Chapter 31: Dearest T (1 of 2)

At the time of the sky being almost fully lit.

At the top of a condo building.

A man sits on a simple wooden table and smokes with his head down.

There’s a wall in front of him.  It’s not decorated, but it’s pinned with many photos, pictures, newspaper cut-outs, and printouts of replies on the White Crane of Yangtze BBS.

On his left-hand side, there is a large floor-to-ceiling window.

The following numbers are written on the glass: 1, 2, 3……all the way to 7.

And for the numbers 1 to 5, they’ve all been crossed out with a big——”X”.  Only 6 and 7 are left, and these two numbers are written larger than the other ones. Read more

Chapter 30: Drinks for Today + mini side story

At the Hot Pot restaurant.

It’s full of steam and the savory smell of food permeates the air.

The five members of the Black Shield Team sit in a table together with individual pots in front of each of them.  Han Chen is chatting softly with Cold Face regarding investigating the surveillance videos, Jin Xi is browsing Taobao (Chinese eBay), and Xiao Zhuan is immersed in reading up on the internet about the latest movements of the serial shooter on his tablet.  Chatterbox is listening to Han Chen and Cold Face’s conversation while using his chopsticks to stir his hot pot every now then, murmuring, “Why isn’t it boiling yet?”

Following the event of two new victims, the case has moved onto the next phase.  On one hand, the police have figured out T’s pattern, so the remainder of the targets are now under protection and there will be no more new victims; on the other hand, they can only wait to see what T will do next.  Therefore, after Qin Wen Long finished listening to their reports at night today, he announced, “Everyone, go home and sleep!  There will be another hard battle to fight starting tomorrow!” Read more

Chapter 29: T’s Plan (3 of 3)

The afternoon of next day.

The fifth day of T’s assassination plan.

The Black Shield Team’s office phone suddenly rings.  It’s the District Chief calling from the East City district station.

“Han Chen!”  The chief’s voice is full of seriousness and anxiousness, “A new victim has appeared on this side.  And there are two of them!” Read more

Chapter 29: T’s Plan (2 of 3)

Her words cause both men to become quiet.

After a while, Cold Face gets up, picks up Jin Xi’s empty takeout box, and carries them out of the room.

Only she and Han Chen are left in the conference room, sitting across from each other.

Han Chen lights up a cigarette while looking out the window immersed in his own thoughts.  Jin Xi yawns; after all, she hardly got any sleep last night, so she’s barely hanging in.  She walks over to the sofa in the corner and lies down. Read more

Chapter 29: T’s Plan (1 of 3)

11:50am.

Every officer at their designated location is becoming more anxious.  They watch their areas to see if there is any suspicious person.

12:00pm.

The Black Shield Team is sitting in a row, staring at the surveillance monitors.  Xiao Zhuan is so nervous that he doesn’t even remember to take a sip from the water bottle after fetching it.

He hasn’t appeared yet.

12:10pm.

He still hasn’t appeared.

12:20pm…12:20pm…12:30……

Everything is still and quiet on the monitors. Read more

Chapter 28: Soaring Little Bird

The crime scene of the third victim, Chen Can Lan, is just like the previous two incidents.

At noon time, the victim died from a shot in the chest.  This wealthy girl had just woken up from bed at the time.  But she met her death after walking a few steps.

……

The Black Shield Team’s office.

Han Chen, Bai Jin Xi, Chatterbox, and Cold Face all have a cigarette in their hand, taking a smoke every now and then while they flip through the information gathered at the scene.  Xiao Zhuan is chewing hard on his gum with a solemn expression.

“There are no interactions between the three victims, and they have not appeared in the same event before,” Han Chen puts down the file, and looks around him, “There is only one thing that links them together to T——” Read more

Chapter 27: Turbulences in the Background

Midnight.

Jin Xi is sitting inside a police car as she writes with her head down on a soft leather notebook in her hand.

“Serial killer T:

1. Male, 25-35 years old, fit body, average looks;

2. Education: high school or university studying a major;

3. Career used as disguise: computer engineer, watchmaker, or other skilled type; may have beginners or intermediate professional certificate;

4. Address: a mid-range apartment in a small residential area in the city between 2nd and 3rd Ring Road;

5. Drives a black Citreon C-Quatre;

6. Experienced a big emotional impact in the past three months such as losing his lover or a family member;

7. Disregards life, and may be diagnosed with a disease, which is why he will sacrifice everything to complete his plan.”

She thinks for a moment, and then writes at the bottom: “Finding the common trait of the victims, and getting a grasp of his patterned actions will be the only way to crack the plan.” Read more

Chapter 26: A Series of Inferences

“I am a killer.

I have been one for five, eight, or ten years?  The time is not relevant.

I have a lot of money.  I have never made a mistake.  Otherwise, I would already be a prisoner captured by the Chinese police.

I can buy whatever I desire, and play whatever I want.  Although I’m not extremely wealthy, I don’t have any financial stress.

My finger is used to pull the trigger; I feel nothing while looking at each of the dead bodies.  All that comes to my mind is that I would receive another big sum of money.

I’m far away from the lives of ordinary people.  But when I don’t have any requests, I must live among them.  Even when I walk into the crowd, I don’t feel my own existence……”

“Wait——” a voice interrupts. Read more

Chapter 25: Jin Xi’s Grief

“He could be a psychopath now.  This means that as long as he desires, this whole city will be his hunting ground.”

After Bai Jin Xi finishes her sentence, everybody is in dead silence.

She’s also stunned herself.

It’s a strange feeling.  When she was at Guanhu Station before, she obviously couldn’t possibly have dealt with a serial killer case.  Then why does this all feel so familiar to her after speaking about it just now: nervousness, coldness, and a hint of……excitement.

It’s as if, this isn’t the first time she’s like this.

There’s no time for her to think deeper because an investigator has brought the neighbour living across from Chen Xi Xian over.  She and Xiao Zhuan immediately go over.

_____

The neighbour is a housewife in her thirties.  She’s standing outside the door of where the incident happened, looking pale.

“We don’t have much contact with the young fellow across from us.  We’ve bumped into him a few times in the hallway though.  He always had his earphones on by himself, and didn’t like to talk to others,” she says, “but you could tell that he didn’t work, and stayed home all day.  His garbage was all piled up outside the door.  The janitor scolded him every time.  Miss Officer, did he get killed by a gang member?”

Jin Xi asks, “Why do you think that?” Read more

Chapter 24: Sniping Heaven

Bai Jin Xi is standing in front of her desk taking out her belongings from a box and putting them neatly into the drawers.

Her desk faces the entrance directly.  There are people constantly passing by who turn and look inside.  There are even a few male officers who have stopped at the doorway to look at her and smile toward her.

Jin Xi smiles back at them.

After finishing tidying up, she raises her head and looks over.  Han Chen is seating diagonally across from her against the wall.  He’s reading a copy of “Titan Sports Weekly” (sports newspaper).  She had greeted him in the morning on arrival, and he hummed “Mm” to her.

This office has been designated exclusively for the “Black Shield Team.”  Her probation period is six months.  If she passes, she can stay.  She left Jiangchen just yesterday; District Chief and her other colleagues all expressed that they would miss her, but would also support her.

As for Xu Si Bai…… Read more