Innocence in the World

By Candice Bacon

"...I had a dream. All of us were still together inside. He was sitting at the far side. The wind blew through his bangs and covered his eyebrows, but he looked so calm. No. Knowing who played the guitar, the sound of strumming made me feel that I will never forget it in my life."
"When I woke up, I realized it was all just a dream, and I cried."
"After crying, life must go on!"

• Language: English
• Publisher: Candice Bacon
• Release date: May 13, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224030538

Book preview

Chapter 1 Girl's Sorrow

No one knows how this rose blooms at night, just as no one knows how to respect the sun that drives away the cold on winter nights.

I looked at the clock and saw that there was not enough time to go to the birthday party.

Sophia picked up her mobile phone and opened the taxi-hailing software on it. She hesitated for a moment and pressed it.

Although it gets dark later in the summer, the neon lights are already shining by this time.

There is a small alley without street lights in front of Sophia's house. Residents nearby have repeatedly said that it is too dark to walk at night, but they are told to wait and wait and they will arrange repairs.

Sophia stood in front of the building in front of her house, not daring to move forward.

She has been afraid of the dark since she was a child.

The cell phone rang suddenly, and it was an unfamiliar number.

Sophia hesitated for a moment, but finally answered the call.

Hello, I'm your taxi driver.

Oh, I know. When can you come? I'm a little rushed. Sophia replied.

I'm really sorry, my car has a minor problem, and it will probably take another three to five minutes. How about this, I see your destination is Songhelou, you can cancel the order first, and then I will pick you up and guarantee to take you to your destination within fifteen minutes, and then you can pay me.

The voice on the other end of the phone paused, sounding a little embarrassed.

You know, it's not easy for us to make money. If you can't get to the pick-up point on time, you will be deducted money.

Sophia sighed, It's not easy. I'll wait for you.

Sure enough, within two minutes, another unfamiliar text message was received on the phone.

I'll wait for you at XX intersection.

Sophia knew about the XX intersection, just past this dark alley.

but......

Sophia gritted her teeth.

Walk!

Thumb, thump, thump...

The heels of the high heels hit the ground, making a series of crisp sounds.

Sofia looked around as she hurried on in a panic.

Not far away, a small red dot was flashing.

Someone!

Cough cough cough!

As if he saw Sophia, there were violent coughs coming from the corner.

In an instant, Sophia's back was soaked.

She glanced furtively towards the corner.

A skinny old man huddled in the corner, his greasy face carved with wrinkles like those left after being cut by a sharp blade.

He was naked to the waist, holding a nearly finished cigarette in one hand, and holding something in his mouth with the other hand.

A pair of triangular eyes looked at Sophia with a smile.

Sophia walked faster.

The old man stood up, scratched his crotch, and walked towards Sophia.

ah!

Sophia ran towards the flashing lights in front of her regardless.

The bustling streets with neon lights made her feel so at ease for the first time.

Just like home.

The old man's breathing behind him became more and more intense.

Sophia finally saw the car that came to pick her up, right at the entrance of the alley, with double flash.

She got into the car in panic, closed the car door, and looked through the car window before she dared to look at the pursuer carefully.

A beggar.

The man seemed to be looking at Sophia through the car window, and his gaze was like a sharp razor, peeling off Sophia's clothes one by one.

The old man looked at the car window with a disappointed expression, as if he had let go of a ferocious beast that had caught its prey.

Then, he grinned at Sophia again, showing his big yellow teeth, with the leek from last night sandwiched between his teeth.

Sofia resisted the urge to vomit and slapped the driver's seat hard, Master, drive faster, please.

The driver looked at Sophia in the rearview mirror.

Exquisite makeup, beautiful face, and a panic-stricken expression.

He lowered his head and smiled, Okay.

The accelerator roared, and the car's taillights disappeared into the sea in the distance like a flame.

The beggar reached his hand into his mouth again, and this time he finally succeeded in removing the piece of leek from between his teeth.

He placed it on the tip of his finger, just like Napoleon admiring Mona Lisa in the Louvre. Two species abandoned by the world finally met again.

He smacked his lips and put the bit of chive into his mouth.

Sophia felt a little dizzy in the car, but she didn't suffer from motion sickness, so she subconsciously wanted to open the window to get some fresh air.

The car window was just opened a little and then closed by the driver.

Miss, the air conditioner is on in the car.

Sophia nodded, too.

The driver didn't know when he put on a mask.

I always feel like something is not quite right.

The dizziness became more intense, and Sophia could not see the world outside the window clearly.

I just feel that the lights outside the window are getting darker and darker, and even the car body is shaking.

Sophia wanted to struggle to sit up, but found that she had no strength at all. She used all her strength to write a word on her phone with trembling fingers, Save...

There is no life left, and I don’t know who the recipient is...

The whole world suddenly fell silent.

In the rearview mirror, the driver's eyes turned into slits with a smile, like a cheetah looking at its prey struggling under its claws.

Miss?

Miss?

Sophia made no movement at all.

He opened the four windows and let the car drive through the wilderness at the junction of urban and rural areas.

He took off his mask, threw it out of the car, and grinned, showing his white teeth.

He took a deep breath out the car window, the world was so beautiful.

...

Washington, a developed city in the country, has always been famous for its fast pace of life, so fast that no one could spot the female corpse floating in the water.

She was floating alone and naked on the water, drifting forward along with the current.

There is no destination.

But it seemed like he was going to attend some important banquet.

Washington Metropolitan Police Department Major Crimes Division.

A certain ride-hailing platform could not withstand repeated questioning by the missing family members, and finally chose to call the police as a last resort.

Liang Chao, leader of the serious crime team, sat at the head of the conference room.

He crossed his hands, held his chin, and frowned.

The ashtray beside him was already full of cigarette butts.

Why did you choose to call the police so late?

