POTL Chapter 4

Hua Yicheng looked at the autopsy report in his hand. He would soon have his subordinates send all the investigation materials to Yu Shi’s team. These two cases had to be handled together. Since Yu Shi’s team had taken the case first, according to regulations, it needed to be transferred to them.

Yu Shi hurried back to the bureau with Da Gezi and immediately headed to the forensic department. Hua Yicheng had said he would wait for her in the autopsy room.

When she arrived, Shu Xia and Hua Yicheng were sitting nearby chatting. Hua Yicheng was inviting Shu Xia to watch a movie. Yu Shi had no interest in their ambiguous relationship. As soon as she saw them, she got straight to the point: “Let me see the body.”

“Not even a greeting? You don’t care that I’ve dissected two bodies in two consecutive days,” Shu Xia pouted, dissatisfied with Yu Shi’s attitude during their first meeting today.

“Alright, you’ve worked hard,” Yu Shi replied in an extremely perfunctory tone. She then pulled a sugarcane stalk from Da Gezi’s hand and placed it on the table. “Is one section enough? If not, I’ll have Da Gezi go break off some more.”

“Being your subordinate is truly pitiful. Da Gezi, I sympathize with you. The sugarcane is enough,” Shu Xia said before getting up to pull open the body storage drawer.

“Breaking sugarcane is just a small task,” Da Gezi boasted, flexing his biceps in front of everyone.

“It’s just a sugarcane stalk. Even your Captain Yu could break it. What are you showing off for…” Hua Yicheng muttered, secretly feeling his own arm. It wasn’t as big as Da Gezi’s.

“I don’t do such heavy labor,” Yu Shi said before following to examine the body.

The victim’s name was Wu Xiaoruo, twenty-nine years old, unemployed. Her body was discovered by a sanitation worker in a large trash bin at seven o’clock yesterday morning. All her money and identification documents were still on her.

“Clothes? Was she wearing them?” Yu Shi frowned.

“Fully dressed. That’s why I initially didn’t think it was the same perpetrator as your case.”

Hua Yicheng shrugged. He probably knew a bit about the details of Yu Shi’s case. It seemed the two victims had nothing in common, yet they were both killed by the same person.

“At first, I thought the victim’s clothes were stripped to prevent identification. But now, it seems that’s not the case…” Yu Shi pondered for a few seconds before asking, “Sexual assault?”

Shu Xia shook her head. “No. The second victim had no sexual activity for at least forty-eight hours before death. Moreover, the second victim died earlier than the first. It’s estimated to have been dead for about a week.”

“If Yi Ziyun died on the night of the 23rd, then Wu Xiaoruo’s date of death would be…”

Hua Yicheng interrupted, “The 18th, between midnight and four in the morning.”

“They’re completely different! Whether in personality, profession, or even appearance, the two victims have nothing in common. One was a rape-murder, the other wasn’t. This perpetrator really doesn’t play by the rules.”

Da Gezi rubbed his short, prickly hair again. It was a habit he had whenever he was confused. According to him, it felt comforting.

“Right now, the evidence linking the perpetrator to both cases, aside from fibers from the same pair of gloves, is the cause of death. Both victims died from repeated choking and releasing, leading to suffocation.” Shu Xia lifted the victim’s head so Yu Shi could see the bruising on the neck.

“Any enemies?” Yu Shi gestured for Shu Xia to return the body to storage.

Hua Yicheng opened his small notebook, which contained all the information he had gathered: “There are plenty of enemies. Her boyfriend is a troublemaker who often takes her and a few buddies to party at nightclubs. They’ve had conflicts with other customers there. On the night of the 18th, they were also at the nightclub. Later, her boyfriend got drunk and flirted with another woman, so the deceased argued with him and eventually left the nightclub alone. Those guys said they stayed at the nightclub until dawn before leaving.”

Yu Shi took the notebook and looked at the messy handwriting, asking: “What about the possibility of coordinated statements?”

