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墨書 Inktalez
After we met, Wang Gang informed us that Zhang Fushun had recently had a quarrel with another worker at the construction site, who claimed he would take Zhang Fushun's life within a month. The dispute arose over the ownership of three hundred yuan. Zhang Fushun insisted that the other party owed him three hundred yuan, while the other worker denied it. This argument escalated into a fight, resulting in injuries for both.
The person who fought with Zhang Fushun was named Lu Zhiwei, a forty-year-old bricklayer who relied solely on his physical strength for a living. He was still unmarried and only cared about feeding himself.
The next day, the three of us arrived at the construction site. As soon as we entered through the gate, we saw a middle-aged man known as Fat Man directing operations, his large belly almost causing his hard hat to slip off.
Noticing our unfamiliar faces, Fat Man waved us away. However, when we identified ourselves, he approached us with a smile, offering cigarettes and saying, "I assure you, gentlemen, all our paperwork is in order and we operate legally. Just last week, I helped an elderly lady cross the street..."
Captain Shi waved him off and said, "We are police officers here to gather some information."
We found a makeshift shelter where Lu Zhiwei appeared somewhat nervous, especially upon hearing about Zhang Fushun's death. He had dark skin and a square face with big eyes, and there was a scar at the corner of his eye. At forty years old, this was his first encounter with the police aside from getting his ID card. According to Lu Zhiwei, he had indeed threatened to kill Zhang Fushun before, but he insisted it was just in the heat of the moment; many people talk about killing others without any real intent. If such words were taken seriously, countless lives would be lost each year.
They had fought before, but that was after both had been drinking too much. The injury at Lu Zhiwei's eye was inflicted by Zhang Fushun during that altercation, and many of their coworkers were aware of this.
While Captain Shi questioned him, Wang Gang and I observed Lu Zhiwei. Wang Gang was growing impatient; his fiery temper made this slow-paced inquiry seem unsuitable for him. After asking Lu Zhiwei a few simple questions—though he stuttered slightly—his demeanor did not suggest he was lying. Most of the workers could confirm that Lu Zhiwei had been at the site throughout July without leaving.
Fat Man stood nearby in the sweltering heat, soon drenched in sweat. Captain Shi asked him several questions as well and received corroboration from others. Zhang Fushun had left the site on July 4th for a day off without specifying where he was going or what he intended to do. Since workers were paid daily for their labor, no one thought much of it when Zhang Fushun didn’t return for a week.
Having gathered enough information and ruled out Lu Zhiwei as a suspect, we proceeded to their living quarters. It was noon, and many workers were waiting for their meal. A large pot simmered with pork, bubbling away as workers filled their bowls with steaming noodles. We checked Zhang Fushun's bunk and inspected the entire room.
There was nothing suspicious; the room was small with bunk beds accommodating dozens of people. Each bed had a table beside it and four drawers above and below. Opening Zhang Fushun's drawer revealed half a pack of cigarettes, several coins worth only a few cents, an old flashlight, and a photograph.
The photo showed a young man around twenty years old against a bustling background; he was grinning widely. This appeared to be Zhang Fushun's son, Zhang Dongcheng. The photo was wrinkled as if it had been held many times; perhaps this man had looked at his son's picture during many quiet nights illuminated by moonlight. Captain Shi glanced at the photo before placing it in his pocket; he had a one-year-old child himself and perhaps felt a connection through fatherhood.
As we were leaving, Fat Man repeatedly invited us to dinner while showering us with compliments and flattery but showed no signs of sorrow or regret over Zhang Fushun's death despite having worked alongside him for many years.
Wang Gang turned to us and said, "I really want to hit him."
Captain Shi glanced at the bustling construction site, where the cheerful atmosphere of lunchtime wafted over. Fat Man drove out in a sedan, smiling and waving at us before leaving. Captain Shi shook his head and said, "The world is cold and indifferent; relatives may grieve, but others are still singing. No matter what others do, our responsibility is to catch the Killer and give the victims justice."
I would remember that sentence for the rest of my life.
After a quick meal at a small noodle shop, I asked with a bit of a headache, "This lead has gone cold again. Who is the real Killer?" Wang Gang also shook his head. The lead on the revenge killing had dried up, and there were no useful clues from Wang Guihua's interrogation. Could it be that Zhang Fushun stabbed himself six or seven times and then jumped into a well, covering himself with stones? There were indeed some investigators who would dare to conclude a case like that.
