"Are they all being interrogated?"
"Yes, I suspect there are people from the organization involved. They were escorting this batch of weapons."
I didn't participate in the interrogation because there were too many people. Liu Yu Ning and the others were in charge. My attention was focused on those Miao sabers.
We had kept one at the forensic lab. Zhang Ke Ying and Xie Chu Chu were at the experiment table, using computers to compare the wound patterns. Seeing me arrive, Zhang Ke Ying said, "We've run the experiment several times, and the results are all the same. I think you should call back those two experts quickly. Are they too embarrassed to return because they can't find the killer?"
"I can't contact them unless they show up voluntarily."
"I knew it. These Miao sabers are all the same type. Why would that group buy so many of these? But in this day and age, shouldn't they be using guns?"
Zhang Ke Ying's words, instead of clarifying things, sparked an idea in me: "That's right! Who uses this kind of weapon nowadays!"
"So, Brother He Sheng, what are you implying?"
"It's fake. This is likely a ploy by the killer to confuse us. If the mastermind behind this case is from the organization, then we've been tricked!"
"It really is like that," Xie Chu Chu replied at this moment, her eyebrows twitching. She continued, "I've felt for a while that finding these Miao sabers was a bit too sudden and too easy. Our attention is now focused on those groups. If the real killer strikes again at this time..."
Perhaps it was Xie Chu Chu's words that jinxed us, because a police officer suddenly ran in from outside: "It's bad! Zhou Hen Ling has escaped!"
"What?"
I was momentarily stunned, but Zhang Ke Ying was already gone like an arrow. This kind of incident was not something she, as a forensic doctor, should be handling, but she had been accompanying me on missions since she joined our provincial department.
Leaving the lab, I followed her out. With the help of that officer, I learned that Zhou Hen Ling had gone to the restroom, but after a long while, there was no movement. Her husband, curious, knocked a few times and then rushed in, only to find she was gone. She had escaped through the window.
Wasn't Zhou Hen Ling afraid of being harmed? Why would she escape at this time? What was going on with her?
As I left the provincial department, these questions replayed in my mind. I asked He Xin to search for Zhou Hen Ling's whereabouts using Tian Yan. Unexpectedly, midway, Zhou Hen Ling sent me a message: "Officer He, I'm being threatened. Help!"
"Threatened? Are you kidding me? Didn't you escape yourself?"
"They've captured my mother!"
"Then don't be rash. This must be a trap!"
"I can't stop. She's the only mother I have!"
"Calm down. Where did they tell you to go?"
Zhou Hen Ling sent me an address. I noticed the place was quite remote, and a doubt arose in my mind. Could it be real?
About 40 minutes later, I returned to the Forensic Academy, this time the one in Gao Gang City. Zhou Hen Ling had told me that her mother was tied up on the roof of the old female dormitory building of the Forensic Academy. When I reached the top floor, I found no one. I gripped my weapon and explored, having already called for backup.
It seemed my suspicions were correct. Fortunately, I had noticed something amiss while observing the trees and mirrors.
As the rooftop door was broken open, several tattooed men appeared before me. They seemed to have been lying in wait. Damn it! They dared to play me. I raised my gun, pointing forward, and yelled, "Zhou Hen Ling, get out here!"
"Hahaha! Officer He, I didn't expect you to see through our plan so quickly!"
"So fast? I figured it out when I saw those marks. If I'm not mistaken, you painted those words yourself, didn't you? You've put on quite a show!"
"Oh? So you've discovered it all, but it's no longer important. In fact, I wasn't the only one behind this case. I killed Old Liang, but Old Zhang wasn't killed by me; it was the woman by his side. Ahaha, I heard you all gave up investigating her, right?"
"You thought your plan was successful? I deliberately told them to withdraw. As for you, the result was that you saw them leave. You then tried to draw our attention. At that moment, I realized something was wrong with you. Perhaps you were sent by the organization!"
"You're right. Everyone outside says Detective He's reasoning abilities are strong, and it seems to be true. But how did you figure out that I sprayed those words directly?"
"Because you probably don't remember the half-fingerprint left on the camera. I just received a message from Xie Chu Chu saying the fingerprint is yours. If the pinhole camera wasn't placed by a peeping Tom, then this person simply doesn't exist! If I'm not mistaken, that man is probably just from the organization, and he's not even your husband!"
"Hmph! He's just a sacrifice. Staying there would have meant death anyway. It's better to make a contribution. Alright, Detective He! According to the organization's instructions, you must be eliminated today. They've changed their minds. Your head is worth a lot of money, and it's also a means for us to improve our status. I won't miss this opportunity!"
As soon as Zhou Hen Ling finished speaking, several tattooed men lunged at me. These were not ordinary thugs; I could tell their fighting styles were skilled and they were professionally trained.
Surrounded and attacked, I lost my footing and had to retreat. There were no obstacles here, and the open space was dangerous if I were forced to the edge of the rooftop. The tattooed men suddenly produced several Miao sabers and swung them at me. At this moment, Zhou Hen Ling also picked up a Miao saber and brandished it behind them, seemingly preparing to attack me together.
I never expected that a seemingly demure and professional female forensic doctor would have such a side to her. This woman was truly hiding a deep secret.
If I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes today, I would have thought this entire scene was an illusion. In this situation, I couldn't break free from the pressure of the tattooed men and soon found myself at the edge of the rooftop. Those men gritted their teeth, their expressions stern and cold, as they raised their sabers before me. Just as I was about to be pushed off the building, gunshots rang out from behind. Liu Yu Ning had arrived on the rooftop with many others!