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墨書 Inktalez
Blood on the lipstick, how ridiculous. This definitely wasn't a feature of the lipstick itself; someone must have carelessly smeared blood on it. However, Liu Fei'er didn't strike me as the type to get blood on her lipstick. The only explanation left is that the kidnapper accidentally got blood on it.
I closed my eyes and tugged at my hair in frustration.
Liu Fei'er's room may not have had a lot of items, but it certainly wasn't lacking. Why would this kidnapper choose to mess with a lipstick? If I were the kidnapper, feeling bored alone at night, I might have taken a look at Liu Fe'er's high-end mouse and keyboard, but I wouldn't be interested in cosmetics.
I opened my eyes; the kidnapper had to be a woman. Only a woman would pay attention to Liu Fe'er's luxurious makeup. Only a woman would feel compelled to try out an expensive lipstick she had never used before—this kind of desire is something only women experience.
Why would a woman with blood on her lips have blood there? Suddenly, a name popped into my mind—someone who valued blood above all else.
Could it be that this kidnapping was planned by them? Zhao Mingkun hadn't seen Lai San while in Linfen, so where was Lai San now? Could it be that he was desperate enough to pull off something big? But right now, there were no clear signs; it seemed we were in for a long battle.
"Wu!" Liu shouted from downstairs. "All the security guards are here; you can come down now."
Gu Chen and I exchanged glances and made our way downstairs again.
With the security guards and patrol team combined, there were dozens of people standing below. They were arranged in three rows and looked quite spirited. According to Liu Yinyan's butler, these security guards had no criminal records, and many were college students earning five thousand a month with bonuses at year-end—so the pay was quite decent. There hadn't been any troublemakers trying to take advantage of the situation.
I looked at the security guards and said loudly, "I won't waste time with unnecessary words; you all know why I've called you here. You heard what happened this afternoon. But I don't doubt any of you standing before me. I just want to ask: is everyone here now, or are we still missing someone?"
The security team leader glanced around and suddenly frowned, asking, "That Erzi, your student—where did he go?"
Erzi was a stout fellow who looked honest enough. He looked around and said, "You mean Wang? I saw him earlier this morning; how could he just vanish? Does anyone know where he went?"
Erzi turned his gaze to those around him.
But everyone shook their heads; no one knew where this so-called Wang had gone.
Seeing the situation, I knew something must have gone wrong, so I quickly asked, "What exactly is going on with Wang? What is his real name, how old is he, and where does he live? Tell me everything."
The security captain was also anxious and said, "Erzi, why didn't you report your subordinate's disappearance earlier? If something happened here, we all might be in trouble, do you understand? This time, it's all your fault."
I stopped the security captain and said, "Enough with the useless talk. Just tell me quickly; there might still be a chance. Otherwise, what you'll see is a corpse!"
Erzi hurriedly provided me with Wang's real situation.
Wang's full name is Wang Yikai, twenty-four years old. He is a student at Dongxing City Normal University. After graduation, he couldn't find a suitable job and came here to work as a security guard when he heard they were hiring. He has been working here for a year now.
Wang Yikai is from out of town and rents a place by himself in Dongxing City, not living in the dormitory with the other guards. In Erzi's patrol team, everyone has some opinions about Wang Yikai; they look down on him a bit because he has the highest education among them—he graduated from university.
After lunch today, Erzi led the team on patrol, and Wang was present at that time.
"Is your patrol responsible for Mr. Liu Yinyan's villa area?" I suddenly thought of something and quickly asked, "Every five minutes?"
Erzi replied, "I haven't calculated the exact timing. Our team has six people; three are responsible for the back of the villa and three for the front. Wang and the others were in charge of the back. Was Wang still there during the patrol at noon?"
"Yes, but halfway through, he said he had a stomachache." One person chimed in. "He almost doubled over in pain. We stayed with him for a while until he felt better; then he insisted on going to the restroom and hasn't been seen since."
"Then where exactly is his rented house?" I quickly asked.
Twenty minutes later, we arrived at Wang Yikai's home.
It was located in the outskirts at a certain distance from the villa, nestled by mountains and water but not yet developed into a villa area. However, quite a few houses had been built here haphazardly without any planning; it seemed to be constructed specifically for those working in the villa area.
Erzi pointed to a red brick house located on the slope, indicating that this was Wang Yikai's home.
