602 Man-Eating Apartment

Chapter 2

Before Su Yang could think, there was a knock at the door. Su Yang was stunned: Why were they here so fast? A shadow suddenly fell over his heart. He opened the door, and there stood two policemen, one old and one young, waiting for him to open the door with serious expressions. They only relaxed when they saw that Su Yang was only wearing shorts and a vest, and slippers.

Two policemen entered the room and looked around Su Yang's apartment: a single room with the kitchen and bedroom connected, and a four or five square meter bathroom set up in the corner. The room was simply furnished with a bed, a wardrobe, a round table and two sofa chairs, a stereo system on another TV table with two large stacks of CDs next to it, and a computer on the bedside table—a typical home life for an urban white-collar worker.

Su Yang gestured for the police officers to sit down, poured them two glasses of water, and then sat nervously in front of the computer, ready to answer their questions.

"What's your name?"

"Su Yang."

"age?"

"Twenty-six years old."

"what for?"

The older policeman noticed Su Yang's nervousness and smiled, "This is just routine work, don't be too nervous."

Su Yang forced a smile. "It's nothing, I'm just not used to dealing with people in uniforms. I work as a copywriter at a foreign company."

"So what is your relationship with Chen Lijuan?"

Su Yang shook his head. "I don't know anyone with that name." The two policemen exchanged a glance, and the younger officer said, "She died on the second floor of a house around the corner from your apartment."

"Huh?" Su Yang's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

All these changes did not escape the keen eyes of the veteran policeman. "Have you been there?"

"No, no," Su Yang stammered, "I've never been there." He wiped the sweat from his forehead. "May I have some water?"

The old policeman nodded. Su Yang got up, poured himself a glass of cold water, gulped it down, and then sat down again.

"We want to know how much you actually know about Chen Lijuan's murder case?" the veteran policeman asked in a deep voice.

Su Yang pondered for a moment, "I want to know what's going on with that text message you mentioned first."

“We found a text message on the deceased’s phone that she sent to you last night, or rather, early this morning, saying that she was outside your door. This was also the last text message she sent. So we want to know what your relationship was.”

Su Yang felt a chill envelop him, making it almost impossible to breathe. He asked, trembling, "How can you be so sure that was the last text message she sent?"

"Because the phone was in the deceased's hand, we didn't find any signs of tampering at the scene. You haven't answered our questions yet."

Su Yang's face was ashen. He moved his lips, but couldn't utter a word. Just then, the old policeman's phone rang. He nodded apologetically to Su Yang, got up, went to the balcony, and answered the call. Su Yang took the opportunity to get up and pour himself another large glass of water, which he drank in one gulp, feeling slightly calmer.

After finishing the call, the older policeman returned with a grave expression and said to the younger officer, "The forensic results are in. The deceased died between 11:30 pm and midnight last night."

"How is this possible?" The young policeman stood up abruptly. "That text message was sent at 12:50. Could it have been sent by the deceased? Or did the murderer send it and then put it back in the deceased's hand?"

The old policeman looked solemn, and Su Yang felt a tightness in his chest. He wanted to ask something, but he was also afraid of hearing something even more terrifying.

After a long pause, the veteran policeman turned to Su Yang and asked, "You didn't delete yesterday's text message, did you?"

"No, no." Su Yang frantically found his phone. "I think the Chen Lijuan you're talking about is actually Zhu Su. I only met her online last night. She said she wanted to meet me and tricked me into going to Buyun Garden in Baiyun District, but she didn't show up. Then she said she'd meet me downstairs at my apartment building. You can see my text messages; these are all the ones she sent me, and I sent her the same ones. Look, this is the one she sent me when I was at her doorstep, oh, right at the entrance of Buyun Garden. This one is her asking me to meet her downstairs at her apartment building. This last one is the one you're talking about, right? But it's strange, I saw it was sent at 12:50, but I didn't receive it until 3:00 AM."

Apartment 602, the Man-Eating Apartment 2 (2)

The older and younger policemen exchanged glances, seemingly hesitant about whether to tell Su Yang something. Su Yang looked at them, his legs trembling, almost unable to stand. The older policeman patted him on the shoulder, gesturing for him to sit down.

"We have two pieces of bad news for you, and we hope you are prepared."

Su Yang nodded vigorously, almost bursting into tears.

"Firstly, of all these messages on your phone, except for the last one, we didn't find them on the deceased's phone."

Su Yang yelled "Ah!" but immediately covered his mouth with his hand.

"Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that the deceased deleted them one by one before her death. I just asked a colleague to go to the mobile company to check all of the deceased's recent call records, including text message records. Another piece of bad news is," the old policeman took a deep breath, "that the deceased's body was discovered at around 5 a.m. this morning when her roommate came back from her night shift, but the girl is still in the hospital due to extreme shock. Because the deceased's head was cruelly cut off."

