Death Notice 2 Destiny

Chapter 40

The executioner handed the blood-dripping sword to the short man and then stepped aside. The man gripped the sword tightly, his gaze fixed like a hook on the woman imprisoned in the glass box.

The wounded woman appeared even more frail and helpless, bright red blood seeping onto her snow-white chest, creating a cold yet vibrant color. She no longer had the strength to struggle, only panting and groaning, which further fueled the savage desires within the wolf pack.

The short man's desire could no longer be suppressed. He raised his longsword, pointed the tip at a hidden opening on the surface of the glass box, and then, like the executioner before him, gripped the hilt with both hands and plunged the longsword into the box.

Mu Jianyun was still shaken by the bloody scene from not long ago, and seeing that the same scene was about to repeat itself, he slightly turned his head away. However, this time the woman's scream did not come as expected. Mu Jianyun turned his head back in surprise, only to see that the long sword in the man's hand had only penetrated a little over an inch into the box before it could not go any further, as if the tip of the sword had encountered some kind of obstruction.

Huang Jieyuan and Luo Fei, who were standing to the side, were staring intently at the man's movements. It seemed that this scene was the real focus of the "performance"!

The short man on the stage also showed a slight look of surprise, but he didn't rush to increase his brute force. Instead, he slightly rotated his wrist, changing the angle of his strike. After a moment, he seemed to have found a path, and the longsword began to push further into the box.

Huang Jieyuan raised his eyebrows slightly, and his gaze became serious.

Because he had to dodge some kind of obstacle inside the glass box, the man's sword thrust forward at a slower and slower pace, but he eventually managed to reach the core of the box. The sharp blade once again sliced through the woman's delicate skin, and a scream rang out.

The spectators below cheered in unison as if in victory, their evil desires satisfied in the bloody slaughter. The short man on the stage was even more frenzied; he slowly withdrew the long sword and then stretched out his tongue to lick the blood that clung to the tip.

Mu Jianyun couldn't stand it any longer. She raised her right hand to her brow and shook her head repeatedly in disgust. Just then, Huang Jieyuan nudged her and Luo Fei's arms, then gave them a "go" look.

Luo and Mu understood each other and followed closely behind Huang Jieyuan. The three of them passed through the curtain wall and, still escorted by security guards, squeezed through the crowd and headed towards the private rooms on the second floor.

Once inside the private room, the first thing Luo Fei did was to shut the thick, soundproof door tightly. After being tormented by the incredibly loud music for over half an hour, he was already feeling nauseous and restless. Even with the sound waves shut out, his eardrums were still ringing, and it took him quite a while to calm down.

"Have a seat," Huang Jieyuan said, gesturing to Luo Mu and the other man while turning off the wall full of surveillance screens. They had just watched the entire "performance" up close, so there was no point in keeping the monitors on.

Mu Jianyun sat back in her original spot, picked up her teacup, and gulped down several mouthfuls of water, ignoring its cool temperature, as if that would erase the unpleasant experience she had just had. After calming down a bit, she put down her teacup and asked, "What exactly was the meaning of this performance?"

Huang Jieyuan didn't answer directly. He glanced at Luo Fei and said, "Captain Luo, what do you think?"

Luo Fei already had some ideas, and seeing that the other party had asked, he confidently replied, "It's obvious you're looking for a pervert who likes extreme music, is violent and bloodthirsty, and has excellent control over a blade."

Huang Jieyuan smiled and shook his head, looking admiringly at him: "I knew many things couldn't be hidden from you, but I didn't expect you to see things so comprehensively and accurately."

Mu Jianyun watched the two men intently, his mind gradually clearing. For a club-style bar like this, the "performance" was far beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. The members, indeed, fit the description of "liking extreme music, violence, bloodlust, and being a pervert." As for their "excellent control over the blade," this conclusion was clearly drawn from the final sword thrust into the glass case. Judging from the scene, the shorter man had to be extremely careful, choosing the right force and angle to finally insert the sword into the glass case. Understanding the purpose of these performance setups, and considering the methods used by the perpetrator in the "112 Dismemberment Case," there were indeed many intriguing aspects to this!

However, Mu Jianyun still found it difficult to calm down and ponder these mysteries, because the bloody scenes during the "performance" still lingered in her mind, leaving her with lingering fear. So she couldn't help but ask again, "What about the girl who was stabbed? You didn't really hurt her, did you?"

Huang Jieyuan chuckled twice, then turned his gaze to Luo Fei, wanting to hear the latter's analysis of the matter first.

