Chapter 148 [VIP] The Serial Killer Case of the Red Dress (1)

Chapter 148 [VIP] The Serial Killer Case of the Red Dress (1)

In the car, Han Changlin listened as everyone laughed and chatted happily. He silently looked out the window, his eyes slowly welling up with tears.

It was because, at the beginning of last year, Jinyang City had experienced the horrific kidnapping case of Sun Beizhe, which was still vivid in his memory. He had made an erroneous judgment back then and had thought he would spend the rest of his life in regret.

He vividly remembered that it was Meng Siqi who found Sun Beizhe's body in the basement of the photo studio run by Jin Yaming and Song Xinran, cracking the Sun Beizhe case.

This time, throughout the kidnapping case of Xu Xiaochuan, he had been in a state of high tension. He feared making another mistake like the one a year ago, where the kidnappers might kill the child, leaving him unfit to continue in criminal investigation. Therefore, every step he took was like treading on thin ice.

Xu Xiaochuan returned safely, with no one injured. The child kidnapping case from five years ago was successfully solved, and Xu Wangtu, the perpetrator who had molested and murdered children, was brought to justice.

Jiang Sheng, the demon who had cast a shadow over Jinyang City, was also successfully captured.

Meng Siqi played an important role, an extremely crucial one. For the second team, Meng Siqi was a treasure. Having her allowed the second team to rival the first team and shine in the city bureau.

Han Changlin reflected on the many surprising changes Meng Siqi had brought to the second team over the past year, and a smile of gratification slowly spread across his lips.

While Zhao Leiting was talking non-stop, Feng Shaomin also looked out the window, his eyes stinging. He couldn’t imagine how he had gotten through the afternoon. He remembered being in the airport waiting area, where he had lost all sense of his surroundings. The sound of the gunshot near Xiang Jie's head kept crashing in his mind.

If something had happened to Meng Siqi, he didn’t know how he could continue being a qualified police officer for the rest of his life. He didn’t deserve to, and even less so to be their master. Xiang Jie was his pride, and Meng Siqi was even more so. To have two such outstanding apprentices in one’s life was a blessing.

When he heard that Meng Siqi had returned safely and had killed the White Mask, he stood in the bustling airport waiting hall, tears streaming down his face.

At that time, he couldn’t calm down for a long time. After Han Changlin helped him regain his composure, he said, "Old Feng, let's go pick up Siqi and take her home. She must need us now."

"Yes… let’s go see the apprentice," Feng Shaomin said, wiping the moisture from the corner of his eye with his finger. "Let’s go."

Zhao Leiting asked, "Captain Han, should we buy a bouquet? Siqi will be very happy to see flowers when she comes out of the hospital."

"That works. We can use the department funds," Han Changlin said.

"Let’s not spend that money. I know Xiao Meng wouldn’t want us to make such a big deal. This child, I know," Feng Shaomin said. "I’ll treat everyone to a meal later."

"Brother Feng, are you serious?" Zhao Leiting teased.

"Yeah, Brother Feng, we thought we’d have to wait until your daughter got married to taste your cooking," Tang Xiaochuan chimed in.

"You guys..." Feng Shaomin glared at them. "In the future, when my apprentice gets married and has children, or when the child is promoted, I’ll treat everyone to a meal."

"Deal." Everyone laughed and clapped.

A few days later, Meng Siqi learned that Jiang Sheng had been out of danger. Although he had lost a lot of blood, he had been treated in time. His right hand, which had been pierced by a bullet, had been partially amputated, and he was left completely "disabled" below the waist.

Meng Siqi hadn’t realized how precise her stab was at the time. In fact, she had known she was going to die and was just making a final desperate struggle.

Next, they would wait for Jiang Sheng to be discharged from the hospital for interrogation. In reality, Jiang Sheng’s crimes were already set in stone, and the interrogation was just to supplement some details of the evidence.

After some time, Meng Siqi heard that Jiang Sheng had been taken back to the police station for interrogation. He cried and demanded to see Meng Siqi, or else he would refuse to confess. However, Lu He absolutely refused, giving the reason, "The suspect is wearing a catheter bag. How can we let a girl see him like that?"

Meng Siqi had no intention of seeing him either. She also knew that Lu He would soon find a way to interrogate Jiang Sheng, and eventually, Jiang Sheng would receive the severe punishment he deserved by law.

He had committed numerous atrocities and recklessly disregarded human life. His crimes were too many to list, and the only thing awaiting him was the death penalty. The interrogation was only to uncover more of his criminal associates.

