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墨書 Inktalez
Monitoring surveillance footage has always been a tedious and time-consuming task. This meant that the detectives had to sit in front of the monitors for several nights, sifting through countless vehicles that might be suspicious, watching as the majority of them passed by without any significance.
However, once a clue could be found in the footage, it was bound to be substantial. Many envied the members of the task force, believing that their work was the essence of detective work. In reality, solving cases was never an exhilarating affair; much of their work was quite dull yet far more valuable.
After comparing a large amount of surveillance video from various locations, the detective team finally identified one particular vehicle—a Japanese SUV with local plates—as the most suspicious. They tracked it through the intersection's footage and discovered that the black SUV had entered the eastern suburbs. Unfortunately, there were no cameras in that area, and they lost track of where the vehicle went next.
Captain Liu decisively contacted the police stations in the eastern suburbs, instructing them to search for the black SUV based on its license plate. Soon after, news came from Luoguo Village that a villager had spotted the SUV. Captain Liu immediately notified the officers to secure the scene and preserve any evidence while he informed the task force.
When members of the task force met up with Captain Liu, they found the black SUV parked in Luoguo Village in Dragon City’s eastern suburbs.
According to local farmers, the vehicle had been parked there for some time. However, they had never seen its owner and had no idea who had driven it there. The car appeared quite upscale; no one in the village could afford such a vehicle, so it was clear it did not belong to any villagers or their relatives.
Some mischievous children often climbed onto its roof to play, causing it to blare its alarm, but its owner never showed up. Curious villagers would lean against its windows trying to peek inside but could discern nothing unusual. It wasn't until police arrived asking about the black car that they realized its presence.
Having learned from their previous experience with a bomb threat, task force members approached this vehicle with caution. On first glance, it seemed harmless; however, Jiang He circled around it ten times before confirming that there was no immediate danger.
Yuan Jun smashed a window and reached inside to open the door.
The interior was empty—nothing at all inside. Xu Yiman stepped forward to check for fingerprints and footprints.
Just then, the car's audio system suddenly crackled to life with a static noise that startled Xu Yiman. Following that, a voice emerged: "Once the door is opened, I will receive a notification. Since you have found this place, let the game officially begin."
"Guan Deng," Old Shao shouted. "Trace the source."
Guan Deng nodded and rushed into the passenger seat with his laptop.
Meanwhile, the voice continued: "I know this message will be traced by you, but if I lacked even this basic counter-tracking skill, you would have caught me twenty years ago. Shaoshilin, we meet again. You destroyed my most precious possession; now I will slowly ruin those around you."
"Wei Demian!" Old Shao whispered urgently as he recognized the name.
"It’s me," Wei Demian said slowly. "Shaoshilin, I wonder if this time you will ruin my plans again."
Old Shao gripped the car door, the veins on his hand bulging. "Wei Demian, where are Wang Chao's family?"
"Oh, you’re Zhao Wenjing?" Wei Demian's voice was hoarse and low, like a duck quacking. "If I told you, this game wouldn't be fun anymore. But if you’re completely in the dark, that wouldn’t be fun either. Actually, I’ve already given you hints; whether you can figure them out is up to you."
"Wei Demian," Old Shao said quickly, "I will catch you myself."
Wei Demian replied, "I want to see how sad you look. I’ve heard you’re quite heartless and will stop at nothing to catch someone. I’m curious to see if that’s true. By the way, it’s ten in the morning now; you have until ten tonight to find me. I hope you can find me; otherwise, who will watch the grand show I’m directing?"
"No need for twelve hours," Old Shao said coldly.
"Good luck, detective," Wei Demian laughed heartily, but then suddenly broke into a fit of coughing.
"Getting old; can’t even laugh anymore..." Wei Demian's voice was intermittent.
Then there was only the crackling sound of electricity.
"Run!" At that moment, Jiang He suddenly shouted.
Everyone recalled the terror of being controlled by a bomb and hurriedly scattered. Suddenly, a beeping sound erupted from inside the car, growing more urgent and rapid. Then came the explosion, a wave of heat surged outward, causing everyone to lose their footing and fall in disarray.
Fortunately, this time everyone was prepared, and no one was injured.
