Chapter 214: Unwilling to Face the Truth

Chen Shi left the complex and kept stopping every few steps. He used his fingers to frame the view as he looked back, estimating the position of a cross-shaped sign that hung suspended in mid-air, always visible in his line of sight.

The little monk’s drawing was clear—the window formed a grid pattern, with the cross occupying the top left square.

Every few minutes, Xu Xiaodong would text him, urging, “Are you done yet?”

After wandering around for an hour and climbing countless flights of stairs in between, Chen Shi suddenly spotted an old residential building amidst a cluster of taller buildings. It was about six stories high, somewhat worn but freshly painted, and had rental signs posted downstairs. The rent was surprisingly affordable, suggesting the building was leased out in its entirety.

Chen Shi ran up and down each unit of the building. In a stairwell of unit four on the sixth floor, he could clearly see the cross swaying in mid-air, closely matching the position in the drawing.

He knocked on a tenant’s door but received no response. To save some trouble and seeing no cameras around, he removed two wires from a wire window and picked the lock in no time.

The apartment was unoccupied, freshly renovated with a strong smell of formaldehyde. Inside, there was a corridor leading to a bathroom and a kitchen on the side, with a bedroom in front featuring an empty bed frame. The balcony had been enclosed.

From the window, the cross appeared perfectly in the top left corner, thrilling Chen Shi, though he remembered he was trespassing.

Thus, he carefully wiped his footprints with a napkin, stepped outside, and contacted the landlord.

When the landlord arrived, he asked, “Officer, what are you investigating? It won’t interfere with our rental business, will it?”

Chen Shi responded, “It’s an old case. It won’t disturb you… What was this building used for previously?”

“It’s a family building!”

“Which organization’s family building?”

“It used to be for a car factory. Since it wasn’t fully occupied, the factory rented it out to workers. I’m a retired employee of the car factory. After retiring, I took over and rented it out. When the demolition comes, we’ll get compensation—not a bad deal!”

“You have a good head for business. Could we have a look inside this apartment?”

The landlord, obviously cautious, took out his keys and added, “Officer, there aren’t any dead bodies inside, right? I mean, I’m just the landlord; I’m not responsible for the tenants.”

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

Once inside, Chen Shi took a photo of the cross on the window, sent a message to Xu Xiaodong to come over, and asked the landlord, “Could I rent this place?”

“Oh, I see. You’re staking out, right?”

“Yes, yes. What’s the shortest rental period?”

“You’d have to rent for at least a quarter.”

“How about one month? We won’t be staying long, and the police won’t default on you.”

The landlord hesitated, but Chen Shi offered, “I’ll pay an extra half month’s rent.”

“That works. Consider it my support for your work.” The landlord was now all smiles.

They transferred the money via WeChat, and Chen Shi got the keys. Soon, Xu Xiaodong arrived, looked around, and exclaimed, “Is this the place? Bloody hell, Chen! We’ve found the crime scene from thirteen years ago!”

“Don’t celebrate yet. Look at these walls and floors; they’ve been renovated several times. Any evidence is probably long gone.”

Chen Shi thought about bringing the little monk here. On the one hand, it would serve as confirmation; on the other, revisiting the site might jog his memory.

He called Lin Dongxue to ask about progress. She replied, “It’ll take a bit longer. I’ll contact you soon!”

As noon approached, Chen Shi and Xu Xiaodong grabbed a quick bite and fetched the little monk from a guesthouse. They returned to the site by 3 PM. Upon entering, the little monk looked bewildered, “The layout is correct, but the surroundings seem…”

“Thirteen years have passed. Everything outside has been torn down and rebuilt. The landmarks have changed.”

The little monk checked around and, touching a dent in the wall, burst into tears and nodded vigorously, “It’s here! This is the place! I saw my father being harmed by a bad man here. I was so scared, holding a nail in my hand, I subconsciously made a small hole in the wall.”

The dent was less than a meter from the floor, fitting a child’s height, but it was close to the door, from which the bedroom wasn’t visible.

Chen Shi asked, “Did you walk forward?”

“I did. Otherwise, how could I have seen the lighton the window?” the little monk replied.

“And at that time, was your father already…” Chen Shi hesitated to finish the question.

“He had been slashed many times. There was blood on the glass, the floor, the walls—it was everywhere,” the little monk said, his voice shaking.

Chen Shi surveyed the bedroom, trying to picture the grim scene on that dark night—a maniac butchering the little monk’s father in front of him, turning the room into a bloody hell.

Shaking his head, Chen Shi said, “Given the amount of blood loss, it’s likely your father was already dead at that time. The perpetrator was dismembering the body. Even if he hadn’t died instantly, he wouldn’t have been able to talk. Plus, what he allegedly said to you also raises doubts. Why would he say, ‘Chen Xuan, hide away’? Did he usually call you by your full name? Given the layout of this room, what good would hiding do? In that situation, shouldn’t he have urged you to run instead?”

“It’s exactly as I remember!” the little monk insisted, tears streaming down his face, as if his memories were being desecrated.

“And your mother? What was she doing at that time?” Chen Shi probed further.

“She was tied up by the perpetrator and thrown on the bed—right over there,” the little monk pointed towards the left side of the room.

“What did your father usually call you?” Chen Shi asked.

“Xuan Xuan,” the little monk answered softly.

“And your mother?” Chen Shi continued.

“Chen…” the little monk suddenly looked up, his expression shifting. “I am certain it was my father who spoke those words!”

Chen Shi shook his head again, “Regardless of whether it was your mother or father who spoke, what difference would it make? Why are you so adamant it was your father?”

“It’s the truth!” the little monk exclaimed.

“I’ll propose a scenario that fits better,” Chen Shi said calmly. “Those words were spoken by your mother. At that time, she wasn’t restrained. She was hiding in the bathroom. You walked up to the bathroom door, from where you could see the bedroom, and your mother could see you. The killer was too busy dismembering the body and, being backlit by the window light, didn’t notice you entering. So, your mother, seeing an opportunity, told you to hide.”

“That’s not how it happened! That’s not!” the little monk denied vehemently. “You weren’t there. What do you know?”

“Memory isn’t reliable. I agree with Peng on that. And people tend to modify their memories subconsciously to defend someone they see as important…” Chen Shi tried to explain.

“You’re talking nonsense! You’re just talking nonsense!” the little monk yelled, turning abruptly to open the door and run out.

“Damn, why’s he so impulsive? Should we go after him?” Xu Xiaodong asked.

“Let him cool down for a bit. He’s an adult; he won’t get lost,” Chen Shi said, lighting a cigarette and continuing to examine the room, contemplating the dark secrets it still held.