Vansin spread two stacks of case files on the conference table, laying them out horizontally, one on the left and one on the right.
On the left was the Butcher Case, and on the right was the Nightclub Case.
He had been investigating these two cases as a combined case for over a week.
The ten members of the Special Case Investigation Unit were divided into three teams, each responsible for investigating victim backgrounds, tracking suspect movements, and following up on the subsequent testing of those unknown organic samples.
Today was the weekly meeting on Thursday afternoon.
“Let’s start with the progress on the Nightclub Case,” Vansin said as he sat down, holding his thermos.
Leon stood up and flipped through his notebook.
“Facial recognition has yielded preliminary results. The side profile image of the intruder before transformation in the surveillance footage matches a record in our database with a 78% probability.”
“Who is it?”
“Kamui, male, thirty-four years old, retired boxer, currently working odd jobs at Sun Debiao’s construction site in the southern part of the city.”
Leon placed a printed comparison chart on the table.
On the left was a screenshot from the surveillance footage, and on the right was a photo of Kamui from a provincial boxing championship five years ago.
Vansin took a look.
“The match rate isn’t very high. Is there any other supporting evidence?”
“Yes.”
Leon flipped to the next page.
“We investigated Kamui’s background and discovered that he has a direct employment relationship and financial dispute with Sun Debiao, the owner of the Debiao Club.”
“Sun Debiao’s construction site has long been in arrears with workers’ wages. Kamui’s daughter is hospitalized and in urgent need of surgery fees, but his repeated demands for payment have been fruitless.”
“Additionally, on the afternoon of the incident, city traffic surveillance captured Kamui near the hospital, which is only three kilometers away from the crime scene in a straight line.”
Vansin picked up his thermos and took a sip of water.
“Which hospital is Kamui’s daughter in?”
“The Second Municipal People’s Hospital, third floor of the Inpatient Department, Cardiac Surgery.”
“What is his daughter’s name?”
“Pomona, nineteen years old, congenital heart disease.”
Vansin fell silent for a moment.
“There’s the motive.”
“Yes.”
Leon closed his notebook.
“He was driven to desperation by his boss withholding his wages, all to raise money for his daughter’s surgery.”
“Perhaps it was an impulsive act? Driven by long-suppressed anger?”
Vansin shook his head.
“What you’re describing is normal human logic, but don’t forget, he transformed into a gray monster over two meters tall when he rushed in.”
The conference room fell silent for a moment.
“Let’s not discuss how he transformed for now,” Vansin said.
“From the perspective of pursuing him, the fact that his daughter is hospitalized is critical.”
“If he still cares about his daughter, he won’t go too far.”
“Right, he will be active near the hospital,” Leon nodded.
“Arrange for two people to set up surveillance near the hospital, keep an eye on the Inpatient Department of Cardiac Surgery, but don’t alert him.”
“Understood.”
Vansin opened the stack of case files on the left.
“What about the progress on the Butcher Case?”
The leader of the other team, Old Liu, stood up.
He was in his forties, scruffy, and looked like he hadn’t slept for days.
“Captain Van, we have thoroughly sorted through Haruka’s school relationships. We confirmed that he had long been suffering from bullying by people outside the school. The main perpetrators were the four people who disappeared in the corridor, led by someone surnamed Huang.”
“Additionally, we investigated Haruka’s daily activity patterns. Combining surveillance records from the school and surrounding areas, we discovered that in the two months prior to the incident, Haruka frequently appeared near an abandoned factory area in the eastern part of the city.”
“Which factory area?”
“The old cement factory in the eastern suburbs. It has been out of production for seven or eight years and is currently in an abandoned state.”
Vansin tapped his finger on the file twice.
“What was he doing there?”
“It’s unclear. Surveillance could only capture him entering and leaving the perimeter of the factory area; there is no surveillance inside the factory.”
“What about now? Is he still there after the incident?”
“We arranged for a team of plainclothes officers to stake out the perimeter of the factory for three days. We found fresh footprints and traces of activity at the entrance of the factory, but we didn’t see anyone directly.”
Vansin leaned back in his chair.
“How big is that Abandoned Cement Factory?”
“It covers an area of about fifty mu, with three production workshops, two warehouses, and an office building. The structure is complex, and the interior space is very large.” Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“Is it suitable for hiding people inside?”
“It’s perfect,” Old Liu said.
“The workshops are full of scrapped equipment and piles of debris; hiding a hundred or eighty people wouldn’t be a problem.”
Vansin looked at the map on the table.
The old cement factory was in the eastern suburbs, about five kilometers from the 502 residential building.
“Send a team in to search,” Vansin said.
Old Liu hesitated for a moment.
“Captain Van, if the Butcher is really in there, wouldn’t it be too dangerous for our people to go in?”
“After all, judging from the traces at the scene, this thing’s combat capability…”
“I know.”
Vansin interrupted him.
“Select a few experienced officers, equip them with bulletproof vests, carry body cams, and conduct reconnaissance first. Do not force entry; if you spot the target, retreat immediately.”
“When should we go?”
“Tomorrow, during the day. Go in after it gets light.”
“Understood.”
After the meeting, Vansin remained alone in the conference room, sitting for a while.
He sorted through the key information of the two cases in his mind.
The suspect in the Butcher Case, Haruka, twenty-two years old, had been bullied for a long time.
One day he snapped, transformed into a red monster, killed his foster parents and the bullies, and is currently likely hiding in the Abandoned Cement Factory.
The suspect in the Nightclub Case, Kamui, thirty-eight years old, a retired boxer, was oppressed by his boss, transformed into a gray giant, injured his boss and bodyguards, and is currently missing but likely active near the hospital where his daughter is hospitalized.
Two people, two completely different identities, backgrounds, and criminal motives.
But the phenomenon of transformation that appeared in them was too similar.
Both involved some kind of unknown substance covering the surface of their bodies, both accompanied by drastic changes in body size and displays of strength that exceeded human limits.
Coincidence?
Vansin did not believe in coincidences.
There must be some connection between these two people, or a common source.
He picked up a pen and wrote two characters in his notebook.
“Source.”
Then he drew a question mark underneath.