Chapter 98 Missing: Contact the police dog team!
Jiang Ling didn't enjoy her meal much.
The air conditioning in the Western restaurant at Yintai Plaza did indeed dispel the summer heat. Liang Qiqiao and Liang Jiushan excitedly shared their anticipation for the new school, but Jiang Ling's thoughts were firmly tied to the Shunlai Restaurant around the corner, as if by an invisible thread.
The thin, scrawny handyman humbly begged to adopt the injured stray dog, while the shop owner, who had killed and abused the dog, agreed to adopt it. This stark incongruity left Jiang Ling feeling uneasy.
Even though there was no record of this restaurant or mention of that lowly handyman in Black Bone's previous life's files, for some reason, after passing by Shunlai Restaurant, Jiang Ling felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Why does Black Bone hate people who abuse dogs so much?
Why did Blackbone become a serial killer who specifically hunts down dog abusers?
From the perspective of criminal psychology, most of these cases stem from childhood trauma, severe dog-related trauma, or personal experiences of abuse.
Blackbone views dog abusers as substitutes for those who harmed him or his beloved dog in the past, and seeks twisted revenge through killing. He develops a distorted set of moral codes, proclaiming himself an "executor of justice," and is filled with extreme hatred for "bullying" and the "weakness" he projects onto himself.
After killing someone, Black Bone would stuff bones into the victim's mouth. This was a highly ritualistic act to satisfy deep psychological fantasies and gain a sense of control and superiority—"You like to eat dog meat? Then let you taste the flavor of bones too!"
Jiang Ling speculated that the serial killer Hei Gu must have had a childhood lacking love, a past of being bullied, and a beloved dog that accompanied him as he grew up.
Analysis of the Black Bone Files reveals that he was extremely withdrawn and had virtually no social relationships, indicating that he suffered from severe social maladjustment and had difficulty establishing and maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships.
He may feel isolated, betrayed, or hurt by human society. In their lonely and painful world, a dog may become their only emotional support, a source of loyalty, and a provider of love. Dogs are seen as symbols of purity, loyalty, and faithfulness, standing in stark contrast to the hypocrisy, cruelty, and untrustworthiness of humans.
For Blackbone, killing dog abusers was not only about avenging dogs, but also a symbol of protecting the only beautiful and trustworthy thing in their hearts. This act reinforced their biased worldview that "all humans are evil, only animals are kind."
His first murder was the key to transforming him from a victim into a "vengeful man".
It is now 1994. Black Bones has not yet become a serial killer. We must find him as soon as possible and stop any potential crimes in the future!
The restaurant worker, the owner, and the stray dog reminded Jiang Ling of the Black Bone Files, and many other things came to mind. So much so that several times when Liang Jiushan spoke to her, he had to call her name several times before she would respond.
Liang Jiushan's time "internship" at the Municipal Bureau was not wasted.
He keenly noticed Jiang Ling's brief pause at the entrance of Shunlai Restaurant, her momentary wariness, and her absent-mindedness during the meal.
Liang Jiushan knew that Jiang Ling must be very tired after just finishing the Zhang Minghui child abuse case, so he didn't pester her with questions. Instead, he firmly memorized the four words "Shunlai Restaurant".
—Anything that makes Jiang Ling uneasy must have a problem.
The next day, Liang Qiqiao began packing her luggage to prepare for university.
"Sister, I'm going out for a walk," Liang Jiushan said to Liang Qiqiao.
"Where are we going? It's so hot." Liang Qiqiao glanced at her younger brother.
"I'll... go check out Yintai Plaza and do some shopping." Liang Jiushan said vaguely, mentioning his plan to keep watch at Shunlai Restaurant.
In August, around 3 PM in Yan City, the sun was still scorching.
Under the scorching sun, Liang Jiushan took two buses before finally arriving at the street where Shunlai Restaurant was located. Instead of going directly to the restaurant, he lingered in front of a general store selling cold drinks, snacks, and stationery across the street.
The shop owner was a man in his fifties, dozing off behind the counter while fanning himself with a palm leaf fan.
Having experience selling popsicles at construction sites, Liang Jiushan was good at chatting with anyone he met, so he went over and said, "Grandpa, do you hire temporary workers here? I'd like to do some odd jobs before school starts, I can do anything!"
The old man squinted at him and sized him up: "A student? My business is so small, I don't need many people. Just help me watch the shop and organize the goods in the afternoon. It'll be two yuan for half a day. Want to do it?"