The person in charge of the ride-hailing company is a balding middle-aged man, wearing a pair of gold rimless glasses.

Comrades in the police, isn't there a rule that if someone has been missing for more than 24 hours, they can call the police as a missing person and open a case for investigation.

absurd!

Charles slapped the table and stood up.

Both eyes were full of red bloodshot eyes.

You clearly received the victim's distress message ten hours ago, why didn't you call the police?

Mediterranean laughed along, Hehehe, police comrade, police comrade, please calm down, calm down...

As he spoke, he handed over a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes.

Charles waved his hand and knocked the cigarette out of Mediterranean's hand.

Mediterranean's face changed, and he paused for a moment, but then he smiled awkwardly, Comrade police, you also know that our company is the largest taxpayer in our city. To be honest, I don't have millions of dollars this minute, but I must have hundreds of thousands. Besides, how do we know whether she is really asking for help or sent the wrong message? If she sent the wrong message, my loss... Besides, aren't we here to report a crime...

Charles stared at the man in front of him.

Mediterranean didn't dare to look directly into Charles' eyes, so he subconsciously took a step back and muttered, Big taxpayers, big taxpayers.

Charles gritted his teeth and spoke word by word.

Then tell me, how much is a human life worth in your eyes?

Mediterranean didn't know whether he felt guilty or simply couldn't withstand such great pressure. He sat down on the chair, lowered his head and stopped talking.

Charles gave him a sharp look, turned around and asked, Have you found any traces of the city-wide search? What are the results of the interviews with the surrounding suspicious persons?

Half an hour later, the usually cold junction of urban and rural areas became noisy.

Police cars parked one after another in the wetlands beside the river, their wheels sunk deeply into the mud. The red and blue police lights were blaring in conjunction with the blaring alarm bells. The bright yellow cordon was drawn. More than fifty meters long.

The uniformed criminal police officers were busy all the time.

Charles stood on the shore and looked at the slowly flowing river.

Fifteen minutes ago, the girl was floating helplessly on the river.

The rolling river water covered her naked body, leaving her with the last trace of dignity in the world.

Sophia's mother cried and fainted several times, but she didn't even have the chance to see her biological daughter for the last time.

Several policewomen and the mother were holding Sophia on their backs, firstly to prevent her from rushing to destroy the evidence left at the scene, and secondly, because they were afraid that the mother who had lost her beloved daughter would faint again at any time.

Sofia's mother's eyes were already swollen and bulging.

She struggled continuously, her feet leaving deep cracks in the soft and moist soil, as if she was a swan about to fly into the sky. Her sorrowful roar had already scared away all the birds not far away.

Please, police comrade, I just want to see my own daughter, I just want to see her, she didn't even have breakfast this morning, she had such a serious stomach disease and she still dared not to eat breakfast, I must scold her, please don't let her sleep anymore, okay...

No one could answer the mother's request.

When a mother's wish to see her own flesh and blood again becomes a prayer, then there is no more extravagant wish in the world than this.

Sophia's father was smoking silently with his back to the river in front of him. Cigarette butts were scattered all over the ground and his shoulders were trembling slightly.

Sophia's mother suddenly stopped struggling, and instead turned around and rushed towards Sophia's father.

I let you smoke! I let you smoke! Don't you know that your daughter hates you smoking the most?

Sophia's mother beat, tore, and dug every inch of Sophia's father's skin like a madman, using all the tricks a woman could use in a fight.

But that man was like the last willow tree in the cold wind, with his head lowered and his back straight, welcoming the summer snow with such a strange yet solemn ritual.

Chapter 2 Word

At some point, Sophia's mother stopped waving her arms and just lay weakly on the man's shoulder.

The man slowly reached out his hand, hugged the woman's upper body, and gently but firmly hid her in his chest.

Charles turned around and asked the busy forensic doctor, How is it?

The forensic doctor was stunned for a moment and replied, It's not easy. The murderer had a certain degree of anti-detection awareness when committing the crime and used a condom, so there was no semen stain or other key evidence left.

Moreover, the forensic doctor paused, the scene was severely damaged. The murderer chose this river beach wetland. It is now the rainy season in summer. There is precipitation in different places throughout the province almost every day. This river basically runs through the entire province. Therefore, even if the murderer ran around barefoot on this wetland, it would be wiped out by non-human factors the next day.

Where's the murder weapon? Charles asked.

The forensic doctor and the detectives on the side shook their heads, This is probably not the first time the murderer committed a crime. The murder weapon should have been taken with him. Nothing was found at the crime scene except the body.

Charles frowned and kept muttering, Crime scene, crime scene...

wrong! Charles slapped his head and sat down on the ground.

I thought wrong, I thought wrong, Charles took out a pen from his jacket pocket and started writing something directly on the palm of his hand.

The place where the body was found is here, but the first scene of the crime will definitely not be here! This river is living water, so it will be swimming every minute and every second. In other words, after the murderer committed the crime , threw the victim’s body into the river, and it took some time to reach the place where the body was found!

What is the approximate time of death of the body? Charles asked the medical examiner.

Between ten and twelve o'clock last night.

Charles looked at his watch. It was already 910 in the morning. In other words, about eleven hours had passed since the incident.

Washington City is also part of China's southeastern province. The river flows from west to east into the East China Sea. Calculated based on the average water flow speed, it has reached about 10,060 square meters per hour.

The corpse weighs about 50KG, and due to the influence of resistance and other factors, the mileage traveled is about six-tenths of the total cubic meter of water flow. Calculated in this way, eleven hours is 110,660 cubic meters. The river water can accommodate a reasonable amount of water in each section. The carrying capacity is about 25,000 cubic meters...

44 kilometers... Charles stood up and said this inexplicably, then pointed at several detectives, You! You! You! All of you, hurry up and get to the upstream area about 50 kilometers away from here!

...

Ten minutes later, the intercom in Charles's hand rang, Captain Liang, we're here. We've searched the place, but we didn't find anything...

