Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The car was speeding along, and the scenery outside the window was passing by quickly. However, Zhao Yu and the others were not in the mood for taking the time to enjoy the beauty of nature at the moment.
This was because they were on their way to Jiangxing County, where they were going to check out the scene in person and meet the man named Liu Yubao. Jiangxing was about 110 kilometers in the northbound direction. Fortunately, going along the highway, they could arrive there in just one hour.
“Zeng Ke just sent a message!” Miao Ying looked at her mobile phone and said. “He has done a background check that confirmed that Liu Yubao’s identity is real. Also, his brother-in-law has a very strong background in the local area. It appears that Liu Yubao relied on his brother-in-law’s big name in order to bully his classmates. Even the teachers dared not say anything about him!”
She then added, “And… Lang Xiangqian has also confirmed that Jiangxing and nearby counties and cities are within the scope of their company’s business, which meant that Han Kuan must have been there!”
Miao Ying smiled as she declared, “So… There is a good chance that Han Kuan made Liu Yubao his target!”
“Um… In this way…” Zhao Yu pointed to his notebook and said, “In the early morning of December 26th, Han Kuan must have planned the murder, but for some unknown reason, he didn’t succeed in carrying it out completely!”
Ran Tao then said, “Of the nine victims in the Devil Case, none of them were killed in Jiangxing County! So, this place has been ruled for investigation by the police because it has thus far had nothing to do with the Devil Case!”
Miao Ying then said, “Han Kuan went to Guang’an on December 23rd and committed the last crime in the Devil Case in the early morning of December 25th! But… After committing the crime, he did not return to Beiqian, but went directly from Guang’an to Jiangxing, ready to kill another person in Jiangxing! And… That person is Liu Yubao!”
“It’s crazy enough that it just might be true! He has killed so many people, like one each day! He planned to leave on December 27th… So, that must mean that he planned to kill another person that day too?” Ran Tao asked and sighed.
Zhao Yu guessed, “I think that Han Kuan must have obtained the relevant information in advance, which is the reason that he dared to kill people so crazily! He had a clear purpose!”
“What on earth made Han Kuan stop himself from killing Liu Yubao?” Miao Ying expressed her doubts, then quickly replied to her own question, “Would it be possible that he was seen by someone, while trying to commit the murder, then was forced to run away?”
“It’s highly possible!” Ran Tao said. “After all, Liu Yubao woke up in the corridor on the top floor. Han Kuan had already knocked down his target, so there would have been no reason for him to stop halfway. It only makes sense that he was seen by someone!”
“But… If there was a witness, why would this person have remained silent all this time?” Miao Ying pondered the situation. “And, why did Han Kuan look so alarmed when he went back to Beiqian? If the witness saw him clearly, then there would have been no need for him to put the devil suit in Lang Xiangyang’s basement, right?”
Ran Tao was confused, and he covered his chest as he guessed, “Could it be that the witness who disrupted Han Kuan was also killed by him? That would maybe explain why he appeared so panicked when he came back suddenly to Golden City.”
Miao Ying frowned and sighed again. “If that’s the case, it would be perfect if we could just find the corpse! It’s just… Alas…”
Zhao Yu knew the reason why Miao Ying sighed. After so many years, even if there was such a corpse, how could they find it now?
In an instant, Zhao Yu even felt that he was wrong in choosing to go to Jiangxing, and he thought… So what if I go to the scene? Liu Yubao said that the construction of the Jiahe Residential District was already completed many years ago, and now, it’s regarded as a nice old residential district in the area. So… How could there be any evidence left there now?
Before leaving, they had asked Liu Yubao if he had kept his clothes, shoes, or any hat that he had worn the day when he was knocked out. However, Liu Yubao explained that he didn’t have them. He said that even if he could find the old clothes, they would have been washed many times already, so the possibility of finding any evidence from them was minimal.
However, when he thought about his Gen Kun hexagram, Zhao Yu regained some confidence. He firmly believed that the side adventure must have a final revelation, which made him certain that this trip to Jiangxing was necessary.
