The previously bustling office fell silent once again.
About ten minutes later, Ji An was the first to speak, frowning deeply as she looked at Wang Yu and asked, "What were the backgrounds of those two killers—Lin Cheng and Xu Hongliang—who murdered Wang Huiqin’s parents and younger brother?"
Wang Yu raised her hand and used a laser pointer to highlight two additional photos beside them before answering, "According to colleagues from Shangshuang City, these two were part of the same criminal gang as Lin Cheng and Xu Hongliang, specializing in burglary and highway robbery. Between 2002 and 2005, they committed multiple crimes. However, since these two were the ringleaders while Lin Cheng and Xu Hongliang were accomplices, the latter two were released in September 2011, whereas these two weren’t freed until April 2018. But coincidentally, in October of the same year, they committed another crime—just like Lin Cheng and Xu Hongliang—and during their escape, they hijacked a taxi, severely injuring the driver, who later died."
Guan Xia, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information, felt her head spinning. After taking a moment to process everything, she asked, "So, did these two also end up like Lin Cheng and Xu Hongliang—killed during the crime for resisting arrest and taking hostages? And was the taxi driver’s family also later murdered, with the killers being marginalized individuals with criminal records, just like the gang Lin Cheng and Xu Hongliang belonged to?"
As Guan Xia fired off her questions, Pang Le and Zhong Xiaoyu widened their eyes in shock.
Wang Yu shook her head. "Not that similar. These two drove over a hundred kilometers before being intercepted and arrested by the police. Due to the severity of their crimes, their repeated offenses, and the death of an innocent civilian, they were sentenced to life imprisonment and are still in prison. However, the taxi driver’s family was indeed murdered three months after his death. The victims included his parents, wife, 17-year-old son, and 29-year-old younger brother. The case was solved the next day—the killer was a 28-year-old man from a neighboring village who had a grudge against the driver’s younger brother. One night, after drinking with friends, he passed by the victims’ house and saw the younger brother sitting in the yard playing games. Overcome with rage, he went back to his friend’s place, grabbed an axe, stormed into the house, and hacked all five to death. The wounds were concentrated on their heads and necks, and all five died from excessive blood loss."
Guan Xia listened, full of doubt. "From the sound of it, this doesn’t seem like the work of that criminal organization. But the cases of the taxi driver and Wang Huiqin’s family are strikingly similar. And then there’s Yao Qingyan’s stepfather, stepmother, and half-sister’s deaths… It feels like two organizations with similar ideologies but completely different methods."
She trailed off, realizing how far-fetched it sounded, and fell into thought.
Unexpectedly, Zhong Xiaoyu chimed in, "What if it is the same organization? People, even if they start with the same ideals, can gradually be swayed by their own thoughts and desires over time. That could explain the vastly different methods."
Guan Xia thought of Yao Qingyan and Wang Huiqin and found Zhong Xiaoyu’s reasoning plausible.
Pang Le suddenly spoke up, "I have a few questions. How did Wang Huiqin even come into contact with that criminal organization? And why is there such a huge difference between her and Yao Qingyan, who are both members? I can’t remember exactly when Yao Qingyan’s stepfamily died, but it couldn’t have been more than ten years ago. Assuming Yao Qingyan joined the organization a decade ago, how did she become a trained assassin in that time, while Wang Huiqin—who’s also been in the organization for about ten years (her family died in 2012, so twelve years now)—is still just a peripheral member? Logically, someone as inconspicuous as her would be the perfect candidate for assassination missions."
This was another angle the group hadn’t discussed yet. Zhong Xiaoyu replied, "Maybe it’s about talent? I’ve never met Yao Qingyan, but based on Ji An’s descriptions and the photos I’ve seen, it’s clear she had a privileged upbringing despite her hardships. She had the resources to study whatever she wanted, which explains her mastery of disguise. Wang Huiqin, on the other hand, lived through hell. Forget education—survival was a struggle. But precisely because she blends into the background, she’s perfect for surveillance. Of course, it’s also possible she’s carried out assassination missions like Yao Qingyan, and we just don’t know about them."
Zhong Xiaoyu’s explanation made sense, and Pang Le nodded, though his furrowed brow showed he was still turning things over in his mind.
Then Zhong Xiaoyu added, "I just had a thought. Instead of going to Linshan City, maybe we should head to Shangshuang City. In Linshan, the only thing we can investigate is that kidnapping case involving Luo Deye’s son. If I recall correctly, Ji An mentioned it was never reported to the police, meaning we’d have to start from scratch. And since the crime was likely committed by Yao Qingyan with Wang Huiqin assisting, the organization’s caution means we might tip them off. Shangshuang City, on the other hand, offers multiple leads."
Her suggestion struck a chord. Guan Xia and the others quickly caught on, their eyes lighting up as they added, "Plus, we’d have a legitimate cover. Even if we stay longer, it wouldn’t raise suspicion. Two birds with one stone."
Pang Le, now following the logic, counted off on his fingers, "On the surface—no, actually—we really are going to investigate the case Ji An’s been tracking. But behind the scenes, we can use it as an opportunity to look into Wang Huiqin’s past, that four-person criminal gang, and even the taxi driver. With so many angles, the chances of finding something are higher. Even though two of the gang members are dead, the other two are still alive. Follow the trail, and we’re bound to uncover something."
