Very soon, Lin Jinxuan was loaded into an ambulance. After instructing two colleagues to accompany him, He Shu gave them a few brief reminders, helped shut the ambulance door, and waved goodbye.
At that moment, Zeng Yongjia, Chang Bin, and Xie Zihao finally emerged from the villa. Judging by their expressions, none of them looked quite right. Zeng Yongjia appeared pale and sickly, speaking to others with little energy. The other two looked flushed, but their lips were pressed tightly together, as if they were struggling to suppress something.
However, upon spotting He Shu standing by the roadside with her arms folded across her chest, all three of them immediately pulled themselves together.
Chang Bin stepped forward. “The forensic team is still collecting evidence inside. Both the victim and Lin Jinxuan have been taken away by ambulance?”
“Mm.” He Shu responded, her gaze settling on Xie Zihao. Both of his hands were wrapped in bandages, having evidently received some basic treatment inside. He limped as he walked, making his movements look rather awkward.
“Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?”
“They’re just superficial wounds. What would I go to the hospital for?” Xie Zihao held up his hands, injured by the wire saw, wearing an unconcerned expression. Yet every movement tugged at the pain in his calf, and his face grew noticeably more complicated.
Zeng Yongjia chimed in from the side. “Don’t worry, Captain He. The doctor already examined him just now. The injuries on his hands are superficial. He only needs to come back in a couple of days to have the dressings changed. His leg isn’t fractured, and there are no internal injuries either.” They were all men who exercised regularly and maintained good physical condition, so naturally they weren’t that fragile.
“By the way,” Chang Bin said while rubbing his chin, “didn’t Lin Jinxuan choose Nie Han as his first victim through that mutual-support group? But Ying Weiqiu and today’s victim didn’t have criminal records. How did they end up on his radar?”
“How many people like Zhang Shengnan could there possibly be in that support group? Zhang Shengnan’s way of thinking was already quite different from that of ordinary people. If Lin Jinxuan had suddenly approached any of the others in the group and claimed he could solve their problems for them, who would have believed him? They’d be doing well not to call the police on him.”
He Shu sighed and shook her head. The first murder had happened largely because of a series of unfortunate coincidences.
“Once Lin Jinxuan completed that first killing, he had already transformed into a serial killer. The desires buried deep in his heart no longer allowed him the luxury of carefully selecting targets. In his mind, if someone deserved to die, then they deserved to die. What kind of person they actually were was no longer important.”
“After he easily lured Nie Han away on the 12th and got a taste of success, he probably decided to look for new prey in his own club. For him, it was safe, convenient, and discreet.”
The three men nodded in agreement. After a few seconds, Chang Bin asked again, “And Tang Jia…?”
“None of those three women can escape responsibility. No matter what kind of relationship Tang Jia and Nie Han actually had, or why she deliberately got Zhang Shengnan and Pan Yu to share her hatred, the final outcome won’t change. Nie Han is dead.”
That was the reality of it. As for how severe their eventual sentences would be, the police couldn’t decide that anyway.
“We still haven’t taken a statement from today’s victim. I’ll make a trip to the hospital later,” Zeng Yongjia volunteered.
“Sounds good. Take Brother Xie with you,” He Shu agreed with a nod.
Xie Zihao was momentarily stunned. Then he glanced down at his hands and immediately understood what she meant. She probably wanted him to use the opportunity to get himself checked out at the hospital as well. This time, he didn’t offer any argument. He merely grunted in acknowledgment, got into the police car with Zeng Yongjia, and left.
After swallowing a mouthful of exhaust fumes from the departing vehicle, Chang Bin shuffled over to He Shu’s side. The two stood watching the taillights recede until they disappeared from view. The mischievous grin on his face never faded. Once there was no one else around, he could no longer suppress his curiosity. Clearing his throat, he asked, “Captain He, did you and Zeng Yongjia know each other long before this?”
He Shu turned to look at him, her face a mixture of confusion and bewilderment.
“You two started work in the same intake, didn’t you? And you were both selected for that… what was it… the municipal bureau’s preliminary task force selection.” Seeing that her confusion appeared genuine, Chang Bin became a little baffled himself. Thinking back on it carefully, though, it seemed that only Zeng Yongjia had been acting nervous from the very beginning. As for He Shu, she had never shown any special reaction at all, making it impossible to tell that they might have been old acquaintances.
Since He Shu still looked completely lost, Chang Bin continued: “Back then, weren’t you assigned to the same group as Team Leader Ji? Zeng Yongjia was in another group. I heard that your groups had to compete against each other every day, and the first time around, he was matched up against you.”
At these words, several vague memories flashed through He Shu’s mind. Finally, she recalled some details from those years.
“Instructor, can I get a different opponent? Everyone else is matched against guys. Why do I have to face a girl? Even if I win, people will still laugh at me afterward.”
At the time, Zeng Yongjia had just graduated from college, a fresh-faced young man with fair skin and delicate features. Nothing like he was now, unkempt all day long, never bothering to shave. At thirty, he looked more like he was forty.
