The Hunt

"He faked his death. Cao Xiaojun faked his death."

Meng Chao stared at the projection screen, incessantly tapping the table.

The meeting room was sealed tight, with a circle of people seated around the table. Even the forensic examiner Xia Jie and trace evidence specialist Ma Rui were present. Everyone was fixated on the screen, their expressions varying.

The projection displayed a heavily magnified surveillance screenshot, its low resolution rendering it blurry and indistinct. At its center was a dark silhouette in profile, wearing a cap pulled low and a face mask.

"This image is the only visual evidence we have. Since Anheli is located in the old city district, there are many blind spots in the surveillance coverage. We could only retrieve footage from street-side shops," Tong Hao explained. "This barbecue joint had its windows smashed last month, so the owner installed cameras at both the front and back doors. That's how we managed to capture Cao Xiaojun fleeing."

"How can you tell it's Cao Xiaojun?" Chu Xiao tapped his forehead with a ballpoint pen. "The clothes are completely different from those in the earlier corpse disposal photos, and the face is completely covered. You can't see anything."

"Look at the posture. Cao Xiaojun has done manual labor for years, habitually bearing weight on his right shoulder, which caused a slight unevenness in his shoulders. He also has wear and tear in his lower back and neck, leading to a compensatory hunch and an unconscious forward tilt of the neck," Meng Chao continued analyzing. "Also, look at the shoes—"

He signaled, and Tong Hao flipped to the next page. The screen now showed two photos side by side: on the left was Cao Xiaojun curled up in a box, and on the right was a close-up of the feet from the surveillance footage.

"Based on Shuo Shuo's testimony, I suspect Cao Xiaojun sneaked back home afterward to change clothes, which is why the jacket color doesn't match.

"But Cao Xiaojun slipped up—he forgot to change his shoes. The same pair of yellow rubber shoes appears in both photos, so the person caught on camera is almost certainly Cao Xiaojun."

Tong Hao went on, "From the child's account, the so-called 'Uncle Cao eating walnuts' was actually Cao Xiaojun committing murder. Li Qingfu likely stumbled upon his fake death and was silenced because of it."

"What was the purpose of faking his death?" Lao Ma asked. "Insurance fraud?"

"The insurance was only part of it. The main goal was to set up a scheme—he wanted us to legitimately eliminate Xu Qingli for him." Meng Chao snorted coldly. "Hah, all three of them were old foxes, each playing their own game, using us as pawns in the middle—"

"Hold on," Lao Ma interrupted. "Don't jump ahead too fast. First, walk us through the clues you two found in Nanyang."

Meng Chao picked up a cigarette pack, glanced at Chu Xiao and Xia Jie, then tossed it back. He tore open a few mint candies and popped them into his mouth.

"Tong Hao and I went to Nanyang and investigated their backgrounds at the local police station.

"First, Ni Xiangdong was a troublemaker—petty theft at first, then escalating to violence. His mental state was unstable—erratic, manic, hysterical. A man with such extreme possessiveness—if he found out his woman was with his brother, would he calmly bless them?"

"No, he'd feel his pride shattered," Chen Gengsheng mused. "He'd easily go to extremes, possibly even mutual destruction."

"Exactly. Ni Xiangdong was already a local bully in the county. Given his temper, he wouldn’t let it slide. But locals said they had no idea Cao Xiaojun and Wu Ximei were together. The last they heard, all three had left Ding'an County together to work elsewhere.""Ni Xiangdong, who was doing just fine as a boss, would go work as a laborer?" Ma Rui shook his head. "This is clearly a rumor someone deliberately spread, isn't it?"

"Exactly. So I boldly speculate that by accident or as part of some plan, Cao Xiaojun and Wu Ximei killed Ni Xiangdong, then fled all the way to Qingdao to settle down and start anew."

Meng Chao drew a relationship line on the left side of the whiteboard, then started anew on the right.

"Meanwhile, on the other side, Xu Qingli adopted a fake identity to distance himself from the Bao Desheng case. By sheer coincidence, after over a decade of twists and turns, he ended up right beside these two."

His pen moved downward, merging the two threads.

"Imagine the person you killed coming back to life and, of all places, returning to your side. Anyone would be restless in such a situation."

Meng Chao capped his pen and sighed.

"So, it's highly likely they mistakenly thought their past crime had been exposed and decided to silence Xu Qingli—that's the motive for murder."

"But according to Wu Ximei's testimony, Xu Qingli had already met them in 2019. Several years passed between then and now. Why didn't they act sooner?"

