Crimson Instinct

Chapter 33: The connection

*Xin Lei*

I widened my eyes in utter shock. Fu Jun was sobbing in my embrace. I patted his back to calm him down. Cocoa was also helping me.

Bai Li asked, "Wait a minute. Is he talking about Liao Chuntao's photos?"

I typed. "Yes, he is."

Uncle Rong said, "Isn't she the woman who was found dead in LangFang? That was the case you were talking with your army friends."

Not in my wildest dream had I imagined that Fu Meili and Liao Chuntao's cases were connected.

For the first time, I saw that Bai Li was also dumbfounded. He seemed to think about something as he went quiet. His expression turned grim.

But then it struck me.

I quickly typed.

"Bai Li, the evidence that was found in my pocket, that was also Liao Chuntao's forensic evidence."

Bai Li snapped his head in my direction. "Yes. Does that meanRodey is also a part of this?"

I remembered Rodey when Bai Li had asked about him to Lin Zihao and Su Weiyuan.

I typed. "You had talked about him in the pub too. Who is Rodey?"

Bai Li was unusually quiet. He was silent for a long time.

Uncle Rong said, "It must be a confidential case, right?"

"It is." Bai Li nodded.

I understood his plight. Not only was it a confidential case, but I was sure that Rodey was the reason why Bai Li was dishonorably discharged. Sharing that part of his life must be emotionally difficult for him too.

I pressed my hand on the back of Bai Li's hand to give him strength. He wrapped his fingers in return, and faintly smiled. Our intertwined fingers felt as if it tugged a string in my chest.

Bai Li said, "We cannot delay. We have to find Fu Meili as soon as possible. Rodey is a criminal. From drugs to sex rackets, he is involved in everything. We have been getting quite a few cases of mysterious disappearances of some victims. Liao Chuntao was one of them."

I typed. "Ransom?"

He shook his head. "It is not kidnapping. They were not forcibly abducted, nor there was any call for ransom. Wherever the victims went, they went over willingly, but they never returned. There is also no definite MO."

Fu Biyu frowned.

Uncle Rong explained. "Modus Operandi. The criminal's working habits or any patterns in their crimes."

"Oh."

Bai Li continued. "There is not even a specific age group or gender of victims. People from all classes, male or female, young or old, have disappeared. Their families also know nothing. After much investigation, I finally found a name - Rodey. He is not the boss. He is kind of a right-hand man, an important part of whoever sits on the top."

Uncle Rong asked, "And Liao Chuntao?"

"When I was in the army, Liao Chuntao's name was newly added in the list, almost ten days back. The last she was seen was when she left her office towards Andingzhen. But we didn't get any lead after that. We don't know why she had gone to Andingzhen, which is on the outskirts of Beijing. So, I laid a trap for Rodey. I knew he only interfered if their plan was threatened. So within the underworld network, I spread a false rumor that I got a major lead on Liao Chuntao, and I will get my information on the criminal's identity in the isolated container terminal that was not in use. That was my setup to capture Rodey. But...well, that didn't work out as planned."

That must be when the civilian was killed.

I signaled Uncle Rong not to delve into that part. He understood and nodded.

"Before I could investigate further, I was out from the army."

We were silent for a moment.

Fu Biyu worriedly asked, "What will we do now?"

I looked at Bai Li, and he also glanced at my direction.

I typed. "We have got something from Gen Gen's base."

Uncle Rong asked, "What?"

I took out the printouts from my pocket.

Bai Li said, "There are two lists and some receipts. The list has some names in it, and one of the receipt is something of a deal. Fifty million dollars advance. We will have to find out. Xin Lei. What names are written?"

I laid out the printouts. Uncle Rong took one, and I took another.

I typed. "Kang Xue, Yu Yan, Qi Chao"

Uncle Rong also said, "Chu Jie - his name is highlighted, Wei Yong, Ma Xiaoli"

As I went through it, almost at the bottom of the list, I found Liao Chuntao's.

"There is Liao Chuntao's name too!"

Bai Li squinted his gaze. "These are all those same victims that have disappeared. But we never found them."

I looked at him, wide-eyed. I typed. "So 112 and 78...There are 190 victims!? So with Liao Chuntao, something was different. And that thing was that Fu Meili was the witness to that crime."

Bai Li nodded his head. "Something changed with that. Something happened that forced the culprit to dump Liao Chuntao's body somewhere else."

Uncle Rong said, "Yes, they wouldn't have expected the kid to bump into that place, wherever it is."

I connected the dots. I typed it again. "I think while dumping her body, some kind of forensic evidence attached to her body."

Uncle Rong asked, "Maybe his skin?"

Bai Li and I both shook our heads. "That is not possible." He said. I agreed.

I typed. "Liao Chuntao was beaten pretty badly. I saw the photos. It cannot be possible that she was alive to resist or struggle with the injuries and blood loss."

Bai Li said, "Right. They framed us with the evidence. Somehow, they knew that we were going to meet Fu Ting. And you know what happened with the evidence. I'm pretty sure it cannot be used anymore to trace the criminal. They have skillfully destroyed it and will now pin the blame onto us."

I had seen that the glass strip fell from Duan Deming's hand and break into pieces.

Uncle Rong looked at the list in his hands. "Okay, so who is Chu Jie?"