Overly Intense [Criminal Investigation] 133

Chapter 133: I Know Where Liu Jia Is

Piao Zheng stood in the corridor, his hands on his hips, frowning. He had been working in the police force for more than twenty years and could be considered experienced. He had never encountered such a meticulous killer.

It was not an exaggeration to describe him as meticulous.

The killer’s actions were not disorderly, but a highly ritualized judgment. From this point of view, Piao Zheng had also had a premonition early on.

Because the killer had committed the crime indirectly, and there were too few traces at the crime scene, Piao Zheng had invested a large amount of police force in investigating the victims.

This investigation had shocked him. This group of people really deserved to “die.”

Shang Yi, an opportunistic businessman, put business first, exchanged interests for power, and then used distance to control resources.

Piao Zheng had learned from Li Peipei that Shang Yi would use hallucinogens at parties to win people over, so he had turned to investigate the hallucinogen lead that Shen Yiyi had given him. Following the overlapping information from the previous drowning case, he had quickly found two sellers, who happened to be from the same factory as the hallucinogens in Shang Yi’s case.

The arrested seller had admitted that Shang Yi was a big seller, and that he knew his stuff and could take care of most of the sales.

These hallucinogens, after testing, although not strongly addictive, could make a person lose consciousness and have hallucinations in a short period of time. The seller had said that most of the hallucinogens that Shang Yi had purchased would be used in the drinks at parties, so they were specially customized, easily soluble films from the manufacturer.

This also verified Shen Yiyi’s identification report. The manufacturer was the same, but the models developed were different.

Piao Zheng had brought back many internet celebrities from the party where Shang Yi had had his incident. The urine tests were all positive without exception. Many people had drunk the drinks without knowing and had then had relations with the people at the party. But no one had dared to call the police afterward, and had even gladly accepted the invitation to the next party.

Piao Zheng had asked them why they had not exposed it, and the answers were relatively uniform: they had hoped that it would be an exchange of interests, and the people who had been invited had all gone with a purpose.

Shen Yiyi said on the other end of the line, “The first case represented power.”

The reason why Shang Yi had been able to deceive Li Peipei of her admiration and to drain her of her value was because he held absolute resources and decision-making power. The reason why he had been able to ignore his wife time and time again and to act recklessly outside was also because power had given him “freedom without a price.” Power had made him addicted, and it had also made him sink. He had constantly climbed. To him, power itself was no longer a means of balancing anyone, but an addiction, an endless game of self-inflation. He looked down on everyone, including his partners.

Crime Script.

The words that Lu Shimao had been reciting in the living room a few days ago echoed in Shen Yiyi’s head.

—Crime script.

In these three cases, the killer had left traces of performance at the end, repeatedly creating a criminal expression. Even the poisoning had followed indirect steps, strategies, and means. Then he would constantly update and execute this script or program to supplement his sense of security when committing the crime.

Serial murder cases all have their own core motive. If there is no repetitive sign at the scene, then it is highly likely that the sign is the victim himself.

“The killer is passing judgment!”

Shen Yiyi said coldly, “If Shang Yi’s death represents a symbol, a certain structural ability to harm, then it must be power itself.”

And Qi Yingjun…

In Piao Zheng’s eyes, Qi Yingjun was also a beast.

Piao Zheng had analyzed the fatal beauty blender.

He had even asked his wife about the function of a beauty blender.

But the answer he had gotten was that girls rarely use beauty blenders for makeup now. This kind of makeup tool was almost obsolete. To sell an obsolete makeup tool was enough to prove Qi Yingjun’s black heart.

Piao Zheng had even found when he was collecting personal past information that there were as many as eight girls who had been disfigured by Qi Yingjun’s hands. Only two had gone to court. Although they had won the lawsuit, it was only a medical dispute with the plastic surgery hospital. Qi Yingjun had gotten away with these cases perfectly and had become a big internet celebrity.

Piao Zheng would watch Qi Yingjun’s short videos every night before he went to bed. The most common thing he would say on the screen was to encourage girls to become beautiful. Only by becoming beautiful could they exchange for power. Only by becoming beautiful could they have the qualification to ask questions.

He had used his appearance to hijack the right to speak, to turn women into “products to be corrected.” But he was also very jealous and would be jealous of others’ beauty, and would even not hesitate to hit women.

“Beauty is justice,” a hypocritical aesthetic norm that was revered as a standard.

To kill Qi Yingjun, the killer must have felt that he was the most glamorous, the most fake, and the most ironic.

Piao Zheng was very dedicated to Qi Yingjun’s case. He had personally been involved in almost every link, so he could keep up with Shen Yiyi’s pace. “To not hesitate to use a live stream to kill him is to expand his influence. Compared to Xin Wuzheng’s throat-slitting, Qi Yingjun is probably the one the killer hates the most.”

“It’s rescue, and hatred.” These were the two motive words that Shen Yiyi could think of.

Shen Yiyi did not wear much makeup, but she knew that a “beauty blender” was a tool for a beauty blogger to eat. So to kill someone like this was a very special ritual for the killer.

