Nan Street is a long street filled with snack vendors, fruit and vegetable sellers, and various makeshift stalls. It stretches about five hundred meters from end to end, densely packed with nearly two to three hundred shops.
It was early morning, and people who had either eaten breakfast or were about to eat were leisurely making their way to the market to buy fresh produce for their families to enjoy later in the day.
A young woman led her child, who was about thigh-high, as they picked out apples. An elderly man, leaning on his cane, slowly strolled along the bluestone pavement under the archway. Vendors enthusiastically placed their vegetables on scales, calling out to customers, claiming their produce was especially fresh today—though, of course, they said the same thing every day.
A family buying chicken noodle soup and dumplings carried bowls of noodles to a wooden table set up outside, smiling as they said, "Take your time eating. If it's not enough, you can have more noodles." They added, "The first refill is free."
Suddenly, a middle-aged woman pointed at a man beside her and shouted, "You old creep, did you just grope me?"
"I only brushed your shoulder!" the man immediately retorted.
The woman pointed at his nose, "You pervert, apologize!"
"Don't you dare act all high and mighty with me!" the man snapped, swatting her hand away and shoving her, his face red with anger.
As they continued to argue and scuffle, they moved closer to the noodle shop, their voices rising, neither willing to back down.
Bystanders quickly gathered, their eyes gleaming with curiosity and excitement for the drama unfolding.
The noodle shop owner stepped forward, trying to mediate and stop the fight from disrupting his business.
Unfortunately, neither of the two paid him any attention. Instead, as they pushed and pulled at each other, they accidentally struck the shop owner in the chaos.
The shop owner, a burly man wearing a white undershirt and a black apron—typical of a chef—stepped in and forcefully separated the two. "If you want to fight, take it outside. Don't cause a scene at my doorstep this early in the morning. Do you want a beating?"
At the sight of the large man, the two immediately fell silent.
However, the older man, clearly still resentful, took advantage of the middle-aged woman's momentary pause and gave her a shove on the shoulder, trying to regain some dignity after having his face scratched earlier.
The middle-aged woman, whose slightly plump body was pushed, stumbled and knocked over a folding wooden table behind her. The bowl of noodle soup on the table spilled onto the ground.
The hot, sticky soup splashed onto her foot, and the scalding sensation immediately flushed her face with anger.
"You old bastard!" she screamed, lunging forward to claw at the man's face.
But before she could act, a series of screams erupted from the crowd.
Following the gazes of the onlookers, the woman looked down at her feet and instantly turned pale.
...
"This incident is highly disturbing. It happened in a busy market, and the impact is significant. The chief has ordered us to solve the case as quickly as possible," Qin Jiang said, leading a man and a woman behind him, his expression grave.
The young man pursed his lips. "According to the informant, only a part of the body was left at the scene. The rest is missing."
"It's a case of body disposal, but the motive is unclear. Let's head to the scene," Qin Jiang said, opening the car door.
The three of them got into the car and headed to Nan Street.
Under the five-meter-tall archway, the area was now completely crowded.
The people of Zhongzhou have an innate curiosity for drama, no matter how horrifying the situation. They always want to catch a snippet of gossip to satisfy their nosy nature.
Ye Sangsang followed Qin Jiang and another male detective into the scene.
Several local police officers had set up a cordon and were instructing the crowd not to get too close.
"Homicide division," Ye Sangsang said, flashing her badge as she lifted the yellow tape and stepped inside.
The breakfast shop was packed with people, both inside and out. Along with the three of them, forensic experts, trace evidence technicians, and four officers from the nearby police station had also arrived.
Qin Jiang, accustomed to the noisy crowd, led the two directly into the kitchen.
After putting on gloves, he examined the remaining human bones in the chicken soup pot and the neatly arranged fingers with bits of skin still attached.
Ye Sangsang also put on gloves and a cap, joining in to sort through the bones.
Qin Jiang looked up and asked, "Where are the informant and the shop owner?"
In many homicide cases, the informant is often the primary suspect, so the police always seek them out first upon arriving at the scene.
