I initially thought the previous cases were strange enough, but as I've gotten older, we've encountered an extremely peculiar one. This ignited my desire to solve the case, and I excitedly said to Li Zhiliang, "You can let those two students go for now. Thanks for the reminder. I'll find a clue as soon as possible."
"Alright, it's my honor to help you. Please send my regards to He Xin. I haven't seen her in a long time."
"Haha, once the case is solved, we'll come visit you! But she's already..."
I told him about He Xin and Dao Zhi Yong. Li Zhiliang seemed a bit disappointed for some reason, "I see. But I'd like to meet that Officer Dao and see what he's like."
"Gahahaha, already thinking of witnessing He Xin? Don't worry, my disciple won't disappoint!"
"No wonder you agreed. So there's this layer of connection between you two. That's good, then I can rest assured!"
After hanging up, I shared the results with everyone. Upon learning that the two students had no psychological problems, Liu Yuning said, "Could it really be as you said? If one of the couple were still alive, the motive would most likely be murder for inheritance. But if both are dead, that possibility is reduced. However, if it were Xiao Li, then what's the motive?"
I remained silent at the time. Given Chi Tianyun's lifestyle and personality, the most likely conclusion was...
"Each of you go and investigate Chi Tianyun's movements, the surveillance footage near the crime scene, including supermarkets, squares, and shops. Has she offended anyone recently? Does she have any close friends or relatives? Investigate her husband in the same way. And keep an eye on those two students!"
"Yes, Director He!"
"Outside, you can still call me Team Leader He. Let's be low-key! Remember, don't make me remind you a second time!"
"Okay!"
Everyone agreed and dispersed. I took He Xin back to the former Fuming City police station. The plan was for her to assist the technical officers there with her skills, but from the moment she arrived, everyone else ended up assisting her.
Yuan Hezhi was also present this time. The investigators brought back surveillance footage from the roads near the scene, and they were all helping to review it. After a series of investigations, we discovered that Chi Tianyun's husband was named Lu Yangjia. If the confessions of the two male students were true, then the victims would definitely be her and Lu Yangjia. But the problem was, the bodies hadn't been found yet. Soon, their relatives reported them missing. This meant the Missing Persons Investigation Department also got involved. Until the people were found, we couldn't officially classify it as a murder case. After searching for a while without a breakthrough, He Xin found Chi Tianyun's company for us, and we planned to conduct interviews there.
Chi Tianyun's company was located at Taifu Real Estate in Fuming City. She was in the real estate business, no wonder she was so wealthy.
Liu Yuning, Dao Zhi Yong, Su Yaxin, and I came here to investigate.
After going upstairs, we deliberately didn't reveal the truth, only saying we wanted to see Ms. Chi. A male secretary seemed surprised and told us, "Ms. Chi hasn't been to the company for several days. I don't know what's going on."
"You don't know yet?" I asked.
"What's wrong? Did something happen to her?"
"She's currently missing. Her family has already reported it. We're here for this case, hence our visit to your company."
"I see. I was wondering what was going on with Ms. Chi. I even thought about calling her. Although she usually dislikes being bothered, if too much time passes, many projects can't be decided."
As I listened to the secretary, other officers went to interview other employees. I walked into Chi Tianyun's office with the male secretary. Looking around, I wondered why it was so pink. There was a Vermilion Bird array painted on the wall, and it was adorned with numerous peach blossoms, all tied together with copper coins. Was this the Vermilion Bird Peach Blossom Array? I had seen such feng shui formations in the books my grandfather gave me. Although I work in criminal investigation, the ancient art of autopsy included not only medicine but also feng shui.
According to the books, this kind of formation would attract many individuals of the opposite sex.
At that moment, I thought, couldn't this Ms. Chi be deliberately using this method to attract men and then play with them?
Noticing me observing the surroundings, the male secretary coughed, "Officer He, what's wrong?"
"Doesn't this formation strike you as odd? Did Ms. Chi hire a feng shui master to set it up before?" I asked. The formation was arranged very professionally, and it seemed like only a professional could have done it.
"This... yes, she invited Mr. Yin to help set it up. But I don't know what this formation is for? Isn't it meant to increase business?" The secretary's expression was off; it was clear he was pretending.
I gave a cold smile, "Tell me, you don't know?"
"Yes! What's wrong?"
"Don't try to hide anything from me. Your lie is about to be exposed!"
"I'm not!"
"Be honest. Do you know some secret?"
"Actually, I know what this formation is for."
"Then why did you lie to me? Are you saying your relationship with Ms. Chi is unusual?"
"Don't accuse me! But I won't hide anything. In the company, as long as it's a man who's somewhat attractive, or rather, handsome, Ms. Chi would..."
I showed a look of disgust, "So you know this formation is used to seduce those men? After they enter, they become dazed after a short while, feel very hot, and even though they know Ms. Chi isn't attractive, they can't help but..."
"That's right. But this shouldn't have anything to do with her disappearance, should it?"
"Whether it has anything to do with it is up to us. Alright, you can leave now. I want to investigate here alone!"
The male secretary looked extremely embarrassed and quickly left. I closed the door. Of course, I wasn't here to sense the power of this formation. I went to the wall and used scissors from my investigation kit to cut a red thread, breaking the formation. This sort of thing can't be dismissed as superstition; it falls within the realm of metaphysics. I had put on my protective gear before entering. Although it wasn't a murder scene, I was still very cautious.
I began to search through Chi Tianyun's used items, rummaging through drawers and cabinets. I took out the inspection umbrella, attached the invisible reflector tube to it, and used white wine, seaweed ash, and that liquid my grandfather gave me... I discovered there were... too many traces of men here. I found quite a bit of pubic hair and semen. I also tested it with reagent paper, and it was positive. This office was likely used by Chi Tianyun to harvest her prey on a daily basis. I found many condom wrappers in the trash can.