Special Chapter: Detective Rhapsody (Part 1)
Walking down a street where the cold wind whistled through old newspapers, a man who looked as if he had stepped out of a medieval painting clutched his hat tightly. His coat hem fluttered in the wind. His frozen gaze swept coldly over every suspicious corner of the street from beneath his hat.
His name was Lin, code name Zero, a private detective.
The profession of a private detective left many with an impression similar to paparazzi. Lin believed this to be a misconception. Although private detectives did indeed engage in tailing, secret filming, and illegal entry—and most of the commissions they received were from wealthy husbands and wives wanting to dig up dirt on their partners—there were also many principled private detectives who only took on high-level and challenging commissions.
Wake up. The era of private detectives sneaking into homes to gather evidence of infidelity was over. And he, Lin, had just received an important commission. The content was...
To gather evidence of infidelity.
"..."
Alright, Lin had to admit he was a private detective without professional ethics. But the ethics of this profession were like chewing gum stuck under a bus seat—you're better off without them.
With a leap, Lin hopped lightly over the courtyard wall. He pulled out a master key and entered the villa with the familiarity of entering his own bathroom. He tossed a bone to lead away the guard dog at the door, stood in a blind spot to cut the security camera wires with a flick of a blade, and then grabbed a snack from the coffee table in the living room, eating as he walked.
Squatting by the trash can in the bathroom, he searched with tweezers. As expected, he found hairs of varying lengths and colors.
Indeed. Next, he would check the master bedroom. Based on Lin experience, infidelity among the rich was different from that of ordinary people; they often pursued excitement and a sense of transgression. They liked to bring their partners home and choose places like the master bedroom, living room, or even the balcony to "play." Some might even have their partners wear their spouse's clothes to satisfy their psychological perversions.
Oh dear, that won't do. They might still be his clients in the future; it seemed a bit inappropriate to disparage them like this.
Lin gave a disdainful smile and turned the handle of the bedroom door, stepping inside with a light gait...
Two pale, fleshy "worms" on the bed stared in shock at Lin as he walked in with his snack.
Lin froze for a second, then silently finished the snack in two bites. He then raised his phone, the flash flickering rapidly.
Damned perverted rich people, don't they even lock the door when they're cheating?
...
"Kid Lin, this is the fourth time today."
"As a principled private detective, I will always complete a commission once I've accepted it."
Sitting across from Lin was a red-haired woman in a police uniform. She was holding a steaming cup of... beer? It was beer, right? A police officer on duty was drinking ginger beer?!
The woman was used to Lin being a regular here. Hearing Lin words, she scoffed. "Principles? Didn't you say a private detective's principles are like leftover chewing gum under a bus seat?"
Lin waved his handcuffed hands. "But there's always leftover chewing gum."
"I wish you'd find another job, if only to save me the extra work."
"We're just sitting here having tea together. What's the trouble?"
Lin had managed to avoid "dropping the soap" until now thanks to the information he held on many wealthy people. As long as he didn't go too far and back them into a corner, he would spend at most a few days in the detention center.
The red-haired woman put down her empty cup and let out a burp. She ungracefully picked at her ear. "With your skills, instead of digging up boring scandals all day, why don't you do something for me?"
"First, apologize to the God of Private Detectives. These aren't boring scandals; they are the essence of our spirit. Second, I charge a high fee."
"Who is the God of Private Detectives?"
"The god who blesses us so we don't get caught when filming."
"...Are all your gods this tasteless?" The red-haired woman sighed. "Fine, I know. I'll pay."
...
Working for the cops—this was a first. Lin had occasionally heard that people in his line of work sometimes cooperated with the police. Most of the news that came back after such cooperation was that they had successfully started eating "public rice."
...As for which sense of "public rice" (prison food or government pay) was meant, that remained to be seen.
"A murder case, huh..."
Lin followed the information provided by the red-haired woman to a sealed villa in a wealthy neighborhood. He compared it with the photos and confirmed that this dilapidated villa—which looked like it had been ransacked by bandits—was his destination.
Since this was a private collaboration, Lin could only come at night. The red-haired woman would help pull away the officers guarding the scene.
Lin walked into the decaying courtyard, stepping on hollow branches that made a cringing sound. Massive smears of dried blood—looking like someone had overused fake blood in a movie—coated the villa, walls, and ground. The white lines drawn on the floor marked where the bodies had once been.
What can one say... it was truly a crime scene that lived up to the name.
