June 19, 1994, Sunday, cloudy turning clear.
Vincent.
Gu Hao got out of the taxi and was startled to see police tape, several police cars, and busy officers on the roadside. Then he spotted Tai Wei smoking while leaning against a jeep and quickly walked over.
“What’s going on? Calling me out so late at night—”
Tai Wei, who had been peering into the cordoned-off area, turned at the sound of Gu Hao’s voice and gave a wry smile. “Old Gu, thanks for coming.”
Only then did Gu Hao notice that Tai Wei was covered in dust, with a tear in the knee of his pants. “Did you get into a fight?”
“It’s nothing, just arrested someone earlier.” Tai Wei seemed dejected. “Did you bring the blueprints?”
Gu Hao nodded and took out the rainwater network planning map from his shoulder bag, handing it to Tai Wei. After browsing the map, Tai Wei asked, “You said on the phone that you found a place where someone was living?”
“That’s right.”
“But you didn’t see anyone?”
“Mm-hmm.” Gu Hao glanced at the group of working police officers and asked in a low voice, “What’s going on?”
“We tracked down a homeless man, now suspected of being the killer who raped and murdered those three women.” Tai Wei nodded toward the police tape under the streetlight. “We have a lead that he might be living in the rainwater network. So, we want to check out the place you discovered; it might be his hideout.”
“Why not just have him lead the way?”
Tai Wei grimaced. “He was hit by a car while trying to escape. Died on the spot.”
Gu Hao’s eyes widened in shock. “Then what now?”
“Don’t know. Let’s go down and take a look first. Old Gu, can you still find that place?”
“No problem.”
“All right.” Tai Wei turned and called into the cordoned area, “Old Du, Old Du!”
An older police officer straightened up. “What is it?”
Tai Wei waved at him. “Let’s go, down the manhole.”
Gu Hao and Tai Wei walked in front, followed by Old Du and several technicians. Soon, Gu Hao found the manhole between the two green belts in the cultural square. Everyone entered the rainwater network one by one, using flashlights to illuminate their way as they moved silently through the dark, stuffy tunnels.
Guided by memory and the blueprint, Gu Hao found the rainwater storage pool after about fifteen minutes. The circular iron door was open. Old Du was the first to enter, covering his nose and mouth against the foul smell before exclaiming in surprise.
“It’s quite a hidden world down here.”
The setup around the storage pool wasn’t much different from what Gu Hao had seen last time, except for a few more broken bottles on the ground and various items strewn about, giving it a messy appearance.
Tai Wei looked around and asked Old Du, “What’s the plan?”
“Have them collect fingerprints from those bottles and containers.” Old Du instructed the technicians while opening his investigation kit. “I’ll look for hair samples. We’ll know if he lived here once we run the DNA tests.”
The technicians got busy with their tasks. With nothing to do for the moment, Gu Hao and Tai Wei retreated outside the circular iron door, each leaning against the tunnel wall to smoke.
Tai Wei was still in low spirits, quickly discarding several cigarette butts at his feet. Gu Hao glanced at him and asked softly, “Was he hit right in front of you?”
Tai Wei remained silent for a moment, then nodded.
“First time seeing something like that?”
Tai Wei said nothing, reaching for his cigarette pack again.
“You’ll get used to it gradually,” Gu Hao patted his shoulder. “The first time I fired a gun on the battlefield, my hands were shaking…”
“It’s not just because of that.” Tai Wei shook his head. “Old Gu, I just feel something’s not right.”
Gu Hao blinked. “What’s not right?”
“I can’t put my finger on it.” Tai Wei exhaled a puff of smoke and frowned. “I just can’t believe—is this it?”
Gu Hao thought for a moment. “Do you think the killer lived here?”
Tai Wei hesitated. “It’s highly likely.”
Gu Hao’s expression immediately darkened.
Near midnight, the on-site investigation of the rainwater storage pool was completed. Everyone returned to the surface. The police tape under the streetlight had been removed, leaving only white chalk outlines of a human form and a pool of dark red blood that hadn’t fully congealed.
Tai Wei, Gu Hao, and Old Du got into a police car parked by the roadside. Inside, besides Wang Xianjiang, there was a dejected-looking man with a large bruise on his temple. Although he kept his head down, Gu Hao recognized him.
