Chapter 46: The Murderer

Chapter 46: The Murderer

Qiong Cang sat steadily in the car, turning up the volume in her earphones.

The police officer on the other side no longer negotiated much with her. The occasional dialogue was clearly half-hearted, having realized that the kidnapping scene she deliberately set up was just to stall them. Ordinary procedures were useless.

Qiong Cang raised her head and let her gaze sweep past the window. The car passed by a prestigious high school, its grand entrance framed by gleaming gold lettering, radiating an air of importance.

It was spring break, so the campus was deserted, with hardly anyone around. Two boarding students emerged, laughing and joking, their arms slung over each other’s shoulders, full of youthful energy.

Qiong Cang lowered the car window and stared blankly in that direction.

Fan Huai had once asked her what high school life was like. At 16, not long after he started his first year, he was taken away by the police and began his long imprisonment. Investigation, awaiting trial, and finally incarceration were all that his tumultuous high school life amounted to.

Unfortunately, Qiong Cang didn’t have much experience either.

If Fan Huai’s life had changed at 16, then Qiong Cang had always lived a maverick life. She had never experienced the beauty of youth or the struggles of studying, and she wasn’t particularly interested in them either.

Fan Huai explained that it was just really good. Since being imprisoned, he often thought back to his short time in high school. He remembered the weather, the wind, and how each day felt fresh and free.

In a way, the two were somewhat similar; they were both quite lonely. It’s just that Qiong Cang didn’t mind that loneliness, while Fan Huai was tormented by it.

He constantly tried to keep learning to make himself feel like an ordinary student. The identity of a student had become an aspiration for him.

In that moment, Qiong Cang felt a flicker of understanding. She realized why Fan Huai had chosen to run and why he had called her.

Probably because he was overwhelmed by loneliness. He feared it so much.

The driver kept glancing at the rearview mirror and couldn’t help but chat with her, “This is a very famous key high school in our City A. Many students want to study here.”

Qiong Cang responded, “I didn’t attend much high school. I barely remember it.”

“Ah… did you go to work instead?” The driver, seeing her modest attire, carefully advised, “It’s still better to study. If you get the chance, study more. Nowadays, there are adult high schools and adult universities, right? With a degree, your salary can be higher. I’m also studying.”

Qiong Cang replied with a soft “Mhm,” adding, “I only attended for a year before being specially recruited to university.”

The driver blinked, unsure how to respond. “Well, I guess some people just like to keep things interesting, huh?”

Qiong Cang turned her head and looked up. Dark clouds hung heavily overhead, obscuring the sky and any hint of color.

There was nothing beautiful to remember.

“Today, there are so many clouds.”

“It’s Qingming Festival. I reckon it’ll rain later,” the driver, hearing his passenger’s words, quickly perked up and smiled, “Without rain, it wouldn’t feel like Qingming.”

Qiong Cang smiled slightly too.

After passing the front of the school, it wasn’t long before they neared the commercial district, an area bustling with shops selling all kinds of things. Qiong Cang asked the driver to stop at the roadside in advance and handed over a banknote.

The driver smiled, “Cash?”

Qiong Cang said, “Yes. Keep the change.”

She took out a cap from her bag, covering half of her face, and walked towards the nearby shops.

·

The netizens watched the scene unfold, their eyes glued to the screen.

They're actually strolling down the street, and it’s not a joke.

"Disguise is always a hot topic. I wonder how good this big shot is at makeup?"

"This doesn't feel right. We need to get out of here fast. The taxi was called on Tingting Ning's phone, so they can trace us easily."

"The more panicky we get, the more likely we'll mess up. Stay calm."

"96 points doesn't feel like 96 points. [Whispering]"

·

Zhang Wuping was having a hard time coordinating this group of amateurs, but they were at least following orders. Slowly, things were starting to come together.

Several players he had sent out to scout the situation began to report back.

"The bathroom skylight is open, and it looks empty. Should we go in now?"

"Reporting, I'm outside the wall of the living room. According to the footage from the phone, a hostage is tied up in the living room, still alive, with no visible external injuries. A young woman is lying in front of the sofa, covered in blood. Her condition is unclear, but she doesn’t seem to be breathing."

"The hostage has been struggling violently. She's very emotional. What is she doing?"

Zhang Wuping’s voice was low and menacing. "Any sign of the suspects?"

"No sign of them."

"No sign of them."

Several people answered in the negative. This indicated that there were no signs of the suspects in the living room, bedroom, bathroom, or balcony.

Zhang Wuping said, "Go in, but be careful not to disturb anything!"

A newbie player asked nervously, "Should we coordinate or anything? What should we watch out for? I’ve never done this before."

