The Same Fate Awaits All Sins Chapter 2

Malice – 02

---

At seven p.m., the entrance of the Yuchuan City Bureau was clogged with reporters who had heard about the incident, causing a significant commotion. Jiang Ziyu glanced down from upstairs, saying, "Oh boy! Do you reckon we'll be able to get out of here today?"

"We'll still need to head out, it's not as if the case is that complicated, it's just that the victim's identity is a bit special, that's all," Gu Yanta mumbled through a cigarette in his mouth. "Meeting time."

"The deceased, Lu Yu, aged twenty-eight, was a PhD candidate from Yuchuan University's chemistry department, class of 2015. The deceased had no bad habits, maintained simple social relationships, got along well with his family, and was academically outstanding, a quintessential 'model student,'" Chen Chen said, switching on the projector. "We've conducted a preliminary investigation of those close to Lu Yu, and all have indicated a positive relationship with him. Moreover, each has an alibi for the night of the incident, and so far, no suspicions have surfaced."

Gu Yanta nodded, signalling Chen Chen to continue.

"According to the statement provided by the person who reported the incident, the deceased received a call from his cousin, Lu Zheng, around noon on April third, arranging to pick him up from Yujing Airport around eight p.m. They agreed to stay nearby for the night and visit Lingzhou for ancestral rites the next day. However, due to some personal matters, Lu Zheng rescheduled his flight, informing Lu Yu that he'd arrive around six a.m. on April fourth. The deceased stayed home that night and was murdered. When Lu Zheng arrived at the airport in the morning and couldn't reach his cousin by phone, he hurried to the deceased's home, where he discovered the body and promptly called the police," explained Chen Chen.

"The autopsy report shows that Lu Yu's time of death was around one a.m. He received blunt force trauma to the back of the head, resulting in a non-fatal wound that caused unconsciousness. He was subsequently strangled, leading to mechanical asphyxiation. The murder weapon hasn't been located, but it's suspected to be something like a telephone or network cable," Xiao Liu, the intern from the forensics department, reported on behalf of Lin Feiyu, who had left early after securing permission from Gu Yanta to celebrate his girlfriend's birthday.

"The surveillance system in the Haibei Villa neighbourhood had recently been undergoing an upgrade, with cameras shutting off at scheduled intervals. This information was known only to a few within the property management company, so the suspect is likely very familiar with the situation and the terrain of the area" Chen Chen continued. "One detail from the witness statement was that, during the initial call with the deceased, the deceased was at home, and someone was there clearing silt from the sewage drains in the courtyard."

"What did the material evidence team find?" Gu Yanta asked, turning to Shi Zhen.

"There were evident signs of significant tampering at the crime scene, with valuable items, including the victim's mobile phone, missing. No fingerprints were left behind. Based on the footprints, we estimate the suspect to be around a hundred seventy-five centimetres tall, male, and of a lean build," replied Shi Zhen, the head of the material evidence section, a man in his fifties who spoke in a slow, almost indifferent manner, though in reality, he was a true workaholic. "But there's one thing that's very strange, the suspect's footprints were concentrated only in the foyer area, it seems like the rest of the place had been deliberately cleaned. Upon comparing the footprints, we found that the footprints match the size and pattern of size forty-two safety shoes issued by Haibei Villa neighbourhood's property management to their workers, which were highly consistent with the size and shape of the shoes worn by Wei Liang, a maintenance worker with the company. We can confirm these footprints were left by Wei Liang."

"With the current evidence, we've preliminarily identified the primary suspect as Wei Liang, the worker who was clearing the drains at Lu Yu's residence on the day of the incident. Wei Liang is a temporary worker for Haibei Villa neighbourhood's property management company, responsible mainly for drain clearance and electrical repairs, and he frequently provides in-home service for residents, allowing him to evade police detection through this occupational advantage," Gu Yanta said, stubbing out his cigarette. "Now we have reason to suspect that, while clearing drains at the deceased's house that day, he overheard the deceased mentioning his plan to go to the airport that evening and not return home. This may have sparked his greed for money, prompting him to break into the deceased's home in the middle of the night with the intent to steal. When he was discovered by the owner, he killed him to silence him."

"Ma Qin! Liang Shan! Go to the suspect Wei Liang's residence immediately and carry out the arrest! Notify the traffic police unit to conduct a thorough inspection at all highway exits to prevent the suspect from escaping by car, and report any suspicious activity at once!"

"Yes, sir!"

As Gu Yanta tore open his third pack of cigarettes for the day, the family of the deceased arrived.

As soon as Lu Yousheng appeared, reporters swarmed around him. It took a great deal of effort for Director Wu to draw the reporters' attention to himself.

"Please rest assured, people of our community, within seventy-two hours, we will catch the killer and provide an explanation for everyone!"

Accompanied by security personnel and his secretary, Lu Yousheng finally managed to push through the crowd and enter the Yuchuan City Bureau.

