Chapter 3
âWeâve just received a reportâthereâs been a homicide on Sanjiang Road in the Hexi District. According to the preliminary feedback from the first officers at the sceneââ the police officer began, but his originally loud, commanding voice gradually dropped in volume. The rest of his words became indistinct.
It wasnât clear whether he had noticed Luo Jingyao standing under the tree nearby, or if he was simply being mindful of the grieving family of Huang Guojun still wailing outside the gate.
After hearing the report, Lin Jiafan exchanged a glance with the people beside him. The members of the Special Case Investigation Team immediately understood and rushed into the office building at top speed.
He spoke a few more quiet words with the officer, then turned and walked slowly back toward the tree. He stopped about two steps away from Luo Jingyao.
âCoach Luo, right? Iâm sorry about todayâs classâŚâ His voice carried a hint of apology. Normally clear and bright, it had grown slightly hoarse from exhaustion.
âItâs fine. Work comes first, of course. Iâll coordinate the follow-up sessions with the bureau,â Luo Jingyao replied, waving a hand lightly. The smile on her face was politeâyet distant, almost detached.
Lin Jiafan didnât say more. At that moment, a police minibus pulled out from the back courtyard.
The driverâs window rolled down, revealing the narrow face of a young man with dyed light hair. âCaptain Lin!â
Lin Jiafan gave a slight nod, then strode over, decisively pulling open the passenger door and getting in.
The main entrance of the cityâs public security bureau was still completely blocked. Riot police sent in as backup had only just managed to carve out a narrow path barely wide enough for the vehicle to pass.
The siren blared the next second. The police van quickly disappeared from sight.
Outside the gate, the brief calm shattered almost immediately.
The middle-aged woman who had been crying and shouting resumed her tantrum. She waved her arms violently in the direction the vehicle had left, shouting toward the dozens of phones filming her:
âLook at how fast theyâre running! The one sitting in that car must be some high-ranking police official!â
A young officer assigned to crowd control couldnât stand the baseless accusation any longer and spoke up sharply.
âMaâam, you canât just make things up. That vehicle was dispatched on a legitimate task!â
âA task?â Huang Guojunâs mother snapped like a cat that had caught the scent of blood. Her eyes lit up instantly, and she exchanged a subtle glance with a man holding a protest sign behind her.
This scene did not escape Luo Jingyao, who had just made her way out through the side gate and was trying to squeeze past the crowd.
She raised an eyebrow slightly, greeted the gate guard she had already become somewhat familiar with over the past few days, and then slipped effortlessly into the crowd.
In such a tightly packed space, she should have been struggling to moveâbut she wasnât. In just a few breaths, she had already edged close to the middle-aged woman. At just over 160 cm tall, she blended easily into the crowd without drawing attention.
At that moment, a commercial van pulled up by the roadside. Several people carrying equipment stepped outâlikely media personnel.
Huang Guojunâs mother immediately noticed them. As if suddenly empowered, she placed her hands on her hips and launched into another round of accusations.
âOn a mission, right? Then dare to tell everyone what mission it was!â
The young officer who had spoken earlier instinctively tried to respond, but was quickly pulled back by a colleague. He swallowed his words.
Seeing this, the woman became even more aggressive.
âWhy arenât you saying anything now? Guilty, are you?â
The journalists had already pushed through the crowd and arrived at the front. Though many onlookers were displeased with their forceful entry, once they saw their credentials hanging around their necks, they shifted from annoyance to anticipationâwatching as if a spectacle was unfolding.
Facing the cameras shoved right up to her face, the woman showed no fear at all. In fact, her emotions seemed to intensify. Tears and mucus flowed freely as she cried out:
âJournalists! Please, you have to stand up for me! Two years ago, the Tianjin Public Security Bureau wrongly accused my son of murderâhe was killed because of them!â
Even though the officers had heard such baseless accusations before, they were still visibly angered. The same young officer stepped forward again.