It was too hot, and the old man really didn't want to mind the shop in the afternoon. Wouldn't it be better to lie on the bamboo bed and enjoy the electric fan? Just then, Liang Jiushan came over and, seeing that he had a pleasing face, tentatively offered a low price.
"Let's do it!" Liang Jiushan agreed without hesitation. The amount of money didn't matter; the key was the location, which offered a perfect view of the entrance and side of Shunlai Restaurant.
So, Liang Jiushan became a temporary worker at the grocery store. Every afternoon, he would watch over the store and also keep an eye on the Shunlai Restaurant across the street. Liang Jiushan was good-looking, knew how to read people's expressions, and had a sweet tongue, so he quickly attracted a lot of business. This pleased the old man who owned the store, who offered to give him a raise and extend his working hours from the afternoon into the evening.
For the first few days, everything was normal.
It's too hot, so there aren't many customers at noon. But after sunset, Shunlai Restaurant still gets busy with customers coming in to order food and eat. It gets busier as the night goes on.
Through the glass door, Liang Jiushan could see the boss taking orders and collecting money, while the handyman Xiao Mao was responsible for pouring tea, serving dishes, and cleaning, busy as a spinning top.
When no customers came in, Boss Wang would stand at the door with his big, fat belly, cursing and ordering Xiao Mao to move things and take out the trash.
Xiao Mao was quick and efficient, but he always kept his head down, rarely spoke, and had little expression on his face. Boss Wang bossed him around and would even occasionally push or kick him, but he just silently endured it, his face showing no emotion.
As for the stray dog, its hind legs were bandaged, and it limped along behind the handyman, Xiao Mao. It was very clever; it never went through the front door or into the restaurant, but only wandered around the kitchen and alleyways.
It wasn't until the afternoon of the fifth day that Liang Jiushan realized something was wrong.
First, the tricycle carrying wire cages that used to be parked in front of Shunlai Restaurant is gone.
Then, the stray dog that Xiao Mao had adopted disappeared.
For the next two days, Mr. Wang's large figure was nowhere to be seen. Only Xiao Mao was busy in and out of the store, taking over the tasks of taking orders and collecting money.
On the eighth day, Liang Jiushan saw a middle-aged woman wearing a floral dress, with curly hair and an angry expression on her face arrive at the restaurant entrance.
She stood with her hands on her hips, shouting loudly into the house, her voice barely audible across the street: "Wang Dafu, you damned bastard, get out here! Where have you been again? You haven't been home for three days, and you haven't answered your phone. Have you been seeing some vixen again?!"
It seems this is the proprietress.
Liang Jiushan pricked up his ears and continued to observe the situation on the other side.
Xiao Mao came out, head down, his expression unreadable, and said a few words to the proprietress. The proprietress's voice suddenly rose, filled with harsh resentment:
"What? He said he's going back to his hometown? Bullshit! He hasn't been in touch with that godforsaken place for ages. He's definitely run off with some slut and pocketed the money. That heartless bastard, I knew a leopard can't change its spots! Last time he was caught flirting with a hairdresser, he was begging for my forgiveness on his knees, and it hasn't even been that long..."
The proprietress grew angrier with each outburst, her voice shrill, drawing the attention of passersby. She was clearly convinced her husband had cheated on her and run away, rather than that something had happened to him.
"You!" she pointed at Xiao Mao, "Get out of here right now! I'll run this lousy shop myself!" She seemed to be taking out her anger at her husband on the handyman.
The handyman didn't say anything, but silently turned around and went into the shop.
After a while, he left Shunlai Restaurant quickly, carrying a faded old canvas bag on his back and with his head down, disappearing into the crowd around the street corner. He didn't look back even once.
The proprietress took over the restaurant.
She swiftly and decisively had someone remove the greasy old signboard and began directing workers to move the old tables and chairs out of the shop, preparing for a noisy renovation.
The head chef stormed out wielding a cleaver and yelled at the proprietress, "What are you doing? Trying to ditch me and go solo? We agreed I'd get 30% of the profits! You two are teaming up to rip me off, aren't you?"
The proprietress stomped her feet and cursed, "If you want money, go ask that deadbeat Wang Dafu! He ran off with his mistress, this shop is mine now. If you don't want to run it, there are plenty of other people who will."
The noise outside Shunlai Restaurant attracted a large crowd of onlookers.
Even the heat couldn't stop people from enjoying gossip.
"No way? Old Wang really ran off with someone?"
"Is the proprietress trying to seize control of the restaurant? She didn't even bother to look for her husband after he ran away."
