Chapter 125

At the temporary office of the Nancheng City Bureau, upstairs, everyone was serious and racing against time.

Many people had almost stayed up all night last night. Now, the various results and analysis reports of the cases that occurred early this morning had been completed over time and were placed on the desks of the special task force.

Zhuang Yi rushed to the TV station at six in the morning to record the new rule of law program. The program aired at ten in the morning and reran at noon. After the recorded program aired, Tian Ming’s phone on the desk began ringing incessantly.

It was now half past noon, and another report call came in.

Tian Ming answered while solemnly recording, “Hello, is this during lunch today? Is it called Ruyi Restaurant? Could you please provide the specific location…”

“Okay, are you sure it’s the person in the sketch? Is it the person who ran away after being discovered? Do you have any surveillance footage?”

“There are surveillance cameras in the restaurant, right? We’ll verify it. Can you remember the times this customer visited your place for meals in the past few months?”

“Alright, thank you for providing the clue. We’ll send someone over for further investigation later.”

Tian Ming hung up the phone, recorded the time and content of the call in the logbook, and then asked Zhang Ziqi to communicate with the sub-bureau and send someone to investigate.

This was already the 34th report call today. From the beginning, it was unreliable and endless, but now it was increasingly feeling like they were about to find the murderer.

After finishing the record, Tian Ming turned to Zhang Ziqi and said, “Professor Zhuang’s program has received good feedback this time. It revised and supplemented his previous theories. Although I don’t quite understand, it makes people feel that the theories are very impressive.”

His subordinates also said, “The expert is indeed an expert. Our previously clueless case is now on the verge of being solved. If we can catch that bastard soon, everyone can have a good rest for a few days.”

Others in the office expressed their agreement.

“I used to not believe in these psychological analyses, but now it seems they are very helpful for apprehension.”

“Thanks to Professor Zhuang, combining the testimonies of the two witnesses, this information should be detailed enough.”

Listening to these words of praise, Song Wen remained silent on the side.

Tian Ming didn’t know, but Song Wen knew very well that these deductions were all made by Lu Siyu previously. Zhuang Yi was just a performer in front of the camera, like a diligent actor who memorized lines, summarizing the information he heard. The truly talented one was Lu Siyu. He just didn’t want to attract attention, so Song Wen helped him keep the secret.

Time quickly passed to five o’clock in the afternoon. Tian Ming had been receiving hotline calls all day. Although the name of the culprit was still unknown, multiple citizens claimed to have seen him in different places.

Based on the tip-off calls, the police retrieved several video records and found the silhouette of a man who resembled the suspect.

Now, the serial killer who had been troubling the Nancheng police for months was finally about to surface.

Fu Linjiang and Song Wen began marking on the map. Combining the locations of the four murders and the current whereabouts of the suspect, a more detailed activity range was outlined.

Looking at the map, Song Wen frowned and remarked, “These places are all close to the port…”

Although air and land transportation were relatively developed now, maritime transport still played an irreplaceable role in Nancheng’s economy. Especially for many trade goods that were inconvenient for air or land transport, maritime shipping remained cost-effective.

Nancheng Port, one of the transportation hubs in Nancheng, was a comprehensive port for both commercial and civilian use. It served passenger transportation, cargo transportation, and fisheries, with hundreds of large and small ships docking at the port every day.

For convenience in transportation, there were many modes of transportation at the port, including several late-night bus routes…

On the map, Song Wen connected Nancheng Port with several crime scenes, forming a pattern that resembled rays emanating from the port.

Many ships docked at the port at night, so workers were divided into day and night shifts. Although many tasks were now carried out by cranes, some manual labor was still required.

“The killer may work at the port,” Song Wen informed the others of this discovery. “We should pay attention to that area.”

Tian Ming looked at the map and said, “Well, it’s very possible. We’ve been focusing on the inland areas before. Since the port is on the edge of our jurisdiction, we haven’t specifically investigated it yet. Let’s get in touch and obtain a list of all workers at the dock.”

