Chapter 20 Bird of Paradise 05
Luo Siwei has been a police officer for many years, but this is the first time he has seen relevant information about this case.
The murder went on for several years until it was discovered a few years ago.
At that time, she was a college student. Suddenly, a sensational serial murder case occurred in her city. Luo Siwei paid attention to the relevant news and even began to use her professional knowledge to analyze the identity of the criminals.
She wanted to help the police solve the case, but she almost became one of the victims...
At this moment, Luo Siwei looked at the cover of the electronic file and felt the mouse as if it were burning. She couldn't help but touch her chest through her clothes. The wound on her chest was like an indelible mark, like a mark.
Whenever Luo Siwei thought of the scar, he would inexplicably come up with an explanation.
Some wild animals mark their prey and then release them, treating this behavior as a game. Once marked, the prey is marked. No matter how many years pass, no matter how far away, even thousands of miles away, the beast will reappear, find the prey, and take its life.
This is the joy of the hunt, the pleasure of the beast.
Because of this idea, Luo Siwei was subconsciously afraid and dreading this matter, so much so that for a long time, she did not actively search for relevant news and files.
Luo Siwei has never felt so complicated as she does now, but this is a hurdle she cannot avoid.
She hesitated for a moment, then decided to face it bravely. She took a deep breath and clicked on the page.
Luo Siwei first looked at a few photos, clicking the mouse with her slender fingers.
Photography technology wasn't as advanced a few years ago, so those photos are somewhat blurry. The women in the photos are sitting, standing, or lying, fully clothed, as if asleep. The killers had treated their bodies after brutally murdering them, stitching their wounds, removing their internal organs, and treating them like specimens, preventing their bodies from decaying.
The body was hard after being processed and looked like a wax figure at first glance, so the case was called the Wax Figure Murder Case by the media, and the murderer was also called the Wax Artist.
After reviewing a few photos, Luo Siwei opened the file. Because there were multiple crime scenes, the investigation records were divided into several sections. She started with the top one. The report was extremely detailed, with beautiful handwriting and a detailed map of the scene. Luo Siwei glanced at the investigator's name: Meng Zhi.
Her heart sank...
Luo Siwei wanted to confirm her thoughts, so she hurriedly flipped through the pages. However, when she clicked to the back, she found a hidden cross mark, which meant that the case files were sealed to protect the relevant personnel, and she did not have enough authority to view them.
Just as she thought of this, Huo Cunsheng, who was sitting not far away, stood up suddenly. Luo Siwei was startled. Old Huo turned around with a smile on his face and said, "It's time to get off work. If Captain Luo is alright, I'll leave first."
Luo Siwei looked at the time and realized it was already past six. She nodded and said, "Be careful on the road and have a safe trip."
Several team members left work enthusiastically, saying goodbye and seeing each other tomorrow before leaving the office.
After the team members left, Luo Siwei looked at the case file for a while before closing it. She had long been accustomed to being the last one to leave at the end of the shift.
Luo Siwei turned off the lights and walked through the corridor. The city had been quiet recently with no cases. Except for the police officers on duty, the people in each group were not too busy. The lights in many offices had been turned off, and only the tea room and office at the end of the corridor had lights on.
The door of the office was half open, and light shone through it.
Luo Siwei was still unfamiliar with the city bureau's environment. She walked to the door and looked at the nameplate and logo. This should be Chi Li's office. Luo Siwei remembered the gossip her former colleagues had told her: Captain Chi was a workaholic. It seemed that he hadn't left yet.
Just as she was thinking, a voice suddenly asked her: "Why haven't you finished get off work yet so late?"
Luo Si was startled to see Chi Li coming out of the tea room with a cup of tea in his hand. She could smell the lingering fragrance of tea from a few steps away.
Remembering what happened at the station before, Luo Siwei was nervous when she saw Chi Li, and her heart beat faster involuntarily.
Luo Siwei tried to act natural: "Captain Chi, you haven't left yet, have you?"
"I'm currently dealing with a case related to online gambling, and I'm still investigating the connections behind it." Chi Li took a sip of tea and said, "I remember that your team hasn't taken on any new cases yet." The implication was that he was asking Luo Siwei why he was working overtime.
Luo Siwei spoke frankly, "I've been watching some of the cases that the previous team was responsible for, and I've been staying late without realizing it."
