You Mingxu bit her lower lip tightly, a chill creeping up from the depths of her heart.
She had always trusted Yin Feng, and he understood Yin Chen better than anyone else. For a moment, she wavered and doubted.
Yet, after a brief moment of confusion, courage surged within You Mingxu, and clarity quickly returned.
No, it wasn't like that.
As a police officer, she should adhere to the logic of her profession. Whether Yin Chen's actions were intentional or not, the current conclusion was the most plausible answer they had deduced based on various clues and evidence. She should trust her judgment and proceed without hesitation.
She glanced around again—she couldn't halt the collective operation, the result of so many officers' hard work, just because of Yin Feng's words.
She had to trust the intuition of the entire team.
Once her mind was made up, she said, "Yin Feng, we have to go now. I trust everyone's judgment, and I trust my own intuition."
On the other end, Yin Feng was momentarily stunned.
A brief silence fell between them.
This wasn't the first time their thoughts had diverged.
But it was the first time, at such a critical moment, that they were separated and completely at odds.
He outright rejected her reasoning, while she stood firm and unyielding.
Behind this stark disagreement lay five human lives.
"You..."
"You..."
They spoke simultaneously and stopped at the same time.
You Mingxu suddenly smiled, with a hint of certainty and nonchalance. "Why don't you come and see for yourself with us?"
Yin Feng replied, "A Xu, I trust my intuition and judgment too." Proud and aloof as he was, he showed no anger, only a steady, unwavering resolve.
You Mingxu didn't try to persuade him further—only the results would prove everything. While still on the call with Yin Feng, she ran downstairs, ready to get into the car.
She asked, "So where are you planning to go?" The police force couldn't spare any resources for him now.
Yin Feng said, "Out of the four possible 'homes,' one has been ruled out. I'm heading to the next one. It's very likely the right answer."
You Mingxu's expression turned serious. "Be careful. Call for backup if you find anything."
He hummed in acknowledgment and said, "You be careful too. Make sure Tuya stays by your side at all times." After a pause, he added, "A Xu, want to make a bet?"
By then, You Mingxu was already in a speeding car, a smile playing on her lips. "What bet?"
Yin Feng said, "Whoever catches Yin Chen first, the other has to agree to one condition."
You Mingxu fell silent for a few seconds, thinking, I was already planning to agree with you—why pull this move? Are you that eager to force my hand? Do you prefer coerced outcomes? Besides, I'm pretty confident I'll win this time.
"Sure, fine."
He chuckled lightly and said, "It's okay if I lose. You can ask anything of me, and I'll agree."
You Mingxu smiled silently and said, "See you later."
"See you later."
On this path, I have my persistence as a police officer, and you have yours as a criminal psychologist. For the first time, we're going our separate ways. Who's right, who's wrong? What is the truth? It makes my blood feel like it's burning.
—
As for the former residences of Yin Chen and his family, Yin Feng had long since identified the neighborhoods and building numbers.However, when they arrived at the location of the neighborhood, they found it completely unrecognizable. The former residential area had been demolished years ago and replaced with new buildings. The complex appeared sparsely occupied, with less than half the units inhabited, and the sales office was still marketing remaining units. Thus, the information they had previously gathered was now useless.
Chen Feng frowned in frustration. "Teacher Yin, how do we proceed now?"
Time was of the essence—the five elderly individuals might already be in dire straits. Searching door to door would be far too time-consuming.
After a moment of contemplation, Yin Feng had an idea.
Earlier, when You Mingxu called, she mentioned they had screened all properties registered under individuals connected to Yin Chen.
Sometimes, inspiration can be drawn from unexpected sources.
He dialed You Mingxu again. "A Xu."
You Mingxu, surprised by his quick callback, felt a sudden unease. "What's wrong? Did you find something?"
Yin Feng chuckled lightly. "I'm not as sharp as you, A Xu—still empty-handed for now. Could you help me check the property list you screened earlier? See if there's any..." He glanced up at the new neighborhood's name. "...property in Fangzhu Yayuan."
You Mingxu responded decisively, "Alright, I'll get back to you soon."
"Okay."
"Stay safe," she added softly.
He replied, "I will. You too. Love you."
His tone was calm and casual, the confession slipping out effortlessly. Yet, You Mingxu's heart felt strangely stirred. Just moments ago, he had coldly dismissed the hard-won important clue she provided, leaving her somewhat unsettled. She smiled faintly to herself.
