Chapter 101 03

Chapter 101, Part 3

The Missing Persons Investigation Unit swiftly contacted the Ningcheng Municipal Bureau.

The two cities were hundreds of kilometers apart. Driving was a rather circuitous route, taking about eight hours, whereas the high-speed rail would only take three. He Lin decided that having a car would be more convenient for local travel, so they ultimately opted to drive.

Fang Jue and He Lin set off at first light, taking turns at the wheel, and finally arrived near the Ningcheng Municipal Bureau around 2 p.m.

To save time, they hadn't eaten on the road. By the time they reached their destination, both were famished.

He Lin and Fang Jue stopped for a meal first. They weren't particular, stepping into a ramen shop and each ordering a steaming bowl of beef noodles.

As this was a cross-jurisdictional investigation, standard procedure required them to first apply for cooperation with the Ningcheng Municipal Bureau before commencing any investigative work.

That afternoon, they arrived at the bureau. The Detachment Commander of the Ningcheng Municipal Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Unit was named Zhou Chenlin, who had graduated from the same police academy as He Lin. The two had crossed paths a few times during their school days. Officer Zhou naturally gave his junior colleague the green light and was very accommodating.

However, he had a meeting to attend, so he could only delegate the completion of procedures and specific matters to his subordinates.

The formalities were quickly handled. The Ningcheng Municipal Bureau did not possess comprehensive records for Chen Xiao, so they could only begin their search based on the information available in household registration and archives.

Their search immediately revealed that Chen Xiao’s parents had passed away, she had no fixed address, and the phone number registered in the system was unreachable.

Individuals with such minimal social connections were notoriously difficult to investigate.

Fang Jue, unable to find any immediate leads, began to sweat.

He Lin said, "Why don't you book us a hotel for the night first?"

It seemed they were destined to stay in Ningcheng that night.

He Lin then scoured the database and found a vocational secondary school where Chen Xiao had graduated. He asked Fang Jue to call the school, and after some persistence, they finally got in touch with the teacher who had been in charge back then.

However, the teacher was also unaware of Chen Xiao’s current situation but put them in touch with one of Chen Xiao’s good friends and former roommate, named Su Wanyin.

Fang Jue asked a few brief questions. The friend said she had long lost contact with Chen Xiao but was willing to help identify her from surveillance footage. However, she didn’t have time that day and could only meet the following afternoon.

When Zhou Chenlin returned from his meeting, he inquired about their progress. Upon hearing that they were meeting Chen Xiao’s former roommate the next day, he exclaimed in surprise, "Tomorrow is the weekend. You’re still working on the case?"

He Lin replied, "Yes, we need to solve the case quickly. Everything else can wait."

Zhou Chenlin admired their dedication. "You're truly committed. No wonder I’ve always heard from colleagues that your case clearance rate is high."

Then, looking at the name Chen Xiao on the coordination form, he seemed to suddenly remember something and frowned. "That name looks familiar. I feel like I’ve come across it before. I wonder if it’s the same person…"

After saying this, Zhou Chenlin searched the Ningcheng public security system. There were 23 people named Chen Xiao in the city, but only one was between twenty and thirty years old. Zhou Chenlin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "There's a high probability it's her."

He Lin immediately sat up straight. "Is she involved in a case?"

"Not exactly." Zhou Chenlin lowered his head and rummaged through his desk. Soon, he found an old notebook and opened it to a page where the name Chen Xiao was indeed recorded.

Officer Zhou said, "This was something I came across not long after I first arrived at the Ningcheng Municipal Bureau, back when I first became a team leader."

He thought for a moment and continued, "Because it happened on New Year’s Eve, it left quite an impression on me."

"Senior, please tell us about it. It might be related to the case we’re investigating." Since they had already scheduled to meet the suspect’s friend the next day, He Lin wasn’t in a hurry and waited for Zhou Chenlin to explain slowly.

Zhou Chenlin poured them each a cup of tea and began his story.

"That year on New Year’s Eve, I was patrolling with another officer near the Jinshui River when we heard someone shouting for help…"

.

The Jinshui River was a significant river in Ningcheng, about fifteen meters wide, diagonally bisecting the city.

Winters there were fairly mild, with the lowest temperature around ten degrees Celsius. The river didn’t freeze, but getting into the water was still very chilly.

Zhou Chenlin still remembered the scene clearly. He and another officer were patrolling in a police car along the river when they heard a woman’s intermittent cries for help.

They didn’t dare delay and hurried to locate her. Soon, they found a young girl who had fallen into the river not far from the bank.

The water downstream wasn’t too turbulent, and Zhou Chenlin managed to rescue the girl.

In the dead of winter, the girl’s clothes were completely soaked. She was shivering from the cold, her face pale, and she couldn’t speak for a while.

Zhou Chenlin quickly found a blanket from the trunk of the police car to wrap around her, then changed into a spare pair of pants himself.

His colleague also offered his thermos to give the girl some hot water.

