Kiyomi Tsuki und sein Fuchs

Kapitel 4

"These are photos of the crime scene at Wanfeng Hotel. The deceased, Xie Guanlong and Yan Wang, are the two boys who appeared in the video of insulting their teacher. Their fatal wounds were both on their necks, and the method of attack was consistent with that of Han Shaohong's murder. Three 'death penalty notices' were left at the scene, and their format and font were also consistent with previous cases." As Yin Jian explained, the photos on the screen switched from time to time, showing close-ups of the deceased from multiple angles, and finally stopping on the "death penalty notices."

“Three notification slips, but only two deceased individuals?” Zeng Rihua raised this question.

“The girl received a ‘death sentence’ notice, but she didn’t die. The perpetrator forced Wu Yinwu to cut off one of his hands in exchange for the girl’s life.”

Zeng Rihua reached into his messy hair and scratched it: "What kind of trick is this?"

“It’s still unclear at the moment, because neither of the two parties present can answer police questions,” Yin Jian replied. “The girl is extremely traumatized and her emotions are very unstable. Wu Yinwu has just undergone surgery and is still under observation in the hospital. According to information we’ve gathered indirectly, Eumenides’ modus operandi was roughly as follows: He contacted the three students and Mr. Wu Yinwu via the internet and phone, claiming to be a newspaper reporter and hoping to arrange a friendly interview. He offered the three students generous rewards and to Mr. Wu Yinwu he could use his connections to help him get back to work. These offers swayed the students. Yesterday morning, Eumenides transferred 2,000 yuan to Wu Yinwu’s bank account and instructed him to book a room at the Wanfeng Hotel. The parties involved gathered in the room in the afternoon as he instructed, and Eumenides arrived as promised, completing his murder.”

"A perfect plan." Zeng Rihua shrugged, sighing with regret mixed with admiration, "Didn't any of the steps leave us any clues to follow?"

“Not only was there no planning, but we also found nothing at the crime scene.” Yin Jian’s tone was rather helpless. “There were no fingerprints, no footprints, and no description of the victim’s appearance. He had put on gloves, shoe covers, and a hood before entering the room, and he perfectly avoided the hotel’s surveillance system. At most, we could only see his back in the surveillance footage.”

Mu Jianyun seemed somewhat dissatisfied with the pessimistic state of her two colleagues. She said in a morale-boosting tone, "But this time we have two parties involved who have had direct contact with Eumenides. This could very well be a major breakthrough in our investigation of this series of cases."

“That’s right, that’s the key point!” It was Luo Fei who spoke, and as soon as he spoke, everyone present immediately turned their attention to him.

Luo Fei was still looking at Mu Jianyun: "Right now, we need you to tackle this tough problem."

Mu Jianyun smiled slightly: "You mean that girl?"

Luo Fei nodded: "While conducting psychotherapy, we'll also ask about the details. You're an expert in this area, so I won't offer any specific advice. I just need your analysis report."

Mu Jianyun returned a confident smile.

"As for Wu Yinwu..." Luo Fei turned to Yin Jian, "Contact the hospital and arrange for me to meet with him as soon as his physical condition allows."

"clear!"

"Then there's nothing for me to do?" Zeng Rihua stretched lazily, then suddenly offered, "How about I go with Teacher Mu?"

Luo Fei immediately rejected his suggestion: "No, you have a very important task. I need you to find information on all missing children, orphans, and homeless children in this city from January 1985 to the present, aged between seven and thirteen. I don't care how you do it, I just need your analysis report. Do you understand what I mean?"

Zeng Rihua's languid expression suddenly brightened: "Eumenides, you want me to find him?"

“Yes.” Luo Fei paused, then explained his reasoning in detail, “The successor that Yuan Zhibang is looking for must be a child who has no connection with society. This child cannot be too old, otherwise he will no longer be able to control the other person’s thoughts; this child cannot be too young either, because he cannot always keep the other person by his side, so this child must at least have the ability to act independently. Based on this, I have placed the age between seven and thirteen years old. Yuan Zhibang was discharged from the hospital in January 1985 after recovering from his injuries, and his search for a successor may have started from that moment. And based on the abilities Eumenides has demonstrated, he must have received at least ten years of training, which means that by 1992 at the latest, he would have become Yuan Zhibang’s disciple.”

