Xiao Zhou went to investigate if there were any cases related to the bloody character 'A'. Wang Zeyi, meanwhile, focused all his energy on the arson and murder case at the mall. From the current investigation results, Han Jianjun was not a likable person. He leveraged his manager's position to bully merchants in the mall.
In the 1990s, doing business was not easy. Selling goods depended on malls, and malls with better traffic had stricter management. Han Jianjun's management style was very militaristic. He impressed his superiors with his performance and terrified the merchants with his ruthlessness. They all secretly called him a "rabid watchdog."
...
If Old Ma's headless case was rather eerie, then this arson and murder case was also quite strange. According to security guard Old Gao, when he and Cui Fang went to put out the fire, the door was locked from the inside. They had to break it down and then found Han Jianjun lying on the floor.
The security office inside the mall had three walls and a glass door. Turning the corner led to the mall. How did the killer commit the murder and then lock the door from the inside? Could this be a locked-room murder?
Regarding locked-room murders, Wang Zeyi had only encountered them in study materials and had never heard of a case that was truly a locked-room murder. To confirm if Old Gao was telling the truth, Wang Zeyi approached Cui Fang again.
...
Cui Fang was training newly hired service staff. Seeing Wang Zeyi enter, she stood up and smiled politely, "Officer Wang, is there something you need?"
"I have a few more questions."
"Let's talk outside."
Under the tree outside, Cui Fang looked at a slightly nervous Wang Zeyi and said, "When men bother single women at a dance hall, it's usually for that. If I also happen to need it, we're just using each other, and it's not a loss. A man with your mental and physical prowess is a beautiful thing for a woman like me. From any angle, we are happy, and there's no harm involved. Don't worry, I'm not the kind of woman who's unhappy in marriage and craves emotional connection through these unclear relationships. I don't try to keep men through so-called one-night stands, nor do I need to. I won't disrupt your life for my own gain. That night, we were happy, and that's enough."
"What about Shen Xue?"
Cui Fang frowned, "You want to ask about that?"
"Just asking casually."
"It has nothing to do with you. Let's talk about the case."
"Old Gao said the door was locked from the inside when you went to put out the fire. And there was only one key, which was on the deceased, Han Jianjun."
"Yes!"
"Thank you. That's all."
As Wang Zeyi turned to leave, Cui Fang grabbed his hand. Wang Zeyi looked at her hand in surprise. Cui Fang elegantly released his hand, "Do you think this is a locked-room murder?"
"Pretty much."
"No!"
"Why?"
"When we entered, the door was indeed locked. That lock is just a common internal latch. It's a glass door with a large gap. Even without a key, you could open it easily by using a card or a ruler to gently push it. That day, Old Gao and I opened the door with a card he had with him."
Wang Zeyi was stunned, "Then why did Old Gao tell me the door was locked from the inside?"
"I told him that. Old Gao wants to get credit for solving the case so he can apply for security captain by assisting in the investigation."
"You?"
Cui Fang smiled seductively, "If you want to solve the case, come to my place tonight. Do you know where I live?"
...
Towards the end of the workday, Xiao Zhou returned, beaming with a hint of excitement. He had found 'A'. The deceased was a police officer who died in an abandoned, uninhabited room, with a bloody 'A' on the floor.
After this police officer's death, someone mailed a letter to the police station, stating that if the police wanted to know who the killer was, they should ask his wife. The wife claimed her police husband was having an affair, but she didn't know who it was with.
The colleagues responsible for the homicide case had been searching for the policeman's mistress, but she seemed to be non-existent. The major crimes unit now suspected the killer might be related to the policeman's wife.
...
What was said without intent was heard with purpose.
After Xiao Zhou left, sweat beaded on Wang Zeyi's forehead.
Mistress?
For some reason, Wang Zeyi's mind kept returning to Cui Fang. The things she said today showed she didn't take men seriously at all. He even thought of Cao Shi's "hunter" theory.