As Captain Shi ate his noodles, he said to me, "Do you think being a detective is easy? You see on TV how cases are solved by police investigations; do you know how much effort that takes? I know what you're thinking—you want to crack big cases and special cases—but you don't realize how many detectives spend their days just watching surveillance footage for days on end!"
Feeling a bit embarrassed after Captain Shi saw through my thoughts, I retorted, "But what about the Special Investigation Team? I heard they don't just watch surveillance; they solve cases that no one else can."
"Special Investigation Team?" Captain Shi's eyes lit up as he looked at me. Then he said, "You little rookie! You just became a detective and already want to join the Special Investigation Team? I'm not saying this to discourage you, but those are the top detectives selected from across the country. I didn't even make it; how could you? You’re lucky to encounter such a peculiar case right off the bat..."
A day later, we still felt like headless flies. Although Captain Shi had grasped the general direction, it was far from ideal. The team had practically turned Niulan Village upside down but found no trace of the crime scene. Logically speaking, if someone was stabbed multiple times from the front, there should be bloodstains left behind. Bloodstains aren't easily cleaned up; if this Killer could use chemical methods to erase blood traces, then this person must be incredibly skilled.
This person could not possibly be Wang Guihua.
I brought this question to Yang Xiaojuan. She nodded and said to me, "The Luminol reaction can indeed be interfered with by many factors. Theoretically, if someone understands chemistry well enough, they could achieve this. But I'm no fool; if there were any reaction traces at the scene, wouldn't I have noticed?"
However, out of caution, I checked the educational levels of people in Niulan Village. After investigation, I found that most villagers only had Junior High School diplomas; many hadn't even completed Junior High School. The highest education level in the village belonged to Zhang Dongcheng, who studied liberal arts in high school and economics in college but was currently working away from home. There were about ten people who finished high school, but they were all working elsewhere and hadn't returned to the village.
Not to mention whether someone with just a high school chemistry background could manage this; the timing of the crime simply didn't add up.
Where was the original crime scene? What was the murder weapon? Who were the other suspects?
We were utterly stumped by these crucial questions. Twenty-four hours had passed without any evidence; we could only release Wang Guihua for now. However, Zhang Fushun's body still needed further examination and couldn't be released. It had been three days since the body was discovered, and there was still no lead on this case. The pressure from both above and below was immense.
Deputy Director Li from the Police Department held a brief meeting with us to establish a task force for case 7.12, led by Captain Shi with full cooperation from everyone below him. He said that if we didn't solve this case soon, where would I put my old face? If we didn't crack it within three days, higher-ups would send in the Special Investigation Team. This clearly indicated that he was telling us that you Yuzhou City Public Security Bureau Chief is merely a figurehead and that your team below lacks capability.
The commotion below was deafening; it seemed that everyone was discussing this case! Let me tell you, looking at your reports, it's been three days and you haven't uncovered a single clue. Don't let the Special Investigation Team slap my face, or even worse, slap yours! With that, Deputy Director Li stormed off.
To be honest, compared to the cases I had heard about the Special Investigation Team solving, this one didn't seem particularly strange or gruesome. Yet, despite that, we were struggling to crack it. If we wanted to join the Special Investigation Team, we needed to prove we had the capability to do so. If we couldn't solve this case, what chance did we have of getting in?
Everyone's spirits were low, but at the same time, there was a tension in the air. Three days—only three days left for us. Captain Shi came over and patted my shoulder, saying, "Kid, want to join the Special Investigation Team? Then you better get your act together."
I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. The investigation was still ongoing. Sitting in my chair, I pondered carefully; we must have overlooked some crucial clues during this process. Where exactly did the victim die? After the Killer committed the murder, where did he hide? Who was he? If he wasn't from the village, how did he get here...?
Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind: the mountain road was long. Just getting from the city to the foot of the mountain took over two hours. If the Killer wanted to leave, unless he had his own transportation, he would definitely need to use some form of transport!
"Shi Team!" I exclaimed loudly. "Transportation!"
Hearing my words, Shi Team slapped his forehead and said, "You're right! How could I have overlooked this? Immediately investigate any bicycles or motorcycles missing from Niulan Village! We also need to check on the minibus drivers! Look into surveillance footage to see if any taxis or motorbikes have come into the city from Niulan Mountain recently!"
Just as everyone's spirits lifted with this newfound lead, two pieces of news came in: Li Tang, the driver responsible for the route from Niulan Mountain to the city, had been found murdered inside his minibus; Wang Guihua had not returned home after leaving the police station and was currently unaccounted for.
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