Drapeau fantôme

Chapitre 48

However, Luo Fei's focus didn't seem to be on that. He had already turned his head, his gaze fixed on the pile of styrofoam in the center of the conference table. After a moment of hesitation, his eyes slowly brightened, and finally began to sparkle with excitement.

Everyone realized that Luo Fei must have discovered something, and their eyes followed him, trying to see the secret hidden beneath the pile of foam. When this attempt failed, they all looked at Luo Fei again, hoping that their team leader could help them unravel the mystery.

Luo Fei didn't speak. Under everyone's gaze, he stood up and walked towards the edge of the table closest to the foam. Zeng Rihua, who had been sitting in that spot, consciously moved his chair aside to make way for Luo Fei.

Luo Fei kept his gaze fixed on the pile of foam, without glancing to the side. Upon reaching the table, he immediately reached out and grabbed the largest piece of foam, examined it briefly, and placed it in the empty space behind the conference table.

The piece of foam was about half the size of a pillow, and it was also slightly curved. When Luo Fei placed it, the convex side was facing down, and the foam swayed gently on the table, like a turtle shell that had been turned over.

Everyone watched intently, but still couldn't understand what Luo Fei was trying to do. Luo Fei didn't stop, turning around and picking out another piece of foam of similar size from the pile of foam. This time, he placed it with the convex side facing up and the two concave sides facing each other, and then put it on top of the previous piece of foam.

Everyone could see that Luo Fei seemed to be trying to use the bubbles to recreate the original shape before it dispersed, but they had no idea what that original shape was. Fortunately, Luo Fei continued his work, picking up piece after piece of bubble and placing them in suitable positions. After a moment, all the bubbles had moved, and the puzzle on the table finally revealed its full form.

Everyone at the table stared wide-eyed, their expressions incredulous. The scene unfolding before them was so bizarre that even these police officers couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines.

The pattern formed by those bubbles was remarkably lifelike, resembling a human figure! This "person" had a torso, waist, hips, and limbs, but no head. On "his" right forearm was the same small piece of bubble found on the terrace, the dried bloodstains on "his" wrist, faintly exuding a chilling, otherworldly atmosphere.

The Fate of the Death Sentence (27)

"What...what is this?" Zeng Rihua was the first to lose his composure, and he asked, speechless.

Luo Fei was also staring at the foam doll in deep thought. After a moment, he said quietly, "It's hard to say exactly what it is... but one thing is certain: this thing once passed through the bloodstained clothes left on the terrace."

Yin Jian had also figured something out. He stood up and leaned closer to the doll, saying, "There's a large bloodstain on the right cuff of that blood-stained garment, and its location matches the bloodstain on this piece of foam. We can deduce that when the murderer committed the crime, this piece of foam was worn inside the garment, which is why the bloodstain from the cuff seeped to the edge of the foam."

Liu Song's mind was also stirred: "So that means Eumenides wore this foam set under his clothes, like wearing armor?"

Luo Fei expressed conservative agreement: "Hmm...it seems that's the case from the current perspective."

Although the details of the foam doll were gradually becoming clearer, Zeng Rihua felt increasingly confused. He blinked his small eyes and asked, "But what is he trying to do? Does wearing this foam doll allow him to fly over the eighteenth floor?"

Everyone remained silent; no one could answer his question. It was truly an awkward situation: Luo Fei seemed to have unearthed a brilliant clue, but when it came to solving the puzzle that was troubling them, the clue seemed weak and ineffective, even adding to their confusion.

After a long silence, Luo Fei suddenly said softly, "Perhaps he never even went into that office."

Everyone was taken aback, not expecting that this roundabout way of thinking had brought Luo Fei's train of thought back to the beginning. But he himself had already rejected this line of thought.

"If he didn't go into the office, how do you explain the footage from the surveillance cameras?" Mu Jianyun asked, frowning.

Luo Fei immediately gave a decisive answer: "The video is authentic. We've already discussed this, and there shouldn't be any further doubts."

Mu Jianyun glanced at his colleagues, somewhat bewildered by Luo Fei's contradictory words. Zeng Rihua, however, blinked rapidly twice before suddenly having a new idea.