Now, 'A', 'B', and 'C' had all appeared. The situation with 'B' was unclear. 'A' died after an affair, and 'C' had gone out with Cui Fang, arm in arm. And Cui Fang's method of hunting seemed to be appearing in dance halls as a single woman, waiting like prey for men to hunt her, and then striking back.
Was Cui Fang the killer?
Wang Zeyi was completely disoriented at the thought of being involved with someone who might be a killer.
...
It was time to get off work. Xiao Zhou stood up from his seat and stretched. He glanced at Wang Zeyi, who was still looking at case files, and quietly sat back down. Wang Zeyi was amused by Xiao Zhou's behavior. He said loudly, "Xiao Zhou, you can go home."
"What about you, Brother Wang!"
"I'll leave in a bit."
"Then I'll leave first."
"Get some good rest. We'll continue solving the case tomorrow."
...
Wang Zeyi had made up his mind to meet Cui Fang that night. If he confirmed she was the killer, he would risk his reputation to apprehend her.
Around 7:30 PM, Wang Zeyi arrived at Cui Fang's house. The lights were on. Wang Zeyi knocked, and Cui Fang opened the door, giving him a seductive smile. She looked like she had just showered, her hair was wet, and she was wearing a low-cut European-style nightgown, which seemed to be worn without anything underneath, making her look sexy and captivating.
After a few glances, Wang Zeyi quickly looked away, his heart pounding.
At the dining table, Cui Fang had prepared steak and lit flickering candles. Seeing Wang Zeyi standing there awkwardly, Cui Fang playfully took on the role of a gentleman, pulling out a chair and covering her chest with her hand as she bowed, inviting Wang Zeyi to sit.
After Wang Zeyi sat down, Cui Fang returned to her seat opposite him and gently poured him a glass of red wine, asking softly, "Do you like the scent of my perfume today?"
Wang Zeyi avoided answering the question, cut into his steak with a golden knife and fork, and got straight to the point, "Are you involved with the killer?"
"Yes!"
"Did you kill them?"
"Why are you in such a hurry? You haven't even eaten any steak."
"I'm not eating steak. I'm here to arrest you."
"I'm not the killer, but I know the whole story of how the killer murdered them. I can tell you everything, but you have to agree to one condition."
Wang Zeyi was a little displeased and glared, "Is this something we can bargain about?"
"If you don't agree, then I won't say anything. You can investigate slowly. I'm not the killer anyway."
Wang Zeyi didn't know how to deal with Cui Fang, but he desperately wanted to know who this serial killer was. After much thought, Wang Zeyi decided to compromise and agree to Cui Fang's condition first.
"Tell me, what's the condition?"
"Stay here tonight."
"Nonsense!"
"I said, it's just that kind of thing between men and women. You and I are happy, and we don't need this unclear relationship to maintain our emotions, so why is it nonsense? If you agree, I'll slowly tell you about the killer. When the candles burn out, we'll go to the room to rest together. It won't affect your work tomorrow."
After speaking, Cui Fang looked at Wang Zeyi affectionately, her tongue lightly licking her red lips. Finally, Wang Zeyi's gaze fell on Cui Fang's collarbone, and he swallowed lightly, "Alright, I agree."
...
After returning from abroad, Cui Fang married a man in Hebei. Later, leveraging her husband's wealth and her international experience, she opened European brand stores across the country, establishing a rare chain of stores.
For this business, Cui Fang left her new husband and traveled extensively. Besides doing business in various places, she was also a frequent visitor to late-night dance halls. There were many passionate men and women there, and Cui Fang liked men who looked strong and had elegant manners.
Attracting younger men with good physical condition was a pleasant affair for the financially well-off Cui Fang.
She had always been a hunter in the dance halls.
In Beijing, Cui Fang met someone similar, named Zhu Guang. Although he looked fifty, he was charming and spoke with great composure. As Cao Shi said, there was no intimacy between hunters. Cui Fang disliked older men and was well aware of their tactics. She preferred strong younger men, while older men tricked young, beautiful women.
However, one day, Zhu Guang invited Cui Fang to hunt using the price of a branch store. The target of this hunt was Li Jiu from Wende Xiaoyuan.