S.C.I. (Volume II) - Case 6: Chapter 2

The Innocent Killer 02 - Hidden Danger

There are many things in this world that, once their order is swapped, can evoke a truly horrifying feeling, especially when it comes to limbs. The corpse before them presented an extreme distortion, and the chaotically chopped body parts pieced together into letters felt unspeakably eerie. Everyone who had cigarettes lit one up to suppress the churning sensation in their stomachs. Gongsun smiled and said, "Believe it or not, orderly things are truly far more disgusting than disorderly ones, especially when they are corpses."

"About how long has she been dead?" Bai Yutang asked Gongsun.

"Three days." Gongsun stubbed out the cigarette butt in his cigarette case and put on his gloves. "We didn't dare go in blindly; we wanted you all to take a look first."

Bai Yutang nodded, crouching down to examine the cut marks closely, and asked Gongsun, "These cuts are far too neat."

"Indeed," Gongsun nodded. "This was done by someone with professional medical knowledge who is proficient in anatomy."

Everyone's attention was focused on the corpses, but Zhan Zhao lifted his feet to carefully avoid the bloodstains and walked into the living room.

"Cat?" Bai Yutang looked at Zhan Zhao in puzzlement as he watched him slowly walk to the center of the living room, staring intently at an unfinished puzzle on the coffee table.

This was a Doraemon puzzle, and the design was quite cute, but it was only half-finished, leaving a blank space right in the middle.

"It was probably being put together by a child..." A Luo looked down and said with a hint of disappointment.

Zhan Zhao walked around the coffee table, stopped in front of the sofa, and lowered his head to stare closely at the puzzle.

Everyone was drawn in by Zhan Zhao's strange actions. Bai Yutang and Gongsun exchanged glances, stood up, walked to Zhan Zhao's side, and lowered their heads to look at the puzzle.

Zhan Zhao suddenly raised his head and swept his gaze around the room, as if searching for something, a faint anxiety lingering in his eyes.

"Cat, what are you looking for?" Bai Yutang reached out to pat Zhan Zhao and asked in a low voice.

"There is still one more..." Zhan Zhao whispered as he walked out of the crowd, pacing anxiously around the room a few times before his gaze finally landed on a shoe cabinet directly opposite the living room entrance.

He walked over quickly, crouched in front of the shoe cabinet, and looked back at Bai Yutang with a trace of nervousness.

Bai Yutang led the others over and watched as Zhan Zhao gently tugged on the shoe cabinet door. The door slowly swung open, and everyone gasped. Inside, curled up tightly, was a four- or five-year-old girl with her eyes wide open, staring fixedly at the group. From the slight rise and fall of her chest, it was clear that she was still alive.

"Call an ambulance!" Bai Yutang shouted, and Bai Chi hurriedly pulled out his phone to call for an emergency vehicle.

Zhan Zhao reached out and waved his hand in front of the girl's eyes, but she didn't even blink.

Gongsun leaned in to examine her and said in a low voice, "Her pupils are abnormal. This child has been frightened out of her wits."

Bai Yutang reached out and lifted the child out. She didn't react at all, and having clearly hidden inside for three whole days, she was weak to the point of collapse.

Very quickly, the doctors arrived and took the girl away in an ambulance. Bai Chi and A Luo went along to assist, leaving the others to continue investigating the scene.

The group busied themselves in different directions, except for Zhan Zhao, who remained seated on the sofa, staring blankly down at the puzzle on the table.

"Cat, even though your relative is on this puzzle, you don't need to stare at it like that," Bai Yutang teased, seeing his serious expression.

"Go on with you!" Zhan Zhao waved a hand dismissively and asked Bai Yutang, "Do you know how this puzzle was being put together?"

Bai Yutang rubbed his chin and shook his head.

Zhan Zhao pointed to his left side. "Sitting right here was that dead boy." Then he pointed to the right. "The girl. Someone in the middle was sorting similar puzzle pieces for the two of them..." As he spoke, he pointed to a remote control on a separate sofa nearby. "The dad was sitting on the sofa flipping through TV channels... The mom was in the kitchen."

Bai Yutang looked up at Zhan Zhao for a long moment. "Are you saying... right now, sitting in your exact spot, is the killer?"

Zhan Zhao raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"Then shouldn't he have known there was another girl in this house?" Bai Yutang was startled. "Why leave a living witness?"

