Chapter 8

After Jiang Li had sent everyone out, the large office became unusually quiet. Cai Chengji had taken some people to the technical team to continue reviewing surveillance footage, so Su Yan pulled out a professional book on criminal investigation from her drawer and began reading.

A while later, the phone beside her rang. The overly girlish ringtone made Su Yan’s expression turn slightly helpless, and when she saw the caller ID, her lips pressed even tighter. “Hello… Mom…”

“Take the afternoon off and come to Skysea Pavilion. Your father and I have arranged to have dinner there with Aunt Li’s family,” Zheng Hui’s voice, even through the receiver, carried an unyielding firmness.

“I’m a bit busy at work today… Maybe you should go ahead without me?” Su Yan hadn’t expected Yan Fei to agree to continue the blind date after last night, though upon reflection, it made sense. Given her father’s influential status in Nan City’s business world, most people wouldn’t easily give up on his daughter—even if she were a harpy. Perhaps the suddenness of yesterday’s situation had momentarily shocked the guy, but upon reconsideration, he’d found it wasn’t such a big deal.

“Busy with what? Busy with what?!” Zheng Hui spoke rapidly. “You’re just an intern—do you really think the police department can’t function without you? And let’s not forget, we still haven’t settled the score with you for sneaking off to enroll in the police academy behind our backs. Do you actually plan to become a cop after graduation? Hurry up and start learning the ropes at the company. Who knows when some illegitimate children might pop up out of nowhere—then we’ll have nowhere left to cry.”

Without warning, Su Yan felt a sudden tightness in her chest, her heartbeat racing while her hands and feet turned icy. This surge of emotion was so abrupt it caught her off guard—clearly not her own feelings, but rather this body’s instinctive resistance to Zheng Hui’s words.

Living in this so-called “wealthy family” didn’t seem as carefree as outsiders might assume. After taking a few deep breaths, she spoke again, her tone steady. “Alright, I understand.”

Only then did Zheng Hui relent, adding a few more pointed reminders before hanging up, satisfied.

Su Yan clutched her phone in silence for a moment, finding herself unable to focus on a single word in the book before her. She had never imagined that having both parents could still make life so… complicated.

Just then, the office door swung open as Jiang Li walked in with Cai Chengji in tow.

“So, Jiang Dui, you’re saying Zhong Yu—the first victim found in Da’an Village—wasn’t actually the first victim in the true sense?” Cai Chengji pressed, following closely behind Jiang Li.

“Mm.” Jiang Li nodded, tossing a file folder onto the table. “I pulled all unsolved homicide cases from eight years ago within Nan City’s jurisdiction and found these three. Do they look familiar?”

Cai Chengji pulled out several case files and archived crime scene photos from the folder.

Unnoticed by either of them, Su Yan had appeared behind them at some point, holding a water cup.

“The earliest case occurred nearly a decade ago, with the body dumped in an alley on Sanyuan Street in the old city district.” Jiang Li explained while pointing at the photo Cai Chengji was holding. “The victim died from a violent blow to the back of the neck. Although there wasn’t much blood at the scene, the condition of the corpse was enough to prove the killer’s brutality. Don’t the clothes on the victim look familiar?”

Though the photo quality couldn’t compare to today’s standards, it was clear enough for detailed examination. Cai Chengji studied it intently and indeed noticed the victim’s dress had a distinctly dated style, strikingly similar to the red floral dress worn by Zhong Yu, the first victim from Great Peace Village.

“This might actually be the killer’s first crime,” Jiang Li continued. “Both the murder method and crime scene show signs of inexperience.” Unfortunately, surveillance camera coverage in Nan City’s streets was minimal nearly ten years ago, leaving the case unsolved and eventually cold.

About nine months later, a second murder with similar characteristics emerged. After lying low for over half a year, the killer had upgraded both methods and tools. This victim died from an air embolism injection, though the neck still bore obvious trauma from an uncontrolled strike.

The only connection to the first case was the victim’s clothing. Regrettably, police failed to link them initially because different precincts handled the cases due to separate dump sites, preventing combined investigation.

Six months later came a third murder near the second location, showing perfected technique with fewer clues. Since the same detective unit handled these two, they were eventually connected, prompting a dedicated task force.

“Following this timeline…” Cai Chengji scratched his head. “Soon after the third crime, Zhang Liang was imprisoned for aggravated assault. That perfectly explains why the killer went dormant for years before resuming.”

External circumstances had forced the killer to stop.

“Caibao, arrange the surveillance review team, then join me visiting the old district precinct and Changtai County police station.” These were the original investigative units for the three cases. Having joined the force less than eight years ago, Jiang Li needed firsthand details.

“Roger!” Cai Chengji acknowledged before hurriedly exiting.

Turning around, Jiang Li noticed Su Yan leaning against a desk nearby, absently cradling a rabbit-shaped mug. Steam from the hot water softened her features as she seemed lost in thought.

“You’re coming with me,” he stated.

Su Yan blinked, surprised. “Huh?”

“What, do you have something to do?” Jiang Li raised an eyebrow. “You can attend to your own matters then.”

Buzz… buzz… buzz…

Su Yan had just set her phone to vibrate mode. Returning to her desk, she saw the characters “Mom” flashing on the screen. Expressionless, she silenced the vibration and slipped the phone into her pocket before turning back with a smile. “Team Leader Jiang, I’m fine.”

Jiang Li gave her another glance, as if confirming something, then nodded. “We leave in five minutes.”

