"It seems the killer acted intentionally. The deceased was fond of drinking, likely had a chaotic private life, and this was the killer's way of punishing him!" I guessed.
"The previous male victim also seemed like that type!"
"Exactly. The killer particularly detested successful but lecherous men. The first case might have been intended for the male victim only, and the woman was likely an unintentional casualty, a collateral sacrifice!"
Liu Yuning and I discussed it intensely. I collected some mucus and put it into a test tube for Ling Xiaotao to analyze. If Kang Xingqing had indeed had relations with someone before his death, these fluids might detect another person's DNA.
I took off my rubber gloves and clapped my hands, saying, "Okay, the rest of the work is for Ling Xiaotao, our esteemed Master, to handle!"
I said that jokingly, shoved my hands into my pockets, and was about to take out a cigarette when Liu Yuning snatched it away from me. "Didn't you promise me you wouldn't smoke anymore?"
"Uh, I forgot! This isn't a new one, it was just in my pocket!"
"Who are you kidding! Don't you have a whole pack over there?"
"Ah! Don't do that! Aren't I quitting smoking with my left hand, and now I have to quit with my right?"
As I resisted, Liu Yuning grabbed my ear.
She loved using this move, the invincible ear-pulling technique. My left and right ears had suffered her torment many times before.
Even though Captain Guo was nearby, she directly pulled my ear and dragged me out. If I hadn't immediately pulled out my cigarette pack and thrown it in front of her, my ears would probably have been ruined.
Captain Guo watched us from a distance and couldn't help but chuckle, "So she's your wife, huh? But she's better than mine. I remember she made me kneel on a durian once when I was trying to quit smoking!"
"Uh..."
I suddenly felt quite happy.
Our work for today was temporarily finished. Liu Yuning and I went back to the hotel to rest, but He Xin had to stay and work overtime because I had assigned her a task.
Upon arriving at the hotel, Liu Yuning took out the photos she had taken during the garden party that evening and flipped through them. She was just looking aimlessly, not expecting to spot a creepy man in the crowd.
He was holding a book and wearing a black mask.
"That's strange, why does he appear in every photo I take?"
If Liu Yuning hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have noticed him in her phone's photos. I stared intently at the image for a few seconds. "You're right, is he doing this on purpose?"
"Who could this man be? He's so well concealed, could he be involved in something?"
I sent the photo to He Xin and asked her to check. This increased her workload, but the technical police in Gaogang City would surely help.
We decided to rest for now, and He Xin would likely provide us with a satisfactory answer tomorrow.
The next day, I habitually reached for a cigarette in my pocket, only to remember that I had promised Liu Yuning I would quit. I felt a sense of loss, but I didn't dwell on it.
Noticing my slightly unhappy expression, Liu Yuning seemed to sense something and said, "What's wrong? You've only quit for a few days, and you're already like this. How will you manage in the future?"
"Uh, I'm just having trouble adjusting. I need to find something to distract myself!"
"What do you want to do to relax? How about we go out and have some fun later?"
"Still going out? We just went out. Alright, you only have a few more days until you have to fulfill your promise to me!"
"I know! I keep my word." Liu Yuning gently pinched my cheek, and we soon kissed. Although we slept together, nothing happened. I had been restless for a long time, but I didn't want to force her. I endured all my excitement.
Back at the Gaogang City police station, He Xin had indeed identified the man in the photo. Unexpectedly, he was a well-known suspense novelist in Gaogang City. His pen name was Ye You Shen Jun, and his real name was Yi Chengwen. He traveled the world to gather material for his supernatural novels.
He had a considerable reputation online and had serialized several popular web novels on Panshi Chinese Network.
He had also published many poems and prose online, all of which were quite eloquent.
"Track down this online writer and see if he has visited any of the crime scenes recently."
"Yes, Dad, I also think this person is highly suspicious. We've already been investigating him!"
He Xin enlisted the help of several technical police officers. They were all cooperating with her now, likely impressed by her superior hacking skills.
After a series of familiar keyboard clicks, He Xin cursed, "Got him! Although the Sky Eye surveillance didn't capture him at the crime scenes, his figure was spotted in nearby streets. Moreover, he has been present near the recent crime scenes!"
"So it really is him? It seems we need to focus our attention on this Yi Chengwen!"
Liu Yuning said, and Captain Guo nodded excitedly beside her, "Excellent! We've finally found a significant lead. You two go find this person immediately and bring him in! These surveillance footage alone are enough to get him into serious trouble!"
"No, that alone won't be enough for Yi Chengwen to confess. We need concrete evidence. However, we can send people to probe him and seize an opportunity to gather evidence."
"I understand, Detective He. If this case is solved, I will definitely thank you properly!"
"Let's solve it first. I have a feeling this won't be easy."
Liu Yuning knew my old habit of overthinking things had returned. But it wasn't just me thinking that; my intuition was always accurate, as proven by the previous cases.
Therefore, even when she heard me say this, she didn't dare to refute me.
Captain Guo personally went out to investigate, leaving only the two of us at the police station. Just then, He Xin said, "Found it! Kang Xingqing's last meal was at the nearby Venice Restaurant!"
"Venice? Oh, right. Most of the food there is Western cuisine. Yuning, let's go to the restaurant and see if we can find anything from that time!"
"Okay!"
We left the police station and arrived at the restaurant. We showed our police IDs to the front desk and explained our purpose to a customer service representative. He led us to the restaurant manager. An old manager greeted us, "Officers, what is the matter? Are there any issues with our restaurant's hygiene?"
"We're not here to investigate hygiene. Has this gentleman dined here before?" I showed him Kang Xingqing's photo. After carefully examining it, he replied, "Isn't that Mr. Kang? He's a regular customer. He comes almost every weekend!"