Chapter 69: Abuse and Venting or Artistic Creation...?
The aroma of sizzling food wafted from Sixth Sister's restaurant. The smell of this delicious food swept away Zhao Qiqi's anxiety and confusion during the investigation, allowing her to sit down and savor the true meaning of life.
Gu Yanzheng went to the kitchen first and greeted Sixth Sister. Every time he came here, he became a gentle and kind young man, completely unlike the fierce and menacing person he was when solving cases. In the eyes of Sixth Sister and Shen Yuyuan, he was the best leader.
As Gu Yanzheng emerged from the kitchen, a piece of chewy braised beef was in his mouth. He walked to the backyard where the table was already set, and he simply carried a stool to the side.
Fu Panxia, dressed in her professional teacher's attire, originally intended to treat everyone, but Zhao Qiqi waved his hand and said honestly, "No need to order. Just serve whatever good dishes you have. Sixth Sister treats us like family. We won't let Sixth Sister suffer any losses; we always keep accounts and settle the accounts through the Fourth Team's treasury."
Fu Panxia had heard of Sixth Sister's restaurant before, and praised it politely: "The Fourth Team members are truly blessed with good food. This place has now become the top choice for gourmets, and it is often difficult to get a table. Team Leader Gu and Sister Pearl really treat the Fourth Team members like family."
Zhao Qiqi nodded vigorously, her face full of gratitude, and said, "The little treasury is paid for out of the boss's own pocket. But Sixth Sister always gives us free dishes and milk tea, and she takes good care of us too."
When Fu Panxia saw Shen Zhenzhu bringing over several cups of milk tea, she got up to take them. Shen Zhenzhu handed him a cup of Hong Kong-style milk tea, told him to sit down, and then placed a cup in front of Gu Yanzheng: "Sugar-free, extra ice, pure Americano."
Zhao Qiqi, on the other hand, was the opposite of Gu Yanzheng, adding lots of sugar and toppings.
Sixth Sister's business is booming, and Xiao Li's hard work in the kitchen is indispensable. He learned two dishes from Sixth Sister: Squirrel Fish and Sweet and Sour Pork. Today, seeing that Chen Zhenzhu came to eat on time, he couldn't wait to let them taste his cooking, and hopefully he could give her some pointers to tell her where it was lacking.
Zhao Qiqi was chatting enthusiastically with Xiao Li, who was holding a large ladle. He had a natural sensitivity to food and was an excellent connoisseur.
Gu Yanzheng remained unmoved, occasionally whispering to Shen Zhenzhu sitting next to him, but Fu Panxia couldn't hear what they were saying.
They had planned to have a Western meal together, but ended up having a large outdoor table dinner in the backyard.
Fu Panxia did not show any displeasure and ate with great enjoyment.
After Shen Zhenzhu put down her chopsticks, he took out Fu Shengnan's phone book from his pocket and said, "This is what my sister forgot at home. She lives outside and only comes back on weekends when she has time. There are many contact numbers in the phone book that she copied from business cards. She must be a close friend and didn't want to lose it, so she wrote them down on purpose."
Gu Yanzheng rested his large hand on the back of Shen Zhenzhu's chair, leaned back, and crossed his legs, looking like an insignificant person. But his eyes were like those of a wolf scrutinizing an invading territory.
Fu Panxia speaks her mind in a sentence, and Shen Zhenzhu writes down what she finds useful in her notebook.
"I hope you can keep today's events a secret, Pearl Sister." When the conversation turned to Liang Zhiya and Mai Hai, Fu Panxia showed a hint of disapproval of her sister's actions.
“This is a secret scandal in our family. A woman has a fiancé and is also having an affair with her secretary. Her parents have advised her many times, but she refused to listen and moved out.”
Chen Zhenzhu asked, "Did she agree to the engagement?"
Fu Panxia said matter-of-factly, "This is an agreement between the heads of our two families."
Shen Zhenzhu glanced at Gu Yanzheng, who then spoke up, asking, "The Liang family from the south of the city?"
Fu Panxia shifted her gaze to Gu Yanzheng. To be honest, this Captain Gu had a very strong presence, especially his eyes, which seemed to be able to see right through people.