"Poor Xiao Mao, he was kicked out without even being paid."
The argument between the proprietress and the chef continued until the chef threatened to call the police. Only then did the proprietress soften her stance, and she eventually paid him 300 yuan in compensation before leaving satisfied.
As the renovations continued, Liang Jiushan's heart sank.
Has Boss Wang disappeared?
The landlady was convinced he had cheated on her and run away, but Liang Jiushan felt something was amiss.
When a husband cheats on his wife and elopes, most wives would be in pain for a few days, right? But this restaurant owner's wife is different. After Mr. Wang disappeared for three days, she didn't even bother to look for him. Instead, she immediately started renovating the restaurant, giving off a sense of eager excitement.
It's almost the end of the month, and the boss has disappeared. Xiao Mao hasn't received his salary for this month yet, has he? The boss's wife told him to leave, and he didn't even bother to ask for his wages. He left so decisively!
The chef's reaction was also strange. From his conversation with the proprietress, it's clear he contributed his skills as equity, taking a 30% cut of the restaurant's profits. With Mr. Wang's disappearance, the chef suffered the greatest loss; logically, he should have pursued the matter to the end. Why did the proprietress agree to leave after only paying him 300 yuan?
Also, where did that dog go? Was it killed by Boss Wang, or did it just leave?
Too many doubts made Liang Jiushan wary. Taking advantage of the moment when the proprietress was directing the workers to move the garbage at the door, he slipped into the temporarily unattended kitchen of Shunlai Restaurant.
The kitchen reeked of cooking fumes, the stench of blood, and the smell of dish soap. Unwanted pots, pans, and tattered burlap sacks were piled haphazardly on the floor. The walls were greasy and blackened, with cobwebs growing in the corners.
Liang Jiushan's gaze swept carefully over the ground, the stove, and the corner of the wall.
His heart was beating a little fast.
Suddenly, his gaze settled on a spot near the corner, behind a large stove. The light there was dim, and the color of the floor seemed somewhat unusual.
Liang Jiushan squatted down and looked closer.
The kitchen floor was paved with old red bricks. The grout between one of the bricks was noticeably darker than the rest, a dull, almost blackish dark brown. He stretched out his finger and carefully rubbed the edge of that dark area, his fingertip immediately becoming stained with a layer of dark red stain that was difficult to wash off.
It's dried blood!
It's a very large area.
Liang Jiushan suddenly stood up, a chill running from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
Without further hesitation, he took off running.
Liang Jiushan ran back to the grocery store, panting and sweating profusely. He picked up the telephone on the counter and dialed Jiang Ling's office number without hesitation.
"Sister Ling!" Liang Jiushan's voice trembled slightly.
Jiang Ling just returned from Wen Xiufen's place.
Xiaoyu has undergone three sessions of psychotherapy with good results. He is now able to accept the reality of his mother's death and his father's imprisonment. He has moved into Wen Xiufen's home and is treating Lin Xiaoyue as his brother and sister, preparing for the start of second grade.
However, after receiving the news, Zhang Minghui's parents came to the Peony Towel Factory and caused trouble.
Zhang Minghui's father berated Wen Xiufen for adopting Xiaoyu for money, forcing the towel factory leaders to hand over all the patent royalties and Zhang Minghui's wages to them, and then forcibly took Xiaoyu away.
Upon hearing that Xiaoyu had to go to the provincial capital for psychological treatment every week, Zhang Minghui's father scoffed, "What psychological trauma? You city people are so dramatic! If you ask me, kids will behave if they misbehave. If you hit them enough, they'll behave."
Despite the civil affairs department and the police station issuing a "Temporary Care Authorization Letter" confirming Wen Xiufen's temporary care rights, Zhang Minghui's father was very domineering and made a scene as Xiaoyu's grandfather, which gave Wei Changfeng of Jinwu Road Police Station a headache.
Wen Xiufen and Xiaoyu have developed a deep mother-son bond, and she is unwilling to hand Xiaoyu over to his grandparents even at the cost of her life.
Wu Jianbin and Li Qiuyun, the new officers at Jinwu Road Police Station, were very firm this time and did not allow Zhang Minghui's father to take Xiaoyu away.
Jiang Ling has been coordinating relationships with all parties for the past few days.
Originally, she had decided to let go after Zheng Yu's persuasion, but now that the matter was right in front of her, Jiang Ling's heart was being pulled by a sense of responsibility.
Jiang Ling asked herself: Have I really done my best?