After these efforts, the girl slowly started to come around.

Zhou Chenlin took out his notebook and went over to ask for her name and phone number, wanting to help her contact her family.

Whether she was too frightened or still shaken from the cold, the girl said she had fallen into the river accidentally while walking home at night.

Zhou Chenlin offered to notify her family and record her information.

The girl shivered and said, "My name is Chen Xiao… My family members have all passed away…"

What made this moment particularly memorable for Zhou Chenlin was that, not far from the river, fireworks suddenly went off, exploding in the night sky with a loud bang that startled him. He then remembered it was part of the New Year’s fireworks display.

He verified the girl’s ID number and confirmed she was an adult. She didn’t have her ID on her, and her phone had been lost in the water.

The fireworks in the sky illuminated the girl’s face. Her jet-black hair was completely soaked, spreading over her back like seaweed. Her pupils were dark as ink, and despite having just faced death, her expression was eerily calm, almost unsettling.

This somewhat bizarre scene remained etched in Zhou Chenlin’s memory.

Fearing she might have attempted suicide, Zhou Chenlin didn’t dare leave her alone by the river.

Having no alternative, they took her to a nearby police station, settled her in the lobby, let her warm up by an electric heater, and asked the female officer at the front desk to look after her.

That New Year’s Eve, there were several large events, and the police were extremely busy. A fireworks display had caused a fire in one area, and in another, a child had been separated from their parents during the celebrations. The emergency line kept ringing nonstop.

Zhou Chenlin had other matters to attend to, and by the time he returned, the girl had already left on her own.

Because the date and circumstances were so unusual, Zhou Chenlin had recorded the incident.

When he reached this part of the story, He Lin quickly opened his laptop and showed him several screenshots from the surveillance footage.

Staring at the woman in the video, Zhou Chenlin nodded. "Yes, that looks like her. Even though she’s wearing a mask, I remember that hair of hers."

He Lin asked, "What was the exact date?"

Zhou Chenlin thought for a moment, calculating carefully. "New Year’s Eve, four years ago."

After hearing the story, Fang Jue asked, "Is it possible she was trying to commit suicide back then?"

Zhou Chenlin said, "I suspected it at the time, which is why I took her to the station. She left on her own after calming down. And honestly, when it comes to suicide, we can save someone in the moment, but we can’t watch over them forever."

He Lin said, "If it really is the same person, the fact that she’s reappeared now means she didn’t do anything foolish later. But connecting this incident to our current investigation is indeed quite strange."

Based on the clues so far, the female suspect named Chen Xiao was shrouded in mystery. Four years ago, Zhou Chenlin had pulled her from the river. Four years later, she had appeared at another bizarre crime scene.

After leaving the Ningcheng Municipal Bureau, Fang Jue booked a nearby hotel and checked into a standard double room.

The two of them dropped off their belongings and spent some time going over the files.

Wu Yunsheng and Cheng Xiaoyi hadn't been idle either. During this period, they continuously pieced together Wu Yuening’s last known whereabouts, visiting the guesthouse where she had stayed and tracking down the restaurant where the group had dined the previous day.

They also uncovered a key lead.

Wu Yunsheng said, “We spoke with a restaurant server who mentioned that the group didn’t seem very familiar with each other—their conversation sounded like they were meeting up as online friends.”

“Online friends?” He Lin’s mind flashed with a possibility. “Could they have been planning a suicide pact?”

Since the rise of the internet, with the emergence of chat rooms and group chats, this kind of phenomenon had been continuously appearing online.

The police and internet companies had devised various measures, setting up keyword filters for online monitoring. Later, volunteers and parents also joined efforts, reporting such groups and related situations whenever they were encountered.

Despite these efforts, cases of planned suicide pacts continued to occur, with a few cases popping up every year on average.

Wu Yunsheng asked, “But if it was a suicide pact, why was Wu Yuening the only one who died?”

He Lin suggested, “Perhaps the others changed their minds. Or maybe it was a murder made to look like a suicide pact. That could explain why Wu Yuening’s phone and money were missing, along with those strange marks on her body.”

After comparing notes, He Lin and Fang Jue went to a Xinjiang-style fried rice place downstairs for dinner.

As usual, He Lin took out his phone, snapped a photo, and began filling Li Shang in on the day’s events.

“We’ve made a little headway on the case and are now investigating in Ningcheng.”

For once, Li Shang, who usually took time to reply, responded instantly this time. He sent an emoji of someone gently petting a dog—a sweet vibe that seemed entirely unlike his usual reserved self.

Seeing the emoji warmed He Lin’s heart. He added, “We’ll be staying in Ningcheng tonight.”

Li Shang replied immediately again, “Who are you with?”

He Lin responded, “Loudspeaker.”

Li Shang instantly understood and sympathetically replied, “Hang in there.”

Across the table, Fang Jue noticed He Lin holding his phone with an unconscious smile curling at the corners of his lips. Curious, he asked, “Captain He, what’s so amusing?”

