Los ojos de Asura

Capítulo 51

Liu Song was very tall, but his build was lean and wiry. Eumenides, on the other hand, was much more muscular. However, after Liu Song stuffed the foam padding into his clothes, his physique became very similar to the assassin "Eumenides" in the video. So, at first glance, Yin Jian would think that Liu Song looked a lot like that assassin.

Luo Fei smiled knowingly: "Now you should understand what these foam sheets are for."

Yin Jian paused for a moment, then blurted out as if suddenly realizing something, "Someone wants to wear this foam suit to simulate the assassin's physique!"

Luo Fei nodded: "Once you understand this, you've overcome your first blind spot. The killer in the video wasn't Eumenides, but someone very thin, but about the same height as Eumenides."

Yin Jian and Liu Song exchanged a glance, then simultaneously uttered the same name: "Meng Fangliang!"

Since it's already been stated that the killer in the video is the same person who was originally in the office, and now the physical characteristics have been specified so precisely, the answer is almost obvious. Meng Fangliang is tall and thin, while Lin Henggan is short and fat; the person impersonating Eumenides in front of the camera must undoubtedly be Meng Fangliang!

"But how do we explain that video footage?" Yin Jian's thoughts drifted back to the original point. "The video clearly shows there were three people in the office at the time of the incident, didn't it?"

"This is the second blind spot, one that completely blinded me at the beginning." Luo Fei shook his head self-deprecatingly, then changed the subject, "However, when I realized that Eumenides in the video was actually Meng Fangliang in disguise, this blind spot was quickly broken. You can imagine, since Meng Fangliang had already gotten out of bed and was pretending to be an assassin, the bed he was lying on should obviously have been empty. But we see Meng Fangliang still lying in bed in the video, which can only mean one thing—"

Yin Jian clapped his hands excitedly: "I get it—the video from the east is fake!"

Because Deng Hua's office was too large, two cameras were needed to monitor the entire room. Previously, when Luo Fei and the others suspected the video was fake, their focus was on the scene in the west room where the assassin appeared. However, the clock on the west room wall confirmed that the video was indeed a scene from the crime. But now, following another line of thought, the seemingly ordinary footage in the east room is the fake! The bed by the east wall should have been empty; the scene of Meng Fangliang still asleep in the video was just a repeatedly played, outdated image.

What looks fake is actually real; and what looks real is actually fake. This is the second blind spot that has long plagued people's thinking.

Liu Song didn't participate in the on-site investigation, so he couldn't understand the mystery surrounding the video recordings. However, another puzzle arose even without knowing much about the case.

"If Meng Fangliang impersonated Eumenides, then who exactly killed him and Lin Henggan?"

Yin Jian pondered for a moment and said, "Lin Henggan should have been killed by Meng Fangliang, right? The blood-stained clothes he wore and the bloodstains on the foam padding on his cuffs can serve as evidence. The specific process is roughly as follows: During the nearly five minutes of the first power outage, he changed into the clothes he would use for the crime and stuffed foam padding inside to mimic Eumenides' physique. The brief power outage from the backup generator was obviously also part of his plan, because he needed to show his back to the camera to guide the police's attention to Eumenides; when the power was interrupted for the second time, that was when he made his move. Since Lin Henggan had already taken sleeping pills, he could easily..." He slit his victim's throat with a blade; after committing the crime, he took off his blood-stained clothes, stuffed them into his sports backpack, and threw the backpack out the window onto the balcony. He had also hidden a rope on the balcony beforehand—all these actions were intended to mislead the police into believing it was an intrusion. He also threw foam pieces that might reveal his plan out of the 18th-floor window, thinking they were too light and would disperse far upon impact, attracting no attention. However, he didn't expect that one blood-stained foam piece would land on the balcony, and Captain Luo, with his photographic memory, immediately became alert to two similar foam pieces seen in different locations. This small accident became the fatal flaw that exposed his entire conspiracy.

"Was all of this Meng Fangliang's conspiracy?" Liu Song only half understood. "But he's dead too. Did he kill Lin Henggan and then commit suicide?"

Yin Jian shook his head: "If he wanted to commit suicide, why would he go through so much trouble? Besides, judging from the scene, the knife that killed Meng Fangliang was extremely vicious, something a suicide victim couldn't have done; more importantly, no razor blades or other weapons were left at the scene, so the possibility of suicide simply doesn't exist."

Liu Song asked, puzzled, "Then who killed him?"

