Chapter 114: Connection

“Who put the stone on the railing pillar?” Liu Sheng asked.

“The two of us lifted it up together,” Liu Jing replied.

“Was it heavy?”

“Very heavy.”

“Did you ever consider that you might not be strong enough to pull up such a large stone, especially with Youyou’s weight added?”

Liu Jing was momentarily speechless at Liu Sheng’s words. Her eyes glazed over as she stared blankly at him, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Then Liu Sheng asked again, “Was anyone else involved?”

Liu Jing hesitated for a long moment before slowly shaking her head.

Just then, the other officers called by Fang Po arrived at Liu Jing’s home. “We need you and your family to come with us. We’ll need your cooperation later,” they said.

As Liu Jing’s family was taken away, Liu Sheng drove his car, accompanied by Fang Po and Mu Jin, leaving the residential complex where Liu Jing lived.

“Liu Sheng is truly remarkable—he solved the case in just one afternoon. This must be the fastest case solved in history. To celebrate, we’re going for hot pot tonight, and of course, Liu Sheng is treating!” Fang Po said excitedly from the car.

Mu Jin in the backseat instantly became thrilled. “I want spicy beef and fish balls, and... all kinds of vegetables for dipping!” She was already salivating as she spoke.

Liu Sheng, driving, raised his voice, “Did I agree? Why are you so happy? And Mu Jin, do you think police officers are so poor they’d drool just thinking about food?”

Though he said that, Liu Sheng promptly steered the car toward a nearby hot pot restaurant.

The next morning, Youyou’s parents came to claim her body. Liu Sheng accompanied Fang Po to the scene, feeling responsible to see it through since he had been involved in the case.

Seeing the body carried out, Youyou’s father broke down in tears immediately.

“Youyou, it’s all your mother’s fault for letting this happen to you.”

Youyou’s mother, after saying this, turned to Youyou’s father and started hitting him, continuing, “It’s all your fault. If it weren’t for you, Youyou wouldn’t have ended up like this!”

At that moment, Liu Sheng noticed a tattoo on Youyou’s arm: a circle with a hexagon inside.

Curious, he asked her parents, “Has she always had this tattoo?”

They, too, noticed it and tearfully said, “We’ve never seen it before.”

“That’s strange. From the school’s information, Youyou was a good student with no bad habits. She shouldn’t have a tattoo,” Liu Sheng thought to himself. But since the case had been clarified, he kept his thoughts to himself.

On his way home, Liu Sheng kept pondering the issue, feeling that something was not quite right. He just couldn’t put his finger on what was off.

That night at eight o’clock, a group of high school boys and girls gathered in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Chong City.

“It’s so dark here,” one said.

“I’m a little scared,” another admitted.

“No worries, I brought candles. If we’re telling ghost stories, this is the perfect atmosphere,” a third reassured them.

When the candles were lit, the students were stunned into silence by the scene before them.

In the middle of the factory hung a disheveled woman, dressed in cosplay clothes of an anime character. Her hands were tied with rope, suspended off the ground, appearing lifeless.

As the students stood frozen, the woman suddenly whispered, barely audible, “Save me.”

“Ah!”

After hearing her speak, the students screamed and bolted for the exit.

At Liu Sheng’s home, Tian Yun stayed in the dormitory because of early classes the next day. Liu Sheng was recounting the recent case to Ren Xiadong.

“That was thrilling! Just thinking about it is exciting. Next time there’s a case like this, be sure to invite me—I want to join the fun,” Ren Xiadong said eagerly. He enjoyed reading mystery comics and studied psychology himself.

Liu Sheng knew Ren Xiadong was mostly talking big for show, so he replied, “You’d have to ask Officer Fang. I don’t make those decisions.”

Ren Xiadong immediately pulled out his phone and called Fang Po.

“Officer Fang, this is Ren Xiadong.”

“I know you. What’s up, Xiadong?”

“I heard Liu Sheng worked with you on the case. If there’s another one, remember to bring me along.”

“Sure, come on over. We actually have one right now. Don’t forget to bring Liu Sheng.”

After hanging up, Liu Sheng asked, “So, did he agree?”

Ren Xiadong grinned, “He said, ‘Come on over, there’s a case right now!’ Looks like we’re in for some fun.”

“Where to?” Liu Sheng asked again.

Ren Xiadong’s smile faded awkwardly. “I forgot to ask.”

Just then, Liu Sheng’s phone rang. It was Fang Po.

“Captain Fang, Ren Xiadong told me you’re bringing him along. I’ll skip it—these are simple cases, no challenge.”

“Tonight, an abandoned factory in the suburbs. A victim was found there with the same tattoo as Youyou’s on her arm.”

“Send me the address. I’m on my way!”

Before Fang Po could send the location, Liu Sheng and Ren Xiadong were already in Ren’s R8 sports car. In Chong City’s complex terrain, if you’re a newcomer, don’t ask for an address—get the exact GPS location. Locals can’t even find places without navigation, let alone someone like Liu Sheng from the north.

Liu Sheng’s phone vibrated. He quickly opened the map Fang Po sent and floored the accelerator toward the hospital.

Upon arrival, seeing several officers guarding a particular ward’s door, Liu Sheng knew this had to be it.

“I’m here to see Captain Fang,” Liu Sheng told the officers blocking his way.

Before they could reply, the ward door opened. Mu Jin appeared.

“Let them in,” she said.

Liu Sheng entered to see a girl about his age sitting on the hospital bed, ravenously eating. Empty snack wrappers littered the floor.