With a thud, Su Yang fell to the ground, his face deathly pale.

Faced with the police's questioning gaze, Su Yang struggled to get up and stammered out the whole story from the previous night. At the end, he added, "After I sent the last text message and walked back to my apartment, I felt like someone was watching me from the second floor of the house. It was eerie and made me feel a chill run down my spine."

The old policeman said slowly, "But the victim had already been killed by then."

"Could the murderer be hiding behind the window watching?" the young policeman asked.

"I think it's unlikely. Unless the killer is a psychopathic serial killer, few people would want to linger at such a bloody scene."

“That was a psychopathic killer. Otherwise, who would have such ruthless methods to cut off a person’s head?” the young policeman said bitterly. “I suspect he was a professional killer. Otherwise, the whole scene wouldn’t have been so clean and efficient, leaving no clues at all.”

The veteran policeman fell into deep thought. After a long while, he sighed, "I have a feeling this case is a bit strange. Logically speaking, no matter what profession someone is in, such a brutal murder would leave some clues. It might not be fingerprints or physical evidence, but there would at least be some other traces and some noise. 11:30 p.m. isn't very late, and the murder happened in a residential house. Not only are there many residents, but the soundproofing is also very poor. Yet, no one heard the victim struggle or cry for help. To take someone's life so silently is something even a professional killer would find difficult to do, unless she was drugged or knocked unconscious beforehand. But the problem here is that the victim was just an ordinary migrant worker who had been in Guangzhou for less than six months and didn't even know many people. Where would she have such a deep-seated enemy?"

"So you mean..." the young policeman asked tentatively.

The veteran policeman lit a cigarette, turned to Su Yang, and said, "I'd like to know more about the 'Zhu Su' you mentioned. I think it could be a clue to solving the case."

Su Yang helplessly stretched out his hand, "But I only had a little contact with her, and I've told you everything." He suddenly remembered the QQ chat history from yesterday, "Oh, right, I can show you my chat history with her."

Su Yang quickly turned on his computer and logged into QQ, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find Zhu Su's QQ avatar. "That's strange, how come it's gone? I couldn't have deleted it."

The old policeman took a deep drag on his cigarette. "No need to look anymore, I think you won't find it."

The young policeman and Su Yang both looked at the older policeman strangely. A shadow crossed the older policeman's face, and he said calmly, "I've been a policeman for so many years, and major murder cases are often accompanied by some inexplicable things."

"You mean a ghost?" Su Yang shuddered.

There are no ghosts in this world. But it is precisely because there are no ghosts that the things that happen are all the more heart-wrenching and unbelievable.

Su Yang became anxious, "Then tell me, is my life in danger?"

"It's hard to say. Some things are simply a matter of fate. But let me give you a piece of advice: most of the ghosts in the world reside in people's hearts. Don't scare yourself unnecessarily. As long as you can persevere, you will surely see the truth come out one day."

Su Yang remained silent.

"Alright, stop thinking about it. That's just how fate is. Whether it's good or bad luck, if it's going to come, you can't stop it. I want you to take us to your online friend Zhu Su's house now."

Su Yang glanced at the old policeman, wanting to say something, but then swallowed his words. He silently went to the restroom to change his clothes and put on his shoes.

The two policemen were talking quietly at the door. When they saw him come out, they stopped talking. Su Yang didn't care to ask any more questions and followed them into the police car.

The police car slowly drove out of the apartment building and rounded the corner. Su Yang subconsciously looked up at the second floor of the building, as if a pair of eyes were fixed on him through the second-floor window, their gaze as cold and sharp as an ice arrow piercing his heart, a chill spreading through him. The police car went up the slope around the corner, and Su Yang turned his head in a panic, only to see the mysterious man from room 704 standing on the balcony, coldly watching the police car. The discomfort he felt during their previous encounter surged back into Su Yang's heart; he felt almost nauseous.

"What's wrong?" the old policeman asked, noticing Su Yang's unusual behavior.

"I...I think I saw someone watching me from the window of that house," Su Yang said hesitantly.

"Oh? Who is it?" The old policeman became wary.

"I don't know if there really is someone, or maybe it's just my imagination, but I feel like there are eyes watching me." Su Yang clutched his pounding heart, constantly telling himself: There are no ghosts in the world, it's all just an illusion, don't be afraid, I'll drive it away. This was a self-suggestion technique that Su Yang had learned from a psychology book before. Although he knew its effect was minimal, it was undoubtedly a lifeline for him, who was now deeply mired in fear.

Apartment 602, the Man-Eating Apartment II (3)

"Oh." The old policeman relaxed again, resting his head on the cushion. "This is normal human psychology, a normal reaction to fear. When people believe that there are ghosts or terrifying things in a certain place, they are prone to hallucinations and frightening themselves. So you must remember, ghosts are not scary, because they don't exist. Only inner demons are the scariest. Don't let this murder case implant terrifying thoughts in your mind, and don't let them control you."

