Chapter 229

This rain at the beginning of autumn revealed a demon-like aura, drizzling endlessly. The chilly coldness penetrated the heart, making people fall into a state of melancholy. In the autumn of Zizhen City, this continuous autumn rain formed a huge water mist over the entire city, like a gray monster. The sliver of light leaking from the gaps in the clouds was like the eyes of that huge monster, coldly staring at everything in this world...

At 9:00 PM on September 26th, Chen Mengyao finished a gathering with friends and took a bus alone back to her dormitory at the Children's Welfare Institute.

As a college student who had just graduated for half a year, Chen Mengyao chose to work as a social worker at the Children's Welfare Institute in her hometown while preparing for the civil service exam. She was a sunny, progressive, beautiful, and talented girl. Today was a high school classmate reunion. Having rarely drunk alcohol, she was egged on by old classmates and drank two glasses of beer. At this time, she already had a feeling of being slightly tipsy.

Perhaps due to the alcohol, Chen Mengyao, who was taking the bus, didn't notice that since she got on the bus, a man wearing a gray hoodie in the back row of the No. 13 bus had been staring at her! Of course, because the man's hood was too large, most of his face was hidden in the shadows, and others wouldn't know where the eyes behind those shadows were looking.

The bus passed through the Jiangnan District and came to the Jiangdong District via the Qingjiang Bridge. After two more stops, a pleasant female voice sounded in the bus: "The City Children's Welfare Institute station has arrived. Passengers getting off, please get off from the back door..."

Hearing the station announcement, the dazed Chen Mengyao hurriedly stood up. Because the bus hadn't stopped steadily, her body, which had stood up, lunged forward due to inertia and happened to bump into a young man standing there. Chen Mengyao hurriedly apologized. The young man saw that it was a beautiful girl of similar age. Not only was he not angry, but he was a bit shy, thinking about how to use this opportunity to get to know her without anyone noticing, but then he saw a man walk over from behind and say in a buzzing voice: "Are you getting off or not! If you're not getting off, don't block the way!"

The young man was about to get angry, but saw Chen Mengyao pouting her little mouth, her brows slightly furrowed, and she shook her head slightly, meaning for the young man not to cause trouble. This Chen Mengyao was already beautiful, and pouting and furrowing her brows like this made her look even more charming and cute. The young man obediently stood aside, watching her and that guy whose face couldn't be seen get off the bus one after another...

———

"Victim Chen Mengyao, 23 years old, volunteer at Zizhen City Children's Welfare Institute." Old Zheng took off his rubber gloves, his brows locked, "The time of death is approximately between 11:00 PM last night and 1:00 AM this morning. The cause of death..." He paused, "is somewhat different from the previous cases."

Just as the detectives of the Criminal Investigation Team were doing their best to find clues about the serial murder case, the 110 police service platform received another report from the masses: A female corpse was found in the dormitory building of the City Children's Welfare Institute in Jiangdong District! The reporter was the dormitory manager, Auntie Wu.

Gu Changzheng bent down, not caring about wiping the rainwater on his hair. The victim Chen Mengyao was wearing a red dress, her face was wearing exquisite makeup, and a pair of pink panties was stuffed into her mouth...

"The victim was first stabbed to death by the murderer with a sharp weapon, then, then violated, and also, her private parts were cut off..."

"But this time, the murderer's 'work' is even more cruel—the victim's abdomen was not only sliced open, the knife wound was still in a 'Z' shape, and! The internal organs were carefully arranged into a distorted cross." Old Zheng endured the discomfort in his heart, his tone carrying compassion and anger as he spoke.

"Damn it! Simply a madman!" Luo Fei punched the wall.

Gu Changzheng frowned. He noticed that the victim's right index finger was covered in blood and pointing straight ahead, as if telling something?

"Old Zheng, pre-mortem injury or post-mortem injury?"

"Pre-mortem." Old Zheng pointed to the contraction marks on the edge of the wound, "The murderer sliced open her abdomen while she was still alive. Judging from the marks on the edge of the wound, the knife used by the murderer to slice open the victim's abdominal cavity was very professional, and it was not the same kind of knife used to stab the victim to death."

Gu Changzheng stood up and looked around the crime scene located in the staff dormitory of the Welfare Institute. His eyes looked intentionally or unintentionally in the direction the victim's finger was pointing. There was a wall there, covered with children's paintings, and toys were piled in the corner.

On Chen Mengyao's desk was a photo of her with a group of children, with a warm smile on her face.

"Photo?" A light suddenly flashed in Gu Changzheng's mind.

"Captain Gu, look at this." Luo Fei called out: "Half a cigarette was also left here, and it's the same brand as the previous two times!" Luo Fei's voice became smaller, as if he felt a chill!

Gu Changzheng put on his gloves, carefully used two fingers to clamp the half cigarette and held it up to the light. He narrowed his eyes and observed carefully. There were two shallow tooth marks on the cigarette butt. This was different from the cigarette butts found at the scenes where Xia Fei and Su Yuqing were found. Was it not left by the same person? This possibility was extremely small. Was it intentional by the murderer, or was it left inadvertently while the murderer was in a very excited and agitated state?

"Luo Fei, how is the surveillance at the Welfare Institute?" Gu Changzheng asked. Luo Fei understood what he meant and said: "I'll go to the surveillance room to check immediately."

After a few minutes, he came back with a helpless look and said: "Sigh! It seems that the surveillance of these municipal units needs to be thoroughly checked. There are so many children in this place, but the surveillance can only see clearly at the main entrance. The surveillance in other locations is either broken or the kind with particularly blurry pixels!" Gu Changzheng listened to his complaints and saw a middle-aged woman of about fifty who came in with him.

"Oh, Captain Gu, this is the Dean of the Welfare Institute, Xiao Fang." Luo Fei introduced her to Gu Changzheng.

"Hello, Xiao Yuanzhang! I am Gu Changzheng from the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment. Regarding the situation of the victim Chen Mengyao, I have to trouble you to introduce it to us in detail." After a simple greeting, Gu Changzheng made the request.

"Okay! Okay!" Xiao Yuanzhang seemed extremely afraid and said repeatedly. However, this was also normal. Which ordinary person would be indifferent when seeing such a cruel and bloody murder scene!

Just then, Old Zheng suddenly shouted: "Old Gu, come and look at this!"

Gu Changzheng nodded to Xiao Fang upon hearing this and turned to walk in the direction of Old Zheng.

I saw Old Zheng staring at the wall covered with paintings in the victim's room. Gu Changzheng looked at Old Zheng puzzled. The latter pulled him over, pointed to a watercolor painting that looked very childish, and said in a slightly trembling voice: "Do you see anything?"

Gu Changzheng narrowed his eyes and tried hard to look, but everything in front of him was blurry! Old Zheng glared at him, dissatisfiedly took off the reading glasses on the bridge of his nose and said: "Hmph! Still not admitting you're old. If you have the ability, don't wear reading glasses!"

Gu Changzheng laughed foolishly. After putting on the reading glasses, the smile on his face seemed to be suddenly frozen, and he couldn't recover for a long time!