Glancing briefly, he asked, “Starving ghost, huh?”

Fang Po, standing by the window, answered, “Pretty much. She was hungry for two days. If we’d found her any later, it would have been a real ghost story.”

From Fang Po’s words, Liu Sheng pieced together how the girl had been discovered. The medical report noted she had sustained blunt force trauma to her head.

“What have you learned so far?” Liu Sheng asked Fang Po.

Fang Po shook his head, staring out the window. “Nothing. She won’t talk, just eats. I’m at a loss.”

Liu Sheng snatched the snacks from the girl’s hands and asked, “Who are you?” Then he threw the snacks on the floor and pulled up the girl’s sleeve. The girl kept shouting, “Police are harassing me! Police are harassing me!”

When Liu Sheng saw the tattoo on her arm—identical to Youyou’s—he said sharply, “Shut up. I’m not a cop. And what’s this tattoo about?”

The girl, startled by the mention of the tattoo, looked at her arm and said, “I don’t know. It wasn’t there before. If you hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t even know I had it.”

Liu Sheng fell into thought. “The tattoo was probably inked after she lost consciousness, by whoever attacked her. My instincts were right—this isn’t as simple as it seems.”

“Youyou didn’t commit suicide, and it wasn’t an accidental drowning. Someone planned this,” Liu Sheng told Fang Po.

Fang Po turned from the window and said, “I agree. But we don’t know anything—who did this, their motive, not even any suspects. We’re completely in the dark. We don’t even know what kind of person we’re dealing with.”

Liu Sheng looked back at the girl. “How did you end up at the factory out in the suburbs?”

The girl looked nervously at Liu Sheng’s stern expression and slowly said, “A fan invited me.”

“A fan? You’re a celebrity?” Liu Sheng asked. Then, turning to Ren Xiadong, he said, “She’s an internet celebrity, goes by Sister Lei. She’s a mukbang streamer.” Ren Xiadong smiled at Sister Lei. “I’m a fan, too. I watch your streams all the time. You look much better in person than in videos.”

Sister Lei smiled back. “Really? Have you ever sent me gifts?”

Ren Xiadong laughed, about to reply, but seeing Liu Sheng glare at him, he clammed up.

Liu Sheng then asked Sister Lei, “Where’s the fan who invited you? How can we contact him?”

“Why are you so fierce? I’m a girl! Besides, I lost my ID. Do you think I have my phone on me? There’s no way to contact him, big brother,” Sister Lei said pitifully.

Before Liu Sheng could respond, she started whining, “I’m hungry. I want to eat!”

Helpless, Liu Sheng handed her the snacks nearby, realizing he wouldn’t get much more information. He then told Fang Po, “I want to see Liu Jing.”

Ren Xiadong stayed behind to look after Sister Lei, hoping to glean some useful information, while Fang Po, Liu Sheng, and Mu Jin left the hospital. Since Liu Sheng’s car only fit two, Fang Po drove the police car, and Mu Jin rode with Liu Sheng to the station.

“What exactly are you? That car must be worth at least a million, right?” Mu Jin was deeply impressed by Liu Sheng’s sports car, unable to believe a college student could afford such luxury.

Liu Sheng wanted to say, “Could you focus on the case instead of my car?” But remembering the last time Mu Jin had beaten him up, he laughed and said, “Material things don’t matter.”

Mu Jin asked, “Do you think Liu Jing is the killer?”

Liu Sheng shook his head.

“Then why do you want to see Liu Jing?”

He said nothing. He knew the killer wasn’t Liu Jing. If Liu Jing, a high school girl, were the murderer, she wouldn’t have hung Sister Lei, an adult, that high up. Since Sister Lei and Youyou had the same tattoo, it meant the same person was involved. If the fan who invited Sister Lei was the culprit, then he must also be connected to Youyou. Youyou could no longer speak, but Liu Jing, her close friend, must know something.

Mu Jin watched Liu Sheng fall silent and asked, “Why were you so agitated earlier?”

“Maybe I want to ease Liu Jing’s guilt a little,” Liu Sheng said, then pressed the accelerator hard and drove toward the police station.

When Liu Sheng met Liu Jing and her family, it was clear that Liu Jing felt responsible for Youyou’s death. Though she didn’t kill her, Youyou died right in front of her, leaving a deep shadow on her psyche. Liu Sheng wanted to uncover the truth to bring her some peace.

At the interrogation room in the police station, Liu Sheng sat across from Liu Jing and began, “Don’t be afraid. I’m only going to ask a few questions about Youyou’s life. Since you were so close, you must know a lot about her, right?”

Seeing Liu Jing nod, Liu Sheng activated his heart-reading ability, connecting to her emotions.

“Did Youyou have a phone?” he asked.

Fang Po and Mu Jin exchanged puzzled looks. Why bring Liu Jing to the station at night just to ask about a phone?

Liu Jing hesitated before confessing, “I lied. Youyou did have a phone, but it was with her boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” Mu Jin was surprised. Youyou was such a good student, how could she have a boyfriend? It puzzled her.

Liu Jing continued, “I know nothing about him—no name, no background. I didn’t say anything because I promised Youyou no one could know. The school forbids early relationships.”

Fang Po and Mu Jin looked at Liu Sheng, curious what strange question he might ask next. But Liu Sheng simply said, “You can go. Do you need a ride?”

“No, my parents are waiting outside,” Liu Jing replied.

After she left, Fang Po and Mu Jin stared at Liu Sheng as if to say, “If you don’t explain, it seems like you’re the one who got caught today.”