The surroundings remained hushed, with colleagues working tensely in subdued silence. Yet she felt suddenly transported to some desolate wilderness, overwhelmed by emptiness.

Xu Mengshan noticed her disturbed expression: “What’s wrong?”

You Mingxu replied: “It’s complicated. I’ll show you some materials later. For now, we must examine this place thoroughly!”

The forensics team and medical examiner had arrived, and a heavy atmosphere hung over the entire apartment.

You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan habitually started from the beginning to establish clear logic.

First, Luo Ting got off work at 2 AM the night before last, and took the night bus home, arriving around 2:30 AM. She had died before 10:30 AM yesterday. The exact time would await the medical examiner’s report.

You Mingxu said: “Go ask the roommate if Luo Ting has been close to any men recently?”

Xu Mengshan went downstairs. The roommate was waiting below with the police.

While he was gone, You Mingxu re-examined the door inside and out, then called Little Yan and sent photos, confirming that not only were there no signs of forced entry, but also no evidence of lock-picking tools being used.

Xu Mengshan returned, saying: “The roommate says Luo Ting was single and hadn’t been close to anyone recently. She would’ve known if there was someone. I don’t find her suspicious.”

Of course, whether the roommate was suspect and her statements reliable would be verified from other angles by the police. But if this assumption held, it likely wasn’t someone familiar with the victim.

Xu Mengshan and You Mingxu both fell into contemplation. If it wasn’t someone she knew, and there was no lock-picking, with Luo Ting sleeping during that time, how did the killer get in?

Both recalled a similar previous home invasion case.

“Followed her in?” You Mingxu suggested.

Xu Mengshan’s eyes lit up: “Very possible. Many people live in this building. Entering or leaving after daybreak would be risky. But from the scene, he stayed for some time. Following the victim in would be the optimal time window. I’ll have someone check nearby surveillance footage around 2:30 AM, and see if we can find witnesses.”

You Mingxu nodded, saying: “If he did follow her in, with no obvious signs of struggle and no other injuries on the victim, the killer must have subdued her instantly.”

Xu Mengshan: “Could he have used a sedative?”

You Mingxu: “Possible, we’ll wait for the autopsy results.”

In these few exchanges, their clear logic established their first investigative focus: the stalker in the surveillance footage around 2:30 AM.

They returned to the living room, finding no clues after careful examination. Everything was neatly arranged, typical of two single girls’ cozy home. The forensics team reported finding no suspicious footprints, blood stains, or hair. As for fingerprints, most belonged to two people, presumably the two girls. They weren’t optimistic about finding a third person’s prints.

Back in the bedroom.

On the first entry, everyone’s attention was drawn to the corpse. This time, You Mingxu focused more on other items in the room.

The curtains were light pink, giving off a girlish feel. There was a desk with a chair in the corner. No books on the desk, just an anime-themed calendar. You Mingxu picked it up and flipped through it, finding Luo Ting had marked all her work shifts and rest days. There were special notes too, like her mother’s birthday and colleague gatherings from last month. Clearly a very meticulous girl.

You Mingxu opened the wardrobe, finding only two backpacks and clothes. The style was conservative, nothing flashy or revealing.

As she crouched by the bedside examining the nightstand contents, a forensics colleague approached, saying: “There’s something.”

You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan both stood up.

The forensics officer led them to the corner, pointing at the chair: “The killer was very careful. Besides the bed, there’s no blood anywhere else in the room. But on this chair’s back, we found one fresh blood drop, which we’ve collected.”

Xu Mengshan stroked his chin thoughtfully.

You Mingxu examined the chair closely, indeed seeing a bright red blood drop on the backrest. Though dried, it was fresh as the forensics officer said, likely from the night before last.

This discovery energized You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan.

If it was the killer’s blood, that would be excellent.

However, You Mingxu felt this unlikely, as nothing indicated the killer was injured. If it was Luo Ting’s blood…

You Mingxu stood by the chair, glancing at the bed at least one and a half meters away. Interesting – how did blood get here? And just one drop, definitely not spatter, but accidentally smeared.

—

That afternoon and evening, police quickly completed the scene investigation and preliminary inquiry.

First, Luo Ting was from this province, working in Xiangcheng as a masseuse for two years. Her bathhouse workplace was 3 kilometers from home, and she always took the night bus home after late shifts alone.

The roommate’s alibi was confirmed, with no motive for murder. Luo Ting’s death had deeply shocked her. The roommate’s statements were verified – parents, bathhouse colleagues, and other friends all confirmed Luo Ting had no boyfriend and hadn’t been close to any men recently.

Luo Ting was extremely honest, hardworking, well-behaved, and gentle with others. Though not outstanding at the bathhouse, she never made enemies. Her family situation was simple, with her parents being ordinary working-class people in a small city.

When killed, she had over 100,000 yuan in savings, with no financial burdens or loans.

This ruled out crimes of passion, random killing, and financial disputes.

Additionally, the medical examiner provided detailed autopsy results: Luo Ting’s exact time of death was between 4:30 and 5:30 AM yesterday (Saturday morning). The cause of death was asphyxiation by rope. The ligature marks suggested common coarse hemp rope, making the source difficult to trace.

Both breasts were removed and taken, not found at the scene. The genital injuries were caused by a dagger-like sharp weapon. Both injuries were post-mortem.

No signs of sexual assault.

Furthermore, the medical examiner found traces of a neuromuscular paralytic drug in Luo Ting’s system, likely inhaled nasally.

However, this paralytic was available at major hospitals, and though prescription-required, could be obtained through private clinics or the black market. Thus, the drug’s source couldn’t be immediately traced.