Charles was holding his cell phone, staring at the corpse beside him in a daze.

At the crime scene, the white cloth used to cover the body was not very long. It could only cover the girl's head, and a pair of pale and slender feet were left exposed alone.

There is another circle of light red marks at the ankle.

Charles closed his eyes. If I were the murderer, what would I do after raping and killing such a beautiful girl?

From excitement to fear, and from fear to calmness.

I want to destroy the body and cover up my crime! And the river in front of me is undoubtedly the perfect place to hide the body.

Charles' eyebrows were twisted together, but the police still found the body. Obviously, this was absolutely inconsistent with the murderer's original intention!

Where could the body be hidden in the river without being discovered?

River bottom!

Later, Sofia's parents also confirmed that Sofia did not have the habit of wearing anklets on a daily basis.

Half an hour later, Charles was sitting in the interrogation room of the police station.

...

If one day you can speed up the flow of time, then you will have supreme authority over this world and even the entire universe.

Eight hours later, the suspect in the taxi rape and murder case was arrested by police at the Washington train station.

The clock in the interrogation room had already ticked past one in the morning.

Charles still sat in the interrogation room.

But the person opposite him was replaced by a neatly dressed young man.

On the table was a report and an evidence bag.

The results of a fingerprint comparison proved that the evidence bag contained a woman's wallet found in the young man's home.

The wallet contained the ID of a girl named Sophia.

The evidence is irrefutable!

Name?

Li Guoyuan.

Profession?

Call a taxi driver.

Last night, no, the night before last, Charles paused, what did you do?

Young man Li Guoyuan opened his mouth tremblingly, revealing his white teeth, I only raped, not killed...

...

The next morning.

The Press Release Committee of the Washington City Public Security Department announced the solution of the major rape and murder case on August 23 to the city’s news media.

Li Guoyuan, a native of Washington, was arrested and imprisoned on the evening of August 23 for malicious rape and murder. The trial will begin on the same day .

The Press Release Committee and many colleagues in the city's press circles lavishly praised the speed and determination of our country's public security organs in delivering justice for the people, and at the same time expressed their absolute indifference to and tolerance of criminal forces .

On the afternoon of the same day, the Washington Intermediate People's Court pronounced in court that the defendant Li Guoyuan was guilty of malicious rape and intentional homicide, and was sentenced to death for immediate execution.

As the hero in this case, Charles, the head of the Major Crime Team of the Washington City Public Security Department, also received high praise from the media.

But when facing the camera, Charles, who looked tired, waved his hands without saying a word.

Subsequently, many news media in Washington City reported the case and reminded single women in Washington City to be vigilant when traveling.

...

Charles, who was supposed to be sitting at the celebration banquet, was now at an old man's home.

What's wrong, Xiao Chao? After solving such a nationwide case, why are you still looking gloomy?

The old man turned his back to Charles, holding a six-inch long Kanto Liaowei in his hand, and kept waving it on the paper.

Charles sat on the sofa nearby, holding a glass of West Lake Longjing that the old man had just brewed, and drank it in one gulp.

Teacher, I just think that the longer you work as a police officer, the more things and cases you will see, but I really don't understand why there are people who know the law and break the law and are willing to commit these cases. Woolen cloth?

The old man put down the brush in his hand, turned around, smiled and cursed, You are just drinking from cows, and you have ruined a good pot of Spring Dragon Well.

Charles spread his hands, It's not like you don't know. It's okay to call me for a drink. For tea, you still have to call Jimmy...

As soon as he finished speaking, Charles felt that he had said the wrong thing and hurriedly laughed.

The old man sat directly opposite Charles, picked up a cup of tea, first put it in front of his nose and smelled it, then slowly brought it to his mouth and took a sip.

Jimmy, how is he doing now?

Charles frowned slightly and shook his head, It's still the same. Although Lao Li is talented, his illness and what happened back then... Alas, teacher, you don't know, Lao Li is now a lecturer at Ning University, but who Everyone knows that almost no one will attend Jimmy’s class...

Charles paused and then continued, "Teacher, you were Jimmy and I's mentor, you were also an honorary professor at Ning University, and you were the founder of the entire Washington city and even the southeastern police community.

As long as you speak, this Jimmy..."

The old man didn't wait for Charles to finish speaking, stood up and waved his hand, Jimmy can't do it, and neither can I!

If you were any leader in the southeast police community at this moment, you would be familiar with the old man in front of you.

Powell!

As early as twenty years ago, the southeastern part of our country opened its doors wide due to economic development. However, while the economy was developing rapidly, the crime rate was also increasing year by year. Powell, then director of the National Police Department, took the initiative to take the lead. , he was demoted to three levels and served as the police chief of the three southeastern provinces, almost reorganizing the entire southeastern police force.

In just five years since Powell took office, he not only maintained the economic momentum of steady growth, but also greatly reduced the crime rate in the three southeastern provinces. However, Powell, who was already well-known throughout the country, chose to retire after success and pursue a career. The honorary professor of Ninghai University will give way to others.

It is no exaggeration to say that in today's southeastern police circles, any leader who is in office cannot respectfully call out old leader when meeting Powell on May Day.

As one of Powell's closed disciples in his later years, no one doubts the great potential of Charles.

Even so, Jimmy, Powell's other remaining disciple, is not satisfactory.

However, this is all a matter for later, so I won’t mention it for now.

Powell stood up, turned his back to Charles, and waved his hand, I'm tired and want to rest. You can go and do your work. By the way, the question you asked me was something Jimmy and I had already done a few years ago. We’ve discussed it. As for the answer, I’ve written it down on paper. You can read it yourself.

After saying that, Powell closed the door and ignored Charles behind him.

Charles shook his head, A stubborn old man and a stubborn boy!

After saying that, Charles stood up and walked to the desk.

