Deadly Chain

In just a short hour of questioning, the case was wrapped up.

Everyone was surprised, while Mo Lin quietly walked out of the Interrogation Room and headed to the restroom.

His powerful empathy often made him overly involved, and he couldn’t completely shake off the emotions from earlier.

Just moments ago, he had put himself in the shoes of the killer, recalling the details of the crime scene with the murderer.

Every detail was still vivid in his mind.

Cold water splashed on his face, making him a bit more clear-headed.

Looking at himself in the mirror, his hair was wet, and water dripped from his chin into the sink, making a crisp sound.

At this moment, someone walked in. The serious police uniform was worn by him in a way that gave it a “uniform” feel. Gu Yuan hesitated, wondering whether to go in or not. After standing at the door for two seconds, he decided to leave first.

“You’ve already come in, why not finish your business before leaving?” Mo Lin flashed his peacock-like smile again.

Gu Yuan paused his steps, turned his back to him, and asked, “Are you done?”

Mo Lin thought: The restroom is so big, I shouldn’t be bothering you, right? But he said, “What, not used to being watched?”

“Not used to it.”

“We’re all men.”

“It has nothing to do with gender.”

“Then what’s it about?”

“We’re not familiar.”

Seeing Gu Yuan standing at the restroom door with his hands in his pockets, Mo Lin decided not to tease him anymore. He grabbed two pieces of paper to dry his hands and walked out. 

When he reached Gu Yuan, his dazzling long legs suddenly stopped, and the owner of the body leaned down, closing the distance between them. 

“It’s okay, we’ll get familiar over time.”

Gu Yuan’s eyebrows drooped: “I’m not deaf, don’t get so close.”

Mo Lin had to step back a bit, still smiling: “The premise is, you have to give me a chance to chat with you.”

“I don’t like chatting.”

“No problem, I can chat, and I won’t let it get awkward. Can I treat you to lunch, and we can discuss the case?”

“Isn’t the case already closed?” Gu Yuan was a bit impatient.

“I’m talking about the serial murder case.”

Hearing about the serial murder case, Gu Yuan’s brows furrowed: “I’ll keep an eye on that forum, if there’s nothing else, I’ll leave now.”

“Wait a minute!” Mo Lin placed a hand on his shoulder.

Gu Yuan instinctively grabbed the “salty pig hand” on his shoulder and aimed to give the other person a heavy blow in the armpit along the direction of the arm.

Mo Lin obviously didn’t expect Gu Yuan to suddenly strike, but his reaction was quick. He used his other hand to counter-lock Gu Yuan’s arm with a grappling technique.

“Don’t touch me!”

“Okay, okay, I won’t touch!”

Mo Lin immediately let go, raising his hands above his shoulders and taking a step back.

Mo Lin stepped back, his foot against the wall: “How about we go to a restaurant and talk slowly?”

Gu Yuan adjusted his police uniform: “What else is there to say?”

“I haven’t said anything yet, how do you know there’s nothing to say? You’re too tense, I’m not a bad guy.”

Gu Yuan’s tension came from his social anxiety. With unfamiliar people, he didn’t want to explain anything.

“You’re very childish!” Gu Yuan said.

“I’m not childish with everyone.”

Gu Yuan found this person very difficult to deal with. Anyway, the case was over, and Mo Lin wouldn’t stay here long. Although eating with unfamiliar people would be uncomfortable, being pestered by him would be even more uncomfortable.

Gu Yuan washed his hands under Mo Lin’s watchful eyes, then wiped them as he walked out: “Lead the way.”

*

The air in the underground parking lot wasn’t great, and being in an enclosed space made Gu Yuan uncomfortable. Mo Lin, who had fastened his seatbelt, observed through the rearview mirror that Gu Yuan, sitting in the back, was starting to look pale again, his red lips losing most of their color.

He recalled that in the Interrogation Room earlier, Gu Yuan had also turned pale for no reason, with cold sweat on his forehead.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, just drive,” he said irritably.

Gu Yuan’s words confirmed Mo Lin’s suspicion. This guy seemed to really dislike enclosed spaces.

Mo Lin rolled down all four windows and drove towards the exit at a fast speed, allowing the air to circulate. Gu Yuan closed his eyes, trying to regulate his breathing. Feeling a bit of cool wind, his breathing gradually calmed. When he opened his eyes again, he saw ginkgo trees retreating behind them.

He felt much better. The annoying guy driving, when quiet, didn’t seem so bothersome.

The car slowly drove into a High-end Community and finally stopped in a private garage.

“We’re here, get out.”

“What is this place?”

“My home.”

“Why did you bring me here?”

“Because it shows more sincerity.”

Mo Lin opened the car’s back door, placing a hand on the door: “Reluctant to get out?”

Long, slender legs stretched out from the car. Once he stood up, he slowly raised his head, meeting those narrow eyes. Those eyes seemed bottomless, filled with emotions Gu Yuan couldn’t understand.

“The files on the serial murder case are at my place. You can go up and take a look while I cook.”

