Cui Lizhu stared for a while, then made her guess. “What happened to Han Kuan in Guang’an after he killed the last victim? Oh my god! Could it be possible for him to have left behind witnesses?”
“That’s possible.” Although Miao Ying nodded, she was not really sure about this, so she added, “But… The last victim died that day. Even if an accident happened, it wouldn’t cause him to have to wait and come back one day later, right?”
“He looks panicked…” Ran Tao murmured. “I wonder why? His parents are in good health now. So, it shouldn’t be because he is worried about his family.”
Miao Ying hesitated before she asked, “Zhao Yu, how about we take a trip to Guang’an?”
Zhao Yu shook his head. “That wouldn’t be helpful. The crime scene at Guang’an is an abandoned building that is in the process of being demolished. Hence, there’s nothing left there!”
Miao Ying nodded, then asked, “Well, Shall I call Wu Xiumin and have her ask Han Kuan directly?”
“Wait a minute!” For a moment, Zhao Yu seemed to think of something. While stopping Miao Ying from making the call, he went over to one of the white boards and carefully thought over something.
Team members were used to seeing Zhao Yu doing this during case investigations, and as they watched him, they all held their breaths, not making even one sound. After a while, Zhao Yu put his hand on the white board and thought so hard that his brows furrowed. It was clear that he was totally absorbed in case analysis at that moment.
After pondering for about 10 minutes, Zhao Yu knocked his knuckles on a line of words on the white board and said, “I feel like I have just understood something!”
He then turned to face his team members and said, “At first, there was always a blurry zone is this case. But now, all of that has become clear to me.”
Miao Ying asked him in a hurry, “Then… What’s the problem?”
Zhao Yu once again pointed to the line of words and said, “At the beginning, we only noticed that the murderer stopped the killings, but we ignored another important thing! However, we are not to blame for this, as at that time, we didn’t have as much information as we do now.”
“Boss…” Ran Tao scratched his head, then asked, “Can you put it in a way that’s easier for us to understand?”
After mulling it over for a moment, Miao Ying guessed, “Do you mean that the reason Han Kuan stopped killing is because of an accident? And, if so… What kind of accident could make him stop?”
“Not only do I think that…” Zhao Yu said carefully, “But, do you remember the devil suit? Han Kuan used it to frame Lang Xiangyang! But… We never thought about why he did that.”
Cui Lizhu interrupted him, saying, “That’s not right! Didn’t you say that one year after the case, because of the press coverage at that time, Han Kuan was afraid that the police would suspect him, so he came back to put the suit in Lang Xiangyang’s basement?”
Zhao Yu nodded. “Yes! But there is one more thing. Think carefully… Why would he worry that the police would suspect him? If the Devil Case was conducted perfectly, why would he feel that he needed to come back to frame Lang Xiangyang?”
Zhao Yu’s question made the office suddenly fall into a state of complete silence. Zhao Yu then went on to say, “Less is more. After all, Huan Kuan must know that framing Lang Xiangyang would increase his chances of being suspected by the police himself! As such, it was a very risky move. As a crime expert, Han Kuan would have been very clear about that. But, even so, he did it anyway! What could that mean?”
Cui Lizhu suddenly realized something and said, “It shows that Han Kuan did make a major mistake at that time, and someone got something on him that they could use for blackmail, right? He must have been really worried that the police would finally come after him then, so he had to take the plunge and frame Lang Xiangyang!”
Miao Ying also understood Zhao Yu’s meaning and nodded her head vigorously as she said, “Yes! Han Kuan must have made a mistake, leaving behind some evidence! But… Even so…” At this point, the hope that was in Miao Ying’s eyes suddenly faded.
“But…” Zhao Yu also said in frustration, “The evidence is time-sensitive, meaning that it was important at that time, but it does not mean that it is still relevant to the case now. After 15 years, Han Kuan is convinced that the evidence has disappeared or is no longer admissible! So, that is why he appears so calm and fearless!”