Although the old man is nearly seventy years old, his writing power is still as strong as before.

There are a few big characters written in ink on the rice paper.

The nature of man is evil, and those who are good are false.

Chapter 3 The Fourth Person

At four o'clock in the morning on March 18, Charles, who was still asleep, received a call from the chief of the Washington City Public Security Bureau, saying that a particularly serious criminal case had occurred in the courtyard of No. 27 North Changping Road and he should return to the team immediately.

It was just around 415 when Charles arrived at the police station.

Most of the colleagues in the police station have arrived.

The director sat aside, picked up the cup, took a sip, and said, To be honest, Director, put down the cup in your hand, I don't know how to tell you about this case, why don't we go to the scene together.

vomit......

North Changping Road , a man in police uniform ran out of the house with his mouth covered. He squatted beside the green belt on the side of the road and retched. With him were several other people in police uniform.

Charles looked at the things on the wall in silence.

Most of the leaders in high positions in the Washington Police Department have not been to a crime scene for many years. If they had not seen the chief still in the room, they would have been like the few police officers next to the green belt. .

The walls are covered in deep reds.

Someone smeared the entire wall with blood.

The deceased in this case was lying on the wall, like a huge gecko.

The gecko has no tail, and he has no head.

He was tortured to death!

What do you think, Charles? The director stared at the wall.

Let's clean up and search the crime scene first to see if we can find some evidence useful to the case and... the head of the deceased. Charles said.

Forensic doctors in white coats and police officers in uniforms came in one after another and conducted luminol blood tests in all places except the living room.

Large swathes of fluorescent splashes cover the entire home.

There is no doubt that this is the first crime scene, and it is here that the murderer committed a series of crimes against the victim.

ah!

A scream directly broke the busy and tense atmosphere at the crime scene.

Charles and a group of leaders rushed into the kitchen following the sound.

A young female police officer sat on the ground blankly, her face full of fear and disbelief.

Her right hand pointed straight at the refrigerator in front of her, her mouth opened and her pupils dilated.

Several policemen helped her up, and Charles took a few steps forward and leaned over.

In the fresh-keeping room, a human head was staring at him with a strange smile.

Cases such as home invasion and homicide cases are originally accompanied by many unknowns. In many cases, the original intention of the home invasion assailant is not to kill people, but more to make money, but he woke up during the robbery. Killed the victim, or happened to meet the victim returning, which resulted in the consequences of home invasion and murder.

For example, the two criminals Wang Zongfang and Wang Zongwei in the Two Kings of Northeast China case, which is very famous in the history of our country, were found to be suspicious by the medical staff on duty that night, and they were questioned repeatedly.

Then he shot and injured four people, including the security guard. There is also the world-famous case of Huang Zhiheng’s human-meat barbecued pork buns. The initial purpose of the criminal was to make money, but during the theft process, some subtle psychological changes occurred, either out of self-protection or out of Humanity's most instinctive bloodthirsty mentality has turned from stealing to committing murder.

The Washington Police Department’s Major Crime Team, after receiving instructions from provincial leaders and attaching great importance to it, the Washington Police established the 3.18 Major Murder Case Command Center that night. Leaders including the chief of the Washington Police Department issued a military order to the province.

Within a week, the murderer of the 3.18 case must be brought to justice!

That night, autopsy reports, scene analysis books, and interview records of surrounding people were placed on Charles' desk.

Everyone, let's talk about the situation.

Charles sat in the conference room and motioned to the police officers participating in the meeting to share their thoughts.

On the screen in front of him was the case analysis and report about the 3.18 murder case.

A police officer stood up first, Captain, we visited and investigated the victim in this case and found that the victim in this case, Wang Lei, male, 34 years old, living alone, is an electrical and mechanical worker, and his usual social circle is also very simple. , I have no bad habits, I just like to buy lottery tickets. I have a friend named Wang Changlin who comes here often. The two of them always like to discuss lottery matters at Wang Lei’s rented home. After the incident, Wang Changlin disappeared.

He is the lottery player who won the 30 million grand prize not long ago ."

Charles held his chin with one hand, put the other hand on the table, and kept tapping his knuckles on the table slowly.

Let's go! Go to Wang Changlin's home!

One by one, the police officers filed out.

20 minutes later, Charles and everyone arrived at Wang Changlin's home.

It was already nine o'clock in the evening. Wang Changlin was not at home, only his wife and old mother. Both of them looked tired, but they still politely ushered everyone into the house.

Charles sniffed, there was a strong smell of fireworks in the air.

We are the police. Is Wang Changlin at home?

Charles took out his ID and said to the two people in front of him.

After hearing what Charles said, Wang Changlin's wife's attitude instantly became much colder, Mr. Police, it's so late, we orphans and widowers don't have time to play with you here. If you have nothing to do, please go back.

Charles and the policemen looked at each other.

Comrade police officer, our head Lin...

Wang Changlin's old mother stood up and pointed tremblingly at a black-and-white photo in the living room in front.

He's gone...

After leaving Wang Changlin's home, Charles drove directly to the high-rise building where Wang Changlin was standing that day.

the last small world that Wang Changlin owned before his death was clearly circled on the ground with white lime powder containing fluorescent ingredients .

The railing was still rusty and there were no signs of friction.

Charles grabbed the handrail and looked down. It was the eighteenth floor. If he fell down, he would be torn into pieces.

Just like this, Wang Changlin smiled slightly, let go of his grip on the railing, and fell down in front of many police, rescue workers, and psychological counselors.

Charles returned to his office and flipped through the files over and over again.

The biggest suspect in the 3.18 case actually committed suicide the day before the death of the deceased.

Charles also asked the medical examiner and viewed Wang Changlin’s autopsy report and suicide certificate. There was nothing suspicious.

Wang Changlin owed a huge amount of loan sharks because of business loans. He couldn't bear the pressure and committed suicide by jumping off a building.

