Chapter 43 This is not a coincidence
Yu Hao stared at the blue butterfly, his pupils suddenly constricting. The outline of the butterfly was almost identical to the tattoo on Luo Xin's ankle—simple lines, wings slightly spread, as if ready to fly away at any moment. "Captain Yu?" Lu Chao's voice came from behind him. "What's wrong?" Yu Hao snapped back to reality, his Adam's apple rolling, his voice a little tense. "Nothing, keep investigating." He forced himself to look away, but the butterfly remained etched in his mind like a brand. Luo Xin had once casually said it was a casual tattoo from his youth, and he had never questioned it. But now, the butterfly's appearance in this place, what did it mean? He didn't dare to dwell on it, but the thought kept coming to him—had Luo Xin been here before? Or... something worse? Yu Hao's stomach twisted. He mechanically followed Lu Chao inside, each step feeling like treading on knife-edge. The doors of most of the rooms on either side of the corridor were open, and some beds still had wrinkled sheets scattered on them, as if someone had just left. The two men walked down the hallway and around the corner. Lu Chao spotted a secret door. The paint was chipped and the lock was rusted. He kicked it open, sending a cloud of dust flying. "This place is disgusting." Once inside, Lu Chao kicked an empty wine bottle at his feet. It rolled to the corner with a clang, hitting a pile of used condoms behind the door. Yu Hao walked in front, followed by several detectives. Lu Chao took photos as he walked. "This is the main business," he said with a sneer. They entered a room, a love room. The walls were covered with explicit sexual posters. The leather handcuffs on the pink bed had rusted clasps, the feather quills were matted, and there were several unopened boxes of condoms, next to a half-used bottle of lubricant. "Tsk, this place used to be quite lively," Lu Chao frowned, capturing the details with his camera. Yu Hao didn't respond. He picked up a box of condoms, pinching the serrated edge of the package with his fingertips. He looked up and scanned the room, unconsciously imagining what Luo Xin might look like here. Had she also stood in front of a certain door? Had she also been forced to face those dirty deals? The thought almost suffocated him. "Captain Yu, you don't look well." Lu Chao looked back at him, confusion in his eyes. "It's okay." Yu Hao took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. "Keep investigating and see if there are any clues." Lu Chao nodded, and after collecting the evidence, he turned and walked out of the room. Yu Hao stood there, clenching his fists. His nails were deep...
Yu Hao stared at the blue butterfly, his pupils suddenly contracting.
The outline of the butterfly was almost identical to the tattoo on Luo Xin's ankle - simple lines, with wings slightly spread out, as if it would fly away at any moment.
"Captain Yu?" Lu Chao's voice came from behind him. "What's wrong?"
Yu Hao snapped back to his senses, his Adam's apple rolled, and his voice tightened: "Nothing, continue investigating."
He forced himself to look away, but the butterfly was engraved in his mind like a brand.
Luo Xin once casually said it was a casual tattoo he had gotten when he was young and ignorant, and he had never questioned it. But now, this butterfly appeared in such a place, what did it mean?
He didn't dare to think too deeply, but he couldn't help but think - had Luo Xin been here before? Or... worse?
Yu Hao's stomach ached.
He mechanically followed Lu Chao inside, and every step felt like walking on the edge of a knife.
Most of the room doors on both sides of the corridor were open, and some beds had wrinkled sheets scattered on them, as if someone had just left.
The two walked through the corridor and turned the corner. Lu Chao discovered a secret door. The paint on the secret door had long been mottled and the lock on it was covered with rust.
Lu Chao raised his foot and kicked the secret door open, splashing a cloud of dust.
"This place is so disgusting." After entering the secret door, Lu Chao kicked an empty wine bottle at his feet. The bottle rolled to the corner of the wall with a "clang" and hit a pile of used condoms behind the door.
Yu Hao walked in front, followed by several detectives. Lu Chao took photos as they walked. "This is the main business location," he said with a cold laugh.
Several people walked into a room, which was a love room. The walls were covered with explicit sex posters. The buckles of the leather handcuffs on the pink bed were rusted, the fluff on the feather stick was clumped, and there were several boxes of unopened condoms and a half-used bottle of lubricant next to them.
"Tsk, this place used to be really lively." Lu Chao frowned and took pictures of the details with his camera.
Yu Hao didn't respond. He picked up a box of condoms, pinched the serrations on the edge of the package with his fingertips, looked up and scanned the room, unconsciously imagining what Luo Xin might look like here.