While pondering this question earlier, Yin Jian had already prepared for it, so he immediately replied, "Such a complex conspiracy couldn't have been accomplished by Meng Fangliang alone. He must have had an accomplice—and this accomplice is his murderer."

Luo Fei had been silent for a long time, but upon hearing this, he finally showed some approval and asked, "You should have a good idea of who this accomplice is, right?"

"Ahua." Yin Jian uttered the name without hesitation, then explained in detail, "Since entering the office through the window was an impossible task, there was only one possibility for killing Meng Fangliang: after the office door was opened, they would sneak in under the cover of darkness and commit the crime. The first four people to rush into the office were Brother Long, Ahua, and one of their trusted subordinates. Brother Long and his companion went straight to their master, Lin Henggan, while Ahua led his men eastward towards Meng Fangliang. Meng Fangliang, to cover up his crime of killing Lin Henggan, was probably lying in bed pretending to be asleep, right? He never imagined that Ahua would take this opportunity to strike him deadly, staging a classic 'mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind' scenario."

"That does explain the course of the murder, but what about the motive?" Liu Song continued to press. "Why did Meng Fangliang kill Lin Henggan? How did Ahua become his accomplice? And if Ahua was an accomplice, why did he ultimately kill Meng Fangliang?"

This series of questions finally stumped Yin Jian. He looked at Luo Fei, seemingly seeking the latter's help.

"The specific motives are still difficult to explain clearly," Luo Fei said thoughtfully. "However, with Deng Hua's sudden death, the Longyu Group is currently in a power vacuum, which will inevitably lead to a series of fierce power struggles. And since these people all come from the underworld, it wouldn't be surprising if they resort to extreme measures in their struggles."

Liu Song and Yin Jian both nodded silently, understanding the implications. Then Liu Song seemed somewhat disappointed: "So, this case is simply a murder stemming from internal strife within the Longyu Group, with the killer deliberately using Eumenides as a cover. The case itself has absolutely nothing to do with Eumenides. Aren't we just wasting our time?"

Liu Song was solely focused on avenging Xiong Yuan and cared little for cases other than those involving Eumenides and Han Hao. Moreover, he viewed the people at Longyu Group as utterly despicable, hence his eloquent remarks.

However, Luo Fei narrowed his eyes and said leisurely, "This case may not be entirely unrelated to Eumenides."

Liu Song frowned, looking bewildered; even Yin Jian looked at Luo Fei with puzzlement, unable to understand the hidden meaning in his words.

Based on the analysis just now, this case was just something Meng Fangliang and Ahua did under the name of Eumenides. What real connection could it have with that cold-blooded killer?

Luo Fei glanced at the two young men beside him: "Have you ever considered that if the goal was simply to use Eumenides' name to eliminate dissidents, then why did a 'death sentence notice' for Ahua end up in the desk drawer?"

After pondering for a while, Yin Jian had some more ideas: "Perhaps it's to make the details even more perfect."

Luo Fei raised an eyebrow with interest: "What kind of details?"

"The clothes and foam padding that Meng Fangliang wore during the crime had to be hidden in the office beforehand. However, before locking Lin and Meng in the office, Ahua and Brother Long needed to thoroughly search the entire room. This meant the backpack containing the clothes and foam padding could only be hidden in the locked drawer. Since that drawer belonged to Deng Hua, Brother Long obviously didn't have the key, and he had no reason to forcibly search it. Ahua actually had the key; he could simply give it to Meng Fangliang, who could then retrieve the items when needed. However, this would leave a small point of suspicion: when the police investigated the scene, they would definitely open the drawer, and finding it empty would be odd. If the police suspected the drawer had been emptied to store something, they might uncover Meng Fangliang's disguise as Eumenides. Therefore, Ahua deliberately left a 'death sentence notice' in the drawer, so the police would assume Eumenides emptied the drawer and wouldn't dwell on the matter further."

"Hmm, that makes sense." After listening to Yin Jian's explanation, Luo Fei nodded in agreement. "This design can indeed produce the effect you described. However—" His tone suddenly shifted, "--what do you think Ahua should do after leaving this 'death sentence notice'? If Eumenides doesn't react on the execution date, wouldn't his move have backfired?"

Yin Jian grinned, speechless.

But then Luo Fei said, "In fact, this case is far more complex than you currently understand. The internal power struggle within the Longyu Group is only one aspect; Ahua also wants to use this opportunity to achieve another important goal: to lure Eumenides out."

Yin Jian's heart skipped a beat, and he vaguely realized something. However, he still subconsciously asked, "How do we lure it?"

