CHAPTER 68

The criminal investigation team in Bincheng once again reviewed the case.

Captain Zhou and a few junior officers, along with forensic experts, held a meeting, while consultant Detective Huo listened in on the side.

Yang Yi's cause of death was excessive blood loss. His limbs showed signs of being bound, and his body was discarded at a remote construction site. There had been heavy rain on the night of the incident, which destroyed any evidence at the scene. Moreover, it was a construction site with many people coming and going, making it difficult to gather usable footprints as evidence. From the corpse's livor mortis [It is a forensic term that refers to the pooling of blood in the lowest parts of the body after death, causing a purplish-red discoloration of the skin.], the estimated time of death was around nine o'clock in the evening, with the first crime scene being Yang Yi's home.

The time of death was one week after he was released from prison. Considering the motive, the nine female students he had as$aulted five years ago and their families were all suspects.

After police investigation, the police found that several of the nine girls had left Bincheng after the incident. Some moved to different cities, some went abroad, and one had already passed away. The others had alibis, except for one—Meng Xiaozhou.

She claimed that she was home alone that night, and there was a surveillance camera at the entrance of her alley, but it was broken, and no one could confirm her alibi.

Meng Xiaozhou was the most motivated among the nine girls, as she had reported Yang Yi and suffered the most, effectively losing her family.

However, she was also the least likely to commit the crime. Although she didn't have an alibi, she had a disability that limited her mobility. Her home was an hour's drive from Yang Yi's, and the construction site where his body was dumped was two hours away. Furthermore, Yang Yi was nearly 1.8 meters tall, and based on her physical condition and the geography location, she could not possibly be the murderer.

The forensic expert conducted a re-examination and discovered that Yang Yi had electrical burn marks on his neck, which had gone unnoticed during the initial autopsy due to overlapping with the livor mortis.

This new finding raised questions about whether it was a new lead, and everyone turned their attention to Consultant Huo, who had been leisurely drinking tea since the beginning.

At this moment, Consultant Huo shared his insights and provided a criminal profile of the suspect:

"The modus operandi [It is a Latin term that translates to "mode of operation." In criminal investigations, it refers to the particular way or method that a criminal uses to commit their crimes.] clearly indicates a strong sense of revenge. The murderer must be connected to the events from five years ago, and it's likely a woman."

"If the murderer was a man, he would have simply stabbed Yang Yi, it wouldn't be so ritualistic. To cut off his manhood..." Consultant Huo gestured downward, "to make him bleed to death in agony...Ah..." His facial features twisted slightly.

The expressions of all the men present similarly "twisted," while the two women, the forensic expert and the coroner, merely rolled their eyes.

Captain Zhou cleared his throat, "So you still suspect Meng Xiaozhou?"

A police officer said, "That's impossible. Even with electrical burns, how could a disabled person kill a man who is twice her size and drag him to another location to dispose of the body?"

The coroner replied, "I've reviewed Meng Xiaozhou's medical report and consulted with her attending physician. She had surgery two and a half years ago that was deemed successful, but she still can't walk."

The others looked surprised.

The coroner continued, "The doctor suggested it might be due to psychological reasons or some unknown physiological causes, she just can't walk. Her mother overworked herself to save money for a second surgery and passed away from exhaustion."

Consultant Huo raised an eyebrow, "She really can't walk?"

"Yes, we've investigated her neighbors and coworkers," an officer flipped through the records. "For the past two and a half years, she has lived in a wheelchair, every day the same."

Captain Zhou frowned, "Have you checked with the rehabilitation center at the hospital?"

"Yes, she used to go every week after the surgery, but she hasn't gone since about a year ago when her mother died. She may have given up."

"I have a bold idea..." Consultant Huo narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow.

Captain Zhou exchanged a meaningful glance with him.

After the meeting, it seemed they had new leads, yet nothing definitive. They couldn't truly ruled out Meng Xiaozhou as a suspect. Captain Zhou ordered that someone keep a 24-hour watch on her.

On the other hand, they continued investigating the other girls involved in the case from five years ago, broadening the scope to further explore their social connections.

