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墨書 Inktalez
Without saying much, Liu instructed someone to dump the contents of the sack onto the ground. In an instant, a pile of garbage accumulated at our feet, releasing a strong stench reminiscent of rotten tofu, or perhaps like socks that hadn't been washed in thirty years.
As we looked down, we saw that there was indeed a variety of items scattered about—plastic toys, worn clothes, snack wrappers, bedding, shattered pottery shards, and other unidentifiable objects. These items cluttered the floor, transforming the once orderly City Bureau into a makeshift dump.
However, amidst this mess, I recognized some familiar items because I had seen them in the sewer before. Liu had gone through the trouble of bringing these things back, which showed he was far more meticulous than I was—certainly more diligent as well.
I spotted the large teddy bear that had tripped me and the blue work uniform.
Liu glanced at me and asked, "Wu Meng, you saw the murderer. How did the murderer manage to push Old Wang into the divider?"
This was something Zhao Mingkun had witnessed while disguised as a worker, but now I naturally applied Zhao Mingkun's observations to my own situation. I looked at Liu and replied, "At that time, you were all watching Yan Zhenyan. I turned around for just a moment and saw Old Wang coming through another door. Before I could say anything, someone flipped him right into the divider."
Liu seemed satisfied with my answer and turned to his team members behind him. "Right? It's consistent with my guess. When I learned that the murderer escaped through the sewer, I figured out how the crime was committed. Once I understood this, I immediately led a search of the sewers."
"And then," Liu picked up the blue work uniform he had found in the sewer. "This is a work uniform I discovered in the sewer. However, we also found another blue work uniform in an alleyway. These two uniforms are quite similar; they would fit someone around 1.7 meters tall."
"But," Liu raised a finger. "A person wouldn't wear two work uniforms at once. This means that there definitely isn't just one murderer. If the murderer had been lying in wait at the factory from early on, they couldn't be sure Old Wang would pass by their side. Therefore, at least two people must have been involved to ensure this method of killing would succeed."
I knew Liu was assuming that Zhao Mingkun's outfit belonged to one of the murderer's accomplices, but I couldn't reveal the truth to him; I couldn't expose Zhao Mingkun's involvement. I hadn't expected that Zhao Mingkun's clothing—which he had removed in the sewer to guide me—would be found by Liu and seemingly mislead him.
Liu's overinterpretation would only take him further from the truth.
I tried to explain to Liu: "People's choices may seem diverse, but often they are predetermined by others. For instance, on store shelves, items placed in the center are taken several times more than those on the edges; this is because people's line of sight is about 1.2 meters high and they can only see that part of the products. So while you think you're making a random choice, in reality, the store layout has influenced your subconscious."
The people around us seemed intrigued by my marketing psychology insights and turned their attention toward me.
I continued addressing Liu Dao: "It's similar here; the workshop is large and spans a great distance from east to west. To facilitate movement, it naturally has two doors leading south. When people enter from the south, they will instinctively walk along the production line towards the south rather than taking a longer route around to the north side of the assembly line. So while it seems like both sides have equal chances, most will head south."
"Thus," I concluded, "the murderer must be positioned at the south end of the production line." Looking at everyone else, I added, "This is something the murderer has considered; they either studied psychology deeply or have mastered human nature through social experience. Moreover, I believe we are close to finding the murderer; however, there's still one thing I don't understand."
Upon hearing my words, Liu's expression turned serious. "Wu Meng," he said, "you've made a misjudgment this time; there are indeed many people involved with the murderer. I'm just missing a few details that could lead me directly to them."
Not long ago, Liu and I had a strong disagreement regarding the investigation of the True Culprit. He believed that the Murderer was part of a larger group, a team working together. Although we still didn't know how such a team could control these individuals, he thought that once we figured that out, the case would be easily resolved. I suspected this was where Liu was missing some crucial details.
On the other hand, I believed that in such a twisted serial murder case, even among the closest of people, there would inevitably be disagreements and friction; they would never act in perfect unison. While each person's style might differ greatly, not a single one had left any trace behind. No one had ever coveted another's beauty or wealth. I couldn't believe that a team could achieve such precision.