Su Yang closed his eyes wearily. He felt that life had never been so bad, and what was worse, he vaguely felt that this was just the beginning, and that something even more terrifying was waiting for him. "Just consider it a chance to test my courage."

Apartment 602, the Man-Eating Apartment, Part 3 (1)

The car quickly arrived at Buyun Garden. The garden looked even more dilapidated than it had been at night. Su Yang guided the police to apartment 602 in building 6. The neighbors looked at them in surprise, whispering among themselves, their eyes filled with curiosity and unease.

The older policeman carefully examined Zhu Su's door; even the rust and dust on the iron gate didn't escape his keen eyes. The younger policeman, meanwhile, kept taking pictures. The older policeman straightened up and asked the neighbor, "Is this Zhu Su's house?"

The neighbor nodded and asked in return, "Has something happened to her? No wonder she hasn't come back for several months."

"How many months has it been since you came back? How many months exactly?"

The neighbor counted on his fingers and said, "It's been a little over four months."

The older policeman nodded thoughtfully and said to the younger policeman, "Open the door."

Su Yang said anxiously, "Why didn't she knock? She texted me last night saying she came back, but the neighbors just didn't see her." But then, thinking of the series of events that had happened from last night to today, he shut his mouth again, cursing himself for being so foolish. He had been sold out and was still stupidly believing what others said.

The older policeman watched as the younger officer put on gloves, took out a bunch of tools from his backpack, and began to pick the lock, while casually answering Su Yang, "Didn't you see the dust on the iron gate? No one has been in or out of this gate for at least six months."

The young policeman quickly opened both the iron gate and the door. The older policeman put on gloves and gently pushed open the door. Su Yang's palms were sweaty, but he gritted his teeth and followed him inside. The room was dark; all the curtains were drawn, with only a faint light coming in from the kitchen. The young policeman fumbled for the light switch, but it had already been cut off by the power company.

Su Yang quickly adjusted to the dim light, but the pervasive stench made his chest tighten, his head throb, and his stomach churn. He frowned deeply and muttered, "What is this smell? It's so awful!"

A deep voice came from the darkness: "If you were a policeman for a few years, maybe you'd get used to this smell."

Su Yang wanted to ask more about the smell, but suddenly his eyes lit up. He instinctively reached out to block the light; the young policeman had drawn back the curtains. The room's layout became clear: it was a two-bedroom apartment. In the living room, where they were standing, there was a home theater system, a sofa, and a coffee table. The coffee table was cluttered with remote controls, CDs, and other miscellaneous items. Surprisingly, there was a vase on the coffee table with two withered lilies, their stems now bare. It seemed Zhu Su was someone who appreciated the finer things in life.

Suddenly, Su Yang cried out in alarm. The two policemen whirled around, and the neighbors watching from outside the door all felt a jolt of fear. All eyes were on Su Yang, who was pointing directly at a corner behind the door, his face ashen. The older policeman asked warily, "What did you see?"

“Red grapes…red grapes…” For a moment, Su Yang’s mind was in turmoil. The two policemen’s expressions also changed. The younger policeman quickly stepped forward and pulled a bag of red grapes from the corner. The red grapes still looked fresh, which seemed out of place with the stale smell in the room. Obviously, they could not be the belongings left behind four months ago. There was only one explanation: someone had brought the red grapes that Su Yang had left behind into the house after he left last night!

The older policeman's face darkened, and he gestured for the younger policeman and Su Yang to leave through the door.

At the doorway, the neighbors all wore expressions of suspicion and unease. The old policeman offered no explanation, took out his phone, stepped out from the crowd, and made a call: "Criminal Investigation Team? This is Old Chen. Xiao Zhang and I are currently in apartment 602, building 6, Buyun Garden, Baiyun District. We suspect a murder occurred here, and that it's related to last night's decapitation case. Please urgently dispatch reinforcements for the search."

The neighbors began to stir. Old Chen stepped into the crowd, his gaze sweeping over everyone, and asked in a deep voice, "Which of you is familiar with Zhu Su and knows her contact information or other details?"

A middle-aged man hesitated for a moment and said, "I have her phone number. Wait, let me check. Hmm, it's 138623536**. But I'm not very familiar with her. Although she has lived here for a few years, she basically doesn't visit other people. I only got her number a year ago when she asked me to fix her water heater."

Old Chen's gaze lingered on Su Yang, who was scrolling through his phone, comparing it to Zhu Su's phone number. Su Yang's face clearly showed a look of utter horror, as if he'd seen a ghost. "How could this be? Could it really be Zhu Su online? Where is she? Is she a person or a ghost?"

