Chapter 148 The Killing Begins
same day.
Six o'clock in the afternoon.
Liu Mei walked out of Liancheng TV station; she was going to the traffic radio station next door.
"Teacher Liu, are you covering for Teacher Li again?" The security guard said with a smile as he opened the door. "This episode of 'Legal Online' was really exciting. Can the second half be broadcast in the next episode?"
"Xiao Li's maternity leave ends at the end of the month, so don't worry about watching the show. The next episode will be even more exciting." Liu Mei became an overnight sensation after broadcasting the "Dog Cage Corpse Case" live more than a year ago and going head-to-head with "Liancheng Legal Online," becoming Liancheng's premier legal program.
The "Liancheng Legal Online" program has long been discontinued and no one mentions it anymore.
She has a good relationship with Li Lifeng; they were classmates in broadcasting and hosting. Li Lifeng's music and emotional program, "Night Talk with the Heart," airs during the prime time slot of 7 to 8 pm every night, and cannot be broadcast without a break.
Li Lifeng's first choice for a host is someone who can neither replace her as the host nor someone with a certain level of fame.
Liu Mei has high emotional intelligence and a quick mind. She also has her own hit show and is willing to help, so Li Lifeng was able to take a three-month maternity leave with peace of mind.
When Liu Mei arrived at the radio and television station, she glanced at the time; it was enough for her to eat a boxed lunch.
While she was eating her boxed lunch, the director prepared a "Today's Topic" for her: "When career and love conflict, would you choose bread or love?"
The theme changes every day, but what remains the same is that many listeners call in from their home landlines, street corner phone booths, convenience store phones, and mobile phones to participate and share their emotional stories.
Tens of thousands of people will hear stories from others at the same time, which will bring people closer together.
"We can begin." The director signaled to Liu Mei from the other end, and the radio played a soothing piano piece.
Liu Mei's gentle and steady voice appeared in the ears of all the listeners half a minute later: "Good evening, friends. This is FM 107.9. Welcome to 'Night Talk with the Heart.' I am your friend, substitute host Liu Mei."
Tonight, let's discuss a classic topic: When love and career clash, when you must choose between "bread" and "love," what will you choose? Will you hold onto that burning passion, or pursue a more secure future? Tonight on the radio, we received many calls from old and new friends. Let's listen to their stories and choices.
After another piece of soothing music, Liu Mei saw the director's gesture and said, "Next, we would like to invite Ms. Lin, who is 28 years old. Ms. Lin is a fashion designer. Hello, Ms. Lin, can you hear me?"
Ms. Lin's voice was broadcast to every household via the radio: "Hello Liu Mei, I choose bread."
Liu Mei said, "I saw your message saying that although you chose bread, the past has become a thorn in your side. Can you share your story with everyone?"
“Okay, Liu Mei.” Ms. Lin cleared her throat and said, “Three years ago, my first love and I faced a choice. He wanted to go back to his hometown, while I had just entered the clothing company of my dreams. We argued and cried together. He said I didn’t love him, and I said he didn’t understand my dreams. In the end, I stayed in the city, and he went back to his hometown.”
Now I have my own team and garment production line, and I've even bought a house with a loan. But every time I work late into the night and come home, I always think of him. I heard he's already married and has children in the countryside. The memory is like a small thorn in my heart, and it still hurts unexpectedly. I've earned my own living through my own hard work, but the person I once dreamed of sharing that life with is no longer here.
Liu Mei: "Thank you, Ms. Lin, for your candor. Choosing bread means choosing independence and growth. The sweat and achievements along that path are real and tangible, but the pain of the 'thorns' is also so real. This also reminds us that every major choice is accompanied by a future we can never know. Okay, next up is Mr. Chen, 35 years old, a cake shop owner. His story is themed: I chose love, but we can earn bread together. Hello, Mr. Chen."
"Hello." Mr. Chen's voice was a little strained, but he quickly began to share his and his wife's experiences on the radio.
Ten minutes later, Liu Mei said gently, "Mr. Chen's story is full of tenderness and strength. This road may be full of thorns at the beginning, but because we support each other and have a common goal, the scenery we finally reach may be more beautiful than any solo struggle. Okay,... next, please listen to the song 'When Love Has Become the Past'."
