After temporarily transferring Wu Xiaozhen to the detention center, Captain Yang only had time to exchange a quick greeting with Guan Xia and the others before heading out again, leading a group of people downstairs with thunderous footsteps. Soon, the parking lot, which had been packed with vehicles, was empty again.
Having stood all morning, Guan Xia's feet ached as she stuffed snacks given by Pang Le into her mouth and asked, "The case is technically solved, but the organs of the last victim killed by the second murderer, Chen Yuanwei, still haven't been found. Should we check his residence next?"
Xu Nian glanced at the time. "It's almost four in the afternoon. Let’s grab a meal first. The suspects are either caught or dead—there’s no rush."
Everyone agreed, and after a brief discussion, they split into two cars and headed to a nearby homestyle restaurant.
Since it was past peak dining hours, the place was nearly empty. The group settled into a private room, allowing them to speak freely without reservation.
Once the food was ordered and the server closed the door behind them, Pang Le couldn’t hold back. "By the way, what’s the deal with that middle-aged man we arrested this morning? Did he confess?"
If not for Pang Le’s reminder, Guan Xia might have forgotten about the man entirely. She set down her phone and looked at Xu Nian curiously.
Xu Nian poured tea for everyone as he explained, "After leaving him alone all morning, Jiang Yingyao and I went in, and he completely broke down. He confessed everything without us even pressing him."
Jiang Yingyao adjusted the cups in front of the others and added, "Our guess was right—he had just committed murder and was fleeing. First, he slashed his wife, then drove to her parents’ house and attacked her father, who was home alone. The crime happened in Changyang District. We haven’t had time to coordinate yet, but the suspect will likely be transferred there later."
"Ugh, another case of a husband trying to kill his wife," Pang Le sighed. "These men are good for nothing except taking their anger out on their families. I hope his wife pulls through."
Guan Xia thought back to the time they had encountered the man—before 6 a.m. Subtracting the time he spent fleeing and driving to his in-laws’ place, the attack on his wife must have happened around 2 or 3 a.m.
Though it was the dead of night, in densely populated Jianyang City, such a violent commotion couldn’t have gone unnoticed. If she hadn’t died instantly and was found in time, there might still be hope.
Just as Guan Xia was about to speak, Xu Nian suddenly stood and stepped out to make a call.
She quickly realized he was probably checking on the case, given their concern.
Sure enough, about ten minutes later, Xu Nian returned and announced, "I got an update. The suspect’s wife survived surgery and is in critical but stable condition. Unfortunately, her father was pronounced dead at 7:18 a.m. due to severe injuries."
The group exhaled in relief, then sighed again.
Though one life was lost and another gravely injured, at least the wife had survived. With the perpetrator caught and the crime resulting in one death and one critical injury, the death penalty was a likely sentence.
After a hurried meal, they headed to the current residence of the second murderer, Chen Yuanwei, provided by the Tong’an District internal affairs team—a suburban area on the outskirts of Jianyang City.
As they drove, Guan Xia found the roads oddly familiar. Only after checking the map did she realize they were heading southeast, toward the abandoned villa complex where the fourth victim had been discovered.
Parking by the roadside, they followed local officers through a maze of alleys before reaching their destination—a six-story self-built apartment.
The landlord, already waiting with keys, handed them over without question and left with frequent backward glances.
As they climbed the stairs, one of the officers, a middle-aged man, explained, "I remember Chen Yuanwei. He used to live here, moved away for over a year, then came back. He was a meticulous man—even in a rough area, he dressed well and kept his place spotless. You’ll see when we go in."
Guan Xia wasn’t surprised. Chen Yuanwei had been the son of a wealthy family before their company went bankrupt when he was 24. Habits formed in childhood, especially in adulthood, were hard to break, even in hardship.
Reaching the sixth floor, the officers unlocked the door, and Guan Xia finally understood what "meticulous" meant.
Chen Yuanwei’s rented suite had a living-dining area and a bedroom with an attached bathroom. At first glance, it was immaculate—gleaming white tiles, tastefully applied wallpaper, a simple two-seater sofa draped in light gray, wooden coffee and TV tables, and even a bookshelf and computer desk in the corner. Anyone would think the occupant was someone who cherished life.
Standing at the doorway, Guan Xia struggled to reconcile this carefully curated space with the brutal serial killer.
Slipping on shoe covers handed by Ji An, she glanced at Jiang Yingyao and Wang Yu, already searching the main area, then headed straight for the closed bedroom.
Unexpectedly, the bedroom was locked. Xu Nian bent to examine it. "Wood shavings—he must’ve had the lock installed after moving in."
"Should we break it?" Guan Xia asked instinctively.
Xu Nian gave her an amused look. "No need. Before coming, I had Wang Yu retrieve some of Chen Yuanwei’s personal items from Tong’an’s internal affairs—things that might come in handy."
He pulled out an evidence bag, donned gloves, and began testing keys from a large ring. For such a small apartment with only two doors, Chen Yuanwei had an excessive number of keys. After several tries, Xu Nian finally unlocked the bedroom.
