Criminal Investigation Notes

The voice of the host continued to echo in the empty room, causing a faint reverberation.

“Unfortunately, the charges listed by the police are not comprehensive. Many of Lian Chengyan’s crimes have not been made public. I don’t really like this way of disclosure. I hope Lian Chengyan can admit his crimes in person.”

His voice was accompanied by the faint sound of flowing water, sounding so indifferent that it sent chills down one’s spine.

“…And also, even though the police disclosed Lian Chengyan’s crimes, the news about the live broadcast is being blocked, right? Blocking the news while thinking about how to deal with me? By having such intentions, you won’t be able to save anyone. Before the next live broadcast begins, I need to see the hot search topics related to the broadcast.”

Upon hearing his words, both the police and the online viewers who were paying attention felt a sense of unease.

“What do you want to do, host?”

“Could he still want to kill someone?”

“Everyone, stay alert. He’s finding excuses not to release the person…”

“The police have already done what you said!”

“You sicko, stop making excuses for your murders!”

The emotions of the people watching the live broadcast turned into anger, but separated by the internet, separated by screens, they could only vent their emotions through comments.

There were five minutes left until the end of the broadcast, and instead of stopping the inflow of water, the host suddenly stood up and poured a bucket of water into the fish tank.

The water level rose rapidly, the cold water swayed, and in an instant, it went above the girl’s head.

The girl startled and desperately stretched her bound hands upward, but couldn’t reach anything.

She tried to lift her head to struggle for breath, but her mouth was sealed. The girl struggled desperately for several tens of seconds, her body suddenly convulsed, a few bubbles emerged from the water, and she could no longer hold her breath. The cool water entered her lungs from her nostrils, penetrating her body. Her delicate body twitched gently, limbs wriggling like a fish out of water.

The host pressed her down in the fish tank, her struggles were futile, powerless, and the water splashed out, leaving shimmering ripples on the walls.

A brutal scene unfolded in the live broadcast room, suffocating everyone who witnessed it. There were not many sounds throughout the process, but screams echoed in everyone’s hearts, and cold sweat ran down their backs.

This was murder!

Across the screen, intense empathy made the viewers of the live broadcast involuntarily hold their breath, their hearts hanging, feeling that sense of suffocation.

That was a young life, an innocent girl…

The video abruptly stops here and switches to a black screen.

The host’s cold voice is heard, “The next live broadcast will begin in an hour. Whether it’s the police or the viewers watching the broadcast, I hope you can do better, otherwise, more people will die!”

In the city, a street stretches in a straight line, dividing the city into two areas. On one side are wide streets, tall buildings, bustling and modern. On the other side are towering unfinished buildings, sprawling slums, poverty, and backwardness.

This street is like a dividing line between two different territories, and the people on either side live completely different lives.

At this moment, several police cars are parked on the roadside, lined up in a long row. Except for a few officers on duty, everyone else has entered the area of the unfinished buildings.

Even these few individuals are on standby at all times.

The area of the unfinished buildings has never been as bustling as it is now. The mobilized police dogs and personnel have already arrived, continuously pouring into that dark place.

Inside a patrol car by the roadside, the dark window glass isolates the outside noise.

Su Hui, sitting in the seat, saw this scene of the end of the live broadcast. He furrowed his brows slightly, feeling a chill from his fingertips, which traveled along his wrist to his elbow, and finally lingered in his heart…

This is an extremely cruel killer.

The so-called rules and agreements of this criminal, the terms were always dictated by him, and he could change the rules at any time. Now, one condition after another is pushing the boundaries. It seems like he is testing the limits of the police and the public, and in the next instance, he will have new demands…

There is still no news from Lu Junchi.

Su Hui deduces the killer’s behavior logic based on the current knowledge, but he doesn’t dare to make judgments easily. The information available is still insufficient, and his deductions could either break the case or put the police in a passive position.

What is the purpose of this host?

Is it to expose these undiscovered and unresolved crimes? To mock the incompetence of the police? To host impartially? None of these seem quite right.

Su Hui finds it difficult to describe, but he can sense that this behavior contains a kind of reckless disregard for consequences.