Perhaps because he had served in the military in his youth, Lu Yousheng, now in his fifties, still stood with a straight back. Normally seen as a successful entrepreneur on television, exuding confidence and charm, he now looked grey and despondent, burdened by the grief of losing a child in his later years.

When Lu Yousheng emerged from the morgue, his steps were visibly unsteady, and his secretary had to support him. Gu Yanta had seen scenes like this many times, but it was the first time he'd witnessed a prominent family come to identify a body, and he realised it wasn't much different from any ordinary family. It seemed that the tales of feuds among the wealthy families were nothing more than urban legends that ordinary people talk about after dinner, while the affections within affluent families were no different from those in common households.

Gu Yanta was standing in the hallway, swallowing clouds and blowing smoke. As a habitual smoker, he couldn't help lighting up one cigarette after another when he was troubled. This case left a nagging feeling in his heart, there were no clues beyond theft and murder, but something just didn't sit right. Whatever the case, they needed to apprehend the burglary suspect first. As Gu Yanta was thinking about this, he suddenly saw a handsome face appear through the haze of smoke.

"Captain Gu, I'd like to discuss some thoughts I have with you." Lu Zheng's cool voice emerged through the smoky air.

Gu Yanta replied, "Oh? Xiao Lu, you're still here? Please, tell me if you have anything to say."

Jiang Ziyu happened to be passing by and his eyes revealed horror. Since when did Gu Yanta's tone become this gentle?! Jiang Ziyu shook his head, hardly able to believe his ears.

"Could we speak in private?"

"Alright."

Lu Zheng followed Gu Yanta into the office of the criminal investigation team captain.

"I heard Mr. Lu studied psychology, so if you have any insights regarding your cousin's case, please feel free to share them with me."

"I think this matter is definitely not as simple as a burglary turned murder." Lu Zheng frowned. "Firstly, from the scene, it's clear the suspect was likely a habitual thief. They located the valuables quickly, with no signs of extensive disturbance around them. The chaos at the scene seems more deliberate and mostly concentrated in the closet and bedroom. If the suspect had already pinpointed the valuables' location, why rummage unnecessarily? It's evident that someone did this on purpose."

"That's right, from the suspect's techniques, he seems relatively skilled. Considering the recent series of home burglaries, it could very well be the same person," Gu Yanta said seriously.

"A habitual thief, the motive is generally money, their goal is typically to steal, not to harm anyone. My cousin was killed in the bedroom, and the blow to the back of his head also happened there. Since the suspect had already taken some valuables, it's unlikely they would knowingly enter an occupied bedroom to attack the homeowner. Someone who could enter the bedroom to kill is probably an acquaintance."

"What you said is reasonable, but there's no evidence to suggest anyone else entered the victim's home. The surveillance system at Haibei Villa neighbourhood has been undergoing upgrades and is intermittently offline, but few people know about this aside from the property management staff. Not to mention an acquaintance, I am afraid that the victim himself did not know," Gu Yanta replied, patting Lu Zheng on the shoulder. "Alright, Xiao Lu, don't stress about it. Go home and get some rest, I can tell you were close to your cousin, but solving cases is our job as police officers. We'll contact your family if anything comes up." Gu Yanta patted Lu Zheng on the shoulder again.

Lu Zheng subconsciously flinched but then nodded. "Then I'll trouble Captain Gu to take care of it."

When Gu Yanta returned to the team's main office, Jiang Ziyu was staring at him like he was an alien.

"What are you looking at? Never seen a handsome guy before? You've been looking for years and still can't get enough! Cough cough..." Gu Yanta pretended to cough.

"Old Gu, did you take the wrong medicine today?" Jiang Ziyu looked equally perplexed. "I haven't seen you speak this seriously in years."

"Why? Do you think I should joke around with the victim's family? Someone from their family died, how could I speak casually like that? I'm afraid they would want to beat me up!"

"No way, Boss, the guy is a soft-spoken young man, how could he actually beat you up?" Chen Chen stuck his head through the door with a cheeky grin. "Last time, in that dismemberment case, you called the deceased 'the fat guy,' and his wife nearly clawed your eyes out, but you didn't seem to mind then. Could it be that...?"

"Fuck off! Haven't you finished your work yet? How long does it take to check the suspect's records?" Gu Yanta, furious, grabbed a wad of scrap paper, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it at him.

"My god! What did I say? Why are you angry? I was just going to suggest that maybe you're hoping for a bonus from Director Wu for a job well done so you can treat us all to a feast!" Chen Chen scurried off like a frightened rat, quickly running off.

Gu Yanta's phone rang, it was Ma Qin.

"Reporting in, Boss! Team One found nothing at the suspect's residence! It doesn't look like anyone has ever lived there!"

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter

Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: November 11, 2024 by Angel

Edited: November 17, 2024 by Angel