Fu Panxia assumed that Gu Yanzheng had been handling too many cases and couldn't control his aura. Hearing what Gu Yanzheng said, she couldn't help but take another look at him and said, "It's the Liang family from the south of the city. They fled here in 1961. My family helped them a lot, and later we had a marriage agreement."
"To be precise, it should be said that your family was of great help," Gu Yanzheng corrected. "If I'm not mistaken, your family shouldn't belong to the main branch of the Fu family."
In today's society, the concept of prestigious families is no longer important, but the connections passed down from ancestors still exist. Gu Yanzheng has met almost all the prominent figures in the province, including members of the Fu family.
He didn't recognize Fu Panxia at first glance, so he knew that Fu Panxia did not belong to the same family.
Fu Panxia paused for a moment, then said somewhat awkwardly, "Indeed, we are not from the main family, but from a branch. However, in recent years, the main family has declined and is not as good as ours, so the marriage has fallen to my sister."
Shen Zhenzhu understood Fu Panxia's meaning: the marriage wasn't originally intended for Fu Shengnan; it was offered by her family because of her good behavior. Therefore, Fu Shengnan's attitude towards Liang Zhiya might not necessarily be one of affection.
“Arranged marriages are unacceptable, especially for an outstanding woman like Ms. Fu.” Shen Zhenzhu said with a frown, “Since the implementation of the new Marriage Law in 1981, you, as an educator, should stand on Fu Shengnan’s side and resist arranged marriages.”
Fu Panxia lowered her head dejectedly and said, "I'm not considered a successful child in the family. Everything I did was to become a middle school math teacher step by step, following my parents' arrangements. I have no say at home; they prefer to listen to my sister."
Fu Panxia chuckled briefly, seemingly lost in thought. Seeing Chen Zhenzhu's puzzled expression, she said bluntly, "Our family is known as a scholarly family, but we've actually been down on our luck for many years. We used to always say we wanted to be cultured and gentlemen, looking down on businessmen who reeked of money. But when my sister started her company and made a lot of money, she handed it to them, and they accepted it with the airs of elders."
Zhao Qiqi couldn't help but put down her chopsticks and said, "What's wrong with being cultured? Does being cultured mean you can live like an immortal and starve? If you ask me, your sister sacrificed even more, supporting your whole family all by herself."
Fu Panxia wasn't angry at his blunt attitude; instead, she agreed, saying, "You're absolutely right. This has created a rift in my understanding of them. Sigh, if I had known, I wouldn't have become a math teacher and would have pursued my own hobbies instead."
......
The following day, Chen Zhenzhu began an intensive investigation.
The more I get to know Fu Shengnan, the more I realize she is an independent and strong woman. The more time I waste, the greater the chance that she will be harmed.
Even the smallest clues need to be analyzed one by one, and even if most of them are useless, it still requires great patience and energy to investigate.
There are also witnesses in the company and community who need to be questioned. They are often given random directions, and you have to run around investigating to find out the details.
Police work is difficult, and criminal investigation work is even more difficult.
In the afternoon, Zhao Qiqi reported to Shen Zhenzhu: "We've found a crucial clue! One of the traffic police officers issued a ticket to Santana, and he personally witnessed Fu Panxia entering an art education company. It's been vacant for a long time, and the three-story building is about to be demolished!"
"Did you get the address?"
"Got it!"
Shen Zhenzhu picked up the car keys, greeted Wu Zhongguo, and, clutching the old mobile phone that Zheng Ge had "discarded," drove Zhao Qiqi to that address.
As I knew, this Crescent Art Education Company is a three-story building located within a factory area. It was probably rented out by the factory owner after the reform and opening up policy.
Liancheng doesn't have shantytowns; during the planned economy era, most buildings were like those built by Khrushchev. They look dilapidated now, but back then, people would have fought tooth and nail to get in.
Fortunately, the Crescent Art Education Company is located at the entrance of the factory area, allowing traffic officers to see the Santana parked below the building from the outside.