This case was unusual, as both the informant and the shop owner needed to be questioned.
Upon hearing this, one of the officers waved over two people standing at the edge of the cordon.
Soon, the middle-aged woman and the shop owner walked in.
The middle-aged woman deliberately kept her distance from the shop owner, her face pale, clearly still shaken.
In fact, anyone who had a dead person's finger touch them would feel uneasy.
"Shen Yu, you handle the questioning," Qin Jiang assigned the task to Ye Sangsang.
Ye Sangsang, who had been focused on the bones, was caught off guard by Qin Jiang's order. She simply nodded and stood up to question the two.
She took out her notebook and led the two to the side to avoid disturbing the ongoing search for bones and evidence.
Once they were settled, she first asked the middle-aged woman, "How did you discover the scene?"
The woman began recounting how she had been groped and how the old man had been unreasonable.
"Focus on the key points. You can discuss the details with the local police later. They'll mediate between you and the other party. Specifically, you can mention that his shoulder couldn't have reached your waist unless he's a dwarf," Ye Sangsang gently reminded her.
The woman's eyes lit up with realization. Of course, the police would know how to get to the heart of the matter!
She looked at the sweet-faced Ye Sangsang and scratched her head. "Well, that old man pushed me, and I lost my balance, knocking over a bowl in the shop. When I looked down, I saw a human finger on my foot. It scared me half to death. After discussing it with everyone, we agreed it was a human finger and called the police in a panic."
The woman finished her story in one breath, patting her chest, clearly still shaken.
This incident had ruined her morning, and she would likely be anxious for days to come.
Thankfully, she hadn't eaten out recently, or she would have felt even worse. Those who had eaten breakfast at the shop earlier were all pale and nauseous, likely unable to stomach any meat for the next three days.
Ye Sangsang felt she had gathered enough information and turned to the noodle shop owner. "When you opened the shop this morning, didn't you notice anything unusual? Or did you not taste your own food?"
Generally, when opening for business in the morning, one should check the soup base. Some shops even prepare the soup fresh in the morning and taste it before starting service.
"N-no, that's not it," the shop owner stammered, his hands cuffed and flanked by two officers. He waved his hands frantically, trying to deny any involvement. "I... I usually use one pot of chicken soup for two days. I didn't check it this morning because it was made yesterday. Also... the chicken wasn't very fresh, so I didn't taste it... I wouldn't dare go any further than that."
"As for murder, I would never do such a thing! Why would I ruin my own business? My whole family depends on this shop for a living!"
Ye Sangsang continued to ask about his recent whereabouts, his family, any suspicious individuals near the shop, and who had access to the shop keys.
If it wasn't the shop owner, then it could be an outsider who had access to the shop. People with keys and suspicious individuals would help narrow down the suspects.
Additionally, if there were fingerprints from the perpetrator in the shop, there was a chance of identifying them.
Those capable of murder and dismemberment often had prior criminal records.
The shop owner spilled everything he knew, like beans pouring out of a bamboo tube.
Ye Sangsang focused on the key points, jotting them down with a serious expression.
Despite her youthful appearance, her demeanor carried an undeniable authority that made people instinctively respect her and not dare to act out of line.
[Despite her sweet appearance, Sister Sang has a cool, commanding presence.]
[Sister Sang seems like she has an aura of danger around her.]
[Sister Sang is so cool, my wife is amazing!]
While the earlier comments were more reserved, the later ones became outright declarations of admiration.
After finishing her questioning, Ye Sangsang closed her notebook and walked to the side of the shop.
The shop was divided into two sections, with a small extension outside for setting up tables and chairs or stalls. This allowed the shop to have a bit more space, as the original area was too small to operate effectively.
The entire space was about six square meters, housing a stove, various cooking utensils, and a seasoning station.
She walked to the rolling shutter door and looked up at the lock.
It was a simple mechanical key lock, the kind that could easily be picked even without a key.
She examined it closely and noticed some frayed edges around the latch, with fresh marks.