"Hmm..." Zhan Zhao pointed at the corpses by the door and said, "One of the father's legs and the boy's arm formed an 'I'. The mother's legs, head, and the boy's torso formed a 'YU'. The remaining fragments of the three victims formed 'LVE'. Not a single piece too many, not a single piece too few."

"You wouldn't happen to think the killer spared the girl just to save raw materials, would you?" Bai Yutang asked.

"To be precise... if someone handed you those body parts and asked you to piece them together into 'I LOVE YOU', how much time would you need?" Zhan Zhao asked Bai Yutang.

"Don't ask me such perverted questions," Bai Yutang shook his head.

"The scene was cleaned up very neatly," Zhan Zhao said. "The killer's actions were clearly premeditated, meaning he meticulously planned everything beforehand. In other words, the foundation of his calculations was based on three people."

"When the apartment security guard called the police, he also reported a family of three, not three out of a family of four," Bai Yutang nodded. "In other words, that girl wasn't a regular member of this household; she arrived unexpectedly."

"Because the killer was afraid she would come out and mess up the scene, he locked her in the shoe cabinet," Zhan Zhao thought for a moment before adding, "Her pupils were dilated... she was hypnotized."

"What?" Bai Yutang was puzzled. "Hypnotize a child?"

"This killer is not simple." Zhan Zhao walked over to the door again, stared at the body parts on the floor, and asked, "Guess who he 'LVE's?"

"As long as it's not me, I don't care." Bai Yutang shrugged indifferently and walked out of the building to breathe some fresh air.

Soon, evidence collection and photography were completed. Gongsun instructed his team to transport all the corpses back and rode along with the vehicle, while the rest of the team prepared to wrap up, only to find that Bai Yutang was nowhere to be found.

Zhan Zhao told the others to head back first, then paced around twice in place and walked toward the back of the residential compound. Before taking many steps, he indeed saw Bai Yutang sitting on the fence outside the basketball court, chatting with a few people who looked like high school students. Zhan Zhao walked over, patted him, and said, "Everyone's heading back." Bai Yutang nodded, waved goodbye to the students, vaulted over the fence, and walked back with Zhan Zhao.

"What's your take?" Bai Yutang asked.

"There haven't been any similar murder cases reported up to now; I'd say the possibility of a personal vendetta is quite high." Zhan Zhao observed the environment of the compound as they walked. "This place is nice."

"Yeah, there are schools all around, so foot traffic is relatively high," Bai Yutang sighed. "It won't be easy to investigate."

The two got into the car, and as Bai Yutang started the engine, he asked the silent Zhan Zhao beside him, "What's wrong, Cat? You've been acting weird since earlier."

Zhan Zhao looked at the scenery along the road and suddenly asked, "Bai, don't you feel like this killer doesn't act like he's committing crimes for the first time?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Yutang fell silent for a moment as well before saying, "After stepping into that house, I got the distinct feeling this guy definitely isn't a first-time murderer."

"You feel that way too?" Zhan Zhao grew even more troubled. "Then where are the people he killed before? With such a distinct style, it should be easy to track down once investigated."

"This guy is truly a pervert!" Bai Yutang said while driving. "To commit crimes so flashily just to draw the police's attention—acting like he wants to issue a challenge while simultaneously trying to cover his tracks. A killer who is clearly an old hand yet still leaves behind an eyewitness... this is genuinely the first time I've ever seen such a contradictory specimen."

"Stay calm, Captain Bai..." Zhan Zhao chuckled and patted Bai Yutang's shoulder. "With a bizarre case like this, Bureau Chief Bao is definitely going to drop his classic line: 'I give you half a month to solve the case, or else you'll go clean the toilets.'"

Bai Yutang's face darkened. Seeing the cat beside him laughing gloatingly, he thought about it and laughed too, asking, "Cat, did you finish writing your book?"

...That single arrow struck right on Zhan Zhao's sore spot, instantly provoking the wrath of the furious feline! He swung his claws out, ready to fight the rat to the death.

Just as they were tussling, Bai Yutang suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Fang Wo's case was handled by Uncle An, right?"

Zhan Zhao was momentarily stunned by the question. "Why bring up Fang Wo out of nowhere?"

