Chapter 78: Liu Feier and Her Obsessive Compulsions

2022-05-20

Liu Yinyan turned to us with a welcoming gesture, signaling it was time to begin our investigation. We’d barely reached the doorway when a strong whiff of perfume hit us. It was the exact same scent from the woman who had been taking photos by the door earlier. She noticed us too, her camera now hanging casually from her hand.

Liu Yinyan introduced us, saying, “These are also here to investigate my daughter’s disappearance.”

From the looks of things, the woman was probably mixed race and stood almost as tall as me, around 1.75 meters. Not really wanting trouble, I took the initiative to introduce the four of us.

But she clearly wasn’t interested in being cooperative. “My name’s Vivian. Let me make one thing clear: if we bump into each other during the investigation, I hope you guys won’t mess up our work. Honestly, you’d be better off just watching from the sidelines. With us on the case, Miss Feier is going to be just fine.”

Vivian’s voice carried enough to stir up the people inside. A moment later, a man and a woman stepped out. They looked local, and the man was dressed in a flashy suit topped with a gentleman’s hat—like he fancied himself a modern-day Sherlock Holmes.

He sized us up before speaking. “Let’s see, you’re slim and have hands without calluses—must be the brains of the team. That muscle guy’s probably got some serious skills. And this beautiful little princess must be the forensic specialist, right? I’m guessing that case is full of evidence tools?”

“But this gentleman, I can’t quite place him. Just here to watch the show?” He grinned, tipping his hat in a show of old-school manners, then handed me a business card. “You can call me Jesse. I run a small detective agency. These are my assistants, Vivian and Moriko.”

I had no clue where Jesse picked up such polite manners, but it left me—someone who grew up rough—a bit awkward. Should I have gone up and done a cheek kiss or something? Not to mention, Moriko and Vivian were both stunning. Mixed heritage sure had its perks.

“Nice to meet you.” Moriko greeted us with a bow.

Jesse went on, “We’ve already checked the place over, so rest easy—all the items are still where they were. We did this for your benefit too; it’d be awkward if you investigated the wrong leads. Vivian, Moriko, let’s go.”

He tipped his hat again and started forward. As he passed Guan Zengbin he paused and said, “Such a gorgeous and charming lady—any chance you’d join me for dinner tonight?”

That I couldn’t let slide. Two beautiful assistants weren’t enough? Now he wanted to hit on the only girl in our team. I cleared my throat. “Sorry, she has dinner plans with us tonight. Maybe focus on your own assistants, and try not to block the doorway.”

Jesse’s smile could have sold toothpaste—eight perfect teeth gleaming.

Moriko and Vivian followed after him, Vivian snickering under her breath, “Don’t waste your time, guys.”

I was about to fire back when Guan Zengbin spoke first. “Not sure where your confidence comes from, but if you’re trying to intimidate us, at least be professional. All that perfume messes with the evidence. You slathered on so much I have to wonder if everyone from your place smells like that.”

With that, Guan Zengbin strode into the room without so much as a glance back, leaving Vivian standing there looking shocked.

It hit me then—since the moment I’d met Guan Zengbin, I’d never seen her use perfume or nail polish. At first, I thought she just wasn’t like typical girls—relaxed and unconcerned about such things. Turns out, it was because of her dedication. No wonder Team Leader Shao picked her—he clearly knew what he was doing.

That’s the kind of attitude it takes to solve a case.

Watching Vivian at a loss for words, the rest of us snickered and hurried inside.

Feier’s bedroom was huge—bigger than many people’s entire homes. There was a massive round bed tucked against one wall, big enough for seven or eight people, with several human-sized plushies perfectly arranged. They were all the real deal too, probably worth a thousand apiece. Next to the bed was a row of large wardrobes running along an entire wall.

I tried opening one—inside, the wardrobe was packed with clothes, all luxury brands I barely recognized. Bags worth a fortune lay nestled among the clothes.

Guan Zengbin eyed the lineup of clothes and bags. “Just these closets alone must be worth tens of millions.”

I just shook my head and kept checking the room.

