"What's not right?" Liu Yuning asked in surprise.
"Weren't we investigating the case of the big guy? How did another case pop up, and simultaneously happening at a rehab center? Don't you find that strange?"
"You mean, someone deliberately planned this case to confuse our police sight?"
"Exactly. This murderer seems to have deliberately left behind evidence and his tracks for us to pursue him. Looking at it this way, it seems more like he's stalling for time. But why would that person help the big guy?"
I almost talked to myself, while thinking, did that guy know what we had installed in the rehab center? Otherwise, why would he commit a crime there deliberately? If that's the case, it's truly terrifying.
This mastermind probably knows a lot, but we thought we were so clever.
"There's only one possibility. What the big guy did was likely at his instigation, or related to him. If the big guy is caught, he'll also be in danger."
"You could say that. Gather everyone, let's go to the mountain first. I don't believe that guy can escape!" I said with some excitement. Liu Yuning notified others via radio. Everyone was present this time, accompanied by over a dozen criminal investigators, all equipped with individual police gear. We had sufficient personnel and equipment; capturing one person shouldn't be difficult.
Everyone headed towards the mountain together. This time, we wouldn't split up, as it would make us vulnerable to a surprise attack. We, about 20 people, were all armed, and there were also several special police officers, including Li Fan, who was called over. To handle the mission more smoothly, Liu Yuning contacted the nearby police station and requested over a dozen more officers. This brought our pursuit team to over 35 people, four of whom were special police.
We scouted from the foot of the mountain to the top. An old man from the film crew, who was familiar with the mountain, acted as our guide, leading the way. This old man reportedly lived in the village in the past, but after the village was abandoned, he went to the city to find work. By chance, Director Huang spotted him, and he became an extra.
As the old man led us up, he shared many stories about his past. He spoke colorfully. Actors are like that; even extras are so eloquent.
"At the summit, I recall there was not only the village but also an artificial lake in the center. The reason our village had trouble was said to be someone poisoning the lake, killing many villagers. I was a survivor. A few others also survived, and they all went to work in the city. I don't know what happened to them. It's truly a pity. All these years, I've been alone."
Recalling this, the old man looked lost, his eyes welling up with tears. I thought this village seemed unusual, but why would that person come here? Could it be, could it be, he's from this village?
As this doubt arose, we had just entered the village. Old Du (the guide) pointed in a direction and told us that a collapsed area over there was the site of the artificial lake.
Countless police officers orderly arrived by the lake. As we approached, we found the lake had dried up. It seemed the lake had been abandoned here for many years.
I personally went down to investigate, but Liu Yuning pulled me, saying, "What are you doing?"
"If I don't go down to check, how will I know the situation?"
"Do you think he'll be here?"
"No, I just want to observe. Perhaps there will be some unexpected discoveries!"
I answered, already releasing Liu Yuning's hand and going down. Unexpectedly, she quickly followed me down. Then came Gao Mingqiang and others. I originally wanted to tell them to go back up, but they wouldn't listen. Later, Li Fan also brought people down.
Several forensic investigators took out instruments to examine the cement. I took out my shadowless reflection tube and sprinkled some yellow wine. Soon, the soil actually showed some purplish-blue luster. In ancient places, white wine is much more effective than luminol reagent. Therefore, I used yellow wine instead of luminol reagent in many old places.
Seeing the reaction on the ground, Liu Yuning said, "Did someone die here?"
I observed Old Du's expression suddenly become flustered. Although he hadn't come down and was standing by the lake, with my eyesight, I could still see his micro-expressions.
He seemed to notice me staring at him and immediately explained, "At that time, we handled the bodies. Since there was no place to bury them, we simply threw the dead people into the lake. Then, after a few days, we cleaned up and left."
"I see. Have you seen someone like this?" Xiao Yuande, standing by the lake, took out a photo. It was a screenshot from our surveillance.
"This? I can't see the face. Based on this physique..."
Old Du seemed to remember something and slapped his thigh, exclaiming, "This is Er Niu from my former neighbor's house. Because none of us drank the lake water at that time, we escaped. Only 5 people left then, including Er Niu and me. Are you here to find him? You must be mistaken. That boy wouldn't commit a crime. He was very kind and good to the village. If it hadn't been for his help at the time, we probably wouldn't have gotten out. Because we were not familiar with the outside, Er Niu had been to the city. He easily led us to the city and helped us find jobs. Later, I don't know where I went to make a living, but this boy definitely cannot be a criminal!"
"Old Du, don't be nervous. We're just conducting a routine investigation!" Xiao Yuande lied, wanting to comfort Old Du.
We collected blood and some soil and came up. The soil contained some hair, both male and female, all placed in evidence bags. A police officer took some items back for analysis. We continued to search the village in scattered groups, not sparing any house, kicking open doors and walking in, pointing our guns everywhere.
An hour later, we had searched the entire village but found no suspicious individuals. Let alone suspicious individuals, not a single person was found. Did we make a mistake? Was Er Niu not here at all?
At this moment, I suddenly noticed Old Du seemed a bit shifty. He had taken out his phone and done something. I immediately went to his side and forcefully grabbed his hand: "Old Du, you wouldn't be tipping someone off, would you?"
"What are you saying? Officer, I was just checking the time!"