Wednesday, June 22, 1994. Clear.
After spending a long time in darkness, one’s sense of smell and hearing becomes exceptionally acute. I was once like that. Now, Mana is too.
These days, I just toss food near her, and she’ll crawl over, sniffing, to devour it ravenously. She reeks now, though I wonder if her nose is equally sensitive to her stench.
One thing she didn’t lie about was having a lot of money. This has been our source of sustenance for the past few days.
I don’t dare stay in one place for too long. I can also guess why Vincent considered that place a “forbidden zone.” We change hiding spots in different branch pipes several times a day. Each time I blindfold Mana to move her, she’s terrified, fearing I’ll kill her or abandon her.
Truthfully, I’ve considered it. Everything I’ve endured is because of her. She reduced my life to nothing, yet lived comfortably and arrogantly. God knows how many times I’ve wanted to hold her head underwater in the pipe or just leave her behind. But I haven’t.
In reality, I don’t know what I want to do. I don’t know why I’m hiding with her in the rainwater network. These past few days, my mind has alternated between complete blankness and utter chaos. I think of Teacher Zhou, struggling to reconcile his image with that of a depraved demon. I think of Yang Le, wondering why he wanted to meet Mana. I also think of the girl who helped me escape—I don’t even know her name.
Most often, I think of Vincent. Especially when I wake from brief slumbers, it takes time to regain consciousness, and then my heart sinks deeply.
The first thought that surfaces is that Vincent is gone. This makes me realize that heartache isn’t just a metaphor, but a tangible pain—one that makes breathing impossible and forces you to curl up.
I regret not boarding a random train to leave this city; that way, I wouldn’t have witnessed his death. Then I felt a small comfort, knowing the last impression I left him with was of me clean, neat, and smiling. But I know this isn’t fair to him. In Vincent’s heart, I’ll always be the Little Blue he was willing to fight for until he was bloodied. And I know everything he’s done.
Yet, this doesn’t diminish my longing for him one bit. To the world, he might be heinously criminal; to me, he’s the gentlest, kindest Vincent. It might sound ridiculous, but I received something I’d never had before from a killer—something that could be called love.
When everyone else treated me as dispensable, he alone treasured me.
The highest happiness in life is the certainty of being loved.
This love weighs heavily on my shoulders. I finally understand why I’m still lingering in these underground rainwater pipes.
I want to do something for Vincent. Not for any other reason, just for him.
After sleeping well for two days at home and enjoying several delicious meals prepared by his wife, Xianjiang Wang felt his energy and strength restored. He leisurely arrived at the city police station at 8:30 AM.
As soon as he entered, a young police officer excitedly approached him: “Old Wang, you’re finally here.”
Wang remained expressionless: “What’s the matter?”
“Remember those pieces of evidence found in the rainwater storage pool under the museum?” The young officer’s eyes sparkled. “The tech team worked hard and finally lifted a fingerprint from that wallet. Guess what?”
“Hmm?”
“It matches the homeless man who was hit by the car!”
“Oh, I see.”
Wang maintained his calm demeanor and walked towards the task force office with his hands behind his back.
Not getting the expected reaction from Wang, the young officer’s expression faltered: “Old Wang, you’ve made a breakthrough this time.”
“That guy was a scavenger. His fingerprints on the wallet don’t conclusively prove anything,” Wang chuckled. “Let’s wait a bit longer.”
As they were talking, a commotion suddenly erupted at the entrance. Wang looked over to see a middle-aged man in casual business attire, holding an elegant briefcase in one hand and gripping a struggling boy with the other, barging in.
“Is anyone in charge here? I need to report a case!” The middle-aged man’s face was flushed as he shouted.
The young officer approached him: “What are you yelling about? What case do you want to report?”
The middle-aged man glanced at him: “I’m not talking to you.”
He then scanned the first floor of the office building, finally fixing his gaze on Wang.
“Old comrade, you must be an official, right?” The middle-aged man shoved the boy in front of Wang. “I need to report a case!”
Wang frowned: “Calm down and tell me what happened.”
“My daughter is missing,” the middle-aged man said with a twisted expression, pointing at the boy. “He’s responsible!”
The boy rubbed his shoulder and retorted irritably: “Uncle Ma, you can’t falsely accuse me like this.”
Wang grew more confused: “What’s your daughter’s name? How old is she? Where did she go missing?”
“My daughter’s name is Mana. She’s 17, a student at No. 4 High School,” the middle-aged man roughly pushed the boy again. “She disappeared the night before last. Ask him about the rest!”
The boy also became agitated: “Uncle Ma, I don’t know where Mana is!”
“You’re Freaking lying!” The middle-aged man raised his hand to strike. “Mana put on makeup especially to go out. Who else would she be meeting if not you?”
Wang quickly intervened. The middle-aged man persisted: “I asked the school guard. You were hanging around the school gate that night!”
“I did arrange to meet someone at the school gate,” the boy hurriedly explained, “but it wasn’t Mana.”
Wang looked at the boy: “And who are you?”
Before the boy could answer, the middle-aged man interjected: “Yang Le, from No. 4 High School, in the same class as my daughter.”
Wang turned to him: “Listen, your daughter went missing the night before last, and you’re only reporting it now?”
“I reported it that very night,” the middle-aged man’s eyes widened. “It was almost midnight, and my daughter hadn’t returned. How could I not report it?”
“Where did you report it?”
“Caita Street Police Station.”
“Then why are you causing a scene here instead of following up with them?”
“A damn local police station is useless! Two days and not a single piece of news.” The middle-aged man angrily pointed at Wang. “I don’t care how high-ranking you are, you must take this seriously! In broad daylight, a young girl just vanishes. What are you police good for? Don’t you feel ashamed spending taxpayers’ money?”
Wang inwardly sighed, realizing he was dealing with an unreasonable person.
“I’m not an official. Coming to me won’t help,” he called over the young police officer and said quietly, “Take him to the Public Security Division and check on the situation with Caita Street Police Station.”
The young officer reluctantly pursed his lips and waved at the middle-aged man: “Come with me.”
The middle-aged man grabbed the boy’s collar again and strode after the young officer towards the stairwell.
Wang went directly to the task force office. Opening the door, he found the room empty. He sat at the long conference table, looking at the mountain of files and documents in front of him, and slowly smoked a cigarette.