Instead of answering, Luo Fei asked, "Do you think Ahua had Du Mingqiang write that report just to attack him in the media?"

Yin Jian was slightly taken aback, then quickly realized: "He's trying to provoke Eumenides!"

Luo Fei nodded: "That's right. Being unjustly accused of indiscriminate killing and then attacked by public opinion must be unbearable for Eumenides, who prides himself on being the embodiment of justice. He definitely wants to expose the guy who impersonated him."

"Yes, so when the execution date for Ahua on that fake notice arrives, Eumenides will also be there. He wants to see who is ruining his reputation. And that's exactly what Ahua is planning. The latter must have already set a trap, just waiting for Eumenides to take the bait so he can avenge Deng Hua." Yin Jian continued to analyze, following Luo Fei's train of thought.

"What should we do if Eumenides really comes?" Liu Song slowly realized what was going on, and his emotions rose again.

"This is precisely the task I'm assigning you," Luo Fei said solemnly to Liu Song. "I require you to wear these foam pieces, dress up as Eumenides like Meng Fangliang, and appear at the event designed by Ahua on the 5th."

"I understand. When I put on this outfit, Eumenides will mistake me for the guy impersonating him, and he'll definitely come looking for me." Liu Song said excitedly, looking down at his body. The disgusting blood-stained clothes and foam now felt surprisingly comfortable.

"Your situation that day will be extremely dangerous," Luo Fei warned Liu Song, emphasizing his words. "Because you might not only attract Eumenides, you might also be attacked by Ahua!"

Liu Song pondered for a moment: "That's right. After I impersonate Eumenides, Ahua will likely think the real Eumenides has fallen into his trap and attack me." However, he laughed instead of being intimidated: "Captain Luo, I finally understand that idiom you mentioned. Killing two birds with one stone! Hey, let me put on this outfit, maybe I really can pull off a brilliant two-birds-with-one-stone campaign on that day."

Seeing Liu Song's fervent desire for battle, Luo Fei was not optimistic. He paced back and forth a couple of times, seemingly deep in thought. After a moment, he looked up at the window, put his hands behind his back, and said, "There's another person who might come, and this person is even more of your dream come true..."

"Who?" Liu Song's heart tightened. He had already thought of a certain name, but he did not say it rashly.

However, Luo Fei soon confirmed his guess.

"Han Hao," the police captain said coldly, instantly making the atmosphere in the room extremely heavy. This was because this name was inextricably linked to all three people in the room.

Han Hao, the former captain of the provincial capital's criminal police team, was Luo Fei's predecessor, Yin Jian's former superior, and also the murderer who brutally killed Xiong Yuan, making Liu Song hate him to the bone.

"He'll show up too? What... what's going on?" Yin Jian was the culprit who caused Han Hao's escape, so whenever he suddenly heard this name, his expression would always be a little awkward.

"I believe Han Hao and Ahua have formed some kind of alliance," Luo Fei said slowly. "Ahua was able to forge two 'death warrants' so perfectly, to dress Meng Fangliang up to look exactly like Eumenides, and even to imitate Eumenides' throat-slitting technique so flawlessly. He must have received help from someone familiar with the situation. After thinking about it, the only person I can think of is Han Hao. I even suspect that Han Hao personally carried out the assassination of Meng Fangliang. To kill a living person silently in such a dark environment is not something an ordinary person can do."

Yin Jian nodded, agreeing with Luo Fei's analysis. However, he was also somewhat incredulous: "How did these two end up together? Deng Hua was shot and killed by Han Hao; he should hate Han Hao intensely."

"Despite their past conflict, they could still potentially join forces," Luo Fei explained, "because they each have something to offer each other, and they also share a common enemy."

Yin Jian seemed to understand: "No wonder we couldn't find Han Hao. Turns out Ahua was hiding him. Ahua was using him to eliminate his rivals and then work together against Eumenides!"

"This is getting more and more interesting." Liu Song's lips curled slightly into a smile, but his eyes flashed with a sharp, cold light. "Let them all come. I'm waiting for them!"

The situation unfolded further over the next day, confirming Luo Fei's analysis from the three-person meeting. First, Ahua insisted on attending the game on the evening of the 5th, and then he had Du Mingqiang write a follow-up report, exaggerating the news that "Eumenides" would assassinate him during the game. At this point, Luo Fei was certain: Jianhe Stadium was the very location Ahua had painstakingly planned to ambush Eumenides.