It seemed someone had picked the lock to place the body parts inside, almost as if deliberately trying to draw their attention. The killer likely had a show-off mentality or a narcissistic personality.
She glanced around at the foot traffic, wondering if there might be any witnesses.
If someone had seen the killer, it would be a huge help in solving the case.
Ye Sangsang stood with her back to the shop, scanning the area.
The buildings from the early 2000s weren’t very tall, with the highest being only three stories. The area was noisy, making it a poor living environment, so most spaces were rented out to individuals or used as storage by vendors.
Her gaze fell on the open curtains of a two-story building across the street. Whether it was the wind or someone running past, the curtains swayed slightly.
She didn’t pay it much mind and continued observing other details.
But when her eyes swept back, she clearly saw a figure ducking out of sight.
This behavior immediately raised her suspicions.
She turned around and picked up a small mirror that Shen Yu liked to keep in the pocket of her everyday coat. Positioning the mirror to face the window, she waited.
After a moment, a face appeared by the window, sneaking glances at the scene with shifty eyes.
Ye Sangsang tapped her colleague and whispered, subtly directing his attention in that direction.
Her colleague, Zheng He, was only twenty-eight. He hadn’t been able to push through the crowd earlier to see the scene and was now left to listen to the updates from outside.
Hearing Ye Sangsang’s words, he casually glanced over, careful not to draw attention.
As a seasoned officer with six or seven years of experience, it wasn’t hard for him to observe without being noticed.
Soon, Zheng He confirmed Ye Sangsang’s suspicion: the person on the second floor across the street was acting suspiciously.
Ye Sangsang nodded. Killers with narcissistic or show-off tendencies had an 80% chance of returning to the crime scene.
They would relive their "work," savoring the thrill.
Alternatively, the person could be a witness.
This reminded Ye Sangsang of something.
She hadn’t fully understood before why people advised against buying properties where murders had occurred, even though they were often dirt cheap. Now she got it—because killers were highly likely to return to the scene, reigniting their urges and increasing the chances of them committing another crime.
So, experienced people avoided buying such properties not just out of superstition or fear of ghosts.
Snapping out of her thoughts, she exchanged a glance with Zheng He. After a brief, hushed discussion, they slipped away from the crime scene, heading toward the small building.
Ye Sangsang moved through the crowd, her eyes scanning the faces around her.
It was a habit she’d developed from studying criminal profiling over the past few days—constantly observing her surroundings, training herself to create mental profiles.
Just then, the figure by the second-floor window disappeared. Ye Sangsang, who had been walking at a steady pace to avoid suspicion, quickened her steps.
Zheng He, across the street, noticed too. Both of them sprinted toward the two-story building.
As she reached the intersection, Ye Sangsang brushed shoulders with someone. She instinctively turned to look and locked eyes with the person for two seconds.
Cold, fierce, indifferent, and violent—like the most savage wolf, ready to pounce.
Before she could get a better look, the person turned and walked away.
Thinking of the potential suspect, she suppressed her curiosity and continued chasing the figure from the building.
【This feels a bit scary.】
【Screenshotted. It’s kind of terrifying; they look so ruthless.】
【This holographic game dungeon is getting scarier and scarier.】
Ye Sangsang quickly refocused on the direction the person had fled, recalling the general layout of the area. She changed course, heading into an alley.
Zheng He seemed to have the same idea. “I’ll check upstairs. You stay down here,” he called out.
“Got it!” Ye Sangsang replied, darting into the alley.
Zheng He took the stairs two at a time, reaching the second floor in a few strides.
The building was small, with only three rooms. A quick glance confirmed whether the person was still there.
After checking the rooms, Zheng He opened a window and looked down toward where Ye Sangsang was.
Soon, he spotted a running figure and shouted, “Shen Yu, third alley to your left, nine o’clock direction!”
The back alleys were a maze of self-built houses, easy to get lost in for anyone unfamiliar with the area.
Ye Sangsang heard him and immediately bolted in that direction.
A thrilling chase ensued. Ye Sangsang’s character was set as someone with professional police training, and her agility and stamina were on par with an average adult male.