"No need!" Zhang Wuping gritted his teeth. "There's no one inside. The suspects are already gone!"

He stepped forward and banged on the door, shouting inside, "Come open the door!"

After a few thuds, the officers entered and met in the living room. The place was empty—just a bunch of people acting out in front of their computers.

"Shit..." someone cursed in the walkie-talkie, losing their composure. "Both are dead."

The security door was then opened from the inside.

Zhang Wuping rushed in first, and the sight of the two shocking bodies immediately met his eyes. He stopped at a distance, preventing the other players from entering the scene. He commanded sternly, "Only techs in here! Everyone else, stay back and set up a perimeter. No one else gets in!"

He walked to the table, bent down, and looked at the disconnected connection prompt on the laptop screen. He said, "Urge the technical team to trace the signal address of this computer. Hurry."

The players received the instructions and buzzed around like headless flies, wanting to participate in the game but having no means to do so, only able to exchange information in the communicator.

"Is there actually a third person? Why wasn't this mentioned in the statements? I thought the fugitive was the female homeowner."

"The suspect should have left before we arrived, using the camera on the computer to monitor and control the situation."

"Both individuals are confirmed dead. They are the two homeowners."

"A mobile phone was found at the scene. It belongs to the male victim. The female victim's phone has not been found."

"Attempting to call using the male victim's phone, but it didn't connect."

The middle-aged woman who had been held hostage had been rescued and was now sitting on the steps by the door, trying to recover.

Her prolonged struggle left bruises and abrasions of varying degrees on her hands and feet. Being in the same room as the corpses had severely traumatized her mentally. When the officer asked her for a statement, she could only sob and shake her head, unable to form complete sentences. The officer tried to calm her, and she clung to him, crying on his shoulder.

It was heartbreaking to see such a vulnerable elderly woman, but everyone was too anxious to wait for her to compose herself.

"Did you see the face of the person who kidnapped you?"

The woman nodded through her tears.

"What did he look like? Any distinct features?"

The woman shook her head.

"Come on, don't just shake your head. Think about what you remember—his clothes, his height, anything at all."

The woman, barely recalling, gasped and mumbled, "Blue clothes... black pants, about a head taller than me, a pretty spirited young man, with a very fierce look in his eyes..."

Zhang Wuping, who was examining the corpses, stopped what he was doing at these words. He immediately thought of the man he had encountered on the way over.

Blue clothes, black pants—it was indeed him! Damn it!

Zhang Wuping was nearly overwhelmed with regret. He had just missed the criminal by that much!

It seemed that the player was not simple; her psychological resilience was impressively strong.

"Do you know how these two people in the room died?"

The woman screamed at the top of her lungs, "He killed them! He killed them!"

Zhang Wuping asked in a cold voice, "Did you see him kill them?"

The woman shook her head, her face blank, still reeling from the intense fear she had just experienced, and gestured, "He had a knife, covered in blood. He threatened me with it, holding it against my neck!"

Zhang Wuping asked, "What did he threaten you to do?"

The woman replied, "To not make a sound!"

"Did he hurt you?"

"He did... well, not really, but he was very fierce." The woman covered her face, "I thought he was really going to kill me!"

Zhang Wuping quickly jotted down what she said, his mind racing as he channeled his inner detective, "So the fugitive is the one who killed them? Should we request a wanted notice? I'll go get the surveillance from the neighborhood gate for the hostage to identify."

Zhang Wuping frowned, "Is it really that simple? You haven’t even examined the scene yet."

The newbie player continued to speculate, "What was his motive? Robbery? A home invasion and murder, that's pretty serious, right? But why did he brutally kill both homeowners and leave one hostage alive?"

The technical officer interjected at this point, "Actually, there were no signs of forced entry, and the door was opened from the inside. There were bloodstains on the doorknob, indicating that someone was already injured when the door was opened. We’ve collected blood samples and will let you know tomorrow, but we don’t have time for that right now!"

"Tomorrow? We don't have time for that! I'm going to get the surveillance footage!"

Zhang Wuping had a gut feeling. He pulled out his phone, opened a photo of Ning Dongdong, and showed it to her. "Is this the man?" he asked.

The woman glanced at it and immediately nodded, "Yes, that's him!"

She clutched Zhang Wuping’s arm, her untrimmed nails digging into his skin with desperation. "Who is he? Comrade, you must catch him quickly!"

Zhang Wuping was trying to cover it up when the newbie standing nearby, who had caught a glimpse of the photo from the corner of his eye, blurted out, "Ning Dongdong?"