He Lin quickly put away his phone and said straight-faced, “Beidou navigation.”

Fang Jue was astonished, unable to comprehend how his superior could find a map amusing.

He stirred his fried rice and said, “Captain He, you’re amazing. Brother Li is impressive too. I have no sense of direction at all—I have to rely on navigation. Whenever a taxi driver tells me he’s on the east side of the road, I usually just cancel the trip. Otherwise, I’d never find him.”

He Lin nearly choked. “Fang Jue, I’ll sign you up for the senior center talent show next time.”

Fang Jue replied with a straight face, “No can do. If an elderly person laughs their teeth out, I couldn’t afford to pay for that.”

After dinner, the two returned to the hotel.

He Lin washed up and prepared to rest, but Fang Jue wasn't sleepy at all. After a while, he turned over and said, “Captain He, let’s talk awhile. I can’t sleep without some conversation.”

Exhausted from the long day, He Lin found the idea of talking somewhat headache-inducing, but he didn’t want to dampen Fang Jue’s spirits, so he obliged with a few words here and there.

“Captain He, how many days do you think this investigation will take? After meeting the family tomorrow, will we have time to check out the town?”

He Lin replied, “Depends. If there are new leads, you can go explore while I work on the case.”

Fang Jue pushed, “What if there aren’t any new leads?”

He Lin thought about the question. If the case stalled out, should he return immediately or stay in Ningcheng? Suddenly, he felt a strong urge to see Li Shang but worried he might still be busy and unavailable.

Fang Jue continued going on, “I’ve always wanted to visit Ningcheng since I was a kid. Don’t laugh, but I once dreamed of becoming a SWAT team member. Everyone has dreams, right? I even tried to apply to the Tianning Base, but I washed out in the first round.”

He Lin struggled to stay awake, half-listening and occasionally mumbling back.

After a while, unable to fight his drowsiness any longer, He Lin asked Fang Jue, “Back when you were undercover with Li Shang, did you two chat at night?”

“Of course,” Fang Jue said. “Especially when Xiao Kui wasn’t around. We talked about everything—food, fun, you name it. Brother Li even had me do things for him.”

He Lin thought to himself, Li Shang really had it tough back then. Eyes closed, he asked, “What kind of favors?”

Fang Jue replied, “He’d ask me to close the door from the outside.”

He Lin: “…”

So even Li Shang had his breaking point. Lying in bed, He Lin’s mind wandered to thoughts of that person…

Recalling the words they’d exchanged and the moments they’d shared, he wondered what Li Shang was doing now.

As he lost himself in these thoughts, his ears blocked out the outside world, and He Lin gradually drifted into sleep.

Fang Jue muttered a few more sentences and then asked, “By the way, Captain He, what should we have for breakfast tomorrow?” He turned to look and found He Lin already breathing steadily, out cold.

Resigned, Fang Jue gave up and turned over and fell asleep himself.

Meanwhile, in his dreams, He Lin’s brow gradually furrowed.

“He Lin, hurry! Emergency assembly!” A calm yet stern voice echoed in his ears…

.

On the last subway train of the night in Ningcheng, a young woman sat quietly, her head bowed as she fiddled with her phone.

She wore a hat and a mask, her wavy black hair spilling out from under the cap and cascading down her back, the longest strands nearly reaching her waist.

The phone was decent. She had removed the SIM card but kept the device.

She browsed through the previous user’s data, deleting the photos one by one.

After checking the news and confirming there was no coverage of the earlier incident, her fingers lightly tapped the screen, opening a yellow-iconed app.

She scrolled through the posts one by one.

“I want to die, I want to die, I want to kill myself. I want to leave this world. Can anyone save me…”

The entire forum was filled with posts like these.

To most, these were distressing negative messages, but she found them thrilling. Like a hyena, she watched from afar, fixated on her prey.

She selected one post and clicked into it.

The woman’s eyes lit up.

Then she sent a message to the poster: “Hello, are you looking to commit suicide?”

A moment later, the other person replied. The screen displayed only a brief: “Yeah.”

A faint smile curved at the corner of the woman's lips: "Me too. Mind if we chat? What method are you considering?"

The conversation continued as she went through various methods for the other person—which ones had a higher success rate, which were less painful.

The screen's glow illuminated her face, her smile grew brighter, like she was sharing a fun secret with her best friend.

No one noticed she was discussing such terrifying content.

Once she'd set the stage, she gently suggested: "I can help you. I've been wanting to do this myself—I understand your pain."

"Would you be interested in joining our group?"

"The group is full of people just like you."

"I think we can support each other. If someone does this with me, I won’t be as afraid. Isn't that how you feel?"

The train arrived at the station. The woman stepped off, her fingers still typing away. A bewitching smile spread across her face, like a seductive demon feasting on souls.

"We can leave this world together."

"Will you... come with me?"

Soon, a group application was sent.

The woman’s smile grew even brighter.

Hooked—a new prey.