One day after work, Lu He invited her to dinner. This was the first time since the case had been closed that Lu He had time to prepare a rich dinner.

Four dishes were placed on the table: three dishes and one soup—garlic ribs, beef stew with potatoes, scrambled eggs with wood ear mushrooms, and tomato egg drop soup. These were all dishes that Meng Siqi liked, and she couldn’t help but ask, "Lu He, I don’t remember telling you what I like to eat. How did you know?"

"Want to know?" Lu He said.

"Hmm? You're not asking about Zhao Leiting, are you?"

"No, it's quite simple. Just by watching you in the cafeteria a few times, I could tell your preferences. If there were several meat dishes, you'd prioritize ribs and beef. You like the wood ear fungus cold dish, and for vegetables, you prefer shredded potatoes. You also like tomato scrambled eggs. I remember you like to add a bit of garlic flavoring. As you can see, these elements can be recombined..."

Meng Siqi felt a bit touched. She didn’t expect Lu He to have paid attention to her in daily life. She deliberately said, "Hmm, that's not right. Others like these dishes too. They're old cafeteria favorites."

"You don’t like bitter melon, pumpkin, or cilantro. You eat less Chinese cabbage and chives, and you don’t like lamb. You prefer fish and shrimp. By the way, I'll cook fish for you next time."

Meng Siqi was taken aback. She realized how terrifying it was to apply criminal investigation techniques to daily life. She wondered what else Lu He had noticed about her. But knowing him, if he cared about something, he’d only need a brief observation, right?

No, why did she mention the word "care"? Lu He said he would officially pursue her only after solving the Red Dress Serial Killer case. Was he practicing in advance?

"Thank you, Lu He." Meng Siqi was deeply moved but unsure how to express her feelings. She had no experience in relationships. She had to ask her heart sincerely.

"Come on, eat up. The food’s getting cold."

"Okay." Meng Siqi couldn't help it anymore and picked up a piece of garlic ribs. It was so fragrant and pure. She thought Lu He's cooking skills were no less impressive than his criminal investigation abilities.

Meng Siqi was really hungry today. Lu He also used communal chopsticks to serve her several times. Meng Siqi ate her fill and smiled at Lu He to show that it was really delicious.

After the meal, she secretly patted her belly, which was round and full. She realized she had eaten most of it. Meng Siqi wasn't a foodie, but when she was hungry, she wouldn’t pretend otherwise.

Lu He watched her chew intently. Her light red lips were glossy from the oil of the food, highlighting a pure yet alluring beauty. He rarely spoke, just watched her closely, occasionally saying, "Slow down."

After the meal, Lu He cleaned up the dishes and wiped the table. He poured her a glass of warm water.

When he sat back down, Meng Siqi asked, "Lu He, how's the interrogation of Jiang Sheng going?" Recently, Team One had been primarily interrogating Jiang Sheng, with Captain Han and Xiao Chuan participating a little. She hadn’t been involved, so she wanted to know more about Jiang Sheng's crimes related to Ruan Mengying's case and the missing textile female worker case.

"I was just about to tell you." Lu He deliberately moved his stool to sit next to her and poured some water on the table with his cup.

He dipped his finger in the water and began tracing Jiang Sheng's life trajectory on the table.

Jiang Sheng lived with his mother until the age of seven. His mother's name was He Man, and she was a salesperson at a retail store.

Meng Siqi remembered that Jiang Sheng had mentioned his mother had to wear a uniform at work and often brought female colleagues who wore the same uniform home to stay. That was the psychological inspiration for Jiang Sheng's fetish for uniforms.

Lu He said Jiang Sheng attended Hope Elementary School in Jinyang City. His Chinese language teacher was Xie Wenjuan, who was also Xu Wangtu's wife.

Jiang Sheng once overheard an argument between Xu Wangtu and his wife, Xie Wenjuan. She scolded Xu Wangtu for "touching children," saying, "Touching children is against the law."

At that time, Xu Wangtu's indecent behavior might have been a preliminary version, such as inappropriate touching of his wife Xie Wenjuan's students, but it was well-hidden, so it wasn't exposed. At that time, Xu Wangtu's son, Xu Jianfei, was still very young and living with Xu Wangtu's ex-wife.

This argument made a lasting impression on Jiang Sheng, especially since he was a child when he heard the phrase "touching children." This memory stayed with him for life, which was why, five years ago, when four indecent child kidnapping cases occurred in Jinyang City, he quickly associated them with Xu Wangtu. Of course, he had secretly investigated Xu Wangtu to confirm it was him.