Piao Zheng agreed with Shen Yiyi’s view.

He said, “Yes, I also think that the killer’s way of finishing off Qi Yingjun is a humiliating counterattack on beauty.”

Piao Zheng had visited and questioned Qi Yingjun’s past assistants. Without exception, they had all been beaten by him. There were even employees who were glad that the killer could punish him on behalf of the police. To die in a live stream was undoubtedly the greatest humiliation for him.

“Then what about Xin Wuzheng?” Piao Zheng did not dare to compare the third case with the first two, also because the methods were different. The killing method had transformed from low violence to high violence. It would take time for a killer to evolve. But three cases had happened in just two months, which had broken through the scope of a normal serial killer’s phased killing. Therefore, he could not profile any useful information.

Shen Yiyi had not been in contact with this case and had too little information.

But she had learned from You Ning that Shang Yi had solved many of the artists’ troubles through Xin Wuzheng, and had used agreements and traps to make the female artists who wanted to get out of the circle voluntarily give up their lawsuits or reach a private settlement.

Shen Yiyi thought of what Qin Luo had said, that Logos had once had a runaway internet celebrity called Dadihua, who was not only a friend of Qi Yingjun, but also a high-end escort at Shang Yi’s parties, helping Shang Yi to rope in other internet celebrities.

“Did you guys question a woman named Wang Linhua before?”

Piao Zheng was stunned. “Yes, how did you know?”

“This internet celebrity and Qi Yingjun know each other.” Shen Yiyi still remembered that at the analysis meeting, a colleague had claimed that Qi Yingjun had beaten an internet celebrity privately, but that it had all been settled privately through some means afterward. “Is it possible that Qi Yingjun and Xin Wuzheng also know each other?”

Piao Zheng was dismissive. “So what if they know each other?”

In his eyes, a lawyer had to be able to handle both black and white to make money. Defending a client was just their job. There were no truly innocent people in this world. The law was not for the innocent, but for those who knew how to negotiate. The so-called justice was just a game version used by those who could afford to pay the bill.

“A throat-slitting is a strong form of silencing.”

For a forensic pathologist, the first thing to look at when entering a scene is the environment.
The language of the body is very important.

In all her years as a forensic pathologist, Shen Yiyi had encountered very few throat-slitting cases. This kind of behavior carried a very strong personal emotion and symbolic intent, and throat-slitting had a technical requirement for the killer.

A throat-slitting is a close-range attack, and it must be absolutely fatal for the killer. If it is not a matter of life and death, then the advantage of a frontal attack is zero.

The killer had carefully designed the first two murders, using poisoning to escape legal punishment. But he had been able to choose a frontal attack on Xin Wuzheng, not hesitating to break his own rhythm and procedure.

“The killer needs to be very close, which means that he is not afraid of being identified or countered by the other, and he has an absolute psychological suppression. But to be on the safe side, the killer still chose to use an electric shock to make the other lose the ability to resist first.”

Shen Yiyi turned and entered Qin Luo’s office. “What was Xin Wuzheng’s height?”

Piao Zheng was flipping through the materials. “178.”

Shen Yiyi frowned. “I have to see the autopsy identification to give a specific profile of the killer, but from my experience, the killer’s height will not be less than 170.”

This was the judgment that Shen Yiyi had given with the help of the electric shock.
If he had slit his throat first and then had tortured him with an electric shock, then this height data would be even higher.

Piao Zheng suddenly thought of something. He said in shock, “Oh right, a lot of the blood at the scene was splashed on, all over the wall.”

Shen Yiyi had learned this from Wang Xi, which was not surprising.

She asked back, “You should have gotten Xin Wuzheng’s autopsy identification. You don’t have to send it to me to look at. I only care about the depth of the wound and the cutting angle.”

Shen Yiyi closed her eyes.

In her head was a pitch-black shadow. She was holding a knife handle in her hand, pinning a person against the wall. The blade was gradually sinking into the skin, until the windpipe made a “puchi” sound, and a not-so-sharp cut began to bleed.

Shen Yiyi had had this dream countless times.

She had even used all kinds of knives in her dreams, from fruit knives, to military knives, to paper-cutting knives. Her skill had become more and more fluid with age, and her physical strength was not something that an ordinary man could resist. It was no longer the clumsy feeling she had had when she had held the knife to Han Cheng’s neck, but that once the killer appeared, she would stab it into the other’s throat without any hesitation, and would cut the nightmare to pieces.

Therefore, she was very familiar with the wound.

Shen Yiyi asked as if she were verifying, “Is there a tear in the wound?”

Piao Zheng nodded. “There is.”

“There will be an arc-shaped drag at the end of the cut in the direction of the cut.”

Piao Zheng looked at the identification report on his phone and was a little dazed. Director Shen’s business ability was indeed extraordinary. “Yes.”

Shen Yiyi knew very well that this was not a simple throat-slitting, but a tear caused by a forceful insertion, which required a strong upper limb rotational force, and not to lose strength during the act, and not to be unable to hold the knife handle due to the visual impact.

Shen Yiyi said with certainty, “The killer is definitely not a first-time offender.”

