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墨書 Inktalez
Zhao Mingkun revved the motorcycle, and after confirming the address with the paramedics, I saw them rush off. I shook my head and climbed onto Zhao Mingkun's bike. Throughout the ride, neither of us spoke a word. The only way I could describe the Murderer was with the words strange and elusive.
In a recent case, we were certain that the Murderer was human and not a ghost. If the Murderer were truly a spirit, then a ghost wouldn’t use such methods to kill. However, if the Murderer wasn’t a ghost, it was difficult to explain how so many bizarre deaths had occurred.
First, Hu Xiaoxue had gouged out her own eyes. Then Liu Ruijie and Xing Yafang did the same in a locked room. Next, there was the giant face we encountered in Luo Ding, followed by Wang Qianduo’s inexplicable madness that led him to fall from the seventh floor, turning into a bloody mess.
Now, Wang Yikai had mysteriously died from blood spouting out. It all seemed as if some mysterious force was at play. Even though those people were right beside us, we couldn’t guard against the Murderer. It felt as if the Murderer existed around us at all times, yet we couldn’t see him.
After a moment, Zhao Mingkun finally spoke up: “Wang Yikai wasn’t exactly a good person in the traditional sense, but he certainly wasn’t a bad one either, right?”
I nodded and replied, “Now half of the thirteen people are dead. The Murderer still has six more to kill, and at this rate, I fear that all six will be dead soon. We don’t have much time left; we need to hurry.”
Zhao Mingkun asked again, “Even if we find out who killed Lu Zhiqiu seven years ago, how do we contact the Murderer? By the time we figure out who that person is, the Murderer might have already killed all thirteen. And perhaps one of those six who are about to die is the one who killed Lu Zhiqiu seven years ago; it’s all uncertain.”
Zhao Mingkun was right; I felt that the Murderer seemed to be racing against time. Even if we discovered who killed Lu Zhiqiu seven years ago, would the Murderer see that information when we spread it?
My eyes felt dry, so I rubbed them and said, “Given our current situation, we can only focus on finding the Murderer who killed Lu Zhiqiu seven years ago first. We’ll take it one step at a time. Do you know where Liang Mei lives?”
Zhao Mingkun nodded. “I’m on my way to Liang Mei’s house now. However, I’m afraid we might return empty-handed. It seems there’s something fishy going on with her.”
When we arrived at Liang Mei's house, things turned out just as expected. We found a ‘For Rent’ sign on her door, indicating that she had left. I called the landlord using the number posted on the door to inquire about Liang Mei.
It turned out that this landlord lived in another apartment in the area and arrived within five minutes after receiving our call. When she learned that we were investigating rather than looking to rent a place, her expression immediately soured as she claimed she had other matters to attend to.
Zhao Mingkun pulled out a hundred yuan bill and handed it to her. “Of course, there are rewards for citizens cooperating with police investigations.”
Seeing the bill made her beam with joy. “Of course! I’m a good citizen; ask me anything you need! I’m here to help!”
I shook my head in disbelief; I was at a loss for words.
Zhao Mingkun curled his lips at me, seemingly seeing through my thoughts. At that moment, I finally understood what it meant to say that any problem that can be solved with money is a problem. The landlady held the money up to the light, confirmed it was real, and then asked, "What do you want to know?"
I cleared my throat and said, "Was the person who lived in your house before named Liang Mei?"
"Yes," the landlady nodded. "Her name is Liang Mei. She's thirty this year. Divorced, with a child."
Zhao Mingkun furrowed his brow and said, "According to the information I have, Liang Mei is still single and has no children. Could it be that our Liang Mei is not the same person?"
After hearing this, the landlady scratched her head and said, "Oh right, I have photos of her and the child on my phone."
With that, she showed us the photos.
In the pictures was indeed the Liang Mei we knew.
Suddenly, I thought of something and asked, "How old is the child she has?"
The landlady replied, "Oh, that child looks about six or seven years old."
Zhao Mingkun and I exchanged glances, both realizing what the other was thinking. If this child is six or seven years old, then by calculating the time frame, it would coincide with when Liang Mei was still in college. So could this child possibly belong to Yang Licheng? However, Yang Licheng was also present at Royal Garden Hotel; it seemed Liang Mei still harbored resentment towards him. Would Liang Mei have given birth to Yang Licheng's child and raised it?
I asked, "Have you seen the child's father?"