Police officers took turns monitoring Meng Xiaozhou for a week, observing her routine: heading to the nearby library to work at 8 a.m., taking a break at noon to eat from her own lunchbox, resting during the library closure, reopening at 3 p.m., leaving work at 5 p.m., stopping by the supermarket on the way home, and then staying indoors for the rest of the day.

She led a very domestic life, engaging in brief conversations with neighbors when they met, and sometimes a neighbor or friend would come over to visit, but she rarely initiated visits herself.

After a week of surveillance, they found no signs of wrongdoing.

One time, on her way home, a delivery rider rode too fast and accidentally knocked her over, causing both her and her wheelchair to tip onto the ground.

She struggled for a long time and couldn't get up, scraping her legs in the process. It was the owner of a nearby convenience store, along with some kind-hearted bystanders, who came to help her.

Captain Zhou and Consultant Huo watched the video sent over by the officers who were monitoring Meng Xiaozhou, remaining silent for a long time.

Captain Zhou sighed, "Either she's an actress who deserves an Oscar, or she really can't walk..."

There were no suspicious aspects in the social relationships of the others.

The investigation into the Yang Yi case once again hit a dead end.

The police had no choice but to withdraw the surveillance on Meng Xiaozhou.

Just then, a second body was discovered.

The victim was Xu Qiang, a security guard from the neighborhood. The modus operandi was the same: his limbs showed signs of being bound, his male g3nitalia had been severed, and he died from blood loss.

Xu Qiang was young and strong, with a good reputation among the residents. Further investigation revealed that he had previously had a dispute with a parent from the community.

Under police questioning, the parent confessed that their son, who was in preschool, had come home one day and said that the security guard touched his little p3nis and wanted him to do things with the uncle's...

The parent had gone to confront Xu Qiang and had beaten him up but didn't dare to make a big fuss about it.

Upon closer inspection, the police found that this was not an isolated incident. In fact, several young boys had suffered similar harassment from Xu Qiang.

Even though no one reported him, he had already been judged by his actions.

These two cases caused quite a stir in society and sparked high levels of discussion online. Captain Zhou found himself overwhelmed, facing questions from his superiors while also dealing with a barrage of media interviews. He had no choice but to apply pressure on his subordinates and seek help from Consultant Huo.

Detective Huo compared the two cases and noted that, aside from the similarities in the modus operandi, there was one key difference:

Yang Yi had electrical burn marks on his body.

Xu Qiang did not.

Forensics found traces of cement dust on the back of Xu Qiang's clothing.

Yang Yi's clothing had none.

On the day Xu Qiang was murdered, there was ongoing renovation work in the neighborhood, which could explain how he inadvertently got cement on him. However, the placement of the traces was somewhat suspicious.

Moreover, the Xu Qiang case was also related to Meng Xiaozhou.

Meng Xiaozhou worked at the library in that neighborhood.

The criminal investigation team had done some groundwork, and Huo Bijun had also visited. The community library was divided into an adult section and a children's section, filled with many picture books. Some children were brought to the library by their parents right after school, and the library regularly held reading events, inviting kids from the surrounding community to participate.

Huo Bijun saw a few photos in the library's column, showing Meng Xiaozhou reading, surrounded by a group of small children. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that several of the young boys Xu Qiang had allegedly m0lested appeared in the photos.

He had a hunch but found it difficult to prove, so he enlisted his son to get close to those kids, hoping to gather some new leads from their conversations.

Outside of filming, Huo Bijun brought his son to act in the production, forming a father-son duo without needing to find other child actors.

Huo Bijun's and He Chenying's son, Huo De, only nine years old, looked very much like Huo Bijun, with rosy lips and white teeth, making him extremely cute.

He was dressed in a small suit with a little bow tie, and the female staff on set found him utterly adorable.

He Chenying smiled and patted his head, to which he protested, "Stop patting my head all the time, I'm a man! Not a little kid anymore!"

He Chenying: "..."

Onlookers couldn't help but chuckle.

Huo De had started acting at a very young age and was no stranger to the camera.

Huo Bijun whistled at him, "Son, come here, Dad's got a little play to tell you about."