He wondered where that kid Dawei had gone, with no news for two days. There was still a lot of follow-up work to do, which seemed would fall to him alone. However, he was in a good mood, finding a sense of solitary enjoyment in sorting through the files and documents rather than feeling burdened.
Admittedly, discovering the homeless man’s fingerprint on the wallet excited him a bit. But years of criminal investigation experience told him it was too early to claim victory until everything was certain. Otherwise, the taste of embarrassment would be bitter.
With the case progressing to this point, he had the patience to wait. Moreover, he was internally confident that good news was coming.
So, organizing the files and documents took on a bittersweet quality. Yes, these dry forms and data could prove how they had inched towards the truth from a starting point of no leads.
As he was enjoying this process, the office door opened. Deputy Director Hu strode in, followed by a group of colleagues, including Dawei.
Wang put down the file in his hand and stared at them wide-eyed: “What’s this…?”
Immediately, his heart began to race.
Deputy Director Hu cleared his throat: “Old Wang, we just received a forensic conclusion from the Liaoning Provincial Department.”
He waved a sheet of paper in his hand: “The DNA from the semen found in the victim matches the DNA of the homeless man.”
The office fell silent. Wang stared at Deputy Director Hu expressionlessly, his body suddenly swaying. He leaned against the long conference table, lowered his eyes, and reached for his cigarette case.
“Oh, that’s good.”
Deputy Director Hu stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly cursed and kicked towards him.
“You old bastard, still trying to act cool?”
Wang finally smiled. The office instantly erupted in cheers. It seemed everyone was a victor, each enjoying the joy of solving the case.
Only Dawei stood outside the laughing crowd, quietly watching his mentor.
Wang’s gaze met his, and the smile on his face slightly diminished. He thought for a moment, then spoke: “Solving this case isn’t just my and Dawei’s achievement. First, we must thank Deputy Director Hu for his strong leadership and great support…” He raised his voice, “as well as the full cooperation and tacit understanding of all our colleagues.”
The cheering abruptly subsided. Most people’s faces showed awkward expressions, and those eager gazes began to avoid eye contact.
Wang found the face of Old Du, the forensic expert, and nodded to him: “Old Du, I sincerely thank you, brother.”
Old Du waved his hand: “Hey, we’re on the same team. No need for thanks.”
Deputy Director Hu shook his head helplessly and began to smooth things over: “Save the thanks for the celebration. Help Old Wang organize the materials now.”
Everyone looked at each other hesitantly, then started to come forward to help. However, Wang raised his hand to stop them, his tone firm.
“No need to trouble you all,” his expression was half-smiling. “Dawei and I put these together bit by bit. You don’t know which parts are useful, so we’ll handle it ourselves.”
The office fell silent again. All eyes turned to Deputy Director Hu. He coughed twice and waved his hand: “Alright, then leave the wrap-up work to you two. Make sure to file everything promptly when you’re done.”
Wang’s expression became solemn: “We’ll complete the task without fail.”
Deputy Director Hu led the way out: “You two get busy then. Let the bureau know if you need anything.”
At the door, he turned back to look at Wang: “Old Wang.”
Wang raised his eyes: “Hmm?”
“You did an excellent job this time,” Deputy Director Hu pointed at him. “I’ll fulfill what I promised.”
Wang nodded and smiled: “It’s up to you.”
Soon, only Wang and Dawei were left in the office. Wang leaned on the table, looking at the pile of files and documents, shaking his head with a bitter smile.
“Damn, I shouldn’t have boasted earlier,” he said, turning to Tai Wei. “How long do we have to sort through this?”
Tai Wei approached slowly, first glancing at the table, then shifting his gaze to the enormous city map on the wall, marked with various red circles and lines.
“Take it easy. We have plenty of time,” Wang Xianjiang said, nodding towards the conference table. “Let’s start with the resident information forms.”
Suddenly, Tai Wei asked, “Master… is this it?”
“We still have to work together. It’s best to be lenient when possible,” Wang Xianjiang sighed. “It doesn’t matter much to me. I’ll retire in two years. But it’s different for you—you have a long career ahead. You’ve made your point; the leaders understand.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Tai Wei quickly clarified. “I’m asking if this case is truly solved.”
Wang Xianjiang placed the stack of resident information forms back on the table and looked Tai Wei up and down. “What else did you expect?”
“Do you believe that homeless man is the killer?”
“It’s not about what I believe,” Wang Xianjiang counted on his fingers. “He lived in the storm drain network where the three female bodies were found. The victim’s belongings had his fingerprints. He sold Sun Hui’s bicycle. We found clothes and other items in his den.” He pointed towards the door. “You heard it yourself—the semen in the victims’ bodies was his. Isn’t this conclusive evidence?”
Tai Wei fell silent for a moment, then muttered, “I can’t understand why he would do this.”
“Remember? From the beginning, I thought it was a low-income person,” Wang Xianjiang raised an eyebrow. “Such individuals, unable to satisfy their sexual needs, naturally explode after prolonged suppression. After the first time, there’s bound to be a second.”
“But he’s completely different from the person we initially profiled,” Tai Wei pointed at the city map on the wall. “This proves our approach was entirely wrong. I feel like we just…”
“Got lucky?” Wang Xianjiang chuckled. “Young man, believe me, sometimes what we need isn’t wisdom or insight, but luck.”
Tai Wei’s eyes widened. “Luck?”
“That’s right,” Wang Xianjiang smirked. “Good luck is like a superpower.”
“I still don’t get it,” Tai Wei shook his head. “I visited Professor Qiao again these past couple of days. He was also surprised by this outcome. He said…”
“Expert opinions are just references for us. Concrete evidence is the key to solving cases,” Wang Xianjiang interrupted. “However, he wasn’t completely off track. The dump site was indeed the most familiar place for that bastard, and B District was one of the key areas he helped us identify. We just didn’t expect someone to be living in the sewers.”
“But Master, have you considered this?” Tai Wei persisted. “Isn’t it too coincidental that Zhou Xijie happened to be on that road and ran him over?”
“That’s not a coincidence,” Wang Xianjiang picked up the stack of resident information forms again. “He lives nearby. His performance bombed, his boss chewed him out, he was in a bad mood and drove a bit fast, but still under 60 mph.”