Shen Yiyi had been studying serial murder cases for so many years and had a very detailed study of the wounds. Even if the killer had not killed like this before, he must have tortured and killed small animals to practice. Only by enjoying the pleasure in the slaughter could he not be affected by morality and unhesitatingly make a dragging wound.

“I need you to investigate someone for me.”

The outline in Shen Yiyi’s mind had a height, and her personality was gradually taking shape. There was only one thing she was not yet sure of. What had made the killer start to commit serial crimes?

Was it the reading group? Was it Qin Luo? Did the killer see the projection of his deepest fears?

Piao Zheng asked, “Investigate who?”

Shen Yiyi said, “I’ll send you the information in a bit.”

After hanging up the phone, Shen Yiyi walked into the conference room to see the police. She took out her police ID again, stated her purpose, and explained that Liu Jia’s disappearance was a serious pressure on the public security. If they couldn’t find her, the ones who would take the fall would not just be their grassroots police station, but also the city bureau.

Hearing this, the local police did not dare to ignore it and immediately sent more people to help.

While the police were busy, Shen Yiyi pulled Qin Luo aside.

“Tell me about Zhan Luo’s information.”

When Qin Luo had learned that Zhan Luo was the one who had possibly installed the camera, she had carefully reviewed their contact, but Qin Luo could not find anything strange about Zhan Luo. In her eyes, Zhan Luo was a normal man…

Except for the fight that day.

“I remember that before Xin Wuzheng’s death, Zhan Luo had once beaten up a photography executive at the production. In my eyes, his personality is very gentle and kind.”

Perhaps it was because of his identity as a volunteer.

Qin Luo thought to herself that anyone who could join the reading group as a volunteer had a strong sense of empathy and dedication.

The reading group was not like Logos’s salary level, and there was also a lot of hard and dirty work. If the volunteers had joined the reading group with the purpose of making money, Qin Luo would naturally not be able to give them a satisfactory rate of return.

Therefore, in Qin Luo’s eyes, the volunteers of the reading group all had a strong sense of justice.

It was hard for her to accept taking off that set of clothes for Zhan Luo, as if she were stripping the reading group bare and exposing its core. She did not want to see her rotten self, nor did she want to admit that it was a wrong faith that had made Zhan Luo do such a despicable thing.

Shen Yiyi’s face was dark. “Was that the time you also got into a fight?”

“Yes.”

Qin Luo nodded. “It was that time that I was a little shocked. How could he be so impulsive?”

Shen Yiyi asked, “What was his method of attack?”

“Him?” Qin Luo recalled. “It was very sudden. He punched the person in the face without any warning. He didn’t curse or anything, just told him to apologize to the other.”

“Can you get me a copy of his information from the human resources department?”

Qin Luo was very quick with the information. In less than two minutes, Zhan Luo’s personal information was sent to her phone. Shen Yiyi did not even open it and directly forwarded the compressed package to Piao Zheng, asking the other to check Zhan Luo’s information carefully.

After Piao Zheng had downloaded the compressed package, Shen Yiyi found a sofa to sit down and opened the resume to look.

Zhan Luo, male, 35 years old.

He had graduated from a sports college and had been an assistant coach at a provincial sports school after graduation. Then he had joined a pharmaceutical factory as a salesperson.

In 2019, he had participated in a Logos online trial class for the first time. In 2020, he had become a Logos volunteer. From 2021 to 2022, he was mainly responsible for the fleet and logistics. In 2023, he had become a full-time employee, mainly in charge of event logistics. In 2024, he was in charge of the online reading group, until he had become Qin Luo’s assistant this year.

What had happened five years ago?
Why would a perfectly good pharmaceutical salesperson come to Logos to be a volunteer?

Shen Yiyi flipped through it for a long time and had no clue. She had to take the few photo frames from Qin Luo’s office and look at them.

A few of them were group photos of important nodes of the key reading group.

She took out the group photo from Liu Jia’s office and looked at it alone. It was a photo of the entire staff of the reading group and the staff of Logos having a team-building activity in the mountains when Logos had just invested in building a base in the mountains.

In the photo, Liu Jia was so hot that her face was full of impatience, and she was forcing a smile next to Qin Luo. Zhan Luo was standing at the very edge, with his arm around another female volunteer, laughing heartily.

Shen Yiyi recognized the person next to the female volunteer at a glance. It was the beautiful woman from the front desk.

It was just that the visual contrast of their appearance was too strong. Only then did Shen Yiyi shift her gaze back to the female volunteer that Zhan Luo was holding.

“This is…”

Shen Yiyi jumped up from the sofa and rushed to the computer to search.

Although everyone in the group photo would become a small microcosm, Shen Yiyi could be sure that she had seen that face when she was searching, and her impression was very deep.

Shen Yiyi quickly dragged her mouse and clicked.

Da da—

The computer screen jumped. With the sound of the enter key, a news photo came into view.

It was the girl who had lost the lawsuit with Qi Yingjun.

Shen Yiyi let out a deep breath, held the photo, and ran out. “I know where Liu Jia is!!!!”