Huo De walked over, "Hey, I only have a few lines—do we really need to go over it?"

Huo Bijun put his arm around his neck, "Well, we should at least discuss your positioning, right? Come on, in front of so many people, give your dad a little face."

Huo De made a reluctant face, "Fine, I'll give you a bit of face, but make it short and don't ramble on!"

Huo Bijun shook his head, amused, "You little rascal..."

The entire crew found the father-son duo too adorable and watched them with smiles.

Xiaoyuan also smiled slightly, glancing over at He Chenying.

He Chenying had a smile on her lips as she watched them, her expression warm and full of affection.

It was heartwarming in that moment.

Even Xiaoyuan could sense it.

She blinked, looking at He Chenying, seemingly deep in thought.

He Chenying was also a mother.

With such famous actor parents, Huo De had practically grown up under the watchful eyes of fans across the country. He had heart problems as a child and underwent surgery, but his parents cared for him deeply. Even after they separated, it didn't have any negative impact on him. He was now a healthy, happy, and somewhat proud little boy.

Xiaoyuan thought to herself, she must have put in a lot of effort, right?

Noticing her gaze, He Chenying turned to her and smiled, "What's wrong?"

"Ah," Xiaoyuan suddenly realized she had been staring and felt a bit embarrassed, shaking her head, "It's nothing."

He Chenying smiled, her gaze falling on Xiaoyuan's hand, "How's your hand? Is it feeling better?"

"Much better, it's not as itchy now. Thank you for the ointment," Xiao Yuan replied with a grateful smile. "I'm sorry to trouble you."

From the first time they met, He Chenying thought Xiaoyuan had particularly beautiful eyes, bright and clear. At this moment, the way Xiaoyuan looked at her was pure and sparkling, making her quite endearing.

He Chenying said to her, "It's actually no trouble. Ranran [Huo De's nickname] used to get chilblains in slightly cold places, so I brought it along this time just in case."

Xiaoyuan felt a bit guilty that she had used it.

He Chenying sensed her feelings, "He has already adapted, so it's fine."

Ah, idols are really so gentle.

Little Huo De quickly finished his performance. Since Xiaoyuan hadn't come over earlier, he hadn't seen her. After finishing, he noticed a very beautiful young lady standing next to his mom, who looked familiar.

He Chenying chuckled and waved at him, "Come over and say hello."

Xiaoyuan bent slightly and extended her hand, "Hello!"

Huo De looked serious as he replied, "Hello, Ling Yao."

He Chenying laughed and corrected him from the side, "What Ling Yao? This is Sister Xiaoyuan."

As he shook hands with Xiaoyuan, his face turned red, and he tried to maintain a composed demeanor, pretending to be an adult while struggling to hide his shyness. "Did you cut your hair short?"

"Yes, it was needed for the role." Xiao Yuan said with a smile.

Little Huo De was serious about continuing the conversation. "My dad won't let me see the script, but I think this role suits you well. You'll have a breakthrough."

Xiaoyuan suppressed a smile and replied earnestly, "I think so too!"

Huo De's face turned even redder, "I learned the poem with your name in it."

Xiaoyuan praised him, "That's really impressive."

He Chenying chuckled from the side, "Not only can he recite it, but he can also write it out from memory. Every time he practices calligraphy, he has to take it out and write it."

Xiaoyuan responded with an enthusiastic "Wow!" and lightly patted his head, "I'm so honored!"

Little Huo De, exposed by his mom, and having his head patted by Xiaoyuan, couldn't help but shout, "Mom!" 

Then he ran off.

He Chenying couldn't stop laughing. Even when she wasn't acting, she had a natural charisma that drew everyone's attention, making their eyes involuntarily focus on her.

Xiaoyuan really liked the warm parent-child atmosphere between He Chenying and Huo De, finding it very heartwarming.

Though she had never experienced it herself, it was nice to see such a bond in the world, especially in her idol.

She smiled gently, her eyes shining with a soft light as she gazed at He Chenying, thinking she was truly wonderful.

When He Chenying caught Xiao Yuan's gaze, she was momentarily taken aback.

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