Ran Tao was depressed as he thought about this. “So, we have nothing to be happy about still! There’s no evidence…”
Miao Ying said, “You are right. But, Han Kuan most likely made a mistake at that time, so regardless, we have to find out what that accident was!”
“Yes!” Cui Lizhu nodded. “What if there is really a witness… Or several?”
“How is that possible?” Ran Tao asked. “The Devil Case was a huge sensation at that time. If there had been a witness, would he have kept silent amid all of the hubbub?”
“Don’t worry, at least we have a clue now!” Zhao Yu tried to comfort him.
“Boss, how can I not worry about it?” Ran Tao looked at his watch impatiently and said, “There are only nine hours left before Han Kuan is set to be released!”
Cui Lizhu retorted, “Find the evidence, and we can arrest him again!”
“What? What if Han Kuan runs away?” Ran Tao asked.
“It doesn’t matter. That only proves that he is guilty!” Cui Lizhu said.
“But, that will ruin our feng shui!” Ran Tao said.
“You police believe in feng shui? Well, I’ll be d*mned! Haha! ” Cui Lizhu thought this was really funny.
As he was listening to Ran Tao and Cui Lizhu arguing with each other, Zhao Yu appeared to be calmer than ever. This was because he was still waiting patiently for the important moment…
He deeply believed that today’s Gen Kun hexagram was absolutely related to the case, and that the side adventure was definitely going to be a major help in figuring it all out. While he was waiting, Zhao Yu saw that someone had brought breakfast.
So, he opened the meal bag and started eating his breakfast. At the same time, he asked Cui Lizhu to make him a cup of coffee. He looked very confident at that moment.
Time clicked by. During this period, a few Beiqian policemen came to deliver them some materials several times. Wu Xiumin also called Zhao Yu to ask about the progress of the case and to report on the work that was being conducted in Golden City.
Finally, the time of the side adventure was getting closer, and just at the exact time that it was scheduled to occur, the office phone rang! As Zhao Yu was the closest to the telephone, he rushed over to answer it first, “Hello?”
“Hello, Leader Zhao? I’m No. 24 at the reception center!” A sweet voice came from a woman on the other end of the phone. “I just received a report from a person in Jiangxing County. He said that he had important information about the Devil Case to report to the police. After I finished recording all of his information, I felt that it was necessary to report it to you.”
Jiangxing? Zhao Yu had heard of this county before. It was located far north of Beiqian. It was not in the Beiqian area at all, but was completely outside the provincial boundary.
The policewoman from the reception center continued, “The man’s name is Liu Yubao. After reading the news, he recalled a personal experience that happened to him 15 years ago that was somewhat similar to the Devil Case…”
“What?” Thinking of today’s side adventure, Zhao Yu trembled all over.
“Well…” Hearing Zhao Yu’s surprise, the policewoman from the reception center was a little panicked and said in a hurry, “Leader Zhao, if you think this information is important, I will call him back now, and I can connect the two of you so you can ask him about it personally!”
“Um… Yes! Good!” Zhao Yu thought for a moment, then immediately hung up the phone.
“What was that about?” Hearing Zhao Yu’s unusual reaction, one of the team members asked.
Soon, all of the team members had gathered around Zhao Yu. A few seconds later, the phone rang again. It was the same policewoman, who put connected the informant to Zhao Yu immediately.
A man’s voice with a strong accent suddenly came from the phone. Zhao Yu saw that the team members around him were curious, so he turned on the speaker mode.
“Yes! Can you tell me more about what you told the nice lady just now?” Zhao Yu requested.
“Police officer, you must first know that I’m just doing to help you. I’m a good citizen!” Liu Yubao said in a low voice. “I don’t care about any reward. I just wanted to help you solve the case with all of my heart. I can swear that I’m telling you the truth!”