"Go up the stairs this way." The traffic police officer had been standing guard downstairs to assist the criminal investigation team in solving the case. After checking Shen Zhenzhu's identification, he led Shen Zhenzhu and Zhao Qiqi to the external staircase: "It's old inside. In the past, young people from the underworld often gathered and played in the factory area. They smashed and dismantled windows and doors. Be careful going up there."
Shen Zhenzhu thanked the traffic police officer properly, and she and Zhao Qiqi walked up the steel frame staircase outside the building one after the other.
It's said to have three floors, but the first floor is actually an open space with smashed sculptures, giant picture frames, and black curtains that have been worn down by rain or torn by people.
There were also scattered tables and chairs and overturned easels, suggesting that artists must have painted here in the past, depicting the bustling traffic on the street.
The second floor was much darker than the first floor. After a long, dark corridor, there was an incredibly spacious classroom.
Pushing open the door, I was amazed to find that the place was surprisingly well-preserved.
"Why don't those young thugs come here to have their gatherings?" Zhao Qiqi looked around curiously, fanning the dust floating in front of his nose.
The forgotten art classroom, moldy patches appearing on the lower part of the walls. Ten tall windows covered in industrial dust, like ailing corneas, the sunlight filtering through turning into a murky fog.
An easel was piled up in the corner, and a row of plaster statues in various poses were placed on the teaching cabinet. Spider webs were tangled in David's curly hair.
The blackboard was covered with a dissected human body diagram, and the podium was covered with a dirty canvas, revealing the feet of the human body model.
Chen Zhenzhu walked ahead, cautiously observing her surroundings. Pointing to the marks on the ground, she said, "These tables and chairs were placed later; they're different from those on the first floor and in the hallways and classrooms. There are drag marks on the ground, and the tables and chairs are relatively new, so they must have been cleaned up in the last two years."
"That means the young thugs have had their fill and left." Zhao Qiqi looked back at the broken lock on the gate, confirming her suspicions, and said, "It's become Fu Shengnan's secret base? What's she doing here? Is she planning some kind of development?"
As Chen Zhenzhu moved forward, the outline of the figure drawn in chalk in the corner of the blackboard was smooth and beautiful.
Chen Zhenzhu glanced at it and continued searching for clues, saying, "We've been to her house. She has no interest in art, and there isn't a single art book on her bookshelf. According to Fu Panxia, she's an independent woman who doesn't care about other people's opinions, so there's no need for her to prepare a 'secluded' space here."
Zhao Qiqi followed closely behind Shen Zhenzhu, like a cat sheriff leading a wolf detective.
They walked around the large classroom once, and Chen Zhenzhu called Zhao Qiqi, who was observing from the side, and said, "There is blood here, notify the laboratory to come over."
Zhao Qiqi stared wide-eyed at a very faint drop of blood on the corner of the table. He instinctively looked up, but the high ceiling only had a ceiling and cobwebs; there was nothing else.
If he had found the drop of blood, he might have assumed that a student had a nosebleed there. But since Shen Zhenzhu had asked him to contact the forensic team, he didn't hesitate to take out Captain Gu's secondhand cell phone and call.
While giving out addresses, Chen Zhenzhu pointed to another spot: "There are fingerprints on the pencil on the ground." She took out an evidence bag, carefully picked up the pencil, and put it away, muttering to herself, "Let's get a new fingerprint."
Seeing that Shen Zhenzhu had been discovered, Zhao Qiqi hung up his mobile phone and focused on searching, not giving up on even an inch of her.
After staring until his eyes were dry, he finally spotted another drop of blood: "Sister Pearl!"
Shen Zhenzhu immediately raised two thumbs up and gestured in the air: "Well done!"
Zhao Qiqi is the kind of person who can be motivated for three days with just a word of encouragement from his leader. This time, his leader gave him two thumbs-up, and ignoring his dry eyes, he practically crawled on the ground searching for clues.
Shen Zhenzhu was very satisfied with his seriousness, and she herself seemed to have returned to the era of a newcomer, putting all her effort into finding clues.
After waiting for half an hour, the trace evidence department arrived at the scene to collect fingerprints, footprints, and other clues.
Shen Zhenzhu told them, "Two drops of blood were found here, in the order they were found, from the inside out."