As Pang Le laid out his analysis, Guan Xia felt as if a tangled ball of yarn had finally yielded a loose thread—everything suddenly seemed clearer.
Just then, Wang Yu’s phone buzzed. She glanced at the message and announced to the group, "It’s from our colleagues in Shangshuang City. They looked into the whereabouts of Lin Cheng and Xu Hongliang’s relatives. According to records and field visits, five years after the two were killed—so around 2017—their families left town one after another, citing job opportunities. For the first few years, they stayed in touch, updating their locations and rental details. But after 2020, all contact ceased."
Guan Xia said, "So that means... the relatives of Lin Cheng and Xu Hongliang have gone missing. What about the relatives of the other two? They’re still in prison, so they should still be local, right?"
Wang Yu replied with a serious expression, "They’ve also disappeared. The timing aligns with when Lin Cheng and Xu Hongliang’s relatives lost contact—around 2020."
Guan Xia seemed to connect the dots, her expression turning grave. "What a coincidence."
Ji An clearly had the same thought, speaking up the moment Guan Xia finished. "What about the family of the murderer who killed the taxi driver’s family of five? Are his relatives still in the area?"
Wang Yu shook her head. "That’s unclear. On the surface, that killer’s motive appeared to be purely personal revenge, with no obvious connection to the criminal group formed by Lin Cheng and the other three. So, the colleagues in Shangshuang City didn’t conduct on-site visits for that case."
Zhong Xiaoyu blinked, then suddenly smiled. "It’d be really interesting if that killer’s relatives also went missing around 2020. That would mean Shangshuang City is either the headquarters of that criminal organization or at least one of their key recruitment hubs. In that case, we’d have even more reason to go."
Due to the leads uncovered from Wang Huiqin’s case, Guan Xia and the others spent over two hours in discussion. Afterward, they briefly reviewed the details of Luo Deye’s son’s kidnapping case. By the time they finally wrapped up and prepared to leave the Pingjiang District precinct, dawn was nearly breaking.
Pang Le glanced out the window and stretched with a big yawn. "What a packed schedule. My brain’s been working harder tonight than in the past six months combined. I need to go home and sleep—feel like my head’s about to burn out."
Guan Xia rubbed her stiff neck and legs, silently agreeing with Pang Le’s sentiment.
Indeed, Wang Huiqin’s case was complicated enough, but Luo Deye’s son’s kidnapping case wasn’t progressing smoothly either. Xu Nian and the others had reached out to the police station they’d previously worked with in Linshan City.
According to their findings, Luo Deye hadn’t reported the crime at the time. However, the hospital that treated the injuries noticed something suspicious and discreetly alerted the police. Yet, both Luo Deye and his son firmly denied any wrongdoing. The officers handling the case couldn’t find concrete evidence, and eventually, the investigation was dropped.
As they left the office building and walked toward the parking lot, the crisp morning air seemed to sharpen Guan Xia’s thoughts. She suddenly remembered something and turned to Xu Nian. "By the way, I forgot to ask—did Wang Huiqin leave Linshan City and return to Shangshuang City at any point in 2019?"
At Guan Xia’s question, Pang Le and Zhong Xiaoyu also perked up, looking expectantly at Xu Nian.
Xu Nian replied, "Based on what we’ve found, no. After Wang Huiqin moved to Linshan City, she never left. All these years, she’s kept working at the same mall without changing jobs."
Pang Le stroked his chin thoughtfully. "This Wang Huiqin is really cautious. Compared to Yao Qingyan’s physical disguises, she’s better at blending into everyday life. If Guan Xia hadn’t discovered her through Meng Lan’s gas leak incident, she’d still be operating in the shadows like a ghost, carrying out crimes without us noticing. Kind of terrifying when you think about it."
Qi Bai added, "Whether it’s Wang Huiqin, Yao Qingyan, or Lu Manqing—they’re all frightening. What’s even scarier is that what we’ve uncovered so far is just the tip of the iceberg. Who knows how large this criminal organization really is? So far, we’ve found activity in Jianyang City, Lian City, Linshan City, and Shangshuang City in Ningyun Province. If we someday discover Yongquan City’s involved, I wouldn’t even be surprised."
Qi Bai’s words prompted another round of contemplation.
Guan Xia hesitated before speaking. "Jianyang City, Lian City, and Linshan City are all in Dingyuan Province. The only outlier is Shangshuang City in Ningyun Province—thousands of kilometers away. Why is Shangshuang so special? Normally, criminal organizations expand outward from a central hub. How did they just skip straight to Shangshuang? Unless… it wasn’t a skip, but actual expansion?"
Even as she said it, Guan Xia doubted the possibility. Even in a world where investigative stories overlapped, criminal organizations still needed fertile ground to thrive. They were more rampant before the millennium, but with recent crackdowns, their reach had been severely restricted.
Sure enough, Zhong Xiaoyu immediately countered, "No way. If a criminal organization spanned multiple provinces, it wouldn’t just be a criminal group—it’d be a terrorist organization. My guess is that a core member branched out with their own ambitions, copying the original model but with variations. That’s why the patterns are similar but not identical."
"Really?" Pang Le looked skeptical. "In crime dramas, the leaders always care about loyalty. Wouldn’t someone doing this get silenced?"
Zhong Xiaoyu shrugged. "Who knows? It’s just a theory. As for the truth, we’ll have to go to Shangshuang City and find out."