“Okay. Whatever you have to say, say it quickly!” Zhao Yu urged the man.
“I’ve read the news, and I think that 15 years ago, on that very night, I had a brush with death!” Liu Yubao said with fear in his voice. “It my brother-in-law’s birthday, so I drank a few shots and got drunk at the celebration! When I opened my eyes the next day, I found myself lying in a strange corridor, my clothes were covered with dirt, and my forehead was swollen!”
He took a breath, then continued, “Well, I thought that was really strange. After all, I did drink a lot, but not enough to become unconscious or forget the way home! Moreover, even if I couldn’t remember how to get home, I wouldn’t go so far, much less wander into a strange residential district!”
Liu Yubao then said, “I also vaguely remember that someone covered my mouth that night, which is why I think that I lost consciousness! But… since nothing really bad seemed to happen to me in the end, besides waking up really confused, I didn’t think much about it until I saw the news. What you said last night really frightened me!”
Liu Yubao gulped hard, then said with a panicked look on his face, “It’s almost the same as the Devil Case! Fifteen years ago, I was a campus bully, often bullying others. So… I’m scared to death! Think about it… That day, the devil killer may have been looking for me. It seems that I should have been murdered already. Maybe he thought I was dead when I went unconscious! Who knows?”
Zhao Yu felt a chill run up his back as he asked quickly, “What district? Where did you wake up exactly?”
“It’s Taihe!” Liu Yubao answered without hesitation. “It wasn’t completed yet! So, there was no one at the Spring Festival.”
Miao Ying, having noticed the problem, interrupted him and asked, “Do you remember the exact date?”
“December 25th!” Liu Yubao said. “Again, it was my brother-in-law’s birthday! How could I forget?”
“December 25th?” Miao Ying was shocked and asked, “At night?”
“Oh… Yes!” Liu Yubao thought about it and explained in more detail, “On the evening of December 25th, I came out of my brother-in-law’s house at a little past 12 o’clock. At that time, I guess it was December 26th!”
Cui Lizhu stared for a while, then made her guess. “What happened to Han Kuan in Guang’an after he killed the last victim? Oh my god! Could it be possible for him to have left behind witnesses?”
“That’s possible.” Although Miao Ying nodded, she was not really sure about this, so she added, “But… The last victim died that day. Even if an accident happened, it wouldn’t cause him to have to wait and come back one day later, right?”
“He looks panicked…” Ran Tao murmured. “I wonder why? His parents are in good health now. So, it shouldn’t be because he is worried about his family.”
Miao Ying hesitated before she asked, “Zhao Yu, how about we take a trip to Guang’an?”
Zhao Yu shook his head. “That wouldn’t be helpful. The crime scene at Guang’an is an abandoned building that is in the process of being demolished. Hence, there’s nothing left there!”
Miao Ying nodded, then asked, “Well, Shall I call Wu Xiumin and have her ask Han Kuan directly?”
“Wait a minute!” For a moment, Zhao Yu seemed to think of something. While stopping Miao Ying from making the call, he went over to one of the white boards and carefully thought over something.
Team members were used to seeing Zhao Yu doing this during case investigations, and as they watched him, they all held their breaths, not making even one sound. After a while, Zhao Yu put his hand on the white board and thought so hard that his brows furrowed. It was clear that he was totally absorbed in case analysis at that moment.
After pondering for about 10 minutes, Zhao Yu knocked his knuckles on a line of words on the white board and said, “I feel like I have just understood something!”
He then turned to face his team members and said, “At first, there was always a blurry zone is this case. But now, all of that has become clear to me.”
Miao Ying asked him in a hurry, “Then… What’s the problem?”
Zhao Yu once again pointed to the line of words and said, “At the beginning, we only noticed that the murderer stopped the killings, but we ignored another important thing! However, we are not to blame for this, as at that time, we didn’t have as much information as we do now.”
“Boss…” Ran Tao scratched his head, then asked, “Can you put it in a way that’s easier for us to understand?”