"Damn it," Yuan Jun said as he helped Old Shao to his feet. "This old thing explodes at the slightest disagreement."
Xu Yiman sighed. "Now all the traces in the car are gone..."
Old Shao brushed off the dirt on himself and said, "According to Locard's Exchange Principle, the murderer has been driving this car for such a long time. Even if he tried to cover up the traces he left behind, there would always be oversights in front of someone as sharp-eyed as Jiang He. But if the car were blown up, those traces would vanish with the explosion. Most people wouldn't have the guts to do that, but it's not unexpected. Judging by the power of the explosion, it was even less than the bomb we received; he didn't want us dead."
"Guan Deng, have you found the signal source?" Old Shao turned to Guan Deng.
Guan Deng shook his head and pulled out his phone to type a message: "Just a bit more. If he had cut off the signal a few seconds later, I could have pinpointed it. However, even though I haven't found the exact location, I've narrowed it down to the southern suburbs of Dragon City."
"That's already quite good," Old Shao leaned against the car and said slowly. "Wei Demian has been missing for over twenty years since leaving the mental hospital and has never shown up. Typical fugitives usually hide in remote villages, afraid to show their faces, living poorly. But for a fugitive like Wei Demian, who poses such a significant threat to society and still has the means to acquire vehicles and plan crimes without anyone discovering him, finding out that he's in the southern suburbs is quite an achievement."
"Should we investigate the southern suburbs then?" Yuan Jun asked.
Old Shao waved his hand dismissively. "That's a problem because that old fox Wei Demian must know we have tracking devices. If he deliberately set a trap to lead us to the southern suburbs while he is actually elsewhere, then we would be chasing shadows. But if Wei Demian used our assumption against us, then the most dangerous place might actually be the safest."
"The area of the southern suburbs is just too vast. Even if we deployed all our police force, we might not be able to search it thoroughly within twelve hours," Old Shao scratched his head. "This is why Wei Demian feels so confident that he can talk directly with us."
"So what should we do?" Yuan Jun asked, scratching his head.
Old Shao closed his eyes and clenched his fists, repeatedly tapping them against his head. "From what I understand, Wei Demian will not simply let us find him; his game is definitely not that simple. Currently, I don't know how many accomplices Wei Demian has. First of all, he's over eighty years old now; he definitely can't drive anymore. It's also unlikely that he would go kidnap Wang Chao's wife and daughter by himself."
"If he only has one accomplice, that person must be his apprentice. Where this apprentice is and what he's doing are all mysteries. If there are more than one accomplices, who are they?" Old Shao sighed heavily. "Wei Demian is indeed hard to pin down, but there's one thing about him that won't deceive us."
"What is it?" everyone asked in unison.
"He provided us with clues that could unravel this mystery; there must be something we've overlooked," Shao the Elder said. "If we can break through from here, we are very likely to find him."
"The banknote," Jiang He suddenly spoke up after being silent for a while. "What about that banknote?"
Captain Liu walked over and handed Jiang He an evidence bag containing a red banknote.
Jiang He put on gloves and gently took out a one-hundred-yuan bill. He observed it carefully, hoping to find some clues from the bill.
On the surface, it was just an ordinary piece of currency, indistinguishable from any other bill. However, to Jiang He, even the slightest difference was significant. He committed every detail of the bill to memory.
Yet, despite his scrutiny, it remained an exceedingly ordinary banknote.
Jiang He closed his eyes and held the bill under his nose. As he walked, he felt the wind blowing from a distance, carrying with it the scent of the bill into his mind. He kept his eyes shut; the bumpy road was already deeply etched in his memory, allowing him to navigate without opening his eyes.
What was that smell?
It was the scent of noodles, the aroma of a Sichuan restaurant, the stench of a sewer, the freshness of rainwater, and the odor of garbage.
In an instant, Jiang He analyzed the faint scents clinging to the banknote.
Where had this bill been? In what location had it been taken out by the Murderer?
This was a hypnotist with no criminal record, someone unknown to anyone, with no one aware of his intentions—a successor cultivated by Wei Demian, a potential recluse with antisocial and misanthropic tendencies.
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