Even though I had heard so many sounds in the sewer, without seeing it with my own eyes, I just couldn't accept it. After all, the Murderer was cunning.
I knew Liu was eager to solve the case using his own abilities, but I also understood that he might come to me for help in finding the Murderer. I had promised him that if I found any leads on the Murderer, I would let him know. Although I couldn't fully commit to my thoughts at that moment, it was indeed my most genuine feeling.
However, I still couldn't bring up Zhao Mingkun's situation, so all I could say was, "I saw the Murderer; there was only one person."
Liu looked at me and suddenly snorted coldly, saying, "One person can commit murder successfully; the other doesn't need to show their face. Wu Meng, it's not just you who can solve this case; others have that ability too. I believe I'll be the one to find the Murderer first."
Gu Chen glanced at Liu and said lightly, "In any case, one group will have to leave Dongxing City in the end. Do you think it will be you?"
The atmosphere suddenly became tense. I didn't know when Liu and I had developed this kind of relationship; he seemed to place too much importance on his future. I thought that no matter who it was, as long as they blocked Liu's path to advancement, he would do everything possible to push them aside.
Thinking about it this way, it seemed inevitable that Liu would leave Captain Shao's team eventually. With Captain Shao's indifferent attitude towards most matters, he wouldn't be able to help Liu climb higher. But Team Leader Li was different; he and Liu were essentially cut from the same cloth—neither of them ever intended to give up on rising.
Everyone fell silent for a moment. Gu Chen looked at Liu with a special gaze, while Liu stood before us as someone who could be both an excellent teammate and a formidable opponent. I thought Liu underestimated the bonds between people; he probably believed Deputy Director Bai wouldn't let us return so soon.
I sighed and said, "Yeah, after all, we are two separate teams."
Liu seemed to realize something and his expression suddenly turned somber as he said, "We found other things in the sewer—these items."
With that, Liu crouched down and began to ignore the foul smell as he started explaining these items one by one.
"We discovered many interesting things while we were in the sewer," Liu said. "We spent nearly two hours searching every corner of a section of the sewer nearby and found that the Murderer had been lurking here for quite some time. These items—whether clothing or blankets—even this plush toy—are relatively new."
When Liu reached this point, we carefully examined these items. Due to their foul odor, we initially assumed they had been in the sewer for a long time. However, upon hearing Liu's words and taking a closer look, I realized that aside from some smell, these items were not as worn out as we thought.
"And then there are these things," Liu pointed to a pile of indistinguishable objects and asked, "Do you know what these are?"
We shook our heads.
Liu pinched the object with his hand and said, "This is a pile of ashes."
"Ashes?" I suddenly understood Liu's meaning.
Liu continued, "Previously, Wu Meng and the Murderer encountered each other and learned that the Murderer would not be affected in a dark environment. However, that might only apply to one person. The Murderer is a team with multiple members, so perhaps only one person can walk in the dark while the others cannot. Therefore, in complete darkness, there are still people who need light to see."
The few police officers behind us nodded, seemingly impressed by Liu's deduction.
I furrowed my brows as I listened to Liu's words.
Liu looked at us and continued, "The reason I firmly believe that the Murderer must be multiple people is another point."
Liu picked up several ceramic fragments and said, "These bowls are quite old. If they had been washed down the drain long ago, they would have been turned to dust by now. But these fragments haven't been; it’s clear that they were left recently. I found these fragments next to the fire, and they fit together to form several bowls. This indicates that the Murderer even eats in the sewers."
"The Murderer is a group of people living underground," Liu stated decisively. "And these fragments provide me with a clue, a clue that can prove the connection between several individuals."
Hearing this from Liu, I felt a surge of energy. The key point of this case lies in the connections between the victims. Why did the Murderer target these individuals? What criteria did the Murderer use to select their victims? If we could figure this out, we could monitor and protect the remaining individuals before the Murderer struck again, thereby capturing the Murderer.
"What point?" I asked.
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