Wang Xianjiang was smoking silently. Seeing them get in, he immediately asked, “Did you find his hideout?”
“We did.” Tai Wei sat down heavily, glanced at the man, and suddenly smiled. “Zhou Xijie, how did it turn out to be you?”
Zhou Xijie’s face was pale, his lips trembling as he stared at Tai Wei, looking terrified.
Wang Xianjiang turned to Old Du. “Any findings?”
“We collected some fingerprints and hair samples. We’ll know after running tests.” Old Du took out several sealed evidence bags from his investigation kit. “There are also some women’s clothes. Have the victims’ families identify them.”
Wang Xianjiang examined a white blouse, his eyes gleaming.
“Send his DNA sample to the Liaoning Provincial Public Security Department as well.”
“All right,” Old Du nodded. “I’ll send it tomorrow.”
Zhou Xijie’s complexion improved slightly, replaced by a confused expression. He tentatively asked, “Officer, what about me…?”
Wang Xianjiang rubbed his face. “Scared, aren’t you?”
“Of course. The traffic police also said I wasn’t violating any rules, I was driving normally, and he suddenly darted out…” Zhou Xijie said urgently. “Even if I had eight eyes, I couldn’t have reacted in time, I…”
“All right, all right,” Wang Xianjiang waved his hand. “Nobody wants this kind of thing to happen.”
He looked at Zhou Xijie’s still-swollen forehead. “Do you want to go to the hospital to get checked?”
“It’s nothing serious, I can go by myself.”
“Okay, you can go home now.” Wang Xianjiang pondered for a moment. “Come to the city bureau tomorrow, there are still some procedures to complete.”
“Understood.” Zhou Xijie visibly relaxed. “Then I’ll be going.”
He got out of the car and left. Wang Xianjiang looked exhausted. He hunched over in thought for a while, then looked up, his gaze sweeping over Tai Wei and Old Du before finally landing on Gu Hao.
“Oh, I forgot to thank you,” he nodded to Gu Hao. “Sorry for troubling you so late at night.”
“Don’t mention it.” Gu Hao’s expression was grave. “Officer Wang, can you be sure the killer is him—the one living in the rainwater storage pool?”
“To be precise, we strongly suspect it’s him,” Wang Xianjiang thought for a moment. “If you’re asking for my personal opinion—it is him.”
Wang Xianjiang picked up the women’s white blouse sealed in the evidence bag. “This shirt looks very similar to one of the victims’ on the day of the incident.”
Gu Hao’s face grew even darker. He let out a soft “Oh” and said no more. Tai Wei, noticing Gu Hao’s strange expression since they’d gone down the manhole, nudged him with his elbow.
“Old Gu, what’s wrong?”
Gu Hao hesitated. “Remember that girl I’ve been looking for?”
“Yes.” Tai Wei also frowned. “You don’t mean…”
“That’s right.” Gu Hao nodded. “I once found her belongings in that rainwater storage pool.”
Darkness. The kind of darkness where you can’t see your hand in front of your face. Sticky. Heavy. Suffocating. The kind of darkness with no boundaries.
The “restricted area” Vincent spoke of wasn’t much different from other parts of the rainwater network. Only a few strips of blue and white plastic tape remained on the circular iron door, and there was a layer of silt on the ground. Other than that, it had the same smell and the same darkness.
At this moment, she sat with her back against the tunnel wall, legs curled up, forehead resting on her knees, motionless. She didn’t want to move, nor could she. It seemed as if the darkness had transformed into invisible ropes, binding her tightly. Although her eyes were shut tight, Vincent’s body flying through the air kept replaying in her mind.
He was dead. This was an unchangeable fact. She never got to say goodbye to him in person. Strangely, she didn’t cry, not even feeling the urge to shed tears. Too much shock filled her heart, seemingly blocking her tear ducts as well.
What had Vincent done?
From his conversation with that man, it appeared Vincent had raped a woman or women, and that man would film it. Then, it seemed he would give Vincent some money.
What happened to that woman or those women afterward?
She suddenly thought of the women’s clothes Vincent had brought her and felt a chill run through her body.