“Okay, I understand!” Zeng Rihua clapped his hands. “Such a long time span, it’s no small project. But…” He suddenly chuckled and changed the subject, “Captain Luo, you should send someone to follow Teacher Mu about what happened the day before yesterday…”

Luo Fei smiled knowingly, understanding that Zeng Rihua's earlier suggestion to go with Mu Jianyun stemmed from concern for the latter's safety. Although Deng Hua was dead, his men might still cause trouble.

"Okay, I will arrange for Liu Song to be in charge of Teacher Mu's safety."

Mu Jianyun glanced at Zeng Rihua, her eyes gleaming with pleasure. It seemed that even the most assertive woman could enjoy being pampered.

"Does anyone have any further questions?" Luo Fei waited a moment, and seeing that no one objected, he stood up. "Alright, meeting adjourned. Everyone, go about your business."

Yin Jian also stood up: "Captain Luo, what about Han Hao..."

“Yes, I was just about to tell you—” Luo Fei glanced at his watch, “We’ll go for the interrogation together at 10 o’clock sharp.”

8:30 a.m.

Inside the Longyu Building, another meeting was also underway.

All the attendees were dressed in mourning clothes and had somber expressions—they had just arrived from the memorial hall for Deng Hua.

The middle-aged woman in the central seat was bowing her head and wiping away tears. A boy of about twelve or thirteen years old was nestled beside her, looking frightened and bewildered. The black armband on his left arm indicated that the two were the widow and son of the deceased Deng Hua.

Two young men stood on either side of the mother and son. The one on the left was older, with a long face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes. He was Ahua, Deng Hua’s former chief bodyguard. The other man was burly, but his face looked somewhat young. He was probably only in his early twenties and gave off a naive and simple-minded feeling.

Two middle-aged men, one fat and one thin, sat opposite the mother and son. The fat man looked kind and was trying to comfort Deng Hua's wife. The thin man, on the other hand, kept his brows furrowed and seemed to be a man of few words.

The fat man's words were very considerate and had a good effect. After a moment, the woman finally stopped crying and raised her head: "Okay, Mr. Lin, you don't need to say anymore. I understand these principles... No matter what, things will get better eventually... What important matters do you have to discuss?"

"This..." The fat man hesitated for a moment, looking somewhat unsure of what to say, and then turned his gaze to his companion beside him.

“Let me speak.” The thin man’s tone was icy, and his face was expressionless. “President Deng has unfortunately been murdered, and now my sister-in-law is the largest shareholder of Yulong Group. What we are having today is actually a board meeting, mainly to determine the new general manager of Yulong Group.”

The woman paused for a moment, then murmured, "Isn't this... a little too hasty?"

“President Deng’s funeral hasn’t taken place yet, so it’s really inappropriate to bring up these things now…” The fat man shook his head with difficulty, then sighed deeply, “But we can’t manage all aspects of Yulong Group without someone taking over. The land in the east of the city is about to be put up for bidding, and if President Deng were here, he would definitely win it. We can’t miss this opportunity… There are also several projects that are about to be signed, but now that the other parties know about President Deng’s death, they are all hesitant. If we don’t have someone who can take charge, the situation will be very worrying.”

"What should we do?" The woman opened her eyes wide in panic, looking at the two men and then at Ahua beside her.

“In my opinion, we should still have to trouble President Lin to establish himself in this position first.” The thin man always seemed to speak at the most opportune moment. “For so many years, President Lin has been President Deng’s deputy. He is familiar with all aspects of the business, and people outside the group also recognize him. Promoting President Lin directly to the top position is the fastest and safest method.”

Mrs. Deng hesitated to speak. Although she was a woman of limited experience, she could now discern the true intentions behind this "board meeting."