But before Wang Changlin committed suicide, Wang Lei's lottery had already been drawn.

In other words, the sequence of the 3.18 murder case and the various events involved should be as follows Wang Lei won the lottery, Wang Changlin committed suicide, and Wang Lei was found dead at home. Within three days,

Three things.

Logically speaking, it is normal for Wang Lei to have won a 30 million grand prize and his only friend was desperate to seek help due to hundreds of thousands of debts.

What's more, a few hundred thousand is a drop in the bucket compared to 30 million, and Wang Changlin is also Wang Lei's only good friend in Washington.

No matter what, Wang Lei has no reason not to help.

But Wang Changlin still committed suicide because of debts.

So is there any hidden secret in this matter, or is there a third person?

Captain. A knock on the door interrupted Charles' thoughts.

Come in!

A policeman walked into Charles' office, Captain, this is the transcript of Wang Lei's landlord.

Charles took the record from the police and said, How are you? Did you find anything?

The other party shook his head, Nothing was found. On the night of Wang Lei's case, his landlord had a sufficient alibi.

Charles slowly sat back in the chair and frowned.

A beggar was beaten on the street. It seemed that only the beater and the beggar were involved in the incident, but this was not the case.

In many cases, the murderer is not the person directly involved in the case, but the hidden fourth person.

In other words, when a beggar was hit, from an intuitive point of view, you may not have been involved in the incident, but as a bystander, you are undoubtedly the fourth person in this incident.

This is also a point that is overlooked in many cases.

That's him! Charles stood up and walked out of the office.

...

A day later, Washington police arrested Zhang Hongda as he was about to collect his lottery winnings.

That is the fourth person involved in the March 18 serious case.

Washington D.C. Police Department interrogation room.

Charles sat opposite Zhang Hongda.

Name!

Zhang Hongda.

Profession?

I...run a lottery shop...

Since the founding of New China, the motives of many criminals in serious and major crimes are actually very simple.

We might as well use the reverse reasoning method in criminal investigation to look at the 3.18 serious case, and it is not difficult to find the fourth person hiding behind the curtain.

He has direct connections with Wang Changlin and Wang Lei, and also has sufficient motives to commit the crime.

He was also the first person besides Wang Lei to know that he had won the prize.

Zhang Hongda, the owner of the lottery shop.

The two people had the following conversation before the incident.

Wang Lei Boss, let me check out last week's lottery results.

Two people stood in front of a small screen, smoking cheap cigarettes.

Wang Lei stared at the small screen in front of him solemnly with a pilgrim's mentality.

Yeah......

Until all seven numbers match.

Oh my god! You hit the jackpot!

Zhang Hongda looked at the lottery ticket in Wang Lei's hand.

Wang Lei was solemn and dignified, and kept transferring the lottery ticket from his right hand to his left hand. Because his hands were full of sweat, he was afraid that the sweat would wet the lottery ticket.

Oh my goodness, thirty million!

Wang Lei nodded, sweat on his temples, but his face was full of coldness.

He carefully put the lottery ticket in his pocket and left the lottery shop.

Zhang Hongda closed the door of the lottery shop and followed him out.

For the first time in his life, he showed extraordinary patience and perseverance, just for the sake of money and life.

He saw Wang Changlin walk into Wang Lei's house, and then walk out in a daze.

Night falls and the curtain opens on his stage.

Zhang Hongda didn't expect that his first murder would be so easy, just like killing a chicken during the New Year in his rural hometown.

But he laid Wang Lei's body flat, found a pair of scissors in the kitchen, and cut open Wang Lei's belly.

Zhang Hongda found the lottery ticket in Wang Lei's stomach.

Wang Lei put the lottery ticket into a condom and swallowed the condom along with it.

He kicked the corpse hard.

Damn it, if I hadn't been watching you, I would never have guessed that you, a jerk, could hide the lottery ticket in your stomach.

Zhang Hongda became increasingly angry as he watched Wang Lei in front of him, so he simply chopped off his head and nailed his body to the wall.

Facts have proved that during the murder process, once humans are stimulated by blood, 60% of them will suddenly become panicked and do not know why.

But there are still 40% of people who will become extremely excited, their brains will work rapidly, and they can think of many abnormal techniques and ways to escape guilt that normal people cannot think of.

Human thinking has been endlessly sublimated at this moment.

Zhang Hongda put Wang Lei's head in the refrigerator, smeared his blood all over the wall, and nailed Wang Lei to the wall with iron nails.

At this moment, he felt extremely satisfied.

It's like Leonardo da Vinci looking at the Mona Lisa.

This was his work, and he could even imagine the surprised and frightened expressions people would have after discovering Wang Lei.

...

A week later, the Washington Intermediate People's Court sentenced Zhang Hongda, the suspect in the March 18 serious case, to death with a two-year reprieve, deprivation of political rights for life, and confiscation of all property.

That night, Charles did not miss the celebration banquet. The director sat next to Charles and looked at him.

What's wrong? Are you still in a bad mood even though the case was solved?

Charles shook his head, picked up the glass and drank it all in one gulp, frowning.

Wang Lei just watched Wang Changlin commit suicide because of hundreds of thousands of debts?

The director patted Charles on the shoulder and said, If you are poor in a busy city, no one will care about you. If you are rich in a remote mountain area, you will have distant relatives. Wang Lei has 30 million. Is he still worried about not being able to find a few friends?

Chapter 4 Flowers of Evil

She tied her body with ropes, making it into the shape of a flower, blooming in the boundless wilderness.

The white neck was rubbed with blood marks by the iron chain, and it was as beautiful as a red spider lily.

Charles walked hurriedly on the tree-lined path of Ninghai University. There were couples on the path, kissing and hugging as if no one was around.