Old Chen put his hand on Su Yang's shoulder, signaling him to calm down. He turned to the neighbors and asked, "Before Zhu Su disappeared, did you notice anything unusual about her? Also, in the time since she disappeared, has anyone come looking for her?"

The neighbors started talking amongst themselves, and their points boiled down to a few things: First, Zhu Su moved to apartment 602 in building 6 of Buyun Garden with her parents about three years ago. They bought a second-hand apartment, and shortly after moving in, her parents immigrated to Australia and never returned, leaving her to live alone. Second, although Zhu Su was not young (no one knew her exact age, but judging from her appearance, she was no more than 28 or 29), and was good-looking, she was rarely seen bringing friends home, and she almost never visited the neighbors. Only in the two or three months before her disappearance would a man occasionally come looking for her, but he never came again after Zhu Su disappeared. The man usually came after 10 pm, was not tall, about 1.65 meters, and had dark skin. Third, after Zhu Su disappeared, apart from the meter readers and electricity collectors knocking on the door, about every month a different young man would come knocking on the door of apartment 602 looking for her. They only left with some doubt after the neighbors told them that Zhu Su was not there and that apartment 602 was empty.

Old Chen carefully went through the clues in his mind. It seemed that the dark-skinned man was highly suspicious. However, it was strange that men were coming to see Zhu Su every month. Could it be that these young people were all "tricked" online, just like Su Yang? What was the mastermind's intention?

Apartment 602, the Man-Eating Apartment, Part 3 (2)

Before Old Chen could even find an answer in his mind, the criminal investigation team had already sent five more officers to assist him. Old Chen briefly explained the case to them, and after they whispered among themselves for a while, Old Chen turned to Su Yang and said, "Why don't you go back first? There's nothing for you to do here for now. If there are any other problems, we'll ask you to assist with the investigation later."

Su Yang shook his head. "No, I want to follow you to find out what really happened. The sooner I know the answer, the sooner I can feel at ease."

Old Chen thought for a moment and said, "Alright then. But don't move around after you go inside, so as not to disturb the scene."

Old Chen gestured to Officer Zhang to open the door again. As soon as the door opened, Su Yang felt the stench was even stronger than before, almost seeping into every pore of his skin. The officers exchanged glances, their expressions turning serious: it seemed there was indeed something going on.

The door was slowly pushed open, and almost everyone gasped in surprise: a swarm of greenbottle flies was hovering inside, like a strange, green cloud. The wind whipped up by the open door scattered them into every corner of the room. Xiao Zhang stared in astonishment, mouth agape, muttering, "It's autumn, how can there be so many flies?" He covered his nose, enduring the unpleasant smell and his nausea, and quickly went to open the window.

Su Yang followed the police into the house. Everyone disgustedly swatted away the flies that swarmed onto their bodies and faces, and busied themselves with a professional spirit.

Su Yang stood frozen in the center of the room, watching the police officers meticulously inspect every corner of the house, from the kitchen to the bathroom, from the bedroom to the living room, leaving no corner unchecked.

The flies weren't idle either. As if by some unspoken agreement, or perhaps attracted by some scent emanating from Su Yang, they swarmed onto him, ignoring his attempts to swat them away. In no time, it seemed as if all the flies in the room had gathered on Su Yang, a dense, sticky green blanket enveloping him from head to toe. Su Yang suddenly found it difficult to breathe. He cried out in terror, "Old Chen, come save me..." In that instant, the flies had already systematically filled his mouth. The thought of having his mouth full of flies, one of the world's dirtiest creatures, made Su Yang feel a churning in his throat and stomach. He stumbled and groped his way towards the bathroom.

Hearing Su Yang's shout, Old Chen turned around and saw a horrifying scene: tens of thousands of flies were clinging to Su Yang's body, emitting a eerie green glow as he swayed, both strange and terrifying. Old Chen grabbed a cushion from the sofa, ran over to Su Yang, and vigorously swatted at the flies.

But the flies seemed to carry a mysterious mission, refusing to budge no matter how much Old Chen swatted at them. Old Chen stopped in horror, staring dumbfounded as Su Yang stumbled into the bathroom, clutched the toilet, and vomited violently. The flies, like thawed ice chips, gradually peeled off his body, falling to the floor and forming a thick layer.

All the police officers witnessed this scene, their eyes flashing with astonishment and fear.

He didn't know how long he had been vomiting. He felt like he had brought up his internal organs, and he was completely exhausted. But the waves of nausea still made him keep dry heaving. Finally, he could no longer bear the weak contractions of his stomach and plopped down on the carpet of flies. He heard a series of crackling sounds as the dead flies popped and popped.

Old Chen and the others stood outside the bathroom door, watching Su Yang's actions, their stomachs churning, hesitating whether they should go forward to help.