Xia Hang focused on sorting through what felt wrong, not paying attention to his footing. Just as he was about to step on a jagged shard of broken glass, Han Huaixiao, who was in the middle of talking with Tang Gaoxiong, didn’t even turn his head, yet reached out in time and grabbed Xia Hang by the wrist. He frowned slightly and said, “Watch your step.”
Xia Hang was wearing a pair of black canvas sneakers he’d bought online for forty-nine yuan. The quality was average at best, so if he stepped on that sharp piece of glass, the sole would almost certainly be pierced. Broken glass by a riverbank, God knows how much bacteria it carried. If it punctured his foot, a tetanus shot would be unavoidable.
Xia Hang looked down at the large hand gripping his wrist, deliberately ignoring the frown on Han Huaixiao’s face, and said softly, “Got it.”
Han Huaixiao glanced at his obedient brows and eyes, then released his hand and turned back to Tang Gaoxiong. “No traces of the perpetrator’s semen were found on Wei Zixuan,” he continued, “only lubricant from a condom. But the condom itself was never found. The killer even took the used condom with him?”
Tang Gaoxiong nodded. “We searched the surrounding area thoroughly. Considering the possibility that the killer threw it into the river, we also focused on looking for it while we were dredging for the axe. Nothing turned up. We suspect the killer took it away.”
“Wei Zixuan went home on a whim,” Han Huaixiao continued, “which suggests the killer encountered her by chance. But he was carrying a condom. Most people don’t just carry condoms around with them, especially in the countryside. Is it possible the killer was lying in wait by the roadside, specifically targeting women who passed by alone?”
“That’s very possible,” Tang Gaoxiong said.
“People like that are usually repeat offenders,” Han Huaixiao continued. “Captain Tang, have someone check all rape cases, solved and unsolved, in Sanshan County and the surrounding villages over the past two years. See if there are any leads.”
“Alright,” Tang Gaoxiong replied. “I’ll have people start on it right away. But the fact that the killer knew to use a condom and even took it with him afterward shows how cautious he is. Even if he’s committed other crimes, he probably didn’t leave much behind.”
A flash of insight cut through Xia Hang’s thoughts. He finally understood why Guo Zhengqi’s position on top of Wei Zixuan had felt so strange.
The killer was such a cautious person. If he had arranged Guo Zhengqi in a posture meant to imply sexual assault as a form of humiliation, then he would have made it more explicit. He would have stripped Guo Zhengqi’s pants as well, leaving both of them naked from the waist down to heighten the sense of disgrace. But Guo Zhengqi had still been wearing his pants.
Han Huaixiao noticed Xia Hang glancing at him, clearly hesitating, so he asked, “What is it you want to say?”
Xia Hang voiced his doubts, and everyone present fell into silence.
Han Huaixiao was the first to speak again. “Did Officer Guo die immediately after being shot?”
Tang Gaoxiong was taken aback. “The forensic report only says the gunshot wound was fatal…” he answered. “It doesn’t say he died on the spot. Captain Han, are you suggesting Old Guo didn’t die immediately after being shot?”
“If, as you’ve theorized, the killer arranged Officer Guo and Wei Zixuan in that position to humiliate them,” Han Huaixiao stated, “then, like Xia Hang pointed out, stripping Officer Guo’s pants and letting him like that out in the open would’ve made the humiliation much stronger. But the killer didn’t do it. So, could it be that Officer Guo’s position on top of Wei Zixuan wasn’t arranged by the killer at all?”
Tang Gaoxiong frowned, asking, “Are you saying there was a fourth person at the scene who arranged it?!”
But at that, Han Huaixiao shook his head. “I’m more inclined to believe that Officer Guo didn’t die immediately after being shot,” he answered. “After the killer left, he used the very last of his strength to drag himself on top of Wei Zixuan.”
The others looked completely puzzled. “But why?” someone asked. “Why would Old Guo do that?”
