Chapter Sixty-Three: Elder Mo in Peril!

Tang Jingjing had just opened her mouth to speak when Old Lin suddenly stopped Tang Yuyou. “Hold your tongue. When we’ve finished our investigation, you can speak then. Let’s see if the murderer we find matches the one you suspect.”

Tang Jingjing, caught between laughter and tears, protested, “Old Lin, is now really the time for games? If we don’t identify the real killer within two days, once the evidence is presented, even if the murderer isn’t the station chief, he’ll still be charged with murder.”

Old Lin slammed the table heavily. “Exactly! I intend to play—and I want to play hard! Anyone who could harm a child is less than a beast.”

I knew Old Lin was truly enraged.

A panda, gentle on the surface, when provoked, will devour. A kindly elder, when angered, can kill.

“What do we do next?” Li Hong asked.

Old Lin replied calmly, “We wait for the murderer to come to us. Right now, the killer must be at their most relaxed. More and more flaws will show.”

“Wait?” Tang Jingjing’s eyes widened. “Are you joking? How long are we supposed to wait?”

Old Lin’s answer was laced with meaning. “They will come out eventually.”

After about twenty minutes, the front of the police station grew lively, filled with cries and wails.

Old Lin said, “Come, let’s go see!”

It turned out the girl’s family had arrived. They’d heard about the discovery of her body—and their daughter had gone missing early that morning.

Old Lin soothed the mother’s emotions and said, “We need to check Xiang’er’s room now. The chances of finding clues during the golden window are high.”

The girl’s mother, grinding her teeth, insisted, “Go now! Find the killer. I want him torn to pieces.”

Old Lin nodded.

She clung to Old Lin’s arm. “Don’t leave yet—I want to report someone.”

“Who?” Old Lin asked.

“The station chief’s son, Huang Miaomiao,” the mother said. “He’s always harassed my daughter. She refused him. He must have held a grudge and killed her. You must help us!”

Old Lin nodded. “Rest assured, if it truly is him, it doesn’t matter if he’s the chief’s son, or even a leader’s son—I’ll bring him to justice! We’ve already sent someone to apprehend Huang Miaomiao. He’ll be detained soon.”

Not long after, Xiao Li returned, escorting Huang Miaomiao. Huang Miaomiao was pale, legs trembling violently. Upon seeing Old Lin, he dropped to his knees with a thud. “It was my father who killed her, not me! I swear, I didn’t know a thing!”

I was speechless—this son would betray even his own father.

Old Lin said, “It’s too early to say anything now. Detain him first. I’ll interrogate him when I return.”

Xiao Li nodded, lifting Huang Miaomiao, who was too frightened to walk.

At the sight of him, the girl’s mother rushed at Huang Miaomiao in a frenzy, attempting to hit him. He wet himself in terror, crying out, “It wasn’t me! Truly wasn’t me!”

Old Lin had Li Hong support the girl’s mother and led the way to the girl’s home, specifically instructing Xiao Li to drive.

Xiao Li nodded and drove Old Lin ahead; Li Hong and I followed in the car behind.

Arriving at the girl’s room, everything appeared normal. Old Lin patiently questioned the mother about the details of Xiang’er’s disappearance.

In the end, it was concluded that the perpetrator had entered through the window, rendered Xiang’er unconscious, and dragged her out through the same window.

Old Lin instructed us to search for clues. Soon, we found several footprints—all from the station chief’s Golden Monkey leather shoes. Nearby the window, we also found a pile of black excrement, confirmed to have been left by the police dog.

Old Lin analyzed, “It appears the killer had close contact with the police dog. Only someone familiar with the dog could command it to stay quiet, allowing him to take the dog away without a sound and have it follow him everywhere.”

“Xiao Li, who at the station could do this?”

Xiao Li thought for a moment. “Only four people—the chief, and three dog handlers.”

Old Lin nodded thoughtfully and continued searching the room, but found nothing more.