At least, if the other person wasn’t armed with a knife or a gun.
She quickly analyzed the situation, then turned and headed in another direction.
“…3, 2, 1.”
As she finished counting in her head, Ye Sangsang stuck out her foot, tripping the person and sending them stumbling forward.
She grabbed their right arm, twisted it behind their back, and pinned them against the wall before they could react.
“Don’t move. Police,” Ye Sangsang said.
Sure enough, the person stopped struggling, though they whined, “Officer, that hurts!”
“If you hadn’t run, you wouldn’t be in this mess,” she replied, pulling out her handcuffs and expertly securing them.
Zheng He ran past the alley entrance, then doubled back to join Ye Sangsang. “Is this the killer?”
Ye Sangsang didn’t answer, but the person pressed against the wall—a young man with messy, yellowish hair—spoke up, “I’m not the killer! How could I be that kind of monster?”
“Then why did you run?” Zheng He smacked the back of the guy’s head, hands on his hips as he caught his breath.
The young man glared. “If you hadn’t chased me, I wouldn’t have run!”
“You’ve done something shady, haven’t you? Stealing or scamming people?” Ye Sangsang asked, still holding his arm.
The young man fell silent, avoiding her gaze.
Zheng He chuckled. “Let’s go. You’re coming with us.”
The local police had already dispersed, searching the area for more remains, including rummaging through garbage bins.
By noon, everyone returned to the police station.
First on the agenda was interrogating the young man. Ye Sangsang was certain he had seen something.
There were no surveillance cameras on South Street, and with the heavy foot traffic, it was hard to pinpoint when the crime had occurred.
If this guy had seen something, it would make things much easier.
Ye Sangsang sat across from him. “Tell me, what did you see last night?”
“Sis, I didn’t see anything!” the young man replied with a cheeky grin, outright denying it.
His smug attitude suggested he thought Ye Sangsang, as a police officer, couldn’t do anything to him. If he could, he’d probably have crossed his legs to show off his arrogance.
Ye Sangsang looked him straight in the eye. “You might not realize this, but the killer is a psychopath with a compulsion to kill. This dismemberment was a taunt to the police. From the moment you were brought here, you became a target. I hope you understand that. I also hope that by the time you’re released for your petty theft, the killer is already caught. Otherwise…”
Her calm tone made the young man’s smile freeze, his expression turning grim.
“Officer, are you serious?” he asked after a pause, unable to hold back.
Ye Sangsang didn’t respond, leaving it to him to figure out.
Having been around the block, the young man knew that in such cases, the killer wouldn’t let a witness live.
He lowered his head, all his earlier bravado gone, and finally gave in.
Ye Sangsang walked into the office. “The young man talked. Last night, he was stealing a recorder and heading home when he saw a person in black at the shop across the street. At first, he thought it was the owner coming back to get something, so he didn’t pay attention. He stashed the stolen goods in the dark, planning to sell them the next day.”
“But when he went to turn on the light, he saw the person pouring something into the shop’s soup pot.”
She placed the file on the table and continued, “He initially thought it was a thief ruining the shop owner’s soup out of spite.”
“He was scared of the shop owner, who had a fierce reputation, so he didn’t say anything. When he heard about the body parts today, he got even more scared and kept quiet.”
“As for the killer’s appearance, it was too dark. He only saw that it was a man.”
The other people in the office sighed. Men, they were everywhere, easily found on the streets.
Then, he began sharing the results of the nearby investigation. Zheng He wasn’t there; he had gone to retrieve the surveillance footage from the time and location mentioned by the blond-haired witness who claimed to have seen the suspect. They hoped to find some clues.
Meanwhile, Ye Sangsang held onto her sketchpad, which contained notes about the suspect’s physique and characteristics.
Deep down, she had a suspicion she hadn’t dared to share with anyone.
She suspected that the killer had taken what was left of his meal and deliberately thrown it out for the police to find. This was evident from the way he had dumped it into the soup pot, as if he wanted to see how others would react to eating the flesh.
But this suspicion was baseless, so Ye Sangsang kept it to herself.