"Don't worry," Luo Fei smiled at Mu Jianyun. "What we just saw should be considered a magic trick."

"Magic..." Mu Jianyun nodded as if she understood, but she couldn't grasp the principle behind it, so her face was still full of confusion. "How is that done?"

"I'm not sure about the exact method yet, but that glass box must be an ingeniously designed prop, right?" Luo Fei said speculatively. "The sword that pierced the box certainly wouldn't have hurt the woman; it was all just a realistic performance."

Unable to get a detailed answer from Luo Fei, Mu Jianyun turned his head again and looked at Huang Jieyuan with a curious and expectant gaze.

Huang Jieyuan smiled and nodded: "The secret is indeed in that box. The box actually has two layers; the outer layer is a very thick ring of transparent glass, and the inner layer is an electronic screen tightly attached to the glass. The pulley under the box hides a passageway that connects to an opening in the stage floor."

Upon hearing this, Luo Fei clapped his hands abruptly: "I understand! No wonder a cloud of smoke rose from the stage when the executioner threw the woman into the box. On the surface, it was to create a stage effect, but it was actually a cover, wasn't it? The woman took advantage of this opportunity to slip under the stage through the pulley's passage. And all the images of her that we saw afterward were actually just simulated images displayed on the electronic screen."

"So that's how it is!" Mu Jianyun finally felt relieved. Recalling the situation, ever since the woman was stuffed into the box, she felt that the woman's appearance was somewhat unreal. However, at the time, she only thought it was a visual difference caused by the refraction of the glass. How could she have imagined that a wonderful escape had already taken place inside the box? Moreover, the flickering lights on set created a dreamlike effect, so who would doubt whether the scene inside the box was real?

He understood the general idea, but some minor details remained unclear. Mu Jianyun was unwilling to overlook even the smallest question.

"How did the blood get on that longsword?"

"It's very simple." Huang Jieyuan shrugged easily. "Prepare blood bags beforehand, then connect a transparent tube to the opening of the sword blade on the glass. As soon as the sword tip touches the screen, a device will squeeze the blood bag, and the blood will instantly fill the opening on the glass. The image of the woman being injured on the screen has already been recorded. As long as it is played at the right time, the internal and external synchronization can achieve a very realistic effect."

"How interesting!" Mu Jianyun exclaimed sincerely. Now that she was certain that no one had been injured during the performance, her mood improved considerably, and her complexion became rosy.

"Alright," Luo Fei said, looking at Huang Jieyuan. "We've all understood your performance; shouldn't you explain your thought process to us?"

"My thought process—" Huang Jieyuan tilted his head back and took a deep breath, unsure how to express himself accurately. After a moment's thought, he countered, "Do you know the difference between net fishing and fishing with a rod?"

Not only was Mu Jianyun baffled, but Luo Fei was also quite curious. Netting fish and fishing? What did this have to do with Case 112? With this question in mind, he spread his hands and said, "Please explain in detail."

"Alright, I'll tell you about it today." Huang Jie leaned closer to Luo Mu and the other man. "You've all seen fishing nets, right? They're huge; one cast and they can catch a lot of fish. Don't you think it's a great way to fish?"

"It's not bad," Luo Fei said, stroking his chin. He had seen fishermen go out to sea from Mingze Island. When the fishing nets were hauled onto the boat, the nets were full of lively fish, which was a delightful sight even for onlookers.

Huang Jieyuan stared into Luo Fei's eyes for a moment, as if trying to guide his thinking: "Unfortunately, casting a net to catch fish has a major drawback. I wonder if you can think of it?"

Luo Fei pondered for a moment, then smiled and shook his head: "You tell me."

Huang Jieyuan was somewhat disappointed, yet also a little smug. He squinted and said, "Casting a net to catch fish may yield many fish, but those are all stupid, foolish, and slow-witted fish! You can't catch the truly formidable ones. Because the cunning and agile fish will have already escaped before you can even pull in the net. No matter how big your net is, how can it be bigger than the entire ocean? That's the fish's domain. If it's agile and cunning enough, you'll never be able to catch it with a net!"

Luo Fei vaguely sensed what Huang Jieyuan wanted to say, and he pondered for a moment before saying, "Hmm, that's interesting—go on."

"So for these tricky fish, we need to change our approach. We can't use nets; we must use hooks. Attach bait to the hook and cast it where the fish frequent. Then you just wait patiently—never make a move, because that will only scare the cunning fish away! Once the water calms down, if the bait is right, the fish will eventually bite, and then it will be yours!"

After hearing Huang Jieyuan's words, Mu Jianyun's eyes lit up: "You mean, the murderer in the 112 case is a cunning fish?"