“Back then we were competitors, and we were in different groups, so I never really remembered his name,” He Shu said after piecing together the memory. She even felt a little embarrassed as she spoke. “Besides, we only faced each other two or three times. Later, a number of people were eliminated, and after that I never saw him again.”
“…”
If Zeng Yongjia had been here to hear that, it really would have been a direct hit to the heart.
Chang Bin smacked his lips in disappointment, then continued, “You must’ve beaten him pretty badly back then, right? Otherwise, why does he act like a little kitten whenever he’s around you? He doesn’t even dare raise his voice for fear of attracting your attention.”
Whether it had been that bad was hard to say, but it was certainly true that the man was afraid of pain. Even now, the memory of his astonishingly penetrating scream seemed to echo in He Shu’s ears, making her both amused and exasperated. Out of all the candidates in that selection process, not a single one could let out a high-pitched wail quite like his. Not only was it incredibly shrill, but it also had an oddly melodious quality to it. Later, someone had even given him a nickname: The Soulful Male Diva.
Of course, aside from the people directly involved, no one could casually spread stories like that around. So He Shu merely suppressed her laughter and didn’t answer Chang Bin’s question. After shooting him a meaningful glance, she turned and headed toward the sedan parked about a hundred meters away.
Chang Bin, however, wasn’t willing to let the matter drop. He hurried after her, calling out as he ran: “Hey! Captain He?! You don’t have to cover for him! He already told me the truth himself! I just wanted some confirmation from another angle…!”
…
Under everyone’s watchful eyes at the Municipal Bureau, the Special Crimes Unit swiftly and flawlessly solved a serial murder case. Not only did they earn praise from their superiors, but they also silenced the cynics who had been waiting to make snide remarks. Within the unit itself, any lingering opposition seemed to disappear overnight.
One evening, just before the end of the workday, Zeng Yongjia packed his bag to make a quick getaway, grumbling and shaking his head.
“Honestly, it’s always one extreme or the other. Either we’re worked to death, or we’re bored out of our minds. How come we haven’t even had a single chance to work overtime this week?”
Hearing that, Chang Bin immediately kicked him squarely in the rear. Watching him stumble and nearly crash into the corner of a desk, he ground his teeth and snapped, “Shut that crow-mouth of yours! If you’re really that bored, go find yourself a girlfriend. Of all the things you could wish for, why are you wishing for another homicide case?”
“I’m just thinking that sooner or later we’ll have to work a night shift, and when that happens I ought to treat the Cold Case Unit to a victory late-night meal. Otherwise it’ll look like we’ve been taking advantage of them. It’s just solving cases, right? It’s not like we’re incapable of doing that ourselves!” Zeng Yongjia rubbed his butt and pouted.
The two were still muttering back and forth when the office phone rang.
He Shu stepped forward and picked it up. “Special Crimes Unit… Okay… Understood.”
Click. After hanging up, she turned around and slightly lifted her chin.
“N-No way…” Zeng Yongjia stammered in shock.
“A body has been found along the western coastline. Put the bag down. We’re leaving immediately.”
After speaking, He Shu grabbed the light jacket hanging over the back of her chair and headed out.
Behind her, Chang Bin and Zeng Yongjia continued bickering and shoving each other all the way to the car. Even after getting in, they were still trading insults.
“If I ended up partners with you, I must have done something terrible to everyone in a previous life. Your damned mouth is famous for getting the bad predictions right while the good ones never come true!” Chang Bin reached around and grabbed the back of his neck, squeezing hard.
Zeng Yongjia yelped as he struggled free of the iron grip.
“You’ve got such a negative outlook on life! Look on the bright side. This time we finally have a chance to treat the Cold Case Unit to that victory supper, don’t we?”
More than half an hour later, the police vehicle came to a smooth stop on the coastal highway. He Shu and the other two got out and stood looking down below.
There was no beautiful, soft sandy beach here. Instead, a sloping seawall of huge rocks protected the shoreline. Massive reefs lay below, worn smooth by years of waves and erosion. Up close, you could see the rocks covered with dense clusters of oysters and other marine life.
At high tide, fishing enthusiasts frequented the area. During low tide, many people would climb down the rough, uneven seawall carrying buckets and various tools to forage for shellfish and other seafood along the shore.
“Who’s the reporting party?” Zeng Yongjia asked one of the district criminal investigators who had arrived at the scene first.
The officer pointed to a middle-aged man with a large belly standing nearby. He wore long shorts and flip-flops and held a fishing rod.
“This guy came here to fish this afternoon. He never expected to reel in a torn woven sack. Inside it was a human head. When we arrived, he was so frightened he could barely speak. His face was completely pale, and he wouldn’t stop trembling, so we wrapped him in a blanket and let him calm down.”
At that moment, Ding Qi, who had already climbed down to inspect the woven sack containing the body parts, shouted up to them: “The hole in the sack was probably caused by the fishhook. Judging from the traces inside, there shouldn’t have been just a head in there. I suspect that while the caller was hauling it up, some of the body parts fell back into the water.”