The forensic investigators placed the markers in the order instructed by Chen Zhenzhu.
Chen Zhenzhu put on shoe covers and continued searching in the large classroom: "A place that can make Fu Shengnan change her clothes again and again must be a place that attracts her. At the very least, this place must be dangerous."
However, apart from two drops of blood and a fingerprint, nothing else was found.
The person who used this place arranged everything in a chaotic mess, leaving no further clues. It's like a bird's-eye view, teasing those who want to solve the mystery.
“If no blood had been found, Fu Shengnan’s disappearance wouldn’t have been classified as a murder. But the discovery of blood has increased the severity of the case, and we must report it to Brother Zheng immediately.” Shen Zhenzhu picked up her mobile phone and dialed Gu Yanzheng’s number. As she walked, she reached the door and suddenly stopped, staring intently at the back of the door through the doorway.
Zhao Qiqi noticed that Shen Zhenzhu had stopped, so she jogged over and followed her gaze to find a small piece of canvas peeking out from the crack in the door.
Shen Zhenzhu slung the mobile phone around her waist, sniffed a certain scent in the air, and said to Zhao Qiqi, "Turn it on."
Upon hearing the news, the forensic personnel turned around. Shen Zhenzhu spread her arms to keep them at a distance, and with her other hand, she drew a pistol, quickly cocked it, and aimed it at the door.
Danger was imminent.
Zhao Qiqi bent down slightly, gently closed the door, and saw an object with human curves covered under a large canvas.
Suddenly, Zhao Qiqi ripped off the canvas—
A headless, mummified female corpse suddenly appeared before everyone.
Needless to say, the forensic investigators immediately stepped back, nervously covering their mouths and noses.
"Protect the scene and set up a cordon." Shen Zhenzhu stepped aside, first calling Gu Yanzheng to inform him of the discovery of the headless female corpse, and then notifying the forensic department to arrive at the scene.
A headless female corpse was drawn on the ground in chalk, and Chen Zhenzhu discovered that the cut on the neck of the corpse was jagged.
"The weapon used in the crime was a handsaw," Shen Zhenzhu said through gritted teeth. "The murderer's head was cut off while he was still alive."
Upon seeing the corpse, Zhao Qiqi, clinging to Pearl Sister like a little bird, swallowed hard and asked, "Is this related to Fu Shengnan's disappearance?"
"I'm keeping my opinion to myself, but I feel there's a connection." Shen Zhenzhu squatted down and observed that there was plaster powder on the joints of the pale, dried-out corpse and oil spots under the fingernails, which she guessed were turpentine from art supplies: "The deceased had been in contact with art supplies before his death."
Qin An brought Lu Xiaobao over, and upon seeing the corpse, Qin An's first reaction was, "Such beautiful proportions, it should be close to the golden ratio."
"Because the head is missing, we cannot identify the deceased at this time," Shen Zhenzhu said. "Section Chief Qin, could you please check if there are any other clues on the body?"
Fearing to disturb the original scene where the body was first discovered, Shen Zhenzhu squatted down a step away from the body and observed it under Qin An's professional guidance.
"Look, there are blue pen markings on her limbs, like scales." The body wasn't decomposed; it had just been drained of blood and moisture, accurately resembling a mummified corpse, making the markings on the body indistinct. One could only judge from the faint, intermittent marks.
"For now, we can determine that this is not the primary crime scene." Chen Zhenzhu looked at the heating pipes behind the mummified body and said, "The local temperature of the old-fashioned cast iron heating pipes can reach over 50 degrees Celsius, which can accelerate the dehydration of the body. We cannot rule out the use of formaldehyde injections, but we can know that the murderer had some medical knowledge. Whether it was turpentine or flaxseed oil found on the body's fingertips, it could have delayed the decomposition of the body and formed a hard crust."
"You're absolutely right!" Qin An pointed to the abdomen of the corpse and said, "There's a small incision here. I just pressed it gently, and the preliminary judgment is that the murderer removed the internal organs to slow down the decomposition of the body. We'll take it back for an autopsy first. The time of death is only tentatively set between 6 and 12 months. We can't find any more specific details in the preliminary examination."