The fat man observed Madam Deng's expression, then shook his head decisively: "No. Yulong Group was built by President Deng himself. I think it's more appropriate for your wife to be the new general manager. I'll stay as the vice president and do my best to assist him."

“No, no…” Mrs. Deng shook her hands, torn between the two options, “How can I do it? I can’t take it…”

“I have no objection to my sister-in-law becoming the general manager.” The skinny man still had that expressionless look on his face. “But what will outsiders think? Can the reputation and prestige of Yulong Group be maintained? Actually, the company will belong to the Deng family sooner or later. When Deng Jian grows up, we can train him for a few years, and then President Lin can pass the position to him, right?”

The little boy looked up blankly when he heard his name mentioned.

Fat General Manager Lin leaned over and patted Deng Jian's head with a look of affection and emotion: "Sigh, that makes sense. Yulong Group flourished under General Manager Deng's leadership, and now it has to be passed down through me. My burden is quite heavy."

"So, Mr. Lin agrees?" The thin man looked directly at Madam Deng. "Sister-in-law, do you have any further objections?"

"I..." Madam Deng turned to look at Ahua for help. But Ahua remained silent, his face grim. Madam Deng could only manage a widowed smile: "What opinions could we, a widow and her child, possibly have?"

"That's good." The thin man finally smiled, then took out a document and placed it in the middle of the table. "The appointment letter has been drafted. As long as the shareholders sign it, it will be officially approved."

Ahua remained silent, but the naive young man standing next to Deng Jian finally couldn't hold back any longer: "This is clearly a conspiracy between them. Madam, you cannot sign!"

The thin man suddenly frowned, his gaze fixed intently on the young man. The latter licked his lips, appearing somewhat timid.

"Ah Sheng, mind your place," Ah Hua finally spoke, but he was reprimanding his companion. "Who are you to speak here?"

The young man named Asheng seemed quite wary of Ahua, and immediately lowered his head obediently.

Fat General Manager Lin looked at Ahua and chuckled: "Ahua, you've been with General Manager Deng for so many years, and you also have shares in the group. Why don't you give your opinion on this matter?"

“I don’t want to get involved in these things,” Ahua said calmly. “All I’m thinking about right now is how to find him.”

There was a moment of silence at the scene, and everyone understood who Ahua was referring to when he said "he".

Eumenides!

Finally, Ahua broke the silence.

"Regardless, I don't want to see any chaos within the group. At this critical moment, if we don't unite against external threats, we'll only become lambs to the slaughter one by one!"

His words resonated deeply, striking a chord in everyone present. All of them felt the profound authority emanating from this man.

9:07 AM.

Office of the Captain of the Criminal Investigation Team of the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

On the desk in front of Luo Fei was a small box. He stared at the box with a somewhat bewildered expression.

Those were the belongings of the victims that were recovered from the scene of the "April 18th" bombing eighteen years ago.

Most of the items were charred and warped, unrecognizable. Luo Fei reached into the box and rummaged through it slowly and gently, as if afraid of disturbing something.

After a moment, his movements suddenly stopped. His nostrils flared slightly, and his right hand left the box, opening in front of his chest.

A butterfly rested in his palm.

The butterfly's wings were incomplete, but its former appearance was still faintly discernible. It was a metallic butterfly, which had turned completely black due to the fire and years of oxidation.

However, Luo Fei still clearly remembered the butterfly's original color, which was a pure sky blue, like the clear sky after the rain, so pure that it was almost transparent.

Luo Fei gently stroked the butterfly's wings with his left hand, his fingertips trembling slightly. At the same time, his eyes were unfocused, his thoughts drifting back to another time and space.

...

Autumn, 1983.

Inside the auditorium of the provincial police academy, the awards ceremony for the school-wide reasoning competition is underway.

This is an annual traditional competition at the police academy. It typically uses a real case as a basis, providing clues for participants to deduce the truth and find the perpetrator, as well as reconstruct the events leading up to the crime. The winner is the one whose answer is closest to the truth of the case.

Luo Fei sat among the crowd in the auditorium, waiting for the competition organizing committee to announce the results. He was also one of the participants, and he looked relaxed and confident because he believed that he had given the most perfect answer, and no one could surpass it.