Zhang Minghui grew up in a family of domestic violence. His father's violence and brutality, and his mother's weakness and inaction, are the driving forces behind his current situation.
We finally managed to get Xiaoyu out of his father's abuse, are we going to let him fall into the hands of his grandparents again?
If Xiaoyu also follows Zhang Minghui's path, then wouldn't everyone's efforts have been in vain?
Jiang Ling decided to contact the civil affairs department and the court again; there must be a way!
Legal provisions are static, but people are dynamic.
Everything must give way to the needs of children's healthy growth.
Liang Jiushan's phone call came in at that moment.
When Jiang Ling answered the phone and heard the obvious tremor in Liang Jiushan's voice, her heart skipped a beat: "Jiushan? What's wrong? Tell me slowly."
“Shunlai, the owner of Shunlai Restaurant, Mr. Wang, he’s gone missing. The owner’s wife said he ran away with someone, but I just sneaked into their kitchen and found a large pool of blood behind the stove.” Liang Jiushan was initially nervous and stuttered a bit, but he quickly calmed down and expressed the key information clearly.
Jiang Ling's pupils suddenly contracted.
Shunlai Restaurant?
Wait a minute, at the same time he received the admission notice from Yancheng No. 1 High School, Liang Jiushan also received a two-page list of required readings from the school. Shouldn't he be at home studying right now? Why is he at Shunlai Restaurant?
Jiang Ling asked, "How did you end up in the kitchen of Shunlai Restaurant?"
Liang Jiushan said, "Last time we passed by that restaurant, weren't you a little uneasy? I've been working as a temporary worker at the grocery store across from the restaurant these past few days, keeping an eye on that place."
Jiang Ling felt a warmth in her heart.
This Liang Jiushan is so thoughtful.
Although she felt comforted that her emotions had been seen, Jiang Ling showed no emotion on her face. Instead, she said in a cold voice, "You are a student now, and you should focus on your studies."
Liang Jiushan didn't care about Jiang Ling's attitude and said anxiously, "Okay, I know. Sister Ling, I feel something is wrong. Boss Wang is missing, the handyman named Xiao Mao was kicked out by the boss's wife, and the chef took three hundred yuan and left too. You should come and take a look."
Because of that inexplicable sense of familiarity, Jiang Ling was already paying more attention to Shunlai Restaurant. Upon hearing Liang Jiushan's words, she immediately said, "Don't move from there. I'll be right there."
Without the slightest hesitation, Jiang Ling stood up abruptly and quickly dialed Zheng Yu's internal phone number, her voice calm and decisive: "Zheng Yu, there's a new case."
The piercing sound of sirens tore through the oppressive summer air.
Several police cars arrived with sirens blaring, their flashing red and blue lights reflected on the doors and windows of "Shunlai Restaurant" and on the bewildered faces of the onlookers.
Zheng Yu got out of the car first, her expression cold and stern.
Jiang Ling followed closely behind, her calm yet sharp gaze sweeping across the scene.
Liang Jiushan immediately ran over and pointed to the back door of the restaurant: "Sister Ling, the bloodstains are inside, behind the stove!"
Zhao Jingxin from the technical team, accompanied by two assistants carrying heavy survey kits, quickly followed. They skillfully set up a cordon at the entrance, blocking any prying eyes.
The proprietress, hands on her hips, yelled, "What are you doing? What right do you have to shut down my shop? That bastard Wang Youfu ran away, the shop is mine now!"
Jiang Ling ignored the landlady's commotion and led her people straight into the kitchen.
The technical department's bright lights snapped on, the stark white light instantly dispelling the gloom and revealing every corner of the kitchen.
Zhao Jingxin had worked with Ying Songmao for five or six years and was quite experienced. He immediately pinpointed the location Liang Jiushan was pointing to. He crouched down, put on gloves, and carefully moved the pile of tattered sacks and miscellaneous items behind the stove. Under the bright light, the dark, black stains that had seeped into the cracks of the old red bricks were clearly visible.
"Luminol!" Zhao Jingxin ordered in a deep voice.
The assistant immediately took out a spray bottle and sprayed the area. The instant the lights went out, a chilling sight appeared—the stained area, like ignited phosphorescence, burst forth with large patches of bright, eerie blue-green fluorescence, appearing as scattered, star-like spots. The fluorescence wasn't uniform; instead, it presented an unsettling splattering and dragging pattern.
"It's blood, a large amount of human blood."