"I heard Bureau Chief Bao mention this morning that Fang Wo's sentencing is coming down in the next couple of days," Bai Yutang said casually. "It seems Uncle An decided that as soon as Fang Wo's case is settled, he'll retire."

"Uncle An is the same age as your dad, right?" Zhan Zhao asked. "It's certainly not easy for him to only be retiring now."

"Yeah." Bai Yutang turned the steering wheel, and as the car slowly approached the police station, the two of them froze.

"Why are so many people gathered here?" Zhan Zhao pointed at several news broadcast vans and a large crowd in front of the police station building. "What are they doing?!"

Bai Yutang parked the car and stepped out, immediately hearing numerous people shouting: "Fang Wo is innocent! Release Fang Wo... The police department is looking for scapegoats..."

"Whoa..." Zhan Zhao got out of the car. "First time seeing this kind of spectacle."

"They should be making a ruckus outside the courthouse instead. What are they doing at the police station?" Bai Yutang frowned. Together with Zhan Zhao, they entered the building through the side entrance. Just as they stepped into the lobby, a young female student rushed up to them, shouting, "Are you Dr. Zhan? Are you Dr. Zhan?"

Zhan Zhao was taken aback and nodded.

"This!" The girl shoved a thick notebook straight into Zhan Zhao's hands. "I'm a graduate student in psychology. I know you're an authority in this field, so please, you must take a look at my research data! Fang Wo was framed!"

"Huh?" Zhan Zhao looked at the girl in bewilderment. At that moment, several security guards rushed over, politely escorting the girl outward while telling Zhan Zhao, "Apologies, Dr. Zhan. They've been causing a commotion at the entrance for half a day, and she slipped in while we weren't paying attention."

"What's the matter? I have the right to speak," the girl protested fiercely.

The guards were placed in a difficult position. "Miss, this is a police station. Unauthorized personnel aren't allowed. If you want to protest, can't you go somewhere else?"

"Hold on a second." Zhan Zhao stopped the guards and asked the girl, "Are all those people outside with you?"

"Yes!" The girl nodded, glared at the security guard, and told Zhan Zhao, "We're from the same university, conducting psychology research under Professor Lu Liang. A while back, Fang Wo entrusted someone to deliver a long letter to our professor stating he was wronged, so the professor led us to make this our research topic. Through multi-party investigations and professional analysis, all our data and evidence are inside this notebook, proving that Fang Wo is innocent! But because we're an unofficial psychology organization, our evidence isn't accepted, and Officer An, who is in charge of investigating this case, completely refuses to listen to our opinions!"

"Dr. Zhan, can I have them escorted out now?" The security guard looked at Zhan Zhao with a troubled expression. "If I let them wander around the police station randomly, I'll have a hard time answering to superiors later."

"Sorry about that." Zhan Zhao nodded to the security guard, who promptly invited the young woman outside.

"Dr. Zhan, we just feel that we can't wrong an innocent person simply for the sake of solving a case. Please, you must take a look at those materials..." she shouted as she reluctantly left.

Zhan Zhao looked at the thick stack of materials in his hand, turned back to look at Bai Yutang, and then both turned their heads to see an old man standing by the elevator watching the two of them.

"Uncle An?" Bai Yutang greeted him.

An Youdao was a veteran police officer in his fifties. With a grim expression, he walked over slowly and said, "What is it? Does Captain Bai want to take over this case?"

Bai Yutang exchanged a look with Zhan Zhao as if saying, "What now? The old man is blowing his top."

Zhan Zhao noticed An Youdao's eyes repeatedly darting toward the stack of materials in his hands. An idea struck him, and he flashed Bai Yutang a signal. Suddenly, Bai Yutang shouted at the top of his lungs: "Ah, Cat, your editor!"

"Huh?!" Zhan Zhao acted utterly horrified, telling Bai Yutang, "Cover for me, I'm out of here!" As he spoke, he tossed an "Uncle An, bye-bye!" over his shoulder and bolted into the elevator like a puff of smoke.

An Youdao frowned and was about to give chase when Bai Yutang said, "Tsk... these students, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, they just won't quit."

"You two." An Youdao sighed and shook his head. "Don't forget I watched both of you grow up. If you're curious, go ahead and investigate!" With that, he turned around and stalked off in a huff.

Bai Yutang rubbed his head sheepishly and headed back to the office.