The moment the door swung open, Guan Xia gasped.
She never expected to see an entire wall covered with photos of Wu Xiaozhen.
The others were equally stunned. Pang Le blurted, "Well, well—so while Wu Xiaozhen was stalking Chen Yuanwei, he was actually baiting her. He just overestimated his skills and got outplayed."
Guan Xia stared at the wall covered in photographs. Judging by the clothing and backgrounds in the pictures, they were taken across different seasons, and most were clearly taken without the subject’s awareness. There were very few frontal shots of Wu Xiaozhen—most were of her back or profile, and in many, she was just a tiny figure captured from a distance.
Though Chen Yuanwei was already dead, making it impossible to know exactly what had transpired during that time, the photos alone suggested that Wu Xiaozhen had been stalking Chen Yuanwei before her imprisonment, and he had noticed. He had evidently been cautious, counter-stalking her in return. Perhaps sensing the disparity in their capabilities, he had prudently gone into hiding.
He likely hadn’t known about Wu Xiaozhen’s imprisonment—otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed hidden for five whole years. That meant while he had tracked her movements, he hadn’t dared to follow her all the way home, fearing exposure. Only after five years, when he believed he was strong enough to kill her, did he reemerge?
Guan Xia’s thoughts spiraled, and she couldn’t help feeling that the deeper they dug into this case, the more convoluted it became.
If her suspicions were correct, then Chen Yuanwei had truly brought about his own demise—and he’d been weak at that. What was meant to be a trap had ended up costing him his life.
The group stood silently before the photo-covered wall for several minutes before dispersing to search the bedroom.
Just like the living room, Chen Yuanwei had furnished his bedroom with meticulous care. A dark gray bedding set covered the bed, and a matching rug lay on the floor beside it. Aside from the wardrobe, the room also had a snack cabinet and a refrigerator.
Guan Xia walked straight to the nightstand, which showed little sign of dust, and after putting on gloves, she pulled open the drawer. Almost immediately, she made a discovery.
A utility knife, stained with blood. Even though someone had cleaned it, traces of blood remained in the crevices of the blade’s housing.
Guan Xia examined it under the sunlight several times before calling out to Xu Nian.
To her surprise, there was no response. Turning, she saw the others huddled around the refrigerator, bent over as if inspecting something.
Curious, she pocketed the utility knife and walked over. The sound of her footsteps caught Xu Nian’s attention, and he shifted slightly to make room for her.
Only then did Guan Xia see what had drawn their focus—a plastic bag neatly arranged inside the refrigerator, containing the missing internal organs of the fourth victim.
Several days had passed since the fourth victim’s death, and the organs, frozen stiff, had lost their original color. The deep brown hue made it impossible to imagine that just days ago, they had been inside a living body, pulsing and contracting to sustain a young life.
Perhaps reminded of that life, the group’s expressions darkened. It took a few minutes before anyone moved again.
Ji An, with practiced efficiency, opened the bag to confirm its contents before carefully removing it from the refrigerator and carrying it out of the bedroom.
Only then did Guan Xia remember her earlier discovery. She held up the utility knife for Xu Nian to see. “There’s blood in the blade’s housing. I suspect this might have been the weapon Chen Yuanwei used.”
Xu Nian took it and studied it closely, then paused as if recalling something. “It doesn’t match the fatal wound on the victim’s throat. According to the coroner’s report, the lethal injury was caused by a dagger or similar blade.”
Hearing this, Guan Xia mentally reviewed the photos of Zhong Xiaoyu’s uncle’s body from the night before last. The wound on his throat didn’t resemble one made by a utility knife.
Frowning, she wondered aloud, “If it wasn’t the murder weapon, why is there blood in the housing? Could Chen Yuanwei have used it for practice? And if so, what did he practice on? Animals?”
Her mind immediately went to the most common victims—cats and dogs.
Xu Nian seemed to reach the same conclusion. They exchanged a glance before heading out together.
Spotting the older officer from the local precinct, Xu Nian got straight to the point. “Do you know if there have been any cases of animal abuse—cats or dogs—around here?”
The officer replied, “We’re colleagues—no need for formalities. Just call me by my name. This area’s densely populated with a lot of transient residents, so all kinds of incidents happen. Since I was assigned to this precinct, reports of animal abuse have been constant. At its peak, we’d find the bodies of stray cats or dogs in the trash every two or three days. We’ve opened investigations after receiving reports, but the surveillance coverage here is spotty. We’ve caught a few people, but it only stopped things temporarily. The abuse kept resurfacing, and after the arrests, the perpetrators just got more secretive. Over the years, we’ve kept investigating, but we’ve never had another breakthrough like before.”
Guan Xia thought of the large set of keys.
She first checked the bathroom, confirming its cramped space and spotless condition made it unsuitable for animal abuse. That left her absolutely certain—Chen Yuanwei must have had another hidden residence in this chaotic neighborhood.
And inside, there were undoubtedly more secrets waiting to be uncovered.