On the other side of the bed was a massive vanity, covered in all sorts of cosmetics, most of which I’d never even heard of. A single lipstick lay flat on the counter. I picked it up and gave it a feel—barely any had been used.

One side of the room opened into a balcony, with a glass door left wide open leading to the outdoor platform.

To the right of the balcony door sat a big computer desk, topped with a giant monitor—so big you’d be hard-pressed to see everything up close. The PC tower was stashed inside the desk, hidden from view. I moved the mouse and the screen snapped awake. The computer had just been sleeping.

The desktop was surprisingly clean—just a few essential folders. I clicked into one labeled ‘Games’ and found it stuffed with games of every genre, both single-player and online titles. Roughly counting, there were dozens of shortcuts—mostly new and popular games, spanning all the usual platforms and all definitely legit.

I opened the ‘Documents’ folder next. It mostly held essays and assignments—sparse compared to the game files, making it obvious she was more of a homebody. Judging by the games alone, her PC was top-tier.

By the door was a big study desk and a towering bookshelf filled with every kind of book—classics from East and West, webnovels, even college textbooks. No matter the genre, everything was meticulously sorted by color and size. She was clearly majoring in economics too—looked like Liu Yinyan wanted her to inherit the family business someday.

Guan Zengbin was already hard at work, using every tool at her disposal to check for signs of life—searching for blood, footprints, fingerprints, anything that might tell a story.

It was close to three in the afternoon, which meant Feier vanished sometime around one.

There were servants and a housekeeper everywhere in the Liu residence. Getting in through the main entrance would have been tough. That left the open balcony door as the likely entry point.

Thinking this through, I leaned over the balcony railing for a look. The second floor rose about seven meters from the ground—not impossible to climb, but not easy either. Still, if Feier had been sitting at her computer facing the balcony, wouldn’t she have noticed anyone coming in?

The computer was powered on, but only the desktop was showing. It reminded me of an old joke:

Whenever a dad walks into his son’s room, he finds the kid staring at the computer desktop, doing nothing.

Obviously, the moment Dad enters, the kid quickly kills a website.

So what about Feier? Did she just leave the PC running, or did someone else close the game she was playing?

Guan Zengbin frowned. “Found fingerprints—but only one person’s. I’m guessing they’re all Liu Feier’s. No others.”

“Check the balcony for any marks,” I said to Guan Zengbin. “If someone really got in, there’s no way it was through the front. The balcony may be the only way up.”

While Guan Zengbin searched, I waited out on the balcony.

Pulling out my phone, I checked the time.

Downstairs, security made rounds every five minutes. That meant our culprit only had a five-minute window to get inside, subdue Feier, and escape again—without drawing attention. One wrong move and they’d be caught. That was cutting it close.

Guan Zengbin reported, “Nothing. No traces on the balcony either.”

Gu Chen spoke up, “There’s always someone in this villa, with security patrolling outside all day. Is it even possible Feier was taken? What if she just left on her own and the staff missed it?”

I shook my head. “There are security cameras covering every entrance. I’m sure Liu Yinyan checked the footage before calling the police. If Feier had left, or if there’d been anything suspicious, he’d have seen it. That’s why he reported it right away.”

“When Liu Yinyan called the police, he said his daughter had already been missing for an hour, right?” I asked.

Xiao Liu answered, “That’s right, that’s what he said.”

I nodded. “Then there’s no mistake—Feier was taken. After dinner, she came back to her room—and when the maid or housekeeper checked on her, they discovered she was gone and told Liu Yinyan.”

“An hour—such a tight, perfect plan, and we still have no idea how they pulled it off,” Xiao Liu said. “Looks like we’re up against real professionals this time. So, what’s our next move?”

I pointed to the lipstick lying flat on the vanity. “Feier has obsessive compulsive tendencies. Just look at her plushies, her wardrobe, her bookshelf—even the icons on her computer are spotless and organized. Only someone with OCD would put in that much effort.”

“So that lipstick lying there—there’s no way Feier left it like that. It has to have been someone else. Besides, if she was leaving, a compulsive person like her would’ve shut down the computer first. All these little clues prove Feier didn’t leave on her own.”