Insights Chapter 153: Victim

Chapter 153: Victim

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Morning, inside the Changxi County Hotel, Gu Yanchen didn’t pull open the curtains, he got up quietly, but still woke up Shen Junci. Shen Junci was a light sleeper. He opened his eyes and looked at his phone. It was still early, just six in the morning.

Gu Yanchen touched his forehead, relieved to find no fever. He poured a cup of hot water for Shen Junci and placed it on the bedside table, then tucked him in. “Go back to sleep. You can get up later. I’ve arranged to meet Xiaoyang. We’re going to the school together.”

Shen Junci had gone to sleep early last night because he wasn’t feeling well. Gu Yanchen, on the other hand, had been busy with research until late. He reviewed the compiled testimonies once again. All the victims were underage girls, yet the adults’ attitudes towards the matter were strangely indifferent.

Gu Yanchen thought, since the adults weren’t telling the truth, they had to start with the children. Perhaps they could find some clues there.

Before going to bed, he messaged Xiaoyang, arranging to visit the school where Jian Yunxi had studied before.

Being unfamiliar with the area, and even if he brought officers from the City Bureau, they might not be able to gather much information. He needed someone familiar with the local situation. Xiaoyang had been transferred here after graduation and had spent two years in the area. He seemed sharp, so Gu Yanchen decided to take him along to inquire.

There were currently two cases. They needed to find commonalities between the two to track down the culprit and prevent further tragedies.

“Last night…” Shen Junci tried to speak. He finally found his voice again, regaining some of his composure. “Did you hear any sounds?”

“It sounded like someone was knocking on something, coming from behind. I don’t know what was going on.” This small hotel wasn’t soundproof. Gu Yanchen slept late and seemed to have heard a knocking sound, somewhat distant, but he couldn’t pinpoint its origin.

Shen Junci was still a bit sleepy and turned back to sleep. Gu Yanchen came downstairs, where Xiaoyang was already waiting for him.

Outside, the sunshine was bright, and the morning air in the county was much better than in the city, albeit with significant temperature differences between day and night, making it a bit chilly.

Gu Yanchen adjusted his sleeves and asked, “How long will it take us to get there?”

Xiaoyang replied, “If we drive, it’ll take ten minutes. On foot, it’ll be forty minutes.”

Gu Yanchen said, “Let’s consider it exercise. Let’s jog there.”

Gu Yanchen ran ahead, with Xiaoyang trailing behind. When they arrived in the vicinity, Gu Yanchen was still energetic, while Xiaoyang seemed a bit out of breath.

They first went to the intersection where Jian Yunxi and her mother had parted ways.

Seeing it on a map or in photos was different from being at the scene. There were remnants of medicine spilled on the ground, crushed by passing vehicles, emitting a faint herbal scent.

Gu Yanchen stood at the crossroads, as if he could see the little girl with her backpack walking alone, gradually disappearing.

He turned to Xiaoyang and said, “Let’s go near the cold noodle shop run by Mu Bin’s mother before.”

Xiaoyang sighed and led him towards the side entrance of the school. The cold noodle shop was no longer there. It had been replaced by a steamed bun shop. Gu Yanchen sat on a chair outside and asked Xiaoyang, “You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? Let’s have some breakfast together.”

Xiaoyang didn’t refuse and sat opposite him.

They ordered buns, eggs, fried dough sticks, and wontons. As they ate, Gu Yanchen chatted with Xiaoyang. “Do you usually have a lot of work?”

Xiaoyang replied, “It’s okay. This place is relatively good after all. It’s not some remote and impoverished village. The public order and everything are relatively good. I have classmates who were sent to rural areas in the northwest. It’s even harder to work at the grassroots level there.”

Gu Yanchen then asked about Xiaoyang’s hometown, where he went to school before, and if he had a girlfriend. Xiaoyang answered each question.

As they were almost done eating, Gu Yanchen asked him, “Are you planning to settle down here in the future? In your hometown or here?”

Xiaoyang paused for a second, then realized that perhaps the leader of the City Bureau was testing him. Maybe he would be transferred to the City Bureau.

He hurriedly replied, “I just want to settle down here. We have colleagues in Changxi who have been trying to introduce potential partners to me. I thought if there’s a suitable one, I could settle here and develop my future nearby, without going back to my hometown.”

Gu Yanchen acknowledged. Many young people indeed adapt to local customs and settle down in other places.

As it was approaching seven o’clock, students started arriving at the school. This was the only elementary school on the west side of Changxi County, and children from half of the county attended here.

With a recent murder case, Gu Yanchen had initially assumed that parents would personally escort their children to the school gate, like in urban schools. However, he was surprised to see many children walking to school by themselves, with parents merely seeing them off nearby.

Upon reflection, Jian Yunxi’s mother’s negligence seemed somewhat understandable.

After observing for a while, Gu Yanchen approached some children by the roadside, showing his police officer’s ID and explaining the situation.

He then showed the children the simulated portrait drawn by Song Wen.

