Insights Chapter 152: Strange

Chapter 152: Strange

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Nighttime, the third police station of Changxi County on the west side.

This police station wasn’t large, with just one director, two police officers handling household registration and administrative tasks, plus three policemen and a medical examiner. At this moment, the director of the station had returned and was chatting outside with Shao Zhen’en.

Gu Yanchen stepped out of the autopsy room to check on the progress of the sketch. The simulated image had been revised three times and was now basically restored.

Song Wen’s drawing skills were indeed excellent, creating lifelike portraits.

The image depicted a young man with a refined appearance, single eyelids, and bangs that reached his eyebrows.

The two children confirmed again, “It looks quite alike.”

Just as they said this, two people stood at the door, knocking before entering.

Gu Yanchen looked up to see two middle-aged women, and upon seeing them, the two children lowered their heads, looking timid, and called out “Mom.”

The leading woman, slightly plump, had a somewhat unfriendly tone, “Director Zhang, do you think he’s out playing? Turns out, he’s gone missing.”

Gu Yanchen frowned slightly. Normally, when questioning minors, it required the signature of a guardian. He had assumed that the local officers had taken care of all procedures. Director Zhang’s actions were not in line with police procedures. Not only would the evidence be questionable, but if reported, it would be a problem.

Director Zhang laughed and nudged a nearby policeman, “Ah, it’s all Xiao Yang being eager to crack the case. He’s new here and doesn’t understand the process. I’ll talk to him later and educate him.”

Gu Yanchen’s brow furrowed even tighter. When he called the children over earlier, he clearly heard Xiao Yang making a call to Director Zhang.

But Xiao Yang casually accepted the blame and stood up, smiling, “I’m really sorry. Look at me, I got busy and forgot. These two kids said they saw something near the scene, so I brought them over to ask about it. I didn’t expect it to take so long.”

The woman said, “Oh, what can kids see? Isn’t it just nonsense?”

The other woman also called her child, “Come with me quickly, your dad is looking for you.”

Seeing them speak like this, Shao Zhen’en hurriedly said, “The kids have been quite helpful. Thanks to their cooperation with the police, we have some information to catch the murderer.”

But the two women had strange expressions, as if they didn’t care at all about who the murderer was.

The slightly plump woman snorted, “He’s just talking nonsense. Don’t believe him. If we can’t find the murderer later, they’ll blame us.”

Gu Yanchen thought it was strange for a mother to describe her own son like that.

The two children kept their heads down the whole time, not daring to breathe loudly as they stood to the side, looking like mice facing a cat.

Feeling a bit unpleasant, Gu Yanchen discreetly moved the notebook screen so they couldn’t see what Song Wen was doing opposite them.

He pushed the children forward and said, “They didn’t say much. We just asked a few simple questions. You can take them home now. Thank you.”

Upon hearing this, the two women became even more impolite. Each took a child and turned to leave, muttering curses in the local dialect, threatening in low voices, “You dare run around again, and I’ll deal with you when we get back! Watch your skin!”

Gu Yanchen deliberately covered the notebook screen, but Song Wen still heard their conversation. After everyone had left, Gu Yanchen apologized to Song Wen, “Sorry, there’s a bit of an issue here. I’ll handle it later.”

Song Wen replied, “It’s okay, the sketches are almost done. I’ll refine them and send them over later.”

Gu Yanchen hurriedly said, “Thanks, Captain Song. I’ll turn off the video now.”

Song Wen said, “Sure, it’s just a small favor. Don’t be so polite. I heard your marksmanship is good. Let’s practice shooting together when you’re free.”

Gu Yanchen said, “Okay, let’s do that when we have time.”

After ending the video call, Shao Zhen’en had been holding back for a while and couldn’t help but complain to Director Zhang, “Lao Zhang, why didn’t you inform the parents?”

