Chapter 124

At six in the morning, Lu Siyu was escorted by Song Wen to the hospital to have his wounds re-dressed and receive a tetanus shot before returning home.

Later on, Fu Linjiang also sent a message. The girl woke up and told him about some of the events from last night. After finishing her patient rescue, she left work late and encountered the killer on her way back. Most of what she described matched what Lu Siyu had said.

The assailant was wearing a security guard’s uniform. He initially restrained her, then knocked her unconscious. She woke up during the attack, feeling him strangling her, unable to breathe, before passing out again. When she opened her eyes, she saw Song Wen and other police officers…

Zhuang Yi finally settled down, pondering how to naturally narrate to the media and the public, making the transition seem seamless and diverting attention from his previous analytical errors to maintain the image of an expert.

Today, this case finally saw the dawn of resolution.

It was another day busy until seven in the morning. While others were going to work, they were just returning home after spending the night outside. The clothes on their bodies had already dried from their body heat.

As soon as they entered the villa, Lu Siyu collapsed on the sofa without changing clothes. Logical reasoning may seem like just talking, but it actually consumed the most mental energy. He felt a bit exhausted, his mind stopped spinning, his stomach empty, leaving him with no strength.

Song Wen couldn’t bear to see this. He pulled him up and said, “Go take a shower, be careful not to wet your wound, then change your clothes and come out, eat something, and go back to bed.”

Lu Siyu felt like he couldn’t even open his eyes. He waved his hand and said, “The clothes are already dry. Let me lie down for a while.”

The morning sunlight shone in, illuminating the room brightly, completely devoid of the gloom from last night. Those bad moods also dissipated with the progress of the case. But Song Wen knew that this was just a brief rest period, and soon, a new round of confrontation with the killer would begin.

Looking at Lu Siyu’s pale profile with his long eyelashes closed, Song Wen couldn’t help but tease him, “What about your cleanliness obsession? OCD? Can you really sleep lying like that?”

Lu Siyu didn’t even open his eyes, his voice weak as a thread, “Close to vermillion becomes red…”

Song Wen couldn’t help but laugh at his response. “I don’t do that either. Hurry up, or should I help you?”

Before Song Wen could reach out, Lu Siyu, who had been lying like a corpse, suddenly opened his eyes and rushed to the bathroom, remembering yesterday when Song Wen was applying medicine to his leg, blushing from his ear tips to his cheeks.

Song Wen watched in astonishment, muttering quietly to himself, “What… are you thinking about…”

Half an hour later, Lu Siyu finished showering and changed his clothes before coming out to see a table full of delicious breakfast.

Freshly heated soy milk, perfectly fried eggs with bacon, plus a bowl of hot porridge made from leftover rice from yesterday. Lu Siyu couldn’t help but praise, “Captain Song, I didn’t expect you to become so virtuous.”

Song Wen showered relatively quickly, having waited for him for half a day. He replied, “Close to ink becomes black.”

Although his cooking skills were not as exquisite as Lu Siyu’s, making breakfast was still above the edible standard.

Lu Siyu nodded and sat down. Song Wen reached out to touch his forehead, somewhat unexpectedly finding that his temperature was normal, but Song Wen’s hand felt warmer.

Lu Siyu blinked, his beautiful eyes lifting to look at Song Wen, then he pulled his hand away, saying, “Don’t be so nervous, I know how to take care of myself.”

Song Wen snorted, “Last time you caught a cold after getting caught in the rain, and you forgot about the stomach bleeding incident in the middle of the night?”

Lu Siyu took a spoonful of porridge, swallowing it down, which caused the mole on his neck to move slightly. “That was an accident…” After a busy night, his last meal was the milk Song Wen bought for him. Drinking the hot porridge made him feel much better.

Then he picked up the soy milk. The temperature was just right, neither cold nor hot. Lu Siyu took a sip and commented, “Hmm, not bad…”

Song Wen said, “I know you like to add one and a half spoons of sugar.”

