[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-chasing-the-criminal-case":3,"chapter-chasing-the-criminal-case-chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-228":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Chasing the Criminal Case",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2328996,4554,"Chapter 228","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-228",228,"\u003Cp>\"The victim is Su Yuqing, 26, a librarian at the Zizhen City Library,\" said Forensic Officer Zheng, removing his mask. \"Time of death is approximately between 10 PM and 12 AM last night. Cause of death matches previous cases: both eyes stabbed to ruin, abdomen slit open, signs of sexual assault. And again, the victim’s genitalia were severed...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng crouched down, examining the corpse closely. This victim, Su Yuqing, wore a bright red dress, now pulled up to her chest, her lower body naked, and her mouth stuffed with her own underwear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, the killer left more behind—the victim’s right hand was clenched tightly, as if holding something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is...\" Gu Changzheng put on gloves and carefully pried open the stiff fingers. Inside was half a cigarette! He examined it closely—it was the same brand as the cigarette butt found at Xia Fei’s crime scene! Both were He brand cigarettes, produced in Nanjiang Province!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng carefully picked up the cigarette with tweezers and handed it to the Technical Division for immediate testing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Old Gu! Take a look at this!\" Forensic Officer Zheng’s voice trembled with shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed to the victim’s abdomen. \"This time it’s different,\" Zheng said slowly. \"The edges of the incision are clean, like a surgeon’s scalpel. But the most baffling part—the wound on the abdomen forms the shape of the letter 'Z'! Whether intentional or...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is he marking something?\" Luo Fei murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng didn’t answer. His attention was drawn to a photo frame on the nightstand. In the photo, Su Yuqing was telling a story to a group of children, smiling gently. But in the photo, she was wearing a red dress—the same style as the one she was killed in? No, the cut seemed different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Luo Fei!\" Gu Changzheng stood up. \"Take your team and search the victim’s wardrobe and every possible place where her clothes might be stored. Find out if this dress is still around.\" He pointed to the photo of Su Yuqing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Fei followed his finger and noticed the red dress in the photo. He nodded. \"Understood!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About ten minutes later, Luo Fei returned, looking disappointed. \"Captain Gu, we found nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hah!\" Gu Changzheng let out a cold laugh. \"The last victim, Xia Fei— that park wasn’t the first crime scene. We’ve all been fooled by the killer!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Impossible!\" Forensic Officer Zheng exclaimed. \"The victim was clearly raped and murdered there—eyes stabbed, abdomen slit! How could that be wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey hey, my old friend Zheng!\" Gu Changzheng knew his partner thought he doubted his judgment: \"I mean, Xia Fei wasn’t taken captive in the garden. And if I’m right, she also owned a red dress—this exact style!\" He pointed to the dress on Su Yuqing’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" Zheng gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What does that even mean?\" Luo Fei asked, bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng smiled faintly. \"What have you noticed about this crime scene?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Fei rubbed the back of his head, frowning in thought. Zheng glanced at him and whispered, \"There’s a ritualistic feel to this. And the killer deliberately placed the half-smoked cigarette in the victim’s hand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Clap!\" Gu Changzheng snapped his hands together with a sharp crack. \"Exactly! You old dog still know your stuff!\" He joked with Zheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough teasing!\" Zheng shot him a look. \"Spit it out—what’s different about this case?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng’s smile vanished. He grew serious. \"So far, there have been four similar perverted sexual murders. The first two victims—Yang Xiaoli and Xiao Hualing—shared key traits: 1. All were single women living alone, migrant workers with low education, low income, and average appearance. 2. All were tortured before being sexually assaulted.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But Yang Xiaoli, the first victim, only had her eyes stabbed out—no abdominal slicing or genital mutilation. Then Xiao Hualing, the second victim—same torture and assault, but the killer also cut off her genitalia.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then came Xia Fei, the third victim. Beyond the previous mutilations, the killer went further—he slit her abdomen! Now, with Su Yuqing, the fourth victim, the ritual is unmistakable. And he’s leaving us clues—the same brand of cigarette, appearing twice! If DNA proves it’s the same person...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What does that mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah!\" Luo Fei sucked in a breath. \"Is the killer evolving his methods?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmph! That’s a good analogy,\" Zheng grunted. \"Old Gu, are you saying the killer’s practicing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. The first two victims were likely random—just to build his nerve. But starting with Xia Fei, his real killing spree began!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Luo Fei!\" Gu Changzheng ordered. \"Immediately deploy teams to check every surveillance camera along roads leading to Xingong Community. Focus on males aged 23 to 39, height around 175 cm, slim build, possibly wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\" As Luo Fei turned to leave, Gu Changzheng added: \"Have them recheck surveillance around the crime scenes of Yang Xiaoli and Xiao Hualing. Same suspect profile. Find every person matching that description who appeared before or after the murders!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gao Ye!\" At Gu Changzheng’s call, Gao Ye, who had served with him for years, stepped forward. \"Captain!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take a team to Xia Fei’s workplace and residence. Check if she had a photo like this one, and if she owned a red dress of this style. Also, investigate her social circle. Damn it, this bastard isn’t giving us any time!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He cursed under his breath. The previous murders had yielded no leads—and now this madman was killing again in succession! How infuriating!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>———\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at the police station, Gu Changzheng locked himself in his office. Walls were covered with photos and clues from the case. Suddenly, his gaze fixed on the \"Z\"-shaped incision on Su Yuqing’s abdomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng shot to his feet. He knew he was closer to the truth. But at the same time, he felt an invisible net tightening around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, the rain grew heavier. Lightning split the night sky over Zizhen City, as if foretelling an even darker horror descending.\u003C\u002Fp>",986,"2026-06-20T19:35:31.675Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","67b819fb95977f600942c543c86c10a434260088fee28c36c7e5993b02af8621","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-229","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-227",276,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchasing-the-criminal-case-cover.jpg"]