Hua Yicheng dismissed Yu Shi’s speculation. “There are surveillance cameras in the nightclub. We checked. They really stayed until dawn without leaving.”

“You’ve listened to us for so long. Don’t you have any speculations?”

Shu Xia thought that if Yu Shi truly had no questions, it would be a waste of her years as a police officer.

“Trash bins in the city are cleaned daily. Since Wu Xiaoruo has been dead for a week, it’s impossible she was discovered only after so many days. She must have been placed in the trash bin yesterday. Also, based on the decomposition level of the body I just saw, it seems to have undergone preservation treatment.”

After saying this, Yu Shi gave Shu Xia a look. She wouldn’t let anyone have the chance to mock her.

Shu Xia snapped her fingers. “It was frozen. Because the body was refrigerated, it slowed down rigor mortis and decomposition. Based on a preliminary assessment, it would seem like she died recently. But after examining the stomach contents and corroborating with others’ statements, through the disappearance date and the food eaten before disappearing, it was confirmed that the victim died on the night she disappeared. There’s no formaldehyde in her body, so it must have been frozen.”

“Freezer?” Da Gezi paused his hand on his hair.

“You can investigate that. Not just freezers, but refrigerated trucks, and even household freezer cabinets—about this big.” Shu Xia spread her hands to demonstrate. “About this size can fit a person.”

“Da Gezi, go check out the freezer and refrigerated truck aspects. Shu Xia, you go examine that sugarcane. Captain Hua, come back with me. My team members need to hear your report, too.”

Apart from Da Gezi, all members of Yu Shi’s team gathered in the meeting office. Hua Yicheng and Yu Shi stood before everyone, ready to reconstruct the crime scene to clarify their thoughts.

Hua Yicheng reluctantly asked: “Am I playing the perpetrator?” Though his expression was reluctant, he was already warming up.

“Not you.” Yu Shi beckoned to Mie Mie with a finger. “Mie Mie will be the victim. I’ll play the perpetrator. You just watch from the side and raise any questions.”

Hua Yicheng looked displeased but had to sit with Yu Shi’s subordinates, ready to be a spectator.

First, victim number one: Wu Xiaoruo.

After leaving the nightclub, Wu Xiaoruo walked alone on a quiet street. At that moment, the perpetrator, hidden in darkness, emerged, covering Wu Xiaoruo’s mouth from behind to prevent her from screaming, dragging her possibly into an alley, and strangling her.

“Based on the instinctive reaction of an ordinary woman, how would you resist if your mouth was covered?” Yu Shi lightly covered Mie Mie’s mouth from behind.

Mie Mie first tried to pry away the hand covering her mouth, trembling with fear. In such moments, people lose strength. This is why most people’s legs go weak, and they collapse when frightened. Without strength, naturally, she couldn’t remove the hand covering her mouth. Wu Xiaoruo might instinctively bite the perpetrator’s hand at this point, leaving fibers from the glove between her teeth.

After Mie Mie bit Yu Shi’s hand, Yu Shi signaled her to release it and then explained to everyone, “Although the perpetrator wore cotton gloves with some thickness, Wu Xiaoruo likely didn’t hold back and bit the hand with full force, so the perpetrator’s hand would definitely have marks left on it.”

Next, the perpetrator successfully dragged Wu Xiaoruo into a dark place, pressed her down onto the ground, even straddled her body, and gripped her neck with both hands. In the office, Yu Shi also straddled Mie Mie, who lay on the ground being choked.

Without any extra actions, the perpetrator grabbed Wu Xiaoruo, pressed her down, and choked her neck. During the process, he loosened his grip several times to let Wu Xiaoruo breathe. Because she was busy breathing and being choked, Wu Xiaoruo naturally couldn’t call out for help. Her hands, straining to pry away the perpetrator’s grip, had cracked nails and left glove fibers behind.