Zhang Wuping immediately turned his head and glared at him, startling the newbie, who had no idea what he had done wrong and fell silent with a sullen expression.

"He's that murderer, Ning Dongdong?" The woman was already shouting, her voice filled with hysteria. "Why did you police let him out? Look, he's killed again! He's killed two more people!"

Zhang Wuping could not answer and had to arrange for someone to calm her down and take her downstairs.

Downstairs, He Jueyun finished taking the statement. Then he ran upstairs and reported to Zhang Wuping, "According to the testimonies of the residents in the building, everyone only heard the two deceased arguing. No one knew there was a third person present."

He Jueyun opened his notebook and recited the contents. "The apartment has terrible soundproofing. They first heard the male victim scolding and beating someone, followed by the sound of things being smashed. Then Ning Tingting shouted about getting a divorce, and her husband said something like 'I'll beat you to death,' which was yelled particularly loudly and heard by the upstairs and downstairs neighbors. Shortly after, the room fell silent. About three to five minutes later, the second floor was completely quiet. Ms. Sun and her husband suspected something might have happened to Ning Tingting, discussed it, and finally, Ms. Sun decided to come up and check. That's how it went."

A player in the channel asked confusedly, "So, is Ning Dongdong the murderer? Why would he kill his sister and brother-in-law?"

Zhang Wuping pondered for a moment and said, "The male victim has multiple stab wounds, but none of them are deep, indicating that the person who stabbed him didn't have much strength."

He walked to Ning Tingting's body, lifted her hand, and said, "Ning Tingting's palm shows signs of abrasion, and there's a knife cut on her little finger. If the knife was held in this position, the wound matches perfectly."

An officer holding a camera kept pressing the shutter and, thinking through Zhang Wuping's reasoning, asked, "Are you saying the husband was killed by the wife, and the wife was killed by Ning Dongdong?"

He Jueyun said helplessly, "Why would Ning Dongdong kill her? They're siblings."

The player, looking innocent, said, "How am I supposed to know?"

Before entering the game, he had followed the media's narrative and had assumed Fan Huai was the murderer. Even though the relevant memories were blocked, his subconscious still believed it.

He Jueyun looked at the ground and said, "Ning Dongdong should have appeared after his sister died or was injured."

"How do you know?"

Zhang Wuping, with his extensive experience in handling cases, had already made a related guess when he first saw the scene, but he didn't explain, wanting to hear He Jueyun's opinion.

He Jueyun drew a circle on the ground with his finger and said, "The blood spatter pattern on the floor, do you see it? A perfect circle. The knife was placed here. Ning Dongdong came in, stepped on the bloodstain, and left a complete footprint here. Judging from the position and distance, he squatted down to check on Ning Tingting and picked up the knife. This was probably just a reflexive action in shock."

The people around carefully gathered and observed the scene from a distance.

He Jueyun said, "If Ning Dongdong had stabbed and pulled the knife out, the blood spatter would look different, and it would have splattered on him. This scene is actually quite clean, and the environment around the two victims is well-preserved. Anyone with experience can tell the difference. Also—"

He Jueyun tossed his notebook to the officer across from him.

"I've already gotten the surveillance from the front of the building at the property's entrance. The resident on the first floor said that when the two victims stopped arguing, it was exactly at 12:02. He remembered it clearly because he was watching a midday show. In the surveillance, Ning Dongdong entered at 12:05. There's less than a two-minute difference between him and the hostage on the first floor. Ning Dongdong couldn't have gone upstairs and killed his sister without saying a word, right? He didn't have the time to commit the crime."

In reality, the police only suspected Fan Huai was involved in the deaths of three previous witnesses but had never suspected he would kill his own sister.

Zhang Wuping nodded. "I agree, Ning Dongdong's timing is just a coincidence."

"Can it really be that coincidental?" A player doubted. "But if he's not the murderer, then why did he run?"

"Probably afraid of being unable to defend himself after being seen holding a knife," someone sighed. "Especially since he's been to prison before, people would have a prejudiced view of him. With a partial witness, even if the law enforcement doesn't prosecute him, the public will still suspect him after the case breaks."

He Jueyun added, "Ning Dongdong has always claimed he was wrongly convicted. He might not have much faith in the police."

The usually lively channel fell silent, and even the most enthusiastic players didn't know what to say.

Someone asked, "Can we apply for a warrant now?"

Zhang Wuping took a deep breath and said, "From what we see at the scene, we don't have conclusive evidence that Ning Dongdong killed the two victims; in fact, it's likely he didn't. The door was opened from the inside. He didn't force his way in. Although he tied up the resident downstairs, he didn't harm her and left quickly. It doesn't seem to be for monetary gain. I don't think this constitutes kidnapping. As for applying for a warrant... I don't think the application will be approved."