"Could it be that the person in the video was actually a mannequin? Just a foam doll wearing clothes?"

This is truly a brand new and bold idea; perhaps only a computer genius like Zeng Rihua could have come up with it. Everyone's eyes were now on the foam doll on the table, imagining what a strange sight it would look like if it were dressed up and manipulated like a puppet.

However, Luo Fei bluntly rejected Zeng Rihua's idea: "You've seen that video too. Do you think the man in the video looks like a mannequin?"

Zeng Rihua rubbed his nose and lowered his head in embarrassment. Indeed, although the video wasn't very clear, the footage was still very coherent. The man in the video was natural and his movements were coordinated; even the world's most advanced electronic robots couldn't simulate a real person to that extent.

"The video is real, the person is real, but we can't think of a reasonable way to get in and out of that window. Doesn't that create a paradoxical circle?" Mu Jianyun said to Luo Fei, his tone somewhat defending Zeng Rihua.

Luo Fei seemed stumped by the question. He lowered his head and muttered to himself, "Paradox? It really is a paradox..." As he spoke, he seemed to have forgotten the presence of others, and just paced back and forth in the conference room with his elbows crossed.

This was the first time anyone else present had seen Luo Fei like this, so they all remained silent, afraid of disturbing the task force leader's train of thought. When Luo Fei finally stopped, they looked at him with anticipation.

Luo Fei looked apologetic. "I need to be alone for a while. How about this, let's adjourn the meeting, but everyone stay here until I've thought it through, then we can discuss it together again."

The group exchanged bewildered glances, finding the handling of the situation somewhat strange.

As Luo Fei's assistant, Yin Jian had to stand by his captain's side no matter what. Seeing everyone looking a bit lost, he stepped in to smooth things over: "Everyone's worked hard. Go and rest a bit; it's almost lunchtime. I'll go to the cafeteria and ask them to add a few more dishes today to treat everyone."

"Alright then, I'll take a nap after lunch—sigh, I really am tired." Zeng Rihua stood up, yawning as he did so. He was a carefree person who didn't dwell on things, and the mention of eating and sleeping made him feel relaxed and content.

Mu Jianyun seemed to want to say something more, but in the end she shook her head slightly and followed Zeng Rihua out.

Liu Song then got up and walked over to Luo Fei, handing him the manuscript written by Du Mingqiang: "Captain Luo, could you take a look at this manuscript when you have a spare moment and see if it's suitable for publication?"

"Wow, this guy writes pretty fast." Luo Fei couldn't help but sigh when he saw the length of the manuscript. He then took the manuscript and saw that the title read: "Terrorist Assassin Strikes Again, Bloody Slaughter Unfair."

Judging from the tone of the headline, it was indeed taking a stance against Eumenides, questioning his acts of killing. Luo Fei nodded with satisfaction, then began to carefully read the specific content of the report.

The article's structure is ingenious; instead of directly addressing last night's murder, it begins with Meng Fangliang's early experiences. The text reveals that in the early days of Longyu Group, Meng Fangliang was Deng Hua's most capable lieutenant. At that time, no single entity held a dominant position in the provincial capital, and to cope with threats and challenges from various sides, Meng Fangliang inevitably had some blood on his hands. Later, for a case of intentional assault, Meng Fangliang was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment.

This passage is written with great suspense and twists, much like a condensed version of a martial arts novel, sure to captivate the reader. However, after Meng Fangliang's imprisonment, the writing shifts focus, emphasizing the character's inner transformation. In Du Mingqiang's portrayal, Meng Fangliang, after his sentencing, experiences profound remorse, deeply regretting his past crimes. He actively demonstrates his atonement through his actions, not only actively participating in reform in prison but also repeatedly performing meritorious service. Ultimately, after serving ten years, he is granted early parole, giving him a chance to start anew.

If his time in prison was like a grueling journey of redemption for a suffering person, then the following descriptions are filled with warmth and happiness. After his release, Meng Fangliang reunites with his family after many years of separation. His wife is virtuous, his daughter is obedient, and the family's harmonious scene makes the reader feel joy for them. Meng Fangliang completely abandons his former dark life; he even converts to Catholicism and often uses his own experiences to educate misguided young people.

