Yin Feng said, "For a full year after that, the killer vanished without a trace, and no similar victims were discovered."
"A year later, Liu Yisha, who had also fallen into the campus loan trap of Gold Splitting Treasure Company, went missing and was murdered. It has been proven that she was killed by Gold Splitting Treasure Company, with Chen Zhaoci imitating the disposal method from the case a year prior. Fan Jia posed as bait, was taken away by Chen Zhaoci at Gold Splitting Treasure Company, and hidden in an underground tunnel. Chen Zhaoci’s girlfriend had committed suicide by jumping off a building due to campus loans, leaving him resentful and psychologically twisted, acting as a henchman for the company."
Yin Feng nodded. "From the surveillance footage, Fan Jia successfully escaped and subdued Chen Zhaoci. Based on their route, they were heading to the nearest police station. It was on this road that Fan Jia was taken away by a mysterious figure. Chen Zhaoci was also injured by the same person and is currently at large."
You Mingxu added, "We’ve already obtained surveillance footage from several nearby roads around the time of the incident. Since it was very early, there were few vehicles entering or leaving, and we’ve completed the inspection—none are suspicious. This means Fan Jia is still within this area. The question is—was the person who took her the real killer from a year ago? Or someone else entirely?"
Yin Feng replied, "It’s uncertain. But the mysterious person, like the real killer, also resides in this area, and the head injury inflicted on Fan Jia is quite similar to Zhao Feier’s."
You Mingxu silently exhaled a puff of smoke and remained silent for a long moment before saying, "If the mysterious person is the real killer, was his appearance on that road at that time a coincidence, or is there more to it?"
Yin Feng answered, "Both are possible. That road isn’t far from Zhao Feier’s usual activity range, meaning it’s also close to the real killer’s daily haunts. Plus, it was during the least crowded early morning hours—the most advantageous hunting time for the killer."
You Mingxu’s brow was tightly furrowed. She had a strange feeling now—as they unraveled this case layer by layer, solving one clue after another, it seemed like a series of coincidences piling up, with cases within cases. The criminals at each stage appeared unrelated to the others’ crimes. Yet accidental and coincidental twists kept occurring. She even felt as if someone was leading them by the nose...
Yin Feng’s phone rang. After a brief exchange, he looked at You Mingxu. "A Xu, come with me quickly. My team has finally narrowed it down to four suspects who best fit the criminal psychological profile, and they all live nearby."
You Mingxu was taken aback.
If they could truly use the criminal psychological profile to pinpoint the real killer from the vast sea of people, it would be like a sharp knife cutting through layers of doubt, solving all problems at once.
But, Yin Feng’s team?
That bunch of chefs, gardeners, drivers, and butlers—the domestic team?
—
Despite her inner doubts, You Mingxu still got in the car with Yin Feng to head to the first suspect’s home address. There was no other choice—desperate times called for desperate measures. Moreover, although Yin Feng always dressed like a big green caterpillar or a cute yellow duck during investigations, looking youthful and adorable, his conclusions were consistently precise, sharp, and profound. So when he said he’d found four suspects, You Mingxu couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope.
However, at this point, every passing second could mean the difference between life and death for Fan Jia. After discussing it, they decided there was no time for subtle probing or observation—they would confront the suspects head-on. If the real killer was among them, they would catch him off guard!From the very first day at Liu Yisha's crime scene, Yin Feng had provided a criminal profile. Later, his mentor, Professor Fan Shuhua from the United States, had given a consistent and more detailed portrait. But at the time, You Mingxu felt their conclusions seemed to appear out of thin air—like the moon reflected in water, clear to see yet impossible to grasp. So, in truth, she hadn’t taken it seriously.
Who would have thought that after going round and round, investigating extensively, they would end up back at the starting point.
On the way to the home of the first person matching the profile, You Mingxu, while driving, recalled the key conditions provided by this master-disciple pair of psychologists:
Age between 25 and 40.
Local resident.
Lives near the victim’s home.
Comes from a humble background, with a low level of education.
Works as a craftsman.
Harbors hatred toward women; lacked affection from older females during childhood, instead experiencing abuse and humiliation.
Unable to establish normal relationships with the opposite sex.
Possibility of having accomplices cannot be ruled out.
He is the kind of person commonly seen in everyday life—someone who wouldn’t draw attention even when walking the streets late at night.
Obsessive-compulsive tendencies; keeps his workplace and home meticulously organized.
Poor verbal skills, easily agitated, with strong violent tendencies.
…
Apart from some of the later psychological traits, You Mingxu realized that the person who attacked and abducted Fan Jia that night actually fit the profile: his silhouette didn’t appear elderly, he lived nearby, appeared late at night, and no eyewitnesses were found…
A chill crept into You Mingxu’s heart.
They arrived at the first suspect’s home.
You Mingxu first noticed that the place was very close to the home of the first victim, Zhao Feier—just a few hundred meters away—and was also an old residential building. The man’s name was Zhao Dawei. According to information gathered by Yin Feng’s domestic staff, Zhao Dawei was 28 years old, worked as a carpenter, was a local, and had lived there for over ten years.
Zhao Dawei was single and lived on the first floor with his older brother, Zhao Daqiang, who worked as an electrician.
It was a small storefront. As it was already late, a dim yellow light was on inside. The floor was piled with lumber, which You Mingxu noted was quite neatly stacked but dirty. Several tools for sanding and cutting materials were placed nearby. A man, shirtless and wearing black pants, had his back to them. His muscles were taut and glistening with sweat as he worked.
From the back alone, it was impossible to tell for sure whether he was the person in the surveillance footage.
"Zhao Dawei?" You Mingxu called out.
The man turned around. His features were unremarkable, even somewhat unattractive. He looked puzzled at the sight of them.
You Mingxu immediately identified herself as a police officer, keeping her eyes fixed on Zhao Dawei’s expression. He seemed a bit nervous, his voice muffled: "What’s this about? My brother and I haven’t done anything illegal!"
You Mingxu said calmly, "Just answer a few questions truthfully to assist with the investigation."
"What were you doing last night?"
"Last night? I closed the shop, watched some TV, then took a shower and went to bed."
"You didn’t go out?"
"No."
"What about your brother?"
"He was on night shift yesterday. Just now… he went out for a drink with his coworkers."
"Do you have a car at home?"
"No."
"Don’t you need a car for deliveries or anything?"
"I don’t know how to drive, haven’t gotten a license yet. For deliveries, I usually hire a vehicle at the market—it’s very convenient…"You Mingxu asked a few more questions, and Zhao Dawei answered every single one truthfully. Finally, she took out a simple fingerprint collection kit and had Zhao Dawei press his fingers onto it.
Yin Feng stood quietly nearby, watching You Mingxu swiftly handle everything with efficiency. And... some of her methods might not have been entirely by the book. But why would he care? As long as A Xu was happy.
After leaving the Zhao residence, You Mingxu checked the surrounding surveillance cameras—only one or two were present—and noted their locations before heading to the second house.
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