Under the soft glow of a desk lamp, You Mingxu sat alone in the office, flipping through case files.
She had seen her fair share of the world and handled many brutal and horrifying cases. But when she looked at the crime scene photos from the serial murder case nineteen years ago, she still felt nauseated and uneasy.
Five incidents, five victims—four dead and one injured. You Ruixue had sacrificed her life in the final case, saving that one survivor.
The crimes had occurred over roughly half a year. The perpetrator would stalk and attack single women late at night. In that era, surveillance cameras were scarce, and despite rapid economic development, the city was still dotted with vacant lots, open spaces, and construction sites.
The killer would drag his victims to secluded areas, sexually assault them, strangle them to death, inflict severe injuries to their genitalia with sharp objects, and then cut off and take away their upper bodies. After viewing a few photos, You Mingxu let out a long sigh, deeply unsettled.
Some victims were only in their twenties, single women; others were in their thirties, already married with children. One child, just a year or two old at the time, had lost their mother.
The killer was named Xu Baping, a young man in his twenties.
Police found his fingerprints and bodily fluids at two crime scenes, and there were witnesses who had seen him near one of the locations.
Another compelling piece of evidence came from a surveillance camera outside a bank branch, which captured him following one of the victims.
But by the time the police identified this key suspect and moved to arrest him, he had already fled to the countryside. A warrant was issued, and a massive police manhunt was launched.
About ten days later, it was You Ruixue’s team that tracked down Xu Baping. However, when backup arrived, what they found shocked everyone.
Evidence at the scene indicated that You Ruixue and another officer had engaged in a fierce struggle with Xu Baping. You Ruixue died on the spot, and the other officer was severely injured. But a rural girl and her mother survived. According to their testimonies, Xu Baping had been highly agitated, refused to admit guilt, and attempted to take the mother and daughter hostage. It was while trying to save them that You Ruixue tragically lost her life. Xu Baping escaped.
By then, however, Xu Baping was cornered and desperate.
Two days later, the police found him in the mountains.
But he was already dead.
And it was a gruesome, unrecognizable corpse.
He had been skinned. And it was done while he was still alive.
The serial murder case was considered solved.
But the murder of Xu Baping remained unsolved all these years. The police could not identify a suspect with both motive and opportunity. The families of the victims had been ruled out—they had motives but lacked the time or capability. So this case-within-a-case remained open.
You Mingxu closed the file and sat in silence for a while.
The evidence was overwhelming; Xu Baping was undoubtedly the serial killer.
She also knew who had tortured and killed Xu Baping—that person had confessed to it.
And now, Yin Chen was on the run, and that person was also missing, their fate unknown—whether they were still alive or suffering somewhere.
But after reviewing everyone connected to the case, You Mingxu found no clues linking any of them to Yin Chen.
Could it be that Yin Chen had nothing to do with this case?
Then how did he come to know her mother and become so "entangled" with her?
Too much time had passed, and her mother had lived a solitary, reclusive life back then. Investigating further would not be easy.You Mingxu furrowed her brows in thought for a while before setting down the case file. Rome wasn’t built in a day—she could only take things slowly.
She glanced at the time. It was a little past nine in the evening, relatively early compared to recent days.
After a moment’s consideration, she sent Yin Feng a text: “Are you asleep?”
About a minute or two passed. She had already tidied her desk when she received his reply: “No. What are you doing?”
He hadn’t reached out or contacted her these past few days. Though You Mingxu had been busy herself, she couldn’t help feeling a little unsettled. But now, seeing his message, her heart softened a little. She decided to just video call him directly.
Given how close they were, making this call should have felt natural. Yet, as she listened to the “beep—beep—beep—” of the ringing tone, she felt unexpectedly awkward.
He answered.
The screen showed the ceiling, a hospital bed, bandages, and a patient gown. Yin Feng sat on the bed, quietly watching her.
For a moment, You Mingxu said nothing, just carefully studying him. His complexion seemed much better, his hair clean and tidy. His face was still thin, and because his bandages needed changing, he wasn’t wearing a shirt—just a patient gown draped over his shoulders, exposing his chest and shoulders.
His gaze remained as deep and shadowed as ever, devoid of warmth or affection, as though he, too, was scrutinizing her.
Before she could speak, he said, “You’ve lost weight.”
You Mingxu was taken aback for a second before replying, “I’ve been really busy lately. You can sit up now?” She sounded pleased.
Yin Feng let out a cold snort. “I’ve been able to for a week now.”
You Mingxu stared at him for a couple of seconds and said flatly, “Impressive.”
He responded smoothly, “Of course!”
You Mingxu couldn’t help but laugh, her eyes sparkling.
Yin Feng watched her for a while but didn’t smile. He leaned back slightly, looking a bit more relaxed.
“What have you been busy with?” he asked.
You Mingxu briefly summarized her work over the past few days and, recalling the case file she had just reviewed, shared the details with him.
Yin Feng thought for a moment and said, “Scan a copy for me.”
“Alright,” You Mingxu agreed. “The details of the case back then were quite clear, but I’m just wondering… where do you think Yin Chen came from?”
Yin Feng replied, “Back then, he was just in his early twenties, fresh out of college—seven or eight years younger than… your mother. From what I remember, he was relatively normal then, though life wasn’t easy for him. He wouldn’t have had the ability to establish the Punisher Organization at that time. I think it might have been something related to your mother—that case might have caused him significant psychological shock or even trauma. That’s why he still can’t let it go. His ideas about revenge, punishment, and his sense of right and wrong probably started forming back then.”
You Mingxu had a similar feeling—there must be more to the story. She even wondered if it was her mother’s death in the line of duty that had caused Yin Chen to lose faith in the justice system and resolve to become a Punisher.
Of course, she kept these thoughts to herself.
Yin Feng asked, “What’s your plan?”
You Mingxu shook her head. “It’s hard to investigate. I’ll think of something. If Yin Chen really reappears, as you said, it’s best to start with him.”
“Mm.”
They both fell silent for a moment. Feeling there was nothing more to say, You Mingxu said, “Get some rest, then. Call me if you need anything.”
He stared at her, his expression unreadable.
You Mingxu asked, “What’s wrong?”He was silent for a few seconds before saying, "What are you in such a hurry to do?" A mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
You Mingxu: "...When was I in a hurry? I'm just planning to go home after work."
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