The Novelist Forced to Become Famous

Ji Feng didn't react, so Jian Jing continued: "The lunch is even simpler to explain. It was bought in the evening, so who can prove it went into Li Xiaonuan's stomach? Given Li Xiaonuan's circumstances, it's illogical for her to eat such an expensive burger. I think the person who deliberately scalded themselves to leave an impression on the shop owner wasn't actually the victim.

"The killer bought Li Xiaonuan a burger for lunch at noon, killed her in the afternoon. Then they put on her clothes, went to that shop in the evening and bought an identical meal, intentionally leaving an impression on the shop owner to create the illusion that the victim was still alive in the evening."

"The way you describe it, is the killer a woman? Or do they have an accomplice?"

Ji Feng was unsure.

The victims were all of medium build, weighing about 90 to 100 pounds, which isn't particularly light. It wouldn't be easy for an ordinary woman to dump a body in the wilderness, and women who wear size 40 shoes are uncommon.

Jian Jing: "It could also be a man. Wrapped in a thick coat, wearing a scarf and a wig, they'd generally be unrecognizable. A man who wears size 40 shoes is definitely not tall."

Ji Feng made a sound of agreement, grasping the key point: "You think it's a man?"

"It's hard to say," she hesitated, "The way the killer handled the bodies gives me the impression of a man."

He pondered.

In this case, the killer's psychological motive was also a focus of police discussion.

The older officers said that young women might have been chosen simply because they were easy targets and less likely to be missed. The younger officers suggested that the killer might hate women, stemming from his childhood. He might have had a wicked stepmother, or perhaps suffered sexual abuse as a child.

There was another theory: the killer was impotent, and could only regain his confidence as a normal man through murder.

From what they could see, the killer didn't choose victims at random. They carefully selected targets who wouldn't be easily missed if they disappeared.

So, the fact that all the victims were young women seemed too coincidental. Even if the killer chose women because of their small build, the ages shouldn't be so similar.

The first theory could be ruled out.

The second... there was no evidence. While burning the bodies was cruel, it was done post-mortem, and burning wasn't the cause of death. There was no evidence that the girls had been tortured before death.

The third seemed most likely, and this might also be the key reason for burning the bodies -- he wanted to remove any possible hair or skin cells left behind.

However, psychological motives were ultimately just speculation.

Professor Jian's alibi theory seemed more reliable.

Ji Feng said, "As for Li Xiaonuan's case, only the shop owner has an alibi."

"Should we check his relationship with the other victims?"

"I'll ask Lao Gao to help."

Lao Gao was a veteran, and checking social connections was child's play for him. He quickly found the information.

The owner who employed Li Xiaonuan was named Huang Sheng. He was 25 years old in 2007, having graduated from college a few years earlier. He used to be a teacher at a private school before deciding to open his own tutoring center.

From 2002 to 2003, he was studying at a teachers' college in his hometown, with no connection to the other victims.

Jian Jing couldn't help asking: "In Li Xiaonuan's case, is there anyone else who is highly suspicious but has an alibi?"

Lao Gao: "No one."

She: "..."

The fox had hidden its tail too well.

Fortunately, by this time, Ji Feng had arrived in Beijing, found the agent, and obtained a statement. Fearing he might miss something in retelling, he sent Jian Jing an audio file of their conversation.

Agent: "Officer, I heard you were looking for me? I'm a law-abiding citizen."

Ji Feng: "Don't worry, I just want to ask you some questions today. Just answer truthfully."

Agent: "Hehe, I'll definitely cooperate with your work."

Ji Feng: "Do you remember Liu Yan?"

Agent: "Liu Yan? Sorry, I see many people every day. Do you have a photo?"

Sound of rummaging in pockets.

Agent: "This woman... looks familiar, I might have seen her, but I don't know her well."

Ji Feng: "In 2007, she was a model under your management."

Agent: "2007?! That's ancient history, I've changed companies three times since then. Oh my, you've got the wrong person."

Ji Feng: "She was killed in December 2007. You had a good relationship with her at that time, right?"

Agent (voice becomes nervous): "I didn't kill anyone."

Ji Feng: "When was the last time you saw Liu Yan?"

Silence for a moment.

Agent (uncertain): "Probably a few days before Christmas, the 23rd?"

Ji Feng: "Tell me more specifically."

Agent: "It's been over a decade, I really can't remember clearly... Liu Yan, her work attitude was good, she rarely complained about hardships, so I was willing to give her a boost. In 2007, let me think... oh right, there was a New Year's special issue cover, which I had struggled to get. Although it wasn't a big magazine, it was still a cover. She promised me she'd do a good job, but on the day of the shoot, she didn't show up."

He slapped his thigh, the sound sharp and loud: "Right, she didn't come, forcing me to find a replacement at the last minute. Always causing me trouble."

Ji Feng: "What date was that?"

Agent: "New Year's is January 1st, it goes to print on the 30th, let me calculate... the cover shoot must have been before the 27th. Probably the 26th or 27th, I don't remember the exact date."

Ji Feng: "Didn't you try to find her?"

Agent (disdainful): "Why would I look for her? If she didn't want to do it, plenty of others would. Should I indulge them? They're not my ancestors."

Ji Feng: "You didn't try to contact Liu Yan afterwards when you couldn't reach her?"

Agent: "Officer, I currently have contact information for hundreds of girls, and back then it was probably seventy or eighty. If you ask me if I tried to contact her, I can't say for sure, but after a few failed attempts, I definitely wouldn't bother anymore. We were just in a business relationship. Maybe she got tired of the work and didn't want to do it anymore? People come and go."

Ji Feng: "You just said she wasn't afraid of hard work."

Agent: "I was just saying that offhand, and it's not contradictory. I've seen many girls quit halfway, not because they don't want to make money, but because they found better opportunities. It's normal if Liu Yan caught someone's eye and decided to become a mistress."