Half a month ago, a horrific massacre had occurred here. A family of four and five visiting relatives were all killed. At the time, screams echoed, but neighbors only heard muffled cries and pleas for mercy, which lasted less than half a minute. When the police arrived, all that remained were butchered pieces of flesh.
In the information age, such a family massacre, after which the killer vanished without a trace, was truly rare. No leads had been found using modern methods.
Lin was in no hurry to enter. Instead, he circled the outer areas where bloodstains were present. Most people would struggle to maintain their sanity at such a horrific scene, but he strolled through it as if he were at home.
In their line of work, there was a famous saying:
"If you want to hide a tree, a forest is the best place."
At a glance, this place was indeed terrifying. It was as if the killer wanted to create a B-movie set by splashing blood everywhere. But setting aside the unlikely possibility that the killer was just an irrational psycho—to kill seven victims in such a short time required meticulous planning and efficient action, which was the polar opposite of the scene's appearance. There had to be a clue Lin needed here.
So, what did the killer want the blood and scattered flesh to hide?
Fingerprints, footprints...
Lin, stroking his chin, looked up.
"The number of bodies?"
Lin made a call to the red-haired woman.
"How many bodies have been confirmed so far?"
"We only found the remains of five people, and most were severely mutilated, making reconstruction impossible. The rest were likely taken by the killer."
"I see."
Five people?
Lin hung up and found the group photo of the victims from the file the red-haired woman had given him.
Lin stared at two of them, then walked into this "haunted house."
Special Chapter: Detective Rhapsody (Part 2)
To be honest, Lin didn't want to deal with terms like "riddles," "murder cases," or "serial killers" at all. They represented trouble, and trouble was what he hated most.
The reason he took the commission this time was that he was tired of digging up dirt on infidelity and wanted to exercise his rusty brain... it definitely wasn't because they paid too much.
As soon as Lin stepped into the house, he smelled a stench even thicker than outside. He carefully avoided the white lines to keep the scene intact, observing everything inside.
The murder weapon had not yet been found, and the bodies had only been partially recovered. The remaining parts were being found elsewhere like installment payments, so besides this villa, the police were also tracing the killer's escape route through the disposal sites.
Did that unreliable woman really have that much influence at the station? To be able to share details of a major case so thoroughly...
Lin muttered to himself as he looked around. Then he narrowed his eyes and looked toward a certain spot.
There were seven victims. Five had been confirmed. The two remaining were the youngest members of the family: the daughter and the son.
The reason no one suspected they were still alive was that their blood samples were also found in the bloodstains, and before this, the fifth body hadn't been in the villa either; a head had been found elsewhere several days later.
But Lin didn't think so.
The motive is often the key to a case. Even if someone kills to eat, that's a motive. But in this case, the villa wasn't ransacked, the female bodies weren't violated, and a revenge killing seemed unlikely... even though they were dismembered, there were no extra signs of torture on the bodies, indicating the killer had calmly disassembled them.
Of course, these inferences might not be correct. He was judging based on a certain premise; if the premise was wrong, his inference would naturally be wrong too.
The premise was... the killers were those two children.
It was normal for the police not to think of it. They couldn't imagine how warped the psychology of those in wealthy families could become when their material needs were fully satisfied.
For example, having little "fun parties."
For example, playing partner-swapping games.
For example... developing unethical feelings between close relatives.
Lin could say this because in that group photo, there was a caught glance between the son and daughter.
Others might think it normal, but Lin had once handled a rather indescribable commission that gave him a new understanding of the warped thing called "emotion."
The commission was to investigate the disappearance of a family's son. Even the police couldn't find him, but Lin eventually found him in the basement of a wealthy young lady's home.
That wealthy lady had kidnapped the man and subjected him to various things that might make some people envious. But the problem was that the man was average-looking, had an average build, and no outstanding talents; he was a very ordinary person.
Why would a beautiful, wealthy girl kidnap such a man? Lin couldn't understand.
Later, the girl told him there was no purpose.
The man was one of the few who wasn't interested in her, and she simply wanted to imprison and force him—even though she had never had a similar thought about anyone else before.
Even stranger was that the man fell in love with the feeling of being imprisoned and forced by her. It wasn't an equal "love," but rather a form of submission to her abuse in that special environment.
Their relationship still baffled Lin, but that look in their eyes was something he could never forget.
Indeed, the look between the son and daughter of this family reminded him of those two weirdos.
He walked over to a bookshelf where books were scattered all over the floor. Almost every book was splattered with blood; one could imagine the horrific situation at the time.
