Chapter 95
Humans are social creatures who crave validation and spend their lives seeking it. Li Chu firmly believed this.
Spring was cold in the city where they were filming. In her role as Rong Yun, Li Chu always projected an icy demeanor, like a human refrigerator, a robot devoid of emotion. But the moment she was off-camera, still in her thin costume, she'd immediately wrap herself in a thick coat, clutch a hot water bottle, and sit obediently in her chair, resting.
The veteran actors she worked with often teased her about how quickly she could switch her expressions.
Director Wang frequently praised her talent for acting, noting her speed in getting out of character. He also commended Ning Manqing for her discerning eye in recommending Li Chu.
Li Chu felt Director Wang should double his praise for Ning Manqing, because her ability to quickly exit a role was partly due to Ning Manqing's influence.
It could be difficult to separate oneself from a role, especially when fully immersed in it. It could be hard to come back out.
Because Li Chu practiced immersive acting, she often struggled to detach from her characters. But after Ning Manqing's "lesson," she made a conscious effort to pull herself out, rather than letting those emotions linger and fester.
Li Chu sat in her chair, popping a candy into her mouth. Hearing the director call her back to set, she immediately shed her coat, adjusted her expression, and walked over, stepping back into character.
The Anhe Building serial dismemberment case wasn't particularly complex in itself. The difficulty lay in the perpetrator's ability to remain hidden. Sometimes, cases lacked any real mystery. These dismemberments seemed gruesome, but upon closer examination, the killer's methods weren't particularly sophisticated.
Police resources were always limited. If the killer hiding in the Anhe Building remained dormant, the police couldn't maintain a prolonged stakeout. And honestly, it seemed difficult to commit such crimes undetected in a place like the Anhe Building.
The building was densely populated and the walls were thin. While chaotic, this also meant more people were likely to notice something.
The biggest fear was that someone knew something but was keeping quiet. This building held a multitude of secrets.
Rong Yun employed aggressive tactics, a move some officers disagreed with. They felt it might provoke the killer and potentially lead to more victims.
"If we just wait passively, can you guarantee there won't be more victims? There are only three possible outcomes: one, the killer escapes; two, the killer continues to commit crimes while in hiding; three, the killer stops permanently. What do you think the likelihood of the third option is? Zero."
Rong Yun coldly confronted the dissenting officer. She didn't understand why they wouldn't use a more efficient method to eliminate the threat.
Even if no one was hurt now, someone would be later, perhaps even more people.
This was the aspect of Rong Yun's personality that her colleagues often criticized: her focus on efficiency and her refusal to be led by the nose by criminals.
Rong Yun turned to Xiao Lu: "Have our warnings reached every household?"
Xiao Lu nodded. "Yes, Master. We've notified everyone in the building and the surrounding area, advising them to travel in pairs and for those living alone to be extra vigilant."
Rong Yun nodded and went to the Anhe Building again for another round of inquiries.
In Zhou San's case, she had died in her own room. Her door lock had been broken by her roommate, Wang Zhi. This meant the lock was intact when she died. Since Zhou San's room had no windows, the killer must have left through the main door after the murder and dismemberment.
Apartment 2906 was a three-bedroom unit, but all the rooms were small, and the living room was cramped, almost non-existent. The kitchen was on the left upon entering, the bathroom on the right, and Zhou San's room was next to the bathroom.
According to the investigation, the primary crime scene was the bathroom in 2906. The killer likely filled the sink with water and pushed Zhou San's head in from behind. However, there was another possibility: Zhou San might have been washing her face in the filled basin when she was attacked.
Zhou San hadn't drowned. The autopsy revealed her cause of death was cardiac arrest following submersion. This meant she had experienced extreme fright. If she had been bound before being submerged, she would have likely drowned.
The dismemberment scene was horrific. A human skull was very hard, yet hers had been split in two. The murder weapon was a saw, which would have made a loud noise. It was unlikely no one heard it.
Besides Wang Zhi, Zhou San's other roommate worked the night shift at a hotel. He claimed the last time he saw Zhou San was midday on the day of her death.
This aligned with the estimated time of death, which was between 3 PM and 8 PM that day.
Wang Zhi returned from work at 7 PM. He said he hadn't seen Zhou San, who by then was likely already moved from the bathroom to her room. The murder and dismemberment probably didn't happen simultaneously; otherwise, the killer would have been easily discovered.
The next day, Wang Zhi went to work as usual, and the other roommate also left. During the daytime hours when the apartment was empty, the killer likely performed the dismemberment and then cleaned up the scene before leaving. During this period, the killer must have remained in the same space as the body. Logically, entering and exiting repeatedly in such a crowded place would have attracted attention.