Fu Linjiang also agreed with Song Wen’s opinion, but he still had some concerns. “However, many people are coming and going at the port. We can’t be sure yet whether the culprit lives there or if he’s a sailor who travels with the ships. If he’s from another city, he might come by boat shortly, which would increase the difficulty of our investigation.”

Just as they were discussing this, Zhu Xiao poked his head out. “Captain Song, Captain Tian, there’s an old man downstairs who says he has information about a case and wants to report it. He’s filling out forms there.”

Song Wen and Tian Ming both looked up. They had received many hotline calls today, but this was the first person to come in person.

Tian Ming rubbed his hands excitedly. “Let’s go, Captain Song, let’s go downstairs and see.”

In the interrogation room downstairs, a balding old man who appeared to be in his sixties was waiting. Song Wen took his registration form. The man’s name was Xie Dongqin, sixty-three years old, and he registered his occupation as the regional manager of Yuan Shan Freight Company.

Tian Ming verified Xie Dongqin’s identity and information, then asked him, “Where is your company located…”

The old man replied, “At Nancheng Port. Our company undertakes part of the loading and unloading and transportation of maritime goods.”

The location matched!

Tian Ming eagerly asked, “What information and clues do you want to provide?” After asking this question, he tapped the table lightly. “This is an official report now, so you can’t make false statements.”

“Of course, I’ll take responsibility for my words. The clue I want to provide is about the recent serial killings…” Xie Dongqin swallowed nervously, “I want to report my son, Xie Jianing. I suspect he’s the perpetrator of the recent serial killings…”
*adopted son

Instantly, everyone’s spirits were lifted. This was the first time they had learned the name of the perpetrator.

If the information provided by the old man was true, then they were very close to this murderer.

Hearing this, Song Wen gestured to the observation room nearby. Fu Linjiang and Zhang Ziqi, who were waiting there, immediately began searching for information. Soon, relevant information about Xie Jianing was found.

Fu Linjiang started to cross-check. “Height matches, blood type matches, age matches, and he looks very much like the sketch we had before.” He and Zhang Ziqi exchanged glances and both said, “It’s very likely to be him.”

Zhang Ziqi compared the relationship between the suspect and the informant again, and furrowed his brows slightly. “His son? Is this old man reporting his own flesh and blood?”

They usually dealt with informants who were not relatives, so this made them hesitate.

Meanwhile, in the interrogation room, the conversation continued.

Tian Ming asked, “Tell us why you think your son is the culprit in these cases… Did he show any unusual behavior? “

Xie Dongqin lowered his head. “My son, Xie Jianing, is twenty-seven years old. He has been working at the port, doing some basic work such as handling cargo. About eight months ago, when the port was transitioning to semi-automation, I had the workers learn some technical skills for the transformation. But unexpectedly, my son was too clumsy and couldn’t learn anything. Other workers used to give him face and didn’t argue with him, but he delayed everyone’s progress and would make jokes about him. At that time, I noticed that he would become silent after being scolded, muttering to himself, and sometimes burst out with terrifying laughter.”

Listening, Song Wen recorded these points. Facing changes at work, pressure in life, and ridicule from colleagues, might all be reasons for the suspect’s transformation.

Xie Dongqin seemed a bit nervous. He wiped his forehead with the back of his right hand and continued, “Xie Jianing’s night shifts were every other day. Then, recently, one day he was supposed to be on leave, but a worker fell ill suddenly and had to take leave. I wanted him to cover the shift, but that day I couldn’t reach him no matter how hard I tried. I went to his house to knock on the door, but no one answered. I had to find someone else. The next day, I asked him why he wasn’t there, and he said he might have overslept and didn’t hear anything. But later, I found that he was limping. He said he accidentally injured his leg, but when I compared the timing, I realized that it was the day the third murder occurred.”
At this point, Fu Linjiang knocked on the door of the interrogation room and handed in several relevant documents. Song Wen took a look first, and with just one glance, he recognized that the photo on the ID card should be the person they had been looking for all along.

