Chapter 194: The Survivor

2022-05-20

Even though it was just a theory forming in my head, looking at it from a narrative standpoint, my guess actually made a lot of sense. The only thing was, I couldn’t be absolutely sure a child falling from the sixth floor would always die. There was always a chance of survival, maybe just injuries. If the child only got hurt, the killer wouldn’t be able to strike again and finish the job.

The killer wasn’t tall, and he was pretty skinny too. Maybe he could handle a woman, but if the kid’s father was there, there was no way he could win. So many people had already died, but up until now we still hadn’t figured out how the killer picked his victims.

He could write a different story for each person’s mind—that meant he had to have a deep understanding of every main character in the stories. From what I could tell, the killer really got inside the heads of his targets. That meant he must have been watching them for a long time.

If these murders were random, that would be too terrifying. Just imagine, some complete stranger lurking in the shadows, watching your every move. He knows the colors you like to wear, your favorite sports, even your favorite food. He knows it all, right down to how often you use the bathroom.

Between lovers, this would mean the two were practically glued together—people would be jealous of that. But if these two didn’t know each other at all, that’s a whole different story. It’s downright creepy, imagining someone constantly following you, studying you, trying to figure out your next step.

He doesn’t want to date you. He’s learning everything about you for one reason—to kill you in a way only he understands.

By the time we left the meeting room, it was already three in the morning. The crescent moon hung in the sky, turning everything faint and ghostly in the distance. It all felt unreal. Far off, someone staggered toward us, head down, moving slow.

Looking closer, I realized it was no one else but Xiao Liu, shuffling over. He looked exhausted and defeated. Seeing him like that, I knew he hadn’t found anything useful. Earlier, I’d told him to focus on the connections between certain people, but looking at him now, it was obvious he’d hit a wall.

Xiao Liu reached the front gate and finally noticed us standing on the steps. Gu Chen glanced at him and said, “I’m heading back to bed.”

I turned to Xiao Liu and asked, “So? Didn’t find anything?”

Xiao Liu pulled a cigarette from his pocket and handed me one too. I looked—it was the cheap kind, just five yuan a pack.

He let out a sigh, lit his own smoke and said, “After you left, I really dug into the relationships between those people. Turns out there’s actually nothing there. The age gaps are big, their backgrounds and environments are totally different, even their jobs don’t line up. No connection at all.”

I listened quietly, slow smoke curling from my lips as I tried to clear the fog in my head.

Xiao Liu sat down on the steps, head low. “I even looked into the parents of these people—came up empty. Wu Meng, I think we’ve hit a dead end. The killer’s just picking victims at random. No rhyme or reason.”

He turned to look at me. “The killer just picks a random person off the street, then starts following and digging around on them. After a while, he strikes. Like a leopard stalking its prey, enjoying the slow, methodical hunt.”

I didn’t say anything. The killer was just too careful, leaving us with nothing to go on.

But I still spoke up. “Xiao Liu, I still think the key is in the relationships between these people. There has to be a method to the killer’s madness, some pattern we’re just not seeing yet. We need to keep digging. There’s something we’re missing.”

Xiao Liu took a drag, stubbed out his cigarette on the step, and turned to ask, “Wu Meng, what are you looking into lately? If there’s really a breakthrough, why aren’t you checking it out yourself? Where did you go after you left today?”

There was an edge to Xiao Liu’s words. Beside me, Guan Zengbin frowned and asked, “What’s that supposed to mean, Xiao Liu?”

“You’re not pulling a fast one, are you?” Xiao Liu stood up, staring at me. “Leading me in the wrong direction so I can’t get to the truth? I know Team Leader Shao and you may not care, but others do. Things aren’t as simple as they look.”

Xiao Liu’s face twisted, and I wondered what he’d run into out there to make him this way. Still, I could see how tired he was, so I didn’t bother arguing. I said calmly, “If you don’t trust me, check yourself. But this is what I really think.”

Then I told Guan Zengbin, “Come on, it’s late. We’ve got a case to work on in the morning.”

Xiao Liu locked eyes with me, silent for a long time. Looked like he wanted to say something—his lips parted, but after a while he just turned and walked straight into the building. Apparently, he wasn’t planning to sleep yet.

Guan Zengbin sighed. “Ever since he started working with Team Leader Li, Xiao Liu’s changed. I can’t put my finger on it, but things just… aren’t the same anymore.”

I answered, “Maybe he’s just under too much pressure. Xiao Liu’s got his eye on a promotion—the only way up is to crack cases like this.”

The night passed in silence.

Early next morning, I was still asleep when someone kicked open my door. Big hands grabbed my shoulders, shaking me awake. A loud voice rang by my ear, “Wu Meng, wake up! Come on, we’ve got a lead!”

I blinked awake in a daze and saw Gu Chen shaking me. I mumbled, “What happened? Is there an earthquake or something?”

Gu Chen grinned when he saw me wake up. “Turns out your suggestion paid off. Around five this morning, someone called—the lead matched one of the people in the story. A kid really did fall from the sixth floor. And in that apartment complex, there’s actually a divorced man named Old Wang.”

I threw off the blanket and sat up. “Seriously? Did the kid survive the fall?”

Gu Chen shook his head. “The kid was still breathing when they rushed him to the hospital, but they couldn’t save him. He landed on his neck—everyone knew he wouldn’t make it.”

I went quiet. The kid was still gone in the end.

After a while, Gu Chen added, “But there is some good news.”

“What good news?” I looked at him, honestly struggling to think of anything positive in a case like this.

Gu Chen smiled. “The kid didn’t make it, but one person survived.”

“Who?” I asked.

“The main character in the story—Old Wang.”

“Old Wang didn’t go through with the suicide?”

Gu Chen nodded. “The clothes-drying rod on the balcony was only meant to hold laundry, not a grown man. Old Wang must weigh at least 150 pounds. The rope snapped where it was tied, and he crashed down, breaking an arm. They sent him to the hospital along with the kid.”

In a messed-up way, this was a stroke of luck. With Old Wang alive, maybe we’d get some answers. The killer must have followed him a long time—so maybe Old Wang noticed something off.

“Let’s go!” I threw on my shoes and headed out.

When I got out, everyone else was already waiting.

Once we were in the car, Gu Chen told me, “They’re at Dongxing City First People’s Hospital. The kid hasn’t been autopsied, and Old Wang is still in bed. Think the killer will try again if Old Wang’s still alive?”

Gu Chen’s question left me thinking. In every case before this, the main character died. But this time, Old Wang survived. Would the killer try again? I couldn’t say. This killer was just… too unpredictable.

As soon as we got out of the car, I heard Team Leader Li telling Xiao Liu, “Xiao Liu, post some men to keep watch here—especially outside Old Wang’s room. You must keep him safe. The killer’s unpredictable, could show up at any time. Zhang Qinrui, go talk to the hospital about examining the boy’s body.”

Team Leader Li was as organized as ever.

Team Leader Shao got out and said, “I knew Team Leader Li would handle the routine stuff. Let’s go straight to Old Wang and see if he noticed anything.”

Guan Zengbin said, “I’ll go to the morgue for the autopsy.”

The rest of us nodded.

I followed Team Leader Shao inside, mind spinning with possibilities.

We arrived at Old Wang’s hospital room almost at the same time as Xiao Liu. Peering in from the hallway, we saw Old Wang alone in bed. One arm was in a cast, and from the look of things he’d broken more than just that.

Xiao Liu and I exchanged glances. He went in first, pushing open the door.

I followed him inside, while the others waited outside.

Old Wang heard the door and glanced back at us, then turned away again, not saying a word, acting like he didn’t even see us.