The Brain Science Case v1c1

Chapter 1: Paranoid Delusions – 1

#From today on, I’m all alone.

**

The fatigue from a long-haul flight was truly something else. It didn’t seem to matter which class you flew.

Amidst the immigration queues, the sharp click-clack of a pair of heels drew more than a few glances. “…Yeah! I just landed…” The woman in heels was tall, her Lolita-style black lace dress exuding an air of understated elegance.

“It’s ten p.m. in California, right? A fifteen-hour difference… Of course I did! I even got two naps in.” Her fingernails were neatly manicured, her makeup subtle and appropriate. A head of shoulder-length, slightly curled hair added a touch of playfulness to her ensemble.

She spoke softly, her baby face making it difficult to guess her true age. “No, don’t worry about it! Didn’t the airport MRT line just open? I’ll take that north…”

A glint of light flashed across her large, round, frameless glasses. “It’s overcast? Oh? Taipei too! I really need some sunlight to fix my jet lag… Haaah!” She covered her mouth and yawned.

“I’ll just wander around for a bit first… Yeah, yeah! You said you found me a part-time gig… Tell your classmate not to get his hopes up! I’m still just a trainee! I have no experience going solo… Mm, you get back to your shift! See you tonight.” After hanging up, her leisurely pace quickened.

She easily spotted her checked luggage on the carousel; contrary to her ornate attire, the plain, matte black hardshell suitcase became the perfect identifying marker.

The terminal was filled with signs, clearly indicating pickup points for private cars, bus and taxi stands, and of course, the newly added airport MRT line for travelers to follow.

However, she had never been one to play by the rules.

This time was no different.

“Aah!” Despite saying she would take the MRT, she broke into a run, speeding past the turn for the airport line.

The automatic doors opened to the private car pickup area. At 3:25 in the afternoon, a corner of the sky’s dark clouds had drifted away, revealing a sliver of pale golden light.

Cars came and went, picking up friends and family. She stood among the waiting passengers, spread her arms wide, and took a deep breath, her rose-colored lips curving into a slight smile.

Tilting her head up, she said to herself, “Tang Yingli, welcome home.”

[Time until department store bomb detonation: 3 hours and 5 minutes remaining]

**

Even after stepping out of the office for a break, Criminal Investigation Division Leader Fang Zijun couldn’t smooth the deep furrows in his brow, no matter how many times he sighed.

A young girl with the surname Chen, who had been abducted in the Shilin District on August 7th, was found dumped in a small alley in a night market this morning, a week later.

Yesterday, patrol officers in the Xinyi District received another report of a missing girl. A girl with the surname Xu had been lured away by an unknown man while shopping. Although some witnesses had come forward, their accounts were wildly contradictory. They couldn’t even agree on whether the kidnapper’s vehicle was a red sedan or a white SUV, let alone the age estimate, which ranged from twenty-something to forty.

Having been a detective for over a decade, he knew all too well how unreliable eyewitness testimony could be. Yet, the leads they had were so scarce they couldn’t even begin to narrow down a list of potential suspects. They were forced to endlessly review surveillance footage and scour the crime scenes for any possible clue.

Not including yesterday’s disappearance, a riverside park dumping last month and this morning’s night market discovery meant two innocent girls had already fallen victim.

One girl was in the fifth grade, the other in fourth. Both had been out alone during their summer vacation when they were abducted and killed. The cause of death was the same—strangulation—and bodily fluids had been found on both victims. DNA analysis was underway, but the numerous similarities between the cases pointed to a high probability of a single perpetrator. The first victim even had a clear cigarette burn on her pubis… The wounds on their bodies also indicated they had been subjected to significant torture before death.

Fang Zijun couldn’t forget the sight of the families identifying the bodies, their faces contorted with grief and rage. It had been a month since the first body was found, and whenever he closed his eyes, he could still hear the mother’s wails.

And this unknown perpetrator was only growing more vicious and brazen. He had shortened the interval between his crimes and moved his hunting ground to the most bustling and crowded district, blatantly flaunting his deeds.