After mulling it over for a moment, Miao Ying guessed, “Do you mean that the reason Han Kuan stopped killing is because of an accident? And, if so… What kind of accident could make him stop?”
“Not only do I think that…” Zhao Yu said carefully, “But, do you remember the devil suit? Han Kuan used it to frame Lang Xiangyang! But… We never thought about why he did that.”
Cui Lizhu interrupted him, saying, “That’s not right! Didn’t you say that one year after the case, because of the press coverage at that time, Han Kuan was afraid that the police would suspect him, so he came back to put the suit in Lang Xiangyang’s basement?”
Zhao Yu nodded. “Yes! But there is one more thing. Think carefully… Why would he worry that the police would suspect him? If the Devil Case was conducted perfectly, why would he feel that he needed to come back to frame Lang Xiangyang?”
Zhao Yu’s question made the office suddenly fall into a state of complete silence. Zhao Yu then went on to say, “Less is more. After all, Huan Kuan must know that framing Lang Xiangyang would increase his chances of being suspected by the police himself! As such, it was a very risky move. As a crime expert, Han Kuan would have been very clear about that. But, even so, he did it anyway! What could that mean?”
Cui Lizhu suddenly realized something and said, “It shows that Han Kuan did make a major mistake at that time, and someone got something on him that they could use for blackmail, right? He must have been really worried that the police would finally come after him then, so he had to take the plunge and frame Lang Xiangyang!”
Miao Ying also understood Zhao Yu’s meaning and nodded her head vigorously as she said, “Yes! Han Kuan must have made a mistake, leaving behind some evidence! But… Even so…” At this point, the hope that was in Miao Ying’s eyes suddenly faded.
“But…” Zhao Yu also said in frustration, “The evidence is time-sensitive, meaning that it was important at that time, but it does not mean that it is still relevant to the case now. After 15 years, Han Kuan is convinced that the evidence has disappeared or is no longer admissible! So, that is why he appears so calm and fearless!”
Ran Tao was depressed as he thought about this. “So, we have nothing to be happy about still! There’s no evidence…”
Miao Ying said, “You are right. But, Han Kuan most likely made a mistake at that time, so regardless, we have to find out what that accident was!”
“Yes!” Cui Lizhu nodded. “What if there is really a witness… Or several?”
“How is that possible?” Ran Tao asked. “The Devil Case was a huge sensation at that time. If there had been a witness, would he have kept silent amid all of the hubbub?”
“Don’t worry, at least we have a clue now!” Zhao Yu tried to comfort him.
“Boss, how can I not worry about it?” Ran Tao looked at his watch impatiently and said, “There are only nine hours left before Han Kuan is set to be released!”
Cui Lizhu retorted, “Find the evidence, and we can arrest him again!”
“What? What if Han Kuan runs away?” Ran Tao asked.
“It doesn’t matter. That only proves that he is guilty!” Cui Lizhu said.
“But, that will ruin our feng shui!” Ran Tao said.
“You police believe in feng shui? Well, I’ll be d*mned! Haha! ” Cui Lizhu thought this was really funny.
As he was listening to Ran Tao and Cui Lizhu arguing with each other, Zhao Yu appeared to be calmer than ever. This was because he was still waiting patiently for the important moment…
He deeply believed that today’s Gen Kun hexagram was absolutely related to the case, and that the side adventure was definitely going to be a major help in figuring it all out. While he was waiting, Zhao Yu saw that someone had brought breakfast.
So, he opened the meal bag and started eating his breakfast. At the same time, he asked Cui Lizhu to make him a cup of coffee. He looked very confident at that moment.
Time clicked by. During this period, a few Beiqian policemen came to deliver them some materials several times. Wu Xiumin also called Zhao Yu to ask about the progress of the case and to report on the work that was being conducted in Golden City.