Luo Fei carefully studied the terrain surrounding Jianhe Stadium, and soon the Jinhai Hotel came into view. This hotel faced the stadium's main stage, making it the best location for observing and monitoring the situation.

If Eumenides were to come, he certainly wouldn't miss such a location. Therefore, the trap that Ahua set must be in this hotel. Luo Fei then ordered Liu Song to disguise himself and enter the hotel, pretending to be Eumenides in the room, becoming bait that might attract several big fish.

However, this mission was also extremely dangerous. Because the entire hotel was definitely under Ahua's surveillance, the police force could not enter on a large scale to set up an ambush. Apart from Luo Fei and his two companions setting up a police command post on the 22nd floor under the pretext of protecting Ahua, the other participating police forces could only be dispersed around the hotel, waiting for Luo Fei's orders at any time.

Meanwhile, security measures inside the stadium continued. In fact, the police forces inside the stadium were unaware of the true purpose of the operation; their orders were simply to protect Ahua and Du Mingqiang. Mu Jianyun, in the command center, was also kept in the dark; it was all a charade to deceive Ahua and even Han Hao.

As Luo Fei had predicted, the situation unfolded exactly as he had. Liu Song, disguised as Eumenides, had indeed attracted the big fish, Han Hao! Unfortunately, in their direct confrontation, Liu Song failed to gain the upper hand and nearly lost his life to Han Hao's gun.

That's the whole story of the battle we just fought. Seeing Liu Song's self-reproachful expression, Luo Fei felt a pang of guilt himself. He comforted him, saying, "It was my oversight. I should have realized that both Ahua and Han Hao are extremely wary of Eumenides and might attack as soon as they meet, trying to gain the upper hand. In that case, it would be incredibly difficult to fight them, because you'd have to keep acting until the enemy showed themselves. When you face the window, you expose your weakest point—your back—to the enemy. It's already quite an achievement that you managed to transmit the information successfully under such dangerous circumstances!"

The Fate of the Death Sentence (29)

At this moment, Yin Jian ran back into the room. While Luo Fei was checking Liu Song's injuries, he had already searched the stairwells on both sides.

Luo Fei turned around and asked, "How was it?"

Yin Jian shook his head in frustration. He was panting heavily, exhausted from the intense run he had just completed.

Luo Fei stood up and walked out of room 2107, looking around in the corridor. The choice of this room for Liu Song to set the trap was strategically based on its location. It was in the middle of the corridor, far from the stairwells on either side. Room 2237, where Luo Fei and his group were, was right next to the stairwell. Once they received Liu Song's signal, they could quickly descend to the 21st floor, making it much harder for their prey to escape through the middle of the corridor.

"He couldn't have run that fast!" Luo Fei calculated in his mind, then instructed Yin Jian, "Have the comrades who are supposed to meet us bring up the electronic access cards. Search every single room on either side of where I'm standing carefully!"

Police reinforcements quickly arrived on the 21st floor, and the search soon yielded results: in room 2208 across the street, there were obvious signs of tampering at the ventilation duct entrance on the bathroom ceiling!

Luo Fei immediately consulted the building's ventilation duct layout diagram and then, following the diagram, attempted to block the various entrances and exits of the ducts. However, he was already too late. Just two minutes earlier, Han Hao had already emerged from the ventilation opening in the fire room on the east side of the floor and quietly slipped into the freight elevator lobby in the corner.

Two young men in black suits were waiting for him there. Upon his arrival, they respectfully stepped forward: "Captain Han, Brother Hua asked us to wait for you here."

Just as Luo Fei deduced, the murder that occurred in the Longyu Building was committed by Han Hao and Ahua together.

After escaping from the criminal investigation team, Han Hao happened to encounter Ahua when he was desperate. To his surprise, Ahua not only did not pursue his responsibility for the accidental killing of Deng Hua, but also provided him with a place to take refuge. At that moment, he secretly guessed that Ahua must have other intentions.

Sure enough, Ahua quickly revealed his true purpose: he needed Han Hao to help him kill two people, and at the same time, he wanted to devise a plan to pin the murders on Eumenides.

Han Hao initially refused the other party's request outright. Although he was at his wit's end, his violent nature made him unwilling to become someone else's pawn. However, when Ahua revealed the other half of his plan, Han Hao couldn't help but be tempted.

The plan was to impersonate Eumenides to lure out the real Eumenides and thus carry out their revenge. This was the ultimate goal pursued by Ahua and Han Hao, and it was this ultimate goal that bound these two people, who were originally sworn enemies, together on the same boat.