These two paragraphs are not very long, but the situation immediately shifts dramatically, delving into the core of the text: the death sentence handed down by Eumenides. After briefly introducing Eumenides' background, the author devotes considerable attention to Meng Fangliang. In the text, although his family is extremely worried, Meng Fangliang faces the assassin's death threats with equanimity because he believes he has already accepted his punishment and reformed. He believes that if Eumenides knew about his past, he would not harm him again. Therefore, when he seeks refuge in the office, he specifically brings with him his original judgment, his meritorious service awards during his imprisonment, his parole certificate, and a diary reflecting his inner struggles.

Judging from this description, Du Mingqiang's article does have a certain degree of credibility. Indeed, when the police examined the scene, they found the judgment and diary on Meng Fangliang's bedside. Luo Fei, who had been somewhat puzzled, now understood that Meng Fangliang wanted to use these items to prove that he had already accepted punishment and reformed, hoping to gain Eumenides' forgiveness.

At this point, any neutral reader would be emotionally on Meng Fangliang's side, and they would inevitably read the entire report in one go with great anticipation to resolve the final suspense: Would Eumenides let Meng Fangliang go?

The story finally reaches its most crucial point, and Du Mingqiang showcases his writing skills to the fullest. The process of Eumenides' crime is described in a thrilling and suspenseful manner, its excitement comparable to the most exciting Hollywood blockbusters. However, the final ending is heartbreaking: Meng Fangliang fails to sway Eumenides, and he is still ruthlessly "executed."

In his detailed descriptions, Du Mingqiang also made sure to evoke emotion at appropriate moments. One passage that left a deep impression on Luo Fei reads: "...Meng Fangliang's mouth was slightly open, as if he were trying to say something to his assassin. But he no longer had the chance; blood was gushing from the wound in his throat, staining the diary placed on his bedside table. His years of repentance and forgiveness seemed meaningless at this moment, and his longing for a better life and his affection for his beloved family, like the past in the diary, were all submerged in the cruel bloodshed..."

Luo Fei clicked his tongue slightly, quite impressed. Although the document didn't offer any evaluation of Eumenides, it read like a tearful accusation from a victim of violence. Even the most loyal assassin fans would likely have to reconsider the legitimacy of Eumenides' actions after reading it.

Liu Song, standing to the side, misunderstood Luo Fei's smacking of the lips. He said angrily, "I knew this kid couldn't write anything good... I'm taking him back right now, and I'm ordering him to delete the electronic draft as well."

"No," Luo Fei quickly waved his hand, "Let him publish it, and as soon as possible—lend him our team's computer. Yes, not only online, but also in traditional media. Go and smooth things over with the newspapers, get them to forward it, the bigger the buzz, the better!"

Liu Song was unprepared for Luo Fei's attitude, and he couldn't help but be a little stunned.

Luo Fei understood his feeling, so he smiled again, lowered his voice, and added somewhat mysteriously, "If this goes well, we might be able to kill two birds with one stone!"

Liu Song's heart skipped a beat; he knew there might be more to this than met the eye. He then solemnly accepted the order, saying, "Yes, I'll arrange it right away."

"Yin Jian, you go and assist him." Perhaps considering that Liu Song wasn't very familiar with the criminal investigation team, Luo Fei assigned him a helper. He then added, "You two finish this matter first, and then come to my office together in an hour and a half."

Yin and Liu then left to arrange Du Mingqiang's article publication. Afterwards, Yin Jian, remembering his earlier promise, went to the canteen and bought a few extra dishes for his colleagues in the special task force. While everyone was eating, Luo Fei didn't appear, so Yin Jian quickly packed up the leftovers to take to his superior later.

After finishing their meal and resting for a while, they realized it was almost time, so the two headed towards Luo Fei's office. When they arrived, the door was ajar. Yin Jian knocked lightly twice, and Luo Fei immediately responded from inside, "Come in."

The two pushed open the door and entered the house. Yin Jian first waved the lunchbox in his hand: "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I brought you some."

Luo Fei smiled and nodded in thanks. He had been standing by the window, but now he turned and walked back to his desk. The pile of styrofoam from the meeting room was now on his desk, and next to it was the sports backpack he had found on the terrace.