As for the identity of the victim, the forensic team was examining the bone marrow for any remaining DNA, hoping to find something.
DNA, in essence, is protein. After being boiled, the DNA in the flesh was almost entirely destroyed.
So, the forensic team could only pin their hopes on the bones.
If nothing was found there, they would have to focus entirely on identifying the killer.
Ye Sangsang tried to sketch a rough outline of the suspect, creating a profile sketch. The preliminary information suggested the suspect was around 175 cm tall, lean, aged between 38 and 45, and possibly a repeat offender with a history of serious crimes.
At that moment, Zheng He walked in, holding a USB drive.
“I’ve found a lead,” he said, sitting down at his desk and plugging the drive into his computer.
It wasn’t a video but rather a series of surveillance stills.
Ye Sangsang and Qin Jiang leaned in to look at the screen. They saw a figure with a hat pulled low and a mask covering most of their face. They exchanged a glance, both sighing inwardly.
The photo was not only unhelpful but also incredibly blurry.
[Surveillance from the early 2000s, especially at night, was barely good enough to show that someone was wearing a mask.]
[All I can tell is that this person looks menacing, with eyes that could scare me to tears.]
[It feels like there are no leads at all, no clear direction to pursue.]
Yet, Ye Sangsang stared intently at the screen, lost in thought. She believed she could try to reconstruct the suspect’s original appearance from the blurry image.
But it would be extremely difficult.
First, the image was too blurry, with only part of the upper face visible.
Second, the head was covered, and the shape of the head was crucial for facial reconstruction.
Third, it would take a lot of time, and Ye Sangsang was still a novice. Even with her strong focus and learning ability, she would need considerable time to pull it off.
Considering all this, Ye Sangsang wasn’t sure if the reconstructed sketch would even be useful.
Her hesitation lasted only a moment before she made up her mind to start the sketch.
Alternatively, she could begin with behavioral analysis, predicting the suspect’s next move. This would allow them to anticipate his actions in advance.
In reality, these two approaches—profile sketching and behavioral analysis—were quite different, even though they both fell under the umbrella of criminal profiling.
Both were highly challenging.
Glancing at her sketchpad, Ye Sangsang thought for a moment, then took out the rough sketches she had made and placed them on the file.
She stared at the blank sheet, ready to start her analysis from scratch.
Just then, Zheng He leaned over. “How’s it going? Are you doing an analysis? I’m quite interested too.”
He genuinely was interested, as he believed that behavioral analysis, particularly in predicting the likelihood of reoffending, could help prevent harm to innocent people.
For example, in this case, the killer was so brutal that if they didn’t act quickly, the entire city might live in fear.
“Sure, Zheng He. You have a lot of experience in handling cases. You can help by cross-referencing past cases for analysis,” Ye Sangsang nodded, agreeing to collaborate.
Qin Jiang, however, wasn’t interested. He had his own channels for gathering leads.
After organizing their materials, Ye Sangsang and Zheng He stood in front of a whiteboard, beginning their analysis step by step.
“First, based on my analysis, the suspect is around 40 years old, from out of town, with a history of multiple criminal offenses, and likely grew up without parental guidance…” Ye Sangsang wrote these points on the board and then turned to Zheng He. “The age estimate is based on his criminal history. He’s been in and out of prison multiple times, so his age has increased over the years…”
Zheng He stroked his chin thoughtfully, circling the phrase “multiple criminal offenses.” “I only partially understand this. We do believe that most murderers have prior records, as serving time in prison often erodes their fear of the law.
But multiple incarcerations, especially long-term ones, are harder for me to grasp.”
Hearing their conversation, the others gathered around.
They stood or sat, looking at the analysis on the board, their expressions mirroring Zheng He’s confusion.
In their daily work, they also conducted basic analyses of criminals.
But many cases had crude methods, making it easy to identify the suspect, so they rarely delved this deeply.
Ye Sangsang looked at the group and explained, “Killing gives him a sense of power. This is evident from the way he dumped the body parts in a busy area, maximizing the impact and showing off.”