Will there be more broadcasts like this?

Just as Su Hui was thinking about this, he suddenly felt a stifling sensation in his breath, and a dull pain in his chest. He covered his chest with his hand and coughed, lowering his head.

The original video of the live broadcast was already posted in the internal group of the central bureau, sharing the raw footage. Su Hui, despite feeling unwell, clicked on the video and watched it again. There must be some clues hidden within it, but they haven’t been discovered yet.

In the high-level office of the Huadu Central Bureau, several bureau leaders and district chiefs have already arrived.

The second live broadcast has just ended, and the events in the broadcast room have deeply affected everyone’s hearts. Anxiety is written all over their faces. They are discussing how to control the situation and end all of this.

Vice Bureau Chief Jin puts his phone on the table and angrily says, “This madman is still bargaining with the police? In my opinion, we should have agreed to the conditions of the video platform earlier and stopped the broadcast. Then we wouldn’t have had so much trouble.”

Vice Director Wang took a sip of the already cold strong tea. “The live streaming website said we have to pay first before they stop the broadcast. One million US dollars is not a small amount. What if we send the money and they don’t stop the broadcast? How do we settle that account?”

Vice Director Wang’s working style has always been cautious, feeling like walking on thin ice with every step.

“Closing the live stream is one thing, but what about Weibo and WeChat? It’s the information age now. Broadcasting a murder is just the surface. Can you shut down all the websites? You can’t silence public opinion. If the criminal gets provoked and kills more people, what do we do?” Director Tan sighed, “We’ll wake up to a pile of corpses tomorrow morning. Then the media will publicly criticize the incompetence of the police! Leaders from various sectors will also blame us for being inefficient.”

Vice Director Jin turned his head again and said, “I’ve always believed that Wanhu City is the most chaotic and prone to incidents. The root of this case lies in the poor public security of Wanhu City. And that Lian Chengyan, it’s clearly a dereliction of duty on the part of the police. Why wasn’t he arrested?”

The head of the fifth branch responsible for Wanhu City, surnamed Li, became the target of criticism. He couldn’t help but defend himself, “In Wanhu City, hundreds of thousands of people are crowded together. It’s already difficult to manage, let alone the mess left by the previous administration. The trouble was already brewing, and without completely eliminating the shantytowns, there’s no way to clean up those people… Now all the officers in my branch have been reassigned…”

“Even if we start a thorough investigation and crackdown, it’s not something that can be completed overnight,” Director Tan’s face seemed to age a few years in an instant. “We’re already at this point. I hope everyone prioritizes saving lives and solving the problem when considering the situation. We need unity and effort to resolve the matter. Losing our temper won’t help. We can deal with other matters later…”

Vice Director Jin held his chest and said, “Am I too anxious? Lao Chang, are your people in position?”

“We’ve already deployed all the available personnel…”

“Do we really have to make him trend on social media, as that broadcaster suggested?”

“Should we consult with higher-level leaders?”

“The leaders said we should make our own judgment about this situation…”

Truly lifting restrictions and allowing the media to report on the case?

If that happens, the live stream room will immediately be filled to capacity, and the situation will become even more uncontrollable. No one dares to give such an order, nor can anyone bear that responsibility.

Continuing to block information doesn’t seem to solve the fundamental problem…

The people present discussed, but there was no consensus. The faces of everyone in the room were gloomy.

They were too passive, unable to advance, and had no way to retreat. Their knowledge of the situation was still very limited.

Silence fell in the meeting room. If the situation further deteriorates, not only will more people be killed, but their positions as leaders may also be in jeopardy.

“I think we need to increase manpower…”

“What about the Serious Crimes Unit? Why is there no news from them?”

“It was the Serious Crimes Unit that investigated and reported Lian Chengyan’s crimes so quickly. It’s only been a little over two hours since the incident. How could they find the killer?”

“Yes, the Review Team is also assisting them.”

“Let the media have some freedom then,” Director Tan sighed. He had always believed that blocking information wouldn’t

 solve the real problem. “Also, is there any other available manpower we can mobilize?”