The handsome young man next to him was Yuan Zhibang. He was an uninhibited person who wasn't interested in participating in such a competition. He came here because he could see many girls in such an occasion.

Yuan Zhibang liked girls, and girls usually liked him too.

Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, the host finally stepped onto the stage. She opened the award letter, and the entire audience fell silent.

"Now, let's announce the winners." The host paused, then excitedly read out, "In this competition, two contestants provided answers that perfectly matched the real cases—truly flawless answers!"

A chorus of exclamations erupted from the audience. This traditional competition at the police academy has been running for over a decade, and this was the first time the organizing committee had given it a "perfect" rating.

After the room quieted down again, the host continued, "The competition organizing committee has decided that these two contestants are jointly the winners of this competition. Their names are Luo Fei and Meng Yun!"

The audience erupted in applause, but Luo Fei seemed somewhat disappointed.

"Tie together? Meng Yun? Is she a girl?" he muttered to himself.

Yuan Zhibang slapped him on the shoulder: "Alright, hurry up and go on stage to accept your award. What's wrong with having a girl with you?"

Luo Fei shrugged helplessly, got up and headed towards the podium, drawing envious glances from the surrounding crowd.

Luo Fei stood on the podium, but the other winner was nowhere to be seen. After a long wait, the audience began to stir, and the host was also flustered and confused.

Suddenly something flew up from below the stage and hit Luo Fei. Luo Fei frowned and looked down; it was a neatly folded paper arrow.

Just like children often play, the paper arrows are folded into sharp, slender shapes, with a slit torn at the front, through which a tool like a rubber band can be used to launch the paper arrows.

Luo Fei knew this was no simple prank. He bent down to pick up the paper arrow, then unfolded and smoothed it out. Sure enough, there were words written on the paper.

Luo Fei glanced at it briefly, then smiled and handed the paper to the host.

After reading the contents of the note, the host became excited again and read aloud, "Now something very interesting has happened—another winner has handed this note to us from below the stage. It reads: 'I'm not used to receiving awards alongside others. So now it's time for a tiebreaker. Please find me based on this note—how about it, Luo Fei, are you interested in accepting this tiebreaker?'"

The audience members were excitedly discussing the matter, waiting for Luo Fei's response.

Luo Fei took the microphone from the host, glanced around the audience a few times, and then fixed his gaze on a certain spot. He then said elegantly, "Meng Yun, the girl in the middle left of the ninth row. She's wearing a purple sweater and has long, flowing hair."

As Luo Fei spoke, everyone's gaze turned to the spot he had mentioned. Sure enough, a pretty girl in a sweater sat there, her long hair flowing over her shoulders, her features delicate, yet her brows hinted at a touch of heroic spirit.

The girl's face showed a defiant expression. She did not get up to refute, which clearly indicated that she accepted Luo Fei's speculation.

"You seem to have guessed correctly!" the host exclaimed. "Wow, so fast! Can you explain your reasoning to everyone?"

Luo Fei smiled calmly, took the note back from the host, folded it back into the shape of a paper arrow, and then held it high: "The note was folded into a paper arrow and launched. Such a paper arrow has a range of at most ten meters, so my search area can be narrowed down to the first ten rows. The competition results were announced at the last minute, so the making and launching of this paper arrow was also a last-minute decision, right? The launching tool of the maker can only be something she carries with her. What could it be? What can act as a rubber band?"

While everyone was thinking, Luo Fei had already given his answer: "A girl's hair tie."

A murmur of sudden realization rippled through the crowd, with some quick-thinking individuals already grasping the reasoning behind it. Luo Fei, however, smiled and looked down at the audience: "That girl in purple, when I came on stage, your long hair was pulled back high, but when this paper arrow appeared, your hair was flowing down your shoulders. You must be holding your hair tie in your hand right now, right?"

The girl pouted and didn't speak. After a moment of silence, she raised her left hand high and gave a thumbs-up in approval.

The result of the tiebreaker was obvious, and the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause once again.