Lu He explained that Jiang Sheng had two reasons for kidnapping Xu Wangtu’s granddaughter. One reason was that the kidnapping case could overshadow the "Seattle Club" case and divert the police's attention. This was because, five years ago, shortly after the Xiang Jie case occurred, the child kidnapping case happened. Jiang Sheng believed that the four kidnapping cases from five years ago had diverted public attention from the Xiang Jie case, allowing him to completely evade the police investigation. So this time, he used the same trick.

The other reason was that Jiang Sheng truly wanted to take Meng Siqi away. So, he used Xu Wangtu as a "gift" and Xu Yizhou as leverage to force her compliance.

Jiang Sheng had told her this reason in the underground parking lot.

Lu He said, "Actually, Jiang Sheng's liking for you has a special reason."

"Hmm?" Meng Siqi only remembered Jiang Sheng saying she didn’t like money, wealth, or fear power.

Lu He said that Jiang Sheng was the illegitimate son of Jiang Tian, the chairman of Long City Enterprise. Jiang Tian's wife, Tao Mingzhu, couldn't have children. When Jiang Sheng was seven, Jiang Tian decided to bring Jiang Sheng back to the Jiang family to be trained as an heir.

That year, Jiang Sheng's biological mother, He Man, suddenly fell ill and died. Jiang Sheng was then successfully brought back to the Jiang family, initially placed under Tao Mingzhu's care, but she was very harsh and even abusive towards him.

Lu He had previously profiled Jiang Sheng. This could have been the root of his distorted personality. He was bullied and abused by women, which led to his contempt and hatred for women, sowing the seeds for his later creation of the Seattle Club.

Tao Mingzhu abused Jiang Sheng and successfully hid her evil deeds from Jiang Tian, which fueled Jiang Sheng's deep hatred for her and shaped his cruel and vigilant personality.

Later, as Jiang Sheng grew older, he gradually realized that his biological mother's sudden death might have been connected to Tao Mingzhu.

That realization became the fundamental reason he decided to kill Tao Mingzhu out of vengeance. Tao Mingzhu died in a horrific car accident, reportedly run over by a dump truck, leaving her unrecognizable.

During his teenage years, Jiang Sheng had already overcome the most difficult obstacles in his life. After that, using his position as the heir to Long City Enterprise, he began building his own entertainment empire, which included the Xiangjiang Grand Hotel and Seattle Club.

Lu He said that during the miserable days when Jiang Sheng was being bullied and abused by Tao Mingzhu, he always hoped someone would come to save him.

Naturally, he pinned his hopes on the police, just as his mother had taught him from a young age. However, Jiang Sheng's twisted fetish for uniforms made him believe that a beautiful female police officer would be his "rainbow" in life.

Meng Siqi finally remembered that when she investigated the massacre case and visited Jiang Sheng at Long City Enterprise, he had said something to her.

"Don't you envy those who fight against criminals? When I was a child, I dreamed of marrying a policewoman when I grew up."

"Back then, I was young, small, and weak, scared of being bullied. I just wanted someone to protect me..."

Meng Siqi initially thought Jiang Sheng was flattering her, but it turned out to be his genuine sentiment.

Lu He said that Jiang Sheng first saw Meng Siqi when he was playing cards at the Meng family's home. At that time, he fell in love with her at first sight.

Later, when she visited him at Long City Enterprise in her police uniform, he became extremely infatuated with her.

However, Meng Siqi felt particularly disgusted when she recalled what Jiang Sheng had told her.

"When I'm with women, I can only climax when I look at your photo!"

This explained Jiang Sheng’s intense and obsessive feelings for Meng Siqi. He wanted her to submit to him, to imprison her by his side forever, stripping her of her personality and dignity.

Meng Siqi also asked about Ruan Mengying's situation, as Ruan Mengying was the trigger for the closure of Seattle Club. Jiang Sheng and Jia Longhui had harmed so many people and would never have shown her mercy.

She remembered Jiang Sheng mentioning that Ruan Mengying's eyes resembled his mother's.

Lu He mentioned that because Jiang Sheng liked Ruan Mengying's eyes, he did not truly abuse her but instead gave her special treatment.

However, Meng Siqi recalled what Jiang Sheng had said about the methods he used to tame Ruan Mengying daily, which were extremely disgusting and cruel. The so-called special treatment was just his lie.

