It was a little after 6 o’clock in the evening when Lu Junchi brought Su Hui back home. There had been significant progress in the case today, but both of them were feeling uneasy.
They had a quiet dinner, and after Lu Junchi finished cleaning up the dishes and chopsticks, he said to Su Hui, “Director Tan and I need a file. I might have to work late at the headquarters.”
Su Hui, holding a cat in his arms, responded with a murmured “Sure, go ahead. There’s nothing much here tonight.”
Since Su Hui started living together with Lu Junchi, it was rare for him to go out for overtime work in the evening. However, even when he stayed at home, he would often work late into the night.
Taking advantage of the night, Lu Junchi walked out. Instead of driving, he walked directly out of the residential complex.
Fifteen minutes later, in a private room of a teahouse not far from the residential complex.
Lu Junchi and Xing Yunhai sat face to face. They ordered a pot of tea, and after the owner served them the tea, he left and closed the door behind him.
The privacy in this place was excellent. It was impossible to hear their conversation from the outside.
The small teahouse was soon filled with the fragrant aroma of tea leaves. Lu Junchi got straight to the point, “Xing Ge, when I was reviewing some documents earlier, I seemed to have stumbled upon something unintentionally.” He looked up at him and asked, “Are you Prophet?”
Xing Yunhai lowered his head and sipped his tea without denying it.
Lu Junchi explained, “I know it’s a sudden question and might seem presumptuous… I didn’t mean to reveal your identity, it was something I accidentally discovered, and I won’t tell anyone else.”
Xing Yunhai was transferred to the Fifth Division as a captain after the Behavioral Analysis Unit disbanded two years ago. He was very different from the other detective captains, and the difficult criminal cases in the bureau were often assigned to his team. Director Tan clearly had more trust in him.
Lu Junchi had several reports written by Xing Yunhai, and the format and wording were consistent with the documents left behind by Prophet.
Even in their daily work as detectives, upon careful recollection, there were some indications that Xing Yunhai was likely Prophet.
To unravel what happened two years ago and find out if Su Hui was truly the Poet, Xing Yunhai, as someone who had experienced those events and the most likely person with knowledge, was crucial.
Over the past two years, the two had developed a good personal relationship and had worked together on several cases.
Knowing what kind of person Xing Yunhai was, Lu Junchi thought it through and invited him out.
Xing Yunhai lowered his head, picked up the tea in front of him, and directly admitted his identity. “That was a protective measure from two years ago. Although I was in the Behavioral Analysis Unit at that time, I was the most idle one. Now that you know, I believe you didn’t intentionally investigate me, and I trust that you won’t disclose this to anyone. However, I will only admit it here. You can ask me anything, and I’ll tell you what I know. But once we leave this place, I hope you can forget everything we discussed tonight.”
The teahouse was extremely quiet, and Lu Junchi lowered his head, contemplating where to start.
“Recently, after I received the bombing case, you looked into the Fine Sand Case archives,” Xing Yunhai took a sip of tea and pointed out, “Are you investigating the poet? Do you suspect that he is someone you know?”
Xing Yunhai took the initiative to bring up the matter, leaving Lu Junchi momentarily stunned, unsure of how to proceed with the conversation.
Xing Yunhai was slightly older and more composed than him.
Until now, Lu Junchi finally understood the meaning behind the code name “Prophet.”
He hadn’t spoken yet, but Xing Yunhai seemed to know what he wanted to ask.
Xing Yunhai said, “Guessing my identity is one thing, but wanting to know the poet’s identity is another. The identities of everyone in the Behavioral Analysis Group were kept confidential, so I’m also unaware of who the poet truly is. Besides, after confirming that identity, do you think your attitude and your current situation will change?”
Upon hearing this, Lu Junchi hesitated. Although Xing Yunhai didn’t give him a direct answer, it felt like he was hinting at something.
It seemed that Lu Junchi was only investigating for one answer regarding that incident.
He realized that what he cared about wasn’t just that one identity, one code name.