“People tend to show off things they consider rare or unique. He’s seeking attention?” another female officer, Gu Ling, pointed at the board, suddenly realizing.
Ye Sangsang nodded and continued, “This behavior stems from a lack of validation, starting from a young age. It’s like a child acting out to get attention from adults. Once it works, they keep repeating it. That’s why I believe this isn’t his first time in prison, or even his second.”
Everyone understood now.
[I get it too. It seems childish, but many people in life are constantly seeking validation. Is this what people call emotional value? I’m not sure if that’s the right term.]
[Many people crave social validation, or even parental approval, right?]
[That’s terrifying. So, he’s doing all this just to get attention? What a psychopath!]
The room fell silent. Partly because they were deep in thought, and partly because it was unsettling. Many people struggled with similar feelings of inadequacy.
“If this doesn’t achieve the desired effect, will he keep going…?” Zheng He murmured softly.
No one was naive. Ye Sangsang’s words implied that there would likely be more incidents.
At that moment, Gu Ling, the female officer who had spoken earlier, asked, “So, where will he strike next?”
“The police station or a local precinct,” Ye Sangsang said coolly, causing everyone to perk up.
She wrote these two locations on the whiteboard and drew a circle around them.
Gu Ling was stunned, her eyes widening in anger. “He’s that bold?!”
Ye Sangsang shook her head. “This is a relatively conservative guess. There are other characteristics we haven’t analyzed yet, so this is still uncertain.”
Meanwhile, Qin Jiang, who had been sitting silently at the back, stood up, picked up his black square leather bag, and walked out.
Ye Sangsang noticed this and guessed he might be following up on some leads or simply found this analysis uninteresting.
She continued analyzing the suspect’s profile, though the information was scarce. Still, she did her best to piece things together.
One particularly useful detail was that the suspect was a repeat offender with a tendency to provoke. They could look into whether he was a fugitive from another city or a recently released convict.
Zheng He, noticing Ye Sangsang was new, volunteered to visit a nearby neighborhood office near the crime scene to gather more information.
As for fugitives, Gu Ling also stepped up, offering to check if any had recently entered the city.
Ye Sangsang, meanwhile, went to the forensics and trace evidence departments, hoping to obtain fingerprints and the victim’s DNA results.
Fingerprints could quickly identify the suspect through the database, while the victim’s DNA could be matched with missing persons’ families to confirm their identity.
This was a crucial part of the investigation.
After this, they would conduct door-to-door inquiries in the streets surrounding South Street.
Finally, they would compile all the information they had gathered.
Typically, this process would lead them to the suspect.
But in reality, missing even one piece of the puzzle could turn the case into an unsolved mystery.
Ye Sangsang headed to the forensics department first.
“There are only two hands from the deceased’s body here. Since they were subjected to high-temperature treatment before being placed in the soup pot and then boiled for an hour, no useful DNA evidence can be extracted. We can only make a basic judgment based on the condition of the bones,” the forensic examiner said, sighing as he delivered the results.
Ye Sangsang asked, “What can you tell us about the deceased?”
“She was an adult female, approximately twenty years old. Based on the length and proportions of the hands, her height is estimated to be around 162 centimeters,” the examiner replied straightforwardly, though he emphasized that this was only a speculative assessment and could deviate from the actual facts.
As for fingerprints and other evidence, the killer had committed multiple crimes and had a strong sense of anti-detection awareness. No fingerprints or DNA information, apart from that of the shop owner, were obtained.
After thanking the forensic examiner, Ye Sangsang left. Gu Ling also returned from making phone calls, reporting that no useful information had been obtained.
The two decided to go together to conduct door-to-door investigations around the crime scene.
On the way, Ye Sangsang wanted to stop at a restaurant to grab a bite, but Gu Ling refused and handed her a bread roll and some milk instead.
Ye Sangsang immediately understood—Gu Ling was still traumatized by the incident at the noodle shop and didn’t dare eat at outside establishments anymore.
Still, it was understandable.
After finishing their meal in the car, Ye Sangsang started the vehicle, and the two headed toward South Street.