She believed Ruan Mengying’s inner strength and defiance against fate allowed her to escape from the clutches of evil. Of course, Jiang Sheng also had a hunting mentality when he let her go.

Lu He mentioned that Jia Longhui and the key leaders of Seattle Club were coerced into committing suicide by Jiang Sheng. He had already taken control of their families and used them as leverage to force the men to end their own lives. For example, Jia Longhui still had a wife and a pair of children. Jiang Sheng promised to financially support them after his death.

This was also why, after the siege of Seattle Club, no one knew Jiang Sheng's true identity. Those who knew his identity were forced to commit suicide.

Meng Siqi had another question: why did Jiang Sheng wear a white mask?

Lu He said that Jiang Sheng's white mask originated from a childhood game where they stuck a piece of white paper on their faces. The child who admitted defeat first would take the paper off, symbolizing "death."

In that game, only the person who kept the mask until the end would "survive," so the main idea was "whoever takes off the mask first will die."

For his first murder, Jiang Sheng created his first mask, inspired by the childhood game where he used white paper with two black eye-sized holes cut out.

His successful first murder of Tao Mingzhu fueled his obsession with the white mask. Whenever he was not appearing as the true prince of Long City Enterprise, he would wear the mask.

After saying this, Lu He took a sip of water, his thin lips glistening slightly. He asked Meng Siqi if there was anything else she wanted to ask.

Meng Siqi had another question she had always wanted to ask but wasn’t sure how to broach. She said, "Lu He, you mentioned before that the White Mask, aka Jiang Sheng, might be the perpetrator of the Red Dress Serial Murders because lipstick was also used on Ruan Mengying, but Jiang Sheng denied it last time we spoke."

"Yes," Lu He nodded. "We also questioned him about this, and Jiang Sheng denied it, which was indeed the truth. He had an alibi for the Red Dress Serial Murders. The lipstick on Ruan Mengying seemed like an insult, unlike the markings on the victims of the Red Dress Serial Murders."

Yes. Meng Siqi knew that the red makeup on the victims of the Red Makeup Serial Murders was very delicate, and the perpetrator had put a lot of effort into it, so much so that it could be described as a work of art. Therefore, it shouldn't have been Jiang Sheng. He didn’t seem like someone who would be so meticulous.

The conversation about the Red Makeup Serial Murders left both of them feeling uneasy. Meng Siqi had her reasons; she likely came to this world because of the Red Makeup Serial Murders. As for Lu He, he had been preoccupied with the case since last year. He refused to let go and used solving the case as an excuse to pursue her.

Perhaps he believed that this case was extraordinary and hid immense danger. He was willing to take the risk but didn’t want her to share it. This might be why he decided to pursue her after resolving to solve the case.

Meng Siqi wanted to lighten the mood and switched topics. "Lu He, there's one thing I don't understand. Would someone as arrogant and self-centered as Jiang Sheng actually tell you all that, especially about his mother's past?"

"Do you know what it is?"

"Hmm? I'd love to hear it." Meng Siqi leaned in, genuinely interested.

"After Jiang Sheng was arrested, he was very agitated. He had only one request: to see you."

Meng Siqi couldn’t fathom why Jiang Sheng would have such a request.

"Maybe he hates you," Lu He explained. "But it's also possible that he sees you as the 'light at the end of the tunnel' in his life. When he was a child, he needed a figure like you to save him. Seeing you now must feel like meeting the hero he imagined as a kid."

Meng Siqi understood a little, but she would never go to see him. She asked, "So, Jiang Sheng asked to see me, and you said yes?"

"No. But Old Liu promised Jiang Sheng he could see your photo."

"Ah?" Meng Siqi was curious.

"Old Liu promised Jiang Sheng he could see you, but only if he confessed his past mistakes. That’s why Jiang Sheng spilled the beans. Old Liu really knows how to handle things."

Meng Siqi hurriedly asked, "So, did Old Liu go back on his word?"

Lu He smiled. "What kind of person is Old Liu? He's seen every kind of situation. He brought your ID photo to the interrogation room and flashed it at Jiang Sheng."

Meng Siqi: "..."

She was impressed by Old Liu's method. But she had a new concern. "If Jiang Sheng needs to provide more details, will he still cooperate?"

"Show him your photo again."

Meng Siqi: "..."

Lu He said, "People's needs change with circumstances. That day, Jiang Sheng cursed at Old Liu, but later he begged us to show him your photo."

Meng Siqi: "..."