Director Zhang, with his legs crossed, looked embarrassed, “Ah, you guys work in the city, you don’t know the situation in our town. In this Changxi County, there are only eight thousand people in total, and two thousand in our area alone. This place used to be all rural, and only recently got upgraded. The busiest place in the county now used to be the center of the village. Although it’s been upgraded to a county, there are still mostly locals. Those two children just now are all locals.”

Xiao Yang added, “Many people here know each other, it’s like everyone is a relative. If I really informed the parents, let alone drawing sketches, it would be impossible to even ask questions. The adults would surely block us.”

Director Zhang continued, “We’re doing this for the case. Hearing that there were children who saw something, we couldn’t just ignore it and not bring them in for questioning. It’s just that I didn’t expect the sketching process to take this long. It’s a bit against the procedure. Captain Gu, please bear with us.”

Gu Yanchen listened to their explanation and understood their approach.

Leaving aside other matters, all the witnesses questioned before these two children were very cautious in their speech, claiming ignorance about the details.

Did those people really not see or hear the cruel scene in the cornfield?

Just as he was thinking about this, Gu Yanchen’s phone beeped. It was Song Wen sending over the simulated sketch.

Gu Yanchen asked Xiao Yang to print out the sketch and let the officers in the station take a look, asking if they recognized the person.

The officers shook their heads one after another. Director Zhang took a copy of the sketch and said, “We don’t have enough people now. Tomorrow during the day, we’ll ask around some more.”

Gu Yanchen folded the sketch and put it in his pocket.

Today finally saw some progress. It’s already past eight in the evening, looks like the rest will have to wait until tomorrow to continue investigating. At this moment, he felt even more prescient, indeed he couldn’t go back tonight.

Gu Yanchen finished his work, packed up, and knocked on the door of the autopsy room.

On Shen Junci’s side, he had just finished tidying up as well.

The medical examiner, Shen, had been listening to their conversation the whole time, and as he removed his mask, he looked somewhat weary. It wasn’t just physical exhaustion, but also a bit of mental fatigue.

Investigating this case, he felt a kind of intangible resistance.

Gu Yanchen asked Shen Junci, “Was the autopsy smooth today?”

He knew that the head autopsy was often the last step, and sewing up the body afterward usually didn’t take too long. It felt like Shen Junci took a bit longer than usual.

Shen Junci shook his head. He still found it hard to speak, so he typed to Gu Yanchen, “There were many wounds on the body. Besides the cross-shaped wound on the chest, there were many other cross-shaped wounds, which were very difficult to stitch up.”

Only now did Gu Yanchen dare to look directly at the corpse. During the day, the corpse was covered in fresh blood, making it difficult to see how many wounds there were. Now, upon closer inspection, he discovered that there were not only wounds on the chest but also on the abdomen, legs, and back, with many cross-shaped scars. These wounds were now sewn up by Shen Junci with black thread, and on the pale skin of the girl, they looked densely packed and somewhat chilling.

Gu Yanchen said, “Thank you for your hard work. Let’s go check in first, and then I’ll buy you some medicine.”

As they walked out, Shen Junci handed some documents and blood samples to Shao’s team. They had a group of people who were going back to the city tonight, which was perfect for taking these items to the medical examiner’s center for analysis.

The other few young officers prepared to go with Gu Yanchen to rest.

Gu Yanchen instructed Director Zhang, “Director Zhang, the autopsy is done. Could you please contact the funeral home later and have them take the corpse away and store it in the morgue for the police to examine?”

Director Zhang said, “Don’t worry, I’ll make a call right away and have it transported over tonight.”

As Gu Yanchen turned to leave with the team, he paused and then added, “Oh, Director Zhang, regarding the recent case in the county town, we suspect it’s a serial murder case. Please inform the leaders in the village. Also, contact various department heads to increase patrols, and make sure adults keep an eye on children, especially young girls. They shouldn’t be alone, especially at night.”

Director Zhang said, “Sure, Captain Gu, you’ve worked hard. Your thoughts are really considerate and meticulous.”