Tai Wei lowered his head. “I just feel something’s not right.”
“Your ‘feeling’ is just a feeling in the face of evidence,” Wang Xianjiang glared at him. “Go get some cardboard boxes.”
“Master, let’s assume for a moment that the killer is indeed that homeless man,” Tai Wei pondered. “How did he come into contact with the victims? Any sane person wouldn’t easily trust someone like that, right?”
“I don’t know,” Wang Xianjiang began to lose patience. “If the dead could speak, you could ask him or them.”
Tai Wei asked incredulously, “Shouldn’t we clarify this?”
“We can’t and don’t need to clarify everything!” Wang Xianjiang finally snapped. “What we need is evidence! Evidence! Understand?”
“Master…”
“The evidence is right in front of us, and it’s ironclad!” Wang Xianjiang shouted. “Didn’t you study criminal procedure law at the police academy? The case is solved. What more do you want?”
“I…”
“Do you not trust me or the evidence?” Wang Xianjiang pointed to the door. “I’m your master. Listen to me—go get the boxes! Stop overthinking!”
Tai Wei’s face turned red, his chest heaving. Suddenly, he said slowly and deliberately, “Master, are you trying to convince me or yourself?”
Wang Xianjiang stood stunned, staring at Tai Wei for a few seconds before hurling the stack of resident information forms at him.
Then, he angrily yanked open the door and stormed out.
Just as he entered the corridor, Wang Xianjiang ran into Zhou Xijie. The bruise on Zhou’s head hadn’t fully healed, and he looked dejected. Seeing Wang Xianjiang, Zhou hurriedly approached, fumbling to pull out a cigarette pack from his pocket.
“Officer Wang, do you have a moment to chat?”
Wang Xianjiang waved away the offered cigarette and asked irritably, “What is it?”
“I’m here to ask about my situation.”
“What situation?” Wang Xianjiang frowned. “Didn’t traffic police determine you weren’t at fault?”
“Yes, that’s true,” Zhou Xijie scratched his head. “But I’ve never even killed a chicken in my life. Now I’ve suddenly run over someone, and I can’t shake it off. I haven’t been to work for days, I…”
Wang Xianjiang had no patience to engage further. “Just say what’s on your mind.”
“I was thinking… maybe I could give some money to the deceased’s family,” Zhou Xijie looked even more awkward. “Call it humanitarian aid or compensation…”
“That would be difficult,” Wang Xianjiang spread his hands. “He was a homeless man living in the sewers. He has no family. We haven’t even confirmed his identity yet.”
“Then I’ll wait for your news,” Zhou suddenly leaned in close and whispered, “I heard the deceased was a murderer?”
Wang Xianjiang hesitated, then nodded. “We were in the process of arresting him.”
Zhou’s mouth gaped open. After a long pause, he said, “Does that mean I unknowingly did a public service?”
“If you hadn’t run him over, we could have learned more!” Wang Xianjiang was thoroughly annoyed. “Be more careful when driving in the future. Is there anything else?”
Seeing Wang’s displeasure, Zhou quickly waved his hands. “No, no. Please carry on with your work.”
Wang Xianjiang ignored him and strode towards the courtyard. As he passed the boiler room, he caught a glimpse of something white flitting by in his peripheral vision.
After pacing the courtyard twice and chain-smoking several cigarettes, Wang Xianjiang’s mood finally settled.
Tai Wei was usually a joker, but he was handy when it came to work. He was sharp and showed great respect to Wang. Although Wang often scolded him, he was quite fond of this apprentice. With only two years left until retirement, Wang planned to wrap up this case, hopefully securing a promotion of one and a half ranks. Then, he’d focus on grooming Tai Wei for the rest of his career, setting him up for success before stepping down.
Yet this brat dared to question his judgment on the case. What did he know?
Still, Wang could understand Tai Wei’s reaction. He too felt like he was punching a pillow. After painstakingly investigating so many people and narrowing down the search area, a car accident unexpectedly concluded the entire case. He had doubted this outcome, but the evidence was overwhelming. Anyone would be convinced.
Tai Wei probably envisioned a dramatic ending: pinpointing the suspect, conducting surveillance, breaking down doors, arresting the culprit in a blaze of glory, then detention, preliminary hearings, prosecution, and finally bringing the killer to court.
While such an outcome would be satisfying, the crucial point was solving the case. Whether the bastard died in a car accident or faced execution made no difference to Wang Xianjiang.
Young people will be young people. Tai Wei probably thought being a police officer meant constant gunfights and danger. In reality, it was rarely that exciting.
Wang Xianjiang sighed and slowly walked back to the office building. Although the brat had talked back to him, he was still his apprentice. As a master, he couldn’t hold a grudge.
As he entered the ground floor lobby, Wang saw a young police officer chatting with a girl wearing a white gauze dress and carrying a backpack. Seeing him enter, the young officer said to the girl, “Perfect timing. The case lead is here. You can ask him for details.”
The pale-faced girl with narrow eyes glanced at Wang Xianjiang, then turned back to the young officer and said, “No need, thank you.”
She then bowed to Wang Xianjiang and quickly left the building.
Confused, Wang asked the young officer, “Who was that?”
“She said she was the daughter of one of the victims in your case, here to inquire about the progress.”
Wang Xianjiang grunted an acknowledgment and headed towards the task force office. After a few steps, he suddenly realized something was off and turned back to ask, “She said she was whose daughter?”
“The victim’s daughter,” the young officer blinked, looking puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
“Nonsense! Two of the three victims were childless,” Wang Xianjiang’s expression changed. “The only one with a child had a son.”
He rushed to look out the office building’s entrance, but the girl in the white gauze dress had vanished.
As dawn broke, Gu Hao got out of bed, quickly washed up, and took the early bus straight to the train station. He bought four baked flatbreads and two tea eggs for breakfast in the station square, eating as he walked towards the waiting hall.
He had been staking out here for several days but still hadn’t encountered Su Lin. He continued to wait because he had nowhere else to go.
Based on the information provided by Jiang Yushu, Su Lin suddenly appeared at the English play performance, snatched Mana’s dress, and fled. This seemed like a desperate move. She was likely planning to leave the city. However, Gu Hao didn’t know if she had already left or would continue wandering around the city for a few more days. Since she wouldn’t return to the sewers, the train station seemed like a good temporary shelter. At least there was water to drink, benches to rest on, and possibly some food to scrounge.