Finally, the time of the side adventure was getting closer, and just at the exact time that it was scheduled to occur, the office phone rang! As Zhao Yu was the closest to the telephone, he rushed over to answer it first, “Hello?”
“Hello, Leader Zhao? I’m No. 24 at the reception center!” A sweet voice came from a woman on the other end of the phone. “I just received a report from a person in Jiangxing County. He said that he had important information about the Devil Case to report to the police. After I finished recording all of his information, I felt that it was necessary to report it to you.”
Jiangxing? Zhao Yu had heard of this county before. It was located far north of Beiqian. It was not in the Beiqian area at all, but was completely outside the provincial boundary.
The policewoman from the reception center continued, “The man’s name is Liu Yubao. After reading the news, he recalled a personal experience that happened to him 15 years ago that was somewhat similar to the Devil Case…”
“What?” Thinking of today’s side adventure, Zhao Yu trembled all over.
“Well…” Hearing Zhao Yu’s surprise, the policewoman from the reception center was a little panicked and said in a hurry, “Leader Zhao, if you think this information is important, I will call him back now, and I can connect the two of you so you can ask him about it personally!”
“Um… Yes! Good!” Zhao Yu thought for a moment, then immediately hung up the phone.
“What was that about?” Hearing Zhao Yu’s unusual reaction, one of the team members asked.
Soon, all of the team members had gathered around Zhao Yu. A few seconds later, the phone rang again. It was the same policewoman, who put connected the informant to Zhao Yu immediately.
A man’s voice with a strong accent suddenly came from the phone. Zhao Yu saw that the team members around him were curious, so he turned on the speaker mode.
“Yes! Can you tell me more about what you told the nice lady just now?” Zhao Yu requested.
“Police officer, you must first know that I’m just doing to help you. I’m a good citizen!” Liu Yubao said in a low voice. “I don’t care about any reward. I just wanted to help you solve the case with all of my heart. I can swear that I’m telling you the truth!”
“Okay. Whatever you have to say, say it quickly!” Zhao Yu urged the man.
“I’ve read the news, and I think that 15 years ago, on that very night, I had a brush with death!” Liu Yubao said with fear in his voice. “It my brother-in-law’s birthday, so I drank a few shots and got drunk at the celebration! When I opened my eyes the next day, I found myself lying in a strange corridor, my clothes were covered with dirt, and my forehead was swollen!”
He took a breath, then continued, “Well, I thought that was really strange. After all, I did drink a lot, but not enough to become unconscious or forget the way home! Moreover, even if I couldn’t remember how to get home, I wouldn’t go so far, much less wander into a strange residential district!”
Liu Yubao then said, “I also vaguely remember that someone covered my mouth that night, which is why I think that I lost consciousness! But… since nothing really bad seemed to happen to me in the end, besides waking up really confused, I didn’t think much about it until I saw the news. What you said last night really frightened me!”
Liu Yubao gulped hard, then said with a panicked look on his face, “It’s almost the same as the Devil Case! Fifteen years ago, I was a campus bully, often bullying others. So… I’m scared to death! Think about it… That day, the devil killer may have been looking for me. It seems that I should have been murdered already. Maybe he thought I was dead when I went unconscious! Who knows?”
Zhao Yu felt a chill run up his back as he asked quickly, “What district? Where did you wake up exactly?”
“It’s Taihe!” Liu Yubao answered without hesitation. “It wasn’t completed yet! So, there was no one at the Spring Festival.”
Miao Ying, having noticed the problem, interrupted him and asked, “Do you remember the exact date?”
“December 25th!” Liu Yubao said. “Again, it was my brother-in-law’s birthday! How could I forget?”
“December 25th?” Miao Ying was shocked and asked, “At night?”
“Oh… Yes!” Liu Yubao thought about it and explained in more detail, “On the evening of December 25th, I came out of my brother-in-law’s house at a little past 12 o’clock. At that time, I guess it was December 26th!”