Liu Mei turned off the microphone and looked at the panicked control room in surprise: "What's going on? The third listener hasn't even shared their story yet, why are we having a song interrupted?"
The director pushed open the studio door and rushed in, saying quickly, "A person named 'Death Listener' says he wants to bring a 'confession of guilt'! Part of the recording has already been played, and Teacher Wang said it doesn't seem fake. I still can't tell if it's a prank or a recording of a murder scene!"
"Is that so?" Liu Mei, the deputy head of the "Legal Online" program team, glanced at her watch and said, "It's only 7:20 now. They deliberately chose to call during peak listening time. Whether it's a prank or a recording of a death scene, call the police immediately."
She sat down again, listened to the songs still playing on the radio, gritted her teeth, and said, "What would happen if we didn't play it?"
The director, a 30-year-old man named Ma Xiaoyang, stammered, "He said he would commit indiscriminate killing! This... this is something none of us can afford."
......
Shen Zhenzhu was still in her office looking through the documents about Song Zhantao that Gu Yanzheng had faxed to her, with the second cup of coffee beside her still steaming.
“If these testimonies from the village are true, then Song Zhantao has a long history of misdeeds,” Chen Zhenzhu said, frowning.
"He's a complete scoundrel." Xiao Bai made coffee for Chen Zhenzhu, then sipped his own from a large enamel mug, blowing on it as he drank. "Why don't the local people sue him?"
"He threatened their families and even buried a family of three alive. He thought he could get away with it, but his men spread the word as a 'glory.' The local people didn't dare to fight against such a person. They thought he had a protector and didn't even dare to call the police. If it weren't for Brother Zheng bringing a group of agents with guns, they wouldn't dare to speak up now."
Xiao Bai imagined that scenario, frowned, and said, "The legal awareness of ordinary people at the grassroots level still needs to be improved. If they knew even a little bit about the law..."
Chen Zhenzhu sighed and said, "It might not work. Look at the documents here, they say they monitor the village's movements every day."
"At first I thought he was just being a bit cheeky, but after hearing the rest I was absolutely furious. How could there be such a wicked person in the world?" Xiaobai said angrily. "He deserved to be punished. One bullet was too good for him."
Just as Chen Zhenzhu was about to speak, the mobile phone that had been placed on the table rang.
Ring ring,
Ring ring—
Shen Zhenzhu scooped it up and said, "Hello? Shen Zhenzhu from Criminal Investigation Team Four."
"Pearl, I am Liu Mei."
"Sister Liu, what's the matter?" Since she met Liu Mei, Shen Zhenzhu would often discuss legal issues with her. Liu Mei even had dinner at the shop last month.
Xiao Bai planned to add some milk to her coffee, but when she returned, she found that Shen Zhenzhu's face had turned black.
"What's wrong, Sister Pearl?"
"Go to the radio and television station immediately. Someone has taken Song Zhantao's last recording and is threatening the station to broadcast it or they will carry out random killings."
"Ah! Brother Ye and the others just got off work. I'll call them back." Xiao Bai immediately picked up the landline and left a message on their pager.
Shen Zhenzhu added, "Don't forget to let Zheng Ge know; he should be entering the city soon."
Xiao Bai nodded: "Okay."
Shen Zhenzhu first called Director Liu to report the incident. Director Liu immediately said on the other end of the phone: "Play the recording before death, or else indiscriminate random killing?... The circumstances are extremely heinous. I have classified the case as a major heinous crime with the highest priority. Report it directly to the Municipal Bureau and the Provincial Department. Establish a special task force on the spot, and you will be in charge. You will quickly take people to the radio station. I will arrange core technicians from the Information Technology Department to provide support."
"Yes." Shen Zhenzhu ran out the door and met Zhao Qiqi: "To the radio station!"
"Something's up?"
"We'll talk about it in the car."
Shen Zhenzhu ran to the car and immediately switched to the "Night Talk Heart Lamp" channel.
At this moment, Liu Mei, who had just learned that the owner of the recording, Song Zhantao, was dead, was introducing the listeners: "Listeners, thank you for waiting. Next up is a friend named 'Dead Listener' who will share a 'criminal monologue' with you. Please remain calm and composed while listening, and make rational judgments. Now, let's connect with 'Dead Listener'."