To preserve the scene, the books had not been moved.
"The order? No, based on this position... it should be in reverse."
Lin rubbed his chin. He picked up the books with dried blood on them and rearranged them on the shelf in reverse alphabetical order by the first letter of each title.
A vibration came from beneath his feet. Lin looked down to see the floor where he stood beginning to sink.
"I see. It was modified into a nearly solid elevator, which is why the hollow space beneath wasn't discovered."
After the elevator reached the bottom floor, Lin walked along the only path to the end, where there was a door.
There was some movement inside. He listened with an expressionless face, and after hearing what it was, he let out a sigh.
Lin turned the doorknob. To the two people in the middle of the bed enjoying themselves, who froze upon hearing the noise, he said with dead eyes: "Hi there, you two. The incest drama is over. It's time for the bad children to go to jail."
...
"As I thought, asking you was the right choice." The red-haired woman lit a cigarette and offered one to Lin. He shook his head and declined.
He hated the smell of nicotine.
"I didn't do much. You would have found it eventually." Lin watched as the two were pushed into the police car. "By the way, you'd better check this family thoroughly. You might find some unexpected surprises."
"What do you mean?"
"Their dismemberment technique is too practiced; it's clearly not their first time. And some of the bloodstains in that basement are quite old. It's definitely not just the blood of this family."
"Are you saying they were committing crimes in secret?"
"Who knows? After seeing real psychopaths, I feel like infidelity is nothing in comparison."
Whether those two children killed because the family didn't approve of their forbidden love, or because they couldn't stand the family's secret bloodthirsty perversions, wasn't important to Lin.
What mattered was that this case was solved simply, quickly, and easily.
There was just one thing that puzzled him: Lin didn't think those two children had the ability to plan this massacre and the aftermath, and how did they manage to dump bodies hundreds of kilometers away without being caught?
Besides, this was far too easy, as if he had caught them as soon as he walked in.
"Then I'll have someone go to the basement with you." The red-haired woman gestured to the female officer standing closest. She walked over and followed Lin.
...Strange.
Lin glanced at the red-haired woman.
Forget it.
He took the female officer and started the basement elevator. The two of them slowly descended.
The light was gradually swallowed.
When the elevator reached the bottom, Lin fell onto the elevator, losing consciousness.
In his daze, he seemed to feel someone dragging him into that secret room.
Special Chapter: Detective Rhapsody (Part 3)
The back of my head... it hurts so much...
Makes sense. After all, the movie trope of passing out from a blow to the neck without any side effects is totally unrealistic. Most patients with carotid sinus syncope are middle-aged or elderly; a gentle massage of the carotid sinus on both sides for five seconds will cause a faint. Let's not even mention how excessive force can cause cardiac arrest, nerve damage, or even sudden death. In reality, such a scene would be a protagonist facing a group of fifty- or sixty-year-olds and giving each of them a neck massage.
The person who did this really knew how not to kill me...
Lin thought groggily while squinting his eyes, pretending to still be unconscious to observe the situation.
"Hey, stop pretending. Your breathing rhythm changed."
Lin could only open his eyes. "Do criminals nowadays have to master judging someone's state just by listening to... whoa!"
What appeared before his eyes was a radiant body—so radiant that not a single shred of fabric could be seen.
Should he close his eyes to show his gentlemanly grace, or keep them wide open to show respect for her figure?
Wait, figure?
Lin looked closely. This lady with grayish-blue hair indeed had perfect curves—not a bit too much, not a bit too little. Unfortunately, compared to the white, slender legs and hips that would make anyone drool at a glance, the upper half was... truly a pity.
"What's with that look? Do I look that terrible?" An unfamiliar girl stood before Lin with her arms crossed, looking annoyed.
"Uh, when you ask that question, you already know the answer."
Lin tried to move his hands, but they were firmly fixed to the headboard by handcuffs.
Luckily, this was no trouble for Lin. He would...
"Don't waste your effort. I know you'd dislocate your hands to get them out of the handcuffs."
Seriously, do all you people have the superpower of seeing through someone's info after saying 'I know'?
The girl smiled with pure malice. She stood over Lin, her silence putting immense pressure on him.
"Maybe... put some clothes on first?" Lin mind raced as he suggested with a dry laugh.
"I'm going to take them off in a bit anyway. What's the difference?"
"..." Lin smile grew even more strained. He tested the waters. "Are you planning to take a bath later, which is why you're not wearing clothes?"
"Heh." Unmistakable mockery.