Too much would be too sweet, too little would be too bland. Only a ratio of one and a half spoons could enhance the sweetness without masking the mellow flavor of the soy milk.

Lu Siyu didn’t expect Song Wen to notice this little habit of his. He thanked him, “Thank you.”

Song Wen looked at him and said, “Not only do I know that, but I also know that you don’t like cilantro, celery, or bitter gourd. If it’s meat, you’ll eat fatty meat, but you’ll pick out the fat. When you cook, you like to add vinegar, and if you add ginger, it must be cut into large pieces. When making tomato and egg stir-fry, you need to add sugar. If there are leftovers with onions in the dish, you won’t eat them if they’re reheated.”

Lu Siyu said, “Captain Song really observes carefully. I’ll slowly teach you how to cook in the future, as a reward.”

While enjoying their breakfast, Song Wen thought to himself, I also know that you like to drink plain water and drink at least eight glasses a day. You’re used to starting to trim your nails from your small fingers because your thumbs are always bitten bare. When you make a mistake writing, you often choose to change the paper. When you’re nervous, you’ll lick your lips. When drinking milk, you’re like a baby. When it rains, your hands get cold. If you’re too tired, you’ll get stomach problems. When you wake up from a nightmare at night, you’ll call your dog’s name…

These things, Song Wen didn’t deliberately try to find out, but unknowingly, they were imprinted in his heart. Thinking about it now, his heart felt warm, and even the slightest expression of Lu Siyu, he would understand what it meant.

Seeing Lu Siyu momentarily silent, he turned to him and asked, “Captain Song, what are you thinking?”

Song Wen lowered his head. “It’s nothing.”

The two quickly finished breakfast. Song Wen tidied up the table and kitchen, filled the dog’s bowl with food, then turned to Lu Siyu, “You rest for a while and take a nap later. I’ll go to the City Bureau.”

Lu Siyu was a little surprised. “You didn’t sleep all night.”

“Don’t worry, I’m still energetic.” Song Wen said as he put on his coat. “The media probably already got wind of the news by now, and the physical evidence from the forensic side will soon come out. I have to keep an eye on the bureau, Zhuang Yi’s side, and many other things. And also, there’s Lao Tian and others to see later. I can’t just skip out and sleep at home.”

Lu Siyu nodded. He knew in his heart that the case had reached a critical point.

If there were any new victims or any more mistakes, the bureau’s leadership might not be able to keep their positions.

They had to catch this beast as quickly as possible.

Although he wanted to stay by Song Wen’s side, Lu Siyu was feeling a bit overwhelmed right now. If he didn’t rest for a while, his body might have problems. Thinking of this, he stirred the porridge in front of him, “Then I’ll take a nap and talk to you later.”

Song Wen drove to the City Bureau. As he walked to the stairs, he met Zhu Xiao coming up from downstairs, and they met face to face. Zhu Xiao greeted him, “Captain… oh no, Division Captain Song, congratulations ah.”

Song Wen paused as he touched the handrail of the stairs. “What do you mean?”

Zhu Xiao glanced around to ensure no one was nearby and whispered, “I just went to help Commissioner Gu install some software on his computer. Then I saw a package arrive and Commissioner Gu opened it, placing it on the table. It was your appointment approval process. The Provincial Bureau has already approved it, so they’re probably waiting for a good day to announce it.”

Upon hearing this news, Song Wen didn’t feel too happy. Instead, he had a somewhat uneasy feeling. He continued to ask Zhu Xiao, “What about Lu Siyu’s? Did you see it?”

Zhu Xiao hesitated, “Little Lu has only been here for half a year. Is he being transferred too?”

Song Wen waved his hand without directly saying, “It’s the end of his internship early. If there isn’t one, then forget it.”

Zhu Xiao replied, “I saw Commissioner Gu take out the package, and there was only that one piece of paper inside.”

Upon hearing this, Song Wen understood. He thanked Zhu Xiao and continued upstairs.