Outside the broadcasting room, Ma Xiaoyang held up a piece of white paper with the words "Try to delay as much as possible" written on it.
Liu Mei understood that they were waiting for the criminal investigation team to trace the phone call. Based on the information revealed by Shen Zhenzhu, Liu Mei knew that this "death listener" was very likely the murderer who brutally killed Song Zhantao.
The director received a call from the radio station director. After learning the whole story, the director left with the words: "Fully cooperate with the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Major Crimes Unit!"
After saying that, he hurriedly hung up the phone, probably to attend a meeting to discuss emergency measures for the unexpected incident.
The voice of the "death listener" was mixed with a male electronic voice composed of electricity. He first said "kindly": "Hello, friends. I will give you an unforgettable night."
Liu Mei said, "You said you brought a 'criminal confession,' can I ask you how you got it?"
The "death listener" chuckled gleefully, seemingly oblivious to the urgency of the situation: "I recorded it before I killed him."
"You killed Song Zhantao? Are you admitting it?"
"Yes, I admit it."
"Do you want to broadcast Song Zhantao's 'criminal confession' in order to expose his crimes?"
"You'll understand when you hear it."
......
Liu Mei continued her conversation with him, and within just three minutes, the three phones at the control room were practically ringing off the hook!
Ma Xiaoyang kept saying on the phone, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's an emergency, I hope you understand."
"This is beyond our control, so don't panic. I assure you that Teacher Liu Mei will be safe."
"Yes, it's not just you; all the friends we invited later have cancelled. I'm really sorry. It's a special situation, and I was just following orders from my superiors."
......
Then they simply had someone move the microphone away, revealing a busy signal. Beads of sweat the size of soybeans streamed down his thin face, which was now bloodless. He trembled as he put on his headphones.
"Stop talking nonsense, I know you may have called the police."
The voices of the "death listeners" blared from car radios, home radios, display radios in department stores, and loudspeakers in schools and factories. It's hard to imagine how the listeners would react.
He seemed to enjoy his actions, but he was also very vigilant. After saying a few words, no matter how Liu Mei tried to get information out of him, he directly started playing Song Zhantao's "criminal confession".
Did you participate in the forced demolition in Fuxing Village, Fenkou City last February?
Yes, yes! It was my men who dismantled it.
What was buried beneath section 112-3 of the Hongwu County highway this June?
[A family of three was buried alive, and they wouldn't let the road be repaired, saying it encroached on their farmland... Hahaha... Later, everyone said they received a large sum of compensation and ran away.]
[Was it you who threw the paralyzed elderly man into the snow and bulldozed his house in front of him?]
[It was...it was me...he froze to death. I forgot to move him. He deserved to die; he wouldn't listen to reason and had to suffer the consequences. He deserved it!]
......
Do you think you deserve to die?
【...Damn it.】
Shen Zhenzhu heard this dialogue on the car radio, and it was exactly the same as what she had seen in the Heavenly Eye's retrospective.
The taxi driver next to him, also waiting at the traffic light, nervously turned the radio button, constantly talking to the passenger behind him.
Outside the shops along the street, many people gathered in front of the store where "Night Talk with the Heart" was playing, and no one cared about getting on their way.
After the "criminal monologue" finished playing, Liu Mei remained silent for a long time, and there was no movement from the control room either.
Having achieved his goal, the "death audience" gleefully incited the crowd: "In our society today, countless bad people still bully, oppress, and even kill us. Since the law cannot uphold justice, then I will rid the people of this scourge. Listeners who have been bullied, oppressed, or face death, don't you want these people to disappear forever?!"
"Don't talk nonsense! You must believe in the law and justice!" Liu Mei said, holding the microphone. "I am Liu Mei, the host of a legal program. I have seen many such inflammatory instigators. Please listeners, do not act impulsively. You must remain calm."
Ma Xiaoyang stood outside, trembling. After thinking for a moment, he hung up the phone again, so as not to miss his boss's call.
The phone rang again soon, and he asked the music director next to him to answer it.
