Even though I've been in law enforcement for years, encountering such a bizarre case caught me off guard.
"This video was uploaded to Weibo by an anonymous user, then it went viral and became a trending topic. Everyone's discussing this horror video, and if it continues, the impact will be immense. However, many people are mocking it, saying it's just movie special effects. But some professionals have noticed something amiss…" Yuan Hezhi analyzed.
I understood what he meant. I opened my phone to check the trending list. To my surprise, it had already garnered millions of views in just a few days and was at the top spot, with hundreds of thousands of new views accumulating daily.
"Let's go! We'll head to Fuming City first. It's time to go back home!" I declared, and everyone eagerly stood up. "Yes, Director He!" kΑnshu伍.ξà
The Crime Punishment Team members accompanied me back to Fuming City. Upon seeing Director Huang, I noticed he had gained quite a few gray hairs at his temples over the years. As we faced each other, Director Huang excitedly clasped my hand. "He Sheng, it's good to see you again. It was tough handling cases without you in Fuming City all these years. Fortunately, I persevered. But this time, we've encountered an extremely difficult case. If I can't overcome this hurdle, my career in criminal investigation will likely be over."
Director Huang's body was trembling, and his speech was slightly slurred. He gripped my hand with unusual force. It was the first time I had witnessed him so nervous, which was completely beyond my imagination. However, it also proved that he was genuinely anxious this time.
"Director Huang, don't worry, I will thoroughly investigate this case!"
In reality, as his superior, I didn't need to say this, but I never cared about such formalities. In my heart, Director Huang would always be my elder.
Director Huang seemed slightly relieved. "Thank you. I knew you, He Sheng, would put my mind at ease. Shall we head to Wangyue Lake now?"
"Alright!"
As I led everyone to follow Director Huang, Liu Yuning whispered from behind, "Are you trying to move your subordinates to tears by acting like such a leader?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Work is important. Honestly, after watching the video from the email, I felt this case was absolutely terrifying. We haven't even found the bodies yet!"
"Mhmm, I agree. Let's go!"
After some time, we arrived at Wangyue Lake. There were no police lines here. I used Luminol around the area, but to my surprise, there were no bloodstains. I then collected samples from the lake water and handed them to Xie Chuchu. "Please analyze these carefully when you get back."
"No problem, Section Chief He."
Next, I walked along the lakeshore. Near a tree, I noticed several indentations. I cautiously crouched down. Dao Zhiyong, who was following me, quickly pointed something out. "It looks like there are traces of three people sitting on the ground here, right?"
"Yes, and there's evidence of someone struggling on the ground. See these scratch marks here, and the scuff marks from shoe soles. If I'm not mistaken, the 'Little Li' from the video was struggling here. Those two boys were terrified and I don't know how they left the lakeshore to seek help. Reportedly, the police arrived at the scene but couldn't find any bodies. The Fuming City police now believe they might have misperceived the situation." Liu Yuning explained.
I didn't reply. If it was a matter concerning the boys, it would be one thing. Otherwise, this was a hidden homicide. If bodies had been present here, the lake water would have residual substances. After analysis, these traces would be revealed.
Furthermore, judging by the nearby footprints, the boys had been here. And at the one o'clock direction by the lake, we found impressions from high heels. Based on the area of impact, this woman must have been quite heavy. But where were the bodies?
Considering the effort needed to move three bodies of that size, one person certainly couldn't have done it. If several people were involved in moving the bodies, there should have been other footprints at the scene. I saw everyone meticulously inspecting the ground with footprint lights and oblique lighting. Director Huang said to me, "I already had people investigate this area, but they couldn't find any traces of bodies being transported, which is why I'm so puzzled."
"On this kind of concrete ground, if it's kept dry, it's difficult to leave footprints, and there's overgrown grass here."
"Of course, I know that. But there should be some traces, one way or another. Yet, we found nothing. We've also investigated those two boys; they have no history of mental illness. We also reviewed the surveillance footage from the foot of the mountain, and it only shows them going up the mountain."
"So the nature of this case is related to those two?"
"No, you're mistaken if you think that. The victim in the video is currently missing. Things aren't just a coincidence. I've been troubled by these doubts, which is why I called you! He Sheng!"
"I understand. Let's assume for a moment that only those two were present at Wangyue Lake and it was all their imagination. Then those people wouldn't have disappeared. Under that circumstance, if they still disappeared, what was the meaning of the scene those boys saw at Wangyue Lake? I'm wondering if this was deliberately orchestrated by someone. These two events are linked, making it a bit confusing, but in reality, there's a subtle connection. Because if what they saw was entirely false, the people in the lake wouldn't have disappeared earlier. So, we can't jump to conclusions about the truthfulness of their account yet." My words were a bit convoluted, but Director Huang understood.
"That's right. If He Qing were still here, but Li Zhiliang should be able to help too."
"You want to seek the doctor's assistance? The one who is He Xin's senior?"
"Mhmm. You try it. First, arrange for psychological counseling for the two witnesses. What do you think?"
I thought it was a good idea. I called Li Zhiliang first. Upon hearing that his help was needed, he readily agreed without hesitation. Afterwards, I asked Director Huang to arrange for the two boys to be brought over, so I could speak with them.
The first one, with short hair, was named Han Xinghuo. He had a face full of freckles, was quite unattractive, and had very dark skin. He spoke with me alone.
Liu Yuning was responsible for the other boy, Song Hexu.
"Are you Han Xinghuo from the video?" I asked.
"It's me, it's me! Wuwu! I've been cursed at recently. Ever since this incident, our shameful deeds have been exposed."
"If you knew this would happen, why did you do it in the first place? These things are unavoidable. What you need to do now is tell us what happened!"
"I've told you many times, many times, it happened just like in the video. But why haven't you found any bodies!"
"It's not our fault. The police have investigated many times and found no bodies as you described. How do you explain that?"