Chi Li asked: "Are you familiar with the situation of those team members?"
Luo Siwei was a little embarrassed: "I have a general understanding... I can learn more about the rest in future work."
The team members' self-introductions were a bit brief, and the information in the files was a bit one-sided. She didn't know them well enough. But she had always been strong-willed and didn't like asking for help.
Chi Li seemed to see through her and said, "Come in, I'll talk to you briefly."
Luo Siwei hesitated for a moment and stepped into Chi Li's office.
Chi Li did not close the door. He turned around and wrote down the names of several team members on the whiteboard for analyzing case clues, and then introduced them to Luo Siwei.
"Guo Zhengyao, you met him last time. His family owns a leather goods factory, so he's considered a wealthy second-generation. In Donglan, the Guo family has many relatives, some of whom are prominent figures in Donglan City, so even leaders tend to give his family some face. He has a strong personality and is straightforward. He doesn't have any bad intentions. When he sees something bad, he usually speaks out to people's faces. He hates being treated differently. He's physically fit and works hard on his investigations, but he's inexperienced, a bit impulsive, and lacks patience."
Chi Li's expression was serious and his voice was gentle. Luo Siwei listened carefully and kept his words in mind.
Chi Li then added, "If you encounter a place that is difficult to approve or search, let Guo Zhengyao go. He can handle it. If you need to use your brain, don't ask him. Rashness will only lead to trouble."
He then talked about Huo Cunsheng: "Old Huo was transferred from a lower branch. When he was young, he worked in anti-theft work, and later went into criminal investigation."
Luo Siwei nodded: "Yes, he is a good policeman. I saw his file. He has made meritorious contributions in the past, but his rank has never been high."
At this point, Chi Li paused for a moment. From Luo Siwei's perspective, his jawline was obvious and his brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was considering how to tell her.
Then Chi Li raised his eyebrows and said, "Some branch leaders do have some problems. They like to appoint people based on personal connections. Old Huo was disheartened by this and has been a bit lazy since he got older. I met him when I was inspecting the branch, so I asked him to come over from the branch."
Luo Siwei remembered that Chi Li also hinted at her to submit her resume. Chi Li often went to various branches and had a better understanding of the actual situation at the grassroots level.
Luo Siwei said: "Then this person must have something extraordinary, right?"
Chi Li put an asterisk on Lao Huo's name: "He has the most informants and the best information in the entire city bureau. He can get connections with everyone, no matter who or what."
Luo Siwei held her chin in her hand, thinking. It seemed that Huo Cunsheng's punctuality and laziness at work were just superficial. He did his work outside. She commented, "Then he is a smart man."
Chi Li said: "If you can use him well and make him convinced of you, it will be a great help in your work."
Luo Siwei nodded slightly.
Then Chi Li continued, "Tang Xi graduated from the police academy with a major in information technology and surveillance. His skills are second to none in the entire city bureau. Some special cases require him to assist in the investigation. For example, the case I'm investigating recently also requires his assistance in the online investigation."
Then Chi Li analyzed the work scope, personality, strengths and weaknesses of other people for her. He spoke briefly and fairly, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each person.
Luo Siwei hadn't expected that such a small criminal police team could be so full of talented individuals. She hadn't expected Chi Li, who was usually quiet, to know so much about these low-level criminal police. If Chi Li hadn't told her this, it would have taken her a long time to figure it out on her own. Now, after listening to Chi Li's words, she had a rough idea of how to use these people.
Luo Siwei thanked him sincerely: "Thank you, Captain Chi."
"I recruited you." Chi Li paused and said, "The leaders in the Municipal Bureau are all very good, but they have different personalities. For example, Deputy Director Pei is impatient. He always says that cases must be solved in a timely manner. Don't let him push you around. If there are any communication problems, come to me. I can't help you with anything else for the time being. I look forward to your performance."
Having said that, Chi Li wiped the whiteboard clean and said to Luo Siwei, "Be careful when you go home."
Luo Siwei said, "See you tomorrow."
Donglan was still shrouded in thick darkness in the early morning.
The city was very quiet, and many people were asleep. At this moment, the fire suddenly illuminated a street.
"Fire!" A loud shout broke the silence.
The fire occurred in an old residential building with eight floors in total, and the accident happened on the fourth floor.