Could it be…
No. It couldn’t be.
She repeatedly denied it in her heart. Vincent couldn’t be that kind of person. Otherwise, how could he have left her untouched during their time together?
But how to explain him carrying that woman back home, and the “cooperation” that man mentioned?
Thinking of that man, although she couldn’t see his face, his voice seemed familiar.
Who was he? Why did he know Vincent? And why had he done such terrible things with Vincent?
When she slid down the iron ladder, and collapsed at the bottom of the well, covering her mouth and shaking all over, her mind had gone blank. After a full ten minutes or so, she shakily stood up and retraced her steps. She needed to find that woman. Because now, the woman was at risk of being silenced.
This wasn’t out of a noble desire to do the right thing. She needed to ask that woman for clarity!
She sprinted back to the “room,” where the woman still lay on her side, seemingly regaining some consciousness and softly moaning. She turned the woman over, intending to wake her. However, when the candlelight illuminated the woman’s face, an even greater shock left her dumbfounded.
The once arrogant and tyrannical person, the one who had driven her into the sewer and ultimately stripped her of everything, now lay powerless before her, covered in dust.
It took several hours to bring the semi-conscious Ma Na to the “restricted area.” After throwing this detestable girl onto the damp, cold floor, she was completely exhausted. Nevertheless, she mustered her remaining strength to remove Ma Na’s branded sneakers, untie the laces, and bind her hands and feet. Then, she struggled to sit against the wall, blew out the candle, curled up, and quietly closed her eyes.
In the darkness, Ma Na gently twisted her body, occasionally emitting hoarse groans. Accustomed to a life of luxury, she must be feeling utterly miserable now. Listening motionlessly, she felt a faint sense of satisfaction growing within her.
Originally, she had planned to bring the woman out of the storm drain network after clarifying the situation. However, from the moment she saw that hateful face, she changed her mind.
“Now you can taste what it’s like,” she thought. “Everything you did to me, I finally have the chance to repay in full.”
She even considered that if she had known it was Ma Na, she might not have come to save her, letting her be silenced instead. However, she still needed Ma Na to reveal everything she knew. Until then, making her suffer a bit longer seemed fitting.
At the same time, that face sparked a glimmer of light in her chaotic mind, clouded by panic, grief, and fear. It was as if a corner of the veil covering her memories had been lifted. Another matter she wanted to clarify became linked to that face. She desperately tried to grasp that thread, following it to find the truth, but often, just as it seemed within reach, it would break, scattering back into the depths of her muddled mind.
Suddenly, the sound of rustling clothes and groans ceased. She opened her eyes, staring into the thick darkness before her. It seemed Ma Na had regained consciousness and was futilely trying to observe her surroundings.
Indeed, a trembling voice came from a few meters away.
“Hey…”
Ma Na coughed a few times, then paused to catch her breath.
“Is… is anyone there?”
This was followed by a startled cry as Ma Na likely just discovered her hands were tied behind her back and her feet were immobilized. The sound of struggling resumed, interspersed with fearful sobs.
She lowered her voice: “Don’t move.”
Instantly, the sounds from ahead ceased. She could imagine Ma Na with eyes wide open, holding her breath, straining to look in her direction.
After a moment, Ma Na asked timidly, “Who… who’s there?”
“How did you get here?”
“Who… who are you?”
“Answer my question.”
Ma Na fell silent for a while, then spoke with a tearful voice: “I don’t know… Where is this place?”
“You answer me first, then I’ll tell you where this is.”
“I don’t know,” Ma Na began to whimper. “I went to meet a friend at the school gate, and as I was walking, someone grabbed me from behind, covered my mouth, and then I don’t remember anything…”
She blurted out: “Fourth Middle School?”
“Yes,” Ma Na hesitated. “How… how do you know?”
“Who were you meeting?”
“My… my classmate.”
“What’s their name?”
“Who… who are you exactly?”
“I asked you what their name is.”
“He’s called Yang Le.”
She fell silent, her confusion growing. Silence gradually filled the darkness between them. After a long while, Ma Na’s hesitant voice came again.
“Are… are you still there?” After waiting a bit with no response, Ma Na cautiously added, “Can you take me out of here?”
