Chapter 62

The single-door refrigerator was set to freeze mode; a football-sized object was neatly wrapped in transparent plastic wrap—and what caused You Xinfā to lose control and vomit was precisely what was inside the wrap: a male head!

No wonder You Xinfā was so violently disturbed: through the plastic wrap, the male head’s eyes were tightly shut, its mouth wide open, the inside of its mouth dark and seemingly packed with matter, its scalp completely bald and crisscrossed with knife wounds, the neck stump appearing wildly irregular.

You Xinfā quickly shut the refrigerator door and ran out of the kitchen shouting: “Auntie Zhang, where’s a phone?”

Auntie Zhang, on duty at the gate, seeing his anxious expression, hurriedly replied: “There’s one at the gatehouse!”

You Xinfā glanced back into the room, thought for a moment, then said with grave seriousness: “Auntie, watch this door for me—let no one in! I’ll be right back!”

Auntie Zhang nodded firmly, her face radiating “Leave it to me, you can rest easy!”

With no one else available, You Xinfā gave her a quick look and rushed downstairs.

He calculated the time: even if he reported the latest developments to the special task force immediately, it would take at least ten minutes for them to arrive on site—he had to take immediate control of Tao Xiaoyong!

He sprinted outside and called Wang Feihong, briefly explaining the situation. Upon hearing a human head had been found in Tao Xiaoyong’s home, Wang Feihong immediately ordered him to detain Tao Xiaoyong on the spot—reinforcements were on the way!

You Xinfā dared not underestimate the seemingly harmless young man—he was a dangerous one. He patted his sidearm and handcuffs, quickly devised a plan, and strode toward the neighborhood committee.

The neighborhood committee was housed in a two-story building just one wall away from the residential compound; such committees were standard in state-owned factories, so their locations were always close to the housing areas.

You Xinfā planned to go to the committee, have someone lure Jiang Dama out under some pretext, then enter under the pretense of discussing balcony leak repair fees to swiftly subdue him—minimizing the risk of him sensing danger and lashing out at civilians.

At the committee, since he was wearing a repairman’s uniform, no one knew his true identity. Coincidentally, the committee had been repairing the office roof these past few days; a young clerk on duty saw You Xinfā walk straight in and asked who he was looking for.

You Xinfā said he wanted to see Director Jiang. The young man assumed he was a roofer and replied: “Director Jiang is busy with something important and can’t see you right now. Tell me what you need.”

You Xinfā’s heart sank—Jiang Dama was serious. She must have feared someone would interrupt her while she kept Tao Xiaoyong occupied, so she’d told this naive kid she had urgent business and wouldn’t see anyone!

“Heh!” You Xinfā let out another bitter laugh and shook his head. He didn’t even know which room Jiang Dama was in. Helplessly, he whispered to the young man: “I have something critical—tell me which room she’s in. If you mess this up, you’ll bear the responsibility.” He pulled out his credentials and held them before the youth.

The young man froze, then finally understood. He whispered: “Follow me.”

He led You Xinfā upstairs. He’d only meant to point out Jiang Dama’s room, but his mind went blank—he enthusiastically escorted You Xinfā to the door and even politely knocked. Inside, Jiang Dama called out: “Who is it? What is it?”

The young man’s clear voice rang out: “Director Jiang, a police officer is here to see you!”

The words had barely finished when You Xinfā’s face turned pale. Jiang Dama inside froze. Even Tao Xiaoyong, buried under piles of messy paperwork, paused in shock.

The air hung still for two seconds, then Jiang Dama’s voice came from inside: “Oh, is it Officer Liu from the police station? Xiao Yong, keep filling out the forms—I’ll be right back.”

Footsteps tapped rapidly—the door opened. Jiang Dama stood at the threshold, puzzled. You Xinfā moved to pull her out—but behind her stood another person: Tao Xiaoyong!

Four people, eight eyes locked in silence.

In a flash, Tao Xiaoyong stared at the man in the repairman’s uniform who had appeared in his home: “Who are you?”

You Xinfā saw the look in the man’s eyes—he was exposed. Without hesitation, he yanked Jiang Dama aside and kicked out with a flying leg—violent, powerful—striking Tao Xiaoyong’s lower abdomen. Tao Xiaoyong cried “Ah!” and collapsed forward.

Amid Jiang Dama’s and the young clerk’s screams, You Xinfā lunged forward, pinning Tao Xiaoyong to the floor. A flash of silver—cold handcuffs snapped shut precisely around Tao Xiaoyong’s wrists.

You Xinfā pressed Tao Xiaoyong’s face hard against the floor, cuffed his other hand, then pulled him upright into a squatting position.

Tao Xiaoyong lifted his head, gasping for breath, and laughed: “Hahahaha! I knew this day would come! But it doesn’t matter anymore!”

At that moment, heavy footsteps thundered up the stairs—Captain Wang Feihong and fully armed criminal investigators arrived.

After the special task force conducted another full search of Tao Xiaoyong’s home, they made a new discovery—one that made them question his sanity: inside a glass jar filled with formaldehyde, they found a male genital organ.

Combining the head from his home with the shredded flesh and limbs fished from the sewer, under Lu You’an’s leadership and with Zheng Guoqiang and Ye Hui’s help, the team spent a full day and night to largely reconstruct the body.

Why “largely”? Because one part was too severely damaged to be reassembled. When Lu You’an saw the object floating in the jar, he said only one thing: “The killer harbored intense hatred toward the body—or possibly suffers from psychological illness.”

The time of death matched Ye Hui’s initial assessment. Next step: identify the victim, locate the murder and dismemberment tools, and determine the crime scene.

On the morning of the 20th, ten days remained until the Lunar Year of the Dog. Though the recent cases had made decent progress, none had yet been fully resolved.

Early that morning, Deputy Director Guo Shuqing of the municipal bureau, after reviewing the recent major criminal cases in Zizhen City, leaned back on the sofa with furrowed brows and closed eyes. Could all cases be closed before the Spring Festival? Still, You Xinfā’s successful arrest of Tao Xiaoyong in the dismemberment case was excellent news—recognition and encouragement must be given promptly.

At that very moment, a fishing enthusiast along the Qingjiang River in Jiangdong District suddenly felt his fishing rod dip sharply. “Big fish?”