Charles is now the head of the Major Crimes Unit of the Washington Police Department. Due to two major cases that occurred in succession in the city, the Washington city leaders decided to set up a Major Crimes Unit. Charles played a big role in these two cases , so it was natural for him to take on the position of team leader.

On his first day in office, Charles came to Ninghai University, where his good friend Jimmy worked.

To be precise, he came here to poach people.

Jimmy didn't have his own office. After hearing a dull Come in, Charles pushed open the door.

Jimmy looked up from the courseware, pushed up his glasses, and looked at him.

Charles walked in and found that several teachers around him were looking at him with unfriendly eyes. The atmosphere was too awkward. Charles coughed and said to Jimmy, Let's talk outside.

Charles leaned on the railing of the corridor, looking at the students rushing to and fro with their textbooks in the lower part of the teaching building, and said, I remember when we were in school, you were the only one who liked to go to the library the most. When the others had holidays, some went out to work part-time or travel, but you were the only one who could stay in the library for a whole day.

Jimmy's grades were always good, but he always encountered problems during the practical exercises. He had severe social phobia and hemophobia. So no matter how good his grades were or how smart he was,

It will also be considered as empty talk.

Only Charles understood how powerful his old classmate was.

Charles pulled a cigarette box out of his pocket and shook it at Jimmy. Jimmy shook his head, and Charles took out a cigarette and started smoking.

Charles blew out a puff of smoke and said, This isn't the right place for you. I can see that.

We walked through this corridor and no students greeted you, but I could tell that there were a few of them who were your students.

Jimmy bowed his head and said nothing.

Come to my place, Charles pressed his cigarette butt against the railing and turned to look at Jimmy, It's a waste for you to stay here.

Jimmy lowered his head and smiled bitterly, I don't like to interact with people, you know.

The serious crime team has just been established and is still very weak. I think about it, and you are the only one who can support the serious crime team with me. Charles said seriously.

Jimmy put his hands in his pockets, looked at the playground for a long time, and said, Let me think about it.

the next day.

The woman came to report the case herself. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were a little red and swollen, obviously she had not slept all night.

She hasn't been seen since yesterday... She said she was staying at a classmate's house. The next day we called her but she didn't answer. When we asked her classmates, they said they hadn't seen her at all...

The woman spoke intermittently, her hands pinching her trousers, revealing her anxiety and panic.

A young policeman poured her a cup of tea and asked her to speak slowly.

On the afternoon of May 25, Karen Carter, a sophomore at Washington City Second High School, went missing one day after the police reported her disappearance.

Due to the influence of several previous murders, the serious crime team immediately opened a case and began an investigation.

Well, how is her popularity usually?

A female police officer held a notebook and carefully recorded the information provided by Karen Carter.

The first possibility that Charles thought of was that the crime was committed by an acquaintance, because cases like the missing girl happened in a relatively closed campus, which could not help but remind people of cases such as love killings.

But the results of the investigation were disappointing. Karen Carter was very beautiful, but she had no boyfriend during her lifetime. There were some people who pursued her, but she rejected them clearly. So it was unlikely to cause any disputes.

Karen Carter usually has good grades and good interpersonal relationships, and basically has no grudges with her classmates.

Charles looked at Karen Carter's information and couldn't help but frown.

A murder of passion has been ruled out. With such good interpersonal relationships, it doesn't seem like the crime was committed by an acquaintance.

Charles frowned. Maybe Karen Carter was still alive, but his intuition told him that the girl was most likely dead.

Charles came to Karen Carter's dormitory. There were three roommates in the dormitory. They were a little nervous when they saw the police.

The three classmates seemed extremely surprised about Karen Carter's disappearance. In their eyes, Karen Carter was definitely not a student who would lie casually, and it was even more impossible for her to stay out all night.

Has she been in contact with anyone recently?

A classmate thought for a moment and said, No, no, we are usually together.

Charles nodded and left the dormitory.

When he stepped out of the dormitory door with one foot, Charles suddenly turned around and saw a girl stuffing something under the pillow.

What are you doing? Charles stared at her.

The girl was so frightened that she almost jumped up and said repeatedly No, no...

Seeing her like this, Charles walked up to her with a stern face and said, Take it out.

The girl couldn't resist the pressure and had to slowly take out what was under the pillow.

Charles took it and saw that it was a red rope with a small bell tied to it.

It's like the kind of trinkets often sold at temple fairs. At first glance, there's nothing special about it.

It's just that the bell is a bit big. If worn on a girl's wrist, it looks a bit uncoordinated, and the rope is too long.

Where did it come from? Charles asked.

The girl didn't dare to look at him and whispered It was a gift from my boyfriend.

Charles nodded, thinking that the girl was shy. Children of this age always have a sense of taboo about love. No matter who the adult is, they will always feel awkward speaking out.

Charles returned the jewelry to the girl, and the girl quickly took it and put it under the pillow.

Charles walked to Karen Carter's bunk. This bunk looked very neat, even revealing a sense of obsessive-compulsive neatness.

Charles looked at the dormitory display a few more times, and there was a sense of girlish sophistication everywhere.

Does Karen Carter have this too? Charles suddenly asked.

The girl was stunned and almost nodded subconsciously, but she held it back.

No......

Charles looked at her with complicated eyes and said nothing.

Karen Carter's roommate didn't provide any useful clues, but the girl's strange reaction made Charles cautious.

He told the girl to tell the police immediately if Karen Carter came back.

The girl asked, will Karen Carter come back?

Charles said, what do you think.

The girl lowered her head and whispered, I really hope she can come back.

I hope so. Charles looked at the girl deeply and left the girls' dormitory.

Two o'clock in the afternoon, police office.

Charles sat in a cloud of smoke, flipping through the files.

He didn't look at it carefully; the morning's visit and investigation kept replaying in his mind.

I always feel like something is not right, but I can't figure it out.

Charles simply slammed the table, put away the files, left the police station and went to Ninghai University.