It was based on this reasoning that Gu Hao considered the train station his last hope of finding Su Lin. Meanwhile, he kept postponing the moment when this hope would be dashed.
He was well aware that this stakeout might be futile. But as long as there was hope, it wasn’t time to give up. Let that light, beautiful soap bubble float for as long as it could.
Even in the early morning, the waiting hall was packed. The air was stale, and the noise was deafening. Gu Hao took bites of his flatbread while struggling to squeeze through the crowd and various luggage blocking the aisles, looking around constantly.
His gaze swept over the tired or excited faces—men and women, young and old, smooth and fair or rough and dark, heavily made-up or bare-faced, animated or expressionless—but that thin, pale face never appeared. He didn’t feel discouraged or dejected; he just circled the waiting hall again and again as if driven by instinct.
Batches of passengers left through the ticket gates, while more poured in through the entrance. When tired, Gu Hao would squat against the wall for a while. Once he regained some strength, he’d perk up and continue searching the waiting hall.
Before he knew it, most of the morning had passed. The waiting hall had become unbearably stuffy. Gu Hao took out his thermos from his shoulder bag, drank the last sip of lukewarm water, wiped his mouth, and headed toward the hot water dispenser.
As he bent down to fill his thermos from the boiler tap, Gu Hao suddenly felt the light around him dim. He instinctively looked up and found two men, one tall and one short, standing beside him. Thinking they were passengers coming for hot water, he filled his thermos and moved away from the boiler. However, the two men cornered him against the wall.
Confused, Gu Hao heard the tall one ask, “Old man, where are you from?”
“Huh?” Gu Hao was even more puzzled. “I’m from this city.”
“Are you here to pickpockets or break into cars?” The short one-eyed Gu Hao suspiciously. “If you’re working here, have you paid your respects to the local gang?”
Gu Hao immediately understood and smiled, “You’re mistaken. I’m not in your line of work.”
“You think we’re idiots?” The tall one snorted. “You’ve been hanging around here for days, working alone. What’s the matter, old man? In trouble? Short on cash?”
“It’s not like that,” Gu Hao tried to avoid conflict and lowered his head, attempting to squeeze past them. “I’m here for something else. I won’t get in the way of your business.”
The tall one stepped sideways, blocking Gu Hao’s path, and shoved him in the chest. “Trying to leave? Come on, old man, how much have you made these past few days? Share some with us, will you?”
Gu Hao suppressed his anger and took out a few dozen yuan from his pocket. “This is all I have.”
The short one snatched the money and started patting Gu Hao down. “Come on, old man, be quick about it, hand it all over…”
Before he could finish, Gu Hao had already raised his hand and splashed the hot water from his thermos at them.
The short one felt a burning sensation on his face and stumbled backward with a yelp. Gu Hao stepped forward and kicked him in the knee. The short man doubled over, clutching his leg and howling in pain.
Gu Hao held his breath and turned to deal with the tall one. However, before he could get a clear look at his opponent, a heavy punch landed on his face. He threw his thermos at the tall man, and while he dodged, Gu Hao lunged forward, swinging his fists.
As soon as they engaged, Gu Hao realized his opponent was not only tall and strong but also an experienced fighter. He quickly found himself at a disadvantage. After a few rounds, Gu Hao had no strength left to fight back. Kicked to the ground, he could only protect his head, curling up his body, and enduring increasingly vicious punches and kicks.
Their fight immediately caused a commotion among the passengers. In less than two minutes, two police officers came running over. Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, the tall man grabbed his short companion and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
One officer helped Gu Hao up, checking his injuries while chiding him, “At your age, why are you getting into fights?”
The other officer scrutinized Gu Hao and snorted, “I’ve seen him wandering around the waiting hall for days—probably thieves falling out?”
“I’m not a thief,” Gu Hao panted, feeling pain all over his body. “Those two guys were the thieves.”
“Then why have you been hanging around here?”
“I’m looking for someone.”
“Who are you looking for?”
Gu Hao looked at the officer’s wary face and suddenly didn’t want to say anything. “It’s nothing,” he said, picking up his dented thermos. “I’m sorry for causing trouble.”
“Old man, do you want to file a report?” The officer smirked. “Or should we take you to the hospital?”
“No need. Thank you.”
Gu Hao gave them a slight bow. Then, he pushed through the crowd of onlookers and limped towards the exit.
On the bus ride home, passengers around him stared at the old man with a bruised face and dejected expression. A kind young man offered his seat to Gu Hao. After thanking him and sitting down, Gu Hao kept his eyes fixed on the view outside the window. He had to admit he was old now, his strength and agility not what they used to be. Otherwise, dealing with two petty thieves would have been easy. At the same time, Gu Hao began to doubt whether he could persist until the day he found Su Lin.
Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of frustration and regret washed over him. The days and nights of running around, racking his brains—it all seemed to have been held together by sheer willpower. Now, the accumulated fatigue exploded, instantly filling every cell in his body. He felt a tightness in his throat and a stinging in his nose. If he weren’t on a public bus, he might have broken down crying at any moment.
This thought startled Gu Hao. He berated himself for being weak while taking several deep breaths, forcing back the tears. Then, he leaned against the bus window, closed his eyes, and slowly calmed his emotions.
Half an hour later, the bus arrived at his stop. The stiffness from sitting for so long made it difficult for Gu Hao to move. He managed to get off the bus and hobbled for a while before regaining his normal gait. Now, he didn’t want to think about anything; he just hoped to get home quickly and collapse into bed.
As he approached his building, Gu Hao suddenly spotted a familiar Jeep by the roadside. He looked towards the entrance and indeed saw Tai Wei in the concrete pavilion.
He walked over slowly. Tai Wei was just raising a bottle of liquor to his lips when he saw Gu Hao approach and waved vigorously. Then, the young man choked on his drink.
“Uncle Gu, what happened to you?” Tai Wei coughed, staring at Gu Hao’s face. “Did someone beat you up?”
“It’s nothing,” Gu Hao looked at the white liquor and various cold dishes on the small stone table. “Why are you drinking here in broad daylight?”
