Deng Yao opened his mouth, not understanding You Mingxu's words.
You Mingxu tossed out two photographs, both showing Jinbei Vans—one parked in his courtyard, the other seemingly taken on a highway, somewhat blurry.
Deng Yao picked up the photos, still dazed.
You Mingxu smiled and said, "Chen Zhaoci..." She watched his expression shift slightly. "That name must be familiar to you. He mimicked your methods on another girl named Liu Yisha. And he delivered Fan Jia right to you. If his imitation was flawless and it was just a coincidence that he encountered you, that might barely make sense. But a year ago, the police had no idea what kind of car you drove. Why would he drive an identical van to dump the body? Another coincidence? Then you two must be so in sync it's like you're the same person!"
Deng Yao's face remained stiff as he stared at You Mingxu's cold expression. Suddenly, he laughed, holding the photos and chuckling incessantly.
"Planning to take the fall for him too?" You Mingxu said. "He's still at large, while your entire family of three is locked up. What's in it for you?"
Veins bulged on Deng Yao's neck as he slowly replied, "Xiao Ci... was my elementary school classmate, my only friend. That day, he just came to borrow my van." He laughed again, a chilling, unending chuckle.
You Mingxu stared coldly at him. Yin Feng suddenly spoke up, "I didn't realize you two were friends. I thought Chen Zhaoci didn't consider anyone a friend."
Deng Yao kept laughing, "Heh heh."
"Then did he take you to the tunnel? That was his secret—he wouldn't share it with anyone. You probably haven't been there, right?" Yin Feng added.
Deng Yao looked at him. "Of course I've been."
"Then... did he take you through the tunnel to sneak into the Gold Splitting Treasure Company and spy on what those bosses were doing to the girls?" Yin Feng asked.
Deng Yao froze.
You Mingxu also looked up.
Yin Feng smiled. "Seems like you've seen it. So your previous statement wasn't truthful. You claimed you stumbled upon Zhao Feier by chance and started your first crime. I found it strange—you'd held back for so many years, why suddenly snap? It was because Chen Zhaoci showed you those things, wasn't it? After that, you couldn't resist or hold back anymore."
Deng Yao's gaze turned dark and menacing, his neck flushing red.
Yin Feng simply smiled calmly. "That's when it began for you."
You Mingxu felt an indescribable unease. She had always assumed it was people from the Gold Splitting Treasure Company imitating the killer's methods. But she never imagined that the killer's initial inspiration came from those well-dressed, beastly figures above the tunnel. Where did the true source of evil lie? They were so alike—it turned out they all wore the same face from the very beginning.
The interrogation room fell silent for a moment.
Yin Feng suddenly said, "Let's talk about Xiao Ci. He's impotent, isn't he? Can't get it up."
You Mingxu was taken aback.
Deng Yao: "How... how did you know?"
Yin Feng chuckled. "We're all men—it's easy to tell. He's been around those people from the Gold Splitting Treasure Company for a long time. I know he despises those girls intensely, always thinking of ways to torment them, yet he never participated in what they did. In a group crime setting, in that environment, and being a pervert himself, it's impossible for him to control himself. Unless he's physically incapable."You Mingxu suddenly remembered something. Back when Fan Jia had tried to seduce Chen Zhaoci to test him, he had fled in panic. At the time, she had only felt slightly puzzled, never imagining there was such a reason behind it.
Thinking of that name, her heart ached again.
Deng Yao actually laughed. "You're a really sharp cop. He really can't do it—every time, he just has to watch, haha."
"Every time"? You Mingxu's heart stirred as she glanced at Yin Feng. He still appeared gentle and harmless as he continued speaking to Deng Yao, "The people at Gold Splitting Treasure Company only want money and aren't willing to get involved in lawsuits or murder. Chen Zhaoci, being impotent, can't participate or vent his frustrations. That kind of emotion just keeps building up, growing stronger and stronger. He needed a more intense outlet. Now, do you understand why he took you to Gold Splitting Treasure Company to broaden your horizons? Why he supported you in doing those things to those girls?"
Deng Yao stared blankly.
You Mingxu was also shaken.
Yin Feng said, "When you were raping the girls, he was right beside you, getting excited too, wasn't he? Wasn't he even more worked up than you? When it came to torturing, killing, and mutilating the bodies, he was more enthusiastic than you, right? You always thought he was helping you, helping you get those girls, opening up a new world for you. But in reality, he was using you. He started much earlier than you. He's a vicious person, but also a coward. He always needs someone to shield him from the front, so he dragged you down into hell with him, just to satisfy himself!"
Deng Yao abruptly looked up at them, his eyes wide, the muscles on his face twitching.
You Mingxu, understanding the implication, chimed in, "Yeah, did you really think he was being a brother to you, giving you girls? Deng Yao, think carefully: after Liu Yisha's incident, why didn't he dispose of the body secretly but instead staged it to look like a case you committed a year ago? Because he wanted to protect himself, protect Gold Splitting Treasure Company, and pin the blame on you!"
Yin Feng said, "Exactly. Because Gold Splitting Treasure Company, that rotten den of crime, is something he can't leave. He's already a part of it."
You Mingxu added, "That day, he pretended to turn himself in and took Fan Jia out—he had already arranged it with you, hadn't he? To give Fan Jia to you. And he even put on a show, letting you hit him with a hammer. He got away, not only escaping but ensuring that even if he's caught someday, he'd only be an accomplice. But what about you? He framed you again."
Deng Yao slammed a fist on the table with a bang. "No... impossible!"
You Mingxu leaned forward, peering deep into Deng Yao's eyes. "Scared? Angry? Don't you want to know what he's really thinking? Tell me where he might be hiding, and I'll bring him back to you. If you have any questions, I'll let you ask him face to face. Deng Yao, if he truly considered you a brother, now that he knows you're in here, he'd be willing to share the blame with you, just like you did for him. Do you want to test... the bond between you two?"
—
You Mingxu rushed downstairs with Yin Feng, several police officers following. They split into several cars at the bottom and headed straight for the suburbs.West of Yuefeng Mountain—this was the location Deng Yao had provided. He didn't know the exact spot, as Chen Zhaoci had only mentioned that there was a large abandoned air-raid shelter there, which technically belonged to the neighboring county. This was also why previous police searches of the city's air-raid shelters had turned up no record of this particular one. It was said to be rarely visited, and with sufficient food and water, one could survive there for months without issue.
OpenNovel