"Can you please let this lunatic go? It sounds fake, why are you wasting our time?"
"The prank is so obvious. He must have recorded himself answering the questions. He's trying to gain attention by taking advantage of the news that someone died. He's a madman."
"Please be careful, radio station staff. Song Zhantao died during the day today. Many people in the commercial street saw it. He died a horrible death. You must agree to his request."
The phone conversations were filled with conflicting accounts, and the "death listener" on the radio made another chilling statement: "I don't need to incite you to kill, but rather to tell you that I'm here to help you get rid of the most heinous criminals. Song Zhantao is an example. If there's anyone you want to eliminate, please call the program's hotline. The person with the most votes will be my next target."
Shen Zhenzhu finally arrived at the radio and television station and heard these words just as she closed the car door.
Colleagues from the Criminal Investigation Information Technology Department also arrived at the scene. They rushed into the radio station with their equipment, racing against time to obtain the caller information of the "deceased listener".
"...Why is no one answering? Are you asking me to kill someone randomly? The radio station needs to call me immediately." The "death listener" was very dissatisfied with the current situation. He should be paying attention to the commotion outside the radio station. His tone was slightly urgent.
Liu Mei did not want a "call-out" incident to occur while she was hosting the program. She clasped her hands tightly and said, "I'm sorry, no calls came in. Perhaps your behavior is not recognized by the public."
"No, I'll give you one minute. If you don't get a call, I'm going to kill someone!"
Liu Mei's calm expression turned panicked as she looked outside. At that moment, Ma Xiaoyang received a hotline call. To avoid random killings by "dead listeners," he quickly switched the call.
Liu Mei closed her eyes tightly and pressed the connection button.
"Hello, is this 'Death Listener'? I finally got through. Please take revenge, I'm really desperate, all my family members died under the bridge."
The "death listener" softened his tone, even becoming somewhat gentle: "Tell me slowly, I'm listening."
The caller sobbed, speaking in a desperate tone: "They were on their way to my wedding, and when they crossed the Sanhekou Bridge, it suddenly collapsed and broke apart. All the relatives on the bus died!! The people who built the bridge and the people who managed it are passing the buck. Nobody wants to help us! My family is all dead. What's the point of my life? I'll make those who killed them die too!"
“A blood feud, huh? This one’s perfect, you’re the one.” “Death Listener” said, “Although it’s not the bridge connecting the two cities, it’s still a bridge between them. I’ll take this commission.”
"But I still don't know who to take revenge on, sob sob, what should I do?"
“I don’t need you to tell me, I’ll find it myself.” The “death listener” said confidently, “Wait for my good news at the same time tomorrow, goodbye.”
The hotline caller said excitedly, "...Yes, if it's true, thank you so much! Goodbye!"
"Damn it!" Liu Mei exclaimed angrily after the call ended.
Shen Zhenzhu and the others appeared in the broadcasting room less than twenty minutes later.
Just as the IT staff were about to conduct a follow-up call, the "deceased listener" said goodbye: "See you in 24 hours. Hopefully, I'll have enough cases to choose from next time—beep beep beep—"
Liu Mei came out of the broadcasting room, wanting to talk to Shen Zhenzhu.
Shen Zhenzhu nodded to her and quickly arranged for people to help: "Xiaobai, contact the Municipal Telecommunications Bureau and put these three hotlines of the radio station, especially the one that receives incoming calls, under the highest level of monitoring. Ask them to cooperate."
"Brother Aqi, when Brother Aye comes over later, you and the technical staff will install highly sensitive recording equipment on the radio and telephone lines to record the killer's voice and background noise as clearly as possible. These are valuable clues."
Zhao Qiqi nodded: "Okay, Sister Pearl."
Shen Zhenzhu looked at Ma Xiaoyang again, and seeing his appearance, she simply turned to Liu Mei and said, "Sister Liu, I won't say anything more polite. You have a good mentality and strong adaptability. I'll give you a few instructions and tell you how to deal with the suspect. If he calls again tomorrow, you will be the one to answer the call."
“I was planning to volunteer even without you saying so.” Liu Mei had been to many crime scenes and was much calmer than Ma Xiaoyang, the editor, musician, and assistant who were terrified in the control room.