Initially, a few children shook their heads, claiming they didn’t know. However, Gu Yanchen persisted. When two girls around ten years old approached, he approached them.

One of the girls with a ponytail glanced at the picture and said, “This person looks a bit like Teacher Zhao.”

The other girl asked, “Which Teacher Zhao?”

The one with the ponytail replied, “The one who teaches math in the third grade’s tutoring class.”

Her companion suddenly realized, “Oh, yeah, it does look like him, but Teacher Zhao wears glasses.”

Gu Yanchen then asked several other students of similar ages, and they all said the person resembled Teacher Zhao.

They decided to have a chat with this Teacher Zhao first.

Gu Yanchen, accompanied by Xiaoyang, went back to the school. They showed their police officer’s IDs to the gatekeeper and made their way to the teachers’ building.

It was still early, and most teachers hadn’t arrived yet.

The Director of Education had come early and directed them to the third-grade office. Upon seeing them, the Director’s expression changed slightly. “Is your case related to Teacher Zhao?”

Gu Yanchen didn’t commit. “We’re just here to gather information. This Teacher Zhao seems to have taught Jian Yunxi.”

It was a guess, but unexpectedly, the Director nodded.

“Jian Yunxi was in his class. Wen Qiaoqiao was also his student,” the Director added. “The students quite liked him, but I remember when he first started teaching, there were many complaints from parents.”

Xiaoyang asked, “Why?”

The Director replied, “It’s been several years; I don’t remember clearly. Parents always find all sorts of strange reasons to complain about teachers. But Teacher Zhao graduated from a prestigious university, and his students’ academic performance is good. Gradually, the parents stopped complaining.”

At the door of the office, Gu Yanchen asked the Director to return.

As they entered the office, they saw a man getting water from the dispenser. When he turned around, Gu Yanchen saw that the man was practically identical to the simulated portrait, except for the lack of glasses.

He asked, “Are you Teacher Zhao who teaches math in the third grade?”

The man adjusted his glasses and looked at the two of them, saying, “Yes, what can I do for you?”

Teacher Zhao led them to a nearby small office and listened as they explained their purpose.

He took out his ID card and registered their visit. The name on his ID card was Zhao Zhiyuan.

He said, “I’ve heard about the incident with Wen Qiaoqiao. It’s unfortunate. But, are the children mistaken? I haven’t been to that cornfield.”

Gu Yanchen looked at Zhao Zhiyuan. He bore an uncanny resemblance to the simulated portrait. However, appearances can be deceiving, and both actions and attitudes can be disguised. As he asked questions, Gu Yanchen observed the man carefully, trying to determine whether he was a ruthless killer or an accomplice.

The teacher appeared well-educated, spoke coherently, and had a polite demeanor. At first glance, he didn’t seem like a cruel person.

Gu Yanchen asked Zhao Zhiyuan about Jian Yunxi and Wen Qiaoqiao. If he was their teacher, it would have been relatively easy to take away a student.

Zhao Zhiyuan carefully answered Gu Yanchen’s questions.

As he reminisced about the girls, he would lower his head, adjust his glasses with his fingers, and his gaze would evade, showing signs of guilt and unease.

Gu Yanchen noticed some scars on the hand Zhao Zhiyuan used to adjust his glasses and furrowed his brow. “What happened to your hand?”

Zhao Zhiyuan glanced at it and said, “Oh, these are from childhood, many years ago.” Saying so, he pulled his sleeve down to cover the scars.

Then Zhao Zhiyuan asked, “When did someone claim to have seen me at the scene of the crime?”

Gu Yanchen had planned to verify this information later and first discuss related matters. Even if this person wasn’t the culprit, he could be relevant. Otherwise, a simulated portrait wouldn’t have randomly appeared, resembling him so much, and he happened to be the former class teacher of the two girls.

Under suspicion, people were more likely to reveal issues.

But Xiaoyang, lacking experience, blurted out, “It was between two and six in the afternoon three days ago.”

Zhao Zhiyuan relaxed. “Oh, that definitely wasn’t me. We had a faculty meeting at school that day. I was there until eight in the evening. Many teachers can confirm that.”

This alibi wasn’t easy to fabricate.

Gu Yanchen had to consider other possibilities. “Do you have any brothers or relatives around your age?”

Zhao Zhiyuan said, “No.”

Gu Yanchen asked, “Any relatives who are similar in age to you?”

Zhao Zhiyuan became guarded. “I’ve lived in this town since I was a child, so the scope is quite broad…”

Gu Yanchen knew that it would be difficult to investigate with a large number of people, so he asked where Zhao Zhiyuan got his haircut in the county town.

After gathering some clues, Gu Yanchen had the City Bureau check Zhao Zhiyuan’s information. Indeed, he was the only person in his household, without any siblings.

As Gu Yanchen looked through the information, he noted that Zhao Zhiyuan had a high level of education. He had graduated from a prestigious university in the capital and had a promising profession. It was unclear why he had returned to teach in an elementary school.