Xia Hang glanced at Han Huaixiao and followed his line of reasoning. “It started raining heavily not long after the crime. That means there were likely signs of an impending storm beforehand. If Captain Han suspects Officer Guo moved himself, then it’s probably because Officer Guo believed there were important clues left on their bodies. By covering Wei Zixuan, he was trying to preserve that evidence, so it wouldn’t be washed away by the rain.”
Han Huaixiao wasn’t surprised that Xia Hang understood him so quickly, so he nodded. “That’s my guess.”
“But we’ve already examined Old Guo’s clothes and Wei Zixuan’s clothes countless times,” Tang Gaoxiong said. “There’s nothing on them related to the killer!”
“When He Zhengye from the municipal bureau arrives,” Han Huaixiao answered, “have him reexamine them. Focus first on the chest area of Officer Guo’s clothes, and then the chest area of Wei Zixuan’s.”
Tang Gaoxiong didn’t really believe they’d find anything. After all, those clothes had truly been tested again and again, but he still agreed.
“Alright.”
Han Huaixiao checked the time, then continued, “I want to make a trip to Lingshan Village. Captain Tang, please help me arrange a car with local plates, and find someone from a government department to guide us.”
“A government official to guide you?” Tang Gaoxiong asked.
“You’ve been to Lingshan Village many times already, haven’t you?” Han Huaixiao said. “The villagers should all recognize you by now.”
Tang Gaoxiong understood immediately. “Captain Han, you’re planning to conduct a covert visit to Lingshan Village?”
At this stage, there were simply too few leads to pursue. The gunman who had fled into the urban village hadn’t been found yet, and the source of the firearm was still under investigation. Nothing there would yield results anytime soon. He Zhengye still needed time to come over and conduct another forensic examination, and even then, results wouldn’t be immediate.
For now, the only possible breakthrough lay with Liu Peng.
The man who resembled Liu Peng and had passed the crime scene appeared at an almost suspiciously perfect time. Yet Liu Peng had an alibi, an alibi confirmed by fellow villagers. Two people in the world looking alike was possible, but unless they were twins, it was rare to encounter two nearly identical men in such a small area. Therefore, Han Huaixiao wanted to personally meet Liu Peng, as well as the villagers who had vouched for him. His intuition told him something was off. That was why he had no intention of revealing his identity and planned to go under a different pretext and see for himself.
“Yes,” Han Huaixiao answered. “So I’ll trouble you to find someone from a government department, someone who can give us a legitimate reason to enter the village for an inspection.”
“Alright,” Tang Gaoxiong agreed. “I’ll make the arrangements. But it’s already three in the afternoon. If you go now, it’ll be dark by the time you’re back, and the roads aren’t easy to drive at night.”
“That’s fine,” Han Huaixiao replied. “If we head out now, we’ll arrive around dusk. Rural folks usually stay home in the evenings. Oh, and find someone a bit older. Preferably someone with a leadership role.”
Hearing that, Tang Gaoxiong couldn’t help but admire his attention to detail. He’d originally planned to find a sharp, capable young driver. But with Han Huaixiao and Xia Hang both being young already, sending three young men down to the village for an ‘inspection’ would only raise suspicion among the villagers.
……………
After returning from the crime scene to the county police bureau, Xia Hang and Han Huaixiao sat in the office, waiting for Tang Gaoxiong to find a suitable person to take them to Lingshan Village.
Deputy Captain Wei Jun of the Criminal Investigation Brigade brought over two cups of water. “Captain Han, Officer Xia,” he said, “have some water first. Captain Tang should have it arranged soon.”
Xia Hang thanked him, picked up his cup, and took a couple of sips. His phone vibrated in his pocket. When he took it out, Han Huaixiao, seated beside him, glanced over casually and saw that the caller ID read Unknown Number.
Most people’s first reaction to those two words would be scam call, and they’d reject it outright. But Han Huaixiao noticed Xia Hang’s expression tighten the instant he saw it. Without a word, Xia Hang stood up and walked out of the office with his phone.