Gu Yanchen sensed a bit of flattery in his words but reciprocated with, “It’s the hard work of the officers. I’ll buy some cigarettes later for them.”

As they left the police station, they headed towards the arranged accommodation. The hotel they were staying at tonight was one of the larger ones in Changxi County, not far from here.

Upon arrival at the hotel, they booked three rooms in total, with Gu Yanchen and Shen Junci sharing one.

The hotel had three floors in total, and they were staying on the third floor. When they got upstairs, the accommodation environment was indeed average.

After putting down their belongings, Shen Junci detected a hint of smoke and opened the window by pulling aside the curtain.

Although it was already past eight in the evening, the county town still looked quite lively, with many lights on. It had a bit of a city atmosphere, but noticeably less vibrant than a city. The spacing between buildings was also slightly larger.

Shen Junci gazed into the distance, illuminated by the night lights, and could see some ancient-style buildings in the county town, such as old mansions, gardens, and towers.

“This county town has some tourist attractions. If the case is solved and you’re feeling better, we can take a day off to explore nearby before returning,” Gu Yanchen said, thinking Shen Junci was looking at the nearby tower.

Shen Junci gently shook his head. He felt something was off here, and if the case was solved, he wouldn’t want to stay a minute longer.

“In that case, we won’t go. Let’s return as soon as possible,” Gu Yanchen said, concerned about Shen Junci’s health. He kissed him and then said, “You go shower and rest first, I’ll go out to buy you some medicine.”

As he was about to leave, Shen Junci reached out and pulled him back, then typed on his phone, “Let’s go together.”

Gu Yanchen thought it was a good idea. Later at the pharmacy, Shen Junci could also see what medicine he needed.

After they finished packing up, they went downstairs. Gu Yanchen specifically asked the staff at the hotel where the nearest pharmacy was.

The cleaning lady pointed the way, and now that the weather was gradually warming up, it didn’t feel particularly cold at night. As they walked on the unfamiliar streets, many shops on either side were still open.

The county town was very lively, unaffected by the recent murder case. People were still eating supper, playing mahjong, and chatting. The deceased girl had merely provided them with something to talk about.

Gu Yanchen walked over and took out the simulated portrait, asking a few people eating barbecue by the roadside.

They all shook their heads.

“Don’t know him.”

“Never seen him before.”

“Not sure.”

As they neared the pharmacy, Gu Yanchen whispered to Shen Junci, “These people are lying.”

With his background in criminal investigation, having interrogated so many criminals, he could easily tell the truth from lies at a glance. Initially unsure, he asked several people, becoming more convinced of this point.

Shen Junci, puzzled, asked, “?”

Seeing his confusion, Gu Yanchen lowered his voice and explained, “Their eyes, their eyes aren’t right. Normally, when questioned, people’s gaze would focus on the simulated portrait, scrutinizing it to recall memories. But these people just glanced at the portrait and then looked at me to answer. Their gaze was drifting.”

Those people didn’t even dare to take the portrait, which was clearly abnormal.

After hearing this explanation, Shen Junci couldn’t help but admire Gu Yanchen’s keen observation.

The two arrived at the pharmacy. It operated 24 hours and had a small clinic inside, with a young male doctor present.

Gu Yanchen explained Shen Junci’s symptoms to the doctor, who then took out a thermometer to measure his temperature.

Just then, the pharmacy door opened again, and a girl who looked around eight or nine walked in. As soon as she entered, she called out, “Uncle Si Biao, my grandpa’s heart condition is acting up again. Give me a box of quick-acting heart-saving pills.”

She placed the money on the counter, and the male doctor got up to fetch the medication for her.

Meanwhile, Shen Junci was browsing the shelves for medicine. The doctor finished measuring his temperature and said, “You’re not running a fever at the moment. Let me give you a quick checkup.”

Gu Yanchen couldn’t help but notice the girl’s departure. He thought the parents were quite lax, allowing a young girl to come out alone to buy medicine at this late hour, especially considering the recent murder case. Perhaps they were unaware of what had happened. Wanting to remind them, Captain Gu pretended to go outside to smoke and told the male doctor to call him if needed.