He asked Xiaoyang, who was also unsure.

“Perhaps he returned to develop his hometown?” Xiaoyang paused for a moment and added, “I’m not sure, but I think the locals here in Changxi County are quite united.”

At that moment, the children finished their morning self-study and rushed out of the classroom to play on the playground.

As Gu Yanchen and his team walked towards the teaching building, they almost collided with a child. Gu Yanchen quickly pulled the child back and said, “Be careful.”

The child looked up, his face bruised and swollen, with some red whip marks on his hands.

Gu Yanchen recognized the child. He was one of the children who had helped them create the simulated portrait at the police station last night.

Gu Yanchen froze. He squatted down to inspect the child’s injuries. The swollen and bruised wounds were heartbreaking.

“Did your parents do this to you last night?” Gu Yanchen asked.

The child nodded.

“Because you went to the City Bureau last night?”

After hesitating for a moment, the child nodded again.

Gu Yanchen furrowed his brows. Was it because the child had provided information to the police that his parents had treated him like this?

He had initially thought that the mother had just threatened to take the child away as a casual threat. But he hadn’t expected the parents to actually beat the child, and quite severely at that. How could these parents be so ruthless towards their own flesh and blood just because the child provided information to the police?

Gu Yanchen was about to inquire further when other children shouted from a distance.

“Time to ring the bell, hurry up!” 

The child heard it and turned and ran off.

Gu Yanchen wanted to ask about the situation, but Xiaoyang stopped him, saying, “Let it go, Captain Gu. Many families here are strict with their children, beating them is common, and it’s a common phenomenon. Some even end up in the hospital from beatings. If you inquire, the child will only receive more beatings. Let’s just ignore it.”

While these words were unpleasant to hear, the logic was sound. Gu Yanchen could have taken the child to get their injuries checked and handled the parents according to the law. But what would happen after they left? The child would still have to live with their parents.

Gu Yanchen could only relent.

Throughout his time in Changxi, Gu Yanchen hadn’t felt quite right. The way people spoke, reacted, and their daily demeanor were all typical of everyday life, making it seem like just another small county town near a city.

However, when all these details were pieced together, it felt strange. It wasn’t just because of the Cross Killer; the strangeness permeated various aspects, many people, amalgamating into a bizarre scene.

Gu Yanchen lit a cigarette for himself; the case needed to continue.

But while other cases tended to become clearer with more investigation, this one left Gu Yanchen feeling increasingly lost. It was like stepping into a foggy abyss.

As they were about to leave, a female teacher rushed out, looking flustered, and grabbed them, asking, “Are you police officers? I heard from Teacher Zhao that the police had come.”

She was also a third-grade teacher and had just finished taking attendance during morning self-study, coming from the office.

Gu Yanchen responded, “Yes, what’s the matter?”

The teacher had run over and was a bit out of breath. She said, “Well, there’s a female student in my class named Zhao Xiaoyin who has never been late to school, but she didn’t come to school this morning. I just tried calling her home phone, but no one answered her grandfather’s phone. I’m afraid something might have happened…”

With a serial killer still at large in the county town, this disappearance wasn’t a good sign.

Upon hearing this news, both police officers became tense. Gu Yanchen stubbed out his cigarette and said, “Tell me Zhao Xiaoyin’s address, and we’ll rush over there as soon as possible.”

The teacher took out her phone and showed them the registered address on a form.

Xiaoyang said, “This place is even closer to the hotel. The hotel staff can go there immediately, and I’ll also contact the police station.”

Gu Yanchen quickly called Shen Junci.

Shen Junci had already gotten up and answered with a hoarse voice. Gu Yanchen explained the situation, and Shen Junci coughed a few times before saying, “I’ll bring other officers over immediately.”

Meanwhile, Gu Yanchen and Xiaoyang left the school and hailed a taxi to Zhao Xiaoyin’s house.

When they arrived at Zhao Xiaoyin’s door, officers from the police station and the hotel had already arrived.

Gu Yanchen walked into the yard and asked, “What’s the situation?”

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the corpse of an elderly person lying in the yard, covered with a blanket, already stiff.

Gu Yanchen couldn’t help but clench his fists.

Another bloody case, and the killer had claimed two lives this time.

It was too audacious. Despite knowing that police officers from the City Bureau were nearby, the killer was still pursuing their investigation into the previous case.

Zhang Suo was also there, his brow furrowed. “Damn it, it’s escalated. Both the elderly and the child are dead. The old man was suffocated in the yard, and the child died in…”

Just as he said that, Gu Yanchen saw Shen Junci emerge from a side room, cradling a girl covered in blood. As he crossed the threshold, his steps faltered.

Gu Yanchen quickly went forward to take the child. She was around ten years old, her hair disheveled, and her face pale. Gu Yanchen suddenly realized that this child was the one they had encountered in the pharmacy last night.

Shen Junci’s usually calm expression couldn’t hide his anxiety. His voice was hoarse but urgent.

“Gu Yanchen! Call an ambulance; the child is still alive!”