Several teachers became curious about this frequent visitor, and one teacher said to Jimmy, Your friend?

Jimmy nodded, trying not to say anything.

The teacher was a middle-aged man with the usual Mediterranean hair. He looked at Jimmy and snorted with disdain, which seemed to mean Can someone like you have friends?

Charles looked at the man and felt unhappy. Just as she was about to speak, Jimmy stopped her and told her to go out and talk.

This is what happened. Charles told the whole story of the case in one breath, and the cigarette in his hand almost burned his fingers.

Jimmy stared at the cigarette butt that was almost burned out of Charles, thinking.

What do you think? Charles also noticed this and quickly put out his cigarette butt on the railing.

Jimmy shook his head and turned to walk back.

Hey, what do you mean... Charles reached out to stop him and looked at Jimmy in confusion.

Jimmy closed his eyes, looking indifferent.

I have to go to class.

Charles was speechless. He could see that Jimmy was not very interested in this matter. He could only nod and said, Then I'll wait for you here.

No need, Jimmy interrupted him, I'm in class, so I don't have time this afternoon.

Charles watched Jimmy walk away and shrugged helplessly.

Jimmy is usually taciturn and inconspicuous in a crowd, but this person has a very stubborn character, and rarely changes what he has decided because of others .

Charles knew this best.

Charles sighed, shook his head and left Ninghai University.

Charles did not return to the police station, but came to Washington City No. 2 Middle School.

He walked this way subconsciously. In fact, he always felt that there were some details that he had not discovered.

There are some small supermarkets and shops around Washington City. At dusk, the vendors have closed their stalls. Only some shops on the roadside still had lights on.

There are no residential areas nearby, but there are some unfinished residential buildings standing diagonally across the road from the campus.

Charles stood at the gate of the campus, staring at the residential buildings opposite.

The opposite side was pitch black, without a single light. Only the empty gatehouses faced the air, like a giant beast with its mouth opened silently in the darkness.

Charles subconsciously took out a cigarette and handed it to the guard. The guard took it and took a look. It was a Hongtashan cigarette. He seemed a little dissatisfied.

Do students usually come out at night? Charles lit a cigarette for the guard.

The guard took a deep puff of smoke and exhaled a long stream of it, saying in a leisurely tone, You see, the control here is usually so strict, how could it be possible for you to get out? The students are all very well behaved, and they don't dare to do anything .

Charles nodded, but before he could say anything, there was a sudden thud from a few dozen meters away from the door, like the sound of something heavy falling to the ground.

Charles glanced over there and ran over immediately.

The flashlight on the phone shone over there, and a boy in school uniform quickly got up from the ground.

Chapter 5 Strange Cell Phone

The boy was illuminated by the strong light of the flashlight and immediately covered his face.

Charles shouted, What?

The boy was so frightened that he stood there at a loss as to what to do.

At this time, the guard also caught up, looked at the boy, then looked at Charles, grinning awkwardly.

Charles turned to look at the security guard, and the meaning was clear Didn’t you say that the students don’t dare to come out?

The guard threw his cigarette on the ground and started to curse. What age are you and what class are you in? Who told you to sneak out?

The boy said weakly Uncle Zhao, didn't I give you two packs of Zhonghua cigarettes last time? Didn't we agree on that...

Who told you what to do? The guard named Uncle Zhao put his hands on his hips with an angry look on his face, You little bastard, if you don't learn well, I'll tell your class teacher to expel you!

The boy's face suddenly turned pale, his body suddenly slumped, and his voice became more crying, No, Uncle Zhao, I was wrong, I, I, I won't dare next time.

Do you still want a next time? Huh? Uncle Zhao was threatening the boy fiercely, but his eyes were secretly glancing at Charles.

Charles had long seen Uncle Zhao's guilty conscience. Seeing that the boy was about to cry from fear, he had no choice but to persuade him, Okay, stop arguing, and be careful next time.

The boy nodded hurriedly, wiped his face, and tried to show a smile to Charles. Then he turned around and ran towards the campus wall, gliding back with a stab.

That kid is really cheap. Uncle Zhao muttered, walking in front, and Charles couldn't see his expression.

Are the students here afraid of being expelled? Charles asked.

Uncle Zhao's eyes widened, Of course, this is a key school in the city. How many students are struggling to get in but they can't get in.

Charles nodded and said nothing. Uncle Zhao felt that he couldn't keep it on his face, so he added That was just a small accident. They are really strict about it, and they don't even allow mobile phones...

Charles nodded perfunctorily, searching the road with his eyes, already wanting to take a taxi and leave.

Wait, cell phone!

Charles slapped the doorman Uncle Zhao hard on the shoulder, and Uncle Zhao looked at him in surprise.

Charles' eyes lit up and he looked very excited. He didn't have time to elaborate with Uncle Zhao. I hailed a taxi and went straight to the police station.

One o'clock in the morning, police office.

The police station was brightly lit, almost no one went home to sleep, and all the police officers were working with dark circles under their eyes.

A policeman saw Charles coming back from outside and was the first to report.

We have looked at the traffic monitoring near the campus in the past three days and found no problems.

What is your so-called problem? Charles said as he walked.

The little policeman followed behind, and his tone could not help but quicken, Are there any suspicious vehicles or suspicious persons within a certain time...

The problem may lie within the campus, so we need to investigate inside rather than outside. Charles said, opening the door of the office.

Charles walked straight to the female police officer who was taking notes, Does Karen Carter have a mobile phone?

The policewoman was stunned for a moment, then quickly said Their school has a rule against bringing mobile phones.

Did she do it in private? Charles asked next.

Well... the policewoman was in trouble, We didn't find her mobile phone. We don't know if she had it with her.

Check her mobile phone number and retrieve all communication information. Charles said immediately.

Okay. The policewoman nodded and seemed a little excited. It seemed that Charles already had an idea.

At eleven o'clock the next morning, Ninghai University teaching building.

