Chapter 964: Shocking Discovery

“What’s that supposed to mean, young detective?” Chen Shi asked.

Tao Yueyue explained, “Isn’t it said that cyber police can access ordinary people’s chat messages? People might not post things like ‘My husband hit me’ or ‘I scammed a rich guy today’ on social media, but they might talk about it in private chats. What if the killer can see those messages?”

Chen Shi pondered her idea. “That’s an interesting perspective. Besides cyber police, who else could access this information?”

“People who run social media platforms, but that would be illegal and not commercially viable…” Lin Dongxue added.

“No, personal information is valuable! This is not news; personal information is sold by the pound online. We get spam and ads because our information is leaked through the apps we use. You post a birthday message on Weibo, and someone notes it. You post your delivery details, and someone notes your address. These ‘someones’ are programs that scrape social media for personal data to sell to marketers. A friend’s wife got a bunch of baby product ads right after a hospital check-up. It’s a scary, privacy-free world we live in!” Chen Shi said.

“That’s terrifying!” Lin Dongxue exclaimed. “So according to Yueyue’s theory, the killer works in a related field?”

“It’s worth investigating. Any lead is helpful,” Chen Shi said.

Tao Yueyue made a victory sign. “Did I help again?”

“You’ll really help if you can track this down,” Chen Shi laughed.

Lin Dongxue, intrigued, started searching for related news on her phone. After a while, she said, “I had no idea our posts on Weibo could be used like this! Captain, are you listening?”

Chen Shi snapped out of his thoughts. “Huh? What did you say?”

“What’s on your mind?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“Lao Peng hasn’t come to work these past few days.”

“Yeah, he never takes leave. Gu Yoyo’s death hit him hard.”

“Gu Jie!” Tao Yueyue fell into a sad silence at the mention of Gu You.

“I’ll visit Lao Peng tonight,” Chen Shi said.

“I’ll go with you,” Lin Dongxue offered.

“No, I need to talk to him alone. He needs to move on and find someone new. I was in a similar place once. Pain can become addictive, making you wallow in self-pity. When I met you, I felt guilty for being happy. But then I realized if Luo Xi knew, she’d want me to be happy.”

They seldom mentioned Han Luoxi, but Lin Dongxue knew she was an admirable woman. She gently patted Chen Shi’s shoulder. “You’re right. Finding someone new is the best way to move on. Gu Yoyo wouldn’t want Peng to be this miserable.”

“I just don’t know how to comfort him,” Chen Shi admitted.

“Then I’ll come with you,” Lin Dongxue insisted.

“I’ll go too!” Tao Yueyue said.

“Why are you getting involved?” Chen Shi asked.

“I miss Gu Jie too. I think I can help Uncle Peng.”

“Alright, all of us then.”

When they arrived at the convenience store, Tao Yueyue nervously eyed the cashier but realized he wasn’t their guy.

“Does Lu Dahai work here?” Chen Shi asked.

“He’s out for supplies. Who are you?” the cashier asked.

Chen Shi, deciding to lie, said, “We’re relatives, here on vacation. We brought some stuff from home for him. When will he be back?”

“Probably this evening.”

“Is he still living at Green Tree Complex? We went there, but nobody was home. He didn’t answer his phone either,” Chen Shi continued convincingly.

“He doesn’t live there anymore. He’s moved to a nearby complex.”

“Do you know which unit?”

“Building 4, Basement 1, Unit 004.”

“Basement? Poor kid,” Chen Shi said with feigned concern.

Lin Dongxue added, “Given his background, it’s good he found a job.”

Tao Yueyue tugged Chen Shi’s sleeve. “Dad, I want a Coke.”

“No, it’s bad for your teeth.”

“But I’m so thirsty!”

The cashier handed her a Coke, fully convinced they were Lu Dahai’s relatives.

“We’ll go grab a meal and come back later,” Chen Shi said.

“Sure, I’ll tell him you came by,” the cashier replied.

Outside, Chen Shi planned, “We’ll split up. One of us stays here to watch, and the other checks his home.”

Lin Dongxue said, “You’re the captain, you decide.”

Chen Shi smiled. “You wait at the sales office nearby. We’ll join you soon.”

“Okay!”

Chen Shi and Tao Yueyue found Lu Dahai’s place. At the door, Chen Shi took out lock-picking tools, but Tao Yueyue said, “Breaking and entering is illegal… Let me do it!”

“What difference does it make if you do it?”

Tao Yueyue quickly picked the lock and pushed the door open. “What’s that smell? It’s like someone’s been gassed.”

“It’s just a bad odor.”

Inside, Chen Shi’s smile vanished. The place was a mess, with a large table covered in papers and a map. All were labeled “Life Function.”

“My intuition was right. The injector and the pusher are connected!” Chen Shi exclaimed.

“Dad, look at this!” Tao Yueyue called.

They turned to see the wall covered in photos of men, women, and children. In the bottom right corner was a photo of Tao Yueyue in military training, clearly taken secretly.

Above her photo was Liang Zuo’s, showing him on a bike.

Tao Yueyue, trembling, took her photo off the wall. “Target 041, Tao Yueyue, female, 14 years old, lives at…, currently a second-year student at the police academy.”

She removed Liang Zuo’s photo, which had similar details, with his name crossed out.

“These aren’t random killings. There’s a pattern, and I’m one of the targets!” Tao Yueyue said, her voice shaking.

She searched the papers on the table and found one with her name. “There’s even a ‘Life Function’ for me. But what does it mean?”