Fate Trading System – Chapter 233
by Little PandaPlan A
Mist Map 6
Identity
Removing human organs was a deliberate act by the killer. What kind of psychology does this reveal?
This definitely wasn’t organ worship.
“Tire tracks were detected not far from the crime scene. It’s highly likely the tool the killer used to transport the deceased. We are currently searching for that vehicle.”
“What about the deceased’s communication devices?”
“Not on her person. Very likely still in the car.”
The atmosphere grew heavy. Instinct told Su Xin that this victim was probably also one of the people who had participated in that expedition.
Su Xin didn’t like those psychopathic serial killers. There was a fundamental difference between assassins and psychopathic killers; although both kill, one is loyal to profit, the other to their own desires.
No one would hire them to kill an ordinary person. Every target they eliminated invariably had some status or position, and more or less had some dirty dealings associated with them.
Of course, Su Xin had no intention of whitewashing herself; she wasn’t exactly a good person either.
“F%cking hell, no meaningful footprints were recovered at the scene. This killer is extremely careful and cautious.”
The Captain couldn’t hold back a curse.
“The killer should be near us, and very close to me. My watch and phone have both been tampered with. The phone issue might have come from the repair shop, or it could have been taken along with the watch, had something installed, and then returned.”
Su Xin spoke, paused for a moment, then continued.
“I might have brushed past him. I don’t know what he wants from me, but he hasn’t killed me yet. Keeping me alive until now must serve some purpose.”
Why wouldn’t the killer kill her, choosing instead to intimidate her? And why install tracking devices on her phone and watch to monitor her movements?
“Boss, we’ve found the car and its owner. There’s also a woman’s handbag inside, which should belong to the victim.”
A team member ran over excitedly, looking very happy. Finding a clue was naturally a joyous event; solving the case faster meant finding the killer faster.
“Where? Take me there quickly.”
The Captain and the team member hurried out, with Su Xin and Liao Qingjie following closely behind.
Inside the police station, two men stood there. One had a somewhat dazed expression, while the other was extremely anxious.
“This is the Captain of the Criminal Police team. Tell him everything again.”
The case had originally been handled by the local police. Someone had reported a missing person, and this officer felt something was off, suspecting a connection to a recent case being handled by the criminal police.
“You’re the taxi driver?”
“Yes, yes, yes.”
“Tell me the whole story from the beginning.”
“My taxi went missing the day before yesterday. I parked it there, went into the supermarket to buy a bottle of water—I took the keys out—but when I came out, my car was gone. I was frantic, you know? After all, it’s company property, not my private car. After reporting it to my supervisor, I went to the police. All I could do was wait helplessly.”
“But then today, unbelievably, I saw my car again! It was just parked downstairs from my apartment building, plain as day. But when I checked it, I found a girl’s bag on the back seat, which made me feel even stranger. So I opened the bag to look. Inside were a phone, bank cards, ID card—looked like important stuff. If she lost these things, that girl must be really worried. Her phone didn’t have a passcode, so I swiped it open and called her husband—that’s him.”
The taxi driver pointed to the man beside him.
“The call went right through. I told him, ‘Buddy1, your wife’s2 bag somehow ended up on my back seat. You should come get it quickly.’ Then, after we met, this buddy, for some reason, got extremely anxious. When he heard me say my car had been stolen a few days ago and then reappeared with an extra bag, he rushed me over here in a panic.”
The taxi driver finished speaking. The Captain gestured for the other man to speak.
“Officer, it’s like this. I’ve lost contact with my girlfriend for almost two days now. I couldn’t find her at her home, nor at her workplace. All her friends said they didn’t know where she went. It’s like she vanished, completely without a trace3. She’s just not that kind of person. Unless something happened, she wouldn’t fail to contact me. Just now, he called me, saying my girlfriend’s bag was with him—phone, ID, bank cards, and cash all inside. If my girlfriend just wanted to go out and relax for a bit, she’d never leave these things behind. So I suspect something happened to her.”
The man clutched his hair, his expression extremely anxious.
“Xiao Liu4, register his information. You,” the Captain pointed at the driver, “come with me.” Then he motioned for the boyfriend to come over.
“We need you to come identify someone. Please prepare yourself mentally.”
Perhaps no one could accept their girlfriend, missing for two days, appearing before them in such a state.
The man seemed to vaguely understand something. His fists clenched tightly as he followed the Captain’s steps.
Even though the corpse was already incomplete, missing its head, the man could recognize her at a glance. That was his girlfriend who had been missing for two days.
“Wanwan!”
The man walked over, looking at the mole on the corpse’s knee.
The girl who had been laughing and joking with him just days ago had today become a cold corpse lying here. There were signs of dissection on the body, the head had been cut off, and that area5 also showed signs of mutilation.
“Officer, I want to know when my girlfriend died?”
“Between 11 PM the night before last and the early morning hours.”