Huang Jieyuan slammed his right index finger heavily on the table: "Exactly! Now you know why the task force's efforts back then were in vain, right? The needle-in-a-haystack investigation strategy was like casting a net to catch fish. The net was wide, but what good was it? Over six months, a huge amount of manpower and resources were spent, and nearly a hundred robbery and theft cases were solved, a whole bunch of petty thieves were caught, but the real culprit was nowhere to be seen. A ruthless and cunning guy like that, seeing you casting such a wide net, would have already run outside the net and hidden himself. How could he possibly fall into your trap?"

Luo Fei and Mu Jianyun both nodded in agreement: what they said did make sense. Huang Jieyuan, seeing their expressions of agreement, seemed quite gratified, but then he sighed softly, "What a pity. When I was in charge of this case, I didn't understand this principle. Only after I resigned from the criminal investigation team and slowly calmed down did I gradually come to realize something. Later, I finally understood that to catch the real culprit in the 112 murder case, I had to cast a bait and wait for him to take the bait!"

Mu Jianyun tilted his head slightly and asked, "So that's why you opened this bar, setting up bait to wait for him to appear?"

"Yes." Huang Jieyuan gritted his teeth, his voice filled with both resentment and determination. "No matter how long it takes, as long as the bait is right, I refuse to believe he'll never take the bait."

"Now tell me about your bait," Luo Fei seized the opportunity to bring up the topic he was most interested in, "How do you know this bait will definitely suit his taste?"

The Fate of the Death Sentence (22)

Huang Jieyuan scanned Luo Mu and his companion with bright eyes and asked, "You both listened to the music in the bar just now. What did you think of it?"

"It's very depressing." Luo Fei gave the most concise description first.

"Anything else?"

"And... well, there's also a feeling of terror and despair, which seems to stir up some negative emotions deep within you, or even produce some... hallucinations."

"You can't close your eyes," Mu Jianyun said to Luo Fei. "You'll get too absorbed. Music can indeed affect emotions, and when you feel you can't control it, you should try to shift your thoughts back to the real world. If you try to fight it head-on, it will backfire."

"Yeah—" Luo Fei grinned, still shaken, "I never imagined music could have such terrifying power."

"You're lucky. The first time I heard that music, it was truly terrifying," Huang Jieyuan said solemnly. At the same time, he got up and walked to the east corner, taking a plastic bag from the bedside table. When he put the plastic bag on the coffee table, Luo Fei immediately recognized it as an evidence preservation bag commonly used in criminal investigation work.

Huang Jieyuan sat back on the sofa, leaning back in his chair. He pointed to the evidence bag and said, "Take a look. That music was copied from this tape. The first time I heard music was late one winter night in 1993. I was alone, wearing headphones, and after listening, I was drenched in sweat like it was the hottest day of summer. It felt like the whole world was filled with violence and death, leaving you feeling hopeless and with nowhere to escape."

Luo Fei nodded; that was indeed the feeling. He picked up the evidence bag and found a cassette tape inside. In the 1980s and 90s, these cassette tapes delivered all kinds of music to countless households, but now their place had long been replaced by CDs.

"Is this bag related to Case 112?" Luo Fei asked, sensing something was wrong.

"These are the deceased's belongings. They're bootleg tapes bought from the video store near the school."

"Cut-out tape?" Luo Fei seemed somewhat unfamiliar with this term.

As a young woman of that era, Mu Jianyun knew what was going on, so she explained with a smile: "It's like some original foreign music cassettes that, because they were piling up and couldn't be sold, were cut open and sold in China as scrap plastic. However, often the cutting only damaged the cassette case; the cassette itself wasn't affected. These tapes would then circulate in the domestic audio-visual market and were called 'cut-out tapes.' They were very fashionable back then!"

"Hmm." Luo Fei roughly understood. Looking at the tape again, it was indeed the original English version, and there was a crushed square hole on the edge of the tape casing.

Huang Jieyuan continued explaining the origin of the tape: "Back then, the special investigation team retrieved this tape intending to examine the fingerprints on it. According to the deceased's classmates, she was very fond of this tape, almost to the point of carrying it with her everywhere. So, if someone had been in close contact with her, they might have left traces on the tape. Unfortunately, the technicians didn't find any valuable clues. So, the tape was forgotten by everyone. Until I was dismissed from my post, I was idle all day, but my mind was still on that bloody case. One night, I accidentally found this tape again. I didn't have any specific purpose at the time, so I put the tape in my Walkman and played it."