The driver knew that Zhao Yu and the others were anxious. So, disregarding the speed limit, he sped up to 150 miles per hour and arrived Jiangxing in even less than an hour’s time!
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They soon arrived at the Jiahe Residential District. Although Jiangxing was not in the jurisdiction of the Jinyuan Province, Zhao Yu’s special investigation group had such a big name that, ever since very early that morning, there were already local criminal policemen waiting there to welcome their arrival.
Liu Yubao had also come to the scene to show Zhao Yu exactly where he woke up. Upon greeting Zhao Yu, he pointed at a nearby building and said, “Officer, when I woke up, I could see the sun in the sky, and I remember clearly that I woke up from the corridor on the highest floor of that building. And, my swollen forehead took a long time to heal…”
“Team Leader… Then… We…” Miao Ying pointed to the corridor entrance, suggesting that they go up there and have a look.
However, as he looked at the old and dilapidated residential building, Zhao Yu did not make a sound. He frowned and seemed to be thinking about something.
After a long time, Zhao Yu turned to Liu Yubao and asked, “Did you find any other strange things around you when you woke up? Think about it carefully, please.”
“Any other strange things?” Liu Yubao thought for a moment, then said, “No. I found myself in an unknown place when I woke up. I didn’t know where I was until I went out of the residential district and came out onto the street and saw signs posted.”
“Then… Did you see anybody perhaps?” Zhao Yu asked.
“No,” Liu Yubao said. “This area was such a remote place back in those days! Some buildings were not even finished yet! And… It was during the Spring Festival. So, everyone was at the festivities, and there were hardly any people on the street. I remember because I went a long way before I found a motorcycle riding by to give me a ride home!”
At this time, a local police officer came forward and reported, “Investigator, we have conducted a detailed background search of this district. The developers and the government had many disputes regarding it, which led to the temporary shutdown of this construction project during the New Year Festival. This explains why there was no security around at that time!”
“On December 26th, another remote and unfinished building…” Zhao Yu muttered, then went into the corridor on the 6th floor, where Liu Yubao had woke up that year.
The corridor was dilapidated, and the doors on both of its sides were closed. Obviously, it would be impossible to find anything from 15 years ago. However, Zhao Yu gazed at the dark corridor, then walked toward the deep corner.
He stepped over to the window. Because of its old age and state of disrepair, there was no glass in the window. As he was standing there, he could feel the cold wind blowing on his face.
Zhao Yu looked out of the window for a moment. Then, when he looked into the distance, an idea suddenly hit him.
“Yes, the 26th! Fifteen years ago, on December 26th…” Zhao Yu murmured. He then turned and asked Miao Ying, “Leader Miao, did you notice that, in fact, we already have a very precise time?”
“Oh…” Miao Ying was smart, so she immediately understood what he was getting at.
So, she turned around to face the local criminal policemen and said, “Go and check on this immediately… On the 26th of December, 15 years ago, was there a case reported in this district? I don’t care if it was a big or a small case, I want to know everything!”
Zhao Yu looked at his watch and said, “We are pressed for time. You must act immediately! Otherwise, if the results are delayed, your Provincial Office will be held responsible!”
The local criminal police dared not act too slowly after receiving Zhao Yu’s and Miao Ying’s orders, so they immediately rushed downstairs and reported the request to the Provincial Office.
When he came downstairs, Ran Tao whispered to Zhao Yu and Miao Ying, “If any case was reported nearby… Um…” Ran Tao suddenly realized the key point and continued, “No one knows about Liu Yubao’s accident. So, even if there was a case reported nearby, no one would associate it with the Devil Case!”
Zhao Yu nodded, then said, “If Han Kuan had an accident here, it might be our only chance!”
As they were conversing, the three people went downstairs together. Just as they came downstairs, a local police officer came up to them with his mobile phone and said in an uncertain tone, “Leader… We just found out that 15 years ago, at 3:14 a.m. on December 26th, a traffic accident was reported to have occurred on Yuhe Avenue, just east of the Jiahe District!”