“Up to this point, any questions?” Yu Shi maintained her position and asked the group. After everyone shook their heads in unison, she continued acting, “By now, aside from the choke marks on Wu Xiaoruo’s neck, she only had minor abrasions elsewhere on her body. Throughout the entire process, the perpetrator didn’t beat her. All injuries were from Wu Xiaoruo’s own struggles.

After killing Wu Xiaoruo, the perpetrator directly dragged the body to a location and refrigerated it. During the autopsy, the forensic examiner found severe post-mortem abrasions on Wu Xiaoruo’s calf, likely caused when the perpetrator dragged her body on the ground. After refrigerating the body for nearly a week, the perpetrator finally discarded it in a trash bin, with clothing intact and all money and documents still present.”

Next was the second victim, Yi Ziyun. Mie Mie stood up. She straightened her clothes and hair and then acted as Yi Ziyun.

Yi Ziyun worked the late shift on the day of her death, with a closing time of 10:30 p.m., which was when the mall closed.

“The mall was only five minutes away from the nearest bus stop. But according to her colleagues, the mall closed late that day. So it’s reasonable to infer that Yi Ziyun, rushing to catch the bus at 10:45, might have taken shortcuts to the bus stop. Colleagues also confirmed that Yi Ziyun left hurriedly that day, saying she needed to catch the bus.”

Thus, it had been investigated that there were several secluded dark alleys between the mall and the bus stop.

The perpetrator might have lain in ambush for several days, waiting for Yi Ziyun to take the dark alleys. By chance, he waited successfully, so he repeated his technique, covering Yi Ziyun’s mouth from behind. Mie Mie bit Yu Shi again, then acted out being dragged and pressed down onto the ground as before.

“Up to this point, it was no different from Wu Xiaoruo’s case. Then it changed. Perhaps the perpetrator suddenly became lustful and had intentions toward Yi Ziyun. What should happen next? Please answer, Captain Hua.” Junzi and Xiao Lang stared at Hua Yicheng with amused expressions.

Hua Yicheng noticed everyone looking at him, so he straightened up uncomfortably. He cleared his throat and said, “Well… after being aroused by lust, he took off his pants…”

Yu Shi shook her head and said, “Not that fast. Yi Ziyun was still struggling at the time, so the perpetrator likely used his own belt to bind the victim’s hands, which is why bruises were left on her wrists.”

“I strongly suggest you ask Li Yu or Xiao Lang for the next question.”

Hua Yicheng leaned back in his chair. Why was he sitting here answering questions? Wouldn’t it be better to just focus on investigating the case with his own team?

After thinking carefully, Li Yu chimed in, “Binding her hands wasn’t enough. The victim could still scream, so the perpetrator likely beat her at this point, causing bruises on her face and other parts of her body.”

“Exactly. Because an additional step of sexual assault was involved, more actions were required.” Yu Shi paused before continuing, “Now, here’s the question for Captain Hua: Why did the perpetrator strip the victim completely naked?”

Hua Yicheng wore an expression of confidence, answering with a serious look, “If it were just a simple sexual assault, there would be no need to strip the victim of her upper clothing. Moreover, the victim’s resistance would make it more difficult to remove her clothes. It would be easier to only remove the lower garments. It’s highly likely the victim’s clothes were removed after her death.”

Yu Shi raised another question, “Why remove them at all?”

“Based on the previous victim’s case, we know the perpetrator didn’t care whether the victim was clothed or not, nor did he care about money or identification. So, it must be because evidence was left on the victim’s clothes, making it necessary to remove them.”

“That evidence must have been quite obvious. If it were something like skin flakes or hair, it usually wouldn’t be noticed.” Li Yu quietly noted this point.

“Hey? I just thought of something.” Jun Zi, under everyone’s gaze, slowly said, “Wu Xiaoruo’s body was dumped in a trash bin. The perpetrator likely wanted the body to be discovered, which is why he left it in such a conspicuous place. So why was Yi Ziyun buried? If it weren’t for that dog, her body might still be undiscovered!”

