33: The truth hidden in the fog

“Captain Shen, how do you explain the suspicious number of bloodstains in the Mu Yu Rou Case?”

Gao Ze looked calmly at Shen Gang, his heart already filled with speculation.

That Liu Yumin was likely someone Zheng Yiren, the real culprit, hired to take the fall for the case. He probably didn't violate Mu Yu Rou, and he might not even be the Flower Season Girls Murderer.

Of course, the rich second-generation Zheng Yiren wasn't the Flower Season Girls Murderer either.

The timeline didn't match. The earliest Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer case could be traced back ten years, when Zheng Yiren was still a child and lacked the capacity to commit such crimes.

“It's possible that Liu Yumin, this Flower Season Girls Murderer, committed another rape and murder of a teenage girl over the years, but our Donghai City Police haven't uncovered it,” Shen Gang mused.

“Shen Team, you're shooting the arrow first and then drawing the target. Do you even believe that explanation yourself?”

Gao Ze shook his head and said, “Even if that could be explained, how do you explain the location of Mu Yu Rou’s bloodstains? In previous Flower Season Girls Murderer cases, the bloodstains were always on the victim’s right forearm, but Mu Yu Rou’s were on her left forearm.”

“Perhaps Liu Yumin got older…,” Shen Gang began, then immediately shook his head, finding the explanation too far-fetched even to himself.

“Getting older—that excuse might work for ordinary people, but for a serial killer, you can’t use such a justification; you need to present evidence.”

Gao Ze said, “Moreover, in the four Flower Season Girls Murderer cases that occurred over the past decade, the killer marked the same number of bloodstains on the victim’s right forearm.

After the victims were killed, their bodies were all found in open, easily exposed locations.

It’s clear that the Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer intentionally provoked our Police.

With such a daring and reckless personality, if he truly committed rape and murder, how could he make such simple oversights regarding the number and location of bloodstains?”

Shen Gang: “.........”

He had to admit, Gao Ze wasn’t wrong; these discrepancies were highly unusual.

“I’ll call the Jinghai District Criminal Investigation Brigade. The Mu Yu Rou Case and the arrest of Liu Yumin were both handled by their team back then.”

“I’ll also ask about Liu Yumin’s situation. Was he executed?”

Gao Ze held a glimmer of hope, wishing Liu Yumin hadn’t been executed or was still on probation. That way, he would have a chance to interrogate Liu Yumin and extract the truth from him.

“I’ll ask about everything!”

Shen Gang picked up the phone and contacted the Jinghai District Criminal Investigation Brigade.

More than ten minutes later, after several calls, Shen Gang hung up, his gaze fixed on Gao Ze, his expression one of shocked uncertainty.

“What’s wrong?”

Gao Ze sensed that Shen Gang must have uncovered something significant.

“Brother Gao, I asked about all your suspicions, but things are going to be more unexpected than you imagine.”

Gao Ze asked curiously, “How so?”

“The person responsible for investigating the Mu Yu Rou Case and arresting Liu Yumin back then was Zhao Yan, the captain of the Jinghai District Criminal Investigation Brigade. He has since been transferred to the Police force in our neighboring province, so I couldn’t reach him.”

“I had to ask the Police officers who were involved in those cases back then. They told me that they also suspected the number and location of the bloodstains on Mu Yu Rou’s left forearm and questioned Liu Yumin about it.

Liu Yumin explained that he had committed another murder during those ten years, which is why he marked Mu Yu Rou’s bloodstains as six.

As for the bloodstains being on Mu Yu Rou’s left forearm, unlike the usual right forearm, he said he didn’t want to be unoriginal anymore.”

Gao Ze immediately asked, “Did the Police back then investigate the other case Liu Yumin claimed to have committed? Did they find the victim’s body?”

Shen Gang shook his head and said, “No!”

Gao Ze fell silent. If they hadn’t found the other case Liu Yumin claimed to have committed, then any elaborate explanation would be very unconvincing.