Zhu Xiao watched Song Wen ascend the stairs, feeling a bit puzzled by his reaction. Normally, anyone who heard about a promotion and a raise would be happy, but why did Song Wen seem so worried?

Song Wen made his way to the temporary office of the special task force upstairs, finding it empty. He sat down at the desk, took out his phone, and opened the contact list. His finger swiped, eventually stopping on the name “Song Cheng.” After a moment of hesitation, Song Wen decided to lock his phone screen.

He pondered inwardly. In this situation, it wouldn’t be appropriate to ask Commissioner Gu. Lu Siyu and his appointment documents were submitted together. Logically, they should be approved together. Even if they were rejected, there would be a rejection letter. Now, there was only one document. There was only one possibility: Lu Siyu’s appointment document was being withheld by Song Cheng.

To solve the problem, one must find the cause.

Song Wen thought about it, realizing that besides asking Song Cheng, there was no other way. After a moment of contemplation, he unlocked his phone and dialed Song Cheng’s number.

The phone rang twice before the other side finally answered. Song Cheng’s voice came through, calm and composed, as if he was answering a call from a subordinate.

Song Wen called out, “Dad…”

There was a moment of silence from Song Cheng before he responded, “I thought, your son didn’t have my number saved.”

Song Wen also felt that according to the normal father-son conversation, he should exchange a few pleasantries first. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “Dad, are you doing well?”

It seemed that since high school, Song Wen had rarely communicated directly with Song Cheng. In his life, his father had always been absent. Except for the years of divorce, even when they were still married, he was either busy or absent. Gradually, Song Wen became indifferent to him.

Li Luanfang managed most of his life and studies. When he needed money or had something to discuss, he went to his mother. This seemed to be even more so after entering the police academy. Even during family gatherings for the New Year, Song Wen would sit silently next to Song Cheng. He was no longer accustomed to how he should communicate with Song Cheng.

Song Cheng remained silent for a moment before replying, “I’m doing alright.”

Song Wen felt like a stranger to him, and Song Cheng was also a stranger to this son…

He remembered when Song Wen was in elementary school, he was bold and fearless, forging his parents’ signatures and being chased through the streets with a bamboo stick. He remembered telling Song Wen that he couldn’t become a police officer, suggesting he become a doctor instead. He said, “If you go to the police academy, I’ll disown you.”

But in the blink of an eye, his son had grown up. Song Wen hadn’t deviated from his path, following in his father’s footsteps, and he was doing exceptionally well. Song Cheng was happy about this, but both father and son were equally stubborn. He didn’t know how to pick up this father-son relationship.

There was another moment of silence on both ends of the phone. It seemed that neither father nor son knew how to continue this call.

After a while, Song Cheng spoke first, “Your promotion report, has it reached the Municipal Bureau by now?” He thought carefully, assuming that Song Wen had come to him about this matter.

Following the topic, Song Wen said, “Dad, since you’ve approved mine, according to regulations, you should assign me a Division Captain assistant. I want to ask, is there something inadequate about my colleague?”

Song Cheng replied, “Though the title is ‘assistant to the Division Captain,’ in fact, the rank and treatment are equivalent to that of a deputy captain of a small team. According to regulations, it’s usually a more senior police officer who assists the Division Captain. His qualifications clearly do not match the position.”

Song Wen said, “But his work ability is outstanding, he’s well-versed in forensic and criminal investigation, and we have excellent cooperation. Aside from qualifications, he’s fully capable of handling this job.”

Song Cheng paused for a moment and asked Song Wen, “Don’t just say formalities. I want to know, why did you choose this person?”

Song Wen replied honestly, “He’s meticulous, has strong writing skills, and possesses extensive knowledge in forensic and criminal investigation. He can conduct criminal profiling and has a certain understanding of criminal psychology. These skills are very helpful in solving cases, something most veteran detectives can’t do.”

“Familiarity with criminals and those who could become criminals sometimes is just a thin line apart,” Song Cheng asked again, “Do you understand him?”