Just as they were discussing this, Director Tan’s phone suddenly rang. He hurriedly answered it, his expression tense, preparing for bad news. But then his expression froze for a moment, followed by a look of joy. “What? The second victim has been found? And… still alive?!”

This is the only good news tonight. Everyone seemed to see a glimmer of light in the pitch-black night and lifted their heads.

The emergency search continued within the abandoned buildings in Wanhu City.

Half an hour ago, Lu Junchi and the other officers had started the systematic search.

These buildings in Wanhu City were all over 20 stories high, with most of them lacking lighting, making it pitch black inside with complex terrain.

They divided into teams of three, swiftly entering each room, ascending to the upper floors only after confirming there was no one inside. It took about ten minutes to search a single building.

Searching was physically demanding, and many people began to feel out of breath after climbing one building. After sweeping through two buildings, it felt like running a kilometer, with legs feeling as heavy as lead and difficult to move. By the time they reached the third building, they were basically climbing with the support of the walls.

Their group finished searching four buildings, while the other two team members were already struggling. However, Lu Junchi didn’t dare to slow down.

When they finished the search of the fourth building, they descended from the upper floor and entered the fifth building.

Lu Junchi remembered that when he observed from a distance earlier, there were some lights coming from the fifth floor of this building.

However, now that they arrived, the lights on the upper floor had disappeared.

This made Lu Junchi extremely suspicious, so he ran directly upstairs and headed for that particular room.

The room didn’t have a door, only a simple curtain, indicating that someone had lived here before but had since moved out.

Lu Junchi held a flashlight in his left hand and tightly gripped his gun with his right hand as he shouted, “Police, is anyone here?”

No one answered, and the three of them rushed in. With the aid of the flashlight, Lu Junchi saw water on the floor.

The living room was pitch black, but the moonlight from outside revealed a huge fish tank inside the room.

Inside the fish tank was a dim black figure, the girl who had been submerged in water.

Lu Junchi hurriedly ran over, lifting the girl horizontally out of the water. The girl felt light, almost weightless.

An officer turned on the lights in the room, allowing them to see more clearly.

It was indeed the girl from the video earlier. At this moment, she was unconscious, her eyes tightly shut, wet hair sticking to her pale face. Lu Junchi quickly tore off the waterproof tape from her mouth and hands.

The girl’s delicate face appeared, still retaining a hint of warmth. However, she had no consciousness, limbs limp, resembling a doll placed in a cabinet.

One of the officers beside Lu Junchi had some knowledge of first aid and immediately took over, starting artificial respiration and chest compressions for the girl.

Another officer placed his hand on the girl’s neck, checking, “There seems to be a faint pulse, but it’s very weak.”

This life was hanging by a thread, and they needed to snatch her back from the hands of death.

It had been only four minutes since the live stream ended. After five minutes of drowning, she would die from asphyxiation. In other words, the girl was currently at the critical point between life and death.

They continued the chest compressions for over a minute, and the girl coughed up some water. The rescue personnel didn’t let their guard down and kept making efforts. After a few more minutes of busyness, the girl vomited another mouthful of water, and her chest finally showed slight movement.

The second victim was saved, a fortunate outcome amidst the unfortunate circumstances.

Lu Junchi contacted the emergency services, and due to the live stream incident, an ambulance had been parked nearby. However, since this area was filled with abandoned buildings, they needed to carry a stretcher to transport the girl downstairs.

Later, Lu Junchi shared the news with Director Tan and also shared it in the working group of the Major Cases Unit.

Everyone felt as if they had received a shot of adrenaline, and their tense emotions relaxed slightly.

Everything was settled.

Lu Junchi turned around and checked the scene. This was one of the deeper buildings in the cluster of abandoned buildings. When they went upstairs earlier, they didn’t see anyone. The mysterious broadcaster seemed to have already left.

There was nothing else left in the room. This unfinished building didn’t have running water, but there were several large buckets and a rubber hose for backflow. On the floor, there was a huge fish tank filled with water.

In the corner of the unfinished building, there was a school bag.

Lu Junchi opened it and saw that the name of the book inside the bag was written as Mo Xiuxiu. The bag seemed to belong to the victim. He took a few photos of the scene and shared them in the group.

