When Guan Xia's call came through, Xu Nian was standing by a barren field, examining a set of footprints.
After crouching for just a few seconds, Xu Nian spoke with certainty, "The footprints are clear—size 38. The only person in this compound who matches is Jiang Chuntao, Luo Shun's wife."
As soon as he finished speaking, a police officer shouted from nearby, "Captain Xu, we've got something here."
Xu Nian walked over, and the officer reported, "There's blood here, likely dripped while fleeing. It hasn't even dried yet."
Xu Nian glanced down, then looked ahead and said grimly, "Seems like they fled into the mountains. Only one set of footprints—could it be just one person? Then where's Luo Shun?"
No one answered that question. The team remained scattered, busy with their tasks. Despite the number of officers, they seemed sparse compared to the vast expanse of the barren field and the sprawling wild mountains.
It was then that Xu Nian's phone rang.
Pulling it out and seeing the caller ID, he immediately realized what it might be about and answered instinctively, "Guan Xia? Did you find something?"
Hearing the name Guan Xia, Qi Bai's pained expression instantly shifted, his eyes filling with anticipation.
Sure enough, after hanging up a dozen seconds later, Xu Nian spoke urgently, "Call Wang Yu. Luo Shun is at the Shuimu Spring City residential complex."
Qi Bai quickly pulled out his phone, and Xu Nian shouted to Jiang Yingyao, "Jiang, which auxiliary officer did Wang Yu take with him?"
Jiang Yingyao thought for a moment before answering, "A rookie who joined half a year ago—someone named Xu something."
As he spoke, he ran over. "What's going on? Did that bastard Luo Shun go to Liang Xinhua's place?"
Getting the answer he needed, Xu Nian strode quickly toward the exit. "Jiang, keep the team searching. Based on the footprints and blood, Jiang Chuntao must have taken a weapon into the mountains. We don’t have enough people—call Director Ren and request backup."
Then he called out again, "Qi Bai, bring a few men with me. We're heading to Shuimu Spring City."
The moment they got into the car, before Xu Nian could even fasten his seatbelt, Qi Bai floored the accelerator, sending the vehicle lurching forward like a drift.
Xu Nian grabbed the handle to steady himself and quickly dialed Director Ren. "Director, it's Xu Nian. I just received intel that the suspect, Luo Shun, male, 45, from Pingshun Village, has been spotted at Shuimu Spring City on Xinmin Avenue. We suspect he’s armed and intends to kill Ye Lan, resident of Unit 1102, Building 7, Block 1. I repeat—Unit 1102, Building 7, Block 1. Requesting backup."
Before Xu Nian even finished, the response came through, "Received. I’ll dispatch nearby patrol cars and local officers for support."
Assured that reinforcements would arrive faster than they could, Xu Nian’s tense expression eased slightly.
Once they hit the main road and the car stabilized, Xu Nian let go of the handle, fastened his seatbelt, and asked, "Did you get through to Wang Yu?"
Qi Bai, still pressing the accelerator nearly to the floor, answered swiftly, "Got through, but the call dropped after just a few words. No idea what’s happening now."
Xu Nian checked the time. Qi Bai couldn’t hold back his question. "Captain Xu, Luo Shun already abducted Liang Xinhua. Why would he go to his house now? All five victims, including Liang Xinhua, had histories of domestic violence. The only ones left in Liang Xinhua’s house are his wife, Ye Lan, and their daughter, Liang Panpan. Surely Luo Shun wouldn’t be so deranged as to target them?"
Xu Nian replied, "We’re cops. He’s a killer. We’ll never understand how a killer thinks. But my guess is Luo Shun might’ve believed he gave Ye Lan a fresh start, only for her to ‘waste it’ by remarrying another abusive man. After kidnapping Liang Xinhua, he probably flew into a rage and decided to kill Ye Lan too."
Qi Bai recalled the clues they’d found earlier in Luo Shun’s home. "So it seems Luo Shun and his wife, Jiang Chuntao, were working together—at least in Liang Xinhua’s murder."
Then another thought struck him. "Captain Xu, do you think their daughter, Luo Xiaoyun, knew about all this? The couple killed so many people, even tortured and dismembered them."
Xu Nian shook his head. "Luo Xiaoyun was found unconscious. The forensics team discovered sleeping pills in her room. Based on the evidence, Luo Shun and Jiang Chuntao deliberately kept her in the dark. But whether she truly knew nothing… we’ll have to wait until she wakes up to ask."
Qi Bai scoffed. "That kid’s eleven, right? The earliest victim we’ve found so far dates back seven years. Five murders in seven years—some body parts dumped far away, others buried nearby. That’s not something you can easily hide. Living under the same roof for so long, how could she not notice anything? If she wakes up and claims she knew nothing, she’s definitely hiding something."
Xu Nian didn’t respond, merely checked the time again.
As the minutes ticked by, Qi Bai grew increasingly tense.
After a few minutes of silence, Qi Bai couldn't stand the heavy atmosphere in the car any longer and tried to lighten the mood with a joke. "Captain Xu, if Wang Yu manages to capture Luo Shun, she’ll probably get a second-class merit award by the end of the year, right?"
Xu Nian glanced at him. "Why? Are you worried?"
Qi Bai retorted, "Aren’t you, Captain?"
Xu Nian didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said, "You should trust Wang Yu. She may be a woman, but she’s also a trained police officer who graduated with top honors from the police academy."
Perhaps Xu Nian’s calm tone eased Qi Bai’s tension. Though his foot remained heavy on the accelerator, his expression relaxed. "You’re right, Captain. Last time, Wang Yu even pinned down Tian from the third squad. Plus, there’s another auxiliary officer with her. They’ll definitely bring Luo Shun in."
...
