Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Ji Qinchou quickly sketched the room layout, while Shen Jie tilted his head to observe him, the voice from the walkie-talkie crackling to life.
"Report Captain Shen, target sighted! Hiding in the corner of the south wall of the kitchen!" Shen Jie took the map from Ji Qinchou and examined it closely, as the armed police continued, "The suspect is holding a kitchen knife, using the hostage as a shield. Visibility is limited, unable to lock onto the target!"
"Received!" Shen Jie hurriedly ordered Ji Qinchou, "Contact the hostage's mother immediately!"
Ji Qinchou stepped outside, slammed his shoulder against the wide-open cable well door, wincing in pain as he gritted his teeth and closed the door behind him. He quickly dialed Pan Nianzhen's number.
Inside the building, Shen Jie nodded to the armed police beside him to clear a path. The officers quietly moved outside, breaking through the security door and entering first. After ensuring safety, they approached the kitchen door, holding their pistols at the ready on either side.
Shen Jie and his team arrived outside, inquiring about the hostage through the door, " Pan Lang, are you okay?"
Pan Lang stammered with a trembling voice, "I'm fine, Officer. Is my mom there?"
"She'll be here soon!"
"No! Tell her to go back! Don’t let her see me die; she only has me left. She’ll go crazy!"
"You won't die; none of us will die, including Xiao Fan." Shen Jie wiped the sweat from his forehead. " Xiao Fan, I know your situation well. A half-grown kid wandering alone in the city has faced a lot of hardship, right? If you have grievances, speak them out; we’re listening."
"I didn’t kill those girls! Why won’t you believe me?"
"Xiao Fan, the police don’t act recklessly. If we didn’t have solid evidence, we wouldn’t consider you a suspect. If you say you’re innocent, then tell us what you believe is the truth; we will take it into account."
"Don’t think I’m easy to fool! You’re all in this together!"
Shen Jie lowered his brow, "Who are we in this together with?"
Standing under a ginkgo tree while briefing Pan Nianzhen about the situation, Ji Qinchou was filled with doubts. He was sure he had overlooked some details, but his mind kept playing hide and seek with him.
"Pan Lang kidnapped someone? That shameless wretch! A heartless beast! A lewd dog! Why hasn’t anyone taken care of her? It would save me from all this trouble!"
Goodness, that barrage of filthy language left Ji Qinchou dizzy.
"Ms. Pan, I meant that Pan Lang has been kidnapped and is currently in that vacant house of yours in Qingtong Community."
"Oh? Uh, I misunderstood; sorry about that, Officer Ji. I'm currently in downtown and will head back right away. The traffic around the overpass is terrible; it might take some time to get there."
"Please hurry." Ji Qinchou replied.
Was it his absent-mindedness that led to a mistake? Or did Pan Nianzhen instinctively associate Pan Lang with crime upon hearing "kidnapping"?
Regardless, what kind of mother would insult her own daughter like that? Furthermore, what kind of mother would label her daughter with an identity that competes for her resources?
Ji Qinchou still remembers that morning when he borrowed a plainclothes outfit from a female colleague for Pan Lang to wear and took her to the hospital for a sample test. Pan Nianzhen arrived, heavily made up and reeking of alcohol, just as a nurse was helping Pan Lang out of the examination room. Ji Qinchou hadn't even introduced himself yet when she stomped over in high heels and slapped Pan Lang.
"What are you running around for?"
Ji Qinchou stepped in to separate the two women. "Ma'am, let's talk calmly. If you continue to act violently, I will have to take coercive measures."
Pan Nianzhen was momentarily taken aback by his police uniform, and a smile quickly spread across her face. "Sorry, Comrade Police. I'm her mother. She sneaked out last night and didn't come home, so I'm just anxious. I apologize for causing you trouble."
She was indeed anxious; her makeup was smudged, and she hadn't even had time to change clothes. As she got closer, the strong smell of smoke was overwhelming. It was unclear who had stayed out all night. It wasn't his place to comment on their personal issues, and he didn't want to add fuel to the fire; after all, it was this fifteen-year-old girl who would suffer.
At that moment, he didn't realize it, but looking back now, he found the logic behind it puzzling. When he called Pan Nianzhen on behalf of Pan Lang, he had said, "Is this Ms. Pan Nianzhen? Pan Lang is in trouble and is currently being examined at the Central Hospital. Please come quickly; she really needs family by her side right now." He was certain he hadn't mentioned anything about Pan Lang's situation during the call. Why did Pan Nianzhen immediately respond with "What are you running around for?" as if she knew that Pan Lang hadn’t been home last night and was fully aware of what had happened?
That thought sent a chill down his spine.
Pan Lang was the first victim in the series of rapes and murders committed by Fang Dersee. To be precise, Pan Lang was an experiment for Fang Dersee; his confidence surged after successfully raping her without getting caught, leading to a series of subsequent crimes.
Crimes escalate gradually; it's like how one might start with petty theft before moving on to grand larceny.
Ji Qinchou was almost certain that she was the "first victim," but now he felt some uncertainty creeping in.
Could it be that Pan Lang's ordeal had nothing to do with Fang Dersee? Was it related to Pan Nianzhen instead?
Then why did Fang Dersee randomly abduct Pan Lang? They should have been strangers.
Ji Qinchou bit his nails in confusion. "What exactly is wrong here...?" he murmured softly, pausing mid-sentence as he suddenly picked up his phone to call a colleague back at the station.
"Ying Jie, can you help me find out which high school Fang Dersee dropped out from?"
On the other end, Ying Jie typed rapidly on her keyboard. "Rongqing High School, but he dropped out halfway through his first year—he only attended for a little over six months and got into the police station three times for fighting during that period. Quite a troublemaker."
"Who handled Fang Dersee's enrollment paperwork back then?"
Ying Jie scrolled her mouse. "Fan Lingguang; it shows here that he is Fang Dersee's cousin."
"Fan Lingguang? That name..."
"You haven't heard any gossip at all? Pudu Temple, thong underwear—does that ring a bell?"
"Uh—"
Hanging up the phone without wasting another second, Ji Qinchou clenched his jaw and opened that video clip again, dragging the progress bar to freeze at the point where he sensed something unusual before. The screen almost pressed against Yu Liangcai's face. "Right here!" His tone was filled with certainty.
Seeing Ji Qinchou's expression made Yu Liangcai's tense nerves feel like they were being sharply tugged at; there was a buzzing sound in his ears as he lowered his head. In the video, Fang Dersee and Pan Lang were walking side by side along the main road of their community; Pan Lang was on Fang Dersee's left side, turning her head towards the camera for help. Ji Qinchou paused the video and zoomed in on the image: Fang Dersee had a weapon tucked into his left pocket of his loose pants while Pan Lang's right arm swayed close enough to brush against its handle multiple times without any reaction from Fang Dersee. "As I said before, is it because he's overly confident or because he trusts Pan Lang not to suddenly pull out a knife and fight back? Look at the distance between them!" Yu Liangcai leaned towards Ji Qinchou's perspective. "Doesn't this mean anything? They aren't in a victim-perpetrator relationship; they are accomplices! Wouldn't it count as evidence if we prove that Fang Dersee and Pan Lang were alumni of Rongqing High School?"
But Ji Qinchou still had one lingering doubt without an answer: what about that object similar to a pen cap that Pan Lang seemed unconcerned about being taken by Fang Dersee from her right pocket? Suddenly, an idea struck him; without hesitation, he pulled back his phone to take a screenshot and opened Taobao to scan the image—screwdrivers, rubber sleeves, igniters, children's toys... A jumble of identified items popped up on the screen.
Comment 0 Comment Count