Pure Darkness

Chapter 65

Like many small and medium-sized cities in the world, in an era of high-speed construction featuring steel-reinforced concrete and endless human flows, Wangjiang Park has become the only place that can be visited by many residents of Xun City. at the end of the day and during weekends.

Oi! I am an article!

Although the case is shocking, it is feared that too much publicity will cause panic. Because of this, the police simply sealed off that part of the forest deep within the park, and assigned some plainclothes officers to stand guard.

When Jian Yao and Fang Qing reached their destination, it was not yet dark, so they could still see the scene clearly. They saw a stone-flagged path that had been captured in photographs, sometimes hidden by the trees lining its sides. As one can imagine, it was already late at night when the crime occurred, so that the killer could remain hidden, and his movements would be difficult to detect.

Oi! I am an article!

There are several large stones on the side of the road, serving as decorative elements. Fang Qing took out a magnifying glass and crouched down on the side of the rocks to inspect it. “Exploration report says that there was a scratch on the stone caused by the victim's nail while he was struggling. It seems he fought hard enough. ”

Jian Yao exchanged glances with him, both of them aware of the speculation in each other's eyes. Then, he took a different tactic* and crouched down on the road to examine the butterfly wing pattern closely.”

*T/N (ling qi lu zao) – lights up. to set up a separate kitchen; ara. to start from scratch, to start a new track.

Two days and two nights had passed, but there was no rain in Xun Town, so the pattern lines were still clear, like they had just been drawn. Jian Yao opened the evaluative report in her hand, where it was clearly recorded: This paint is from a well-known brand on the market, and is not cheap. This paint is sold in large quantities throughout China.

Oi! I am an article!

“What do you think, dewi*?” Fang Qing asked.

*T/N (nu sheng gun) – \= ‘dewi’ and \= rod (literally), bastard. These references can be (San Mao), romance novel, or (Goddess of Rebirth) by Ling Qi, as well as modern romance novels. In the final novel, the main character vows to take revenge on those who have hurt and humiliated him, and become strong, so that he can protect the one he loves.

He was often chatty, and whenever Jian Yao applied criminal psychology in solving a case, he would feel great, and unceasingly called him ‘dewi’ or ‘half dewa’ from the side.

Just like how Jian Yao used to make fun of Bo Jinyan.

“Ah . .” Jian Yao stared at the lines on the ground and replied, “Goddess thought, when the suspect drew this butterfly, he was in a gentle and calm mood. See, the scratches are smooth and round, and the painting style is gentle, with no sign of frenzied or eccentric personality.

Fang Qing smiled as he said, “It was rather interesting.”

“How about you? What did you find?”

Fang Qing placed his arm on the rock while his fingers lightly tapped on it. “I have made a great discovery. The scars made by the victim's nails are found on the three stones, both in high and low locations. In the grass on the side, there was a patch that had been stepped on and flattened, thus giving rise to the single most valuable clue in the case – footprints of the suspect. From the report: size 40, identified as a special edition Nike running shoe, released over a year ago. .

Jian Yao stood up and said, “However, Shao Yong and his people have already checked it out. Sales for this shoe line are pretty good, and online sales are great, so there is no way to follow this line of inquiry.”

“But, based on these findings, I was able to deduce the movements and routes of the parties involved in the murder that night. Fang Qing smiled faintly and stood in front of Jian Yao, his fingers hesitating yet clearly sketching out a continuous line with different segments. “Nie Shijun ran to the road from this direction. The killer must have attacked him suddenly from behind, so his nails left marks on the first stone in this direction.”

Jian Yao's eyes twinkled.

“Then, he was dragged to the back.” Fang Qing continued, “At this time, he was doing the struggle in such a way that the two of them stepped onto the grass, so that the scratches were higher and the corners were wider, all the way to the other side of the stone.”

“I have a feeling. .” Said Jian Yao.”

Fang Qing looked at him. “Yes, I also think so.”

Both said, in unison, “Beginner.”

After checking the scene, the couple walked around the entire park. It was dark, and the garden was full of people and noise. Conceivably, that night, even though it was close, there were still quite a number of people around. It was almost impossible to think of finding a killer in this sea of humans.

It was past nine o'clock at night when they returned to the police station, but it was still brightly lit. Fang Qing stopped the car in the parking area. From a distance, they could see another car coming from the opposite direction and stopping. They saw familiar faces.

Feng Yuexi's.

It was a cold night in early autumn. Wearing high heels and a jacket, Feng Yuexi stood in front of the car, wrapped in a pitiful and heart-wrenching aura. A man got out of the car and walked towards him. After a short exchange, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and got into the car with her.

There was another man in the front passenger seat. The car was decent, maybe worth two or three hundred thousand, but it was not a strange thing in this city.

Jian Yao observed them. “They may be Feng Yuexi's friend, here to pick him up.”

Fang Qing laughed sinisterly. “Beautiful women have no shortage of people to appreciate them.”

Jian Yao stared at ‘grumpy young’ who is almost 30 years old this*, and knows exactly what makes him ‘murah’. After a long silence, she said softly, “Hei, if the sheep you are keeping has escaped, do not mock the sheep of others for being beautiful and obedient.”

*T/N (fen qing) – positive terms used to describe young Chinese with extreme nationalistic tendencies (clearly used in a disrespectful way here).

Fang Qing muttered, “. . . Goddess, silent.”

They went upstairs and saw Shao Yong standing alone in the corridor, smoking. The gathered darkness had stained the sky behind him, turning it into a deep dark background where the lights blurred, where the cigarette between his fingers seemed aloof and deep. Moreover, his body was hard, and he must have been very handsome in his youth. Right now, as he stood, tall and upright, in the corridor, it was difficult to ascertain whether his hair or cigarette smoke was whiter.