Charles had been standing outside for more than an hour, and Jimmy's lesson hadn't been finished yet.

Charles glanced into the classroom from the window. There were no more than two digits of people sitting here and there in the huge classroom. A few of them were playing with their phones with their heads down.

Jimmy spoke very seriously and asked questions from time to time, but no one paid attention to him, so he had to ask and answer himself every time.

Charles lowered his head and was about to take out a cigarette to smoke, but after thinking about it, he put it down.

Okay students, that's it for this class, get out of class is over. After Jimmy finished speaking, all the students left.

Jimmy walked out of the classroom with his books in his arms, and Charles stopped him.

Let's have a meal together? Charles suggested.

Jimmy thought for a moment and nodded.

The two of them ate outside the school, and Charles deliberately found a restaurant that looked the most deserted. As expected, the most deserted restaurant was also the most unpalatable.

The two of them were sitting in the box, big eyes facing each other.

Charles put down his chopsticks after taking a few bites, but Jimmy looked normal, as if what he ate had no effect on him.

Jimmy listened silently as Charles brought up the case at hand again.

I thought I found the problem. Charles took out the cigarette, but did not light it, but held it in his mouth.

When Jimmy heard this, he raised his head slightly and looked at Charles.

I asked someone to check her mobile phone number, because I could find out who she was connected to. The result was no, nothing. Charles couldn't hide the disappointment on his face.

Jimmy put down his chopsticks and said in a calm voice, It can't be nothing.

Charles felt a little irritable, but at the same time he had a glimmer of hope. He spread his hands and said, But there is nothing. Her text message only contains the conversation with her mother.

Jimmy finally looked up, his eyes becoming focused.

Charles continued We investigated the case all night long, even staying up all night, but there was only one exit and we couldn't find it.

Jimmy didn't answer and looked at the leftovers on the table silently.

Charles gave him another chopstick dish, and then looked at him sincerely, I need your help, no, our police station needs your help.

Jimmy pushed his chopsticks away and stood up to leave again.

Charles didn't stop him, and it wasn't until Jimmy reached the door of the box that Charles spoke.

His parents come every day and stay in front of the police station all day long.

Jimmy stopped and took his hand away from the doorknob.

Charles continued Just think of it as an explanation for that girl's parents. After this matter is done, you can leave if you want. If you still want to go back to school to teach, I will never stop you . Okay?

Jimmy lowered his head, let out a long sigh, and agreed.

The next morning, everyone in the police station watched a strange man walk into the Major Crimes Squad office.

The man was wearing a black, knee-length windbreaker with two collars turned up to cover his neck. He also had a pair of sunglasses on his face. He put his hands in his pockets and walked quickly and lightly.

You know, it’s already summer now.

A new policeman looked at his back and whispered to another, Who is this? Is he here to turn himself in?

Charles was very happy about Jimmy's arrival and solemnly introduced Jimmy to the serious crime team. Jimmy was a little uncomfortable, and after everyone applauded, he just nodded and said softly , Let me take a look at the file.

Although Charles had told Jimmy about the case, the files always contained some details that could not be expressed verbally. Jimmy read through them carefully.

Everyone was busy with their own things, but they all looked at Jimmy from time to time, expecting him to make some breakthrough.

Jimmy closed the file and said to Charles The problem is still with the mobile phone.

After hearing this, Charles clapped his hands and called everyone over. In fact, there was no need to call, everyone came over impatiently.

Charles cleared his throat and acted as Jimmy's mouthpiece.

Let's hold a meeting and everyone should share all the information and clues they have compiled. Don't miss any details.

The policemen looked at each other, and there were almost no new breakthroughs in their clues. They were just the same things that had been repeated over and over again.

At this time, there was a knock on the door. Charles opened the door and found a thin boy standing at the door, followed by a policeman.

I came here to provide you with clues, the policeman said and left.

The boy was thin and tall, with half of his face covered in acne marks. He said timidly, Hello, uncle.

Charles looked at him and felt that he looked very familiar. Then he remembered and said, Aren't you the student who climbed over the wall last night?

The boy smiled coquettishly, Hello, uncle, my name is Eugen, and I am Karen Carter's classmate.

Charles asked Eugen to come in. Eugen looked at a room full of police officers and suddenly felt nervous. He swallowed and didn't know how to speak.

Just say what you know. Charles patted Eugen on the shoulder.

Eugen looked a little embarrassed, lowering his head and blushing, Actually, I chased Karen Carter before.

You didn't catch me, did you? Charles came to a conclusion almost immediately.

Eugen nodded, admitting the matter frankly. She said she didn't plan to have a relationship in high school.

Eugen went on to say When I was courting her, I gave her many gifts. I knew her family was not well off, so I wanted to buy her a new phone, but she refused.

Charles thought to himself that he had no idea this guy was so generous and was so generous in pursuing girls.

Actually, an apple doesn't cost much, but she just refused to take it.

Then one day, I saw her using her iPhone to make a call during class, so I asked her where she got the phone. She said it wasn't hers, and then she said I was seeing things. Anyway, she didn't tell me the truth, and I thought it was a bit strange.

Charles nodded thoughtfully, So her phone is of unknown origin.

Jimmy suddenly said, It's very likely that someone took it and hid it.

Why didn't she bring it with her? a female police officer asked.

Jimmy didn't speak, and Charles explained, If the phone didn't come from a legitimate way, then that's probably the problem. There may be important clues on the phone, so it's most likely that it was artificially hidden or destroyed.

Eugen looked at Charles with admiration, Master, you are so awesome!

Who is your master? Charles ignored his flattery and immediately issued an order to investigate Karen Carter's surrounding friends.

In school, the three roommates who had the closest relationship with Karen Carter were the three roommates, and Charles planned to talk to them in person.

A roommate was sitting on the bed holding a water glass, and Charles was sitting opposite