"To hear such music without any warning, especially late at night, alone with headphones on..." Mu Jianyun looked at Huang Jieyuan with deep sympathy.

"The process of listening to the music was indeed painful, but what I gained from it was entirely worth the torment." Huang Jieyuan swallowed, moistening his hoarse voice from excitement. "After listening to this album, I truly understood Feng Chunling and was able to outline her social circle."

Luo Fei and Mu Jianyun were captivated by this theory, and they listened intently.

"Based on the information the task force initially gathered, we portrayed Feng Chunling as a lonely, introverted, and emotionally simple person. However, after I came across the music she loved, this image was completely overturned. And the music resonated with me even more than that. Before, I could hardly imagine: what kind of demon was the person who committed the January 12th massacre? What was his mindset when he committed the crime? I simply couldn't understand his motives and emotions, but the answer lies in this music! This is no longer just a music cassette tape; it's a letter left to us by the deceased!"

Seeing how agitated the other party was, Luo Fei subconsciously brought the evidence bag closer to his eyes, wanting to take a closer look at the cassette tape.

But then Huang Jieyuan said, "If you can read the text on the cassette tape cover, you'll understand what I'm saying more easily."

"Oh?" Luo Fei immediately focused his gaze, but then gave a helpless wry smile: "It's all in English?"

Mu Jianyun held out his hand to Luo Fei: "Let me see."

Luo Fei handed the tape to the other person, looking slightly ashamed: "Hey, I haven't touched English since graduating from university. I've forgotten everything I learned before."

Mu Jianyun smiled, unconcerned. Then she stared intently at the cassette tape cover for a moment, attempting to translate: "Heavy metal, as a musical form, is most notably characterized by its fascination with death, violence, and inescapable lust, expressing the exquisite Nietzschean theory of the 'abyss.' When you immerse yourself in this music, you see death as the victor, people's good intentions as the losers, the foundations of civilization under attack, violence destroying everything, and boundless lust permeating the air. You can numb yourself with nihilism, but you can never escape the shadow of death that shrouds everything. The only way to redeem yourself is to enjoy death itself through violence."

"Professor Mu's English is truly admirable," Huang Jieyuan praised sincerely. "Back then, we didn't understand English either, which is why we missed such a crucial clue. By the time I finished listening to the music and then asked someone to translate the passage, the best opportunity to solve the case had already passed... If there had been someone like you in the task force, perhaps this case would have taken a completely different turn!"

"The Abyss Theory..." Luo Fei was particularly sensitive to this phrase on the cover. He repeated Nietzsche's words, "--Whoever fights these monsters needs to understand the process by which they did not become monsters. And as you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes back at you."

"We've already seen him—" Huang Jieyuan said quietly, "—through this music."

Luo Fei narrowed his eyes; he seemed to see that hideous face as well—lurking in a mist filled with violence, death, and lust.

Mu Jianyun's thoughts were now focused on another angle. She gently placed the cassette tape back on the coffee table, and said thoughtfully, "If that's the case, it's indeed difficult to define the deceased with words like 'introverted and simplistic.' In fact, her emotional world was far deeper and more complex than that of her peers, to the point that she felt her classmates couldn't connect with her, which might explain her coldness and loneliness. She had her own hobbies and naturally a group of like-minded friends, but these friends were clearly a small and secretive group. Her social circle was outside of school, and within that circle, she was likely to show a side completely different from what her classmates perceived. Moreover, given her unconventional musical taste, I suspect she must have had some equally unconventional life experiences."

"Well said!" Huang Jieyuan praised the female lecturer again. "It's very close to my feelings... However, I can't make such a detailed psychological analysis; I'm just making new inferences about the case based on my intuition."

Luo Fei had been listening and thinking, and now his gaze returned to Huang Jieyuan, encouraging him to continue.

"This is my hypothesis," Huang Jieyuan sat up straight and began to recount, his posture reminiscent of when he led a special investigation meeting ten years ago. "The deceased and the murderer met through this kind of heavy metal music; it's even quite possible they first met in a record store selling bootleg tapes. Then they became 'friends,' discussing violence, lust, and even death. In this regard, the murderer clearly knew more than the deceased, and his boastful talk attracted the deceased, their relationship gradually becoming closer. But the deceased didn't realize that the murderer's perverse desires had swelled to an extreme degree—real, tangible evil desires, not just fantasies expressed through music. Finally, one day, for some uncertain reason—perhaps an accidental argument, or perhaps a rejected advance—the murderer finally exploded. He unleashed all the desires he had suppressed for years onto the deceased, committing rape, murder, and dismemberment—a series of horrific crimes. We cannot comprehend such crimes, but perhaps the murderer was listening to that music while enjoying the perverse pleasure of committing the crimes."

