Chapter 17 [VIP] The Family Annihilation Mystery (1)

Chapter 17 [VIP] The Family Annihilation Mystery (1)

These past few days had been peaceful, but Meng Siqi couldn't help but think about Lu He's case. She always wanted to verify whether the "Red Makeup Serial Murders" in this world were the same as those in her original world. As a result, she was often distracted.

Returning from the cafeteria at noon, she slowly poured herself a glass of water. Zhao Leiting asked her why she seemed so melancholic and if she was worried about her probationary period ending. Including the time the original owner spent interning at the police station, she had almost completed six months of probation.

She nearly forgot about such an important matter. Zhao Leiting confidently reassured her, "Don't worry. If you don't get confirmed, I'll eat your cup."

Holding the steaming cup, she couldn't help but smile, "This is stainless steel..."

Just as Zhao Leiting was about to respond, he was interrupted by a booming voice. Han Changlin strode into the office, "Let's go! There's a murder!"

Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing, gathered their equipment, and prepared to leave. Meng Siqi hastily took a sip of hot water, nearly scalding her throat. In the car, she continued to clear her throat.

Zhao Leiting sat in the middle of the back seat, leaning forward slightly, and asked, "Captain Han, what kind of case is it?"

Han Changlin usually gave a brief overview of the case during the journey to prepare everyone mentally. He said, "A family of three was found dead in their home. Let's go see the situation first."

This seemed to be a major case, and Meng Siqi could feel the somber atmosphere in the car. Although she had been at the police station for over two months and wasn't as sensitive to murders anymore, she still felt a sense of heaviness.

Tang Xiaochuan turned on the radio while driving, and music began to flow softly out. Leaning against the window, Meng Siqi gradually calmed down.

They soon arrived at the scene, a residential area with four-story houses. A crowd had already gathered at the entrance, with occasional police officers moving through them. It seemed many people had heard about the murder and were trying to gather information.

Seeing the police cars enter the neighborhood, everyone made way. The car stopped near a lawn, and Meng Siqi saw that a crime scene tape had been set up around one of the buildings, with many onlookers outside the tape.

One of the young police officers approached Han Changlin, "Captain Han, you're finally here."

"Who discovered the scene?" Han Changlin asked as he walked inside.

The officer followed his pace and explained, "The child in this family is in junior high school. Today there was a competition, but she didn't show up. Her teacher contacted the family and her father's workplace, but got no response. They decided to check the house and smelled blood when they knocked on the door. They then called the property management to open the door, which scared everyone."

As they reached the entrance of a room on the first floor, a strong smell of blood wafted out. This was the first time Meng Siqi had experienced such a pungent odor, making her stomach churn. However, she had changed significantly since before and wouldn't easily be overwhelmed.

Putting on gloves and shoe covers, Han Changlin and Feng Shaomin entered first.

Inside, the forensic team and evidence technicians greeted them, "Captain Han."

Meng Siqi was the last to enter. With the bright sunlight, the living room was well-lit. She covered her nose instinctively and was stunned by the sight before her.

The floor was covered in almost solidified blood. A man, seemingly middle-aged, lay face down in the pool of blood. Blood seeped from his chest, likely due to a stab wound. A trail of blood indicated he had crawled or been dragged.

His balding head was stained red, the blood mixing with his hair like a clump of red algae. The exact cause of death was unclear.

The living room reeked of blood, with flies buzzing around, searching for a place to land.

The scene was too gruesome, and Meng Siqi could only force herself to look briefly. As a detective, she needed to familiarize herself with the bodies.

Forensic examiner Chen Jierong was crouched beside the body, pointing out the wounds while explaining to Han Changlin. She appeared composed and spoke calmly.

"The male victim suffered multiple stab wounds. The fatal injury needs further examination, but we can preliminarily determine that the primary crime scene is the living room."

"What about the time of death?" Han Changlin asked.

"Based on the lividity, it was probably between eight and nine o'clock last night."

"Hmm."

Chen Jierong stood up and moved toward the bedroom, "The female victim was killed in the master bedroom. There's a balcony where she might have been hanging clothes..."

Meng Siqi carefully avoided stepping on the scattered bloodstains and followed them into the master bedroom. The house was spacious, and she noticed a large TV in the living room, indicating the victims had a decent standard of living.

In the bedroom, the furnishings were of high quality, with an elegant floor lamp suggesting the couple's refined tastes.