For detectives, working around the clock was practically routine, and pulling all-nighters wasn’t uncommon either.
Gathering clues and conducting door-to-door investigations were tasks they had to carry out diligently.
However, sometimes, no matter how much effort they put in, they might not gain any useful leads.
Gu Ling was ten years older than Ye Sangsang. Due to her exceptional skills and a shortage of personnel in the team, she had been transferred to the Major Crimes Unit.
When it came to door-to-door investigations, Gu Ling was far more experienced than Ye Sangsang.
The two canvassed four or five nearby streets, but the information they gathered was minimal. They even had to mediate a minor conflict along the way.
After discussing it, they decided to finish questioning the remaining few shops before heading back.
When they arrived at a small convenience store, the owner was dozing behind the counter.
Gu Ling called out, “Shopkeeper, we need to ask you a few questions,” as she flashed her badge.
Ye Sangsang followed suit.
The shopkeeper visibly tensed up, stood up, and asked, “What can I help you with?”
Gu Ling routinely asked if he had seen any suspicious individuals or noticed anything unusual in the past couple of days.
“Don’t worry, anything you say will be kept confidential. We’ve already questioned several other shops in the area,” Gu Ling added.
The shopkeeper glanced outside, then spoke in a somewhat mysterious tone, “My store was robbed a couple of days ago. The thief didn’t take anything valuable. Guess what he stole.”
“He didn’t take anything valuable, and you’re asking us to guess what he stole?” Gu Ling couldn’t help but chuckle.
Ye Sangsang looked at the shopkeeper and ventured, “He didn’t take anything expensive?”
The shopkeeper quickly nodded, “I misspoke earlier. He didn’t take anything valuable. Instead, he stole things like salt, MSG, soy sauce, vinegar, and cooking wine. If I didn’t have the habit of keeping inventory records, I wouldn’t even have noticed these things were missing.”
Ye Sangsang’s eyes flickered as she glanced at the shelves and asked, “Was it two days ago? Or yesterday?”
“I discovered it this morning. I do inventory every three days, so I’m not sure exactly when it happened,” the shopkeeper replied.
He brought it up mainly to chat, hoping to get some insider information.
But obviously, the police weren’t going to share anything with him. After recording the details, the two left, leaving the shopkeeper with a hint of disappointment on his face.
With no further leads, they could only hope that Zheng He might have a breakthrough.
【The detective influencer who entered this instance next door has already completed the first trial case. Tsk, and they only managed it after reading hints from the live chat comments. The super-AI should really delete those comments from Ye Sangsang’s live stream that spoil things for other streamers.】
【As mentioned earlier, the super-AI is already issuing warnings and deleting such comments. It’s pretty fast.】
【The difficulty is really high. Even if I went in knowing the outcome, I’d probably mess up because of all the complications.】
The live stream audience was mainly expressing their fear and the overwhelming complexity of the clues.
What Ye Sangsang and the others were doing might seem trivial, but in reality, it required a lot of meticulous work. Even if you knew who the killer was, you’d still need courage and attention to detail to catch them and get them to confess everything.
Not to mention, entering the instance would blur your memory of the killer’s identity.
Even without that memory blurring, it would still be incredibly challenging to handle all of this.
While the live stream was buzzing with discussions, Ye Sangsang and her team were dealing with a different kind of “heat.”
Unlike the springtime in the real world, this instance was set in the height of summer. Just moving around caused sweat to pour out.
Gu Ling finally couldn’t take it anymore and went to buy two bottles of chilled drinks. The two sat under a tree to analyze the situation.
“Shen Yu, do you really think the killer will continue to taunt us by dumping more bodies?” Gu Ling asked, though she found the idea somewhat far-fetched.
Ye Sangsang couldn’t say for sure. After all, if it hadn’t happened yet, it might just be speculation.
At that moment, Gu Ling’s phone rang. She pulled it out, checked the caller, and answered, “Zheng He? What’s up? Did you find something?”
Older button phones tended to have loud, leaky speakers, so Ye Sangsang leaned in to listen as well.