That reaction alone told Han Huaixiao it wasn’t a scam.
Xia Hang clearly knew who was calling, so using an unidentifiable number meant the contact between them was meant to stay hidden. Han Huaixiao’s thoughts drifted back to the unusual scars on Xia Hang’s body, the alertness and killing intent he’d shown when awakened, and the real reason he’d come to the Lang City Municipal Bureau in the first place.
Han Huaixiao stared at the water in his cup, fingers tapping lightly against the desk. After a moment, he pulled out his phone and sent a message:
[Help me check on someone. I’ll send the details to your email later.]
After confirming it had been sent, he deleted the message.
As for Xia Hang, he found a corner with no people and no surveillance cameras and answered the call.
“Hello.”
An elderly voice came through the line, asking, “How is it? Are you adjusting well in the Major Crimes Unit?”
“Pretty well,” Xia Hang replied.
The old man sighed lightly. “I really am getting senile. I actually asked you back then why you chose Lang City… I completely forgot that you and he were together all those years ago. You went to Lang City for him, didn’t you?”
However, Xia Hang sidestepped the question, stating simply: “You’re not old.”
The old man chuckled, then his tone grew serious. “Have you seen the video of you stepping across car roofs in traffic?”
“I have,” Xia Hang said. “Did you have someone take it down?”
The old man countered, “Wasn’t it you who asked Yan Zheng to have it removed?”
Xia Hang paused. “I didn’t contact Chief Yan. I thought it was you who had it deleted.”
“Then ask Yan Zheng later if it was him,” the old man said.
“Alright.”
“Whether it was Yan Zheng or not,” the old man continued, “the video had already spread online before it was taken down. Sheng Jun has been looking for you. There’s no guarantee his people didn’t see it, and if they did, they’d definitely recognize you. For your safety, you need to leave Lang City. Think about where you want to go. I’ll transfer you out as soon as possible.”
Xia Hang lifted a hand and rubbed the wrist Han Huaixiao had grabbed earlier by the riverbank. “The video was taken down quickly. They probably didn’t see it. And you know Sheng Jun, so long as he’s not caught, he won’t stop looking for me. No matter where I’m transferred, he’ll find me sooner or later. It’s only a matter of time.”
The old man could hear his reluctance to leave. He wanted to persuade him further, but knew Xia Hang was right. As long as Sheng Jun remained at large, he would keep hunting Xia Hang. Keeping him in Lang City, on Han Huaixiao’s turf, was actually safer than sending him elsewhere. The old man knew exactly how capable Han Huaixiao was.
“Alright,” he said at last. “We’ll do it your way. I’ll strengthen your protection on my end. You should be extra careful yourself, try not to be alone. If anything happens, you know how to contact me.”
“I know,” Xia Hang replied.
After hanging up, Xia Hang called Yan Zheng.
“Hello,” Yan Zheng answered warmly. “You and your Captain Han are in Sanshan County now, right? Any progress?”
“Not yet,” Xia Hang said. “Chief Yan, was it you who had that video circulating online taken down?”
“Not me,” Yan Zheng replied.
So it wasn’t Chief Yan either. Xia Hang briefly explained what had happened since arriving, then ended the call.
On his way back, just before reaching the office, Xia Hang saw Han Huaixiao standing by the corridor railing. One hand was tucked into his pocket; the other held a lit cigarette between his fingers. His deep eyes were fixed on the distant mountains, his sharp, handsome profile outlined in the fading light.
The county police bureau building hadn’t been renovated in years. The corridor walls and railings were stained and darkened, the once-white putty dulled with age.
Eight years had passed.
The dazzling young man of the past had become someone far more decisive, steady, and reliable. A tall, upright man who stood there casually, his innate nobility and righteousness impossible to obscure, no matter how old or shabby the surroundings.
Xia Hang took a moment to calm his racing heartbeat, then walked over and stood beside him. In a gentle voice, he asked, “Was it you who had the video deleted?”
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