Chapter 3

What came into view was an old, run-down workers' residential complex, just two streets away from the machinery factory compound where Su Man lived. Because her residential compound had been built later, it was located some distance away from this dormitory area. Compared with her own neighborhood, this place was considerably more dilapidated. Three five-story buildings stood in a triangular formation, their concrete exteriors mottled and peeling with age. A police cordon had already been set up. Quite a few residents had gathered outside, whispering among themselves, fear and curiosity written all over their faces. Several officers from the local police station were maintaining order. “Make way, please. Make way.” Su Man followed Li Zhenyue through the crowd toward the middle building. When they reached the third floor, several forensic technicians were already standing in the narrow corridor, carefully collecting evidence. Outside Room 306, a forensic pathologist in a white coat was reporting his preliminary findings to a well-built man in his thirties. “The estimated time of death was sometime between ten last night and two this morning. The cause of death was mechanical asphyxia. There are ligature marks around the victim's neck, but…” He paused. “There are also multiple wounds caused by a sharp weapon on the victim's face and upper body. Most of them appear to have been inflicted after death.” A chill ran down Su Man's spine. “Anything else?” Li Zhenyue asked. The forensic pathologist lowered his voice. “The scene was thoroughly cleaned. There are no obvious fingerprints or footprints. The killer may have been wearing gloves. But we found this underneath the victim's bedboard.” He handed over an evidence bag containing a small strip of dark red fabric recovered from the scene. It was tiny—barely the size of a fingernail, with torn edges. Its dark red color would have been almost impossible to distinguish amid the bloodstained scene. Wang Hao, one of the crime scene technicians, had discovered it deep beneath the bed, where it was already covered in dust. “What kind of fabric is it?” Li Zhenyue leaned closer for a better look. “A small piece of silk. The color is quite unusual and not something we commonly see.” The forensic pathologist continued, “We've already sent it to the lab for analysis.” But Su Man's gaze remained fixed on the dark red fragment for a long time. The silk wasn't an ordinary red. It was a deep, somber shade resembling congealed blood. Yet from certain angles, it carried a strange warmth, almost like aged red wine. Even after being exposed to countless colors in the modern world, Su Man had never seen such a distinctive shade of red. Li Zhenyue nodded before turning to her. “You can go inside. But remember what I said—look, don't touch.” “Yes, Captain Li.” Su Man took a deep breath and stepped into the room. The first thing that assaulted her was the smell. The overwhelming stench of blood, the musty odor of old furniture, and the sour smell of spoiled food had mingled together into an indescribably foul combination that made her stomach churn. Then came the visual impact. It was a cramped single-worker dormitory containing a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk. A coarse porcelain bowl sat on the desk. It appeared to have once contained noodles, but they had now congealed into one sticky lump. In the sweltering summer heat, they had long since spoiled. The bed was a complete mess. Dark red blood had soaked through the sheets, splattering bizarre patterns across the pale yellow walls. The wardrobe doors stood open. The victim's clothes were neatly arranged inside, with shirts, trousers, dresses, and various other garments hanging in orderly rows. Several empty hangers were also left inside. It was clear that the victim had been a woman who cared greatly about her appearance. Her body had already been removed, but the state of the crime scene alone was enough to make anyone imagine the horror that had taken place there. But what shocked Su Man most was the “emotional noise” filling the entire room. It wasn't a single emotion, but a multilayered, multidimensional mixture so intense that it nearly made her dizzy. The victim's extreme terror in her final moments pierced her nerves like high-voltage electricity. The killer's anger and excitement as he committed the violence scraped against one another like pieces of metal. And then there was that bizarre, twisted sense of satisfaction, low and guttural like the growl of a beast... All of these noises intertwined, forming an almost tangible “emotional field.” Su Man closed her eyes, doing her best to ease the discomfort caused by the overwhelming emotional noise. “Are you all right?” A voice came from beside her. Su Man opened her eyes and saw the forensic pathologist from earlier looking at her with concern. He appeared to be under thirty, with refined features and glasses. His manner was scholarly and gentle. “It's a little stuffy,” Su Man answered honestly. “That's a normal reaction.” The young forensic pathologist nodded understandingly. “Everyone feels uncomfortable the first time they see a crime scene like this. I'm Zhou Ming, from the Forensic Medicine Department.” “Su Man. Today is my first day reporting for duty.” Zhou Ming raised an eyebrow. “Your first day, and you're already at a murder scene? Captain Li really doesn't go easy on people.” Su Man managed a faint smile and once again swept her gaze across the room. Her “cheat ability” was like a highly sensitive detector at this crime scene, constantly picking up invisible traces of emotion. Su Man walked over to the window. It was an old-fashioned wooden-framed window, its glass covered in a layer of dust. A small flowerpot sat on the windowsill, containing a withered jasmine plant. But none of that was what caught Su Man's attention. Strong emotional noise was coming from a crack in the window frame—a mixture of voyeurism and twisted desire, similar to the noise she had sensed at the entrance to her residential compound. “Dr. Zhou,” she said softly, “there might be something here too.” Zhou Ming walked over and shone his flashlight into the gap in the window frame. “You're right. There's something stuffed inside.” He carefully inserted a pair of tweezers into the gap and pulled out a small strand of fabric. It was blue, with loose threads still trailing from its torn edge. “What is this?” Zhou Ming frowned. Su Man carefully examined the strip of fabric as well. Blue, like... “Machinery factory work uniform.” The two of them spoke at the same time. Just then, Li Zhenyue walked over. He examined the strip of fabric before saying to Zhou Ming, “Take it back and compare it with the machinery factory's work uniforms as soon as possible.” “Yes, Captain Li,” Zhou Ming replied. Li Zhenyue's expression was grave as his gaze swept across everyone in the room. “This is already the third case with a similar modus operandi in the past three months. The previous two occurred in different jurisdictions, so they weren't investigated as related cases. But now, it seems…” He didn't finish the sentence, but everyone understood what he meant. There might be a serial killer operating in Binhai City. Although Su Man had encountered serial killers in the modern era as well, she still felt a chill run down her back, and goosebumps immediately rose along her arms. She remembered the emotional noise she had sensed at the entrance of her residential compound that morning—the excitement and twisted desire. _Was it a coincidence? Or was that serial killer already somewhere close by…?