“What’s Liu Yumin’s current situation? Is he dead?”

Gao Ze looked up at Shen Gang, clenching his fists tightly, his fingers digging into his palms, a faint stinging sensation clearly present.

If Liu Yumin insisted on confessing to the four Flower Season Girls Murderer cases and admitting to raping and murdering Mu Yu Rou, then with most of the murder suspicions aligning, the Police would very likely consider him the true culprit.

But in that case,

Given Liu Yumin’s crimes, he would certainly be sentenced to death, without exception.

But Gao Ze knew that Liu Yumin was likely an innocent life.

“He’s dead!”

Shen Gang nodded and said, “Liu Yumin was sentenced to death, with a one-year suspended execution due to his confession and admission of guilt. However, he died in prison after only half a year.”

“He died in prison after half a year? How did Liu Yumin die?” Gao Ze found it hard to believe.

Shen Gang was silent for a moment, then his voice was hoarse as he said, “He died of illness, advanced lung cancer.”

His eyes flashed with unconcealed shock. Gao Ze clutched Liu Yumin’s case files tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, and glared at Shen Gang, saying,

“Captain Shen, do you still think there’s nothing fishy about the Mu Yu Rou Case?”

“There’s definitely something wrong with the Mu Yu Rou Case; it’s likely the real culprit found Liu Yumin to take the fall!”

Shen Gang’s rough voice trembled slightly, as if a volcano was suppressing deep-seated rage. His square face was a mix of anger and sorrow as he slammed his fist heavily on the office desk:

“Deceiving the truth, toying with the law—he has such audacity!

The Mu Yu Rou Case must be thoroughly investigated. If there’s anyone who covered it up for personal gain, they must be investigated! If there’s any illicit dealings, they must be investigated!”

“But where do we even begin to investigate?”

A bitter smile appeared on Shen Gang’s face as he sighed to Gao Ze:

“Actually, when Liu Yumin died of cancer in prison, the Police officers who were involved in the Mu Yu Rou Case back then already felt a sense of alarm.

For example, Qi Zhiyuan, the current captain of the Jinghai District Criminal Investigation Brigade, was also involved in the Mu Yu Rou Case back then. After Liu Yumin died, he realized there was something wrong with the case.

But the best time to investigate had already passed.

Liu Yumin was dead, Mu Yu Rou’s body had been buried, and most of the clues were completely gone.”

“So, if the clues are gone, we shouldn’t investigate?”

Gao Ze glanced at Shen Gang and retorted, “Should we let Mu Yu Rou die unjustly, let Liu Yumin die with a grievance, and let the true culprit go unpunished?”

“Of course not, we definitely need to keep investigating.”

“In fact, Captain Qi Zhiyuan of Jinghai District and many other Police officers are still investigating. Some of them have already resigned but are still investigating and haven’t given up.”

Shen Gang stated firmly, “It’s just that the Mu Yu Rou Case, having missed its window and with clues gone, is shrouded in heavy fog and isn’t that easy to investigate.”

“It’s like Captain Qi Zhiyuan; he’s always felt very guilty and has been investigating for the past two years, but he hasn’t found anything.”

“Brother Gao, do you have any clues about the Mu Yu Rou Case?”

Shen Gang felt a glimmer of hope. He hadn’t known about the Mu Yu Rou Case until Gao Ze told him about it, even giving him some strange explanations beforehand.

Gao Ze had probably known all along that there was something fishy about the Mu Yu Rou Case.

“I do have clues about the Mu Yu Rou Case, and I even know the identity of the true culprit who raped and murdered Mu Yu Rou.”

“Who is it?”

Shen Gang’s mouth dropped open, unable to hide the wild joy on his face.

Damn, this was too unexpected! The Jinghai District Criminal Investigation Brigade had been investigating the case for two years with not a single clue, and Gao Ze already knew the killer?

This surprise was too great!