Chapter 231: Angel and Demon

Ren Jia looked at Gu Changzheng with firm resolve: “Yes! Officer, I remember now—when we were drawing with Sister Chen, that man was standing under that big tree! Whatever I saw, I drew it!”

At this moment, in the director’s office of Fuli Academy, Luo Fei was learning about Chen Mengyao’s background from Xiao Fang; after hearing the details, Luo Fei’s anger burned even hotter.

This girl, barely twenty-four, had graduated from university only half a year ago and volunteered at the children’s welfare home. She was warm-hearted, kind, and multi-talented—everyone in the academy, from the director and teachers to the dormitory aunties and gatekeepers, and even the children of all ages, spoke highly of her!

Director Xiao Fang, when speaking of Chen Mengyao, was also tearful, looking deeply heartbroken.

At this moment, Gu Changzheng and Forensic Officer Lao Zheng arrived at the director’s office with Ren Jia; Luo Fei immediately stood up, his face filled with fury: “Captain Gu! That girl is a recent university graduate…”

“Where are her family?” Gu Changzheng interrupted.

“This…” Luo Fei awkwardly rubbed his head.

Gu Changzheng feigned anger: “Sit down!” Then he asked, “Director Xiao, did you notify Chen Mengyao’s family after the incident?”

“This…” Xiao Fang hesitated. Gu Changzheng fixed her with a piercing gaze: “What?”

“Oh! Xiao Chen… Xiao Chen is an orphan!” Xiao Fang said.

“An orphan?” Gu Changzheng paused. “Do you know which orphanage she was from before?”

Xiao Fang nodded: “I have Chen Mengyao’s file. When she came here to volunteer, she negotiated with me—she refused a salary, only asking that I provide her housing. She also wanted to attend a training class during her free time, saying she planned to save money over a year to prepare for the civil service exam. I thought she was struggling, so I agreed to her request…”

Xiao Fang was about to continue rambling, but Gu Changzheng cut in: “Enough. Thank you, Director Xiao. Please hand us her file.”

“Oh! Yes, yes!” Xiao Fang seemed to realize she’d been talking too much. She quickly rose, walked to the filing cabinet behind her, opened the bottom drawer, and pulled out a file folder: “Officer Gu, this is Chen Mengyao’s file!”

“Angel Orphanage?” Seeing the name of the orphanage Chen Mengyao had stayed in as a child, Gu Changzheng and Lao Zheng both froze.

They knew that name too well!

———

Angel Orphanage stood at the foot of Mount Fenghuang, on the outskirts of Zizhen City. It was a Gothic-style building, extremely rare in Zizhen.

It was said to have been built during the Republic era by a French missionary. Why such a grand villa was constructed in this inland small city remains the subject of wild rumors.

But it no longer serves any purpose of sheltering orphans. Since being linked to the “Supreme God” case three years ago, Angel Orphanage has been shut down by the government. Now, only the retired former director, Zhou Hui, lives there, acting as its caretaker.

When Gu Changzheng, Lao Zheng, and the others arrived, Zhou Hui was already waiting at the gate.

Zhou Hui was a woman in her sixties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, her voice aged and frail: “Heh! Which one is Captain Gu?”

“Oh, Director Zhou, I’m Gu Changzheng,” Gu Changzheng said softly.

“Oh, oh! Hello! I got a call from Xiao Fang—she said you’re here to investigate Mengyao’s case. What happened to her? I remember she just graduated, didn’t she? What’s wrong?”

Gu Changzheng frowned inwardly: Did Xiao Fang know this old director well? It seemed the old woman didn’t yet know about Chen Mengyao’s fate—and that was better. At her age, the shock might do her harm.

Gu Changzheng exchanged a glance with Lao Zheng and Luo Fei, then said gently: “Oh, Director Zhou, nothing serious. You see, Chen Mengyao was preparing for the civil service exam, and since Xiao Fang and I know each other, I’ve been asked to review her file ahead of time. You know—civil service exams have strict political screenings.”

Even Gu Changzheng felt uneasy about his clumsy lie—but the old woman didn’t seem to suspect a thing. She beamed with delight: “Oh, that’s wonderful! Whatever you need to know about Mengyao, I’ll tell you!”

She prepared to launch into a long story. Gu Changzheng quickly interrupted: “Yes, well… Director Zhou, just tell us where her file is—we’ll look at it ourselves.”

“Oh!” The old woman’s face fell, clearly disappointed. Of course—she spent her days alone in this empty villa, with only a cook for company. She rarely had anyone to talk to.

But Gu Changzheng and the others had no time to indulge her.

The old woman opened the dusty file cabinet and let them search on their own, then reclined on a rocking chair outside, watching them idly.

Gu Changzheng paid her no mind. The three entered the archive room.

The room was piled high with documents and photographs. Gu Changzheng noticed a framed group photo on the wall: Zhou Hui surrounded by children. In the photo, Zhou Hui’s smile was warm and gentle. The children clustered around her—Gu Changzheng felt a strange sense of familiarity, but couldn’t place it. He set it aside for now and focused on the files.

“Captain Gu!” Luo Fei called out. Gu Changzheng turned to see him holding a file—a familiar girl’s photo stared back. Though black-and-white, her beauty was unmistakable. “Xia Fei!” Gu Changzheng blurted.

The file’s name matched the first victim—Xia Fei, a pediatric nurse at City No. 1 Hospital.

Gu Changzheng’s heart quickened. He kept searching—and soon found the file of the second victim, Su Yuqing.

A chill ran through him. A bone-deep cold surged from all directions.

He had been searching for a connection among the three victims—and now he realized: all three came from the same orphanage.

“Director Zhou!” Gu Changzheng called out—but saw the old woman asleep in her rocking chair.

“The photo!” He suddenly understood why the girls in the photo with Zhou Hui had looked familiar.

A terrifying thought struck him. He shouted: “Luo Fei! Bring me that photo!” He needed to count how many girls were in it—and find their files immediately.

Suddenly, a strange laugh echoed through the orphanage. Gu Changzheng and Luo Fei followed the sound—and found a small tape recorder outside the attic door. The cassette inside was playing a faint hiss. Luo Fei pressed rewind—and soon, the same eerie laugh emerged again.

The group exchanged glances. Luo Fei drew his pistol and slowly pushed open the attic door. The most shocking sight awaited them: in the center of the room stood an unfinished “work”—a doll dressed in a red dress, its abdomen slit open, its internal organs arranged into a twisted cross.

“Is this… a practice site?” Luo Fei whispered, trembling.

The rain still fell. Gu Changzheng stood before the attic window, gazing at the distant, blurred city lights.

In the darkness beyond that light, perhaps lurked the madman. Who would be the next target?