Jian Yao's heart flinched.

This is a very common sight; it is possible to see such old criminal investigators, who have given their lives for their work, in many police stations. However, it was precisely the scene tonight, this moment, this impression, that awakened Jian Yao's memories.

In an instant, he remembered where he had met Shao Yong.

However, he always felt that there was something in the way he looked at her. Moreover, this kind of veteran criminal investigator, this old fox, would probably not easily forget the people he met.

Jian Yao and Fang Qing walked towards him. When he sensed their movements, Shao Yong turned his head, switched off his cigarette, and looked at them with a warm and calm expression.

“ Lao Fang, you enter first,” Jian Yao said.

Fang Qing looked at him, then at Shao Yong, before entering. Shao Yong's brows frowned slightly, and he was very silent.

Jiang Yao looked at him, smiled briefly, then said, “Team Leader Shao, two years ago, during the National Day celebration period, during that time, Jinyan. . . he was at home recovering from his injuries. You came to look for him with a case from 15 years ago. Back then, he gave you advice, and the case was then solved. Am I right?”

Shao Yong smiled slowly, and softly said, “Jian Yao, I will always be grateful for the help Professor Bo gave me in that case.”

Jian Yao was sure. Yes, Shao Yong is indeed that person. It was just that, during that time, Bo Jinyan became famous, and many people asked her for help from all over. Thus, Jian Yao was unable to put Shao Yong down. After the case was settled, Bo Jinyan and Shao Yong kept in touch with each other, but Jian Yao did not become part of this. Bo Jinyan was very antisocial, rarely could she and Shao Yong maintain their frequent communication.

“Samely no.” Jian Yao said, “Thank you for trusting Jinyan.”

He said this in a very calm tone, and there was even a hint of a smile in his eyes. When Shao Yong thought about Bo Jinyan's current condition, and then how Bo Jinyan's wife was as gentle and proud of him as before, he was deeply moved.

However, Jian Yao brought the conversation to a different path. He asked, “But, Team Leader Shao, today, why do you make it as if you didn't know me all day?”

Shao Yong looked at him but did not speak.

Observing the expression in his eyes, Jian Yao felt his heart move. Then, he thought about how he made a special request to the Beijing police, to enlist the help of the Criminal Psychology Research Unit. . .

There was a strange feeling in his heart, but he couldn't be sure what it was.

At this moment, someone shouted from inside, “Head, head! Come here for a minute!”

Shao Yong turned around and headed to the room. As he did so, he whispered, “Jian Yao, I hope everything is fine with you and Bo Jinyan.”

Jian Yao was surprised. He looked at the figure behind Shao Yong who was old yet upright, but, in the end, he only let out a slow sigh.

——

To be sure, Shao Yong left Jian Yao in suspense. However, given the man's eccentric personality, as well as the fact that he became even more mysterious after the disaster, Shao Yong did not want to act rashly. He is more than satisfied waiting for a successful result when the conditions are right, and all he needs to do is give them a push in the right direction.

However, Shao Yong did not expect that they would arrive so quickly. When his subordinates called him to return to the office and he saw the expression on his subordinate's face, his heart pounded heavily on his chest. He pushed the door open and saw two men sitting upright on his couch. When they arrived, he didn't know.

——

Jian Yao returned to the seat that was temporarily given to her. He sat down to write an early criminal psychological profile. Fang Qing, who was sitting beside him, lit a cigarette, bowed and asked, “What's wrong?”

“No,” replied Jian Yao. “I suddenly remembered that Bo Jinyan and I had met Shao Yong before.”

Fang Qing uttered softly, “Ah.”

It was late at night, and half the seats in the office were empty as people were still out for investigation. The other half was busy with people like Jian Yao, mostly with their heads bowed, organizing the information they had. During this time, it was very quiet. The only sound was Fang Qing's match as he indifferently opened and closed it.

Jian Yao and Fang Qing had been given seats in a relatively quieter part of the office, and not all criminal investigators were aware that they had returned. An agile and intelligent criminal investigator walks through the door with a strange expression on his face. He patted someone else on the shoulder and said, in a low voice, “Hey, I heard that person is here again? I heard Uncle Shu downstairs say so. ”

Jian Yao was currently writing his thoughts on the paper: The suspect is between 20 and 40 years old . . . He heard the voice of the conversation, but the questioner did not stop moving.

“Who?” Someone asked.

“Yes! That guy who lives in the hills, always wears sunglasses and a face mask, and a black windcheater, that weird guy. .”

Jian Yao just wrote ‘ financial situation well ‘ when the questioner stopped suddenly. Beside him, Fang Qing's match was still making a sound, with a speed neither fast nor slow.

“Oh, you're talking about him, ah. I heard he was previously an expert detective who solved many big cases, and that he was a good friend of our Team Leader Shao.

“One stop. But now . .”

But now.

Jian Yao's pen completely stopped, and was unable to move. Fang Qing also looked up.

The two criminal investigators fell silent, as they could hear the sound of movement from Shao Yong's office door.

Jian Yao looked at his writing on the paper, not knowing when it had become so messy. Suddenly, there was a hum in his ear.

But, now, his blind detective master had forgotten his way home. He was alone, outside, drifting until he reached somewhere in the past.

The door not far from them opened, and someone with a cane walked out unsteadily. A slightly arrogant – sound, slightly light – like a bass line played by a cello, sounded above his head. “A case involving novice criminals, and you hide it like a precious object. You think this will stop me? Team Leader Shao, you really. . . too naive!”