“Uncle Gu, who did this?” Tai Wei, his face flushed red, staggered to his feet, reaching for his waist. “Damn it, I’ll kill them if it’s the last thing I do!”
“Sit down!” Gu Hao shouted. “Look at the state you’re in!”
“They dare to bully you? What kind of godson would I be if I didn’t do something?” Tai Wei still wouldn’t give up. “Uncle Gu, tell me, who did this?”
“No one did. I fell.”
“Don’t try to fool me! You think that looks like a fall?” Tai Wei’s eyes widened. “Have I been a cop for nothing?”
“Behave yourself!” Gu Hao pointed at the table. “Pack up your things and come home with me!”
“Uncle Gu…”
“Either come with me or get lost!”
With that, Gu Hao strode towards the building entrance. As he pulled open the iron door, he secretly glanced back—Tai Wei was tucking the liquor bottle under his arm, hastily gathering the food bags from the table.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Opening the door to room 102, Gu Hao tossed his shoulder bag on the bed and set the dining table. Tai Wei followed him in, put the liquor bottle and food on the table, and sat down with his head lowered, saying nothing.
Gu Hao took out glasses and chopsticks, setting them in front of himself and Tai Wei. He filled his glass and drank it in one gulp.
The spicy liquor stung the wounds in his mouth, making him wince and work his jaw repeatedly. Tai Wei watched him silently and sighed.
“It’s not even a day off. Why aren’t you at work? What are you doing here?” Gu Hao poured drinks for himself and Tai Wei again. “Did something happen?”
“The case is solved. There’s not much to do for now,” Tai Wei took a listless sip of his drink. “So I came to have a drink with you.”
Gu Hao’s chopsticks stopped midair. “It’s confirmed to be that homeless man?”
“Yes. The evidence is conclusive.”
“That’s good news, isn’t it?” Gu Hao put a piece of pig’s ear in his mouth. “Why do you look like a deflated chicken?”
“Sigh, I don’t know how to explain it,” Tai Wei shook his head. “I just feel like something’s off about this whole thing.”
“Off?”
“Yeah.” Tai Wei thought for a moment. “Remember the guy who ran over the homeless man that night?”
“I remember. His name was Zhou something,” Gu Hao nodded. “I even saw him once at your station.”
“Zhou Xijie. He was originally one of our suspects too,” Tai Wei frowned. “Why did he happen to be there? Why was he the one who ran over the suspect? It’s too coincidental, isn’t it?”
“How did he explain it?”
“The school was performing. Someone caused a scene, and it bombed. His boss chewed him out. He was in a bad mood and drove a bit fast on his way home,” Tai Wei shrugged. “Oh, and he lives near that street.”
“Sounds reasonable enough,” Gu Hao pondered, suddenly struck by a thought. “School? Is he a teacher?”
“That’s right, at No. 4 Middle School.”
Gu Hao immediately asked, “What performance was he talking about?”
“Some English play, I think. ‘The Little Mermaid.’ You know, the Hans Christian Andersen story,” Tai Wei looked puzzled. “Why?”
Gu Hao was silent for a moment. “Do you remember that girl I’ve been looking for?”
“Yes,” Tai Wei’s face showed a hint of apology. “I’ve been so busy with my stuff, I forgot to ask you about it.” He quickly added, “We haven’t found any other women killed by that homeless man so far.”
“I know. She should still be alive,” Gu Hao’s face also showed an incredulous expression. “The person who disrupted the performance was Su Lin. Jiang Yushu’s daughter saw her.”
Tai Wei was dumbfounded. After a long pause, he asked, “Why… why would she do that?”
“She stole the costume—probably a dress—from the girl who had been bullying her,” Gu Hao frowned. “I guess she wanted revenge.”
“Where is she now?”
“I don’t know,” Gu Hao smiled bitterly. “No one has seen her since she ran away from the school.”
“So that means…” Tai Wei pondered for a moment, “Su Lin and the killer were living in the same place. On the day of the incident, she went to the school and disrupted the performance. Zhou Xijie was reprimanded by his boss because of this. That night, Zhou Xijie ran over the killer near Culture Square.”
Gu Hao nodded, “That’s how it looks now.”
“Seems like it all ties back to No. 4 Middle School somehow,” Tai Wei rubbed his chin. “What the hell is going on? When I left the city bureau today, I think I heard something about another female student from No. 4 Middle School going missing.”
“Another missing person?” Gu Hao’s eyes widened. “What’s the situation?”
“I don’t know. I just caught a snippet of it. It’s a young girl who went to meet her boyfriend and never came home,” Tai Wei shook his head. “The girl’s father dragged her boyfriend to our station, demanding we interrogate him—it’s a mess.”
He looked at Gu Hao again. “Uncle Gu, what are your plans regarding Su Lin?”
“I’ll keep looking,” Gu Hao thought for a moment, then smiled wryly. “Maybe I can still find her.”
“If she’s still alive, why doesn’t she come home?”
“I can’t figure it out either. If we can find her, we can get to the bottom of this.”
“Let me help you,” Tai Wei took another sip of his drink. “I probably won’t have much to do for the next couple of days.”
“No need,” Gu Hao put some food on Tai Wei’s plate with his chopsticks. “You focus on your work.”
“I don’t have much to do, and I’m not sure what’s going to happen next,” Tai Wei’s mood suddenly dropped. “I’ve offended my master.”
“Oh?” Gu Hao raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“I don’t think this case is that simple,” Tai Wei spread his hands. “Two suspects, one kills the other in a car crash—even movies wouldn’t dare to script it like this.”
“You think there’s something off about Zhou Xijie?”
“Exactly. Even if it’s a coincidence, it’s too perfect to be believable.”
“Then let’s investigate him.”
“The bureau wants us to close the case. What’s left to investigate?” Tai Wei snorted. “My mentor also thinks I’m making a fuss over nothing. I lost my temper when arguing with him and talked back a bit.”
“Your mentor is an old hand. He won’t hold it against you,” Gu Hao smiled. “Just apologize to him later.”
“He was pretty angry at the time,” Tai Wei said hesitantly. “He probably won’t let me off easily.”
“You should work on that bad temper of yours. You’re always so disrespectful. You think everyone can tolerate you like I do?”
