Blutiger Handabdruck - Kapitel 31
Switching to another channel, I saw a program preview: "...20:30, Mansi Cultural Festival Interview Series: Getting Closer to Huang Yisen, Stepping into the Archaeologist's Dream of the Mansi Ancient Tombs..."
Xu Haicheng was taken aback. He had initially thought that the mysterious deaths of Lei Yunshan and He Qing would lead to the program's cancellation. But then he reconsidered; after all, the program ran throughout the entire cultural festival, and canceling it would indeed spark public speculation. Huang Yisen was the second-in-command in the investigation of the Manxi ancient tomb; could he be a target for Ghost Face?
As he pondered this, his phone beeped a few times. Seeing the caller ID, it was from the bureau. For a fleeting moment, he considered not answering. He naturally felt a bit resentful about being suspended. Over the years, he had risked his life, dedicating his youth, passion, and blood to his profession, only to find that when they wanted to abandon him, it was so simple, so ruthless.
His phone kept ringing, and after hesitating for a moment, he finally answered it.
Pan Xiaolu's voice, deliberately lowered, came from the other end of the phone, "Captain Xu, we just got a real dressing down from the boss."
Xu Haicheng dismissed it, saying, "Don't blame them. They were all reprimanded by their superiors and are unhappy about it."
"I heard you've been suspended. Is it because of what Ma Junnan said?"
Xu Haicheng thought to himself that this young girl was really clever. This matter was a thorn in his side, and he really didn't want to mention it. Pan Xiaolu, being perceptive, immediately changed the subject: "Lu Mingjie seems to have vanished into thin air; everyone's going crazy."
Xu Haicheng asked, puzzled, "Didn't you investigate his family?"
"Yesterday, Captain Feng contacted the Jingyun City Public Security Bureau and sent several officers to go to Lu Mingjie's home with Officer Wu. However, when the family saw the photo, they said that it wasn't their son. Their son didn't look that ugly. They also said that their son had gone missing during a field trip in the mountains six months ago."
"A very good excuse."
Pan Xiaolu said regretfully, "Yes, we originally wanted to find out more, but their daughter went crazy, which startled the police officers."
"Lu Minghua? Wasn't she just fine? Why is she acting crazy again?" Xu Haicheng raised an eyebrow, then realized that it was probably just an act for the police officers.
"Who knows, I heard from the police officers at Jingyun Public Security Bureau that she had been digging holes in the hospital wall for seven years, and then inexplicably she got better. Then another nurse who was taking care of her started digging holes in the wall. Isn't that weird? I also heard that when that nurse's family went to Lu Mingjie's house to make trouble..."
Xu Haicheng thought to himself, "I knew it all along." Then he realized that Pan Xiaolu had called him to comfort him, worried that he was upset about being dismissed. He felt a warmth in his heart and listened as if he had never heard of Lu Minghua's strange recovery. Then he said, "It is indeed quite strange."
"Captain Xu, did you see today's interview preview? Do you think they might be going to talk to Huang Yisen? There was a huge argument in the meeting this morning because the first case involved a thief named Xu San, and the third case involved He Qing. Half the officers believe this series of murders isn't just targeting the cultural festival organizing committee; otherwise, why are Yu Congrong and the deputy mayor, who appeared on the show in the first two episodes, still unharmed?"
Xu Haicheng thought for a moment and said, "Currently, Huang Yisen is the most likely target of the murderer. You should lie in ambush and take the opportunity to find the murderer."
Pan Xiaolu agreed, saying, "That's right, I think so too... Captain Xu, Deputy Captain Feng is looking for me, I'm hanging up now." She quickly hung up the phone.
Xu Haicheng gripped the phone, pondering the possible developments of the case. A growing unease crept in as he worried that Pan Xiaolu and her team might not be able to figure it out. He felt a surge of anxiety; he desperately wanted to find Ma Junnan immediately to get the details and return to his post. Once this thought took hold, he couldn't sit still any longer.
When I arrived at the Ma family's house and rang the doorbell, I quickly saw an eye moving behind the peephole, but it took a while before someone opened the door.
Ma Junnan had recovered quite well; his face had regained some weight, and his once orange-peel-like skin was much smoother. However, his eyes remained wary as he looked at Xu Haicheng. He stood at the door without inviting Xu Haicheng in, clearly not intending to have a long talk. "You've come to see me about the report, haven't you?"
Xu Haicheng nodded.
"I'm just saying what I saw."
"Did you really see that?" Xu Haicheng stared intently into his eyes.
Ma Junnan frowned and said, "Why would I come if you don't believe me? Besides, what good would it do me to frame you?"
Section 59: Chapter Ten, Part Three of the Cataclysm (5)
The next sentence hit the nail on the head. Indeed, Ma Junnan and Xu Haicheng had no conflict of interest at all, which was exactly what Xu Haicheng couldn't understand.
