The Huaicheng police dispatched a small boat, and everyone crossed over to the small island. By the riverbank, there was also a dilapidated small boat, its paint peeling extensively. Although the hull was intact, it had clearly been abandoned for a long time. Several police officers were conducting an inspection on the small boat, hoping to find any traces belonging to the victim or the perpetrator.
It was said that when the water rose, most of this small island would be submerged. Coupled with its remote location, it was rarely visited by people. If it weren’t for a fisherman returning to the countryside early this morning, taking a shortcut and spotting something on the island, the body might not have been discovered for who knows how long.
Though called a small island, it was merely a small mound of a few hundred square meters, overgrown with weeds and strewn with jagged rocks. At the center of the island, there was a low-lying area where a black suitcase was placed.
The suitcase was 20 inches in size, old and dirty. At this moment, the lid was open, and inside, a person was folded.
The word "folded" here was meant literally. Because a 20-inch suitcase was originally too small to fit an adult, even a slender woman. The victim was completely naked, with fair skin. At first glance, her limbs appeared intact, but upon closer inspection, something seemed off.
"Fan Datou, aren’t you a yoga expert?" Xu Mengshan said to Fan Jia. "Could you fold your body like this and stuff it into this suitcase?"
Fan Jia rolled her eyes at him.
You Mingxu lifted the victim’s calf and confirmed that it was broken inside. Most likely, several major joints in her body had been broken; otherwise, how could her body be folded so flat and square?
Yin Feng crouched beside her, staring at the body, frowning in deep thought.
You Mingxu asked, "Has the victim’s identity been confirmed?"
Fan Jia replied, "It was confirmed not long ago. The victim’s name is Liu Yisha, 23 years old, a student at Huaicheng University of Technology. She graduated this year, originally from Chenxi County, and was currently living alone in Huaicheng without a job. Her parents are still in their hometown. That’s why no one had noticed her disappearance until today."
"What did the forensic examiner say?"
Xu Mengshan answered, "The preliminary assessment indicates the time of death was two days ago. The fatal injury was a blunt force trauma to the head, but the weapon has yet to be determined. The victim also had multiple other soft tissue contusions, none of which were fatal. Her body was cleaned extremely thoroughly, and no fingerprints or DNA have been found so far. She was sexually assaulted before death, with severe tearing in the genital area. Multiple joints were broken by blunt force impacts, which occurred after death."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Suddenly, a resonant voice broke the silence: "So, the perpetrator repeatedly raped her, then killed her, washed her thoroughly inside and out, and then broke her joints one by one, neatly folding her into the suitcase?"
You Mingxu thought to herself, novelists are indeed novelists. The same situation, when described by him, immediately became chilling.
You Mingxu glanced at the surroundings and said, "Although the traffic here isn’t heavy, vehicles pass by regularly, and there are a few households on the mountain.
The perpetrator must have used a vehicle to transport the body here. I don’t think he would have chosen to dump the body during the day, because carrying a heavy suitcase across the grassland and crossing to the island would surely have been noticed.
Check if any passing drivers, especially during the late night hours of yesterday and the day before, saw any suspicious vehicles or people lingering nearby."
"Yes, ma’am!"
When the on-site investigation was nearly complete, You Mingxu looked up and saw Yin Feng now sitting beside the body, hands braced on the ground, striking a pose as if gazing into the distance.You Mingxu walked over and gave him a light kick. "Let's go."
He didn't move, looking up at her instead. "What kind of person do you think he is?"
After a moment's thought, You Mingxu replied, "Cruel, violent, perverted, meticulous."
Yin Feng nodded. "From the perspective of how they view their victims, rapists can be divided into three types. The first type sees victims as 'people'—they talk to them, attempt to establish relationships, even pretend to be in love. These offenders lack confidence the most. The second type views victims as 'objects'—they see themselves as professional criminals, might use disguises, and often prepare various tools to torture victims to achieve their goals."
"The third type... sees victims as 'tools.' These perpetrators are violent criminals with strong aggression. They humiliate victims and force them to participate in various sexual acts. Their main purpose is to release their own anger."
You Mingxu had grown quite accustomed to his occasional displays of psychological expertise. She nodded. "The third type."
Yin Feng said, "Yes, he's truly filled with rage—toward women, toward his own life."
You Mingxu remained silent.
Yin Feng continued, "He possesses both crude street-smart qualities and the characteristics of a craftsman."
You Mingxu frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I consulted with the medical examiner. An ordinary person wouldn't be capable of so precisely shattering bones and joints while causing almost no other external injuries. Moreover, he folded the corpse neatly and cleanly, showing signs of obsessive-compulsive tendencies. But he's not a doctor—doctors aren't that dirty and poor. He used the cheapest, lowest-quality suitcase. Though nothing was left on the suitcase, there were plenty of old stains and signs of use, meaning it was something he commonly used. If he were a doctor, he likely wouldn't use such a suitcase in the first place. Also, while the inside was cleaned, the outside would have been habitually cleaned too if he were a doctor. He and a doctor represent two completely different professions and lifestyles."
You Mingxu found this reasoning rather far-fetched and smirked accordingly. "Are you saying... the killer is a butcher?" Otherwise, how could someone be both crude and skilled at handling corpses?
But Yin Feng shook his head. "A Xu, don't always think in such straight lines. That's just one possibility. It would be reckless to conclude the killer is a butcher based solely on that. He could also be a veterinarian, carpenter, blacksmith, or plumber. I just believe it's highly likely he's a skilled craftsman from humble origins, with limited education. You could search around the victim's residential area."
You Mingxu listened but had no intention of treating his theory as an investigative direction. It was too speculative. She would naturally follow traditional investigative methods—building on physical evidence and logical reasoning, following the clues to conduct a comprehensive investigation.
You Mingxu flicked his forehead. "If my brain thinks in straight lines, yours thinks in mush!"
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