Chapter 109: Really Hard Life
The murderer may have been short of dry food, so he had to steal the offerings in front of the grave to eat. Unexpectedly, he was caught by Grandma Zheng.
Xia Lili inexplicably remembered what Grandma Zheng said about her having a strong life.
Now it seems that Grandma Zheng was not bragging. People who can guard the cemetery really have some reputation.
In the hallucination, Granny Zheng didn't know that she was encountering a serial killer, and she still dared to chase after him to catch him.
As a result, he slipped and fell down the mountain, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as he escaped the persecution of the serial killer who wanted to silence him.
The characters are so hard that they can even cut down trees when written on paper!
Poor thing for this forest firefighter.
Seeing Xia Lili's silence, Chen Guifu on the other end of the line was filled with suspicion. "Little girl, why are you holding the fire extinguisher and not saying anything? Aren't you anxious?"
The ongoing video call brought Xia Lili's thoughts back to reality.
--"oh oh."
After Xia Lili reacted, she symbolically asked a few questions about how to use the fire extinguisher.
After hanging up the phone and sending the red envelope to Chen Guifu, Xia Lili hurried into the meeting room.
"Commander Gu, I have a serious situation to report!"
*
Commander Gu and the police officers in the conference room listened to Xia Lili's report on the two hallucinations of Chen Guifu and Grandma Zheng.
"You mean, you saw the murderer of the Cat's Eye serial murder case hiding on the hill near the Qingshan District Cemetery?"
Xia Lili nodded. "Yes, in the hallucination, the forest firefighters' drone captured the footage. There were signs of human life in the open space between the subcontracts, including sleeping bags."
Luo Xiao couldn't help but say, "Boss Xia, your hallucination came at the right time and it's so crucial! It connects all the clues. But—"
He scratched his head. "But how do we locate the hill that President Xia saw in his hallucination?"
Leng Xiaohe also frowned. "What if we deploy multiple drones and helicopters to patrol the hilltops and just happen to disturb the serial killer and make him escape?"
"Yes, his anti-reconnaissance ability is very strong. Like a rabbit, he will run away at the slightest sign of trouble."
Commander Gu was also feeling a headache: "If we seal off the mountain, even if we mobilize thousands of police officers in a short period of time, there is no way to completely seal off such a large mountainous area. He will definitely have a chance to escape."
Xia Lili rested her hands on the edge of the table, her knuckles turning slightly white. "How about we send plainclothes officers to stake out the cemetery these days, and have Granny Zheng contact us if she finds the thief stealing the tribute?"
Her voice was tight with urgency.
Commander Gu stroked his chin, his brows knitted into a frown. "This method... can be used as a last resort."
He paused, his eyes scanning the crowd sharply. "But the loophole is obvious—if this is really just an ordinary thief, making a big move would only alert the enemy."
Li Qihan suddenly straightened up and tapped his fingers twice on the table. "I think," he said in a low and firm voice, "that since we know the murderer lives near a cemetery on a certain mountaintop, we can't waste this important clue."
"If we can find an ambush near his lair."
He pressed his fingertips firmly, "Waiting for the rabbit to come is the safest way."
Commander Gu turned to Xia Lili, his eyes inquiring: "Xiao Xia, are there any other useful clues in your hallucination?"
Xia Lili bit her lip, her movements tense, "Not yet..."
Her voice became softer and softer. "I've thought about it many times, but..."
Leng Xiaohe reached out and rubbed her hair soothingly: "Don't worry,"
She said softly, "We still have time."
The feeling of her fingertips lingering on the hair made Xia Lili's tense shoulders relax a little.
Li Qihan looked at Xia Lili and slowed down his tone: "It was already dark when Chen Guifu was killed, right?"
Xia Lili nodded her chin: "Yes, the time is 7:48 PM."
——"Don't you see the moon and remember where it is?"
Hearing Li Qihan's question.
Xia Lili nodded suddenly: "Yes."
Li Qihan pulled out a pencil from the pen holder on the conference table and pushed the notebook and pencil in his hand towards Xia Lili.
"Can you draw a quick sketch of the murder scene?"
Xia Lili picked up a piece of paper and a pen, recalling the scene of the murderer killing people in her hallucination and the scene captured by the drone.
The only sound in the conference room was the rustling of Xia Lili's pencil.
A police officer thoughtfully made a cup of coffee for Xia Lili.
Li Qihan took the sketch drawn by Xia Lili and quickly scanned the paper.
In the picture, the murderer is clearly visible holding a steel pipe, and in the background a crescent moon hangs on the top of a dead tree.
"The moon was about 45 degrees above the murderer's right shoulder..."
He whispered, and suddenly pressed his finger hard on the paper, "That's right!"
Commander Gu and Leng Xiaohe approached at the same time. Li Qihan quickly pulled up the electronic map.
"The incident occurred at 7:48 PM."
He raised his eyes to Luo Xiao and said, "Xiao Luo, help me check the astronomical data for Qingshan District in the past week."
Luo Xiao acted quickly and retrieved the astronomical data quickly.
"At 19:48, the moon's azimuth is 112 degrees and its altitude is 38 degrees."
Li Qihan used his stylus to draw several imaginary extension lines on the map. "When the murderer stood, the moon was 45 degrees above his right shoulder, which means he was facing...southeast."
The whole action was done in one go, like a precise mathematical derivation.
Li Qihan at this moment was completely different from the quiet and talkative man in the conference room before. His deep eyes were full of vigor and vitality. He stood straight like a pine tree, the lines of his shoulders and back under his shirt were taut, and his whole body exuded an almost sharp concentration.
The police officers present all held their breath unconsciously, as if afraid of disturbing this precise spatial reasoning.
Li Qihan marked a sector on the topographic map. "Combine the topographic structure in these sketches with the topography of this area..."
His fingertips finally stopped at a hilltop with dense contour lines, and his voice was resounding: "It's here, Eagle's Beak! There happens to be a mass grave on the top of this mountain, and-"
He zoomed in on the satellite map and said, "Look at this depression in the shade. It's perfect for hiding."
Commander Gu immediately made the decision: "Immediately retrieve the detailed topographic map of Eagle's Beak."
"Xiao Xia, are there any details about the placement of the sleeping bag in your hallucination?"
Xia Lili closed her eyes and recalled: "The sleeping bag... was placed east-west, with the head facing west."
“That makes it clearer.”
Li Qihan quickly sketched the location. "It's no accident that the murderer chose this hilltop. There's a natural stone wall on the west side to block the wind, and the east side is open and easy to observe. And—"
He suddenly paused and said, "Look at this terrain. From Eagle's Beak, you can directly observe what's happening down the mountain, making it convenient for you to escape."
Xia Lili stared at Li Qihan's smooth and flowing operation, her pupils slightly dilated.
Seeing him accurately locate the location based solely on the position of the moon at the time of the crime, she subconsciously clenched the notebook in her hand - his spatial thinking ability was simply too strong.
Xia Lili was originally satisfied with the good cooperation between herself and her colleagues in the police station, but now she sees that her skills are as weak as paper in front of the monster Li Qihan.
Oh no, this guy really knows everything about astronomy and geography. He is a hexagonal warrior, so doesn’t he have any weaknesses?
After locking down the murderer's whereabouts, Commander Gu immediately gave the order: "Action now!"
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