This can’t go on!

For that reason, he had decided to seek outside help. It was hard to say if it would work, but if it could offer any breakthrough in this needle-in-a-haystack situation, he’d even consult gods and oracles if he had to.

Speaking of outside help… He took a harsh drag from his cigarette and pulled out his phone, intending to call his old college buddy—though he knew the man was just as busy, at this point, even a quick chat would be a rare moment of relief.

His gaze shifted, and he suddenly caught a flash of a bright yellow figure. “Jinglin? It’s so hot out here… What are you doing?”

The woman in the track jacket turned around, not a hint of embarrassment on her face. “Chief! Sneaking a smoke out here?”

The young woman had her hair tied back in a neat ponytail, her bold eyebrows and large eyes giving her a distinctive look. Drenched in sweat, she looked like she had been working out for a while. A pair of red-and-white boxing gloves hung around her neck.

“What do you mean sneaking… I’m doing it in plain sight. It’s the middle of the day, aren’t you afraid of getting heatstroke?”

“I was just hitting the punching bag, it’s air-conditioned. I only ran two laps, and it’s overcast, so no heatstroke for me!”

Zhou Jinglin. A young officer newly transferred to the Criminal Investigation Division. She had been on the job for less than two months, one of the greenest rookies on the team.

Although he was her superior, Fang Zijun had always been approachable and easygoing with his team members. But Zhou Jinglin met his gaze directly, standing ramrod straight, making no effort to hide her respect for her boss.

“Who says? Don’t you think it’s stuffy?” It’s getting hard to breathe! “Have you eaten?”

She shook her head. “I couldn’t eat, so I came to work out.”

“What, on a diet?” he chuckled. “You’re in great shape already!”

A look of frustration crossed her face. “It’s not that! It’s… I was on duty with Senior Ah Mu all morning, and we didn’t get a single lead… And I got a call from Beibei’s mom this morning. She keeps blaming herself…” Her nails dug deep into her palms as she sighed. “She just went to the restroom, and her daughter, who was sitting right outside the movie theater, was just gone!”

The “Beibei” she mentioned was Xu Bei’er, the third missing girl.

“How did Mrs. Xu get your number…” He trailed off as the phone rang again. Without a word, Zhou Jinglin answered. As expected, it was the same parent.

The call was short, but Fang Zijun’s expression turned grim. “How many is that? For today.”

“Including this one, nineteen.”

“Give me the phone!”

“Chief, what are you going to do?”

“Just give it to me!” Fang Zijun hit redial. Zhou Jinglin realized his intention and tried to pull the phone back, but it was too late.

“…In any case, if there are any developments, we will contact you. Please wait patiently and stop calling my colleague!” he instructed in a firm tone before tossing the phone back. “Don’t you dare answer if she calls again! I’ll force you to turn it off if I have to! Seriously… just taking her calls is enough to keep you from your duties!”

“But I…” She shrank back, swallowing the retort on the tip of her tongue.

The fierce look in his eyes lasted only a moment before his tone softened. “Do you remember why Ah Mu and Big Head recommended you for our division?”

“I remember.”

“Jinglin, you have drive and passion. You’re the fresh blood we desperately need. But you have to remember what your job is. Don’t burn all that drive and passion on dealing with a family’s endless worry and fear, understand?”

She took a deep breath. “I know!”

His cigarette finally burned down to the filter. “Get back to the investigation. Go check the surveillance footage, or go get some lunch.”

“Yes, sir! I’ll go look at the footage.” Zhou Jinglin promised, grabbing her gloves and running back into the office.

“That girl…” He shook his head and followed her inside.

**

After changing into her uniform, Zhou Jinglin entered the Criminal Investigation Division’s monitoring room. It was connected to the city’s video database, allowing for easy access to footage from any surveillance camera in Taipei.

This dense network of cameras had made investigations much smoother; the swift resolution of the international ATM heist by the Russian mafia was largely thanks to it.

“Find anything?” She brought a cup of coffee for herself and her colleague.