The forensic examiner, Zheng Jian, added: “Just from looking at this head, it’s already badly decomposed. The tide is expected to go out after sunset. To prevent the remains and any evidence from being carried away by the sea, we need to begin recovery operations immediately.”
“The more people, the better. We still have two sets of diving equipment left. Who’s coming?” Ding Qi asked.
Zeng Yongjia easily vaulted over the guardrail and made his way down. “I’ll do it, I’ll do it. Brother Chang has an old injury. It’s not suitable for him.”
Hearing that, Chang Bin also tried to climb over the railing. Instinctively, he felt that a woman ought to be looked after, so he protested loudly: “What old injury? That was years ago!”
Unexpectedly, just as he swung one leg over, someone grabbed him and stopped him. He turned back in confusion.
He Shu looked at him with calm, steady eyes. “Let me do it,” she said. “I can swim.”
“Uh…” While he was still hesitating, He Shu neatly braced herself with one hand and vaulted over the railing in a single smooth motion. By the time he came back to his senses, she was already below, putting on the diving gear.
After a moment’s thought, he pulled his leg back and casually rubbed his shoulder. Two years earlier, he had suffered a fairly serious injury while chasing a suspect. Even now, a little carelessness was enough to leave him aching so badly that he couldn’t sleep through the night.
Splash. Splash. Splash.
The successive sounds of people entering the water snapped He Shu out of her brief distraction. She took a deep breath and, following the instructions of the professionals, copied their movements and dove in decisively.
Although Jinghuai City’s climate was not particularly cold, the moment she entered the water, she felt a bone-chilling cold envelop her. The memory of drowning came rushing back, and for an instant her breathing nearly froze.
In reality, only a few seconds passed. Soon, she fiercely bit the tip of her tongue, blinked, and quickly began descending beneath the surface.
On shore, Ding Qi directed people to document and collect evidence from the woven sack while chatting with forensic examiner Zheng Jian and Chang Bin, who had somehow made their way down as well.
“Hasn’t your Major Crimes Unit been getting along pretty well lately? Old Xie isn’t causing any trouble anymore, is he?” Ding Qi asked.
“What’s there for him to stir up now? Ever since Captain He saved his life last time, he’s been obedient as can be.”
“That’s more like it. But when you were trying to arrest that suspect last time and things went south, what exactly happened? How did Old Xie suddenly change his personality like that?”
He continued probing for gossip. “Exactly. But when you were arresting that suspect last time and he attacked you, what actually happened afterward? How did Old Xie suddenly turn over a new leaf?” Ding Qi continued fishing for gossip.
In truth, Chang Bin hadn’t known the details at first, either. But when a suspect ends up beaten that badly during an arrest, the police need a reasonable explanation. Later, He Shu and Xie Zihao submitted reports, and only then did everyone learn what had happened. Still, he couldn’t reveal too much in front of outsiders, so he answered vaguely: “Captain He showed off a couple of moves and completely won Old Xie’s respect. That’s all.”
The three of them were chatting about this and that when the screech of sudden braking came from the road above. Before they could react, two people got out of the vehicle.
Forensic examiner Zheng Jian looked puzzled. “Huh? Why are they here?”
Meanwhile, a bad feeling rose in Chang Bin’s chest. His expression grew wary, and his eyes never left the two figures descending the seawall.
“Team Leader Ji? What brings you here?”
“Three years ago, there was a murder case involving a body dumped in the sea. By the time the victim was discovered, more than a year had already passed since death. We were never able to identify the victim. Because the remains had been submerged for so long, most of the evidence had been destroyed.” Ji Chen made his way down the seawall. He was wearing jeans that weren’t particularly convenient for moving around, and the vehicle he’d arrived in wasn’t a police car. Apparently, he had only learned about the case after getting off work.
“I just heard there was a similar case over here, so I stopped by to take a look.”
“Yeah, ‘just happened to stop by,’ my ass,” Chang Bin muttered, his expression saying just as I thought. Faced with two people who looked suspiciously like they wanted to snatch the case away, his attitude became even less friendly.
“Is this the bag that contained the body?” Ji Chen walked over to Ding Qi and crouched down to inspect it carefully.
“The same style as the bag from three years ago… blue-and-white striped…”
Splash! At that moment, someone suddenly surfaced from the water.
The person gripped a reef with one hand while holding up two slender bones in the other. After passing the bones to Zheng Jian, she seemed to notice the two additional people standing above and removed her goggles and breathing apparatus.
“Team Leader Ji?” At that moment, she looked rather bedraggled. Water dripped from the ends of her hair. Although she was doing her best to control it, her lips were still trembling slightly.
Ji Chen had been examining the evidence, but upon hearing the voice, he turned toward the reef. The instant he saw her face, pale to the point of a bluish-white hue beneath the eyes, and the way she was struggling to suppress her trembling, his eyes narrowed slowly.
Well, isn’t that something? You’ve really become quite capable, haven’t you?