Mo Lin walked ahead, and Gu Yuan followed him into the elevator. The elevator ascended quickly, but for Gu Yuan, time seemed to slow down many times over.

“Ding!”

The elevator stopped on the 22nd floor. Mo Lin entered the password and then opened the door, inviting him in.

Everywhere he looked was a black, white, and gray combination, simple yet luxurious. The living room was filled with green potted plants, and a “fat orange” cat lay on the balcony. The white printed curtains fluttered slightly in the breeze, turning the afternoon sunlight into warm spots.

Seeing its owner return, the fat orange cat stretched lazily, rubbed against his leg, meowed twice, and then walked lightly towards Gu Yuan standing at the door. It sniffed him, then looked up with big, adorable eyes.

“Meow~”

Mo Lin actually had a cat. Always dressed in suits, who would’ve thought he’d have such a cute pet?

Gu Yuan didn’t like interacting with people, but he did like cats. He bent down, petting the furry head all the way to the tip of its tail.

Mo Lin smiled, unbuttoned his suit, rolled up his sleeves, and went into the kitchen: “The files are in the folder on the coffee table, take a look yourself.”

Gu Yuan changed into disposable slippers, walked to the sofa, and saw a folder on the coffee table. Opening it, he found a thick stack of documents and related photos.

The cases all happened in Lianchi City. From February to April, there were three criminal cases, all involving female victims around 20 years old.

The first woman, an air hostess, was found dead in her bed at home, completely naked. Her hands were crossed over her chest, her nails meticulously trimmed and painted bright red. Her long black hair spread out on the white sheets, each strand seemingly arranged, making her look as if she were asleep.

It was evident the deceased wore light makeup, her lips painted with lipstick, and red rose petals were carefully scattered around her. It looked like some kind of ritual from a movie.

As a forensic doctor, Gu Yuan instinctively judged the cause of death. Because the killer had carefully applied makeup to the corpse, many direct causes of death were obscured. Nevertheless, he noticed the girl’s toenails had a bluish-purple hue.

This was a typical sign of hypoxia.

The autopsy report stated: A large dose of sleeping pills led to respiratory muscle paralysis, causing hypoxia and death.

The next photo showed someone moving the deceased’s mouth, revealing a wax block in the groove under the tongue. The following photo recorded the printed words on the wax block: “First Night.”

The second woman, a kindergarten teacher, was found naked, hanged by a noose. Her eyes were bloodshot and protruding, her tongue extended beyond her lips, her face covered in petechiae, and dark purple bruises encircled her neck from the noose. The cause of death was obvious.

When the body was moved, a wax block fell from the deceased’s mouth, with the word: “Game.”

Cause of death: Asphyxiation.

The third woman, a nurse, was also stripped naked by the killer and found in a discarded hospital storage room. The body had developed a greenish-blue putrefaction network, the corneas were cloudy, the abdomen severely bloated, and there was excrement below the anus.

It was likely due to excessive abdominal pressure, causing the anal sphincter to relax and excrement to leak out.

Even just looking at the photos, Gu Yuan could imagine the terrible smell of decay.

Similarly, an identical wax block was found under the deceased’s tongue, with the word: “Lie.”

The forensic doctor wrote in the cause of death section: Air embolism leading to hypoxia and asphyxiation.

Attached below was a photo of the heart after dissection.

The forum used many words to describe air embolism. Injecting a large amount of air into a person’s veins, the air would circulate with the blood to the heart, forming cavities. With the heart’s repeated beating, suction, and blood ejection, a lot of foam would form, making it difficult for blood to be pumped out, leading to hypoxia and gradual death.

Gu Yuan put down the photos and flipped through other related materials. The thick stack would take a whole day to read through.

At this moment, Mo Lin brought out steaks from the kitchen, beautifully presented with red and green vegetables as garnish.

“What sauce do you want?”

“I’m okay with anything.”

Gu Yuan’s mind wasn’t on eating at all. As rumored, these cases indeed seemed like serial murders, and the killer conveyed some kind of concept through the three corpses.

First Night, Game, Lie.

When these words were associated with cold corpses, it gave a chilling feeling.

Mo Lin poured black pepper sauce and mushroom sauce into two delicate dishes: “It’s made simply, try it and see if it suits your taste.”

Gu Yuan put down the files, went to the bathroom to wash his hands, and then sat opposite Mo Lin.

He glanced at the beef on the plate, the fine muscle fibers and white fat intertwined, looking like snowflakes sprinkled on the meat.

Gu Yuan didn’t expect to eat Japanese Wagyu beef in his hometown. This type of beef was expensive, and he was so generous!

“Actually, eating this kind of steak without sauce is fresher… just sprinkle some salt…” Mo Lin carefully wiped the washed utensils before handing them to him: “There aren’t many ingredients at home, and the utensils haven’t been used much.”

It was evident that his skill in cooking steak was quite advanced, mastering the heat perfectly, something Gu Yuan hadn’t expected at all.