Chapter 4

By the time Su Man followed Li Zhenyue back to the Criminal Investigation Brigade office, it was already two in the afternoon. When she pushed open the door, the office that had been empty earlier was now packed with people. Amid the swirling cigarette smoke, seven or eight criminal investigators were either sitting or standing. Some were going through case materials, while others were discussing matters in low voices. When everyone saw Su Man following Li Zhenyue inside, their eyes lit up, and they all stopped what they were doing. “Let me introduce someone to everyone.” Li Zhenyue walked to the middle of the office. “This is Su Man, a graduate of the Public Security University who was assigned to our team this year. Today is her first day reporting for duty. Let's welcome our new comrade!” The atmosphere in the office immediately became lively. Li Zhenyue pointed to the well-built young man Su Man had seen at the crime scene. “Su Man, this is Zhao Gang, the leader of Major Crimes Team One.” He then turned to Zhao Gang. “Zhao Gang, Su Man will be joining your team from now on.” “Yes, Captain Li,” Zhao Gang immediately replied. He wasn't a man of many words, but Su Man could sense that he was steady and restrained, like a deep pool whose depths were impossible to see. “Welcome, welcome!” A slightly chubby criminal investigator in his early thirties stood up with a cheerful smile and extended his hand. “I'm Liu Mingliang. Everyone calls me Fat Brother. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask.” Liu Mingliang had a round face and large eyes. His hair was slightly thinning, and he looked exceptionally friendly. “I'm Sun Xiaomei. I handle the team's files and administrative work.” A female officer who looked only a few years older than Su Man enthusiastically took her hand. “It's about time we had another woman around! There's way too much testosterone in this team. I'm practically forgetting I'm a woman myself.” Sun Xiaomei wore her hair in two braids. She had a round face and large eyes that curved into crescents whenever she smiled. She was lively and cheerful. A criminal investigator stood up from the back row. He was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, tall but lean and athletic, with calm features. Although he was dressed in civilian clothes, he stood perfectly straight. Su Man guessed that he had probably served in the military. He spoke in a steady voice. “I'm Wang Hao. I was transferred here last year. Welcome, Comrade Su Man.” “And me! Chen Zhifei. We met this morning.” The baby-faced criminal investigator from the office that morning smiled and greeted her. There was still a youthful energy about him that made him seem full of life. Su Man responded to each of them in turn, warmth filling her heart. These were the comrades who would be fighting alongside her from now on. “All right, that's enough of the welcoming ceremony.” Li Zhenyue clapped his hands. His expression turned serious again. “Now we'll hold the task force's first case analysis meeting. Zhao Gang, start by telling us the preliminary findings from the autopsy.” Zhao Gang walked to the blackboard at the front of the office, where several crime scene photographs had already been posted. “The victim was Wang Lijuan, twenty-three years old, a quality-control inspector in the machinery factory's Third Workshop.” “The estimated time of death was between ten last night and two this morning. The cause of death was mechanical asphyxia. There are ligature marks around her neck. The murder weapon may have been a rope, strip of cloth, or something similar.” He paused before turning to the next page. “But what's worth noting is that the victim suffered multiple injuries inflicted after death. Her face was slashed with a sharp weapon, and there were three stab wounds to her chest. The killer's methods were extremely brutal, with obvious signs of emotional venting.” The atmosphere in the office immediately grew heavy. “What about the crime scene?” Li Zhenyue asked. Zhao Gang replied, “The scene had been thoroughly cleaned. We found no obvious fingerprints or shoeprints. However, a small piece of dark red silk was discovered beneath the bed. Its material is unusual, and it's already been sent for testing.” “In addition, a small strand of fabric was found in a crack in the window frame. It appears to be from a machinery factory work uniform. We've already handed it over to the Technical Department for comparison.” “There’s one more thing.” Zhao Gang continued. “Based on the characteristics of the wounds and the killer's method, I believe this case is similar to two other unsolved murder cases that occurred within the past three months.” “One involved an unemployed female factory worker who was murdered in early May. The other involved a female night-school student who was killed in mid-June. All three victims were young women. All three attacks occurred at night. All three victims suffered injuries to the face and chest after death, and all three crime scenes had been cleaned.” The office fell completely silent. The term _serial killer_ was still rarely used officially within China's police force in the 1990s. “Three cases. Three different jurisdictions. They were never investigated as related cases.” Li Zhenyue's voice was low. “But now, we have to face the possibility that a serial killer may be operating in Binhai City.” He stood up and walked to the blackboard, writing down the three dates and locations in chalk. “Starting today, we'll establish a special task force. I'll serve as the team leader.” “Zhao Gang, reexamine the physical evidence from the first two cases and see if you can find any connections.” “Liu Mingliang, Wang Hao, and Chen Zhifei, the three of you will revisit the social circles and relationships surrounding all three cases. Look for any points of overlap.” His gaze fell on Su Man. “Su Man, you'll work with Liu Mingliang for now. Assist with investigating the victims' social connections, organize the interview records, and familiarize yourself with our investigative procedures. Remember, observe and learn as much as you can.” “Sun Xiaomei, you'll coordinate the case files from the different jurisdictions.” “Understood.” Everyone answered one after another. “All right, meeting adjourned. Sun Xiaomei, find Su Man a desk.” Li Zhenyue waved his hand, then seemed to remember something. “Oh, right. The procuratorate has already become involved. They'll be sending someone over this afternoon to learn more about the situation.” “The procuratorate?” Liu Mingliang raised an eyebrow. “That fast?” “It's a murder case, and there's a strong possibility we're dealing with a serial killer. It's perfectly normal for the procuratorate