Has she ever stood before a door, or been forced to face those dirty deals?
The thought almost suffocated him.
"Captain Yu, you don't look well." Lu Chao looked back at him with confusion in his eyes.
"It's okay." Yu Hao took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. "Continue to investigate and see if there are any clues."
Lu Chao nodded, collected the evidence, and walked out of the room.
Yu Hao stood there, clenching his fists. His nails dug deep into his palms, and the pain made him slightly more sober.
"No, it's impossible..." He muttered to himself, trying to convince himself, "Luoxin would not have anything to do with such a place."
But that butterfly is right here.
What is going on? Yu Hao's world is already shaking.
He took heavy steps and caught up with Lu Chao.
The situation in the other rooms was not much related to this room, but near the stairs, they found several dormitories, all of which were triple rooms.
The room was very clean, with pink sheets, a washbasin, a toothbrush, towels, cosmetics... everything you need, and there was a poster of Andy Lau on the wall.
It is obvious that there are three women living in each room, perhaps girls who were once full of longing for life.
Yu Hao took a quick look and left the room.
The innermost room was more secluded than the others, even featuring soundproofing on the door. Opening the door, it looked more like an office—a wooden table, a chair, and a safe in the corner.
"It seems this is the 'office area'." Lu Chao sneered and walked to the table to search.
Yu Hao's eyes fell on an old photo in the corner of the wall.
In the photo, a fat woman stands at the door of a hotel, flanked by several young girls wearing revealing nurse uniforms and forced smiles on their faces.
His heart sank.
In the corner of the photo, a blurry figure caught his attention - it was a profile, with long hair draped over the shoulders and head lowered, as if deliberately avoiding the camera.
But that outline looks very much like Luo Xin.
Yu Hao's hands trembled slightly as he picked up the photo and looked at it carefully.
He couldn't see the appearance of the women in the corner, but Yu Hao could still see two of them clearly. They were the young Xiao Fang and the romantic Xiao Lian.
At this time, he thought of Liu Bing mentioning that Xiao Fang had come to the red-light district and entered the red romance. It turned out that they had known each other for a long time.
If the other person was Luo Xin, why was Luo Xin never seen interacting with Xiao Fang in the village? Or was he deliberately avoiding her?
"Captain Yu, what did you find?" Lu Chao came over.
Yu Hao was stunned and handed the photo to Lu Chao.
Lu Chao took a look and immediately exclaimed, "Oh my god, Captain Yu, isn't this the romantic Xiaolian? This woman seems to have been in a state of depravity for more than ten years."
Yu Hao sighed, "Let's check it later." His voice was a little low, and his chest seemed to be pressed by a huge rock.
If that person is really Luo Xin...
He didn't dare to think further.
"The safe is empty." Lu Chao put the photo into the evidence bag and bent down to check the safe in the corner. "It looks like it's been cleared out a long time ago."
"Yeah." Yu Hao responded mechanically.
The butterfly, the photo,... everything points to a fact he doesn't want to face.
"Take it back first." He finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
Lu Chao nodded and carefully put the photo into the evidence bag.
Yu Hao turned and walked out of the room, each step feeling like stepping on cotton. The lights in the corridor flickered, as if mocking his self-deception.
He remembered how Luo Xin always avoided talking about the past, the tattoo on her ankle, and the tired look she occasionally showed...
It turns out that she has been hiding such a secret.
As he walked out of the hotel, a cold wind blew in his face, but Yu Hao didn't feel the chill. His heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, and the pain was so severe that he could hardly breathe.
"Captain Yu, what should we do next?" Lu Chao stood behind him, speaking cautiously.
Yu Hao was silent for a moment, and finally said: "Let's go back to the bureau first and ask Qin Jun about the situation of the person in the photo."
Yu Hao looked up at the gray sky. Snowflakes began to fall, landing on his face and turning into cold water droplets.
Just like how he felt at the moment—cold, broken, and irreparable.
He once thought that he could protect Luo Xin and give her a stable future.
But now, he realized that she had already fallen into the quagmire, and he was powerless to do anything.
*
"That fat woman was the madam, Hu Mei, but you can't find her anymore." Qin Jun grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "She died of illness a few years ago."
The light in the interrogation room was pale and dazzling, shining on Qin Jun's greasy face.
He rubbed his fingers, his eyes wandering, and glanced at Yu Hao from time to time, as if trying to guess the reaction of the criminal police captain.