This time, Rong Yun was questioning the resident of 2907, a solitary male beta. He was slim and exuded a flamboyant, almost vulgar air. According to the investigation, he was an exotic dancer.
Faced with yet another police interrogation, he became agitated, his eyes narrowing as he launched into a string of irritated curses.
"Are you done? Are you freaking done? I told you I didn't hear anything! I don't know anything, so stop asking! You've asked me this twenty freaking times already! I really don't know anything!"
Rong Yun didn't interrupt, waiting for him to finish before speaking. "Excuse me, we just have a few more details to confirm."
The beta's eyes widened. Seeing a new, attractive police officer, his expression softened considerably. He beckoned Rong Yun in with a swaying gesture, inviting her to sit.
"New here? Haven't seen you before."
"I came by for questioning before, but you must have been out."
"I was with my girlfriend. Being in a relationship isn't illegal, is it?"
He asked with a grin, placing a cigarette between his lips and lighting it, watching Rong Yun's reaction.
During this interrogation, Rong Yun found some clues.
Rong Yun was skilled at catching inconsistencies in people's statements and pressing for the truth. It was difficult to lie to her. The man's answers became increasingly vague and contradictory. Eventually, he stopped talking altogether, just staring at Rong Yun and deliberately blowing smoke in her face.
Rong Yun's expression remained unchanged. She waited for him to finish his cigarette, twirling the recording pen in her hand.
The man's gaze followed her movements, oblivious to the fact that his cigarette was almost burning down to his fingers. Only when he burned himself did he curse under his breath and stub it out.
"I gave you half a cigarette's worth of time to fabricate your lies. Have you thought it through?"
"Alright," the man took a deep breath, trying to hide his unease. "It's nothing, really. That day, I said I went out to dance, but I didn't."
He sniffed, his eyes reddening. "Damn it, I was going to go, but some bastard the night before played me so hard I couldn't. He even docked me three hundred yuan. I was lying in bed cursing, and then I heard..."
"The sound of a saw. I wondered when that chick next door had taken up woodworking. It was so loud, it was splitting my head open. I wanted to yell at her, but my throat was too raw to make a sound. So I went to see what she was doing."
"See that painting? There's a small hole under it. I didn't make it. Don't know what kind of pervert the last guy was, maybe a peeping Tom. I found it by accident, and then I looked. I really..."
He wiped his face, clutching his hair, looking distraught.
"The room was kind of dark, dimly lit. The saw was going 'zzzzzz'. I saw her lying on the floor, motionless, covered in blood."
Rong Yun removed the painting, peering through the hole in the wall. She could only see darkness. She put the painting back and asked, "Did you see what the killer looked like?"
"No, I only saw the saw," the man shook his head rapidly, as if to emphasize his point. "I'm not lying this time, I swear. I only saw his hand and half of his body. Nothing else."
"What did he look like, generally?"
"Male, lots of hair, quite long, around the neck, maybe not that long, around the ears."
"Anything else?"
"I don't know! I was terrified. I knew about the dismemberments these past few months. I immediately grabbed my stuff and left. I didn't come back for days, not until they found that woman's body next door."
"I don't know anything else."
Rong Yun: "What time was it?"
"Around 10 AM? 11 AM? Somewhere around then."
Rong Yun stood up and turned off the recorder. "Thank you for your cooperation. We may need you to identify a suspect later based on a sketch."
As Rong Yun reached the door, a faint voice called out from behind.
"I didn't mean to keep quiet. I was scared too. I was afraid he'd kill me if he knew I saw him."
"We'll catch the killer as soon as possible."
Rong Yun didn't turn around, simply nodding as she spoke.
"And... cut!"
The two people in the room immediately dropped their characters. Li Chu gave the man behind her a thumbs-up. The actor playing the beta was only moderately handsome, but his bone structure was striking, and the sleazy vibe he projected in the scene seemed to emanate from within. Li Chu had enjoyed working with him.
Li Chu had learned his name was Zheng Ming. He was a special extra, usually playing small roles in various films and dramas.
"You were great too! Such a contrast from your last role. And you look even better in person than on screen."
Li Chu waved her hand dismissively. "Not at all."
Li Chu thought Zheng Ming had a strong presence on camera. It would be a shame if he only played bit parts. She asked for his contact information, saying she might recommend him if a suitable role came up.
This wasn't about patronage or some special recognition of talent. Li Chu believed that if more capable people were discovered, the industry would develop in a healthier direction.
This was actually something she had learned from Ning Manqing, who genuinely wanted the industry she loved to thrive, but because of those good-for-nothing relatives of hers, she had to temporarily step away.
Zheng Ming seemed flattered and readily added Li Chu's contact information.
Li Chu had thought she was simply performing a kind gesture. She never expected that Zheng Ming would be the one to trip her up.
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