Personally, Zhang Wuping wanted to give Ning Dongdong another chance, to bring him back to cooperate with the investigation rather than as a wanted criminal.

In this matter, Dongdong Ning is just a victim who witnessed her sister's death. Zhang Wuping couldn't understand why she chose to run away, even at all costs, but judging from her actions of not harming the hostage, she shouldn’t be a bad person.

Sometimes, it’s all too easy for society to destroy someone’s life with its unforgiving nature.

Most of Dongdong Ning’s life has already been wasted, and she is still so young. We can’t let her repeat the same mistakes. Zhang Wuping had compassion for her. This was also his responsibility.

Zhang Wuping’s eyes turned firm as he said, "Dongdong Ning must be very emotionally unstable right now. We need to find her as soon as possible! Before she makes more mistakes in a moment of impulsiveness!"

·

Listening to the police officers analyzing the entire process, the netizens didn’t know how to express their feelings. They were prepared for Dongdong Ning to be the murderer and were firmly convinced of it, only to be hit hard with a revelation.

Putting themselves in the shoes of the investigators, they might still doubt the police's case report.

...No, perhaps they already did.

"There are many talented people in the Pursuer team as well. I thought San Yao would just send a bunch of cannon fodder over, but they turned out to be quite good."

"Talking about cannon fodder, you probably don’t know that the captain here, Zhang Wuping, is an 85-pointer! When it comes to experience, he’s more formidable than many geniuses."

"They figured out so quickly that Dongdong Ning wasn’t the killer, but now they can’t issue a warrant. This should make the game harder, right?"

"These two weren’t killed by Fan Huai? The intel I had was totally different. 【Full of questions】"

"Now I'm starting to suspect that Fan Huai might really be innocent. The police should have reopened the investigation, right? Is there any related information leaked?"

"Stop believing in 'internal information' so easily. Real 'internal information' won’t leak before it’s decided to be made public."

·

The murder scene had been analyzed, and Zhang Wuping and the others were now focusing on tracking down Dongdong Ning's whereabouts. However, this was something they couldn’t rush.

Finally, the technician pulled up the consumption records and call logs on Ning Tingting’s phone.

The technician hit a key on the computer, zooming in on the page, and said, "Dongdong Ning used her phone to call a taxi, and the last call was with the driver. We’ve already contacted the driver, who said he dropped the person off near the city center. Additionally, Dongdong Ning bought five bus tickets to different destinations on the railway department’s website."

A player stroked their chin and said, "Bought bus tickets but went to the city center; these directions don’t match at all. She probably wanted to throw us off her trail, right?"

"That’s for you to investigate." The technician said, "We’ve already moved quickly. According to the latest bank card consumption record of the female victim, it was just fifteen minutes ago."

"Who was it?"

The technician replied, "I’m checking."

The technician rubbed his eyes and after a moment said, "That person is... Oh, that person is a merchant in the city center. He said Dongdong Ning didn’t bring a bank card and bought a set of clothes from him, then exchanged 5,000 yuan in cash. So, Dongdong Ning is likely still in the city center."

Someone asked, "Can we accurately locate Ning Tingting’s phone?"

The technician said, "The phone taken was an iOS system, and direct location tracking is troublesome. We don’t have the time. Moreover, Dongdong Ning has already withdrawn the money, and I don’t think someone as smart as her would keep the dead person’s phone with her for long, leaving us clues."

"Then we can only check the surveillance. Knowing the time, location, and person, we can definitely find the target from the surveillance."

He Jueyun mercilessly dashed their confidence: "The city center has a very high volume of people, and today is a holiday, so the location can be described as a sea of people. Don’t forget that the fugitive is a highly intelligent individual; she would choose a parking spot that avoids the main surveillance cameras but is in the center of heavy foot traffic. We would have to watch the surveillance videos from the entire circle of that area. With so many people, how long would it take to spot her among the crowd? Do you know if she’s a pedestrian on the roadside or a passenger in a car? Are you sure the camera will capture her face?"

Another person interjected, "Even without a clear face, we have her height, build, and clothing, which can still help identify her. As long as we track the target’s movement dynamics, with the city’s well-established surveillance system, we can methodically carry out the pursuit operation, right?"

Listening to their naive and casual remarks, several professionals couldn’t even muster a laugh, not knowing where to begin explaining.

Did they really think reviewing surveillance was as fun as watching TV? Like, with snacks and soda on the side?

Using surveillance to pinpoint the fugitive's exact location will put us at a disadvantage.