Zhao Jingxin's voice carried a professional solemnity. The range and shape of the fluorescent reaction clearly outlined an extremely violent incident involving splattering that had occurred here.
"Take samples! Carefully examine the surrounding area, especially crevices, corners, and tool surfaces." Following Zhao Jingxin's instructions, the technicians held their breath and began their meticulous work. They scraped the dark substance from the brick grout lines, wiped suspicious areas with cotton swabs, and photographed the fluorescent morphology…
Zheng Yu frowned deeply upon seeing the preliminary findings of the on-site investigation.
She turned to the shop owner, whose face had turned pale, and who was being held back outside the police line: "When was the last time Wang Youfu appeared in the shop? Be specific!"
The proprietress was intimidated by the scene and Zheng Yu's serious tone, and her voice was no longer as sharp as before: "Last Friday afternoon, yes, Friday. He told Xiao Mao that he was going back to his hometown in the countryside, and then he disappeared. He's done this before, he must have been seduced by some vixen!"
She remained steadfast in her judgment, but her tone clearly betrayed more uncertainty and panic.
Jiang Ling pressed further: "Was anything unusual at the store before he left? Who did he contact? Where did Xiao Mao go?"
"Unusual? No, nothing unusual, just like usual. That Xiao Mao, he's clumsy, I thought he was in the way, so I chased him away, who knows where he went." The landlady looked disgusted when she mentioned the handyman Xiao Mao.
At this moment, Xiao Liang, who was in charge of the outreach, ran in to report: "Sister Yu, we asked several shops next door. They all said they haven't seen Boss Wang for about three or four days. The handyman named Mao Dali was kicked out by the boss's wife yesterday, and no one has seen him since."
There's a problem.
Jiang Ling and Zheng Yu exchanged a glance.
The technical team worked on-site for nearly two hours. In addition to the core area where bloodstains were detected, they also found several tiny, wiped-away bloodstains in the corner and a faint bloodstain on a discarded rag.
The initial blood test results came back quickly.
Zhao Jingxin walked over with the report, his voice low, "Based on the blood sample taken from the scene, it can be confirmed that it is human blood, and the blood type is O, which matches Wang Youfu's blood type. Combining the amount of bleeding and the pattern of the splatter, it can be basically determined that this should be the primary crime scene where Wang Youfu was murdered. He suffered severe violent injuries, and his chances of survival are slim."
"ah--"
The proprietress, who was nearby, screamed as soon as she heard Zhao Jingxin's words.
The color drained from her face instantly, her eyes widened, her lips trembled, her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground with a thud, her whole body shaking like a leaf, muttering incoherent, dreamlike words.
"No, impossible! How could it be human blood? Chickens and ducks are always being killed in the kitchen; isn't it normal to have a little blood?"
"That bastard Wang Youfu, he's dead? Didn't Xiao Mao say he went back to his hometown?"
"No, no, didn't he run off with someone? He's always done this before, disappearing without a word. I thought it was the same this time..."
The anger she had felt towards her cheating husband had vanished, and the proprietress was now in a state of extreme panic.
Jiang Ling carefully observed the proprietress's reaction.
Jiang Ling didn't see sadness in her eyes, so it seemed the couple's relationship wasn't good.
"Open a case! Investigate it immediately as a homicide." Zheng Yu made the decision decisively, his voice firm and resolute.
The next priority became finding Wang Youfu.
I want to see him alive or dead.
Zheng Yu quickly deployed: "Contact the police dog team! Bring tracking dogs and bloodstain search dogs! Focus on the restaurant, especially the back door, alleys, and garbage dumps, and search them thoroughly."
The police dog handlers arrived quickly with two majestic German Shepherds.
The handlers had the hounds carefully sniff the gauze containing the blood sample retrieved from the scene. The two hounds growled, appearing unusually excited, and immediately went into work mode. They lowered their heads, noses pressed to the ground, lingered a few times at the kitchen doorway, and then suddenly rushed out the back door and turned into the narrow alley behind the restaurant.
The alley was dark and damp, piled high with garbage bins and debris discarded by nearby restaurants, and smelled extremely foul. But the hound had a clear target, quickly crossing the alley and stopping at a corner filled with abandoned construction debris. It began to paw at the ground impatiently, barking rapidly.
"Found it!" the trainer shouted.
The police officers immediately stepped forward and carefully cleared away the surface garbage. Underneath was a layer of freshly turned but poorly covered topsoil.
After a few shovelfuls, an indescribable stench of decay suddenly wafted out.
Beneath the loose soil lay a curled-up male corpse!
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