He had checked Lu Siyu’s resume. His status as a survivor of the 519 case undoubtedly made him hesitate. Although there were no regulations stating that a person couldn’t attend the police academy or become a police officer if they were a victim of a case, Song Cheng knew how deep the waters of the 519 case ran.

The relationship between Lu Siyu and Wu Qing, and their involvement in the case, still worried Song Cheng. His instinct told him that this person might have problems, might be dangerous.

Song Wen was momentarily speechless. In terms of understanding, he felt that in the Municipal Bureau, no one was closer to Lu Siyu than he was. Even Lu Siyu’s personality was one that few people could get close to… Only he had always been by his side, knowing many of his hobbies and habits. However, until now, he hadn’t figured out why Lu Siyu came to Nancheng. There were still mysteries about him that Song Wen couldn’t answer, and he always had a vague worry in his heart…

On the other end of the phone, Song Cheng was still waiting for his answer.

“I don’t know how to describe him. There must have been something that happened to him in the past. Perhaps he behaves differently from others, but I know, deep down, he’s a good person with a sense of justice.” Song Wen took a deep breath, gathering his courage. “No matter what, I have faith in him.”

Song Cheng understood Song Wen. From childhood to adulthood, he had never heard Song Wen say such words, nor had he ever asked Song Wen for anything. He didn’t expect Song Wen to say such things for that person.

“Since you’ve chosen him,” Song Cheng asked sternly, “Will you regret it?”

Song Wen instinctively tightened his grip on the phone and firmly replied, “Never.”

On the other end of the phone, Song Cheng sighed silently. Suddenly, he remembered the time when he was the Division Captain in Nancheng. Back then, Wu Qing held the position of Division Captain’s assistant detective. Many people said Wu Qing was underutilized, but Wu Qing just smiled it off.

Years had passed in the blink of an eye.

“All right then, I’ll approve it today and have it delivered. It’s done,” he paused and remembered what Li Luanfang had said earlier, gritting his teeth, “If you’re really sure about this, bring him home for the Lunar New Year this year.”

These words were spoken very quickly and with a strong tone, carrying an undeniable meaning, much like a leader issuing orders.

Song Wen suddenly felt his mind explode after hearing this, and it took him a moment to realize what Song Cheng was saying. He only felt his mind racing: “Ah, what?… Dad, wait, listen to me, we’re not…”

The phone on the other end had already hung up…

Inside Ruyi Restaurant in Nancheng, nearing noon, the whole small restaurant started to become lively. Legal reports were still playing on the TV, and the restaurant was filled with the tempting aroma of food.

The guests who came to eat were whispering, discussing the new news they heard this morning, another victim has appeared in the Nancheng serial murder case…

The city was increasingly shrouded in fear, and those who originally thought it didn’t concern them, amidst the gossip after meals, finally felt a hint of tension.

“…In this morning’s police announcement, we learned that there is a new victim in the Nancheng serial murder case, but fortunately, this victim survived and has been sent to the hospital for treatment. Here, we remind the citizens once again to pay attention to their safety when going out at night. Today, we have invited Professor Zhuang to give us further analysis…”

In the small restaurant, the person sitting at table number two faced a simple egg fried rice, with his back to the TV. Upon hearing this, he couldn’t help but grip the spoon tighter in his hand.

The young couple came to eat again, sitting at table number five. The girl ordered her meal, glanced at the TV for a moment, and then said with a disdainful tone, “This is the fourth victim, right? This Zhuang guy still dares to come out. Last time, he blabbered for so long, but they still haven’t caught anyone.”

The boy persuaded her, “Don’t say that. The police are also working hard. I’ve noticed there are many more patrol cars on the streets recently, they must be working overtime.”

The girl snorted, picked up her chopsticks, and said, “Even if they’re working overtime, if they can’t catch the culprit, isn’t it ineffective? They can’t even protect the safety of the citizens, and we’re just wasting our taxes.”