“Captain Hua, you yourself said that because there were many differences between the two victims, you initially didn’t think the cases were related.”

Yu Shi brushed her hair aside and sat in the middle chair. Before Hua Yicheng could speak, she said with a determined look, “Here, I’ll make a bold assumption: there are two perpetrators.”

Hua Yicheng frowned. He thought for a moment and then understood, “The person who killed Wu Xiaoruo and Yi Ziyun is the same, but the one who sexually assaulted Yi Ziyun is another person.”

“I’m just making a bold assumption. Based on Wu Xiaoruo’s case, the perpetrator acted with clear intent. He only wanted to kill and didn’t care about anything else. Moreover, the body was refrigerated for nearly a week. The reason for refrigerating it before dumping it remains unknown.” Swallowing, Yu Shi continued her speculation, “In Yi Ziyun’s case, the perpetrator wasn’t as decisive as in Wu Xiaoruo’s case. Objectively speaking, Wu Xiaoruo was more beautiful in appearance, though it’s possible the perpetrator simply preferred Yi Ziyun’s type. If the sexual assault was impulsive, why would he have a condom on hand?”

“Maybe he had planned it, which is why he was prepared.”

Mie Mie shrugged. The scope of possible inferences was too broad now, making it increasingly difficult to investigate.

“That possibility you mentioned isn’t impossible, but why I said there are two perpetrators is mainly because Yi Ziyun wasn’t refrigerated for a week like Wu Xiaoruo. She was buried directly in the ground after her death. From the way the bodies were handled, it’s two completely different styles.”

Investigating cases is like this: make bold assumptions and carefully verify them. Start with broad directions for speculation, then gradually disprove and verify them bit by bit, narrowing the scope.

“There’s a loophole.” Xiao Lang raised his hand, his mind a bit tangled. “Captain Hua said the sexual assault and the killing weren’t done by the same person. Then, after Yi Ziyun was killed, the perpetrator must have immediately handled the body, so the person handling the body should still be the same one.”

Hua Yicheng couldn’t help but mock: “How did you become a detective with that brain? The two perpetrators could be accomplices. Suppose Wu Xiaoruo’s body was handled by Perpetrator A. Then, in Yi Ziyun’s case, there’s an additional accomplice, Perpetrator B. Perpetrator A kills, and Perpetrator B commits the sexual assault. Finally, the body is handed over to Perpetrator B for disposal. Naturally, the style would be different.”

While everyone was still discussing the two perpetrators, Li Yu began marking the large map on the whiteboard with pens of different colors.

After a long while, Li Yu explained to everyone: “Red 1 is the nightclub Wu Xiaoruo frequented. Red 2 is the location where Wu Xiaoruo’s body was discovered. Blue 1 is the shopping mall where Yi Ziyun worked. Blue 2 is the location where Yi Ziyun’s body was discovered. Blue 3 is the bus station nearest to the mall. Yellow 1 is the normal route from the mall to the bus station. Yellow 2 are several shortcuts from the mall to the bus station. The perpetrators’ activity area should roughly be within this area.”

The circle on the map was huge, encompassing these locations, making it difficult to pinpoint.

“Jun Zi and Xiao Lang, investigate within this circle for any places where sugarcane might appear. The fibers contained sugarcane components, so the perpetrator likely works in sugarcane sales or related jobs.” Upon receiving the instruction, the two left their seats to begin the investigation.

Hua Yicheng stood up. “If there’s nothing for me, I’m leaving, too.”

“Thank you, Captain Hua, for your great assistance!” Mie Mie bowed respectfully as she escorted Hua Yicheng out.

“Just now, I and Li Yu helped Jun Zi and Xiao Lang review those surveillance videos and found this vehicle suspicious.” Mie Mie tapped a few keys on the keyboard and displayed the footage to Yu Shi. “This vehicle covered its license plate with cloth. This road passes by that bridge.”

“The timing of crossing the bridge is also coincidental, right around the time after Yi Ziyun’s death.”