On the other end, Zheng He’s voice carried a hint of anger, “There are body parts found in the greenery near the North Street police station. You need to get here quickly.”
Gu Ling looked at Ye Sangsang, her face pale, “It… really happened…”
“Let’s go,” Ye Sangsang said, without any hint of smugness about her earlier prediction.
Moreover, according to Shen Yu’s character in the instance, she should be feeling anxious and distressed right now.
Gu Ling nodded. They grabbed their drinks, quickly found their parked car, and drove toward North Street Police Station.
【Hehehe, my girl Ye Sangsang is the best.】
【If this case were real, it would be truly horrifying. Thank goodness technology has advanced so much in recent years, with surveillance and upgraded smart networks covering countless streets and alleys. Otherwise, it’s hard to imagine how such terrifying crimes could continue.】
【Exactly. It’s unimaginable how much effort the country put into cracking down on these crimes before our generation, the 2010s kids, came along.】
As the live stream chatted away, Ye Sangsang and Gu Ling arrived at the scene.
This time, it was far more gruesome than before. The greenery was filled with cleaned human bones, and the soil emitted an indescribable stench that permeated the surrounding streets.
The forensic team was already on-site, but even they looked uneasy from the smell.
The killer was truly brazen.
The police station had initially thought a nearby septic tank had burst. After searching for a while, they realized the stench was coming from the greenery.
The bones and flesh hadn’t been visible at first because they had been buried in the greenery.
Moreover, they had been recently buried, not left there for a long time, which was why the discovery was only made that afternoon.
Ye Sangsang and the others began examining the scene. There was only a single shoe print, and the greenery was a blind spot for the police station’s surveillance cameras.
The killer was too cunning. If this continued, they’d just be playing into the killer’s hands.
Just then, Zheng He’s phone rang again.
He gestured for the two to continue while he stepped aside to take the call.
“What? You found the person I mentioned?” Zheng He couldn’t help but exclaim in a low voice.
Ye Sangsang and Gu Ling stood up from the flower bed, their eyes fixed on Zheng He, who looked surprised.
After finishing the call, Zheng He turned to Ye Sangsang and Gu Ling, “Who’s coming with me? We’ve located the ex-convict Shen Yu mentioned.”
“I’ll go,” Gu Ling said immediately, then added, thinking of Ye Sangsang, “I have more experience with arrests.”
Ye Sangsang looked at Gu Ling, “You should stay here. This is my second time at the scene, and I’m not as sharp. Besides, when we go after that person, there’ll be others with us. I won’t be the main force.”
They wouldn’t go after the suspect with just two people. They’d need to coordinate with the team or nearby police stations to ensure the suspect didn’t escape.
“Shen Yu makes a good point. Gu Ling, you stay here and oversee things. Shen Yu and I will go,” Zheng He said, then motioned for Ye Sangsang to get in the car.
The two quickly reached their destination. With the help of a local community worker who pointed them to a corner, they spotted the suspect’s residence.
It was a dilapidated three-story building in a scrapyard, a factory run by the suspect's older brother. After his release, the suspect had moved into the third floor.
"He's usually silent, with a fierce look in his eyes. People around here are too scared to approach him," said the director of the neighborhood committee.
Zheng He nodded in understanding, waiting for the police station and his colleagues to arrive so they could proceed with the arrest together.
They didn’t have to wait long. A little over a minute later, everyone was in position. Both the front and back entrances of the scrapyard were blocked. Ye Sangsang, a rookie detective, gripped her gun tightly as she followed behind Zheng He and the others.
At a low command, the four of them rushed inside.
Just as they were nearing the building, a loud "bang" echoed from within.
In the next moment, a figure crashed through a window, falling from the third floor with their back facing the ground.
Ye Sangsang’s gaze snapped toward the figure, her pupils contracting sharply. She couldn’t help but shout, "Qin Jiang?!"
The name froze everyone in their tracks. All eyes turned to the middle-aged man lying unconscious on the ground, and the scene fell into a deathly silence.