Upon reaching the balcony, Meng Siqi's investigative thoughts were abruptly interrupted. The female victim lay in a pool of blood, her long hair disheveled, her face and neck covered in blood. Her silver silk nightgown was soaked red.

Chen Jierong said, "The female victim had few wounds, likely dying from a slit throat."

However, Chen Jierong's next words made Meng Siqi's stomach turn. She said, "The victim's tongue was cut out..."

Following her lead, Meng Siqi indeed found the tongue in the victim's right hand, a crimson object.

The intense blood and gruesome scene made Meng Siqi's heart ache. She turned away, pressing her hand against her chest, trying not to show her distress.

Zhao Leiting glanced at her but said nothing.

She barely heard the subsequent conversation between Chen Jierong and Han Changlin.

Half-following, half-pushed out of the bedroom, she noticed the bathroom opposite. Inside, there was a pool of diluted blood on the floor, with splattered blood on the white tiles. No body was present.

Chen Jierong said, "The girl had just finished bathing last night, still wet. The killer rushed in and stabbed her neck artery. This appears to be the site of the attack..."

Han Changlin asked, "Where's the body?"

"It's been moved to the kitchen!"

Chen Jierong gestured for them to follow. They headed to the kitchen, where Han Changlin and Feng Shaomin went in first due to the narrow entrance.

Meng Siqi detected a faint meaty smell amidst the blood, not typical of pork, chicken, or beef. It was unpleasant.

As she was about to enter, Zhao Leiting suddenly turned around, looking uneasy.

Feng Shaomin also stepped back to the doorway, looking at Meng Siqi, his expression calm but tone serious, "Meng, don't come in yet."

"Okay." Meng Siqi sensed something particularly disturbing inside.

She clearly heard Chen Jierong explain, "The killer moved the body to the kitchen, placed her bathrobe underneath, and processed the body here. Some fat tissue was cut off and thrown into the pot."

"Fried corpse?" Han Changlin's voice was calm yet disbelieving.

At that moment, Meng Siqi's stomach churned violently, and she felt an overwhelming urge to vomit.

Chen Jierong's voice lacked its usual calmness; this time, it carried a hint of rebuke. "Yes, the murderer's actions were extremely cruel. Look at the handle of this pot—the oil stains are heavy, and there are glove fibers left behind."

"Damn bastard!" Han Changlin cursed loudly.

"Captain Han, look here. Compared to other parts, the fat tissue from the left thigh is the largest, estimated to be over five hundred grams. Before frying, the murderer used a kitchen knife to cut the fat into matchbox-sized pieces, so what you see in the pot are mostly cooked small meat chunks..."

Zhao Leiting suddenly patted Meng Siqi on the arm. "Let's go check for evidence outside!"

Meng Siqi, who had been holding her breath, silently nodded.

It was unclear whether Zhao Leiting felt uncomfortable or wanted to comfort her. The two went to the doorway, where Zhao Leiting took a deep breath.

Meng Siqi couldn't hold back any longer and squatted in the hallway, trying to vomit. However, she ended up retching without actually throwing up. After a few rounds, she felt somewhat better.

"Are you okay?" Zhao Leiting asked beside her.

"I'm fine. The smell is quite strong!"

"You'll get used to it."

Meng Siqi slowly stood up, tears welling up in her eyes. Zhao Leiting smiled. "You've really suffered."

She gave him a cold look. "What evidence do you expect to find outside?"

"Have you considered how the murderer got in? There's no sign of forced entry on the lock."

This was a metal door, likely replaced by the owner. If someone wanted to enter, they would need the owner's permission. She hadn't paid attention to these details when they first entered.

On the other end of the floor was another household with a wooden door. "Why didn't the neighbors hear anything?" Meng Siqi asked, looking at the house at the end.

Zhao Leiting pondered for a moment. "The couplet isn't even posted. Maybe the house has been empty all along."

That was possible. It seemed the building needed thorough investigation. What happened last night? Who was the murderer, and how did they move around the neighborhood undetected, brutally killing a family of three?

Half an hour later, Han Changlin finally came out and instructed, "Feng, take Zhao and Meng to investigate the building and the neighborhood thoroughly. Don't miss any details."

"Understood," Feng Shaomin nodded.