Then, this frightened girl hastily added, “I won’t let you down. I have money on me, and my family is very wealthy. If you take me home, my father will surely give you a lot of money.”
Suddenly, she felt enraged.
“Yes, your father is rich. Rich enough to cover up your misdeeds, to make other people’s daughters disappear without a trace!”
“Shut your mouth! Is being rich so great?”
Ma Na’s voice abruptly stopped. However, a few seconds later, her pleading resumed: “Please, okay? If you take me home, you can have whatever you want…”
She closed her eyes again, ignoring her. Seeing no response, Ma Na became more panicked and started shouting for help. The shrill cries echoed in the detention tank, sounding extremely irritating.
“Shut up!” she hissed, “If you shout again, I’ll leave you here for the rats to eat!”
This tactic worked. Ma Na immediately stopped yelling. After a long while, she timidly said, “Then… can you untie me? I… I need to use the bathroom.”
That humiliating scene flashed before her eyes again. Suddenly, the veil was violently lifted. It was as if lightning struck in her mind. The chains of memory linked together, and the shadow of that man was pulled up from the depths of her recollection.
Ma Na was still rambling: “Please? You can just untie my hands.”
“Just wet yourself.”
She spat back viciously. Then, she stood up, ignoring Ma Na’s pleas and cries behind her, and felt her way towards the circular iron door. After passing through the pipe, she closed the door tightly, locking the seal valve.
She wanted to be alone for a while to sort out her chaotic thoughts. Because now, she knew who that man was.
Gu Hao returned home in a daze. Along the way, Tai Wei, aware of his concerns, kept trying to comfort him. Gu Hao stared blankly out the car window, occasionally responding, until he unlocked the door and entered Room 102. Sitting on the bed, looking at the white paper with names written on the wall, a sudden, overwhelming fear gripped him.
He believed in the old detective’s instincts and judgment. A brutal serial killer had been where Su Lin had stayed. He had abducted three women into the sewer, raped and killed them. So, when a helpless high school girl appeared in his underground kingdom, he had no reason to spare her.
Were the school uniform and backpack found in the stormwater detention tank merely her belongings? Like the clothes worn by other victims—the killer’s collected “trophies”?
However, when they went down the well later, why were all the other “trophies” there, but Su Lin’s uniform and backpack were missing?
It’s a pity that the bastard had already been killed in the accident. Otherwise, they could at least have asked him if Su Lin was still alive.
Gu Hao grew increasingly dejected. This feeling of almost grasping something only to have it slip away was terrible.
Just then, the phone suddenly rang. Gu Hao didn’t want to move, letting it ring a few times before reluctantly walking over to pick up the receiver.
“Hello?”
“My goodness, you’re finally home,” Jiang Yushu’s urgent voice came through immediately. “I’ve been calling all night.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Has Su Lin come home?”
“Huh?”
“Tingting saw her today!”
Gu Hao gripped the receiver tightly: “When? Where?”
“This morning. That child is something, causing a scene at an English play, snatching Ma Na’s dress and running off.” Even without seeing her face, Gu Hao could guess Jiang Yushu must be beaming with excitement. “Tingting even helped her. Don’t you think my daughter is brave?”
“Then what happened?”
“Then we don’t know,” Jiang Yushu was still excited. “You should have seen it, many people were chasing her. Tingting helped by holding the door, they barely had time to exchange words.”
Gu Hao suddenly relaxed, feeling his hand holding the receiver trembling.
The girl was still alive. Although he didn’t know how she had escaped from the killer’s hands, at least he could be sure she was safe now.
Jiang Yushu continued chattering: “Even though we offended the principal and Mr. Zhou, I didn’t scold Tingting. I think the child did the right thing, Su Lin has suffered too much. Even if she gets punished for it, we’re not afraid. We can’t let people bully others like this. That Ma girl is too arrogant, I even want to slap her…”
After a while, Jiang Yushu suddenly realized Gu Hao hadn’t spoken. She paused and tentatively asked, “Lao Gu, are you still there?”
Gu Hao quickly said, “Yes, I’m listening.”
Jiang Yushu chuckled, “Am I talking too much?”
“No, no,” Gu Hao laughed too. “I understand how you feel. Tingting is a good child, so righteous.”