The boy shook his head and said, “The culprit who dares to commit crimes so openly must be extremely deranged. Being a police officer is also a high-risk occupation. Besides, in such a big city, and with the culprit not having ‘criminal’ written on his face, finding a psychopath isn’t an easy task. Think about the Baiyin case, the Huacheng case, they took many years to solve.”

The girl urged him, “The food’s here, let’s eat quickly, we still have things to do in the afternoon.”

The TV program continued, “…According to the latest information, we have come to some new conclusions. I need to correct my previous statement. The murderer may only be one person, who has two personalities, also known as what we commonly refer to as dissociative identity disorder, which is actually a more common type of mental illness…Among the two personalities, the Night Owl personality is violent, cruel, and sadistic, while the Night Butterfly personality is deviant…In fact, it’s the Night Butterfly that’s controlling the murders…”

“This morning, based on eyewitness descriptions, the police have issued a wanted notice for the suspect. Here, I will interpret the characteristics of the suspect given by the police: the suspect is between 25 and 30 years old, blood type O, height around 175 cm, engaged in heavy physical labor at night, rarely active during the day, so he has fair skin. He is not very burly, but very strong…”

“In the testimony of the eyewitnesses, his voice is very hoarse, and he may have a throat disease, leading to heavy breathing…”

“Now we are looking for a murderer who appears quiet and honest. He seldom speaks, is not good at socializing, prefers to be alone, has few friends, and does not attend various gatherings or activities. The murderer has a double personality, and about six to eight months ago, he began to become more volatile, talking to himself and having conversations with himself…”

“His activity area is within the indicated range…His usual mode of transportation is the night bus. His clothing is very ordinary. In the latest case, he purchased a security uniform as a disguise. About a week ago, he was bitten by a dog and has scars on his body. He may have visited a small clinic for treatment…”

“…Currently, the police have obtained his fingerprints, blood samples, and created a simulated image. As long as they catch him, they can bring him to justice…”

“We hope the general public can provide us with clues…”

“We will definitely catch this murderer!”

This time, the police released a large amount of case-related details and once again released the image of the suspect. This time, the composite image took into account the opinions of the new victims, made some adjustments, and was closer to the appearance of the suspect.

The boy watched the image appearing again on the TV news, took a bite of the fish-flavored shredded pork with his chopsticks, and said unclearly, “It’s getting so detailed now. If they still can’t catch him, it’s a bit unacceptable…”

The girl nodded, “I always feel like this image looks familiar…”

Suddenly, there was a loud noise, as the customer at table number two accidentally knocked over the chopstick container, and yellow chopsticks scattered all over the floor. It was a young man wearing a hat. Everyone was initially focused on listening, but in an instant, all eyes were on him.

“It’s okay, I’ll pick it up… I’ll take it to wash later.” The owner said with a smile as he came over to help. He picked up a few chopsticks, inadvertently looked up, and suddenly his face turned pale.

This customer was a regular, always sitting at table number two. He had been coming here to eat for over three years. He used to sit quietly and eat alone, easily overlooked. It was the first time the owner had seen his face so clearly from such a close distance…

Under the brim of his hat, his face was very pale, with faint eyebrows, high cheekbones, and small eyes, almost identical to the image currently being shown on the TV screen… Being so close, the owner could even hear his heavy breathing.

“You…” The owner widened his eyes, subconsciously uttered a word, then suddenly stepped back, creating distance from the customer. Cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

In a moment, other customers in the restaurant also noticed the anomaly and stood up, casting cautious glances over.

“We’ve been discovered…”

“We’ve been found out…”

The customer hastily stood up, accidentally knocking over the chair with a loud noise. He no longer concealed his figure, got up and rushed towards the door of the shop.

A dragnet was slowly unfolding over the city.

*a coordinated attempt to catch a criminal

Wherever the sunlight shone, darkness could no longer hide.

He ran frantically, like a wild beast whose tracks had been discovered, heading towards various alleys, towards the depths of the city…