âThe facts of the June 13 serial homicide case were clear. The evidence was complete. The investigation was proper and flawless. The suspect confessed, and the courts upheld the verdict through final appeal. You cannot make such irresponsible accusations against us!â
âUnfounded?â the woman screamed, suddenly erupting in front of the cameras. âThen explain to everyone what happened in last weekâs murder case!â
âAnd that police van that just leftâwhat exactly was it going to do?!â
The young officer hesitated. It wasnât fearâhe simply understood the weight of his words in a situation like this, especially with livestreams and major media outlets present. One wrong sentence could spiral into a public relations disaster.
Before things escalated further, a deep, steady voice came from behind him.
âThe details of last weekâs case cannot be disclosed yet, as the investigation is still ongoing. Once it concludes, we will release an official statement. We ask the public to trust the police.â
The speaker was Zhang, the deputy bureau chief.
Luo Jingyao recognized him. Three days earlier, when she had come to complete her onboarding, it was this same man who had taken her around the bureau.
Perhaps because he looked calm and reliable, speaking with confidence and clarity, the crowd gradually quieted.
But this was not the outcome Huang Guojunâs family wanted.
As expected, the woman spoke againâthis time revealing information that had not been made public.
âOh, spare me your righteous act! You refuse to tell the truth because last weekâs murder case is just like the June 13 serial killings, isnât it?!â
âAnd donât think Iâm stupid. That police van just now was clearly heading to the new crime scene in Hexi District.â
âLet me guess⌠this new caseâis it also connected to the June 13 serial murders?â
At those words, Luo Jingyao frowned slightly in the crowd. Something felt off.
Deputy Director Zhangâs eyelid twitched almost imperceptibly. His expression remained steady, but his gaze toward the woman sharpened with scrutiny.
The new murder case from last week had been tightly controlled. Even major official media had not been able to obtain detailsâso how did this woman know?
But there was no time to dwell on it.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd and countless livestream viewers, he chose his words carefully.
âThe investigation is not yet complete. For public responsibility, we cannot draw conclusions at this stage.â
âHowever⌠yes, there are similarities between last weekâs case and the June 13 serial homicide. Based on current evidence, we are leaning toward the possibility of a copycat crimeâŚâ
âYou finally admitted it!â the woman cut him off sharply. Her voice was piercing. âCopycat crime? Just an excuse for your incompetence!â
âMy son was innocent! He was wrongfully convicted!â
âWhoâs going to pay for his life?!â
Suddenly, she lunged forward.
Fortunately, the riot police reacted instantly and restrained her in time.
But the next second, a sudden commotion erupted. It looked as though she had been pushed from behindâshe staggered and fell dramatically to the ground, perfectly angling her face toward the media cameras.
âPolice are hitting people!â she screamed.
âMy poor son⌠he was only thirty! And now the real killer is still out there, while these heartless people are attacking a grieving mother instead of catching criminalsâŚâ
âMy son! Iâm sorry I failed you⌠Iâm coming to join you!â
With that final wail, she suddenly pulled a fruit knife from her chest and pressed its blade against her throat.
The crowd froze for a momentâthen chaos exploded.
Some people rushed to film. Others shouted updates into their phones. A few simply fanned the flames, relishing the drama.
Deputy Director Zhang immediately stepped forward, but was shouted back.
âDonât come any closer! If you donât give me a satisfactory answer today, Iâll die right here!â
The blade caught the sunlight, flashing coldly as it pressed closer to the pulse in her neck.
Zhang had no choice but to stop several meters away, speaking calmly while signaling urgently to the riot police.
But the situation was too chaotic. With the woman surrounded by her own group, there was no clear opening for intervention.
Just as everyoneâs attention was locked on the woman threatening suicideâ
A quiet, unremarkable figure was already moving through the crowd.
When Luo Jingyao was blocked by several men holding signs, she paused slightly, tilting her head to assess the gaps between people.
The next secondâ
A sudden scream broke the air.
âAhâ!â
In an instant, both the crowd and the media turned sharply toward the sound.
And what they saw made them freeze.
The fruit knife that had been in the womanâs hand was now spinning through the air in a clean arc before clattering precisely onto the ground beside Deputy Director Zhangâs feet.
The sharp metallic sound against concrete made everyoneâs scalp tighten.
Almost as if coordinated, every phone and camera in the crowd swung downward in unison.
On the ground, two figures were locked in a sudden, unexpected entanglement.
The onlookers: âŚwait⌠what just happened?