Seeing that the table was already completely full, Yin Jian felt it wasn't appropriate to squeeze the lunchbox among all the things, so he raised his hand and asked, "Where should I put this?"

"Let's put it on the windowsill first," Luo Fei said casually. "I'll eat it later."

Yin Jian paced back and forth by the window, then asked Luo Fei, "Captain Luo, have you figured it out yet?"

"Oh?" Luo Fei asked with a smile, "How did you know?"

"Because you've stopped thinking about it," Yin Jian said seriously. "When you're thinking, you're completely focused; even if someone's talking to you, your eyes are always looking elsewhere—not as relaxed and casual as you are now. And when it comes to the case, if you haven't figured it out, you absolutely won't stop."

After hearing the other party's description, Luo Fei chuckled noncommittally. However, Liu Song, standing to the side, shared the same sentiment. He had already assumed a ready-to-go stance and was looking at Luo Fei with expectant eyes, preparing to receive the battle orders.

Luo Fei sensed the latter's fighting spirit. He looked the young man up and down, then nodded and praised him twice, "Good, good."

The two "good"s came rather abruptly, and Luo Fei's head-to-toe scrutiny was as if he were looking at a stranger. Liu Song subconsciously turned to look at Yin Jian, and the two looked at each other, wondering what Luo Fei was up to this time.

Luo Fei turned around and dragged the sports backpack on the table to his side. He then unzipped it and took out a bunch of items from the bag. These items were all left over from the crime scene, including a set of sportswear and a black beanie with a brim. The physical evidence information on the clothing and hat had been preserved by technicians, but apart from the bloodstains of the deceased Lin Henggan, no distinctive features such as the suspect's hair had been extracted.

"Come here," Luo Fei beckoned to Liu Song, "try these clothes on."

Liu Song was stunned for a moment, but Luo Fei had already handed him the clothes, proving that he hadn't misheard. Although he didn't understand the purpose of doing so, obeying orders was one of the most basic disciplines within the police force. So he didn't say much, took off his own coat, and put on the sports jacket left behind by the murderer.

Although Liu Song was quite tall, he was very thin. So the coat looked rather loose and baggy on him. Thinking that this coat had once been worn by the murderer, and with large patches of the victim's blood still remaining on it, Liu Song couldn't help but twist his body, feeling quite uncomfortable.

Ignoring his subordinate's feelings, Luo Fei picked up a few more pieces of styrofoam from the table and handed them over, saying, "Stuff these inside your clothes."

Those pieces of foam were the same materials used to assemble the upper body, chest, back, and arms of the "doll." Liu Song unzipped his jacket and stuffed the foam pieces into the corresponding parts of his body. Coincidentally, these foam pieces seemed tailor-made for him, perfectly filling the loose gaps between his body and the jacket. When he zipped his jacket back up, his physique appeared much more robust, accentuated by the foam pieces.

Luo Fei circled Liu Song's body twice, looking at him while stroking his chin, seemingly deep in thought. Finally, he picked up the black velvet hat and put it on Liu Song's head, deliberately pulling the brim down low.

After finishing these tasks, Luo Fei nodded to himself, seemingly quite satisfied. Then he gestured with his chin towards Yin Jian beside him and asked, "How does it feel?"

"It feels..." Yin Jian wasn't sure what Luo Fei wanted to ask, so he said bluntly, "...it feels a lot like the assassin in the video."

Finally, Liu Song couldn't hold back any longer. He raised his hand, took off his hat, and demanded as if he had been insulted, "Captain Luo, what are you doing?"

Luo Fei's expression also turned serious. "I have a task for you," he said solemnly to Liu Song.

Liu Song immediately perked up, his earlier displeasure vanishing instantly. Luo Fei's description of the mission only fueled his excitement.

"A very important, top-secret mission," the detective captain said, emphasizing each word, as if the mission was already draining all his strength from this moment on!

8:21 PM.

Luo Fei went to the security department of Lvyangchun Restaurant and requested to view the surveillance footage of the dining area on the evening of October 29th.