…

After visiting two police stations, the information they gathered wasn’t optimistic. On the way back from Changtai County to the city, Cai Chengji even found time to call Xiang Yang. Things seemed calm in Great Peace Village, with no signs of anything unusual.

After hanging up, Cai Chengji muttered, “We’ve been visiting Great Peace Village so frequently lately. At this point, even if Xiang Yang sets up surveillance, it’s unlikely he’ll find anything new. With Zhang Liang’s leg condition preventing him from traveling far, he’d have to keep a low profile.”

Jiang Li, driving, didn’t respond. Su Yan, sitting in the back seat with her chin propped on her hand, gazed out the window and spoke as if casually, “The interval between the first and second cases was nine months, six months between the second and third, and a full eight years between the third and fourth. But between the fourth and fifth, it was less than a month. The first three cases already showed the killer’s cooling-off period was gradually shortening. Who knew an unexpected event would force such a long pause? So after resuming, he’s become unable to control himself.”

“If he’s in this kind of frenzied state now, he’s bound to do something that could expose him.”

As she finished speaking, Jiang Li glanced at her through the rearview mirror, the corner of his mouth quirking slightly in tacit agreement with her analysis.

Cai Chengji, however, twisted around in surprise. “Hey! Didn’t expect you to pick up so much after just a few days with the Special Task Force. Your grasp of the theory is solid! Were you top of your class in school too?”

Su Yan blinked. “It’s all thanks to Team Leader Jiang and Brother Cai’s guidance.” Her face remained expressionless as she spoke, even with a faint twitch at her temple, making her words sound anything but sincere.

Even so, Cai Chengji basked in self-satisfaction, straightening up and swaying his head smugly.

“We still need to visit the police station that handled Zhang Liang’s assault case…” Jiang Li checked the time—already past three in the afternoon. “Once we’re back in the city, let’s grab a quick bite somewhere, then head there.”

Buzz… buzz…

The phone vibrated insistently in her pocket, making her thigh go numb. Su Yan calmly declined the call and smiled in agreement with Jiang Li’s suggestion.

After a brief discussion, the three unanimously decided to grab fast food like burgers and eat in the car before heading straight to the station. Once they reached the downtown area, Jiang Li pulled up to the nearest fast-food joint, parking haphazardly by the entrance. After confirming Su Yan’s order, he and Cai Chengji went inside to get the food.

Irritated by the phone buzzing in her pocket, Su Yan simply turned it off. Sitting in the car, she took a moment to orient herself. The location didn’t seem too far from the police station Jiang Li had mentioned earlier—just a twenty-minute drive away.

She rolled down the window to let in fresh air, only to be hit by waves of heat. Unbothered, she squinted up at the sky.

Just then, a commotion erupted as a group of people came running down the street. Leading the pack was a middle-aged man in his forties, his face flushed from exertion. He knocked over several pedestrians in his path, drawing loud curses—until those same onlookers caught sight of the bloodied knife in his hand and promptly swallowed their next words.

Behind the man, a few figures gave chase. Su Yan leaned out slightly and, after a couple of seconds, recognized them as members of the city bureau’s Special Task Force—another team led by Deputy Captain Lü Li, currently handling the June 13 knife homicide case.

That meant the fleeing man was likely the suspect.

Bang!

Without hesitation, Su Yan flung open the car door, jumped out, and slammed it shut behind her before sprinting straight toward the man.

By the time Jiang Li and Cai Chengji emerged with bags of food, all they heard was the car door slamming and caught a fleeting glimpse of a figure darting away.

The panicked suspect skidded to a halt at the sight of the young woman charging toward him. He couldn’t be sure if she was an officer, but he wasn’t taking chances. Swerving abruptly, he vaulted over the roadside railing and bolted into the busy street, causing several cars to swerve and scrape against each other.

“Stop!” Lü Li bellowed, preparing to hurdle the railing with his team. But before they could move, a blur shot past them—Su Yan, clearing the obstacle like a hurdler, closed the gap between her and the suspect with alarming speed.

The wide road was divided by three barriers, yet Su Yan effortlessly vaulted over each one with a single push of her left hand. The distance between them shrank rapidly.

Meanwhile, in a private room on the third floor of Skysea Pavilion, Zheng Hui and Su Shiming exchanged strained pleasantries with their guests. Zheng Hui clenched her jaw, having tried her daughter’s phone yet again—still off. She cursed Su Yan silently for the umpteenth time but maintained a polite smile.

As the awkward dinner neared its end, Yan Fei excused himself to visit the restroom. Passing by the floor-to-ceiling window, he suddenly froze, staring intently before pointing with a trembling hand. “Uncle, Auntie… is that Miss Su?”

Zheng Hui and Su Shiming hurried over, followed by Yan Fei’s parents. All five watched the chaos unfold below: cars screeching, bystanders scattering—and a young woman in a denim jacket and athletic pants, her ponytail swinging, effortlessly leaping over multiple barriers before tackling the suspect onto the sidewalk.

A series of precise and forceful movements disarmed the suspect of his weapon. The middle-aged man, who looked to weigh at least 170 pounds, was pinned down effortlessly by her petite frame.  

Perhaps dissatisfied with his continued struggling, Su Yan tightened her grip on his wrist, applying pressure.  

The man’s piercing scream… could be heard clearly even from inside the house.  

Yan Fei’s parents: …  

Zheng Hui and Su Shiming: …  

Yan Fei: …This is just too much…