The fire continued to spread, with thick smoke billowing out and red and yellow flames flickering, with tongues of flame stretching out like a living creature. The morning wind fanned the flames, and the fire was at risk of intensifying at any time.
Someone knocked on every door, waking up those still inside. Sleepy people hurried downstairs in their pajamas. Adults pulled children and supported the elderly as they passed through the dark emergency exits.
"Get downstairs now and leave your stuff alone!"
"Have you called the fire department?"
"There's someone upstairs! Call 120!"
Most of the neighbors were ordinary people and did not have the courage to rush to put out the fire, but witnessing the scene and watching the excitement was an instinct. People stood in the safe place in the yard downstairs and no one retreated. Instead, some people took out their mobile phones and started filming the fire, and some people posted the video online.
A little child was standing downstairs, looking up and asking her parents: "Is the fire at the kid's house on the fourth floor?" She still remembered that there were many children in that house and she often saw them playing downstairs.
When my father saw this scene, he nodded solemnly.
The person involved in the accident was household 402. He had lived in the complex for five or six years and was known to all the neighbors. He had even met the man of the house yesterday after work and had a casual chat. Who knew this would happen now?
As they were talking, there was a strange movement in the fire upstairs. The sound came from the house on fire, as if something was struggling and twisting in the flames.
"Someone." There was a cry of surprise from the crowd.
The mother quickly covered the child's eyes: "Don't look!"
The child's eyes were covered, and he was both afraid and curious. Even though he could not see, his ears could still hear. The black shadow made miserable cries in the firelight, and the cries were creepy.
"Save someone?"
"How can we save them? Are you trying to save your life?! The fire is so big..."
While the neighbors were discussing, a fireball stumbled out from the corridor entrance.
Some timid women screamed and hid back.
The fireball rolled on the ground for a few times. It was obviously a person. Some people came forward to help put it out, and a brave aunt poured a basin of cold water on it.
After putting out the fire, people could see that it seemed to be the hostess of that house. Her whole body had been burned black and gave off a burnt smell. There was almost no intact skin on her body, and even her pajamas were stuck to her flesh and blood. The woman screamed a few times, tilted her head and fainted to the side.
Just as someone was about to go forward to treat the patient, a neighbor reminded them: "Don't touch him, wait for the doctor to come. What if he dies if you don't handle him properly?"
Someone else said, "If you touch it now, your skin will fall off."
"The burn was so severe, I didn't know if I could survive."
Finally, after a burst of noise, the ambulance arrived first. The medical staff got out of the car and transferred the woman to a stretcher.
Following closely behind was the fire alarm, the sirens sounding exciting.
Five or six young firefighters quickly jumped down from the red fire truck. They set up several high-pressure water guns, and several crystal clear water jets spurted out of the guns, as if sharp blades cut through the heat and suppressed the flames firmly.
Water and fire were fighting in the city at dawn. The fire gradually died down. Those brave and fearless firefighters rushed up without hesitation and carried out several people who were trapped upstairs by the fire.
As time went by, the fire finally became noticeably smaller.
Because the floor was low, the fire-fighting process went relatively smoothly.
At daybreak, the fire was finally put out, the residents were able to return home, and firefighters went in to search and rescue.
Fortunately, the fire did not spread. Except for Room 402 which was on fire, no other owners died and only a few people were burned.
House 402 was not so lucky. The seriously injured hostess was sent to the hospital and was in danger of life at any time. Other people in the house also died in the fire.
Captain Chen of the fire department walked in and conducted his final inspection wearing rubber shoes.
This step of inspection is very critical. As firefighters, they need to determine the cause of the fire and determine the number of casualties.
The entire interior of the house was basically burned down, with charred marks everywhere. The floor of the house was full of water and there was a burnt smell everywhere.
The temperature inside the room was still very high after the fire was put out, and wisps of white smoke were coming out from some places.
Captain Chen looked around the rooms and found three people dead in the fire. The deceased were the father and two young children. The father and the older girl died in the bedroom, while the youngest boy died at the bathroom door.
Captain Chen squatted down and turned the boy's body over. He found a wound on his chest and abdomen. A large pool of blood had soaked the remaining floor mat, staining the white mat dark red. The scorching smell in the room masked the bloody odor, causing him to only now notice the wound.
Captain Chen looked at the child's mouth and nose. There wasn't much ash there. He frowned. "Call the city police! This is arson."
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