In the afternoon, the three of them visited every household in the neighborhood. It turned out that this was a newly built complex from last year, with many vacant units still under renovation or unoccupied. The victims were among the first residents to move in, and their neighbors had not yet moved in, which explained why no one knew what had happened last night.

The security guards had not noticed any unusual activity, as the complex was undergoing extensive renovations, making the flow of people complex. Moreover, the complex had multiple entrances.

So far, the investigation had yielded no significant leads. An elderly resident who knew the victims said, "They seemed kind-hearted, not like they had enemies."

Feng Shaomin, being meticulous, asked the property management to open the nearby vacant houses to confirm the situation. Apart from one unit under renovation, the others were empty.

By seven or eight in the evening, Feng Shaomin told Meng Siqi to take the bus home early.

Meng Siqi felt slightly heavy-hearted. That night, she tossed and turned, haunted by visions of the crime scene. Eventually, she turned on a bedside lamp and fell asleep.

The next day, she overslept and rushed to the police station, arriving past working hours. She had never been late before, and this was her first time, especially with her probation period nearing its end. Her heart raced with anxiety.

When she arrived, the office was already bustling. The second team members were gathered around the crime board, indicating that Captain Han and his team were analyzing the case.

Her appearance drew everyone's attention, leaving her momentarily at a loss.

At that moment, Zhao Leiting said, "I'll go fetch the files."

Feng Shaomin responded, "Let Meng go."

"Ah..." Meng Siqi was still confused, unsure of what they were discussing. She hurried forward and asked, "Master, what files do you want me to fetch?"

Feng Shaomin replied, "The 7·12 arson case. Go to the archive room. The archivist's name is Uncle Hu."

"Okay, I'll go fetch them."

The archive room housed all the cases handled by the bureau, but this was her first visit.

An elderly colleague sat at the counter, neatly dressed in uniform, with white hair and beard, likely nearing retirement after decades of service.

She approached him directly. "Uncle Hu, Officer Feng Shaomin sent me to fetch the 7·12 arson case file."

"Are you Feng's apprentice?"

"You know?"

He smiled warmly. "I heard about it. Finally, he has taken on a disciple."

Meng Siqi didn't know how to respond, so she smiled.

"Alright," Uncle Hu nodded approvingly. "It should be this year's case. Go to the left side and register with me afterward."

"Sure, Uncle Hu." Meng Siqi agreed and entered the archive room.

Inside, the space was vast, resembling an old university library, with rows of shelves filled with case files and folders.

Unlike a library of knowledge, this place recorded decades of crime in Jinyang City, filled with lies, jealousy, rage, pride, greed, lust, and evil—every vile aspect of human nature documented here.

The solemn atmosphere weighed heavily, prompting introspection and self-examination.

Meng Siqi walked quietly between the shelves, stopping at one labeled with years. On the left side, she found the year 1993.

She immediately searched the shelves and soon found the file marked "7·12 arson case."

Although Meng Siqi did not know the details of the case, she was certain it had some connection to yesterday's brutal family massacre.

As she was about to leave with the file, she suddenly remembered something: the Red Makeup Serial Murder Case that Lu He was investigating—could its file also be here?

She immediately began searching through all the files from the past two months. After looking twice, she found no trace of that particular case. She then recalled that since the case was still under investigation, the file was likely still in Lu He's office rather than in the archives.

Perhaps, there was another matter she needed to confirm.

In the original world, the news had linked the "Red Makeup Serial Murder Case" with another "Red Lacquer Serial Murder Case," both occurring in JinYang and sharing similar modus operandi. Some experts even believed that the "Red Makeup Case" was either a copycat or the work of the same perpetrator as the "Red Lacquer Case" from twenty years ago.

This meant that if she confirmed the existence of the "Red Lacquer Case" in this world, she could almost certainly conclude that Lu He and the Lu He who sacrificed himself in the original world were the same person.

She immediately headed for the 1970s section of the bookshelf, which was covered in dust, indicating that no one had visited this area recently.

Assuming the year was 1970, Meng Siqi focused on her search, ignoring the dust entering her nose and mouth. She barely started looking when she spotted the words "Red Lacquer." For a moment, she felt incredibly lucky and stood there, unsure whether to open the file or not.

Just then, she heard some movement. Someone seemed to be searching through files on the other side of the bookshelf. As she was about to leave, she saw a person standing right across from her.

"Are you interested in this case?"

Separated by a "wall" of books, Lu He's sharp and judgmental eyes were scrutinizing her.