“Only one thing!” Cai Yuwei held up a finger and tore off a page of messy scribbles. “That our well-meaning witnesses provided faulty intel.”

“No suspicious vehicles matching the descriptions?”

“I’ve searched all the cameras from Songgao Road to Songshou Road, nothing.” His eyes were glazed over. “It’s possible the kidnapper parked his car in a lot and lured the little girl away.”

“So it wasn’t a random snatch-and-grab from a car parked on the street.”

“Right. A kid would struggle, unless he drugged her and carried her off…”

“That’s possible! Luring her away depends on the victim’s cooperation, and he’d risk the parent returning.” According to Mrs. Xu, she had been away from Beibei for five minutes at most.

It seemed like an insignificant amount of time, but sometimes, it was enough to change a person’s life forever.

She flipped through Cai Yuwei’s notes. “Where are you up to?”

They were from the same class, both new detectives. Compared to her drive, Cai Yuwei was meticulous. He had drawn up a chart, ticking off the camera numbers for the time slots he had already checked. “I’m up to here…”

“Okay… I’ll help you look!”

He took a sip of coffee. “Oh? Finally, some company!”

Seeing his look of profound gratitude, Zhou Jinglin smirked and clicked on an unverified video file. “I’m not here to keep you company.”

“Don’t be like that! We’re classmates, after all… Hey! I heard from the seniors that the parent keeps calling you?”

She pursed her lips. “Yeah.”

“You gave her your number during the interview?” When she nodded, he slapped his forehead. “Ah, Jinglin, you’re just too kind-hearted! Me, I can’t stand those noisy parents! No, kids either…”

Zhou Jinglin listened to his complaints calmly, her eyes never leaving the screen. “…In the whole division, rookies and veterans alike, you probably have the most patience! Anyone else would’ve stopped answering long ago…”

“Mrs. Xu is just worried about Beibei. If I were a parent, I’d probably be even more frantic than she is.”

“I get that… but she can’t obstruct an official investigation.”

“She’s not obstructing anything.” Zhou Jinglin gripped the mouse tightly. “She’s not. The responsibility is all on us now! Every minute we don’t find Beibei is another minute she has to suffer… I. Don’t. Want. To see another innocent little girl get hurt. Not one more!”

Her voice was strained, her expression so severe it was frightening. “Jinglin… are you okay?”

Her vision suddenly blurred. She “saw” him, the man who had long since vanished from her life…

‘You dare… talk back to me again!’

Bottles, fists, and feet rained down viciously, leaving a constellation of bruises on her shoulders, back, arms, legs, and even her forehead.

It was pure violence. For a little girl with no way to fight back, all she could do was beg for mercy.

Zhou Jinglin’s hands trembled. She gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, and said quietly, “Scum like this who only dare to prey on children… they’re the worst, the absolute lowest! They should all be locked up… The world would be a better place without them!”

“Jinglin?” Cai Yuwei cautiously placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you alri—Oof!” She suddenly grabbed him, and in the instant their eyes met, he thought his arm was about to be broken.

She froze, then immediately let go.

He rubbed his wrist. “Y-Your expression was terrifying…”

“I’m sorry!” She bit her lip. “I didn’t mean to… Does it hurt?”

“It’s fine! I’m okay!” He forced a smile and shook his hand. “Wh-What’s wrong? Did you remember something…?”

She fell silent, and the atmosphere instantly turned awkward. He pointed at the screen and forced a laugh. “Uh, l-let’s keep watching!”

“Yeah… okay.”

They each focused on their respective surveillance feeds, and neither spoke again.

The silence was broken only when the monitoring room door opened again. “Ah Wei! Any brea—whoa! Little Zhou is here too?”

They both looked up. “Senior Ah Mu!”

It was Chen Huomu. “Seeing you two looking half-asleep tells me you haven’t found anything… Surveillance cameras aren’t omnipotent, you know!” he said, kindly giving them an out. “It’s almost six! Aren’t you going to eat? Little Zhou, the chief said you skipped lunch too.”