_ “Su Man.” Li Zhenyue's voice interrupted her thoughts. “From now on, you'll be temporarily assigned to the task force to help organize the case files and leads. But remember, you're still in your probationary period. You follow orders at all times.” “Understood.” Su Man straightened up. Li Zhenyue nodded before turning to the others. “The Technical Department will continue processing the crime scene. The Forensic Medicine Department needs to complete the autopsy report as soon as possible. Everyone else, return to the bureau for a meeting. We need to catch this bastard before he strikes again.” As they left the scene, Su Man looked back at the room one last time. The emotional noise still lingered in the air, like a twisted symphony that had never reached its conclusion. She knew this case wouldn't be simple. The killer was calm, ruthless, and very likely hiding among them, concealed beneath the ordinary appearance of an average person. And her “cheat ability” might become the key to solving the case in an era without DNA databases and with scarce surveillance cameras. The police car returned to the city bureau. Su Man looked at the familiar streets outside the window, a complicated feeling welling up inside her. Three years ago, she had still been chasing criminals in the twenty-first century. Now, she stood at the starting point of 1994, facing a criminal much like the ones she had pursued before. The difference was that this time, she had a new identity and a new family. The car stopped in front of the Public Security Bureau. She pushed open the door and stepped toward the gray building. Her tall, slender figure looked like a young bamboo stalk beneath the sunlight—delicate yet resilient. By the time the two of them arrived back at the city bureau, it was already nearly half past one, well past lunchtime. When Li Zhenyue led Su Man into the cafeteria, the place was deserted. There were more than a dozen square tables in the dining hall. Only one table by the window was occupied by two people eating with their heads lowered, paying no attention to them. Sunlight streamed in at an angle through the windows, falling brightly across the empty plastic stools. A faint aroma of cooked food lingered in the cafeteria, mixed with the smell of the alkaline water the kitchen staff used to scrub the stoves. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but there was something comforting about it. Hearing footsteps, the head cook at the serving window turned around. “Oh, Captain Li. You're only getting here now?” “We just got back from the scene.” Li Zhenyue walked over and looked through the serving window. “Is there anything left to eat?” “I saved some for you.” The cook put down his rag and brought out two enamel basins from behind the stove. “One small basin of braised assorted fish, one small basin of stir-fried cabbage with vinegar. The steamed buns are still warm in the pot. The soup might have gone cold, though. Want me to heat it up?” “No need. Cold is fine.” Li Zhenyue took the basins and placed them on the counter beside him. Then he turned to Su Man and jerked his chin toward the dish cabinet. “Get the plates.” Su Man took two plates from the cabinet and handed them over. Li Zhenyue accepted them and scooped some food from the basin with a spoon. There was more broth than meat, and there wasn't much fish left. He put half a spoonful onto the first plate, then added a little extra fish before handing it to Su Man. “Here.” Su Man took the plate and glanced at the fish on it, then at Li Zhenyue's own plate, which noticeably had less fish. She opened her mouth to speak, but Li Zhenyue cut her off. He was already carrying his plate toward the dining table. “What are you waiting for? Sit down and eat.” Su Man carried her plate over and sat across from him. Li Zhenyue cleared a space for her plate, then lowered his head and started eating without saying a word. Su Man lowered her head as well and picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks. Although some of the fish had already fallen apart from being stewed, its fresh flavor still burst across her palate. She had never particularly liked fish. Fish in the modern era was either bland or so heavily seasoned that its original flavor was completely overwhelmed. Yet these unassuming little fish had completely won over Su Man's taste buds. She tore off a piece of steamed bun and dipped it into the broth at the bottom of her plate. The bun had soaked up all the flavorful broth. One bite brought together the savory taste of the sauce and the fragrance of wheat, delicious enough to make her want to sigh. The cafeteria was quiet. The only sounds were the gentle clinking of bowls and chopsticks and the sound of the cook washing dishes at the serving window. After several scraping sounds from a chair being dragged across the floor, the two people in the distance finished their meal and left. The door closed behind them, and silence returned once more. Li Zhenyue ate quickly, finishing nearly half his plate in three or four minutes. He looked up at Su Man. Seeing her eating slowly with her head lowered, he didn't rush her. Instead, he pushed the basin of vinegar-fried cabbage closer to her. “Eat some more vegetables.” Su Man paused for a moment before nodding and picking up some cabbage with her chopsticks. She realized that although Captain Li looked cold and stern on the surface, he was actually quite considerate. Li Zhenyue took a few more mouthfuls of rice before putting down his chopsticks. He pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and leaned back. “Take your time. Once you're finished, we'll go back and have a meeting.” Su Man nodded and lowered her head, continuing to eat.