Chapter 22: A New Scene

Starting from the skeletons in the middle period, the abuse had decreased, but the methods of killing had become far more lethal.

Most of them had their carotid arteries severed, while a few were killed by sharp objects piercing directly through their throats.

The most recent skeletons had even been killed by a direct thrust to the heart.

Judging from the timeline and the nature of the wounds, it was clear that the killer had gradually shed their humanity with each life taken, and their methods had become increasingly clean and efficient.

Flipping through the autopsy reports, Tang Jianing frowned again.

That was the problem. Given the killer’s level of depravity, it was impossible for them to go such a long time without committing a crime.

This was a fundamental law of criminal psychology and a core behavioral pattern for humans; it was not something that could be easily altered.

Especially for someone whose brain was saturated with the urge to kill, it was even more impossible to escape such a pattern.

What had gone wrong to cause the killer to interrupt their killing spree?

A madman running at full speed who suddenly stops must have either found a more interesting target or encountered an unexpected accident.

After a moment of deep thought, Tang Jianing dialed Hua Laosan’s number.

"Big Sister, what are your orders?"

"You know everyone in this line of work in Shancheng, right?"

"I do. Even if they don't work under me, we at least exchange pleasantries."

As a leader in this trade in Shancheng, one had to keep track of everyone in the business. Otherwise, you might accidentally step on someone else's toes and find yourself under attack without even knowing why.

"Go check if anyone in this line has gone missing recently. Don't limit your search just to your own people."

"Understood, I'm on it!"

"Half an hour. I want an answer!"

After hanging up, Tang Jianing tapped her fingers on the desk, pondering the possibilities.

Large-scale investigations were unlikely to yield results quickly. Even if she mobilized every small-time hoodlum on the streets of Shancheng, finding the primary crime scene would not be easy.

Such things were half luck and half a matter of time.

In contrast, Hua Laosan’s operations were much faster. Less than twenty minutes later, he called back.

"Big Sister, I’ve checked. There have been no disappearances in the last few months, except for two guys picked up during the anti-vice raids a few days ago."

"Are those two still locked up?"

"Yes, I had someone confirm it. They are still in the detention center."

"Good work. If anyone from the Criminal Investigation Division comes to see you in the next few days, cooperate as much as possible. It will be fine."

Hua Laosan paused, clearly reacting to this, and then spoke with a hint of delight.

"Thank you, Big Sister!"

"Alright, get back to work!"

After hanging up, Tang Jianing quickly added a checkmark next to the "paused killing" note in her notebook.

She had been unable to confirm whether the killer had changed their dumping ground or had truly stopped killing.

Now that she had a definitive answer, the Criminal Investigation Division could likely breathe a sigh of relief. As long as the killer wasn't still on a rampage and no new victims were appearing, their pressure would be significantly reduced.

She synchronized the information with Liu Yufeng and then tucked the files away in her room.

No one knew when a clue might emerge; all she could do was wait.

Whether it was the police or the guys on the street, as long as one side found concrete evidence, they could continue to narrow down the scope of the killer.

That wait lasted three days. Tang Jianing took advantage of the time to draft a rough design for the escape room.

The design was just a concept; the specific refinements would depend on professional personnel from the real estate company. Given the massive size, it would certainly take time.

At 9:30 AM, Dahu handed Tang Jianing the findings from the guys on the street and began to explain.

"Over the past three days, we conducted a carpet search and found over forty potential crime scenes."

"After a careful review, we narrowed it down to three locations."

"Zhou Lü and I used our connections to peek at the police files and confirmed that these three sites have not yet been discovered by them."

"However, we can't be certain if they are connected to our case."

Listening to Dahu’s report, Tang Jianing opened the documents and began to review them.

After staring at them intently for a moment, she stood up abruptly.

"Let’s go take a look."

Even though the killer had murdered so many, finding three crime scenes was an incredible feat. After all, so much time had passed, and the forces of nature had washed away most of the evidence.

The previous scene they found was largely preserved because the surrounding walls were shielded by tiles extending from neighboring houses, blocking most of the wind and rain.

The three new locations were also sheltered spots, which was the only reason the traces remained.

Dahu drove quickly, and in less than twenty minutes, they pulled up outside an abandoned house.

Tang Jianing compared the information in the files, put on her gloves, and pushed open the wooden door.

[The old wooden door, though subjected to the killer’s violent abuse, remains sturdy.]

A green prompt box popped up, leaving Tang Jianing momentarily stunned.

She stared at the door, which looked as if it could collapse at any moment. It was made of nailed wooden planks, but because it was double-layered with a material sandwiched in between, it was surprisingly solid.

As she searched, Tang Jianing quickly found the crucial detail.

At the bottom of the door, there were several spots where the damage clearly resulted from external force.

"Dahu, lift your foot."

"Huh?"

"Lift your foot and compare it to the damaged spots on the door."

Hearing her explanation, Dahu finally understood. He raised his foot and compared it to the marks on the wood.

"Judging by the width of the foot, the killer’s height and build match the person we’re looking for."

"Whoever found this location gets a hundred-thousand-yuan bonus!"

Having confirmed this was a crime scene for their case, Tang Jianing quickly pulled on her shoe covers and stepped inside.

The abandoned house, which hadn't seen a soul for years, was filled with dust stirred up by their intrusion.

Tang Jianing waved away the dust and pressed her hand against the wall.

According to the photos taken with luminol, this was where the bloodstains were most concentrated.

As her fingers touched the wall, a blue prompt box appeared.

[Judging by the blood spatter, the killer struck the heart with precision!]