they shouldn't have any prior criminal records. If we can find them, great; if not, we'll have to think of another way."
I nodded; Guan Zengbin was quite thorough in her considerations.
She then asked, "So, has there been any new movement from the kidnappers? Have they called Liu Yinyan with any demands?"
I shrugged and sat down on a chair. "No, the kidnappers are probably laying low right now. They likely won't call today. The longer they hold their ground, the more anxious and restless Liu Yinyan will become. At that point, no matter what conditions they propose, Liu Yinyan will likely agree."
Guan Zengbin removed the clothing from the body and began the autopsy while listening to me speak.
I watched as Guan Zengbin's autopsy knife gently sliced into the skin of the corpse. "The kidnappers are playing a psychological game with us; it’s just a matter of who will act impulsively first. If it were me, I would wait until third before making a call. When there’s no one left to search for, Liu Yinyan will have no choice but to place his hopes on the kidnappers' integrity. At that point, things might go awry."
Guan Zengbin had already cut through the skin and muscle of the corpse, revealing its internal organs. "Liu Yinyan is one of the top figures in Dongxing City; I believe he can keep his composure. Otherwise, he wouldn't have repeatedly found breakthroughs in such a chaotic capital market. You don’t need to worry too much."
I waved my hand dismissively. "Even the most capable people have weaknesses. When he's acting as a venture capitalist, he may be calm and decisive; however, when it comes to being a father—well, you’ve seen how he seems like an ordinary old man then. Liu Fei'er is his weakness; those with weaknesses are easier to deal with."
We fell silent after that, and I quietly observed Guan Zengbin conducting the autopsy. Her movements were slow and meticulous, appearing quite graceful; though using that word here felt somewhat out of place.
"The cause of death was asphyxiation," Guan Zengbin said softly. "This wound is extremely deep; it simultaneously severed the victim's trachea and carotid artery. Blood flowed back from the trachea into his lungs, causing his death by suffocation—a process that likely lasted three to six minutes. However, looking at this wound—it’s narrow with neat skin flaps and almost no markings—this indicates that the weapon used was very sharp and thinner than an ordinary dagger. It’s likely something like a sharp blade was used; however, to cut this deeply requires a material that's relatively hard."
I nodded in understanding.
Guan Zengbin began to stitch the body. "Aside from this wound, there are no other injuries. This is the fatal wound, and the time of death was about two hours ago."
Suddenly, I thought of the phrase "a sword seals the throat," often used in martial arts stories. Those skilled fighters would sheathe their swords and turn away, only for blood to spurt from the wound on their opponent's neck as they fell to the ground.
Could it be that this murderer was also a martial arts master?
As I pondered this, Gu Chen pushed the door open and walked in.
I noticed that Gu Chen looked a bit excited, as if he had found some clues. I hurriedly asked, "What’s going on?"
Gu Chen smiled and said, "Come quickly to the office; the DNA test results from the lipstick have come back. One belongs to Liu Fei'er. As for the other one that left skin cells, Mary has found out who it is!"
"You mean...?" I could hardly believe it. "Have you already found the kidnapper?"
Gu Chen nodded and said to both of us, "The test results show that this person is actually a fugitive. His name is Chen Lin, sentenced to death with a reprieve for murder. Three years ago, he escaped from prison, and no one has known his whereabouts since. Chen Lin is still classified as a B-level fugitive by the Ministry of Public Security. Who would have thought we would find his trace here?"
Guan Zengbin had nearly finished stitching up the body. I said, "Let's go check out the office; I can't believe this woman is also a B-level fugitive."
"Woman?" Gu Chen shook his head. "It's not a woman; it's a man."
"A man?"
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