After saying this, Huang Jieyuan glanced at Luo Fei and Mu Jianyun, clearly waiting for their comments. Luo and Mu, however, were lost in thought, and a temporary silence fell over the private room.

Huang Jieyuan was a little nervous. He knew that the two people in front of him were elites in the police force; would they agree with his analysis?

Finally, Mu Jianyun spoke first: "If that's the case—then it's a classic case of a deranged murder: the killer's main purpose is to enjoy a unique thrill during the act of violence, which goes beyond the norm. Based on past cases both domestically and internationally, this thrill is difficult to suppress; it has a certain addictive quality. In other words, once the killer has tasted the sweetness, it's difficult for them to control the recurrence of this desire. Therefore, deranged murders usually don't occur in isolation; the killer will commit multiple crimes before being apprehended by the police, becoming what we commonly call a serial killer."

Huang Jieyuan had never heard of such a theory before. But since the other party was an expert in criminal psychology, he figured there must be some basis for their argument. After a moment's thought, his expression became even more confident: "Then I'm even more confident in catching this big fish. Ten years have passed since the crime; this guy should be itching to act. And my bar is the perfect place for him to unleash his desires. He can vent his violence and lust to his favorite music. As long as he knows about this bar, he'll come and enjoy it sooner or later."

Mu Jianyun nodded, but her brows were still furrowed, as if she was somewhat unconvinced.

Huang Jieyuan then looked at Luo Fei separately: "Officer Luo, what's your opinion?"

"Your bait is indeed very well-defined, perfectly matching your description of the killer," Luo Fei said confidently. "However, your description of the killer is only a speculation; logically speaking, it lacks solid supporting evidence. That cassette tape can certainly create such a deception, but since it's a deception, it can only exist as one possibility. Therefore, I can't say for sure that you'll catch the big fish you're imagining."

Huang Jieyuan pursed his lips, somewhat dejected. However, he quickly rallied, saying with unwavering determination, "As long as there's a possibility, even if it's only one in ten, one in a hundred, I will persevere!"

Looking at his resolute face amidst his graying hair, Luo Fei and Mu Jianyun were suddenly moved. This man, nearing fifty, had suffered immense humiliation, yet he had never given up. Such a person would never be defeated by any force.

A sudden knock on the door of the private room interrupted the conversation between the three. Huang Jieyuan said in an authoritative voice, "Come in."

The door opened, and the loud music stopped; presumably, the patrons had all left. The young manager from before slipped into the private room, bowed respectfully to Huang Jieyuan, and said, "Mr. Huang, I've printed out the detailed information for today's guest. Would you like it now?"

Huang Jieyuan waved and hummed in response.

The young man stepped forward and handed Huang Jieyuan a few pages of documents. Then, without waiting for the boss to give any instructions, he discreetly withdrew.

"This guy today is definitely worth watching," Huang Jieyuan said seriously, looking at the information. "His name is Wang Wenchao, a local resident. He's thirty-eight years old, a local, and has been a chef for over ten years—hey, a chef, no wonder he has such a good feel for knives!"

Luo Fei knew he was referring to the short man who had just performed on stage with the leather pants. People who came to this bar, besides their fondness for violence and sex, also had to undergo a very subtle test: their control over a knife. Because in the 112 dismemberment case, cutting eight or nine pounds of human flesh into hundreds of even, neat slices was a difficult feat for most people. Therefore, when Huang Jieyuan designed the glass case, he deliberately added slight bends to the blade's path, and the longswords he provided were not only very thin but also brittle and hard. If someone wasn't a seasoned knife user with excellent handling skills, simply thrusting the longsword straight into the path would inevitably break it. Those who could stab the screen with a longsword were all seasoned veterans who frequently dealt with knives.

Today's Wang Wenchao not only matches Huang Jieyuan's character traits, but he is also a chef who has seen bloodshed and has superb knife skills. In addition, his age coincides with the time period of the crime. No wonder Huang Jieyuan is so interested in him.

"What are you planning to do next?" Luo Fei asked with great interest.

"I will secretly investigate all aspects of this person's life, including his detailed resume, his immediate family, his social reputation... and most importantly, his movements around the time of the crime ten years ago. If necessary, I will locate his residence from that time and try to conduct a crime scene investigation."

"You're not a police officer anymore," Luo Fei couldn't help but remind him. "Some of your actions might be illegal. Including... those kinds of performances in bars..."