Li Yu had already asked colleagues from the technical department. But because the license plate was covered with cloth, not digitally altered in the footage, they couldn’t see the plate number.

“The surveillance videos around the mall have all been handed over to you. I’ll go around the mall area again. Maybe there’ll be some unexpected findings.” After saying this, Yu Shi patted his pocket, took his car keys, and left.

Li Yu shouted toward Yu Shi’s back view: “Don’t you need me to follow?”The only response was a dashing wave.

…

Xiang Ling sat inside the car, her gaze fixed on a small stall under the eaves across the street. That stall sold sugarcane and sugarcane juice. This area was full of such mobile roadside stalls selling various snacks and fruits. Whenever police arrived, stall owners would flee with their setups.

She had been sitting in the car for two hours. Apart from his physique resembling the man in the surveillance footage, the sugarcane vendor seemed quite friendly.

But appearances can be deceiving. The world is never short of people who are outwardly polished but rotten inside.

Feeling thirsty, she reached for the water bottle on the passenger seat, only to find it empty. Spotting a convenience store nearby and figuring the sugarcane vendor wouldn’t be leaving his stall anytime soon, she got out of the car and headed into the store.

After buying water and using the restroom, Xiang Ling stepped out of the convenience store and noticed the sugarcane vendor was gone. But his stall remained in place.

She didn’t hesitate long. After a few seconds, she returned to the car. She grabbed the camera from the passenger seat and approached the fried chicken stall next to the sugarcane stand. “Hello, boss. I’m a journalist preparing a report on food culture. Could I take a few photos?”

“Writing a report? Sure, take whatever you want, just don’t photograph my face. I’m afraid of getting caught.” The fried chicken vendor scooped freshly fried chicken out of the oil and asked, “Should I arrange them nicely?”

“No need. That would lack authenticity and feel disconnected from reality.” Xiang Ling took several serious shots of the fried chicken before shifting the topic. “Where did the sugarcane vendor next door go? I’d like to take a few photos of him, too.”

“Him? He’s off loafing around! Feel free to take photos. I’ll let him know when he returns.” With the fried chicken vendor’s permission, Xiang Ling quickly snapped several pictures.

“If the vendor isn’t here, what happens when customers come? What if the police show up?” Xiang Ling reviewed the photos she had just taken, checking if she had missed any angles.

“Don’t worry about him! If the police come, I’ll just run. They can confiscate his stall. Day after day, it’s me who helps him watch it. I even sell for him when customers come. People who don’t know might think I’m the boss!”

The vendor scooped floating debris from the oil with a strainer and dropped new chicken pieces into the fryer.

“Is he often like this?” Xiang Ling kept alert, fearing the sugarcane vendor might suddenly return and discover she was investigating him.

“Recently, he’s been doing this a lot. He says he has urgent matters and just leaves his stall. I think he’s chasing after pretty women. Just earlier, he saw a beauty and claimed he had something urgent. Seems like his ‘urgent matters’ are more frequent than his bathroom breaks.”

The vendor pointed in a direction while speaking. Though she disapproved of the Sugarcane vendor’s constant laziness and treating business like a game, she still helped when needed.

“Boss, fry ten chicken legs for me. I’ll come back to pick them up later.” Xiang Ling placed her order and headed toward where the sugarcane vendor had gone.

Once out of the fried chicken vendor’s sight, she quickened her pace to catch up. The conversation had only lasted two or three minutes. She should still be able to follow him.

Sure enough, she found an alleyway and spotted the sugarcane vendor sneaking around, disappearing at the corner at the end of the alley. Just as she was about to follow, she heard noisy sounds from nearby. Listening carefully, it seemed like a fight was happening.

Xiang Ling glanced toward the direction of the fight. She had no intention of getting involved, especially since she still needed to tail the sugarcane vendor. Behind a pile of clutter in the alley to her left, a group of burly, intimidating men had cornered a frail-looking man against the wall. The leader was cursing loudly, “In all my years, no one’s ever dared to scam me. You’ve got some nerve, you little bastard.”