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaoyang quickly nodded: "Teacher Liu did a great job just now, and even found out that the 'death listener' was the murderer who killed that, that Song Zhantao."
Chen Zhenzhu didn't have time to waste words with him. She led Liu Mei to a quiet corner and quickly said:
"The call strategy is to delay as much as possible so that our technical team can locate the caller's address. Secondly, we need to obtain information by getting the suspect to talk about details of the crime, motives, and personal experiences, which will facilitate psychological profiling and may also reveal the other party's identity and location. Under no circumstances should we provoke the suspect, and we should not make any promises without my consent."
"Don't worry, Pearl, I've remembered everything."
Shen Zhenzhu then turned her gaze to Ma Xiaoyang and the others. When she saw Xiaobai return, she whispered, "Let's conduct a thorough investigation of the radio station. We need to be vigilant about any suspicious calls or letters we've received recently, or any recently dismissed or resentful individuals."
Xiao Bai said, "Okay, I just saw Uncle Wu and Brother A Ye come downstairs."
Shen Zhenzhu then asked the female editor not far away, "Do you have the recording from just now?"
The female editor said, "Yes, yes, we have backups here."
Ma Xiaoyang swallowed hard and said, "Officer, there's an empty office next door that you can use to work."
“Okay.” Shen Zhenzhu said to him, “Come with me first to make a statement.”
"Huh? I still have to give a statement, I—" Ma Xiaoyang was quite professional, but he was a coward. He was about to refuse, afraid of provoking the ruthless murderer, but when he saw Shen Zhenzhu's indignant look, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.
As Shen Zhenzhu stepped outside, she received a call from Gu Yanzheng, and took the opportunity to report on the situation here.
Gu Yanzheng said on the phone, "Then I will conduct further offline investigations to see if I can find a breakthrough in the social relationships of the Sanhekou Bridge area and find out who the next target is."
"Okay, Zheng-ge, let's keep in touch."
"good."
From the moment Chen Zhenzhu entered the broadcasting room, everyone was on edge. It was as if they were engaged in a life-or-death struggle with the murderer from afar. Any mishap at any point could lead to a failed arrest and the emergence of new victims.
Lu Ye and Wu Zhongguo came up one after the other. They saw Shen Zhenzhu being questioned. After waiting for a while, Xiao Bai explained the case to them.
After talking with Ma Xiaoyang, Shen Zhenzhu gathered the fourth team and gave them a few instructions. Then she said, "Everyone, please work hard and hurry up. We only have 24 hours."
Wu Zhongguo said, "I received a page and immediately returned to the criminal investigation team, but you guys were gone. But guess what?"
Shen Zhenzhu asked suspiciously, "Is there something going on over there?"
Lu Ye also arrived at the Criminal Investigation Brigade at the time and said helplessly, "There were a few victims of forced demolition who happened to be working in the city. They knew that Song Zhantao had died a violent death, so they went to the gate with gongs and drums and set off firecrackers. They also said that they had notified their fellow villagers to come and see Song Zhantao's body and vent their anger."
“It’s not something you can just see whenever you want,” Xiaobai said. “The forensic doctor is still performing the autopsy, and… only relatives can see it.”
“You don’t understand, they just want a festive atmosphere.” Wu Zhongguo said, “Alright, I’ve finished my report. Now let’s go visit the old street and see if any strange people have returned to the scene.”
"We only have 24 hours. Brother Zheng is also investigating the identity of the next victim. If anyone has any connections or information about this, please report it immediately. We can't let him continue killing."
“Okay, Sister Pearl.”
Shen Zhenzhu had a bad feeling. If the "death listener" fulfilled his promise and attracted social attention, would the next phone call mean that more people would be added to his death list?
“Sister Pearl, the provincial bridge construction company called. They denied any quality issues with the bridge and said that someone was deliberately smearing and defaming us.” Xiao Bai said angrily, “I told them about this, but they thought I was playing a prank. They said I was a family member of a victim of the Sanhe Bridge collapse and was trying to trick them into revealing information. They were very uncooperative.”
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Author's note: See you tomorrow! There are 100 red envelopes waiting for you! [Let me see]
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