I nodded and gestured for Gu Chen to follow. Gently, I pushed the door open; it wasn't locked, and a narrow gap appeared. I suddenly pushed it wide open, only to find no one inside. The first thing that caught my eye was a bed, neatly made with the quilt folded perfectly, and the pillow resting on top, looking untouched.
Next to the bed was a simple wardrobe, the kind that can be assembled, covered with a layer of fabric. I pulled down the zipper in the middle of the fabric, but all the clothes inside were gone. Looking to the side, there was a table; from the dust covering it, three rectangular areas were clean.
There was another door in the room, which led to a bathroom when opened.
"I think this guy is definitely up to something," Gu Chen said as he surveyed the small space. "During the kidnapper's operation, he pretended to have a stomachache to extend the patrol time of the three people, allowing that kidnapper enough time to escape with Liu Fei'er."
Gu Chen nodded as he spoke. "Moreover, if the kidnapper could avoid all surveillance, he must be very familiar with this villa. That would require an insider to help them. Therefore, Wang Yikai's suspicion is even greater. Look at this wardrobe; all the clothes are gone, and the door wasn't locked—he must have left in a hurry."
I shook my finger and said, "You're right about half of it but wrong about the other half."
"What do you mean?" Gu Chen asked me.
I replied, "Wang Yikai is indeed suspicious; no, he should be the insider—that part you got right. But for the latter part, you're mistaken and contradictory. First of all, Wang Yikai didn't leave in a hurry. His home is this small; if he wanted to take away the clothes from the wardrobe, he would need to find a place to fold them."
I pointed at the bed. "And this bed here is the best place to fold clothes, yet look—the sheets show no signs of wrinkles. Either he didn't fold them on the bed or he tidied up after folding."
Gu Chen nodded thoughtfully as I pointed at the table across from us. "Look at this table; it's very dusty. However, there are three rectangular areas that aren't dirty at all—something must have been covering them before. Judging by size, it looks like a 15.6-inch laptop was here on top, with a keyboard underneath and a mouse pad on the right."
It was easy to see; Erzi chimed in, "That's right! I've been here before; that's where they kept the computer."
I snapped my fingers. "Now that's problematic. He meticulously tidied up his wardrobe and computer but didn't lock the door when leaving—that's contradictory. Do you think someone in such a hurry would be so careful about organizing their things before leaving? If he really was bribed, wouldn't he understand how serious this situation is? Would he still care about a computer and a few pieces of clothing?"
Liu furrowed his brow and said, "So, actually, it should be that Wang Yikai went missing first, and then Liu Fei'er went missing later. After all, if he delayed long enough, he could escape. So he could have returned first, tidied up his things, and left without a hitch."
I shook my head. "From a psychological perspective, if a person can remain this calm, they would definitely handle things better and not resort to such clumsy performances to buy time. If I were him, I would have a hundred better ways to stall for time without exposing myself."
I pointed at the door lock. "The door wasn't locked! If he had time to tidy up his things, why didn't he lock the door as well? When we entered, did you notice that the lock on his door was the oldest type? It requires a padlock. There’s one theory that fits the facts best."
"What is it?" everyone asked.
"Wang Yikai went to work, and someone tampered with the lock, taking away Wang Yikai's computer and clothes." I said slowly. "In fact, Wang Yikai never returned; someone created a false impression that he had come home."
I walked out of the room and continued, "As for why this was done, it's because the kidnapper wants to cover up a truth and lead us down another path. No need to guess; I am certain that this security guard Wang Yikai, after pretending to have a stomachache and running out, has already been dealt with by the kidnapper."
Upon hearing my words, everyone fell silent. Erzi seemed not to understand my meaning and asked, "What do you mean, dealt with?"
"Yes, he should have already been killed." I replied calmly. "And it likely happened inside the villa. Erzi, do you know if there are any places in this villa area without surveillance and where hardly anyone goes?"
Erzi pondered for a moment before slapping his forehead. "There is! There really is such a place. The north side of the villa borders the mountain; although there’s barbed wire connecting it, there’s a gate in the wire. This was opened for the wealthy residents to access the mountain for leisure, but they are so busy that hardly anyone goes there even once a year."
"That place has no surveillance, and patrols rarely go there!"
Wang Yikai has most likely already died in the woods.
"Take us there immediately."
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