“Before she died… was she… was she…”
The man seemed to find the topic difficult, yet he desperately wanted to know. His girlfriend was exceptionally good, very obedient. She liked to have fun occasionally, but at heart, she was a very conservative person and would absolutely never accept that kind of thing.
“No. The cause of death was excessive blood loss. There are no signs of abuse or assault on her body.”
The Captain shook his head.
A man doesn’t easily shed tears, unless truly heartbroken.6
Su Xin and Liao Qingjie watched as the man, well over 1.7 meters tall7, stood there crying uncontrollably. He wanted to touch the body but feared obstructing something. He turned his head away, unable to bear the sight.
He didn’t cry out loud either; the silence felt like a heavy stone pressing on one’s heart.
The Captain hated these scenes of parting by death the most, and most dreaded facing the families of the deceased, especially when he wasn’t confident he could definitely catch the killer.
“It’s all my fault. If only I could have stayed with her that night. If only I hadn’t let her go out alone, then this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Not necessarily. This might be a premeditated murder, not a random choice by the killer. You don’t need to blame yourself too much.”
“Officer! Are you saying someone deliberately wanted to murder my girlfriend? But that’s impossible. My girlfriend had a wonderful personality; she couldn’t possibly have made enemies8 with anyone. Besides, she was just an ordinary bank employee. How could she have any financial disputes with others? How could someone intentionally want to murder her?”
“This is just my speculation. Before the truth comes out, I can’t give you a definitive answer. I can only tell you that I will do my utmost to pursue the killer.”
The man’s agitated expression suddenly turned crestfallen again.
“Can I take her back?”
“Not yet. We will work hard to find the missing parts of her body. When the time comes… we will notify you again. Please cooperate with us and give a statement. We will strive to find the killer. Do you have a photo of the victim right now?”
“Yes.”
The man took out his phone, opened the photo album; inside were many pictures of him and his girlfriend.
The Captain took two photos of the man’s phone screen, then patted his shoulder.
Only the three of them remained in the room. The Captain walked over and showed the photos he had just taken to Su Xin.
“Take a look. Is this one of the 10 people from six years ago?”
Su Xin stared at the girl smiling radiantly in the photo, frowning.
“Sorry, let me think.”
A person’s appearance and demeanor can change with age, especially between adolescence and young adulthood. Comparing photos of someone at 20 and 26 would definitely show changes. Add to that differences in makeup and style—girls change appearance most easily.
Su Xin tried to find a sense of familiarity in the contours of the face in the photo but failed.
“Apologies. This one, I really can’t recall. She feels unfamiliar to me.”
Who could remember a stranger they spent a few days with six years ago? Especially since this stranger might have undergone drastic changes in the intervening years. Even without changes, if she stood right in front of you, you might not recognize her.
“You two can head back first. We’ll continue the investigation here.”
“If anything happens on my end, I’ll be sure to tell you,” Su Xin said.
Su Xin took her phone and watch, now freed of the tracking devices, and headed home with Liao Qingjie. On the way, she received a call. It was from her colleague who was restoring the ancient maps with her.
“Yan’er9, I might be back at the museum to continue working in a couple of days. Have you finished restoring that map? If not, wait for me.”
“Aren’t you back home taking care of your parents?”
“Yan’er… I don’t have parents anymore.”
The sound of the girl’s choked sobbing came through the phone.
Su Xin instantly understood and let out a soft sigh.
“Actually, I regret it. If only I hadn’t run off so far away to work. They didn’t even tell me when they got sick; they hid it from me, saying everything was fine. It was my uncle who called and chewed me out.”
“I let them down.”
While your parents are alive, do not travel far.10
Footnotes
- 大兄弟 | Dà xiōngdì | Lit. “Big little brother”; An informal and friendly way to address a slightly younger man or a peer.
- 老婆 | lǎopó | Can mean ‘wife’ but is also commonly used informally for ‘girlfriend’. Context suggests girlfriend here.
- Original: 音信全无 | yīn xìn quán wú | Lit. “sound and letters all gone”; Meaning completely out of contact, no news whatsoever.
- 小刘 | Xiǎo Liú | Xiao means ‘little’, often used familiarly with surnames.
- Original: 那个地方 | nà ge dìfang | Lit. “that place.” A euphemism used here likely referring to the genital area, given the context of mutilation.
- Original: 男儿有泪不轻弹，只是未到伤心处 | nán’ér yǒu lèi bù qīng tán, zhǐshì wèi dào shāngxīn chù | A traditional saying meaning men are stoic and don’t cry easily, but will when faced with profound grief.
- Original: 一米七几 | yī mǐ qī jǐ | Approximately 1.7+ meters, roughly 5’7″ or taller.
- Original: 结仇结怨 | jié chóu jié yuàn | Lit. “tie enmity, tie resentment”; To make enemies or hold grudges.
- 嫣儿 | Yān’ér
- Original: 父母在，不远游 | fùmǔ zài, bù yuǎn yóu | A quote from the Analects of Confucius, emphasizing filial piety and the duty to stay near one’s parents.
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