"I know, our teacher already told us. We’ve been discussing that all day. By the way, bro, haven’t you found the killer yet?" Luo Xiaoxiao leaned on the sofa, her head close to Luo Fei, as she asked.
Luo Fei shook his head.
"I think the killer must be a psychopathic murderer; otherwise, how could he be so sick to cut off that thing." Luo Xiaoxiao analyzed, "By the way, bro, what kind of person do you think the killer is?"
"Alright, watch your TV and don’t bother your brother while he’s eating." Wu Yan glared at Luo Xiaoxiao.
The next morning, as soon as Luo Fei arrived at the office, Yang Su informed him that there was a meeting at eight.
At times , Luo Fei guessed it was probably related to the cases of Zheng Bin and Yang Xiaojun.
Following the occurrence of two consecutive murders, coupled with the fact that both victims died in terrifying and gruesome ways, the news spread quickly and caused widespread panic in Ningjiang County. Many people began calling the police station, asking when they would catch the killer, and some even directly called the county office.
In this situation, the county leadership called Wucheng, the Public Security Bureau Chief, insisting he solves the case and catches the killer within half a month.
Otherwise, if large-scale public panic happens, attracting attention from higher-ups, not only the Public Security Bureau would be penalized, but the county leadership might not escape responsibility either. So everyone dared not let down their guard.
Afterward, Wucheng phoned Zhao Donglai, instructing the criminal police team to solve the case within half a month. If they couldn’t solve it by then, Zhao Donglai would be sent to sweep the streets.
Given how much importance the higher-ups placed on this case, Zhao Donglai naturally passed the notification down the ranks to put pressure on everyone.
"Of course, if this case can be solved, the county’s rewards will be generous. Not only does the county have rewards, but the bureau also has bonuses. Director Wu even mentioned putting up ten thousand yuan as a reward. I’m saying whichever team can solve this case will get the ten thousand yuan." Zhao Donglai first applied pressure, then encouraged everyone with the bonus. Clearly, the pressure from above was enormous, or else Wucheng wouldn’t have put up a ten thousand yuan reward.
The allure of money is significant; hearing the bounty for solving the case was ten thousand yuan, Luo Fei noticed the change in attitude inside the meeting room—everyone seemed more enthusiastic and eager.
Just after returning from the meeting room to the office, Wang Lei was eager to urge Luo Fei to start investigating. His enthusiasm differed greatly from the previous days when Luo Fei distinctly remembered having to coax Wang Lei, who was sluggish then.
After tidying up a bit and greeting Yang Su, Luo Fei and his two teammates set off again for Tianshi Town.
At present, only two suspects remained.
One is Huang Ziqing, a primary school teacher from Dada Village, thirty-two years old. Three months ago, he went to the county hospital for male infertility issues. Upon diagnosis, the doctor pointed to two causes: low sperm motility, preventing conception, and significant psychological pressure, leading to premature ejaculation during intercourse with his wife, which reduced pregnancy chances. Despite a half-month treatment at the hospital, no significant improvement was noted.
The other is Ma Kai, a farmer from Qingshan Village, forty-two years old, who visited a traditional Chinese medicine hospital six months ago for infertility and impotence. His condition didn’t allow for erections, medication was ineffective, resulting in the inability to engage with his wife in intercourse or conceive.
The doctor, despite multiple checks, couldn’t pinpoint the cause. Before Ma Kai, a condition hadn’t appeared. Ma Kai stayed in the hospital for about two months, but regardless of the treatment, there was no improvement. Later on, Ma Kai and his family lost hope and abandoned treatment.
"Luo Fei, do you think the killer might be one of these last two?" Wang Lei asked while looking at the files, not holding much hope, considering so many files were reviewed before without finding the suspect. Now only two remained, and the odds of the killer being among them seemed slim.
"I don’t know." Luo Fei shook his head. Without meeting them first, he couldn’t be sure if the killer was among the last two suspects. But if there was, it’d be optimal. If not, Luo Fei planned to retrieve five years worth of hospital files for further screening, now knowing the approximate height and weight of the killer. He figured if the killer had physiological issues, he would’ve sought male medical advice.
About an hour later, the team arrived at Dada Village, first seeking out Huang Ziqing.
They met Huang Ziqing at the school—a man with dark skin, robust and tall physique. On the surface, nothing suggested he could be a one-second man.
Of course, that’s beside the point; crucially, he’s not a suspect, leaving Luo Fei somewhat disappointed, more so Wang Lei and Zhong Jun even. Leaving Dada Village, their disheartened mood left no room for conversation.
After another two-hour drive, they reached Qingshan Village. The village’s location was quite secluded, backed by the famous Qingshan Forest, thus deriving the village’s name.