” I didn’t expect it either,” came the sound of hair being stroked through the receiver, along with a small “meow”. “I always thought it was good for her to be a well-behaved, proper child. But I also don’t want her to be timid and bullied by others.”
“I have to say, the courage and responsibility Tingting showed exceeded my expectations,” Gu Hao said sincerely. “She has also inherited your kindness and compassion.”
“Don’t say that, we haven’t done much,” Jiang Yushu seemed a bit embarrassed. “So, what do you plan to do next?”
“Of course, continue searching for her until we find her.”
“Mm.” Jiang Yushu suddenly hesitated, “Lao Gu, we might… in the future…”
“It’s okay,” Gu Hao knew her concerns. “You focus on dealing with the lawsuit against your ex-husband. I can manage on my own.”
“All right then. I’m sorry about this.” Jiang Yushu added, “When you find that child, make sure to let me know.”
“No problem. You should get some rest.”
“You too. Goodbye.”
After hanging up the phone, Gu Hao sat back down on the bed. Although the dejection in his heart had been swept away, his confusion hadn’t lessened at all.
The next door was completely silent. If Su Lin had returned home, it would surely be bustling with activity right now. Moreover, it was unlikely she would return to the storm drain network. So where in this vast city could she be?
Gu Hao turned his gaze back to the white paper with names written on the wall until the characters for “Su Lin” began to look unfamiliar.
His late return didn’t surprise his wife. However, the wound on his forehead startled her. She first insisted on going to the hospital, and when he refused, she frantically went to find the medicine box. His in-laws, sleeping upstairs, were also alerted and came down to the living room to check on the situation.
So he sat among them, hands on his knees, and recounted the events of the evening once again. Of course, it was his version of the story.
The performance was disrupted. He was scolded by the principal. He felt depressed. He drove a bit fast but didn’t speed. That person suddenly rushed out. He couldn’t break in time. The traffic police determined it was entirely the deceased’s fault.
No one was hurt, and he bore no legal responsibility. His in-laws quickly set their minds at ease, asked about the damage to the car, and then returned to their room to rest.
He took a careful shower, and when he returned to the living room, he saw the bedside lamp was still on in the bedroom. He hesitated for a moment, didn’t go in, but sat on the sofa and lit a cigarette.
He couldn’t sleep. Not because he had killed the homeless man; this guy’s death didn’t make him feel sorry at all. On the contrary, he felt somewhat relieved. Judging from the police’s attitude, they had already listed the homeless man as a suspect. With him dead, there would be no one to testify against him.
After all, it was the homeless man who had raped those women, strangled them, and even disposed of their bodies. He had only brought them to that rented room under the pretext of looking for photography models or offering them a ride. Even when filming those scenes, he had been careful not to make any sound or show even a trace of himself on camera.
Usually, thinking about those videotapes and photos would make him feel aroused. But at this moment, he couldn’t get excited at all.
Because the police hadn’t found Ma Na in that stormwater detention tank.
He had originally planned to forcibly bring the homeless man back, rape, and kill that annoying little bitch like before. However, when he saw those two people chasing the homeless man, he had no other choice. What he hadn’t expected was that they were police officers. So when he made an excuse to report to the police, intending to return to the sewer to dispose of Ma Na, the older man directly ordered him to stay put.
He could only pretend to be calm, though his answers to questions were still incoherent. However, this perfectly portrayed the expected behavior of an innocent driver who had just killed someone. He was worried about the damning witness underground but unable to leave, he could only silently pray that the effects of the ether would last longer.
However, the police only found handprints, hair, and a few pieces of clothing in the detention tank. This made him secretly call it “lucky” while feeling puzzled at the same time.
Where had that little bitch gone?
Although it was the homeless man who had abducted her into the sewer, and Ma Na seemed to be still unconscious when they arrived at the detention tank, could she have been pretending to be unconscious? What if she had already recognized his voice?
Even though the police hadn’t suspected him yet, he still felt uneasy. As long as this matter wasn’t conclusively settled, that sword would continue to hang over his head.
He began to secretly pray that Ma Na would get lost in the storm drain network and eventually starve or die of thirst there. For him, this would be the best possible outcome.