"Not exactly." He Jueyun's voice remained steady. "You don't know what she's wearing, and her figure can also be disguised with clothing and posture. If she blends into the crowd, you won’t recognize her."

Everyone turned to look at him.

He Jueyun walked to the shoe cabinet and pointed to the footprints on the floor. "Before leaving, Ning Dongdong changed her shoes here."

"Right. Her shoes had blood on them, so she changed into the male owner's shoes."

"No, she probably first changed into the male owner's slippers and then went to the bedroom to get replacement clothes." He Jueyun pointed back to the bedroom door. "Changing her appearance is a crucial part of her escape plan. She was calm enough to arrange the scene, so she must have considered this. We don’t know what clothes were available in the male victim’s wardrobe."

Some people sighed in frustration. "Yeah. So, reviewing the surveillance footage won’t give us a clear direction. What’s our next move?"

"Isn't that what we're discussing?"

Someone urged anxiously, "The more we discuss, the more time we're wasting! Every second counts! Let’s get moving, everyone!"

This remark stirred various voices in the channel. Impatient players were already getting restless.

"Of course we need to move, but how can you act without a proper plan? Are we supposed to have a hundred people doing their own thing?"

"Go guard the bus stations, train stations, and airports. That should be right, right? I've been waiting outside for a long time. Can I please do something?"

"Oh, stop causing trouble! Everyone shut up!"

The scene became chaotic, and Zhang Wuping's expression turned grim, while the netizens fell into a confused silence.

"It does seem quite difficult." [whispers]

"A disorganized group like this only gets more chaotic the bigger it gets. Even professionals can't carry this."

"A group of scattered troops has a hundred people, not including the technical team that San Yao threw in for free. What we lack most is manpower. Investigations require a lot of time and people, especially when dealing with tricky criminals who keep throwing misleading information at us. Do you realize how many people are in a criminal investigation squad? For a case that hasn’t escalated yet, when we were pursuing Fan Huai, there were less than thirty people involved, friend. That was already a full effort."

"I have to say, I found that Q-bro has been quietly backing the big shots. Isn't he a spy?"

"Don't you think that without the big shots, Q-bro seems more mature and dependable now? I barely recognize him."

"Q-bro is a disciplinary officer at San Yao, not just anyone can do that job! The big shots just screwed him over! [wake up, people]"

Zhang Wuping didn't scold them. For this hastily assembled team of strangers, a strict internal leadership style wouldn't be suitable; it would only cause resistance.

Zhang Wuping didn’t say a single extra word. After considering the plan, he went straight into organizing.

"We need to check the major bus and train stations in City A. For small bus stations, two people will work together. Large stations will have four people. Train stations will have six to ten people per group. You can get relevant staff to help. Players near these places, sign up now."

Zhang Wuping quickly assigned tasks to several people on the list on his computer.

A player raised their hand. "Shouldn't we also consider highway entrances? The fugitive might steal a car and leave via the entrance."

"Do you realize how many highway entrances there are in City A?" He Jueyun objected. "Today is a public holiday during the Qingming Festival. The highway is toll-free, most staff are on rotating shifts, and tourist vehicles are stuck on the highway. If you check each highway entrance, it will cause serious traffic jams and trigger public panic. And where would we even find the manpower? What reason would we give for such a large-scale check?"

"Have someone keep an eye on reports of stolen vehicles. Any related police reports today must be investigated immediately." Zhang Wuping appreciated He Jueyun's input and added, "We shouldn't expand our scope too much. Since Ning Dongdong is still in the city center, we should focus our defenses there. If she wants to escape smoothly, she'll have to come out."

Zhang Wuping pulled out a map and examined it carefully before circling several red dots.

"At these high-traffic intersections, we'll conduct one-way checks on vehicles leaving the city center under the pretext of DUI checks. For these smaller roads that usually have less traffic, we can directly view the surveillance. These intersections need special attention, checking the identities of suspicious pedestrians. If Ning Dongdong wants to leave, she'll have to pass through these places. Technical team, continue tracking the ID usage of Ning Dongdong and the two victims. As long as our investigation is thorough, she won't be able to hide."

Upon hearing this, everyone realized it was all basic and hard work, not glamorous at all.

"Isn't there any high-tech solution?"

Zhang Wuping patted the person on the shoulder, encouraging them. "Humans are the greatest high-tech in nature. Use your initiative. Don't just stand there! Hurry up and move! Whether we succeed depends on how carefully everyone works!"

Before everyone's enthusiasm could kick in, a disciplinary officer downstairs urgently reported to Zhang Wuping, "Captain, the media is here!"