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墨書 Inktalez
Although this is merely my speculation, it seems quite logical when analyzed within the context of the story. However, I cannot definitively conclude that a child falling from the Sixth Floor would certainly die; there is indeed a chance that they might only be injured. If the child were merely injured, the Murderer would have no opportunity for a second strike.
The Murderer stands only about five foot six to five foot nine and has a relatively slender build. He might be able to handle a woman, but if the Child's Father were present, he would definitely be at a disadvantage. Many people have already died, yet we still have not been able to determine what criteria the Murderer uses when selecting his Victims.
The Murderer can craft each story based on different people's psychology, which indicates that he must be quite familiar with the protagonists in these stories. From what we can gather, the Murderer seems to understand how the Protagonist thinks, suggesting that he has been stalking and observing these individuals for an extended period.
If this were random killing, it would be terrifying. Imagine an unknown person hiding in the shadows, following you and observing your every move—what color clothes you like to wear, what sports you enjoy, your favorite foods. He knows everything about you, even your bathroom habits.
In a relationship context, it might seem romantic if two people are deeply in love and admired by outsiders. But if these two individuals are complete strangers, it becomes chilling. This stranger has been following you, constantly watching and analyzing you.
His understanding of you is not to pursue a relationship but rather to kill you in a unique way.
When I left the conference room, it was already around three in the early morning. A Crescent Moon hung in the sky, and everything in the distance appeared pale and unreal. A figure staggered toward us from afar, head bowed and walking slowly.
Upon closer inspection, I realized this person was none other than Liu. He looked exhausted and disheveled; seeing him like this made it clear that Liu had not uncovered any significant information. Earlier, I had advised him to focus on the connections between several individuals, but it seemed there had been no results.
Liu reached the entrance and spotted us standing on the steps. Gu Chen glanced at Liu and said, "I'm going back to sleep."
I turned to Liu and asked, "So? Did you find anything?"
Liu pulled a cigarette from his pocket and offered me one as well. I noticed it was a five-dollar Red River brand.
With a sigh, Liu lit his cigarette and said, "After you left, I took a closer look at the relationships among several people. It turns out there really isn't much connection at all. The age gap among you is quite large; your backgrounds and environments are different as well as your jobs—there's no social connection whatsoever."
Listening to Liu's words, I slowly exhaled smoke rings, trying to clear my foggy mind.
Liu glanced at me and sat down on the steps with his head bowed. "I even checked into these people's parents' connections but found nothing relevant. Wu Meng, we might be hitting a dead end here. The Murderer could just be killing randomly—no selection or motive."
He turned to look at me and said, "The Murderer is just that kind of perverse individual who randomly picks someone off the street to stalk and investigate before killing them after some time. It's like a leopard tracking its prey, relishing in the slow process of murder."
I fell silent, unsure of what to say; the Murderer was indeed meticulous enough to leave us without any clues at all.
But I still spoke up, "Liu, I think the key really lies in the relationships between these people. I believe the Murderer is not killing randomly; the Murderer must have their own method of selection. If we investigate further, there must be something we don't know."
Liu took a drag from his cigarette and crushed the butt on the steps before turning to look at me and asking, "Wu Meng, what have you been investigating lately? If this is truly a breakthrough, why aren't you looking into it? Where did you go after leaving the City Bureau today?"
Liu's words were clearly loaded with meaning. Guan Zengbin beside us frowned and asked, "Liu, what do you mean by that?"
"You’re not trying to deceive me, are you?" Liu stood up and looked at me. "Are you deliberately leading me in the wrong direction so that I can't uncover the truth? I know that even if Captain Shao and you don’t care, there are others who do. Things here are not that simple."
Liu's expression was somewhat ferocious. I couldn't tell what kind of situation he had encountered while investigating outside that made him like this, but I could see his exhaustion. So I decided not to say much more to him and simply replied calmly, "If you don't believe me, you can investigate yourself, but this is indeed what I think."
Then I turned to Guan Zengbin and said, "Let's go; it's getting late. Er Yi still has a case to investigate."