to take it seriously.” Li Zhenyue replied, “Cooperate with them.” After the meeting, Sun Xiaomei led Su Man to an empty desk in the row beside the window. “This will be your desk from now on. It's a little dusty, but just wipe it down and it'll be fine.” “Thank you, Xiaomei.” Su Man smiled as she thanked her, then put down her cloth bag and began arranging her things. “Su Man—actually, I'm just going to call you Manman from now on. No need to be so formal. We're all comrades here.” Sun Xiaomei beamed happily. “I'm so glad you came. Now I finally have someone to keep me company!” She added, “Captain Li may look fierce, but he's actually a good person. The atmosphere in our team is pretty good too. If you run into any difficulties, just let us know.” “Thank you, Xiaomei.” Su Man thanked her sincerely. “By the way, where do you live? Is it far from here?” “The machinery factory residential compound.” Sun Xiaomei's smile stiffened for a moment before quickly returning to normal. “That's good. It's close to the bureau. But…” She lowered her voice. “Things haven't been very peaceful around the machinery factory lately. Be careful when you're out there.” Su Man nodded in agreement, though she understood perfectly well why Sun Xiaomei was worried. There had been a murder in the machinery factory dormitory area, and there was a possibility that a serial killer was responsible. With all the victims being women, who wouldn't feel uneasy? Women and children had always been the more vulnerable members of society. And this killer clearly seemed to pick on those weaker than himself. If he had the guts, why didn't he go after a few big, strong men instead? She was silently grumbling to herself when the office door suddenly opened. A man in a prosecutor's uniform walked in. He appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, stood about six feet tall, and had broad shoulders and long legs. His prosecutor's uniform was immaculate and fit him perfectly. He had a sharply defined face, a high, straight nose, and thin, well-defined lips. But the most striking feature was his eyes—narrow and slightly upturned at the corners, with irises so dark and deep that they seemed capable of seeing straight through a person's heart. “Excuse me, is Captain Li Zhenyue here?” The man's voice was low and resonant. When Liu Mingliang saw him, he immediately let out a sound of recognition and walked over. “Prosecutor Lu, are you here about Wang Lijuan's case? Captain Li is in a meeting.” The man's gaze swept across the office before finally landing on Su Man. It lingered for a second before moving away. When he looked at her, Su Man seemed to forget how to breathe for a moment, completely captivated by his pleasing appearance. She had seen all kinds of men during her time in the modern era, but he was without a doubt the most handsome man she had ever encountered in real life. Back then, her adoptive parents had also worried about her love life and tried to help her find a suitable partner. But she had never met anyone who truly made her heart flutter. She had simply kept putting it off until she crossed into this era. Her romantic history could be described as a complete blank slate. “Prosecutor Lu, have a seat.” Liu Mingliang pulled over a chair. “Regarding Wang Lijuan's case, we're currently organizing the materials…” “I heard this case may be connected to the previous ones?” Lu Zhixing got straight to the point. His posture was upright, his hands resting naturally on his knees, and every movement carried a crisp, disciplined quality reminiscent of a soldier. Liu Mingliang paused. “That… is still under investigation.” “May I see the relevant case files?” Lu Zhixing's tone was polite but left no room for refusal. “If these really are connected serial cases, the procuratorate needs to get involved at an early stage to ensure that the investigation procedures are lawful and that evidence is collected properly.” His gaze swept over Su Man again. This time, it lingered a little longer. “And this is…” “Su Man. She just graduated from the Public Security University and reported for duty today.” Liu Mingliang introduced her. Lu Zhixing nodded without asking anything further. “The case files are here.” Sun Xiaomei carried over three thick stacks of file folders. Lu Zhixing began going through them. He read quickly, yet didn't overlook a single detail. The office instantly fell silent, leaving only the sound of pages being turned. Su Man pushed her scattered thoughts aside and immediately immersed herself in the work. She picked up a copy of the case files and began reading carefully. The first victim was an unemployed female factory worker, thirty-five years old, who had lived with her husband. The second was a twenty-year-old night-school student who lived alone. The third was Wang Lijuan, whose body had been discovered that morning… Su Man's brows gradually knitted together. The three cases did indeed share several similarities—all the victims were young women, all the attacks occurred at night, all the victims had suffered injuries inflicted after death, and all the crime scenes had been cleaned. But there were also differences. The first victim's belongings had been rummaged through, making it look like a robbery. The second victim's personal belongings had been neatly arranged, with nothing missing. And the third… Su Man's gaze stopped on Wang Lijuan's autopsy photographs. Those wounds… The slashes across her face. The stab wounds to her chest. This wasn't simply murder. It looked more like some kind of ritual. Or perhaps… a mark. “What did you notice?” A voice suddenly sounded beside her. Su Man looked up and realized that Lu Zhixing had somehow come to stand behind her. He was looking at the case file in her hands. “These wounds…” Su Man pointed at the photographs. “They don't look random. The direction of the cuts on her face, the angle at which the knife entered her chest… There's a deliberate pattern to them.” Lu Zhixing raised an eyebrow slightly. “You studied criminal psychology?” “I took it as an elective at the Public Security University.” Su Man answered vaguely. In reality, she had learned it during her criminal-investigation training in the twenty-first century. Lu Zhixing nodded, then turned to Sun Xiaomei. “I need the complete original evidence lists and examination reports from all three cases. The more detailed, the better. Also, if anything new turns up during the investigation, notify the procuratorate immediately.” “Understood, Prosecutor Lu.” Sun Xiaomei nodded. Lu Zhixing nodded in return and picked up his briefcase, preparing to leave. When he reached the doorway, he stopped. His gaze seemingly wandered over Su Man's back for a brief moment.