I presented my consultant ID and revealed my identity. Upon seeing the police department’s seal, the middle-aged man’s expression immediately soured. “You’re not here to buy something?”
“No, we just want to inquire about something,” I replied truthfully.
“We have nothing to disclose here!” the middle-aged man said coldly. I had no choice but to adopt an official tone. “Sir, we are investigating a murder case and hope for your cooperation. The victim count has already reached three. If it’s due to your negligence…”
Before I could finish, the middle-aged man coughed and said, “Alright, you can come in!”
We walked into Tang Ming Zhai. Although the antiques were truly dazzling and the interior was exceptionally elegant, none of us were in the mood to admire them.
Reaching the counter, the middle-aged man asked us curiously, “Two police officers, what exactly do you want to know?”
Seeing that he was no longer being difficult, I got straight to the point. “Have you recently acquired a sarira?” As I spoke, I handed him a photo previously taken at the police station.
The middle-aged man didn’t shy away. After examining it for a few moments, he immediately replied, “Yes, this sarira cost me quite a bit of money at the time. But it’s genuine, and many people would likely want it!”
“And you’ve sold it?” I asked.
“Yes, about half a month ago, a man came and bought it,” the middle-aged man replied.
“Do you remember this man? Do you have surveillance cameras here?”
“My surveillance cameras are broken!”
“What? How could this happen? With so many valuable items, aren’t you afraid if you don’t have surveillance?” Gao Ming Qiang was a bit annoyed.
The middle-aged man shook his head. “We’re in the process of repairs, but the situation is a bit tricky. We’ll probably have to replace everything!”
“When did this situation start?” I asked.
“It was before that person came. Now that you mention it, I’m starting to suspect if our surveillance was damaged by that guy. Are the murders you mentioned just now related to him?” the middle-aged man guessed fearfully.
“It’s possible. So please, try your best to recall the detailed physical characteristics and exact appearance of this person for us police officers,” Gao Ming Qiang prompted him.
“Alright, let me think!” the middle-aged man said. I immediately took out paper and a pen, ready to sketch.
“The man’s brow bone was a bit prominent, his eyes were large, and his hair was curly. But he was wearing a mask at the time, so I couldn’t see his face clearly. However, that guy was quite thin. At 1.89 meters tall, he weighed only about 50 kilograms, like a bamboo pole. I initially thought someone like that wouldn’t have much money, but not long after he arrived, he took a liking to the sarira in my counter.”
I quickly sketched the likeness of the man the owner described. On the paper appeared a rather good-looking man, only his mouth was hidden by a mask. But this was helpful. As long as we found the suspect, we could compare and know who it was.
After thanking the antique shop owner, we left Tang Ming Zhai. We now had a general idea of the suspect’s appearance. We could only ask He Xin to check the surveillance cameras near Tang Ming Zhai and use Sky Eye to pinpoint the last place he disappeared, to try and track his movements.
Reviewing surveillance footage was a massive undertaking that required significant manpower, resources, and time. The technical department was fully deployed, each person poring over their computer screen. Based on past experience, we should be able to find the suspect soon.
However, He Xin and her team had been working for a long time with no results. I was getting impatient and asked He Xin, “Haven’t you found him yet?”
“We’re still looking, but after leaving Tang Ming Zhai, this person went through many places and then suddenly disappeared. The area was a wasteland. I inspected it and found it to be a mass grave. Isn’t that strange? A normal person would go to such a place. What’s going on?”
“A mass grave? Could he live around here?” Liu Yu Ning speculated.
“Don’t talk nonsense. Who would live in a place like this?” He Xin retorted.
“Could he be… something like that?” Gao Ming Qiang said, gloating. I immediately cursed him, “Do you remember who you are? Don’t spout such nonsense!”
“I was just joking. This guy is too weird. Why would he go to a place like that?”
“Perhaps he did it intentionally, to prevent us police from investigating,” Liu Yu Ning suggested.
I nodded, giving her an appreciative glance. “Perhaps, this time, we’ll have to take a walk in this mass grave!”
“No way? That’s a place where many people have died!” Gao Ming Qiang said fearfully.
I knew he was a coward. We wouldn’t force him if he didn’t want to go. Liu Yu Ning and I exchanged glances, and we each dispatched some officers to accompany us directly towards the mass grave.
Gao Ming Qiang was initially hesitant, but seeing everyone else setting off, he felt embarrassed to stay behind at the police station, so he eventually joined us.
The three police cars started up, and after some time, we quickly reached the location He Xin had sent us.
It was a desolate mountain, with only some yellowed straw visible everywhere, along with a few poplar trees that looked long withered.
The ground was studded with yellow wooden stakes, on which were scrawled illegible characters. It had taken us about three hours to drive here.
Yet, the suspect had walked here directly. When I looked at the sky earlier, I felt this guy was very problematic. This was a three-hour drive. How long would it take on foot?
But this person had genuinely walked all the way. This was likely west of Fuming City. Coming from the north would take at least six hours. Since the advent of cars and light rails, no one would walk such a crazy distance anymore.
After we got out of the cars, the group picked up their gear and headed towards the mass grave. Everyone was on alert along the way, not daring to slacken for a moment. As the visibility gradually decreased due to the approaching nightfall, we had to proceed with flashlights.
“Wasn’t it bright outside earlier? Why is it getting dark so fast?” Gao Ming Qiang complained.
“Aren’t you considering how long it takes to get here?” I retorted.
“Is this murderer a lunatic? Walking in this day and age. Why doesn’t he get himself a car?” Liu Yu Ning wondered.
“That’s why he really seems like a madman!” I said.
As we spoke, we soon entered an area near a pile of rocks. This was likely where the dead were buried. However, the history here was long, and there probably weren’t many bones left. Yet, as we ventured deeper, the surroundings felt particularly eerie. Near the dark earth, dots of blue-green light flickered!