“Ugh… ugh…”

Jiang Simin struggled desperately, trying to free herself from the suitcase.

The suitcase was old but sturdy. Her hands and feet were weak, bound tightly, and her mouth was taped shut, leaving her unable to move.

“Stay quiet!” The man kicked the suitcase, his face twisted with malice.

Jiang Simin shuddered in fear. Terror and despair engulfed her, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

She regretted everything. She shouldn’t have run away from home in a fit of anger.

Last night, when she got into a taxi, her mind was filled with thoughts of how to get back at her family and make her parents regret everything.

Now, all she wished for was to survive.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened.

The man dragged the suitcase out and strode toward the car.

His steps were hurried, his expression dark. He was visibly on edge. According to his original plan, it would have taken at least half a month before the previous body would be discovered.

But to his shock, the corpse had already been found early this morning, and someone had reported it to the police. Now, the news was all over the TV.

The man was undeniably panicked.

He feared that the girl’s family might also report her missing. If the whole city went on high alert, he’d be in big trouble. That’s why he had rushed home today to get rid of her ahead of schedule.

“Hey, Lao Kong! Not driving at this hour?”

As the man opened the trunk and prepared to load the suitcase, an old patrol officer approached him.

The man’s pupils shrank. Instinctively, he gripped the handle of the suitcase tighter and forced a stiff smile. “Oh, hey, Lao Xu. You’re out today?”

“Out? No, no,” the officer, Lao Xu, shook his head. “The higher-ups called us all back in. Unless there’s a death in the family, everyone’s on duty. You haven’t heard? A dismembered body was found!”

Dismembered body?!

Inside the suitcase, Jiang Simin froze. She heard the words clearly and felt her blood run cold. She desperately used all her strength to ram the walls of the suitcase.

But the man was cunning. Pressing the suitcase against the car, he feigned a surprised expression and said, “Oh my, that’s terrifying. Who could do something so deranged?”

“Who knows?” Lao Xu shook his head, uninterested in the matter. Then, he noticed the suitcase.

“Are you heading somewhere?”

The man’s heart raced, but he forced himself to smile. “No, no. A client left this suitcase in my car earlier, and I’m just returning it now.”

“Oh, I see. That makes sense. I’ve never seen you use this suitcase before.” Lao Xu chuckled. “Alright, I’ll help you load it—”

“Mmm! Mmm!” Jiang Simin rubbed her forehead against the inside of the suitcase, trying to create noise.

Lao Xu frowned and looked at the suitcase. “What’s that sound?”

The man’s grip on the handle tightened, and his free hand slipped into his pocket.

Beep, beep, beep!

Lao Xu’s walkie-talkie crackled to life.

“PC189, a citizen has reported seeing a bloody suitcase near Dong Tou Estate Road. Please investigate immediately!”

Lao Xu responded quickly, waving to the man before running off to answer the call.

The man breathed a sigh of relief. He shoved the suitcase into the trunk, slammed it shut, and drove away quickly.

“Xiao Gu, Xiao Gu…”

Lin Jianyi and Sun Zhaoqian ran into the shop, gasping for air. They finally found Gu Xicao and Wang Laoshi.

Gu Xicao had just finished instructing some workers to move a sofa. Seeing their disheveled state, she blinked in surprise. “What happened to you two? Why are you running like this?”

“We have an urgent case!” Sun Zhaoqian panted, supporting himself on the table. Sweat streamed down his face.

Lin Jianyi, slightly more composed, managed to speak. “Xiao Gu, we need your help to track down the culprit in a serial murder case.”

A serial murder case?

Gu Xicao looked puzzled. Lin Jianyi turned on the TV in the shop, tuning it to a news channel. “It’s about this case. We’ve found dismembered remains, and the higher-ups suspect the killer will strike again.”

Gu Xicao’s eyes settled on the news report about the recent and prior dismemberment cases.

As expected, the media had already connected today’s discovery to the string of murders from three years ago, just as the police had feared.

“So, this is why you two disappeared earlier—to flirt here?”

Before Gu Xicao could respond, Sergeant Ren and a few other officers barged into the shop.

Lin Jianyi and Sun Zhaoqian froze in place.