Yu Hao sat opposite him, his face stern, his fingers tapping the table lightly, the rhythm slow and heavy.
His eyes fell on the photo on the table - the group photo brought back from the "Star and Moon Hotel", in which several girls stood next to a fat woman with forced smiles.
"What's wrong?" Lu Chao asked.
"Venereal disease." Qin Jun sneered.
"She even went into battle herself?" Lu Chao sneered.
"That's right. There are bound to be some perverts among the customers. Different people have different preferences. Some people just like this as long as they pay enough." Qin Jun was holding back his laughter. If he wasn't in the interrogation room, he would have burst out laughing.
"Guo Zhong doesn't come here often?" Yu Hao asked in a low voice.
"Yeah, how could he dare come here often?" Qin Jun forced a smile. "That place is not open to the public, so he only comes occasionally to collect money. Usually, Hu Mei is in charge."
Lu Chao stood aside, lowering his head to take notes, the tip of his pen making a rustling sound on the paper.
"How many of these girls do you know?" Yu Hao pushed the photos over, his fingertips slightly tightening.
Qin Jun narrowed his eyes and pointed at several people in the photo with his rough fingers.
"This is Xiaolian. She's now running the 'Red Romance' hair salon. She's... the one who washed my hair when you came to see me." He chuckled and spoke in a frivolous tone. "This is Xiaofang. She didn't work there for long. Later, I heard she went to learn hairdressing. I don't know where she is now."
His finger moved to the corner of the photo and stopped at a girl with her head bowed.
"This... I think her name was Xiaoxin? Or something? I can't remember. She stayed there for a shorter time and left soon after."
"Xiao Xin?"
Yu Hao's voice was very soft, but like a sharp knife, it instantly cut through the silence of the interrogation room.
Qin Jun was stunned, as if he realized something, and withdrew his hand awkwardly: "Ah, yes, I think it's called that... But I really can't remember, she didn't do it for long."
Yu Hao's knuckles pressed against the edge of the table, so hard that they turned white.
Luo Xin.
This name was like a thorn, piercing his heart.
He closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down, but the blue butterfly tattoo on Luo Xin's ankle emerged uncontrollably in his mind.
This is not a coincidence.
"Why didn't she do it for long?" Yu Hao's voice was still steady, but the coldness in his eyes made Qin Jun shrink his neck unconsciously.
"How would I know?" Qin Jun spread his hands. "Maybe the money is too little, or maybe they just can't stand those customers." Qin Jun covered his mouth with his hand. "You know, some of these customers are really perverted. They whip them so hard that it's loud. Some of them are even more extravagant..."
"Okay, okay, I didn't ask you these." Lu Chao interrupted him.
"Isn't this a complete confession to the government?" Qin Jun asked with a playful smile. "Look, I've confessed everything I know. Can you let me go?"
"Do they all have a butterfly tattoo on their ankles?" Yu Hao asked with some difficulty.
"Yeah, you guys can grasp this?" Qin Jun was a little surprised. He obviously didn't expect Yu Hao and the others to investigate so carefully.
Yu Hao didn't say anything else, just stared at him coldly.
Qin Jun was frightened by the stare, swallowed his saliva, and added: "Officer, that's really all I know. There are so many people coming and going in that place, who can remember it so clearly?"
Lu Chao closed his notebook and looked at Yu Hao: "Captain Yu, do you want to go and check with Xiaolian?"
Yu Hao was silent for a moment and nodded.
He stood up, his tall figure casting a shadow under the light. Qin Jun looked up at him, feeling an inexplicable sense of oppression.
"If you remember anything, feel free to contact me." Yu Hao said this and turned to walk towards the door.
Qin Jun breathed a sigh of relief, but the next second, Yu Hao's footsteps suddenly stopped.
"By the way." He tilted his head, his voice as cold as ice, "When was the last time you saw 'Xiao Xin'?"
Qin Jun was stunned and scratched his head. "This... I really can't remember clearly. It must have been at least ten years ago, right?"
ten years.
Yu Hao's fingers tightened slightly.
Walking out of the interrogation room, the cold breeze from the corridor blew towards him, and Yu Hao's breathing finally became smoother. However, the dull pain in his chest lingered.
"Captain Yu..." Lu Chao hesitated and didn't continue.
"Find Xiaolian first." Yu Hao interrupted him in a low voice, "Confirm it clearly first."
Lu Chao nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
Yu Hao stood in front of the window with a dark look in his eyes.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