“Forget it. Let’s not talk about it anymore!” Tai Wei grew irritated and raised his glass. “Come on, Dad Gu, let’s drink!”
Alcohol only hastens intoxication when mixed with sorrow. In less than an hour, Tai Wei was cross-eyed and slurring his words, determined to drink himself into oblivion. Gu Hao, preoccupied with thoughts of Su Lin’s whereabouts, wasn’t focused on drinking and remained much more sober. As they reached the bottom of a bottle of baijiu, Tai Wei clamored for more, but Gu Hao firmly refused. The young man then insisted on having a pot of strong tea. By the time Gu Hao returned to Room 102 with the tea, his godson was already snoring loudly, sprawled across the dining table.
Sighing, Gu Hao struggled to move him to the bed and tucked him in. Just as he finished settling Tai Wei, he heard a knock at his door.
It was Su’s younger son, standing at the doorway with an expectant look.
“It’s you? Do you need something?”
“Uncle Gu, can I make a phone call from your place?” The little boy entered, looking up at Gu Hao. “You said before that I could come here to call my sister.”
“Oh?” Gu Hao was puzzled. “You have your sister’s phone number now?”
“Yes!”
The boy excitedly showed him a piece of paper with a row of crooked numbers. “My dad told me.”
Gu Hao sighed inwardly but couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He nodded towards the phone on the TV cabinet. “Go ahead.”
The boy cheered and ran to pick up the receiver, carefully pressing the number keys while muttering softly. However, within seconds, his expression changed from joy to confusion.
“Uncle Gu,” the boy turned around, looking flustered, “what does ‘number not in service’ mean?”
“It means the number doesn’t exist,” Gu Hao pointed at the phone. “Try again.”
The boy nodded, hung up, and solemnly picked up the receiver once more. He glanced at the paper and pressed each number deliberately, then waited anxiously after dialing all the digits.
Soon after, he lowered his head and placed the receiver back on the base, his voice quavering, “It still says the number’s not in service.”
Gu Hao walked over and patted his head. “Maybe you remembered it wrong?”
“Impossible!” The boy quickly defended himself. “I memorized it very carefully.”
“Then maybe your dad got it wrong,” Gu Hao said gently. “Go ask him again.”
“Okay.” The boy ran towards the door, then turned back. “Uncle Gu, can I come back later to…”
“Of course,” Gu Hao nodded. “You can come anytime to call your sister.”
“Thank you, Uncle Gu!”
The boy’s face lit up with a smile, and his small figure disappeared from the doorway in a flash.
Gu Hao, however, felt a heaviness in his chest. After standing there for a moment, he opened the door and walked out.
Today was Wednesday, and Jiang Ting would be out of school at 3 PM. Jiang Yushu had taken an hour off work to wait outside Sizhong School early.
She had been insisting on picking up and dropping off Jiang Ting these past few days, partly to prevent any further incidents at this crucial time, and partly to protect her daughter from Ma Na’s potential revenge and bullying.
Once the initial excitement wore off, Jiang Yushu felt she had reverted to being the timid, anxious mother she once was. She felt helpless about this. Although she had entrusted the company’s legal affairs officer, Xiao Tao, to handle the lawsuit, she still needed to ensure her daughter’s absolute safety. As long as she could thwart Sun Weiming’s scheme and keep her daughter by her side, temporary hardships were nothing—she could grit her teeth and get through it.
As soon as the dismissal bell rang, Jiang Yushu rushed to the retractable gate, peering into the campus. Students streamed out gradually. However, from the surge of the crowd to the thinning of figures, Jiang Ting never appeared. After a full half hour, Jiang Yushu was left staring at an empty schoolyard. She began to worry and was about to ask the security guard to let her in when she saw Jiang Ting walking out of the campus alongside someone else.
Jiang Ting had her head down, dragging her feet, seemingly lost in thought. The person next to her appeared relaxed and in high spirits. As they approached, Jiang Yushu finally recognized the other person, and her heart sank.
It was Lawyer Shi.
Jiang Ting saw her too and forced a smile, quickening her pace.
“Mom, have you been waiting long?”
Jiang Yushu grabbed her daughter’s hand and asked urgently, “Why is that lawyer here?”
Jiang Ting looked back at the leisurely approaching Lawyer Shi and bit her lip. “He said he came to learn about my situation at school. He talked to my homeroom teacher and the principal.”
“Oh?” Jiang Yushu grew tense. “What did they say?”
“The homeroom teacher didn’t say much. But the principal…” Jiang Ting hesitated, “He criticized me again, bringing up how I helped Su Lin escape that day. He even said he would punish me.”
Jiang Yushu’s face turned pale. Seeing her mother’s distress, Jiang Ting also became frightened.
“Mom, did I cause trouble?”
For a moment, Jiang Yushu didn’t know what to say. Just then, Lawyer Shi walked out of the school gate, smiling and nodding at her.
Jiang Yushu immediately flared up with anger and demanded, “What right do you have to investigate my daughter?”
“Jiang Ting’s father, Mr. Sun, asked me to look into his daughter’s academic and social situation at school. Is there a problem with that?” Lawyer Shi maintained his polite smile. “If this has made you uncomfortable, I apologize.”
“Don’t listen to what that principal says. Ting Ting didn’t do anything wrong. This matter…”
“You don’t need to explain this to me,” Lawyer Shi raised a hand to stop her from continuing. “We’ll likely meet soon, and you can explain then. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be going now.”
With that, he walked to the roadside, got into an Audi, and drove away.
Unable to vent her frustration, Jiang Yushu turned to see Jiang Ting’s pitiful expression and had to swallow her anger.
“Let’s go home,” she said, pulling her daughter towards the bus stop. “We’re not afraid of him!”
Mother and daughter walked in silence. Jiang Ting clung tightly to her mother, occasionally glancing at her face, seemingly afraid of being scolded again. Jiang Yushu felt sorry for her and didn’t want them both to dwell in such a gloomy mood. After entering their residential complex, she adopted a lighter tone and asked, “How was your day?”
Jiang Ting quickly replied, “It was fine.”
“Those girls didn’t give you any trouble?”
“No,” Jiang Ting thought for a moment. “I haven’t seen Ma Na for several days. I heard she hasn’t been to school since that day.”