Although he understood the assassin's methods at the Longyu Building and had a targeted plan for the next phase of the operation, Luo Fei still needed to gather more background information about the Longyu Group in order to further analyze the deeper reasons behind last night's bloodshed. Therefore, starting in the afternoon, he left the criminal investigation team alone to conduct his investigation based on the few clues he had.

As another key figure in the Longyu Group, Asheng's unexpected death naturally attracted Luo Fei's attention. Luo Fei first concealed his identity and gathered some information from within the Longyu Group. Then, he went to the suburban traffic police station to investigate the "accident" that led to Asheng's death.

The investigation uncovered quite a few suspicious points. Although the traffic accident could not yet be classified as a criminal case, these suspicious points had piqued Luo Fei's interest enough to warrant further investigation.

Luo Fei also learned that he wasn't the first person to suspect the accident. According to the traffic police officer in charge of the case, the day after the accident, Ahua had inquired in great detail about many aspects of the accident and even took away one of the deceased's belongings: a lighter.

The traffic police had a photo of the lighter. Luo Fei understood why Ahua took the lighter away after just one glance: on the side cover of the lighter, five large characters were clearly printed: Green Sun Spring Restaurant.

So Luo Fei followed Ahua's footsteps to this luxury restaurant in the downtown area. Their ideas were exactly the same: first, they had to check the restaurant's surveillance footage from the night of the incident.

Luo Fei quickly found his target in the video: in the most prominent central position of the restaurant, A Sheng was clinking glasses and chatting happily with two other people, who turned out to be the victims of last night's bloodshed: Lin Henggan and Meng Fangliang. This scene surprised Luo Fei and also made the relationships within the Longyu Group seem even more complicated.

During his previous investigations, Luo Fei had learned that after Deng Hua's death, a power struggle had created a rift between Vice Presidents Lin and Meng and their loyal associates, such as Ahua and Asheng. Asheng was even rumored to have directly confronted Lin and Meng at a high-level meeting. Therefore, Luo Fei suspected that Asheng's death might have been orchestrated by these two. However, judging from the video footage of the three drinking together, the relationship between Lin and Meng and Asheng seemed unusual. Especially after several rounds of drinks, Asheng frequently raised his glass to express his respect to the two executives, and Meng Fangliang often patted Asheng on the shoulder with admiration, displaying a very intimate attitude.

Based on this, Luo Fei concluded that A Sheng had likely been bribed by Lin Meng and his companion, and had sided with the more powerful side in this power struggle. If so, could A Sheng's death be a result of A Hua's purge of his own faction?

Luo Fei quickly ruled out this possibility as well. After A Sheng's death, A Hua had actively investigated the matter. From the meticulous investigation of the traffic police to the subsequent review of the restaurant's surveillance footage, it was sufficient to prove that A Hua personally had no involvement in the matter.

So who was responsible for Ah Sheng's death? Was it really just a traffic accident caused by drunk driving?

With these questions in mind, Luo Fei patiently watched the entire surveillance video, hoping to make some new discoveries.

After the dinner in the video ended, Lin Meng and his companion left the restaurant first, while A Sheng remained at the table, drinking alone. Shortly afterward, A Sheng seemed to lose his temper. He first yelled at the waiter, then stood up and rushed out of the frame, as if chasing after someone.

"What's going on?" Since the surveillance video had no sound, Luo Fei had no choice but to ask the restaurant's security manager next to him.

"This guest was drunk and was acting out at our violinist," the security chief explained. "But it didn't escalate—our people quickly calmed him down."

Sure enough, the video showed that a few moments later, several waiters helped Ah Sheng back into the frame. Although he was still grumbling about something, no one actually clashed with him.

Watching this scene, Luo Fei suddenly seemed to have made an unexpected discovery and shouted, "Stop!"

The security guard controlling the video recording immediately pressed the pause button, freezing the time at 2:37 PM that night.

"Who is this person?" Luo Fei asked, pointing to a spot on the screen.

The security chief practically had to press his face against the screen to see the figure Luo Fei was pointing to. It was in a corner of the restaurant, far from the security cameras, a man walking towards the restaurant exit. His face was slightly turned towards where A-Sheng was.

"These must be other customers in the restaurant," the security chief said dismissively. "It's normal for him to glance this way or two when someone's making noise."