“Boss, I got the intel from someone else, too! I swear I wasn’t trying to cheat you on purpose!” The frail man, surrounded by the hulking figures, felt as if he were suffocating.

“Cut the crap. Are you leaving a hand or both feet today?”

Xiang Ling spent a few seconds weighing the pros and cons, feeling that the immediate threat of having limbs chopped off was more urgent.

The boss’s underling had already pulled out a knife and handed it to his leader when they heard the sound of police sirens nearby. “Boss, the cops are here!”

The scrawny man immediately cried for help: “Officers, save me! Someone wants to chop off my hands and feet!”

The boss put away the knife and said, “Let’s take him away first.”

“Boss, please don’t… Help!” The scrawny man clung to a lamppost, refusing to let go.

Seeing this, Xiang Ling had no choice but to step in, shouting, “Captain Zhang, there’s someone here!”

Hearing the voice, the boss and his men thought the police were about to arrive, so they threw out a threat: “We’ll deal with you next time.” With that, they hurriedly left with their underlings.

Seeing they were gone, Xiang Ling rushed to the corner where the sugarcane vendor had disappeared. The rescue had taken too much time. The person was nowhere to be found.

“Thank you for saving my life.” The rescued scrawny man immediately chased after the fleeting figure.

“You’re welcome. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.” With that, Xiang Ling turned to leave. Since she couldn’t catch up with the person, she still had to go back for her fried chicken.

“You saved my life. According to the rules, I must repay you.” The scrawny man followed closely behind Xiang Ling.

Xiang Ling stopped and turned to ask, “You can’t even protect your own life. How can you repay me?”

“Sis, I specialize in selling information. I have most of the intel from both the lawful and underworld sides. Is there any information you want to know? I’ll give you one piece for free.”

As the scrawny man spoke of his profession, a sense of pride welled up inside him, radiating an aura of having the world in his hands. Even though he had nearly lost his life after being accused of scamming, it didn’t hinder his reputation as the country’s top information broker.

Xiang Ling thought for a moment. Although she wasn’t sure how credible the man’s words were, she tentatively asked, “Do you know someone named Bao Shihei?”

“Oh ho! I haven’t heard that name in a long time. I didn’t think anyone still remembered him.”

Seeing that the other person seemed to know him, Xiang Ling felt hopeful and continued, “I want all the information on this person. Do you have it?”

“Bao Shihei was arrested four years ago for organ trafficking and sentenced to death. His soul has probably drifted off to who knows which dimension by now. Why do you want to know about him?”

Hu Kan frowned. Why would his savior want information on Bao Shihei so long after his death? With his merchant’s intuition, he sensed the situation wasn’t simple.

“Am I asking you, or are you asking me? If you don’t know, just say so. I won’t chop off your hands and feet like those guys earlier.” Xiang Ling rolled her eyes and turned to leave.

“Now, that’s not fair. I do know a little about Bao Shihei, but not much. Just about that particular deal. If you want to know more, I can look into it for you.”

Hu Kan strode in front of Xiang Ling. Favors should be repaid early, or they could become entangled like someone he knew.

Xiang Ling recited a string of phone numbers and said, “Then contact me when you find something.”

“Alright.” Hu Kan immediately took out his phone and saved the number. But since he hadn’t asked for her name, he simply noted it as “Savior No. 2.”

Xiang Ling returned to the fried chicken stall to pick up her order from the owner. Just then, the sugarcane vendor walked back. If she left immediately, the fried chicken owner might start chatting with him and raise suspicions. So she decided not to rush off, taking the chance to observe the sugarcane vendor up close.

The fried chicken owner scooped ten chicken legs out of the fryer, sprinkling seasoning as she said, “Old man, this pretty lady is a reporter. She says she’s writing some food feature and just took photos of the stall.”