Meng Chao shook his head, gazing at the photos of the three on the screen.

"What happened during that time, only they would know. Maybe there was a period of mutual testing and tension, or perhaps they genuinely got along for a few years—both are possible. All I can say is that the turning point, when their relationship deteriorated, was in October 2021."

Chu Xiao straightened up. "How can you be sure?"

"Because that's when Cao Xiaojun started laying his plans."

Meng Chao gestured for everyone to review the documents in front of them—testimonies gathered from their recent investigations.

"In mid-October, Cao Xiaojun suddenly had a falling out with Xu Qingli. Then Wu Ximei began openly and covertly showing affection, frequently appearing in public with Xu Qingli. Many people witnessed this, and rumors quickly spread, even reaching Tong Hao's ears.

"Cao Xiaojun was experienced. He knew that once a homicide occurred, the police would first investigate those closest to the victim, focusing on motives like revenge, love, or money. He and Wu Ximei put on quite a show, laying the groundwork for over two months, trying to steer our investigation in the direction they designed."

"But their subsequent actions more or less revealed their true intentions." Xiao Chen nodded. "Captain Meng, based on what you said, I contacted the insurance company. They confirmed that around November, Cao Xiaojun purchased a high-value insurance policy for himself—a move completely out of character with his usual spending habits. It's as if he anticipated something would happen."

"I visited the place where Wu Ximei worked as a cleaner," Chu Xiao added. "A young woman suddenly remembered that last year, Wu Ximei had asked her to buy something—a photo printer that could automatically print photos when connected to a phone. According to her recollection, Wu Ximei claimed she didn’t know how to shop online and paid her in cash. However—"

Chu Xiao motioned for everyone to examine the documents closely.

"As written here, Wu Ximei actually had her own online shopping account and had been intermittently purchasing daily necessities. So, having someone else buy the photo printer was solely to ensure we wouldn’t find it in her purchase records when we checked.""Analyzing it this way, planting the photo at Old Mrs. Li's place was also part of the plan—to demonstrate their 'lack of familiarity' with Wu Ximei," Lao Ma clicked his tongue. "Looking back now, it seems too deliberate. They knew the exact floor, so how could they not know which apartment it was?"

"Exactly. The entire murder was a long-planned, self-directed act by this couple."

Meng Chao tossed his pen onto the conference table.

"Even the box used to dump the body was carefully chosen—an old wooden crate with a gap on the side just wide enough for breathing. Cao Xiaojun was thin and small, while Liu Chengan wouldn't have fit. But Cao Xiaojun could easily curl up inside."

"What about the scalp and flesh fragments?" Tong Hao's expression darkened. "Weren't they initially identified as Cao Xiaojun's?"

"They were indeed his. The act had to be convincing." Meng Chao suddenly thought of something and turned to Xia Jie. "Can a person remove their own scalp?"

"Yes," Xia Jie nodded. "There are plenty of news reports about hair getting caught in high-speed machinery or belts, leading to full or partial scalp avulsion. Even a drill can tear the scalp if it tangles with hair. But—"

"But what?"

"It's excruciatingly painful, and most people couldn't bring themselves to do it. Simply put, our brains have mechanisms to prevent self-harm. Scalp avulsion is an extremely severe head injury—not only agonizing but also risking the skin of the forehead, upper eyelids, and eyebrows being torn off, causing permanent scarring and deformity."

"Cao Xiaojun was ruthless with himself—"

"Don't forget, Xu Qingli burned his own face too," Meng Chao glanced at Tong Hao. "When pushed to the brink, people can grit their teeth and do the unthinkable."

"But why did Cao Xiaojun choose the scalp?"

"My analysis suggests two reasons: first, hair with follicles can be used for identification, and second, head injuries bleed profusely. A fully avulsed scalp would sever blood vessels, creating a scene of violent bleeding—consistent with the murder scenario he wanted to stage."

"Cao Xiaojun was gambling with his life," Xia Jie analyzed. "Scalp avulsion is highly prone to infection and can cause rapid blood pressure drops, increased heart rate, and respiratory failure. Shock would be the mildest outcome; in severe cases, it could be instantly fatal. Did he not consider—"

"He did. He must have."

Meng Chao unwrapped another mint, feeling the chill spread from his mouth to his entire body.

"I even suspect he and Wu Ximei had an agreement: even if he died, she would carry out the plan alone. Honestly, had he died, the scheme would've been flawless—we'd have found no cracks in it."