At last, Old Lin’s attention was caught by a locked drawer. He asked, “Can it be opened?”

Xiao Li said he would ask the mother.

He left and soon returned with a key, unlocking the drawer.

Inside lay a diary, quiet and undisturbed.

Old Lin took the diary without reading it, placed it in an evidence bag, and handed it to me.

I nodded and stored it carefully.

“Let’s go,” said Old Lin. “We should be able to conclude that the station chief is the murderer.”

Xiao Li asked, “Shouldn’t we keep looking? Isn’t this a bit hasty?”

Old Lin smiled. “What clues do you think we’re missing?”

Xiao Li was silent, scanning the room, then admitted he didn’t know.

Old Lin instructed him to drive back to the station.

We led the way in our car.

Li Hong asked, “Is Mo Lao in danger?”

I shook my head. “He shouldn’t be.”

Li Hong still looked worried. I told him to focus on driving, and if danger arose, we’d adapt.

Our car stopped slowly in front of the police station. I told Li Hong not to get out and to keep the engine running, waiting for the other car.

Xiao Li stopped and rolled down the window. “Old Lin wants to go somewhere. Wait here for us!”

Through the window, I saw Old Lin—Mo Lao—nod subtly at us.

I said, “Alright, be careful.” Xiao Li assured me, then drove off.

Li Hong could no longer sit still. “We have to follow! I have a feeling Old Lin’s been coerced!”

I told him not to rush—Old Lin must have prepared for this. Tang Jingjing, furious, ground her teeth. “I knew that guy wasn’t trustworthy, pretending to be so loyal!”

I smiled helplessly. “Is it the same person you suspected?”

Tang Jingjing’s beautiful face flushed crimson. “It’s him!”

After ten minutes, once the car was well out of sight, I told Li Hong, “Follow them, but be careful…”

Li Hong nodded, started the engine, and pursued. I warned him to keep a distance, so we wouldn’t alarm the other party.

Li Hong replied, “Don’t worry—I know what I’m doing.”

However, once we left the town, there was no sign of the car.

I panicked. “Something’s wrong. They didn’t flee.”

Li Hong, unusually startled, said, “Then you think… they plan to harm Old Lin?”

My face darkened. “Very likely.”

“Damn!” Li Hong stomped the brakes and cursed. “Careless, truly careless!”

Tang Jingjing was near tears. “It’s over, it’s over, it’s over. If Mo Lao comes to harm, none of us will survive… I won’t be able to face Chief Wang.”

I hurried to comfort her. “Don’t panic, there’s got to be a way.”

No time for anything else—I could only call Old Lin.

But his phone was switched off.

I tried Xiao Li’s—also off.

Tang Jingjing really began to cry, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Li Hong, furious, kept stomping the accelerator.

Calm—must stay calm. I closed my eyes and mentally reviewed the “True Record of Redressing Injustice.”

“The murderer, when pressed, often silences witnesses, usually choosing places they know well.”

That is, the more familiar the killer is with a place, the less likely they are to leave evidence—and their most familiar place is likely the crime scene.

“To the abandoned house,” I shouted. “They must be there!”

Li Hong didn’t ask, just floored the accelerator and sped toward the abandoned house.

We arrived at its entrance. It was as tranquil as ever, but I knew beneath that calm lay a storm of violence.

I immediately got out to investigate. At the door, I found a tiny clue—a keypad from an old Nokia phone.

On the rotten door, there was a new mark—a sign of something being smashed.

A picture formed in my mind.

Old Lin sensed the danger and tried to call us, but the killer, realizing he might be exposed, snatched the phone from Old Lin, smashed it against the door, breaking it.

The killer, worried about leaving evidence, picked up the phone—but missed the small keypad.

I went inside to check, but found no signs of anyone having entered.

“To the riverside,” I said. “The place where Xiang’er was killed.”

Li Hong immediately drove there.