Liu looked into my eyes and fell silent for a long time. He seemed to want to say something; his lips parted slightly, but after a while, he still said nothing and walked straight into the hall. It seemed he wasn't planning to sleep.
Guan Zengbin sighed and said, "Ever since he joined Team Leader Li, Liu has changed a bit. I don't know what kind of feeling it is; in any case, things are different now."
I replied, "I don't know; maybe he's under too much pressure. After all, for Liu, he wants to rise up in rank. And the way to do that is to solve major cases like this one."
The night passed without further conversation.
Early the next morning, while I was still asleep, I felt someone kick my door open. Then I felt a pair of large hands grabbing my shoulders and shaking me vigorously while a powerful voice shouted in my ear: "Wu Meng! Wu Meng! Wake up! Wake up! We have a lead!"
I groggily woke up to see Gu Chen shaking me insistently. I asked, "What’s going on? Is there an earthquake?"
Seeing that I was awake, Gu Chen said, "The suggestion you made last night really worked. Around five o'clock this morning, someone called in. Captain Shao has confirmed it’s the person from the story. A child actually fell from the Sixth Floor, and there’s indeed a divorced old Wang in that area."
I suddenly threw off the covers and sat up straight. "Really? Did that child get hurt from falling off the Sixth Floor?"
Gu Chen shook his head and said, "The child was still alive when they fell but was sent to the hospital overnight and didn’t make it through. They landed on their neck first; everyone knows they wouldn’t survive."
I fell silent, at a loss for words; the child was still dead.
Gu Chen paused for a moment and said, "But there is some good news."
"What good news?" I glanced at Gu Chen, unable to imagine what kind of good news could possibly come from such a case.
Gu Chen replied, "That child has died, but there is still one person who is alive."
"Who?" I asked.
Gu Chen spoke again, "The protagonist of the story, that old Wang."
"Old Wang didn't succeed in his suicide?" I inquired.
Gu Chen nodded. "The clothes drying rack on the balcony was meant for hanging clothes; it couldn't support a person's weight. Old Wang weighs at least one hundred fifty pounds, and the spot where the rope was tied snapped under his weight. He fell to the ground and broke an arm, along with the child, and they were both sent to the hospital."
This was indeed a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. If Old Wang was alive, perhaps we could glean some clues from him. The murderer had been stalking Old Wang for quite some time; he might have noticed something.
"Let's go!" I slipped on my shoes and headed outside.
But Gu Chen stopped me.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
Gu Chen helplessly said, "I don't care if you run around naked, just don't embarrass us police officers."
It was then that I realized I hadn't put on any clothes.
As I stepped out, everyone had already gathered.
As I got into the car, Gu Chen said to me, "At the First People's Hospital in Dongxing City, the child hasn't undergone an autopsy yet, and Old Wang is still lying on the hospital bed. Do you think that if Old Wang is not dead, the murderer might kill him?"
Gu Chen's words plunged me into deep thought. According to the previous stories, the protagonists had all met their demise without exception, yet Old Wang had survived. So would the murderer really go after him? I couldn't figure it out; after all, this murderer was rather "unconventional."
After getting out of the car, I heard Team Leader Li speaking to Liu Dao from a distance. "Liu, send some people to guard this place, especially Old Wang's hospital room. You must secure it; the murderer's temperament is unpredictable and could strike at any moment. Zhang Qinrui, go communicate with the hospital and arrange for an autopsy of the child's body."
Team Leader Li's arrangements were still quite orderly.
Captain Shao stepped out of the car and said, "I knew Team Leader Li would handle these routine matters. As for us, let's go find Old Wang and ask him if he has seen anything unusual."
Guan Zengbin added, "I'll head to the morgue for the autopsy."
We nodded in agreement.
I followed Captain Shao inside, contemplating the situation.
We arrived at Old Wang's hospital room almost simultaneously with Liu. Looking through the door, we saw that Old Wang was alone in the room. One of his arms was in a cast as he lay on the bed; it seemed he had not only broken an arm.
Liu and I exchanged glances, and Liu was the first to push the door open and step inside.
I followed Liu in while the others waited outside.
Upon hearing the noise, Old Wang turned his head to glance at us before quickly looking away again as if he hadn't seen us at all.
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