Sun Zhaoqian glared. “Were you following us?”

“Following you? Don’t flatter yourselves.” One officer sneered. “We were patrolling and saw you two loafing around here. What are you even doing in this area?”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Sun Zhaoqian snapped. “We’re here to ask a master to help locate the murderer.”

“Sun!” Lin Jianyi tried to stop him, but it was too late.

The other officers burst into laughter.

“A master? Are you serious? You’re relying on a fortune teller to catch a killer?” Sergeant Ren doubled over with laughter.

“Exactly! And you still want promotions? Better stick to desk work.” The other officers snickered.

Gu Xicao stepped forward, ignoring their mockery. She turned to Lin Jianyi and Sun Zhaoqian. “I’ve figured it out, but there’s something important you need to know.”

“What is it?” Lin Jianyi asked, noting her serious expression.

“The killer has a girl with him and plans to kill her today,” Gu Xicao said.

Lin Jianyi and Sun Zhaoqian’s faces went pale.

“We need to move immediately!”

“I’m coming too.”

“No, it’s too dangerous!” Lin Jianyi tried to stop her.

“Save it! Let’s go!” Gu Xicao urged.

Sun Zhaoqian flagged down a car and commandeered it. Before Sergeant Ren could react, the trio had already sped off.

Thud!

The suitcase hit the ground hard, jolting Jiang Simin awake.

Her forehead bled from a cut, and blood trickled into her mouth, loosening the tape over her lips. She seized the opportunity.

“Help! Somebody help!”

Rip!

The suitcase flew open.

Kong Shunxiao removed his mask, sneering coldly as he watched Jiang Simin scream for help.

He waited until her voice became hoarse before grabbing her hair roughly. “Scream, you little b****. Go ahead, keep screaming. But let me tell you something-I’m the only one living on this mountain. You can scream until your throat bleeds, and no one will come to save you!”

Jiang Simin’s face turned pale as she peered through the window. Outside, dense trees stretched endlessly. This was clearly far from the city.

Seeing her face grow paler, Kong Shunxiao felt a twisted sense of pleasure.

“Scared, huh? Terrified? Don’t worry. I’m quick with my hands. The other women -one slash, and they were gone.”

Jiang Simin burst into tears. “Please, I’m begging you, let me go. I swear I won’t report you. My parents are very wealthy. Spare me, I don’t want to die!”

“Ha!” Kong Shunxiao scoffed, shoving her roughly to the ground. He stood up, smirking. “Let you go? Do you think I’m an idiot? Accept your fate. No woman I’ve captured has ever escaped.

Honestly, it’s just bad luck for you. I had planned to keep you around a few more days, but now I need to finish this quickly to wrap things up.”

With that, he left Jiang Simin on the ground and went into the kitchen to sharpen his knife.

Jiang Simin lay sprawled on the filthy floor. The tape had loosened from her mouth, but her hands and feet were still bound. She glanced around the room. The dirt floor smelled putrid, and cockroaches occasionally crawled out.

Flies buzzed incessantly.

In a corner, she noticed a bag partially unsealed. To her horror, the bag contained a severed woman’s foot.

Jiang Simin gagged violently, her stomach churning.

“This is the place,” Gu Xicao said as she scanned the surroundings, pointing to a treehouse not far away.

“Zhaoqian, did you notify the station?” Lin Jianyi whispered.

Sun Zhaoqian nodded. “Sergeant Chen is already on his way with reinforcements. He told us to stabilize the situation and ensure the hostage remains unharmed.”

Lin Jianyi drew his firearm, disengaging the safety.

Gu Xicao stopped him. “You’re planning to go up there?”

“Yes!” Lin Jianyi’s face was resolute, his determination clear. On the way here, he had even changed into a different set of clothes.

Gu Xicao glanced at him and shook her head. “No way! If a man goes up there, the killer will immediately become suspicious. If we alarm him, it’ll only make things worse.”

Sun Zhaoqian agreed. “Xiao Gu has a point. But we can’t let you go up there either. No matter how skilled you are, you’re still a civilian. Civilians shouldn’t be protecting the police.”

Gu Xicao narrowed her eyes and suddenly asked, “When we approached, didn’t we see another window at the back?”