"When you said it last time, I was shocked and didn't think about it. Later, I thought about it carefully and realized it was very inappropriate. If I really was infected with the Ghost Gu, I had absolutely no chance of surviving. Even if I was infected with the Ghost Gu and went berserk shooting at them, how could it be close-range shooting? Wouldn't they dodge? They were carrying guns. Similarly, if I wasn't infected with the Ghost Gu and went berserk because of a gunshot wound to the head, it wouldn't be close-range shooting at them either."
Ma Junnan's expression softened slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes. He said, "What you said makes some sense, but I'm only talking about what I've actually seen."
"What if your memory is wrong?"
Ma Junnan stared at him.
"Given the serious leg injury you suffered in that situation, it's understandable that you might have misconceptions due to the trauma of the gunfight."
"Captain Xu, I heard you've been suspended. I hope you won't become extreme or start talking nonsense because of this." Ma Junnan was already somewhat displeased and raised his voice.
Xu Haicheng was also quick to retort, saying, "Your account clearly contradicts the physical evidence. All four men died from close-range shooting."
"That's your job, police. I'll say it again, I'm only stating what I saw," Ma Junnan said coldly. "I have other things to do, that's all." With that, he slammed the door shut.
Xu Haicheng punched the wall and left Ma Junnan's doorstep dejectedly. It was clearly impossible to get the truth out of him; this time, Ma Junnan was much tougher and more resolute than before. In their last conversation, Ma Junnan had partially agreed with Xu Haicheng's questions, but this time he directly accused Xu Haicheng of taking his anger out on him because of his suspension.
An indescribable sense of frustration welled up inside me. Why couldn't I remember what happened afterward? Was it because of a brain injury? If so, I should have been the first one shot, so how could I have killed four people? No matter how I tried to figure it out, I couldn't find a reasonable answer. The other survivors were either mentally unstable or in a vegetative state, so they couldn't help me unless I could regain my memory.
Thinking of this, Xu Haicheng's heart stirred.
On the subway home, I saw the advertisement for "Huang Yisen's Interview" on the mobile TV again, and a sudden impulse struck me to call the Criminal Investigation Team and remind them of the important points. Then I thought again, Deputy Captain Feng is in charge now, and he's a seasoned detective; he has no right to interfere. A feeling of indescribable sadness washed over me, not because I'd been dismissed, but because I'd become a bystander in the case. It was like wanting to play World of Warcraft but only being able to stand beside someone else and watch them play—an unbearable itch to do so.
He secretly made up his mind to take a stroll around the TV station area later. However, this idea was quickly thwarted by an unexpected event: a phone call from the special investigation team demanded that he immediately go to the Municipal Public Security Bureau to defend himself against Ma Junnan's report.
The speed of the action is a testament to the crucial role of the deliberate and measured approach taken.
Xu Haicheng thought it over and over, but couldn't figure out where he had offended him. Perhaps he had unintentionally offended him with a single sentence, or perhaps his manner of speaking that day had offended him. Such powerful people couldn't tolerate disobedience, and the meaning of his last words that day was very clear: You, Xu Haicheng, are out.
When he arrived at the Municipal Public Security Bureau, he found that he didn't recognize any of the members of the special investigation team. Judging from their uniforms, there were three policemen, who were probably transferred from other units and were specifically chosen because they had no connection with him. The other person was probably sent by the city and was wearing round glasses. They asked him all sorts of questions, and Xu Haicheng patiently explained his meaning, which was roughly the same as what he had said to Ma Junnan that afternoon.
The three police officers immediately realized that Ma Junnan's account did not match the physical evidence, but since the officer sent by the city remained silent, they couldn't say anything. The investigation should have taken less than an hour, but it dragged on for more than three hours. By the time Xu Haicheng left the city bureau, it was past nine o'clock, and Huang Yisen's interview was more than halfway over.
He decided to watch the whole thing on a public television screen by the roadside. He discovered that the hotline had been cancelled, but the SMS platform was still there, and the host had changed. The program was excellent. Huang Yisen, after all, was the second-in-command in the archaeological work on the Mansi tombs. He spoke eloquently and vividly, describing the tomb, shaped like the Big Dipper, as shining brightly as the Big Dipper in the sky.
Many passersby stopped to watch intently, including Xu Haicheng. Although he had been inside the ancient tomb before, it was during a time of crisis, and he only had time for a fleeting glimpse. Now, listening to his explanation, he felt that every detail of the tomb was captivating and thought-provoking, and at the same time, he felt a great sense of regret that such an ancient tomb had been destroyed by human error.
Section 60: Chapter Ten, Part Three of the Calamity (6)
Nothing unusual was found until the end of the interview.
Just when Xu Haicheng thought nothing would happen that night, he suddenly heard sirens blaring. A police car sped past, and Pan Xiaolu was sitting in the passenger seat. Without thinking, he hailed a taxi and followed the police car. Seeing that the police car was heading towards the television station, his heart jumped again.
As the police car approached the television station, it turned into a side street and stopped. Pan Xiaolu and Deputy Captain Feng jumped out and rushed towards a certain spot, guns drawn. Xu Haicheng quickly jumped out as well, only to find that the street was blocked by many police cars on all sides. He just didn't know who was being held up.