“There’s lime spilled on the ground, one of the killer’s methods of controlling temperature and drying.” Chen Zhenzhu glanced around and said, “The body may be related to this art classroom; it could be a teacher, student, or model. Based on her body proportions, I’m inclined to think she was an art nude model.”
“Sister Pearl, look, there’s a newspaper here, from September 1990, exactly one year ago.” Zhao Qiqi held a dusty newspaper in an evidence bag, wiped the dust off, and said, “It proves that someone was in this classroom around that time, and they are very likely the murderer!”
“It could also be a smokescreen by the murderer,” Shen Zhenzhu said. “I have many old newspapers at home, so it’s best to remain skeptical.”
"Yes." Zhao Qiqi scratched his head.
Back at the crime scene, the case had escalated and needed to be reported to Director Liu and Gu Yanzheng. After a brief meeting, Gu Yanzheng took Chen Zhenzhu's case report and told her to eat first.
Sixth Sister's lovingly prepared meal arrived as promised. Using the excuse of going to find Zhang Jie for lunch, Chen Zhenzhu took the lunchbox and ran to the top floor of the office building to silently revisit the scene she had just witnessed through the Heavenly Eye—
On the cold metal table, a young woman in a bikini displayed her long legs and body. This wasn't the first time she had received a high price to be a nude model; there were always people who harbored subtle admiration and made suggestive advances towards her, but she always refused.
This time, she arrived at a certain place, dressed as requested by this avant-garde artist, and lay comfortably on a metal table: "Do you want me to draw my joints like a robot?"
She was a little uneasy about exaggerating her height, but usually no one would scrutinize it that closely. For models, adding 2-3 centimeters to their height is standard practice.
The cold touch of the countertop seeped into her bones through her thin clothing. She didn't receive a reply and instead invited her teacher to focus on measuring her body.
Artists all have their own personality preferences. Considering the remuneration, the model stopped talking and felt the touch of the brush tip on her skin, and gradually she became sleepy.
The "teacher," wearing white lace gloves, was dressed in a simple, pure black velvet evening gown, revealing her smooth, slender shoulders and back. There was a faint mole on her left shoulder near her neck.
The moment the model closed her eyes, the "teacher" slowly pulled out the syringe from under the table and plunged it into the model's carotid artery!
"Ah! Ah—"
The liquid was rapidly injected into the model's veins, her chest heaving, her eyes filled with terror. The "teacher" restrained her by gripping her neck with one hand, while pressing his other elbow against her abdomen.
The model felt as if all the strength had been drained from her body!
"No...no!"
The "teacher," wearing long white lace gloves, covered the model's mouth and nose, pressing her firmly against the table. The pearls on the gloves were smooth and cold, stained with the model's helpless tears.
She kicked the other person with all her might, and the next second, the hand wearing a white lace long glove suddenly grabbed her chin with such force that it almost crushed her jawbone!
The model struggled violently, falling heavily to the ground. She stumbled and crawled towards the door, pleading, "Let me go, please let me go..."
Unexpectedly, his palm touched a wood saw and rope hidden under the table, as well as a roll of transparent plastic sheeting that was used to isolate the bloodstains.
What terrified her most was the eerie pattern made of red candles under the table. She felt like a sacrificial lamb lying on it, waiting for the devil to come.
On the opposite side of the ground, the heads of sheep, pigs, cows, and other creatures appeared out of nowhere, all staring at her with eerie, empty eyes as she was about to lose the strength to resist.
"Ahhh—" She felt dizzy and her mind was foggy, so she could only scream.
The elegant killer slowly tied a black leather apron behind her, laid a plastic sheet on the ground, and followed her to the door. Just as the mannequin was about to climb out of the door, the killer suddenly grabbed her ankle and dragged her roughly onto the transparent plastic sheet.
"Help! Help... help me..."
The "teacher" pulled out a medical tourniquet and tied it around the model's neck, with the other end attached to the metal frame at the edge of the metal tabletop.
The model was forced to hang by her long neck, her body convulsing as if on the verge of death. She gripped the tourniquet tightly with both hands, watching helplessly as the "teacher" pulled out a wood saw from under the table, squatted in front of her, and slowly moved it inch by inch to the markings he had just drawn.