Ji Feng: "Did anyone express such interest in her?"

Agent: "I can't remember. Maybe one or two at dinner parties, but bosses never lack for willing girls. They probably wouldn't even remember Liu Yan's name the next day. Wait, now that I think about it, Liu Yan seemed close to that photographer, what's his name... Wang Zihui, you should ask him."

Ji Feng: "I'm asking you. Did Liu Yan have any close friends?"

Agent: "No impression."

Ji Feng: "Where were you on the night of the 27th?"

Agent: "At the photo studio. We're very busy during New Year's and Christmas, at least two weeks straight, working day and night non-stop."

Ji Feng: "Were you with others the whole time?"

Agent: "Yes, I can swear to that. There was so much work, taking them to the studio, coordinating, attending dinner parties with bosses, bringing people to socialize. If you ask me who I was with on which day, I definitely can't remember, but I'm sure people saw me those days. You can check if you don't believe me."

Ji Feng: "Did Liu Yan ever mention being pursued or stalked by someone?"

Agent: "No."

Ji Feng: "Around the time she disappeared, did anything strange happen? Anything at all."

Agent: "I have absolutely no recollection. You've got the wrong person."

After that, Ji Feng jumbled up the questions and repeated them several times. The agent's answers occasionally flip-flopped, but there were no major contradictions.

The recording ended.

He called right on time: "Finished listening?"

Jian Jing: "Mm-hmm."

"Any thoughts?"

"The fact that people around her have no impression is also a characteristic," she said. "It's the type of person who appears around the victim but doesn't draw attention."

Ji Feng continued: "Taxi drivers, delivery men, insurance salesmen..." In a flash of inspiration, a hidden clue surfaced in his mind, "Real estate agents."

Wang Zihui's roommate had mentioned she was moving, so Wang Zihui would likely need a new roommate, and Liu Yan might also be looking for a new place to live.

They might both be in contact with real estate agents, without drawing attention.

Jian Jing: "In the Li Xiaonuan case, wasn't the person riding in Wu Honglin's car also a real estate agent?"

Ji Feng: "Yes."

"I'll go talk to her," Jian Jing said, pulling out the files.

The passenger was a key witness, with her identity information and signature on the statement. Her name was Yu Can, 28 years old in 2007, now approaching 40 and middle-aged.

Through her ID, they found her social security records and her current workplace - she was now a manager at a home furnishing store branch.

Jian Jing observed her from afar for a few minutes.

Yu Can had a neat, short hairstyle dyed burgundy. She wore a tight-fitting wool dress and knee-high boots. With her attractive figure and fashionable attire, she looked much younger than her age.

"Hello, Ms. Yu," she said. "Do you have a moment to chat?"

"Hello, is this your first time here?" Yu Can greeted warmly. "Please, come in and have a look around." She called for an employee to bring hot tea. "Did a friend recommend us? How far along is your home renovation? What style of furniture do you prefer?"

Jian Jing, who actually needed to buy furniture, wasn't in a hurry and casually asked a few questions.

Yu Can, however, said, "Miss, the items you're looking for are quite high-end. We mainly deal in mid-range furniture, which might not meet your requirements."

Her honesty was admirable.

Jian Jing smiled, "That's alright if you don't have what I need. I'm actually here to ask about something else - did you experience a major incident in 2007?"

Yu Can was surprised, "Yes, how did you know?"

"I'm a relative of that girl," she said. "I wanted to ask if you had seen her before?"

Yu Can replied, "You've got it wrong. The police contacted me because I had ridden in an unlicensed taxi." She shuddered, still seeming shaken by the memory. "It terrified me. I'll never forget it. I heard that the driver had just killed someone before picking me up. My friend said I might have been the next victim if things had gone differently."

She was talkative, sharing a lot without Jian Jing having to ask.

Jian Jing inquired, "You were working as a real estate agent in that area at the time. Didn't you ever see the victim?"

Yu Can shook her head, "The police showed me a photo, but I didn't recognize her. She wasn't our client either. In 2007, the west side of the city was just starting to develop. We had few rental inquiries - half of those who came were small business owners or investors."

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you take an unlicensed taxi that day? Weren't you afraid, especially so late?"

Yu Can said, "Of course I was afraid, but I had worked very late that day."

"Our branch had just opened with only three people. Everyone was trying to close big deals, running around all day. I remember clearly, on the 17th, I helped two clients sign contracts in the morning, showed apartments to potential tenants in the afternoon, and by the time I finished, it was almost dinner time. I still had to go back to organize documents. Computers weren't as common then, so we had to manually track which properties were sold, which needed tenants, and so on.

"My colleague and I worked until very late. All the lights outside were off, and there was no public transport. I asked my colleague if he could drop me at the subway station, but he said he had to pick up a friend and wasn't going that way. He suggested I take a taxi.

"To be honest, I was reluctant to take an unlicensed taxi. I was worried about safety. But my colleague said he had taken them a few times. Seeing my concern, he went with me and asked the driver to make sure I got home safely. Nothing happened, and I felt I had overreacted. Who knew that just a few days later, the police would come knocking."

She looked relieved, "I was terrified. I immediately quit my job as a real estate agent. Making money is good, but you need to be alive to spend it."

Jian Jing: "What was your colleague's name?"

Yu Can thought for a moment and said, "I think it was Zhao Bin."

"What kind of person was he?"

Yu Can's memories were vague, but she shared what she could: "He was quite quiet, not very tall, and seemed a bit insecure. He was very polite, always calling me 'Sister Yu', and he was hardworking, not afraid of doing odd jobs."

Jian Jing nodded and wrote down a phone number: "Thank you. If you remember anything else, please call this number."