Afterward, Song Wen made a note on the file. Fu Linjiang immediately understood and left the interrogation room to track Xie Jianing’s movements. Any information related to him, such as tickets purchased under his name for trains, planes, or ships, would be retrieved.

Song Wen handed the documents to Tian Ming and then asked Xie Dongqin, “What was your son’s upbringing like? Was there anything special about it?”

“My son… Speaking of him, he’s also a pitiful person. When he was young, he was born a eunuch, speaking softly. His father blamed his mother for it. Later, when he reached his teens and still hadn’t hit puberty, his father, feeling ashamed, went to the countryside to find a shaman. I don’t know what he made my son drink, but it made him mute. He still speaks with a hoarse voice now and makes heavy breathing noises when he works. Later, his father became an alcoholic and would beat them both when drunk…”

Xie Dongqin hesitated here for a moment before continuing, “When he was in his teens, his father accidentally killed his mother while drunk. Later, the court sentenced him according to family dispute regulations and locked his father up for three years. During those three years, my son lived with us, obedient and quiet, just eating, going to school, and working under me every day.”

“After his father was released from prison, I sent my son back to him. But then his father remarried, and my son became their scapegoat. Later, my son graduated from high school but couldn’t hold down a job outside. My younger brother let him work under me until last year… My younger brother was also imprisoned for fighting. Everything fell on my son.”

Finishing this, Xie Dongqin sighed, “My son is a bit foolish, but he’s strong. He couldn’t keep any job for long, but following the principle of helping relatives, and seeing him grow up, I let him work as a porter under me at the port. But who would have thought…”

Song Wen continued to record. A tragic childhood, paternal domestic violence, and witnessing his mother’s death in front of him—all of these became reasons for Xie Jianing’s criminal behavior, which also perfectly aligned with Lü Suyu’s profiling.

Xie Dongqin continued, “Today, after watching the TV at noon, my wife and I were scared, so I came to the police station to inquire… I’m quite afraid now… That… My child usually seems very honest, and you can’t tell he’s capable of murder. But the information matches too well, especially the sketch… It’s almost as if it was drawn based on my son…”

Now, almost all the pieces of information matched up.

Song Wen stood up solemnly and said, “Now we suspect that your son may be the suspect in this case. Thank you for providing the information, and we hope you’ll cooperate further with the police. Do you know where your son might be now?”

Xie Dongqin nodded repeatedly. “Before I came here, I called my son and asked him where he was. He said he was at home. At that time, his tone sounded a bit flustered. I… I can take you there now…”

Song Wen asked, “Are there any other people at his house?”

“His stepmother, who is my brother’s wife, should be there. But… I haven’t seen her for some time,” Xie Dongqin said.

“Could you provide a phone number? We’ll try to contact her,” Tian Ming requested.

Xie Dongqin immediately provided a mobile number. Tian Ming tried dialing it but shook his head afterward. The phone was turned off.

Song Wen asked here, and on the relationship chart he drew, he circled the stepmother’s name. Suddenly, he remembered what Lu Siyu had once told him about the so-called first case, where the biological father went to prison, and the stepmother lived with him. So, was this stepmother still alive? And could this be his first homicide?

With the clues gathered so far, it was sufficient to confirm that Xie Jianing was the person they were looking for. The next crucial step was to apprehend the suspect.

Song Wen and Tian Ming exchanged glances, and Tian Ming understood. He left the interrogation room to gather the officers, preparing for the operation.

After some contemplation, Song Wen followed and caught up with Tian Ming, saying, “I don’t think Xie Jianing might be at home. He might have already fled, but there could be relevant evidence or items at home, so we still need to make a visit. We can’t fully trust Xie Dongqin’s words until they’re verified.”

Tian Ming asked, “How should we proceed then, Captain Song?”

After a brief thought, Song Wen replied, “I’ll lead a team to search the suspect’s home first. You lead another team to the port where he works to gather information.”