“Yeah! I don’t have an appetite…”

His eyes quickly landed on the empty coffee cup. “Drinking coffee on an empty stomach is bad for you!”

“I know! Thanks for your concern, senior.”

“The whole division is running on fumes because of this case. If we stop eating, I bet we’ll all collapse before the killer is caught!” The two rookies chuckled, and he waved them over. “Come on, come on! Let’s go eat!”

“The senior has spoken, let’s go!” Cai Yuwei said with a smile, pulling her up. This time, he didn’t get a wrist lock for his troubles.

The moment they stepped out of the monitoring room, they were hit by the aroma of food. For police officers, eating boxed lunches was a normal part of the job.

Having been hungry all afternoon, Zhou Jinglin quickly finished her pork chop bento and joined her colleagues, all of them staring intently at the news on TV.

The ticker at the bottom of the screen endlessly scrolled with news of the body discovered two days ago, while interviews with the parents played on a loop in a smaller window. The broadcast was already drawing a line between yesterday’s missing girl and the previous two murders.

“Is the chief in?”

“Nope! Probably went to get the autopsy report…” The officer who answered flipped through a few news channels. “Sigh! Every station is covering this so heavily. I know it’s supposed to put psychological pressure on the killer, but it puts a lot of pressure on us, too!”

“It’s the chief’s strategy, right?”

“Yeah, but so far, no reliable witness accounts have surfaced.”

Zhou Jinglin glanced at Cai Yuwei, who happened to be looking at her. His lips were greasy as he winked and made a funny face at her, drawing a small smile.

“Attention, everyone!”

Fang Zijun had returned at some point, his expression tense. “Just now, we received a report of an armed robbery at a department store in the East District! They say a suspected explosive device was found! The district police are already on the scene. Ah Mu, Jinglin, and Ah Wei, you’re with me!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

“Everyone else, continue with your current tasks and remain on standby in the office! Don’t forget your gear!”

The four of them quickly piled into a police vehicle. Fang Zijun put on his headset to get updates on the situation, Chen Huomu drove, and the two rookies sat bolt upright, exchanging a look.

Although they had been on several investigative assignments before, this was the first time they were going directly with the chief to the scene of an armed robbery. It was an unprecedented situation.

“Hit the siren!” Fang Zijun told Chen Huomu, then turned back. “Time for you two to get some practical experience! You have your vests and guns?”

A look of eager challenge appeared in both their eyes. “Yes, sir!” they said in unison.

He smiled, then his expression turned serious. “While we have a moment… the autopsy report shows that the semen found on both bodies belongs to the same person!”

Zhou Jinglin’s heart clenched. “So it’s confirmed…”

“Yeah! And little Xu is most likely… Dammit, there are so many sick bastards in the world these days!”

“Tough times breed crazy people!” Chen Huomu chimed in.

“More than crazy, he’s a true psychopathic killer!” he corrected. “Unfortunately, the DNA database didn’t find a match… This animal either has no prior record, or he’s never committed a crime serious enough to get his DNA on file!”

Zhou Jinglin’s muscles tensed, her eyes glazing over for a second. “Then Beibei, she…”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself! I’m just bringing you up to speed. Right now, we’re dealing with a lunatic with a gun. We’ll worry about the pervert later! I’ve contacted my classmate. He said he’ll have his sister come and help us with the case. She’s an expert! It should help a little.”

Chen Huomu whistled with a grin. “The chief actually swallowed his pride and called in an expert! He’s really pulling out all the stops this time.”

“Damn right! If we let this guy keep killing, where’s the dignity of our division… no, of the entire police force?” He sat up straight and put his headset back on. “We’ll be there in five minutes! Ah Mu, step on it.”

“You got it!”

The accelerator was floored. Zhou Jinglin’s pupils contracted, and she gripped the handle above the car door. At the same time, she heard Cai Yuwei let out a grunt as they were both slammed back into their seats.

The police car sped through a large intersection. The white LCD clock inside the car displayed “18:20”.

[Time until department store bomb detonation: 10 minutes remaining]