Han Hao and Ahua meticulously planned the bloody incident at the Longyu Building. Based on Han Hao's understanding of Eumenides, every detail of the case was perfectly imitated, resembling Eumenides's work. If it weren't for a bloodstained piece of foam that revealed the secret, even Luo Fei might have been kept in the dark.

However, their plan was only halfway complete. The next step, luring and ambushing Eumenides, was what Han Hao was truly concerned about.

Ahua used Du Mingqiang to launch a media attack on Eumenides, while simultaneously using the unique terrain of the Jianhe Stadium to set up an ambush for Eumenides. Eumenides, determined to find the imposter, would certainly not miss the show scheduled for November 5th. The Jinhai Hotel, directly opposite the stadium's main stand, was undoubtedly the best spot to "watch the show." Therefore, Ahua and his accomplices had pre-installed a comprehensive surveillance network within the Jinhai Hotel, awaiting Eumenides' arrival!

The men who rushed toward the podium inside the stadium were actually Ahua's men. Their performance was intended to attract the attention of "Eumenides" upstairs, thus creating an opportunity for Han Hao's actions.

However, Ahua and Han Hao underestimated the power of the police. The "Eumenides" they saw on the surveillance screen was actually a carefully crafted bait set by Luo Fei at the Jinhai Hotel, a scheme he devised on his own. Han Hao unfortunately became the big fish that took the bait.

When Han Hao discovered that the man in room 2107 was actually Liu Song, he knew he had fallen into a police trap. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and hid in room 2108 across the street in the shortest possible time, thus buying himself time to escape again.

Han Hao contacted Ahua from his room. Ahua told him that the police had sealed off all the entrances and exits of the building and were taking over the building's surveillance system. He had to find a way to get to the freight elevator on the east side of the floor, where some of the surveillance equipment had been destroyed in advance. At the same time, someone would help him escape from the Jinhai Building.

Clearly, the two young men in black who stepped forward were the "personnel" sent by Ahua.

Han Hao stopped in front of the man in black and quickly asked, "How do we get out?"

"We'll take the freight elevator to the underground parking lot first. Brother Hua has already prepared a car there. There's a secret passage in the building's parking lot that leads to the underground parking garage of the Cam River Stadium across the street. The police blockade won't be able to control the entire stadium so quickly. As long as we can get to the parking garage on the Cam River side, you can leave with the crowd leaving the stadium." The young man in black, who was leading the way, explained the escape plan.

Han Hao listened attentively, then nodded in agreement, indicating that he thought the plan was feasible.

"Let's not delay." The young man in black stepped aside to make way. "Let's get on the elevator quickly."

Han Hao, however, remained calm: "You go first, I'll follow behind you."

The two young men exchanged a glance, pressed the elevator button, and slipped inside. Han Hao, carrying a pistol, followed behind them. As soon as they entered the elevator, he ducked into a corner, concealing his back.

About half a minute later, the elevator arrived at the underground parking lot. After the door opened, Han Hao waited for the two people to go out first before following behind them.

The parking lot was empty except for these three people walking briskly.

"The car is parked up ahead, just around this corner," the man in black said, gesturing as if to lead the way. Suddenly, he pulled back from the corner, his expression turning tense.

"What's wrong?" Han Hao asked in a low voice.

"The police are coming." The man made a cautious gesture, then winked at Han Hao, "Quickly put your gun away!"

Han Hao frowned. He pressed himself against the wall, his left hand clenched into a fist, and slowly extended out from around the corner. On his wrist was a watch, the gleaming mirror reflecting the situation on the other side of the wall.

But the road opposite was empty, with no one else passing by. Han Hao's mind raced, and he quickly turned around, only to see the young man in black who was close to him pull out a sharp knife and thrust it fiercely towards his left side.

Han Hao cried out inwardly, "Not good!" He shrank back, dodging the vulnerable spot at his waist. The dagger veered slightly and pierced his ribs under his armpit. Han Hao groaned, turned and elbowed the man, forcefully using his ribs to block the blade, while simultaneously twisting and capturing the black-clad man's entire arm.

Seeing his companion fail, another young man in black brandished a knife, intending to join the fray. But having recovered from the fatal blow of the surprise attack, Han Hao wasn't about to give him another chance. Before the second man in black could even take a step, Han Hao raised his right hand, and with a "thud," a gunshot rang out, striking his opponent squarely between the eyebrows. The man collapsed limply without uttering a sound.