Suddenly, Tian Ming thought of something. “At the port, there are many ships. Do you think he might escape by water?” The Nancheng port was crowded, and if the culprit wanted to slip away by boat amidst the chaos, they would have a hard time finding him.

Song Wen frowned. “The culprit committed the crime last night, and he was still in the city at noon today. After Xie Dongqin’s report just now, I had Fu Linjiang retrieve the ticket purchase information under his ID, but there’s been no feedback yet, meaning he hasn’t purchased any passenger ship tickets. If he boarded another ship… as just a low-level worker at the port without anyone’s help, he might not be able to escape. Anyway, we need to be prepared for any possibility.”

Tian Ming agreed and went out to gather the team.

After considering for a moment, Song Wen called Lu Siyu. Soon, the call was connected, and Song Wen said, “Are you awake? Have you had dinner?”

On the other end of the phone, Lu Siyu replied, “Yes, I woke up a while ago. I cooked two dishes for myself. When will you be back?”

“It might take a while. We found a suspect, and we’ve confirmed his address. We’re about to make an arrest. I thought you might worry, so I’m letting you know.” Originally, Song Wen was hesitant about whether to inform Lu Siyu, but he was afraid he might rush over like last time, so he decided to notify him in advance.

Excitedly, Lu Siyu on the other end of the phone said, “Found him? Are you going over? Where does he live? I’ll come over and meet you.”

“Okay, I’ll send you the address later. Please don’t act rashly. Wait for me to arrive, and we’ll act together with everyone else.” Song Wen, fearing this little ancestor’s impulsiveness, gave numerous reminders before finally following the others onto the police car.

At around six in the evening, near an old residential area in Nancheng, the sky was ablaze with a brilliant sunset, red as if it had been set on fire.

At this moment, three police cars and eight officers assembled not far from Xie Jianing’s residence, conducting final equipment checks and preparing for the arrest operation. After days of investigation, they finally locked down the suspect today, and everyone was excited yet nervous.

For once, Lu Siyu obediently stayed put and didn’t rush over. He waited nearby as instructed. Song Wen and he met up first, and Song Wen handed him a bulletproof vest. These vests were recently acquired by the bureau, lighter and more effective than before. Song Wen helped him put it on, explaining as he fastened the buckles around his waist.

“This is your first time participating in a collective arrest operation. As a police officer, you can’t avoid this stage. This time, there’s only one suspect, and the operation is well-prepared. In theory, there shouldn’t be too much danger. So, I’m letting you come and observe. Trainee officers aren’t equipped with guns, so you’ll be providing backup support.”

As a police officer, Song Wen couldn’t stop Lu Siyu forever, never allowing him to participate in apprehension operations, but he had to do his best to ensure his safety.

“Are you sure the suspect is armed?” Lu Siyu asked curiously. Today, he wore a slightly thicker white shirt. Paired with the black bulletproof vest, he unexpectedly exuded a restrained aura. He was eager for today’s operation.

“Not yet, but with someone who’s committed multiple murders like this, the perpetrator is usually extremely dangerous and prepared. We’ll be cautious, and it’s always better to be safe than sorry,” Song Wen replied, reaching around Lu Siyu’s waist. He thought to himself that this guy’s waist was abnormally slender.

Lu Siyu bowed his head quietly as Song Wen adjusted him, behaving like a docile bunny. When Song Wen got close to him, Lu Siyu suddenly stuck out his pink tongue and licked his lips. Song Wen tried to steady his mind and said seriously, “You must follow orders later. Stay in the back, and don’t rush into anything unless absolutely necessary. Safety comes first.”

In a low voice, Lu Siyu asked, “And what about you?”

“I’m the leader, always at the forefront. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. Even in a brawl, I’ve never lost,” Song Wen said confidently.

Observing the situation, Lu Siyu commented, “It looks like we’re going hunting.” He had participated in apprehension operations with Song Wen before, but back then, their companions were more like scattered fighters. Now, it was a group of fully armed police officers.