In fact, he was more concerned about the present Su Hui, the person in front of him. He wondered if Su Hui would be safe and if the Fine Sand Case would have any impact on the current situation.
Lu Junchi made up his mind and raised his head, saying, “Thank you, Xing Ge. I understand now. I won’t dwell on the confusion regarding Poet’s identity anymore.” He took a sip of tea and asked, “Although I looked into the Fine Sand Case files, I still have limited information…”
Xing Yunhai narrowed his eyes slightly and replied, “At that time, there would be an explosion every ten days in Huadu, like a death sentence. Several profilers, including myself, received information about the case, and everyone had different opinions on it. The most opposing views came from Moonlight and Poet. They had their own perspectives and had some disputes. During that time, multiple explosions occurred, but the police were unable to make much progress. In the process of capturing Jie Qiu, there were injuries and even deaths among the officers. That was the Fine Sand Case.”
“Was the Fine Sand Case closed after Jie Qiu’s death?” Lu Junchi asked.
Xing Yunhai nodded, “Although there were still some doubts, that’s how the case was closed at that time. And after Jie Qiu’s death, there were no similar cases for a long time.”
“Why did Moonlight leave the group back then?”
“Well, that’s a bit complicated. Moonlight had some personal reasons. But I believe that at the time, Poet’s report played a role in his departure.” Xing Yunhai took another sip of tea and continued, “Before Moonlight resigned, he left me a message.”
Frowning, Lu Junchi asked, “What did he say?”
Xing Yunhai stared into his eyes and said, “Beware of Poet.”
Lu Junchi’s brows furrowed even deeper, not understanding the meaning behind those words.
What did Moonlight mean by warning Xing Yunhai to be cautious of Poet? What did he need to be careful about?
“Of course, as you might already know, there was some disagreement between Moonlight and the poet in terms of profiling. You can consider it as their office conflicts or personal grudges. Or you can take those four words as a reminder from Moonlight to me.”
“Why was the Behavioral Analysis Unit disbanded back then?”
Xing Yunhai’s tone softened as he placed his cup down. “Moonlight’s resignation and the poet’s disappearance were the reasons for the disbandment of the Behavioral Analysis Unit two years ago. An organization that lost its core would become a target if it continued to exist.”
Although Xing Yunhai’s words seemed like a cryptic puzzle, Lu Junchi gained quite a few clues. He sincerely said, “Thank you for being willing to tell me all this.”
Xing Yunhai sighed, “In the midst of traps and diverging paths, perhaps this organization should never have existed from the beginning.”
Hearing this, Lu Junchi recalled the words Su Hui had said when they first met. Perhaps that organization had already gone astray.
“Alright, I’ve told you everything I should tell you,” Xing Yunhai said. “So, what do you think now?”
Lu Junchi’s eyelashes flickered, and he replied firmly, “I believe in the poet.”
Xing Yunhai chuckled upon hearing this. “Do you really think you understand the poet? I’ve been working with him in the same department for years, and I wouldn’t dare to say that.”
Lu Junchi said, “There are always things that require persistence and belief.”
Xing Yunhai responded, “Well, I hope you’re right. Take some time to think if there’s anything else you want to ask me.”
After thinking for a moment, Lu Junchi asked, “In your investigation of the car bomb case, do you think the perpetrator could be related to Fine Sand?”
Many people speculated that this time it was a copycat crime.
The smile on Xing Yunhai’s face gradually faded. He paused for a moment and nodded, “I believe it is at least someone connected to Fine Sand.”
During their recent investigations, they had been trying to find the person’s figure from the car footage.
But the hiding spot was very discreet, and during peak hours with a large crowd, it was impossible to determine who placed the object in the car and when.
Bombs made by different individuals were like paintings drawn by different people. Even with deliberate imitation, there would be subtle differences.
Although this bomb was not detonated and there were some material changes, many details were completely consistent with the Fine Sand Case.
Especially the sand in the middle…
Although Xing Yunhai was once a member of the Behavioral Analysis Group, he was the least noticeable among the four. Unlike the other three, he was not young and had not studied extensively in criminal psychology. He came from a different background, transferring from the local police station’s criminal investigation team.