Yin Feng settled on the flowerbed ledge by the neighborhood entrance, his expression serene and patient. The others sat down as well. They were unfazed—having followed Teacher Yin through all sorts of places and critical moments. Yin Feng was accustomed to it too, used to such solitary, quiet waits and observations.
Within minutes, You Mingxu called back, her tone hesitant. "How did you know? The sister of one of Guo Feirong's former subordinates owns an apartment in this neighborhood. Unit 1801, Building 5."
Holding the phone, Yin Feng walked into the neighborhood, his eyes brightening.
"That's why I said..." he spoke unhurriedly, "...the chicken farm you're investigating, even if it's really holding hostages, wouldn't be Yin Chen's endgame—not his true objective. Because that location holds no significance for him. But Fangzhu Yayuan... this is where he lived with his parents as a child, a place he might yearn to return to as home. Though, to be honest, I know nothing about those years, so I can't be certain. We'll have to see. A Xu, where are you now?"
"Almost at the chicken farm," You Mingxu replied. "I'll update you as soon as I have news."
After hanging up, both sides let out a deep breath and continued forward—toward the same goal, yet from entirely different directions.
You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan, leading over twenty officers, arrived at the small chicken farm on the outskirts ten minutes later.
Night had just fallen. The chicken farm was nestled at the foot of a hill, enclosed by walls, covering just over a thousand square meters. Surrounding it were a few farmhouses. As You Mingxu had anticipated, it was indeed a modest rural operation.
From a distance, the chicken farm lay in darkness, eerily silent and seemingly devoid of activity.The situation was urgent. Without further hesitation, the police officers did not bother knocking and rushed in with their guns drawn, surrounding the several houses in the courtyard from all directions.
The ground was covered in yellow mud, with scattered rice bran visible along the way and chicken droppings everywhere, making it easy to step on them if one wasn’t careful. There were also several messy tire tracks on the ground, but no vehicle was seen in the courtyard. As they approached the chicken coop, they heard a cacophony of chirping chickens inside, growing louder and closer. The noise was like a maddening sound, persistently buzzing in their ears.
Yet, instead of feeling irritated, the detectives’ eyes lit up—this matched You Mingxu’s deduction exactly. If someone were to sleep in such an environment for several days and nights, they would likely leave with a constant "buzzing" in their ears, as if the chickens were still chirping nearby.
Every detail was being confirmed!
Before them stood three neat cement chicken coops, with another small house behind them.
The police first entered the front coops.
As soon as the group dashed into the first coop, they were shocked, with several people exclaiming in surprise. You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan, who had been preparing to enter another coop, hurried over upon hearing the commotion.
The lights in the coop were switched on, revealing a large flock of chickens in the middle, now agitated and squawking even louder. In one corner of the wall lay two elderly people, both with ligature marks around their necks and distorted faces. Without even checking for a pulse or breath, Xu Mengshan shook his head and said, "They’ve been dead for several days."
Everyone fell silent.
Detailed information about the chicken farm had been provided to the police, making it easy for them to identify the elderly couple as Ahua’s parents.
You Mingxu glanced at the bodies, her expression growing even more solemn. She said to one officer, "Report the situation to Lao Ding immediately and send more people over. We’ll continue the search!"
However, a thought crossed her mind: Yin Chen’s use of this chicken coop as a hideout was now confirmed beyond doubt. Had Yin Feng been completely wrong this time?
Though she was confident about this location, something still felt off.
When had Yin Feng ever been so drastically mistaken? She found it hard to believe.
Suppressing her doubts, she continued leading the team in a rapid search.
Soon, all three front coops had been searched, with no trace of people or hostages found.
They quickly moved to the small house at the back.
From the outside, the house looked unremarkable—gray walls, a gray roof, old and worn. No lights were on inside, and its size appeared insufficient, far smaller than the warehouse shown in the video sent by Yin Chen.
Could it be that the hostages weren’t held here after all? Had Yin Chen been here, stayed, and killed people, but moved the hostages elsewhere? You Mingxu felt a chill run down her spine. If they were wrong here, then Yin Feng’s lead might be correct. He had taken only three people with him...
The police, however, heightened their vigilance to the maximum. Officers formed two fan-shaped formations outside the small house, with a central assault team fully armed, wearing bulletproof vests and holding ballistic shields. You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan were among them.
With a loud "bang," the door of the small house was forcefully smashed open. The two officers at the front nearly stumbled as their feet met empty air but were swiftly pulled back by You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan. A searchlight beam shot straight into the house, illuminating the surroundings as bright as day.
And then, everyone clearly heard the gurgling sound of water beneath their feet. Stunned, they took in the scene before them.
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