Song Wen thought for a moment. “Pretty much. The suspect is our prey.”

With that said, a team was ready. They followed Xie Dongqin and arrived at the entrance of a residential building.

Xie Dongqin pointed ahead to the door of Unit 603 from a distance. “It’s here, in this building. My son usually lives here.” The building wasn’t very tall, with only six floors, and the sixth floor was the top floor.

Song Wen turned back and looked at the police officers behind him. “Alright, Lu Siyu, Wang Chen, you two stay here. The rest of you, follow me upstairs.”

Lu Siyu was taken aback and asked softly, “I’m staying downstairs?” He thought Song Wen would take him upstairs, even if not in the first wave, at least in the second. He didn’t expect this observation to only be conducted downstairs.

Song Wen said solemnly, “Of course, this position is crucial. The suspect might be nearby, or he might try to escape downstairs. You two must stay alert.” Then Song Wen handed him a walkie-talkie. “Take this, stay in touch at all times.” When he got close to Lu Siyu, he whispered three words to him, “Be obedient.”

Lu Siyu sighed and muttered an “Oh…” in response.

He understood Song Wen’s arrangement. Without a gun, he might need someone else’s protection in case something happened. So, leaving him downstairs was the right decision. But it made him feel like a child left at home by adults.

After explaining, Song Wen led a group of fully armed police officers upstairs.

Once they disappeared at the stairwell, Wang Chen sat down on the edge of the flower bed near the door. “Siyu, don’t be so nervous. Come sit here. They’ll probably come down soon, and we’ll hear updates on the walkie-talkie.”

Wang Chen was from the second team on this side, a few years older than Lu Siyu. He had won some martial arts championships in the past and was quite skilled. Song Wen leaving him here felt like assigning him as Lu Siyu’s bodyguard. Wang Chen had participated in many activities before, so he was relaxed now.

Lu Siyu sighed and looked down at the walkie-talkie in his hand, remaining silent.

Wang Chen turned to Xie Dongqin and asked, “Lao Bo, did you come here today specifically to report the murderer?”

Xie Dongqin was caught off guard by his sudden question and hurriedly replied, “Uh, yeah…”

Wang Chen continued, “I heard it was your son.”

Xie Dongqin nodded. “Having such a son is really unfortunate for our family.”

Wang Chen asked again, “From your accent, you’re from Ningzhou, right?”

Xie Dongqin nodded again. “From Gancheng.” After saying that, he looked at his watch on his left wrist.

Lu Siyu also glanced at his phone. It was now 6:17.

Seeming bored from waiting downstairs, Wang Chen took out a cigarette from his pocket and gestured to Xie Dongqin. Xie Dongqin accepted the cigarette and lit it, taking a drag.

Wang Chen lit his cigarette and casually asked, “So, you reported your son. That’s like going against your own family’s interests. How will you explain this to your family later?”

Xie Dongqin avoided his gaze and said evasively, “He brought this upon himself by committing such heinous acts…”

Wang Chen sighed, “Your son… really, killing so many women…”

Xie Dongqin sighed and exhaled a smoke ring. “Yes, he deserves to be caught.” He paused for a moment, then looked up at Wang Chen. “Do you know… how many years he might get sentenced for this?”

Wang Chen said, “For killing so many people, it’s definitely the death penalty.” He didn’t understand why the old man asked such a question, perhaps still holding onto some hope.

“The death penalty?” Xie Dongqin’s body trembled as if he was about to collapse. Lu Siyu, without changing his expression, reached out and supported him.

“Thank you.” Xie Dongqin steadied himself. He wanted to push away Lu Siyu’s hand, but the young policeman held onto him firmly, his fair and slender fingers gripping him a bit painfully.

Lu Siyu lifted his head and frowned, looking up at the window of Unit 603 upstairs. Judging by the time, Song Wen should have already entered. What awaited him in that Unit 603?