When Yu Yan talked to him, she mentioned that she valued his years of experience as a detective and his sharp intuition.
Now, it was his experience and intuition that told him the public bus bombing case was related to Fine Sand.
The next morning, at the Huadu Central Bureau.
As Chen Xueqian’s identity was revealed, more information about her started to surface.
Two years ago, after leaving Xin County, this woman had actually signed up for a matchmaking program.
Once Qu Ming and the others received this information, they specifically looked for those episodes of the matchmaking program and downloaded them.
The matchmaking program was a popular format a few years ago. The guests wore masks and engaged in Q&A sessions, only removing the masks and leaving the stage if they were interested in each other.
Chen Xueqian stood on the stage as the fourth female guest. She had a graceful figure, and even with the mask on, it was evident that she was a beautiful woman.
Initially, many male guests were very interested in her. However, as soon as she started talking, the lights began to go out one by one.
“I believe that the most important thing in life is love. Many conflicts between couples fundamentally stem from not loving each other enough.”
“We often hear about men engaging in pickup artist techniques with women, but I think women can also use pickup artist techniques on men.”
“When love no longer exists, we have the right to let go of each other. It’s like throwing away long-unused garbage, and such liberation can bring a sense of joy.”
“I’ve been with more than one man in bed, and you can’t fit them all at a round table.”
For a moment, the barrage was filled with comments about being a scum woman, a hypocrite, a sea king, and a green tea.
Xia Mingxi couldn’t help but say, “Isn’t this too despicable?”
Zheng Bai commented, “I think it’s just seeking attention. These things were quite popular for a while. Some men specifically like scum women.”
Xia Mingxi asked, “Since Chen Xueqian has appeared on the program, why do those men continue to like her one after another?”
Qiao Ze analyzed, “Well, at that time, she was wearing a mask, and later she used an alias. Maybe the men couldn’t recognize her? Besides, some men always have an abundance of confidence and believe that the scum women they encounter will be devoted to them. It’s similar to how some women have a soft spot for playboys.”
“And have you noticed, when those men discover her true nature and have arguments or fights with other men over her, their first reaction is often not to leave her and break up, but to snatch her away from other men.”
While they were talking, the lights flickered and went out. Chen Xueqian appeared on two episodes of the program, and she left each time in disappointment. However, Chen Xueqian didn’t seem to be affected by it. On the contrary, she expressed that she would stick to her beliefs and find a man she liked outside of the venue.
Qu Ming also found a cut interview where Chen Xueqian made a striking statement, “My idol is KIjima Kanae. I hope to become a charming woman like her.”
Qu Ming frowned. “Using a female serial killer as an idol, no wonder this segment was cut and not aired.”
“Chen Xueqian may not be seeking attention. I think she genuinely believes in that,” Lu Junchi said. “Her values or the parts that involve empathy are problematic…”
This woman appeared perfectly normal, but there was something different about her. It was like a bright red apple that had long been eaten hollow by worms.
Su Hui lowered his head and coughed softly.
Lu Junchi noticed and poured him a glass of water, handing it over. He realized that Su Hui seemed unusually silent today.
Su Hui thanked him and took the glass.
He had been thinking about something familiar in Chen Xueqian’s appearance and considering whether he should share these thoughts with Lu Junchi. But there were still some things he couldn’t figure out.
Even if he was well-versed in criminal psychology, he didn’t have the ability to foresee two years ago that a murder would occur now.
He wasn’t entirely sure if the person he knew was Chen Xueqian. Or perhaps, Chen Xueqian was just a woman he had coincidentally seen in the past, and now she was caught up in this case.
He would gradually sort out the connections and remember more clues, but it wasn’t the right time yet.
He was afraid that speaking out about these unconfirmed pieces of information to Lu Junchi might lead their investigation astray.
There was nothing better than hearing the truth directly from the person involved. He wanted to find Chen Xueqian with all his might.
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