"No... let go, let go..."
The "teacher," with his back to the third eye, landed a cold kiss on her eyelashes. The model suddenly reached out and grabbed the "teacher's" skirt, but even with her last ounce of strength, she couldn't stop the wooden saw aimed at her throat—
The old-fashioned exhaust fan in the corner suddenly started turning, forcing the thick, pervasive smell of blood to stir up.
The trash can was filled with heavy "medical waste," and the stitches at the abdominal incision site were fine and perfectly sutured.
The corpse's head stared wide-eyed at its body on the metal tray, with helpless tear stains at the corners of its eyes.
For some unknown reason, the body suddenly twitched, and the hand wearing a white lace glove hovered in mid-air. A few seconds later, it gently patted the corpse's shoulder as if comforting a child.
The transparent plastic sheeting extends towards the drainage channel, and the flowing blood resembles a red river, gradually congealing over time.
The surgical forceps were tossed into another tray, signaling the end of the "surgery".
The "teacher" impatiently carried the head, which could not be closed in peace, towards a dark corner. The "teacher" moved lightly, each step leaving a bloody footprint in her high heels, her figure graceful.
After the other person went to the corner, they seemed to have opened a door and hadn't come out for a long time.
Just when Shen Zhenzhu thought the Heavenly Eye's rewind was over, "Teacher" suddenly rushed out from the corner room and started punching and kicking the fallen corpse!
Her elegant and graceful demeanor was gone, replaced by violence and venting.
The woman, wearing white lace long gloves, picked up the blue marker pen that had fallen to the ground and began drawing "X"s on the headless female corpse repeatedly!
Just moments ago they were treating the corpse with tender care, but now it's as if they're facing the remains of an enemy...
***
"I didn't see her face, only her long gloves and evening gown."
Shen Zhenzhu held a lunchbox containing her favorite spicy chicken and taro steamed pork. Two small bok choy leaves were placed on top of the lunchbox, trying to prove that Shen Zhenzhu was not a carnivore.
Unfortunately, she has no appetite now.
"Eating is the most important thing in the world." Remembering Gu Yanzheng's nonsense, Shen Zhenzhu stuffed a big mouthful of rice into her mouth, chewing slowly, thinking, and analyzing.
Her height is uncertain due to the lack of reference points, but her slender figure, high heels, and white lace gloves suggest she is a female murderer.
The other party has counter-surveillance capabilities, using transparent plastic sheeting, black leather aprons, and gloves to conceal information, and may be either an art worshipper or a highly intelligent sadistic killer.
Subduing the victim before slowly decapitating and dissecting them, and enjoying the process of domination, indicates an extremely strong desire for control.
Rather than a crime motivated by revenge, the victim should be a stranger chosen by the perpetrator, with only two options: artistic creation or the fulfillment of rights.
Perhaps the perpetrator was abused by women's rights activists during his childhood, which led to his hatred of women.
It's a pity I couldn't see their face clearly, otherwise I could have identified the murderer immediately.
Despite her regret, Shen Zhenzhu is determined to do everything in her power to find the woman's head and rescue Fu Shengnan as soon as possible, so that she will not suffer any harm!
"Sister Pearl, what brings you here!" Zhao Qiqi had been searching around and came to try his luck when he saw the door on the top floor was open. And he actually found Chen Zhenzhu.
"What's wrong?" Chen Zhenzhu finished the last bite of her meal, wiped her mouth, and asked, "Have you found anything?"
Zhao Qiqi said anxiously, "Of the two drops of blood we found, one was from the headless female corpse, and the other matched Fu Shengnan's blood type. The pencil you picked up had Liang Zhiya's fingerprints on it, which were the only fingerprints found at the scene! The boss has already ordered us to arrest Liang Zhiya and bring her back for interrogation!"
Shen Zhenzhu quickly stood up and said spiritedly, "Let's go!"
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Author's note: Little Pearl: Today is another day of a balanced diet of meat and vegetables!
***
See you tomorrow, there's a red envelope coming! [Let me see]
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