Soon, news came from Qiao Ze: “We found a charred corpse here, it should be the first victim, Kong Tao.”

The first crime scene was also found.

Lu Junchi said, “Share the location in the group, preserve the scene, and call the forensic and evidence collection teams. Anything special at the scene?”

“There are several oil drums on the ground, a student’s school bag. We also found a pair of new basketball shoes at the scene…”

Soon, photos from Qiao Ze also arrived, showing the gruesome state of Kong Tao’s body, which was almost burnt along with the chair.

Mo Xiuxiu might still have a chance, but the first victim was already dead.

The new pair of sports shoes was placed in the corner, the shoebox half-opened, revealing the white shoes inside, which stood out.

Lu Junchi looked at the photos in the group and furrowed his brow slightly. Why were there new sports shoes at the scene?

The rescue team finally arrived and they put the unconscious Mo Xiuxiu into the ambulance. The girl’s condition remained unstable, with a weak heartbeat and the possibility of her breathing stopping at any moment.

Lu Junchi walked downstairs, feeling that he had climbed too many stairs. His walking became unsteady.

He looked up and in the dark night, Wanhu City looked like a massive ruins.

It was hard to imagine such a place existing in an international metropolis.

The forensic and evidence collection teams arrived one after another. After leaving a few officers to process the scene, Lu Junchi left the scene and returned to the command vehicle.

If the location of the next live stream changed, they would need to collectively move in an orderly manner and be prepared in advance.

The aftereffects of climbing so many buildings were now showing. Lu Junchi felt aching and soreness in his legs, as if they were not his own.

Su Hui looked at him as he got into the vehicle. He raised his head, and the light from the patrol car illuminated his profile. “I saw in the group that they rescued the second victim?”

It was an uplifting news, and even the leaders seemed to breathe a sigh of relief because of this outcome.

Lu Junchi nodded. “We used a crude method, but it was fortunate, and she’s still in the process of being rescued… With such a large area, no matter how many personnel we have, it’s not enough. I’ve already requested the deployment of drones to assist in the search, but I don’t know if they can arrive in time before the next live stream.”

After speaking, Lu Junchi closed his eyes and leaned against the car window, feeling exhausted. He felt as if he had just experienced

The victims are unable to speak and could die at any moment. They have no way of knowing more details about the kidnappings.

The situation is not optimistic.

Lu Junchi said, “The next live stream is in one hour. We have already locked down this cluster of abandoned buildings and are conducting a thorough search…”

“The perpetrator may change locations, but they should still be within Wanhu City,” Su Hui whispered. “You need to speed up the search and closely follow the broadcaster. I have a hypothesis now. If the third victim is also a student from Wanhu Middle School… then there might be a certain situation.”

Lu Junchi nodded. “Tell me.”

Outside was chaotic, but Su Hui remained calm and pale. It seemed that as long as he heard Su Hui’s voice, his heart would be steady.

They had solved numerous cases together and faced many dangers. This case was challenging, but they would do everything in their power to catch the killer.

Su Hui thought for a moment and said, “This could be a case of organized crime involving multiple individuals.”

Lu Junchi furrowed his brow slightly, still not fully understanding the connection.

Su Hui explained, “Today is Friday. We have confirmed with the school and other students in the class that Kong Tao left the school gate at 4:15 PM, and Mo Xiuxiu left at 4:10 PM. They both left alone. These students were dispersed. I think it’s impossible for one person to simultaneously kidnap and control so many children, hiding them in different locations and carrying out separate killings.”

“And then there are the buckets and fish tank at the second crime scene, with so much water. It’s something even an adult man would have trouble carrying upstairs. If it were a business delivery, it might arouse suspicion and leave clues. So I speculate that the perpetrator might have accomplices… You all need to be extra vigilant…”

Even if these events were premeditated and the crime scenes were set up in advance in the abandoned buildings of Wanhu City, kidnapping children still took time. Why didn’t anyone report or notice the children missing?

There is one explanation and possibility: the perpetrators may be numerous.

Different individuals kidnapped multiple teenagers along different routes.

They had yet to find the hiding places of the remaining teenagers.