“It seems Director Ding and the others were right—the killer is a young man, so he couldn’t be the perpetrator from back then.”
“Mm.” Yin Feng said, “Where are you?”
“Still at the station. I’m about to head out to the bathhouse.”
“Have you eaten?”
“I’ll deal with that later,” she said, though it was already noon.
You Mingxu recalled Director Ding’s morning instructions. A thought struck her—there was still an unresolved question about the crime scene that she and Xu Mengshan had noticed yesterday. So she said, “There’s something I’d like your opinion on.”
“Mm.”
You Mingxu described the blood stain on the chair in the corner, far from the bed at the crime scene, then continued, “The victim was strangled to death, only bleeding after death. So why was there just one drop of blood on the chair? Did the killer touch the chair? If he was so meticulous, why would he touch the chair? The victim was knocked unconscious upon entering, so it couldn’t have been from a struggle in the bedroom, right?”
Without hesitation, Yin Feng replied, “Isn’t it obvious? He moved the chair to sit beside the bed and talk with the victim. After their conversation, he killed her and returned the chair—the blood stain was accidentally left then.”
You Mingxu was startled: “Talk? How do you know the killer spoke with her?”
Yin Feng laughed softly, “If the victim was subdued and knocked out right after entering, why would the killer go through the trouble of binding her hands and feet? Because he later woke her up and had a conversation with her before killing her. He’s meticulous, selective, and in complete control—now that his prey is in his hands, this kind of psychological torture is the climax! The vast majority of organized serial killers enjoy this process.”
You Mingxu said, “How do you know he sat in the chair? He could have sat on the bed.”
Yin Feng’s voice turned slightly playful: “Sitting on the bed risks getting blood on himself, while sitting in the chair opposite creates a sense of control and confrontation.”
You Mingxu had no response to that—she had to admit he was right. Although the police investigation now had a clear direction and important progress, You Mingxu felt something was missing, as if there was still a veil of mist between them and the killer’s true intentions. So she said, “Where are you? I want to meet and discuss the case more.”
He said, “Guess.”
You Mingxu couldn’t help but smile: “Really, where are you?” Her voice carried a hint of coquettish complaint she wasn’t even aware of, making Xu Mengshan beside her break out in goosebumps.
Yin Feng said, “Downstairs from you.”
They both fell silent for a few seconds before she casually said, “See you soon.”
He chuckled softly, “See you soon.”
Yin Feng was already well-known at the station—everyone knew he was You Mingxu’s man and held an investigator position, so now the police officers coming and going were used to seeing him walk in unhurriedly.
However, today he wore a thin black jacket and black trousers, lacking the cold severity of criminal investigators, instead appearing fair-skinned and elegant with an air of nobility. Yet he carried a light green insulated lunch box, as if delivering food, which made passersby take second glances.
Yin Feng walked straight ahead, carrying the lunch box in one hand, the other hand in his pocket, as he entered the conference room where You Mingxu was.
Besides You Mingxu, Xu Mengshan and several other core team members were present. They all looked up when he entered. They had been waiting for a while.
Yin Feng inwardly sneered, thinking that his wife had no hesitation in using him. She couldn’t even meet him first to let him feed her the chicken soup that the cook had simmered for eight hours.
His face remained impassive as he set down the chicken soup. You Mingxu glanced at Xu Mengshan, who thought “Why do I have to ask for help just because your husband is here?” but smiled and said, “Teacher Yin, please sit! Sister You mentioned you’ve reviewed the case files. It’s quite special, and we’re currently planning to focus our investigation on several leads. We’d like to hear your opinion.”
Seeing all the seats around You Mingxu were occupied, giving her the air of a big sister leading her brothers, Yin Feng smiled and sat on this side of the table, asking about their investigative approaches.
Xu Mengshan explained them one by one.
Yin Feng then asked, “How much do you understand about the killer now?”
The investigators exchanged glances, and You Mingxu said, “20-30 years old, 180cm tall, shoe size 42-43, lean build. He’s very familiar with the surroundings, meticulous in planning, careful in execution, and highly aware of anti-detection measures. We suspect he harbors intense hatred toward women. Also, since he’s completely copying a case from nineteen years ago, we believe he might have some connection to that case. We’ve arranged for people to find the officers who handled the original case and collect more detailed materials.”
Yin Feng nodded, looking directly at her: “That’s exactly why I’m here—I want to review the more detailed materials from nineteen years ago for comparison. As for the killer, I agree with Axu’s points, but there are several things to note—
First, anyone with a basic understanding of criminal psychology would notice that this killer is a very typical ‘organized’ serial killer. This contrasts with ‘disorganized’ killers, as Axu mentioned—meticulous planning, careful execution, his crimes are purposeful, and he knows how to satisfy himself. However, I have a feeling his actions are too textbook.”
“Textbook?” Xu Mengshan repeated.
Yin Feng answered, “Yes. From target selection to stalking, from planning to execution, even mimicking the signature from nineteen years ago and taking ‘souvenirs’—don’t you think he performed everything perfectly? Besides that surveillance footage silhouette, he left almost no loose ends. It’s almost a perfect crime. He executed everything completely—I think it’s far from master criminal style, as he hasn’t shown any innovation. But it shows craftsmanship, not apprenticeship—meticulous and rigorous.”
The investigators exchanged glances.
You Mingxu looked up at Yin Feng upon hearing his artistic summary. She understood his meaning, just like when they investigated the girl in the black box in Huaicheng, he had said—the killer was an artisan with a common touch. That proved to be true.
Now, what did textbook, perfect, complete, apprentice spirit imply?
You Mingxu immediately asked, “Then what do you think his identity might be?”
Yin Feng’s eyes flickered with an indescribable meaning—something the rough investigators wouldn’t notice, but You Mingxu thought: Why are you flirting at a time like this? You never stop for a moment.