“Is that so? Which newspaper?” The sugarcane vendor sat on a small stool. He put on the gloves lying on the table. He picked up a section of sugarcane and began peeling it.

“Wuyang Newspaper. When the article comes out, I’ll bring you two copies.”

Xiang Ling watched the sugarcane vendor peel the sugarcane. His movements were swift. In no time, one piece was ready. He placed the peeled sugarcane into the juicer.

Pointing at the machine, the sugarcane vendor said, “Great! Want to take a couple of photos of me juicing now?”

“If that’s possible, that’d be wonderful.” Xiang Ling smiled and took a few earnest photos.

The sugarcane vendor took a cup from beside the machine, filled with freshly pressed sugarcane juice. “Young lady, this sugarcane juice is on me. Want some ice?”

“Yes, thank you, uncle.”

With a smile, the sugarcane vendor poured the juice into a transparent cup, chipped some crushed ice from an ice bucket into it, then capped it. He inserted a straw and handed it to Xiang Ling.

Xiang Ling took the drink. She took a couple of sips in front of the sugarcane vendor, complimented it, and then seized the opportunity to leave the stall and return to her car. Leaving the car parked there for too long would also look suspicious, so she drove off. While waiting at a traffic light, she took a few more sips from the cup but felt something strange in her mouth. She fished out the foreign object. It was a strand of hair. Holding it up to the sunlight, she saw it was light brown.

Xiang Ling frowned. This wasn’t her hair…

Finding someone else’s hair in her drink disgusted her, so she rolled down the window and tossed it out. She didn’t drink any more of the sugarcane juice, eventually throwing the whole cup into a trash bin.

Early the next morning, Xiang Ling drove to the apartment where the sugarcane vendor lived. She had casually asked a few other stall owners about his address the day before and only knew he lived in this old apartment building. Which floor or unit remained unknown, but she could find out.

After staking out near the apartment for nearly an hour, she finally saw the sugarcane vendor emerge. He dragged a large burlap sack. He loaded it into his white van and then walked back into the apartment.

Xiang Ling hadn’t expected an opportunity to come so quickly. She immediately grabbed her camera, got out of the car, and followed him inside.

By the time she entered the apartment building, the elevator was already ascending. Xiang Ling watched the floor numbers climb, stopping at the fourth floor. She didn’t follow him up but instead continued to wait in a corner.

During this time, she quickly surveyed her surroundings. The apartment building was very old, with paint peeling off the walls to reveal the original color underneath. There was no concierge. Although there were surveillance cameras, none had red lights on. They were probably broken long ago.

Not long after, the elevator that had automatically returned to the ground floor began to ascend again. This time, still to the fourth floor. Xiang Ling hid in the corner and watched as the sugarcane vendor dragged another burlap sack out of the elevator. He loaded it into the van and drove away. Only after the vehicle had disappeared into the distance did she step out. She entered the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor.

Stepping out of the elevator, Xiang Ling surveyed her surroundings. The apartment building followed a symmetrical door-to-door layout, leaving the hallway dim even in broad daylight. Dust coated the floor. From the elevator entrance, a trail of drag marks stretched deep into the corridor.

Spotting a light switch on the wall nearby, she pressed it down, illuminating the hallway. However, years of use had taken their toll. Several lights were out, while the remaining ones cast a faint, yellowish glow. One flickered intermittently. She turned off the lights with a press of her finger and followed the drag marks deeper into the hallway.

The trail led her to the door of Unit 9.

The lock was a typical knob lock, with its latch exposed in a triangular shape. In situations like this, a thin, flexible piece of metal could easily pick it. But she didn’t carry such tools, nor had she ever learned lock-picking. She had come hoping for a stroke of luck, like the owner forgetting to lock the door.

Xiang Ling noticed that the walls and doors of each unit were plastered with advertisements for car repairs, plumbing services, phone trade-ins, and even loan sharks and escort services. Some residents placed potted plants outside their doors, likely for feng shui purposes, each plant possibly carrying a different meaning.