In the dim light, the girl's white body had a hazy beauty, save for the wicked smile on her lips, which was crystal clear.
"I have to remind you, if the police notice something's wrong, it only takes thirty seconds for them to come down and break in..."
"Lin. Private detective. Usually takes on simple commissions like digging up dirt on the rich or finding cats, dogs, and people. Doesn't like smoking or drinking. Single. Hmm, quite a perfect resume. If you gave this to any HR manager, you'd be kicked out in three seconds."
The girl's face gradually leaned in. Her pure ruby-colored eyes allowed Lin to see his own somewhat panicked face. A sweet breath leaked from her smiling mouth.
"And a guy like this, like leftover chewing gum under a bus seat, easily saw through my plan."
"Actually, those plans... were too simple."
Lin suddenly snapped his fingers and pulled them out of the handcuffs. He threw a punch at the girl's face, confident that this strike would teach her a lesson.
"Bang!"
However, his punch was easily caught by her palm. To his surprise, the girl twisted his wrist with a beaming smile. The sharp pain forced him to bend his body, and then she punched him in the chest, sending him back onto the bed.
"Cough, cough..." Was there a mistake? That seemingly petite body actually had that much strength?
"My plan was too simple? No, no, no, how could that be? How could the great 'Senti' make a mistake?"
"I just gave those two a little suggestion to clear out this rotten family that liked to kill people for sport, and helped them out a bit." She leaned her hand next to Lin head. "I wasn't caught, and their life or death is none of my business. Isn't that perfect?"
"Cough... if it were as perfect as you say, you wouldn't have caught me..." Lin curled his lips into a provocative smile. "Besides, you seem quite prone to being extreme. Even if you kill me, how do you plan to escape?"
"Hmm? Who said I was going to kill you? I'm quite interested in you—in every way."
Lin noticed the girl's seductive gaze, which was practically dripping. He shuddered. "Wait, you're not going to—"
"Bang!"
A hand covered his mouth, pinning him to the bed. Then, a dagger was slammed into the bedboard less than a centimeter from his face.
The dagger seemed to carry a sharp, cold aura.
Cold sweat poured down.
The girl whispered into his ear, her voice both tender and threatening: "Next, you'll lick whatever I tell you to lick, and eat whatever I tell you to eat."
Lin gritted his teeth, staring at her slender neck. "If you put it in my mouth, don't expect to get it back."
"Then you'd better consider if you can still stare at me like that when a blade is stirring your brains." She tilted her head and chuckled. "You're very afraid of death. I know."
"..."
"How about this? If you can last longer than me, I'll let you go and surrender. How about it?"
Lin teeth chattered. He closed his eyes, and tears of humiliation fell.
...
"That this happened... I... uh, I'm sorry..."
The red-haired woman didn't know how to comfort the man wrapped in a blanket in the cold wind. When they found him, he was twitching as if he'd been electrocuted, and the scene was... quite unseemly.
Though she didn't know the details, Lin had lost—on all fronts.
"Was she ugly?"
"...She was a great beauty."
"Was it your first time? Well, being forced for the first time is indeed..."
"It was her first time, too."
"..."
The red-haired woman's expression was strange. Lin knew what she was thinking; it was only natural.
"You said she was from the station. I had Hua go with you. Do you remember?"
"Hua?"
The red-haired woman signaled, and someone walked over. Lin eyes widened when he saw the person's face.
Under the blinding spotlights, she appeared with a slightly confused expression.
"It's her!"
"Impossible. Hua has been with me for three or four years." The red-haired woman frowned and asked, "Hua, I told you to follow him, right?"
"Follow him? But I was escorting prisoners."
"..."
"Wait a minute." Lin frowned as he looked at Hua's face. "Do you have any siblings?"
"I have a sister, but she ran away from home a long time ago."
...
His throat was hoarse from screaming. He couldn't tell if the saliva in his mouth was his own or the girl's. His whole body was filled with a sensation that made his brain feel numb. He lay on the bed in a daze, while the girl wiped her body with a towel, laughing arrogantly.
"Next time, if you win, I'll let you be on top."
The teasing words pierced his mind.
...
Lin gaze became resolute. He took a deep breath, stood up, and threw off the blanket.
"Miss Hua, are you willing to assist me in catching a supercriminal?" He reached out his hand firmly to the stunned Hua. "She is your sister. A winner must be decided between her and me—as detective and criminal."
"Ah, well... I don't mind, but can you put your pants on first?"
"Don't worry about the details, Watson."