Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Murderous Joy (06)

This question was something even Hai Shu could not answer immediately.

Cai Mei’s origins were a mystery, her past with the Luo family, and the cause of her death were all unknowns. Who took her body away? Who avenged her? The elderly townspeople set up rituals to appease her, and at that time, the killer could have completed their revenge, or perhaps due to some external reason, the killer could no longer exact revenge, thus bringing an end to the terrifying winter in Zhouping Town. Thirty years later, the younger generation had long forgotten why the smoking barrels were placed in the forest, thinking it was just a tradition. Wan Zeyu, eager to help others, stepped onto one of these barrels and was eventually "devoured" by it.

The superstitious old woman said it was punishment for disrespecting Cai Mei.

But the truth couldn’t possibly be like this.

However, when the massacre occurred, Wan Zeyu had just been born. How could he possibly be involved?

Suddenly, a baseless and absurd thought flashed through Hai Shu’s mind—Cai Mei had been nine months pregnant and drowned, one death but two lives lost. But no one had conducted an autopsy on her, and she was hastily buried. Whether she had drowned was still questionable, and her child… if the child hadn’t drowned with her, they would be around the same age as Wan Zeyu now. A year or two of age difference could be ignored.

By coincidence, Cai Mei’s body was moved. Had it really once contained a woman and a fetus?

Hai Shu calmed herself down and jotted her thoughts in her notebook. Regardless of how absurd it seemed, since it had come to her mind, it was worth considering as a lead.

After a half-day of investigation, the Criminal Investigation Team gathered again to compile clues. The Cai Mei lead was undoubtedly the most mysterious. The passage of time had eroded crucial clues like sulfuric acid. The detectives faced it as though staring at a wall covered in grime. The other side of the glass might contain something important, but they couldn’t see it, and they couldn’t reach it.

Hai Shu tapped her fingers on the table. "This hypothesis is full of uncertainties and can’t be pursued further for now. On the other hand, Guang Jun’s strange fear might be a problem."

Wen Xu, sitting with his legs crossed, slouched in a relaxed manner, said, "Hai team, you’re being cautious. What you’re really trying to say is that Guang Jun and Wan Zeyu weren’t really close friends like it appeared on the surface. They might have shared some secret, something shady, something they did together that shouldn’t be known. Now that Wan Zeyu is dead, why is Guang Jun afraid? Because he thinks he might be next."

Hai Shu raised her chin slightly, curiously observing Wen Xu. The forensic doctor had the face of a playboy, looking like an expert at lying low. But his peach blossom eyes clearly held a sharp, cold light, hiding under the mask of a carefree demeanor, quietly observing his surroundings.

One couldn’t deny, this forensic doctor was not only good at communicating with the dead, but also skilled at dealing with the living.

Hai Shu smiled. "Then, Professor Wen, let’s theorize. If Guang Jun and Wan Zeyu had something sordid between them, what could it involve?"

Wen Xu pretended to be confused. "I’m just a technical team member, not a profiler. I have no idea about these things."

Before Hai Shu could speak, Sui Xing had already made a loud clicking sound with his tongue.

Wen Xu raised both hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, you really want to hear my nonsense. When Guang Jun and Wan Zeyu were teenagers, they were opposites. Wan Zeyu bullied his classmates, and Guang Jun was an honest guy. Normally, such an honest guy would be bullied by someone like Wan Zeyu, but after investigating, we found nothing like that. Besides, before Wan Zeyu turned over a new leaf, they were calling each other brothers. Why?"

Hai Shu said, "Wan Zeyu knew how to read people from a young age, and Guang Jun’s father was the deputy director of the glass factory."

Wen Xu snapped his fingers. "Exactly! The Wan family’s transportation business relied on the glass factory. Wan Zeyu grew up exposed to it and knew that Guang Jun, being honest, wasn’t someone to bully. Instead, he was someone to curry favor with. So, when Wan Zeyu grew up and wanted to build up the Wan family’s business, the first person he would try to win over was likely Guang Jun. In rural areas, it’s not unusual for people with connections to make money deals, but as their relationship grew closer, the things they did could have escalated."

Hai Shu’s suspicion about Guang Jun was precisely based on what Wen Xu had mentioned. Guang Jun might not have been directly involved in Wan Zeyu’s murder, but he likely knew something, and the police had an opportunity to get clues from him.

Today, the focus was on investigating Wan Zeyu’s relationships. Hai Shu looked towards Cheng Wei. "Professor Cheng, what about you?"

Cheng Wei, who had been drinking water, coughed when he heard "Professor Cheng," his eyes turning red. Wen Xu exaggeratedly laughed, mocking, "Professor Cheng, what’s wrong with you?"

Cheng Wei composed himself. "Hai team, just call me by my name."

Although Hai Shu had been focused on the case, her thoughts briefly wandered to the new team member. Cheng Wei was a trace examiner and an excellent field investigator. He was one of the younger members of the Criminal Investigation Team but was calm and steady, at least more reliable than the frivolous Wen Xu.

"I think Wan Zeyu’s mother, Liu Qiong, is worth paying attention to. I’m not saying she’s involved in the crime, but like Guang Jun, her reaction to Wan Zeyu’s death is abnormal." Cheng Wei had visited the hospital twice. The first time, Liu Qiong was unconscious and could not be questioned. Cheng Wei had spoken with the medical staff, who mentioned that Liu Qiong had been awake earlier but had no response, avoiding everyone. Whenever someone entered her room, she looked terrified.

Clearly, Liu Qiong knew the police had come, so she pretended to sleep to avoid them.

The death of an elderly child was a huge blow, and Cheng Wei had encountered many elderly people in similar situations. Most of them would be very emotional, pleading with the police for severe punishment for the killer. This generation of elderly people also trusted the police more than the younger ones.