Outside Unit 9, two potted plants sat side by side—one large, the other small. The larger one would have been difficult for Xiang Ling to lift, while the smaller one was about the size of her head. She wasn’t sure what plants they were, but she knew some people had a habit of hiding spare keys under the pots, just in case they forgot their keys and found themselves locked out.

She checked the smaller pot first. There was nothing but soil beneath it. Then she moved to the larger one and found a key neatly tucked underneath.

Glancing guiltily toward the elevator like a thief, she picked up the key and unlocked the door to Unit 9.

Closing the door behind her, she scanned the room. This was undoubtedly the sugarcane vendor’s home. Piles of sugarcane lay bundled in the corner, each stalk as long as her leg, with over a hundred in total.

Aside from the sugarcane, the furnishings were ordinary—a table, chairs, a television, and a freezer. She lifted the camera hanging around her neck and took photos of the room from various angles.

Her eyes lingered on the freezer. Curiosity getting the better of her, she opened it, only to immediately turn away. The door slammed shut with a heavy thud as she let go in shock.

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze. Xiang Ling held her breath, then forced herself to open the freezer door again. Once she confirmed what she had seen, she immediately pulled out her phone and dialed the police hotline.

After making the call, she took two photos of the freezer and focused on capturing other areas of the room. Just then, footsteps echoed at the door, followed by the sound of keys being pulled out.

Xiang Ling had no time to think further. The person with the keys must be the sugarcane vendor returning. She glanced at the adjacent room. She quickly made a decision and slipped inside. Pulling open the wardrobe door, she hid inside and closed it behind her, leaving a small gap to observe the situation outside.

While listening intently to the sounds outside, she took out her phone and switched it to silent mode. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. She guessed they were near the freezer. Her mind raced, wondering if she had done anything that might alert the sugarcane vendor. Finally, she fixated on whether she had properly closed the freezer door.

She remembered closing it. But in a moment of doubt, she questioned whether she had actually done so.

After a long silence, the person outside began moving again. The footsteps seemed to traverse the entire room before finally entering the bedroom. Through the gap, Xiang Ling saw the sugarcane vendor holding a sickle used for cutting sugarcane. He peered under the bed and eventually fixed his gaze on the wardrobe.

She instinctively shifted backward. But her back was already pressed against the wardrobe wall, leaving no room to retreat. Quietly adjusting her posture, she watched as the sugarcane vendor approached the wardrobe. He raised the sickle and pressed his face close to the door, trying to see if anyone was inside through the gap.

In a split second, Xiang Ling kicked open the wardrobe door. The sugarcane vendor was caught off guard. He was struck by the door and fell backward. Despite this, he still tightly gripped the sickle. Before he could react, Xiang Ling crawled out of the wardrobe. She grabbed her camera and frantically pressed the shutter, capturing a series of photos. The camera’s flash directly hit his eyes, blinding him.

The sugarcane vendor simply closed his eyes and swung the sickle wildly. Xiang Ling hurriedly dodged and retreated outside the room, picking up a stray sugarcane from the corner as a makeshift weapon. “I’ve already called the police. They’ll be here soon,” she declared.

The sugarcane vendor’s eyes turned red as he swung the sickle violently toward Xiang Ling. She protected the camera and ran as best she could. The sugarcane, originally as long as her leg, was chopped several times and soon became as short as her arm.

Footsteps appeared outside the house. Someone discovered the door was locked and began pounding heavily on it. Xiang Ling inwardly praised the police’s efficiency, but realized the person outside wouldn’t be able to enter immediately.

The sugarcane vendor roared like a wild beast and charged recklessly toward Xiang Ling. She rolled on the ground, moving toward the door, and deftly twisted the lock. However, she was knocked down firmly by another person and pinned to the floor.

When both parties saw each other’s faces, they involuntarily uttered expressions of confusion.

“Eh?”

“Huh?”

---

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