Chapter 232: The Mark of Shame

On April 3rd, Lin Dongxue felt uneasy on her way to work.

Last night, Chen Shi said he was going out for a bit but didn’t return until eight o’clock. The dinner he had made had gone cold by the time he came back, frowning and silent.

When Lin Dongxue tried to comfort him, he said, “Dongxue, let’s move out tomorrow. Don’t stay here anymore.”

Lin Dongxue felt a lump in her throat. She cried into her pillow in the middle of the night, wondering if Chen Shi had lost interest in her. Just yesterday at the cinema, they had held hands. Why had his attitude changed so drastically overnight? She couldn’t figure it out.

The worst part about having personal issues was having to put on a brave face at work.

Lin Dongxue greeted her colleagues with a smile and sat at her desk, looking through the cases that needed her attention. She stared at the words on the files, but her mind was elsewhere.

She noticed a memo she had written a few days ago, reminding her to pick up a DNA report from Captain Peng. So, she headed to the technical team.

Captain Peng seemed to be performing an autopsy. Lin Dongxue rummaged through the desk and accidentally came across a file from a few years ago with Song Lang’s name on it.

She had heard people mention Song Lang often but had never known who he was. Out of curiosity, she sat down and opened the file.

The case dated back three years. Long’an City had a series of murders over two months. Each crime scene had two victims, all connected as couples, divorced spouses, or parent and child. The perpetrator left a distinctive mark at each scene.

One photo showed a burn mark on a victim’s neck, a perfect triangle with strange patterns in the middle, as if branded with a hot iron.

After extensive investigation, the police had narrowed down a suspect named Zhou Xiao, but he was never caught.

Then, a twist occurred within the task force. Evidence showed Song Lang’s fingerprints at the third crime scene. Coincidentally, the victims in that case were suspects in other cases that Song Lang had been unable to convict. Some suspected Song Lang had taken advantage of the murders to exact revenge.

The task force temporarily suspended Song Lang, but he continued investigating alone. One night, gunshots alarmed the police. When they arrived, they found Song Lang’s partner Qin Luoxi and their superior Li Mu dead from gunshot wounds.

Song Lang’s fingerprints, footprints, and bloody handprints were found at the scene. The police believed he was the prime suspect and began a manhunt. Song Lang disappeared and was never seen again.

Reading the file sent chills down Lin Dongxue’s spine. She was so engrossed that she didn’t notice Peng Siyue standing behind her.

“Dongxue!”

Lin Dongxue jumped and greeted, “Captain Peng.”

Peng Siyue glanced at the file in her hand. “Reading this? It’s an old case.”

“I have a question. You were involved in this case. Did Song Lang really kill those people?”

Peng Siyue, looking tired, sat down and took out a pack of cigarettes. He tapped the pack, thought better of it, and put it back. “Would you suddenly shoot and kill me and Chen Shi?”

“No! Of course not!”

“Human behavior is consistent. I’ve known Song Lang for many years. I know what kind of person he is. Qin Luoxi was his fiancée, and Li Mu was his mentor from the police academy and later his superior. He couldn’t have killed them.”

“……”

“But others don’t think so.”

“Why?”

“Song Lang was a legend in the police force, solving a case every 2.5 days on average. Various divisions and county-level police departments often sought his help. He was human, not a machine, so he turned down more cases than he took. Over time, many thought he was arrogant, even though they had never met him. When this incident happened, the bureau even brought in psychologists. They concluded Song Lang had severe antisocial personality disorder and OCD, that he killed out of frustration and started silencing witnesses. It’s nonsense. He would never do such a thing. And if he were to kill, he wouldn’t leave so much evidence against himself.”

“But the evidence here seems overwhelming. If someone framed him, wouldn’t there be flaws?”

“There must be flaws. We just haven’t found them yet!”

“Captain Peng, why are you looking at this old case now?”

“Come with me. I have something to show you.”

Lin Dongxue donned a sterile gown and followed Peng Siyue to the morgue. On the iron table lay a male corpse, already autopsied and sewn back up. A long suture ran from the navel to the neck, giving Lin Dongxue chills.

Peng Siyue turned the corpse’s neck, revealing a burn mark identical to the one in the file. Lin Dongxue was shocked. “The serial killer from back then…”

“Yes, this detail was never publicly disclosed. No one could mimic his method. This was his work!”

“When was the body found?”

“Last night.”

“Captain Peng, what is this mark?”

“The Mark of Shame.”

“The Mark of Shame?”

“In the 18th century, the mentally ill were seen as possessed by evil spirits and were treated harshly, often confined with lepers and murderers. French psychiatrist Philippe Pinel visited an asylum and saw a patient whose body was covered in these brands, with no unscarred skin. Whenever the patient had an episode, nurses would brand him with hot irons to calm him down. Pinel was so shocked that he spent his life establishing modern psychiatry, advocating for humane treatment. The branding iron used on that patient came to symbolize the shameful history of psychiatry. It was displayed in Pinel’s museum and later auctioned to an anonymous buyer.”

“Zhou Xiao deliberately imitated this to convey what? That he thought others were mad?”

“He wasn’t imitating. I personally tested the rust on the wounds. He used the actual Mark of Shame. That anonymous buyer I mentioned? One of Zhou Xiao’s victims. Since then, he used it as his signature.”

Lin Dongxue was speechless, staring at the cold corpse. She thought, this madman is back, and without Song Lang to stop him, how many more will suffer?

Peng Siyue suddenly said, “Show this file to Chen Shi. I want to hear his thoughts. He’s sharp and an outsider. He might offer new insights.”

“Captain Peng, we’re not supposed to take files out.”

“Then read it again and relay it to him.”

“Alright… Captain Peng, were you close to Song Lang?”

“Yes.”

“If, hypothetically, Song Lang really did kill those people, what would you do?”

“I would arrest him myself, then resign.”