Cheng Wei returned to the hospital three hours later. Liu Qiong didn’t pretend to sleep but still refused to make eye contact with him. Cheng Wei asked if she suspected anyone, and she suddenly shuddered, causing her bed to shake.

Upon hearing this, Hai Shu furrowed her brows. "Liu Qiong and Guang Jun both know something, but they’re unwilling to speak? Or afraid to speak?"

Cheng Wei added, "There’s another point. Liu Qiong seems to be very afraid of Wan Zeyu. Their relationship doesn’t seem as harmonious as the outside world thinks."

Liu Qiong’s avoidance was one thing, but this was more of Cheng Wei’s subjective judgment. For a trace examiner, the traces were the most reliable form of evidence. Cheng Wei had also checked the Wan family’s house, a three-story building with a courtyard, very luxuriously decorated. Many workers had been hired from the Huimin store, and most of them lived in this building. There were many men, and the hygiene wasn’t very good.

Liu Qiong’s room was on the first floor, the largest room. At first glance, it seemed like Wan Zeyu took good care of his mother. After all, the elderly couldn’t climb stairs, so living on the first floor was the best option.

But the lighting in that room was poor, facing the garbage bins in the yard, and it was quite damp. Outside was the main hall, where the men would play mahjong and drink, making noise late into the night.

Liu Qiong’s room had an independent bathroom, but the heater, which was crucial in winter, was broken, and there was no air conditioning. The only heating device in the room was an old space heater that worked intermittently.

"Wan Zeyu was unlikely to be a filial son. He knew how to embellish his relationship with his mother. I asked the workers living in their house, and they all said the mother and son had a good relationship. After a long day at work, Wan Zeyu would still go to her room to chat with Liu Qiong." Cheng Wei said, "But that’s all surface-level. He didn’t care what kind of environment his mother was living in."

Hai Shu said, "It’s also possible it wasn’t neglect, but intentional."

Cheng Wei widened his eyes and looked at Hai Shu. Hai Shu jotted it down in her notebook, "An important clue, Professor Cheng... uh, Little Cheng, thank you for your hard work."

Wen Xu: "Pfft—"

Before the meeting adjourned, Hai Shu said to Sui Xing, "The permission to check Wan Zeyu's personal communications and accounts has come through, want to work overtime?"

Sui Xing raised an eyebrow, "OK."

Yesterday there were no clues, but today, a flood of them came pouring in. The early stages of investigation were always like this, with too many directions to follow, and if one wasn’t careful, everything could fall apart. Hai Shu wanted to go out for a walk, get some fresh air, and buy something to eat to fill her stomach.

Most of the restaurants in Zhouping Town were concentrated along the commercial street, and the police station was on the east side of it. Hai Shu was so absorbed in the leads that she wasn’t paying much attention to the road. Only when she smelled a strong perfume did she snap back to reality, and to her surprise, she was standing in front of Yin Canxi’s cosmetics shop.

The shopfront wasn’t big, but one could see everything at a glance. Yin Canxi, wearing a sweater dress and apron, was inside, counting inventory.

The whole town knew that her wedding had been overshadowed by the death of the groom’s best friend, which made people feel uneasy, and the shop had no customers. Hai Shu was also surprised. No matter how busy Yin Canxi’s career was, she wouldn't have come in to work today.

The fortune cat placed by the door sounded a "welcome" chime. Yin Canxi straightened up, about to say, "Feel free to look around," but upon seeing Hai Shu, she stopped mid-sentence.

"President Hai, what brings you here?"

"Aren’t you taking a break?" Hai Shu casually picked up a lipstick and checked the color number.

Yin Canxi sighed in distress, wiped her hands, and sat down. "I was at home, thinking too much. I couldn’t stay, so I came here to pass the time."

Hai Shu said, "Guang Jun isn’t with you."

Yin Canxi remained silent for a long time before shaking her head. "This marriage probably won’t work out."

Hai Shu ordered takeout on her phone. "You haven’t eaten yet, right? Tofu pudding, spicy chicken rice noodles, haven’t had those in a while. Let’s eat together in a bit."

Yin Canxi was taken aback, then smiled. "Right, you always order those two things."

"Still haven’t asked you, how did you end up with Guang Jun?" Hai Shu hugged the pillow on the couch, and if she ignored their identities, this sounded more like a casual conversation between close friends.

"Do you think he’s not good enough?" Yin Canxi said self-deprecatingly. "But his family is well-off, my family doesn’t have much money. These days, the glass factory isn’t doing well, and my cousin almost lost his job. Guang Jun likes me, thinks I’m pretty, and I bring him face when we go out. If I marry him, my family won’t have to worry about jobs anymore."

Hai Shu said, "I remember you told me big cities are better than small towns, fewer personal connections. When you left, I didn’t quite get it."

Yin Canxi pressed her lips together helplessly. "President Hai, I’m not like you. I don’t have anything, I’ve been struggling for so many years and still haven’t made a name for myself. My parents keep urging me year after year, month after month... I just... don’t have the heart for it anymore."

Hai Shu nodded in understanding. Just then, the takeout arrived, and the two of them leaned on the counter, sharing dinner. The steam rose, and Hai Shu saw Yin Canxi’s eyelashes glistening, unsure whether it was mist or tears.

On the other side, Sui Xing worked so hard that she forgot to sleep or eat, completely absorbed in her task. She found that Wan Zeyu’s account had made three transfers to someone named Lu Xu. And this Lu Xu... Sui Xing immediately opened the records and confirmed that this was the same woman who had been shouting loudly at the police station earlier that day—Guang Jun’s mother.