"No wonder there were no signs of struggle at the scene," Ma Rui rested his chin on his hand. "And the scalp tissue in the sewer was wrapped in a plastic bag along with towels, tissues, and other trash. I initially thought the killer had dumped it hastily, but now it seems it was planned to clog the pipes and alert the police."

"Right. Once the news spread, the insurance would pay out, and public sympathy for the 'widow and orphan' might even spur donations. Cao Tianbao's illness could then receive long-term treatment."

Tong Hao lifted his notebook, piecing together the known clues with his reasoning."Cao Xiaojun first left bloodstains and some flesh remnants at home to make it seem like he had been murdered.

"Xu Qingli frequently visited his place, so leaving behind hair, fingerprints, or footprints in the bathroom was perfectly normal, further reinforcing the illusion that Xu had disposed of the body.

"Add to that the neighbors' rumors and Wu Ximei's half-truths in her testimony, and the case was easily steered toward the misconception of a crime of passion."

"Exactly. When one spouse is injured or killed, the police naturally question the other first. Wu Ximei counted on that.

"Throughout, she appeared to shield and defend Xu Qingli, but every lie she told couldn’t withstand scrutiny. She deliberately let the lies slip out, half-reluctantly, so we’d uncover them and think we’d found a breakthrough—when in reality, it was all part of their scheme."

"But why would Xu Qingli be so obedient, helping him carry the body all the way to the remote mountains?"

"That’s unclear, but according to surveillance footage, Xu did exactly that." Meng Chao shook his head. "Maybe Cao Xiaojun or Wu Ximei said something to him."

"And the photos—"

"The person who took the photos was likely Wu Ximei, because they needed solid evidence to frame Xu Qingli for murder and body disposal.

"Don’t forget, when residents reported clogged pipes that day and the scalp was found, Wu Ximei rushed in. She claimed she’d just returned from the market, but in reality, it only takes ten minutes to walk from her workplace to the market. That day, she was over an hour later than usual.

"Looking back now, Floating Peak Mountain is at least a 35-minute trip from her home. So she probably finished her business there first, then hurried back, pretending to pull pre-bought groceries from her bag."

Tong Hao nodded, jotting down notes rapidly.

"Even if the pipes hadn’t clogged, Wu Ximei would’ve likely reported her husband missing herself, then planted the photos in Old Mrs. Li’s house. Wait, what about Liu Chengan?"

"Right now, it’s just speculation, but I think Cao Xiaojun ran into Liu while fleeing the scene and killed him to silence him."

"One question—" Tong Hao closed his notebook, hesitating. "The whole plan hinged on Xu Qingli’s cooperation. What if he didn’t play along? For instance, what if he reported it to the police?"

"That’s why they were gambling—betting that Xu had a shady past and wouldn’t dare go to the police," Meng Chao glanced around the room. "Another possibility is that Cao Xiaojun was certain Xu wouldn’t get the chance to report it."

"What do you mean?"

"The final step of this scheme was likely to kill Xu Qingli and stage it as a suicide or a desperate escape from justice."

He tapped the conference table with his finger.

"That way, Cao Xiaojun’s hands stay clean. Even Ni Xiangdong’s death could be pinned on Xu Qingli—after all, it was Xu who stole the fake identity."

Xiao Chen leaned on the table, rubbing his face. "What a meticulously crafted performance, even fooling us. As long as we chased Xu Qingli, he’d stay hidden in the shadows. If Cao Xiaojun acted in secret, no one would suspect a dead man, would they?""So meticulously planned, with even two to three backup alternatives designed for each step," Lao Ma looked up at the ceiling and sighed repeatedly. "The only thing they didn't account for was Xu Qingli running into that dog-walking old man. Not only did the old man find the security guard on duty, but he also called the police, accidentally saving Xu Qingli. Ah, it's just unfortunate for Liu Chengan, who ended up being the scapegoat for nothing. This chain of fate, one link after another—tsk, hard to say, hard to explain."

"So, we must strike back and show them that the police aren't just sitting around doing nothing," Meng Chao cleared his throat. "Next step, Lao Ma, you coordinate with the traffic police and local police station to mobilize personnel and surveillance. Set up informants in Anheli and prepare to arrest Cao Xiaojun and Wu Ximei."

"Got it."

He turned to Ma Rui and Xia Jie. "Li Qingfu and Liu Chengan's case is in your hands. Once we apprehend them, besides confessions, we'll need more concrete evidence for conviction."

"No problem."

Meng Chao gave Tong Hao a nod.

"You come with me. Before Cao Xiaojun silences the witness, we must find Xu Qingli first."