Sun Zhaoqian thought for a moment. Yes, he had caught a glimpse of a rear window while running over.

“Here’s the plan…” Gu Xicao began whispering her idea.

Lin Jianyi hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded in agreement.

Inside the wooden house, Kong Shunxiao finished sharpening his knife. He stepped out of the kitchen, a twisted grin on his face, and approached Jiang Simin.

Jiang Simin’s face was devoid of color.

She whimpered and pleaded, “No, please don’t. Let me go. Sir, I’m begging you…”

“Is anyone there? Hello?”

A soft, feminine voice suddenly called out from outside.

Hope flickered in Jiang Simin’s eyes. Just as she was about to scream for help, Kong Shunxiao reacted faster. He covered her mouth and quickly sealed it with tape again.

Still, unease flashed across his face.

His mind raced. Could the police have found this place?

No, impossible.

Police investigations were notoriously slow. He had killed so many people, yet no one had ever tracked him to this remote part of Lantau Island.

“Strange,” Gu Xicao murmured from outside. “There’s a car here, but I don’t see anyone around.”

Creak.

The door opened slightly, and a pair of wary eyes peered out. Behind the door, Kong Shunxiao gripped a knife tightly.

“What do you want?”

“Oh, thank goodness someone’s here!”

Gu Xicao hobbled forward on a makeshift crutch, pretending to limp. “I twisted my ankle while hiking. Could I use your phone to call the police?”

Call the police?

Kong Shunxiao’s heart skipped a beat. The last thing he wanted to hear right now was anything related to the police.

“Sure, come in,” he said, opening the door wider. Half of his body remained hidden behind it.

Gu Xicao’s eyes flickered with understanding. Just as she had suspected, mentioning the police had provoked a reaction.

“Sorry, but I can’t move very well. It hurts to even take a step. Could you come out and help me?” she asked, her voice soft and pleading.

Sun Zhaoqian was hidden nearby, ready to shoot as soon as the killer stepped outside.

“Help you?” Kong Shunxiao felt a growing sense of unease.

He studied Gu Xicao carefully. “Sorry, my arm is injured. I can’t help. You’ll have to come in on your own.”

His grip on the knife tightened, ready to strike the moment she stepped through the door.

Gu Xicao feigned a pout. “Alright, if you insist.”

She hobbled closer on her crutch, seemingly oblivious to the danger.

“How much longer until we reach the location?!” Sergeant Chen barked at the driver, sweat beading on his forehead.

“We’re almost there! Look, there’s the car Officer Sun mentioned!”

The police vehicle sped up the hill.

Before it even came to a complete stop, a gunshot echoed from the mountain, followed by two more in quick succession.

The officers froze for a moment before bolting out of the car, racing toward the treehouse.

Bang, bang, bang!

Kong Shunxiao was pinned to the ground, his hands cuffed behind his back as he struggled violently.

Sun Zhaoqian pressed his knee firmly into the killer’s back, snarling, “Move again, and I’ll blow your head off!”

Lin Jianyi’s face was flushed, his hands still gripping his firearm as he tried to steady himself.

Gu Xicao leaned against a wall, patting her chest in relief. She glanced at Lin Jianyi with admiration. “Lin, your aim is as good as you claimed. That was impressive.”

Lin Jianyi shot her a weary look. “I told you it was too dangerous for you to take such a risk. This man is insane- after being shot in one hand, he still tried to attack with the other!”

Gu Xicao kicked the knife lying on the ground. “But you saw it yourself-if I hadn’t taken the risk, this bastard would’ve already killed the girl.”

Lin Jianyi looked at the knife, then at Gu Xicao. A wry smile crossed his rugged face. “Alright, you win.”

“Jianyi! Zhaoqian!” Sergeant Chen and his team rushed in, finding Lin Jianyi and Sun Zhaoqian with the subdued suspect.

The two officers stood at attention and saluted. “Sir, PC1789 and PC9290 successfully apprehended the suspect, Kong Shunxiao, with the help of a civilian. The victim is safe and unharmed.”

Sergeant Chen took in their disheveled appearances and then turned to Gu Xicao, who was helping Jiang Simin out of the house. A smile spread across his face.

“Well done!”