“Oh?” Jiang Yushu was surprised. “She couldn’t have been that upset, could she?”
“Who knows? I don’t care about her.”
“That’s right, don’t mind her,” Jiang Yushu’s mood improved slightly. “What do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you when I get back from work.”
“Hmm…” Jiang Ting tilted her head, thinking seriously for a moment. “I want to eat fish.”
“You,” Jiang Yushu tapped her nose lightly, “must have been a cat in your previous life.”
Jiang Ting giggled.
The atmosphere between them became warm and harmonious again. They entered the building and climbed to the fifth floor. As Jiang Yushu took out her keys, she instructed, “First, finish your homework when you get home. I’ll be back around 5:30. You can start the rice, and I’ll…”
She suddenly noticed a registered letter stuck in the crack of their security door. Jiang Yushu pulled out the letter, glanced at the envelope, and her recently improved mood instantly vanished.
It was a summons from the district court.
It might be day or night now. However, for those living in the sewers, it made no difference. Everything around was pitch black anyway.
Today, they ate flatbread. She blew out the candle before entering the branch pipe. Then, she tossed the food next to Ma Na and backed out.
Leaning against the pipe wall, she slowly ate her portion. The dry, tasteless thing was hard to swallow. She struggled to gulp down the remnants in her mouth and reached into her backpack for the water bottle. At that moment, Ma Na’s trembling voice came from the pipe: “Are you there?”
She didn’t want to respond and remained silent.
After a moment, Ma Na spoke again: “Can you untie my hands? I can’t bite… You can tie me up again after I eat. I won’t run away.”
She hesitated, then crawled into the branch pipe, feeling her way to Ma Na’s side. She found the hands tied behind her back and untied the shoelaces. Then, she brought Ma Na’s hands to the front and retied them.
Ma Na didn’t object and started gnawing on the flatbread.
She backed out of the branch pipe again, took out the water bottle from her backpack, drank a few sips, and tossed the bottle to Ma Na.
They had been in the rainwater drainage network for two or three days. Most of the time, Ma Na had been whimpering, sleeping when exhausted. It seemed this damn bastard had given up hope of being taken out and hardly begged anymore, appearing to have accepted her fate. However, she didn’t know what to do next. The path ahead was as dark as the drainage network they were in now.
Today, she had overheard a conversation between Teacher Zhou and that policeman in the police station’s water room. Although their words were few, it was enough for her to glean some important information.
It was Teacher Zhou who had run over Vincent. Although the police ruled it an accident, she was certain it wasn’t. Zhou never intended for Vincent to live—since he couldn’t control him, he had to kill him, otherwise everything Teacher Zhou had done would be exposed.
For a moment, she was tempted to rush out, grab Teacher Zhou, and tell the police he was the real culprit. However, she knew it would be futile. What proof did she have? That she heard his voice in the storm drain? It was unlikely anyone would believe such testimony from a young girl. Moreover, she had only heard him, not seen him.
Should she let the true murderer go free? But what could she do?
While she hesitated, Teacher Zhou had already left. She could only inquire about the situation from a young officer who seemed approachable. Though his talk of “DNA” and “fingerprints” was confusing, it appeared Vincent’s guilt was certain.
She had to admit Vincent may have indeed raped and killed those women. But he did it under Teacher Zhou’s orders.
After leaving the police station, she still felt a tightness in her chest, almost wanting to shout—that well-dressed man was a monster!
Instead, she wandered the streets for a while, bought some food, then returned to the storm drain.
She was truly powerless. Even Mana had no idea Teacher Zhou was behind the attempts on her life.
Thinking of Mana, she suddenly realized the chewing sounds from the side tunnel had stopped. Listening carefully, she could only faintly discern soft rustling noises growing more distant!
Her heart sank. She quickly lit a candle and shone it into the side tunnel. Sure enough, only two shoelaces and half a bottle of water remained where Mana had been lying—the person was gone without a trace.
Panicking, she immediately crawled into the side tunnel. After rushing forward a few steps, she saw Mana crawling cautiously about ten meters ahead, her back turned.
“Stop right there!”
Hearing her shout, Mana trembled but quickly stood up and ran forward barefoot. However, her stiff legs wouldn’t cooperate. After just a few meters, Mana fell face-first onto the ground.
Shocked and angry, she ran over and pounced on the still-struggling Mana. The candle flew from her hand, hit the tunnel wall, and went out.
In the darkness, the two fought in the tunnel. She quickly pinned Mana down and slapped her face repeatedly. Mana frantically clawed at her, screaming nonstop. The pain from the scratches fueled her anger. In a flash, memories of Mana’s past mockery and abuse flooded her mind. Her head went blank as her hands gripped Mana’s throat, squeezing tighter and tighter.
Mana’s screams caught in her throat, turning into broken moans. Her legs kicked wildly as her hands desperately clawed at the ones choking her, trying to break free.
She stared fixedly at Mana. Though she couldn’t see her face, she could imagine it changing from flushed red to pale, eyes rolling back, tongue partially protruding.
Kill her.
This was the only thought remaining in her mind—until Mana’s struggling hands grew weaker and weaker…
Until the dying girl squeezed out two barely audible words: “Mama…”
She snapped back to her senses, immediately releasing her grip and rolling off Mana. She scrambled backward on all fours.
At the same time, her heart seemed to resume beating, the frozen blood in her body flowing again. She gasped for air like a fish thrown on shore—as if she had been the one choked.
Mana lay motionless. After a few seconds, she let out a long moan. Then she curled up in pain, coughing violently.
She stared blankly in the direction of the sounds. After a full ten minutes, she struggled to her feet, felt around for the candle, and then dragged the limp Mana slowly back.
She tied Mana’s hands behind her back again and bound her feet. Mana, still semi-conscious, offered no resistance. Nevertheless, it nearly exhausted all her strength. After finishing, she left without pause, stumbling along the main tunnel while catching her breath.
She dared not stay with Mana any longer, unsure what else she might do—the sudden murderous impulse had already frightened her.
Gu Hao walked aimlessly through the streets until nightfall. Occasionally, he would stop and silently watch young women pass by. Then, meeting their surprised or disgusted glances, he would look away and slowly move on.
The effects of alcohol had largely faded, leaving his mind increasingly clear. He wasn’t sure if this was good or bad. Once the numbing effects of alcohol disappeared, various worries and questions would resurface.