The moment Wang Yu answered the phone, the lock clicked—someone was using a key to open the door from outside.
Hearing the voice on the phone, Wang Yu’s expression shifted slightly, but she stayed silent, mouthing a warning to the officer beside her: "Luo Shun."
The officer’s face paled. Glancing down at his uniform, he quickly and quietly moved to the corner near the shoe cabinet, ready to prevent the suspect from fleeing the moment the door opened.
Wang Yu didn’t have time to speak. Hanging up, she hurried to the master bedroom, stopping Ye Lan, who had heard the noise and was about to step out.
Whoever was outside seemed unfamiliar with the lock, fumbling left and right before finally turning it open.
A middle-aged man of average height, slightly plump, wearing a bucket hat and a black windbreaker, stepped inside, head lowered. He carried a fishing rod in his left hand, but his right hand was hidden behind his back.
Ye Lan, still confused by Wang Yu’s intervention, hesitated before speaking at her signal. "Lao Liang, is that you?"
The man didn’t answer, but slow footsteps echoed from the entrance.
Just as Wang Yu held her breath, waiting, the footsteps paused after a few steps—then suddenly turned into rapid retreating footsteps.
Wang Yu immediately realized: Luo Shun had noticed something and was fleeing.
She heard the officer in the living room rush out in pursuit and quickly told Ye Lan, "Stay hidden, don’t come out," before sprinting after them.
Outside, Wang Yu saw no one but noticed the stairwell’s fire door swinging—Luo Shun had abandoned the elevator and was escaping down the stairs.
Without thinking, she gave chase on instinct. After two flights, she could only hear footsteps but saw no figure. Realizing this wasn’t working, she stopped.
Liang Xinhua’s apartment was on the 11th floor. At this speed, Luo Shun would be out of the building in minutes. And since he’d come here to kill, he was surely armed. Worse, given his ruthlessness, if he escaped the building, he’d likely take a hostage to ensure his getaway.
Quickly weighing her options, Wang Yu stopped running. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed the railing and vaulted over it, dropping to the next flight of stairs.
This method was far faster. After just a few jumps, she spotted the black windbreaker-clad figure sprinting below.
The officer chasing behind heard the commotion and seized the chance, leaping over the railing to tackle the suspect.
Caught off guard, Luo Shun was knocked down—but he quickly retaliated, slashing wildly with a knife.
The officer had to dodge backward, but Luo Shun kicked him in the chest and scrambled up to keep running.
By then, Wang Yu had caught up. She lashed out with a kick, sending Luo Shun crashing into the wall. The officer, back on his feet, lunged to restrain him, but Luo Shun’s flailing knife forced him back, leaving a cut on his arm.
Seizing the moment, Wang Yu grabbed Luo Shun’s wrist and smashed it against the wall. He cried out in pain, dropping the knife. The officer seized the chance to twist his other arm, and together, they cuffed him.
The second the cuffs clicked, Wang Yu turned Luo Shun’s face toward her. Only after confirming it was their target did she finally exhale in relief.
"Finally got this bastard," she muttered, hauling the limp suspect up. Turning to the officer, she asked, "You okay?"
The officer flashed his wound with a grin. "Just a scratch. It’ll heal in a few days."
Wang Yu examined it, then smiled. "Good work. You really know how to seize the moment."
The officer smiled shyly. After a pause, he glanced at Luo Shun, then back at Wang Yu. "Officer Wang… do you think catching this guy will get us a commendation or third-class merit by year’s end?"
Wang Yu had expected a serious question, not this. After a beat, she clapped him on the shoulder. "Be confident. This is a serial killer with at least five victims. A third-class merit is guaranteed. If he’s tied to more cases, we might even get a second-class."
The police officer’s eyes lit up at once. "So, does that mean I might get promoted by the end of this year or next?"
Wang Yu paused for a few seconds before patting the officer’s shoulder with even more force. "I believe you can do it."
...
After calling Xu Nian, Guan Xia had been pacing restlessly in her study, unable to calm down.
Logically, she knew she had already reported everything to the police—she had done all she could as an ordinary citizen. But the thought of the killer breaking into a home where only an abused woman and a defenseless child waited made her anxiety spike uncontrollably.
Every few steps, she couldn’t help but press herself against the window, straining to see the entrance of the residential complex, willing the police to arrive soon.
At the same time, she dreaded the sight of the killer emerging from the building—it would mean he had accomplished what he came for and would escape before the authorities arrived.
Fortunately, her fears didn’t come true. After what felt like an eternity, Guan Xia still hadn’t seen the killer leave, but she finally heard the heavenly sound of police sirens.
Multiple patrol cars entered the complex. Before the officers even stepped out, three figures emerged from the building—two of them, a man and a woman, were escorting the third, whose build suggested he was male.
The suspect’s head was covered with a police jacket, obscuring his face, but Guan Xia recognized the black windbreaker he wore—it was the same one she had seen on the killer earlier.
Relief washed over her as she confirmed his capture. Then she noticed something familiar about the female officer restraining him. After a closer look, Guan Xia realized—wasn’t this the same policewoman she had met at Pang Le’s house during the first case after triggering the system, the night the killer had tried to attack her?
Guan Xia froze for a moment before feeling a surge of admiration. The homicide division really was something else.
She had thought her tip was crucial, but it turned out the detectives had already anticipated the killer’s next move and set up an ambush in advance.
The realization made her think of the aunt she had met that morning, who mentioned her son was a detective living right across from Guan Xia.
At the time, it hadn’t struck her as significant, but now the thought filled her with an overwhelming sense of security. She even wondered if she could ask for his number if she ever ran into him.
Though Xu Nian and Qi Bai were both detectives, in an emergency, a neighbor would undoubtedly be more reliable.