Instead of immediately lighting up, Gu Yanchen went after the girl to ask, “Little miss, aren’t you afraid to come out alone at night to buy medicine?”

The girl looked up at him and replied, “Not afraid. I know all these people.”

Her gaze towards him was somewhat wary.

Gu Yanchen kindly advised, “I’m not a bad person, I’m a police officer. But you should go home soon. It’s not safe around here lately. There was an incident just a few days ago.”

The girl muttered, “But I haven’t done anything wrong…”

Gu Yanchen wasn’t sure if he heard correctly, but he felt that what she said was important. Frowning, he asked, “What did you say?”

Did something wrong? What mistakes could those underage girls make?

The girl became even more guarded, pursed her lips, turned around, and quickly ran away, disappearing into a nearby dark alley.

Gu Yanchen hesitated whether to follow her, but then heard the doctor opening the door, saying to him, “Your friend has a bit of inflammation in the tonsils. I’ve prescribed some simple medication. If it gets worse, he should go to the hospital.”

Gu Yanchen acknowledged and quickly entered to pay.

He couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off about the people in this whole county town.

The girl’s name was Zhao Xiaoyin. Her parents had gone out to work, leaving only her and her grandfather at home.

Zhao Xiaoyin had grown up here, knowing all the nearby relatives and neighbors. She had heard about the recent events from her grandfather but didn’t take it seriously.

After walking a while, she passed by a convenience store and remembered she needed a notebook. She walked in and took out some change, saying, “Uncle Wu, I’ll take two grid notebooks.”

Inside the store, there was a space cleared out, and the owner was playing mahjong with someone, while a few others were watching.

The owner, engrossed in the game and not wanting to get up, nudged the woman beside him with a commanding tone, “Are you deaf? Hurry up and get the girl her notebook.”

The woman got up reluctantly and went out to get the notebook, collected the money, and handed the items to Zhao Xiaoyin.

There was also a small table nearby where a girl of similar age to Zhao Xiaoyin was sitting, doing her homework. She looked up upon hearing the commotion.

One of the mahjong players casually asked, “Isn’t it about time for exams to start? Xiaoyin, how did you do?”

Zhao Xiaoyin, holding the notebook, lifted her chin proudly and said, “96 in Chinese and 100 in math.”

“Oh my, with only your grandfather at home, how did you manage such good grades?”

The player then turned to the owner’s daughter who was sitting nearby and asked, “And you?”

The girl looked uneasy.

The owner snorted, “How does she have the face to say? She got a 64 and a 79. Clearly not cut out for studying.”

The mahjong players burst into laughter, and the owner’s daughter lowered her head even further.

Zhao Xiaoyin finished putting away the notebook and left.

The woman glanced up at Zhao Xiaoyin’s departing figure, her eyes showing a hint of something else.

Someone brought up a new topic, “By the way, have you heard about what happened in the cornfield? It’s so terrifying!”

“I saw the police come here today. Do you think they’ll solve the case?”

“Forget about it! What could they solve? It’s not like no one has come down from above before.”

“Yeah, it happened four years ago, and they ended up leaving empty-handed, didn’t they?”

An outsider who didn’t understand asked for more information, “What’s going on?”

“I heard this time it’s the City Bureau investigating. Maybe they’ll find something?”

The owner blew a smoke ring, “I’m just saying, even if the supervisory team comes, they won’t be able to figure it out. Can they really…”

“Who do you think did it?”

Sensing they were getting too excited, someone put a finger to their lips as a reminder to keep quiet.

The owner hesitated, “Anyway, they won’t catch the killer.” He pushed the mahjong tiles in front of him. “I won! Pay up, pay up!”

With the game ending and work awaiting them tomorrow, the others paid and left the store. In the darkness of the night, however, there was a shadow walking in the alleyways…