Yu Wei’s reconstruction of events wasn’t wrong. Su Lin was also involved in the serial killings. This meant finding her and solving the case had become the same. Yet the connections went beyond just Su Lin. Gu Hao vaguely sensed the current situation was developing in increasingly complex directions. Although the case could be considered temporarily closed, the search for the person remained unresolved.
The path to the conclusion might be just one step away, or it might be far out of reach. He couldn’t see clearly or grasp it, only passively moving forward. He even felt he might spend the rest of his life walking this path.
So be it, then?
Thus, when Gu Hao reached the area between the two green spaces in Culture Square, he lifted the manhole cover and climbed down almost without thinking.
She didn’t know why she had come here. When she came to her senses, she was just one turn away from “home.”
She couldn’t help but smile. That narrow, damp reservoir filled with unpleasant odors had somehow become the place she most wanted to return to.
Then, overwhelming sadness suddenly struck her. A voice reminded her—Vincent was gone.
She stopped, standing silently for a moment before walking on.
She wanted to go “home,” where perhaps Vincent’s presence still lingered. That would be enough.
However, just as she reached the bend, she saw a small flame appear ahead, like from a lighter. Instinct made her immediately retreat while blowing out her candle.
She then crouched down, pressing her back tightly against the tunnel wall, holding her breath and listening intently to the sounds ahead.
The person using the lighter for the light seemed to have seen the candlelight too. The soft footsteps had stopped.
The other person was observing the situation here—who was it?
Could it be Zhou?
She tensed up immediately. If he discovered them, neither she nor Mana would survive.
Just then, an old but familiar voice called out: “Is anyone there?”
Her heart began racing wildly, hardly believing her ears.
How could he possibly be here?
The person fell silent for a moment, then cautiously called out again: “Su Lin?”
It was truly him!
“Uncle Gu…” she blurted out.
The old man let out a surprised exclamation. The small flame disappeared. Then came the clicking sound of the lighter being repeatedly pressed.
“Su Lin, is it you?”
Hurried footsteps approached. But her heart sank, and she cried out sharply, “Don’t come any closer!”
The footsteps stopped. The old man’s voice held both excitement and hesitation: “Child, what’s wrong?”
“Are… are you alone?”
“Yes, just me.”
“How did you get here?”
“Me?” The old man sighed softly. “Child, I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”
She widened her eyes in the darkness: “Why were you looking for me?”
No response. After a long while, the old man chuckled: “I don’t know. Perhaps I had nothing better to do.”
She bit her lip, feeling her whole body tremble.
“May I come over now?”
“No.” She struggled to hold back tears. “You have a lighter, right?”
“Yes.”
“Throw it over.”
“Child, I…”
“Throw it over.”
After a faint whistle of air, the lighter clattered to the ground in front of her.
Darkness enveloped them once again. She managed to stand up, took a few steps forward, and stood in the center of the main tunnel. Though she couldn’t see anything, she knew Uncle Gu was standing opposite her about ten meters away, looking in her direction.
Between them lay the reservoir, their former “home.”
“Child, come home with me.”
She remained silent for a long time, then shook her head, suddenly feeling he had mentioned a distant and strange place: “I won’t go back. That’s not my home.”
“Hm?” The old man sounded puzzled. “Why do you…”
“I went back once before when it was pouring rain.” Her trembling voice sounded unfamiliar even to herself. “I was just outside the window… I heard everything.”
The old man was stunned: “You mean…”
“For money, for my brother’s household registration…” Her voice seemed to burst from her chest. “They’ve already considered me dead.”
The old man sighed again: “Come with me. It’s not safe here, especially after a murderer lived here.”
She stared blankly into the darkness before her: “How do you know?”
“I told you, I’ve been looking for you for a long time,” the old man said calmly. “You’ve been living with that killer all along, haven’t you?”
“He’s not a killer!” She became agitated. “He was the only one willing to take me in, to care for me! He only did those things because someone ordered him to!”
The old man was silent for even longer: “Ordered by whom? How do you know all this?”
“Uncle Gu, please go home.” Her chest heaved violently. “I won’t go with you.”
“You’re still a child,” the old man patiently persuaded. “If you know any clues, why don’t we go to the police station together? We can…”
“No one will believe me. But I know, I just know!”
“Su Lin, we can solve this slowly,” the old man took a step forward. “Will you come with me first?”
“That’s not my home!” she screamed. “They already think I’m dead!”
“You can live with me.”
She froze, taking a while before stammering: “What?”
“You don’t have to go back there. You can live with me.” The old man paused. “If you don’t want to see them, we can move away.”
She covered her mouth, trying hard not to sob out loud.
“My pension should be enough to support you through university,” the old man continued. “Oh, and I want to introduce you to an auntie. She and her daughter have been very concerned about you and have been searching for you too.”
She suddenly felt dazed. Indeed, what was wrong with that—having a place to live, books to read, someone who cared about her even without blood ties…
She cast her gaze into the darkness between them. There was a round iron door there. It held the most unforgettable memories of her short life.
I’m sorry, she said silently in her heart. She had to make a choice.
“My brother… is he doing well?”
“He’s fine, already in school,” the old man said quickly. “He misses you very much.”
She lowered her head. After a long while, she spoke: “Uncle Gu, I’m willing to go with you, but not today.”
“Why?”
“I still have something to do,” she said with difficulty. “When I’m done, I’ll come find you.”
“What do you need to do?” The old man’s tone was doubtful. “I can help you.”
“It’s alright, I can manage. Please don’t follow me. Leave after I’m gone.”
The old man was silent for a few seconds: “I’ll be waiting. You must come to find me.”
“Uncle Gu,” she bent down, bowing deeply toward the old man in the darkness, “thank you.”
The old man stood silently, listening to the soft footsteps on the other side grow fainter and fainter.
He stepped forward, feeling around on the ground based on memory until he found the lighter.
The small flame flickered to life again in the tunnel. But there was no one around him anymore.
In a side tunnel, she ran swiftly, holding a candle. Her goal was clear, her direction set—she had made her final choice, even at the cost of giving up the peaceful life within reach.
Whether for Vincent, for Uncle Gu, or herself, she burst into her first bout of tears since that day as she ran.