Chapter 387: Two Lists

At 4 PM, the day’s work was done, and there were no urgent cases for the team. Everyone was eager to head home. Two colleagues were chatting by the window, while the usually distracted Xu Xiaodong was intensely focused on his computer, seemingly tackling a world problem.

Lin Dongxue decided to report their progress to Lin Qiupu. As she passed Xu Xiaodong’s desk, she noticed he was comparing different imported cat foods.

In Lin Qiupu’s office, Lin Qiupu quickly put away a mirror as she walked in. Lin Dongxue saluted and said, “Captain Lin, we have some progress on the case I’d like to report.”

After listening, Lin Qiupu said, “You’re making good progress! I’m pleased with your development.”

“It’s all thanks to Chen Shi.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. Everyone has noticed your growth this past year… Haha!”

“Your laugh sounds so fake!”

“I’m genuinely happy for you!”

“Are you practicing your smile for an upcoming dinner with some leaders?”

“Let’s get serious,” Lin Qiupu said, crossing his arms. “I’ve been helping with some leads too.”

“You have?!” Lin Dongxue was surprised.

Lin Qiupu handed her a file. “This contains the names of the officers involved in the original case. I contacted them and learned some details. One of them, Officer Wang Zheng, was transferred to SWAT and knows a lot. Oh, here he is.”

An older officer walked in, carrying a briefcase. His smile created deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. Lin Qiupu stood to greet him, “Officer Wang, thanks for coming.”

“No problem. This case has haunted me for ten years. I never thought it would be reopened.”

Lin Qiupu introduced, “This is my sister…”

Lin Dongxue interrupted, saluting, “I’m Lin Dongxue from the Third Criminal Investigation Team.”

After they sat down, Lin Dongxue briefed Wang Zheng on their findings. He was surprised, “You actually identified the illegitimate child? Impressive! Did he confess in prison?”

“Sort of…” Lin Dongxue wasn’t sure how to explain, so she left it vague.

“This case was stalled because of that child. We checked everyone around the victim. The housekeeper told us the victim had adopted a child named Du Xu, claiming he was her and Zhang Bin’s illegitimate child. She treated him well initially, but after Zhang Bin died, she turned on him, often beating him. Once, she locked him in a room all night, forcing him to sign some document. We never found out what it was.”

Lin Dongxue asked, “Did you suspect ‘Du Xu’?”

“He was only ten then, not capable of such a crime. The problem was we couldn’t verify his identity. Now I understand he was just a tool to claim the inheritance and was abandoned afterward.”

“Du Xu is Wang Sunxu, the serial killer we recently caught. He has a deep connection with another fugitive, Zhou Xiao. We suspect they met back then, and Zhou Xiao might have committed the arson and murder.”

“Oh?!” Wang Zheng looked at Lin Qiupu and Lin Dongxue, astonished.

Lin Qiupu asked, “Was there a young man around twenty years old among the victim’s associates back then?”

Wang Zheng laughed and shook his head, “That’s too broad. I can’t recall, but I can provide a list. I kept records of everyone I interviewed. I’ll find it when I get back.”

“Thank you so much!”

By 5:30 PM, the four members at the detective agency had gathered. Chen Shi placed a list on the table, “These are all the employees who worked at Shida Software.”

KK said, “That’s a lot!”

Gu You asked, “Do we check each one?”

“Of course not,” Chen Shi replied, looking at Sun Zhen. “You’re certain you know Zhou Xiao’s real identity?”

“I am, but I can’t recall it.”

“I have an idea. We’ll use the ‘patch’ he placed in your mind. Read these names out loud. The one you can’t say will be the one you’re trying to remember.”

Sun Zhen looked alarmed and asked Gu You, “Will this fry my brain?”

“Don’t worry, it won’t.”

Chen Shi made a copy of the list. Sun Zhen began reading slowly, and Chen Shi crossed off each name. When Sun Zhen reached “Zhou Tianan,” he stuttered, “This… this… this…”

“Time for a seizure!” KK clapped, earning a glare from Gu You.

Sun Zhen dropped the list, clutching his head. Chen Shi whispered to Gu You, “Is his reaction normal?”

Gu You held Sun Zhen’s hand. “Take deep breaths… I’ll cross off this name, and you can continue.”

Encouraged by her look, Sun Zhen resumed reading. But when he hit more “Zhou” names, he struggled. “I can’t… I can’t!”

“What if I cover the surnames?” Chen Shi suggested.

“Spare me! Just thinking about it hurts,” Sun Zhen pleaded.

Gu You looked at the list, “There are five more with the surname Zhou. What if Zhou Xiao’s real name is Zhou XX? Like Zhou XX and Li Xiaochuan are combined?”

“Who’s Li Xiaochuan?” Chen Shi asked.

Gu You sighed, “He was my boyfriend in college, one of the founders of ‘Black Honey.'”

“He was killed by Zhou Xiao, and that’s why you want revenge?”

Gu You nodded sadly. “It’s time you knew. ‘Black Honey’ started as a prank by two psychology students, me and Li Xiaochuan. Initially, it was to vent our frustrations or study criminal psychology, I’m not sure. We’d sneak into homes at night for pranks. Maybe it was the excitement, but we fell in love, sharing this secret.

“Later, Li Xiaochuan expanded it into a forum. I was against it, fearing it would spiral out of control without proper psychological knowledge. But he ignored me. The group grew, discussing and sharing criminal techniques, challenging each other with difficult tasks, testing the law’s limits. Then a user named ‘G57’ joined, and the group’s downfall began. That was Zhou Xiao.”