Gongsun's autopsy had not yet concluded. Bai Yutang called the hospital, and Bai Chi reported that the girl's condition had stabilized, though she had suffered severe trauma, leaving her current state of consciousness chaotic and unable to articulate anything, requiring further observation.

Hanging up the phone, Bai Yutang asked the others about the progress of their investigations.

"The girl's name is Zhao Jing, four years old, and she's the victim's niece. The victim is Zhao Wuhua, thirty-six years old, a professional accountant. His wife, Wu Min, is a university teacher, and their son, Zhao Tong, is six years old and just started school," Wang Chao recited from the newly retrieved identity files.

"An accountant..." Mahan rubbed his chin. "Boss, this profession makes it very easy to know too much and get silenced. Besides, looking at how well-off his family is, there might be a worthwhile angle here."

Bai Yutang nodded. "You and Zhao Hu check out people from the victim's business dealings. Wang Chao and Zhang Long, check their social circles for any hints of romantic betrayal or the like. Jiang Ping, pull up all similar dismemberment cases from the past half year so we can cross-reference them."

"Understood!" The team dispersed to carry out their assignments. Bai Yutang picked up his jacket, intending to ask Zhan Zhao to accompany him to the hospital to check on the child, only to find Zhan Zhao earnestly flipping through the stack of materials he had been handed earlier.

"Cat, are you actually reading that?" Bai Yutang leaned over. "Is this data reliable?"

"Hmm..." Zhan Zhao gently shook his head and said, "It's behavioral analysis data supported by some statistics... It can serve as supplementary explanation, but it can't be used as crucial evidence because probabilities and precedents can't be taken as absolute in psychology."

"Was the Lu Liang mentioned by that female student just now the same Lu Liang who goes around lecturing everywhere saying 'psychology determines behavior'?" Bai Yutang suddenly asked.

"Should be." Zhan Zhao nodded. "Though he's an unorthodox figure; most of the psychology he preaches is superficial—good for fooling ordinary folks with no psychological common sense, or discussing business warfare and workplace strategies. But when applied to criminal investigation, it's just a bit unreliable."

"Fang Wo's case has caused such a huge uproar, and part of the reason is because of him, right?" Bai Yutang asked. "It seems I constantly hear his name appearing alongside news about Fang Wo."

Zhan Zhao nodded, closing the dossier. "They're preparing to administer a lie detector test on Fang Wo."

"A lie detector test?" Bai Yutang was surprised. "Could that be approved?"

Zhan Zhao nodded. "In any case, the most crucial issue right now is that we have the murder weapon but lack evidence. Once Fang Wo passes a lie detector test, it will become very difficult to keep him detained."

"Do you want to get involved?" Bai Yutang asked. "Let's wait and see for now. I feel like it's unreliable."

Zhan Zhao nodded, collected the materials, and went with Bai Yutang to the hospital.

They stayed at the hospital until nightfall. The girl remained in a deep sleep, and eventually, A Luo and the on-duty police officer were left to look after her while the rest finished work and headed back to the police station.

Stopping at a restaurant near the hospital entrance, the three of them—their stomachs rumbling with hunger—walked inside, ordered a bowl of noodles each, and began discussing the case while eating. Just then, the restaurant's television broadcast caught their attention. The news reported that the court had approved a lie detector test for Fang Wo, and the reasoning was that several official psychologists unanimously agreed that, judged from a behavioral analysis perspective, Fang Wo was not the true culprit of the murder case. In the subsequent segments of the program, the host and guests talked endlessly about the utility of psychology in solving crimes, even citing Zhan Zhao's books as corroboration, making psychology sound practically divine.

Bai Yutang helplessly shook his head, nudged Zhan Zhao, and said, "Cat, if you don't eat your noodles, they're going to get soggy." Yet he saw Zhan Zhao with his brows locked tightly together, staring blankly at the TV screen.

"Big bro, what's wrong?" Bai Chi patted Zhan Zhao. "Are you tired?"

Zhan Zhao turned his head back and suddenly muttered, "It seems... something isn't quite right."

"Where?" Bai Chi and Bai Yutang asked in unison.

"I haven't quite figured it out yet." Zhan Zhao picked up his bowl and ate his noodles, remaining heavy-hearted the entire evening with a nagging feeling that something was about to happen.