After enjoying the amusing spectacle of Ran Yunrui and his fans, Xiao He began seriously investigating Li Zhicheng.
As expected, Li Zhicheng had left very few digital traces online, including an almost three-year period of "complete internet disconnection."
In this digital age, could someone really avoid using the internet entirely?
Just as Xiao He finished compiling Li Zhicheng's information and prepared to report him through proper channels, his phone suddenly lit up.
Xiao He glanced at it - a text from Li Hanyue.
[Li Hanyue: Brother Xiao, are you free now? Let's meet up.]
Xiao He: ?
Xiao He was taken aback, instinctively checking the time - 11:50 PM.
While this hour might mark the start of nightlife for young people, meeting with Li Hanyue?
This was extremely odd, especially since they'd just parted ways this afternoon.
Xiao He initially wanted to refuse outright, but suddenly frowned, staring at the message pensively.
[Xiao He: Just the two of us?]
[Li Hanyue: Yeah, there are some things I want to discuss with you privately.]
Case closed.
This definitely wasn't Li Hanyue.Through their recent interactions, Xiao He had come to understand Li Hanyue well - she wasn't the type to make such abrupt invitations. Even if she wanted to meet, she would definitely include Liu Zehang.
Most importantly - they were university students with curfews!
As a fellow student, Li Hanyue would know this and would never suggest meeting at such an awkward time without prior arrangement.
Having figured this out, Xiao He immediately opened his computer to trace the account's login IP and hacked into nearby surveillance cameras.
The location was a bar - crowded and chaotic, with a lively atmosphere. The dance floor was packed with gyrating bodies as young men and women drank at their tables, faces illuminated by colorful disco lights, creating a scene of decadent revelry.
In such dim lighting, pinpointing a specific individual was practically impossible.
Moreover, the person might have already taken measures to avoid surveillance.
Definitely suspicious!
Li Hanyue had mentioned returning to Shanghai Theatre Academy today to handle academic matters.
Yet this bar was nowhere near the campus!
Without hesitation, Xiao He guessed the culprit - Li Zhicheng!
Having stalked Li Hanyue for so long, stealing her account was well within his capabilities.
Xiao He just hadn't expected the man to shift his focus onto him.After some thought, Xiao He cautiously set his phone aside without replying.
Simultaneously, he used residual online information to locate the police department's official email address from twenty years ago.
Staring at this long-dormant email address, Xiao He hesitated.
Perhaps he should send it to the police's current active email instead.
After so many years, this old address was probably abandoned - any emails sent would likely go unseen.
But remembering Killing Life's plot and the persistent detective within it, Xiao He still selected this address alongside several current official accounts to send anonymous emails.
Consider it... closure for those who doggedly pursued the truth over a decade ago.
Even after all these years, even if no one was still investigating... even if they'd forgotten—
At the same time, a man sharpened his tools under dim yellow light.
The thumping music and stomping feet from the bar above faintly penetrated the ceiling, but the man merely kept his head bowed, diligently honing his butcher knife.
The silvery blade glimmered intermittently in the light.
"Buzz— Buzz—"
His phone vibrated incessantly with calls behind him, yet he remained unmoved, eyes burning with fervent devotion as he focused entirely on the blade.Finally, the phone fell silent just as the man finished sharpening. He admired his handiwork, watching the gleaming blade as his originally simple face gradually twisted with madness.
"Just wait! Zhu Third Brother will eventually... hehehe—"
The butcher knife slammed into the cutting board with a heavy thud. The overhead lightbulb seemed intimidated, flickering weakly before extinguishing completely.
The space plunged into sudden darkness...
-----
Province C, Rong City.
Wu Jianguo tossed and turned in bed tonight, unable to sleep as if something weighed on his mind.
"Dad must be asleep already, don't disturb him."
"But this email is important. Dad said we must tell him if anything came through."
"It's too late tonight, we can tell him tomorrow morning..."
The couple whispered at the door when suddenly it swung open. Old Man Wu looked puzzled at his son and daughter-in-law: "What is it?"
"Dad, you're still awake?" Wu Junqiang sighed in relief. "Dad, that special email account you mentioned - it just received something! I heard the notification when shutting down the computer. Do you want to check?"
Wu Jianguo froze: "The email?"
"That account that automatically logs in daily on your computer..."Before Wu Junqiang could finish, his father sprinted to the study with surprising agility, startling the couple who hurried after him, worried the elderly man might overexert himself.
In the study, the old man's hands trembled as he saw the red notification dot blinking on the email account dormant for over a decade.
Had any film crew been present, they would have recognized Old Man Wu as the real-life inspiration for Killing Life's protagonist - the lead investigator on the original case twenty years ago.
After decades, the once middle-aged detective had silver hair. Though his career had solved countless cases and earned numerous honors, his heart still carried many regrets.
Among them, the case of the Zhu brothers from Rongtou Slaughterhouse remained one of his deepest unresolved matters.
Back then, to gather more evidence and track the fugitives, police established multiple tip lines, even creating this special email address to collect information about the Zhu brothers, especially Zhu Third Brother's whereabouts. But over the years, the inbox remained nearly empty.
After retirement, Wu Jianguo couldn't let go, so he obtained permission to keep monitoring this email account on his personal computer, checking it periodically.
Yet as years passed and computers were replaced, the inbox stayed silent - until now.
Wu Jianguo closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to temper his expectations.
He'd been disappointed too many times before, hadn't he?
Finally steadying himself, he clicked into the inbox with shaking hands.
The police email had no spam - the inbox remained pristine aside from a few decade-old messages and one new email from earlier tonight.
Putting on his reading glasses, he carefully examined the contents, his expression gradually shifting to astonishment and complexity.
When he saw the attached photo and surveillance footage, his heartbeat accelerated violently. His eyes widened like copper bells, unblinking as he scrutinized the subject's appearance and movements.
Beside him, Wu Junqiang and his wife held their breaths.
After so many years, the fugitive had altered his appearance - voice and physique changed completely by growth. Yet Wu Jianguo recognized him instantly.
Even with facial reconstruction and body changes, most overlook one detail - ears.
Ears become fixed in adulthood, with unique shapes, sizes, contours and lobe formations differing between individuals.
People rarely get ear plastic surgery during cosmetic procedures, making ears one of a person's distinctive identifiers!
Though now requiring reading glasses, Wu Jianguo's veteran detective eyesight remained sharp - moreover, he'd never forgotten this man's details, even dreaming about what he might look like now.
This... was Zhu Third Brother! ----