The landlady shook her head and said, "No. I heard from Liang Mei that her child has never had a father since birth. I know that's just her being stubborn, but that man really is heartless. Liang Mei lived here for about three or four years; I watched her raise the child alone. Every day after work, she would pick up the child and cook at home. She really raised that child all by herself."
From what the landlady described, it seemed like this child really could be Yang Licheng's. However, Liang Mei didn't seem to want to tell Yang Licheng about this matter. It appeared that Liang Mei still held a lot of hatred. Was it possible that on that bustling night, a pregnant woman killed a girl with a brick and then dismembered her with a trowel?
"Then when did she leave?" I asked again.
The landlady replied, "About two years ago. She attended some gathering and came back to tell me she was moving."
"Isn't it still Mid-Moon? It's only been a month, and you're letting her move out? Isn't that a breach of contract?" I looked at the landlady.
She sighed and said, "Who isn't in a tough spot? The contract we signed was for a year. But look, it's only spring; there are almost ten months left. Yet she’s gone. What can you do? That girl is of school age now, and there aren't any good schools around here."
"When I saw her last time, she seemed a bit unhappy," I said. The landlady replied, "So I waived this month's rent. It's the least I could do for that mother and child."
I couldn't understand it. The landlady, who would haggle over a hundred yuan, had waived a month's rent. In Dongxing City, such a room would cost at least three thousand yuan a month.
"You've lived here for three or four years. You’re moving out after just one or two months?" I asked.
"Maybe it’s just too long in one place," she said. "When she left, I asked her about it. One reason was school, but I think it was definitely something to do with that class reunion that upset her. Otherwise, she wouldn't have moved out so quickly."
I frowned. "Do you know where Liang Mei has gone?"
"I don't know that," she replied. "It seems she hasn't found a new place yet; maybe she doesn't even know where she wants to live."
That was strange. Most people wouldn’t act like that. To suddenly move out after living somewhere for three or four years without having a new place lined up was unusual. What could have happened to make Liang Mei leave so abruptly? Could it be that Liang Mei really was the murderer from years ago and knew the police had reopened the investigation, prompting her to hide?
"Do you have her number?" I asked.
The landlady nodded and dialed the number. But as we expected, no one answered on the other end. This was very odd; Liang Mei's actions seemed like she was avoiding something. There were two possibilities: either Liang Mei was evading the police or she was hiding from the murderer seeking revenge.
Regardless of which situation it was, it put her in danger. We needed to find Liang Mei urgently.
I turned to Zhao Mingkun and asked, "Do you know where Liang Mei works? If she's quit her job too, then that's a serious problem."
Zhao Mingkun nodded and said, "I know; she's still at work right now. We should go check on her."
As we were saying goodbye to the landlady, Gu Chen's call came through. "Wu Meng?" Gu Chen's voice came through the line.
I spoke up, "Gu Chen, what’s the update?"
Gu Chen replied, "That's right. You asked me to investigate Lu Xiangyang's situation, and I have some leads. According to my investigation, Lu Xiangyang never went to that city in the south. I found Mary to help us, and she quickly uncovered some information through online research."
"Mary?" I asked. "Is she able to move freely now?"
Gu Chen said happily, "Yes, although Captain Shao is still under investigation, Director Li has kept Mary safe. I asked her to help look into things, and she readily agreed. However, I haven't told her about our contact yet. I think we should inform her when the opportunity arises."
After a moment of silence, I said, "It's better not to tell Mary about this for now."
"Why?" Gu Chen asked. "Don't you trust Mary?"
"It's not that I don't trust her," I replied. "It's just that my current identity is too sensitive. If others find out that she and I are still in contact, it could be detrimental not only to me but also put Mary at risk of further investigation. Do you understand? If Lu Xiangyang didn't go south, then where did he go?"
Gu Chen said, "That's what I'm investigating as well. According to Mary, that ticket was never picked up; the so-called trip south might just be a cover story. However, I've found out that Lu Xiangyang was seen loitering around the train station before he disappeared. This could also be an attempt to create the illusion that he took a train. I've tracked down someone who has seen Lu Xiangyang before, and I believe we'll have results soon."
"Great!" I said. "Thanks for your help. Just call me if there's anything else, but remember to be discreet."
"Understood." Gu Chen hung up.
Indeed, Lu Xiangyang had not gone south but had stayed in Dongxing City. So what was his purpose for doing this? Could Lu Xiangyang be the murderer seeking revenge for his sister?
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