It was already night when Lin Xiaowei returned home after a full day at work.
Although the Lin family's reputation in Tiannan was nothing extraordinary, Old Master Lin had built his fortune through perseverance and courage, amassing assets worth billions. Thanks to that, Lin Xiaowei had been able to buy an eighty-square-meter apartment of her own, even while stationed in Yunmeng City.
At first, she had been assigned to handle various major and important cases at the police bureau. Her life back then could be considered relatively peaceful. But over the past year or two, the number of such criminal cases had surged, especially missing-person cases, which now numbered in the thousands every month.
Although more than half of the missing people were eventually found, the number of unsolved missing-person cases still averaged over five hundred a month.
Even though she wasn't directly involved in those investigations, the workload had severely drained the bureau's manpower, indirectly slowing down the work of her own department as well.
She had just stretched out on the sofa to rest for a moment when her phone suddenly rang at the worst possible time. She glanced at the caller ID on the screen.
"Zhang Qing? What's going on?" she asked as she answered the call.
Zhang Qing's voice came from the other end, firm and direct. "The killer struck again! This time, it wasn't in Yunmeng but in Shanlong. Inspector Zhao wants us to coordinate with the Shanlong City Police Bureau so Advisor Xia can act immediately."
Lin Xiaowei had just settled comfortably onto the sofa, but she immediately sat upright. "I'll leave right away!"
"I knew you'd say that. The car's almost downstairs," Zhang Qing reported.
Five minutes later, Lin Xiaowei stepped into the police command vehicle. Several people were already waiting there: Zhang Qing, Xia Wuyuan, Ye Yuhe, and a number of elite officers temporarily assigned from the Yunmeng Police Bureau to assist Xia Wuyuan. Everyone looked busy discussing the situation and making preparations.
As soon as Lin Xiaowei entered, Xia Wuyuan merely gave her a brief nod before returning to his work.
"The same culprit?" she asked.
"Yes," Zhang Qing replied with a nod. "After killing Lei Ao, he reportedly said something like, 'So Shanlong's number one isn't anything special after all.' His words suggest this wasn't merely an act of revenge, but a life-and-death battle between martial artists, which lines up with our theory about the killer's motive."
"Were there any eyewitnesses?" Lin Xiaowei's eyes lit up at once.
Zhang Qing frowned. "They were too far away to see his face. They could only hear the conversation. The killer is extremely vicious and rarely leaves even a single survivor. Fang Qing did survive that time, but he suffered severe head trauma and was mentally disoriented. Besides, according to the doctor's diagnosis, he probably won't ever make a full recovery. I actually suspect..."
The veteran officer fell silent for a moment. "Every time he strikes, he deliberately leaves information for us."
"You mean..." Lin Xiaowei glanced at Xia Wuyuan, then lowered her voice. "His real goal in hunting down all those famous martial arts masters isn't to seize the title of number one in Tiannan?"
Zhang Qing shook his head. "I just don't believe anyone would go this insane for a worthless title."
Even if that title really was his original goal, his behavior could only be described as sheer madness.
"If that's not it, then why else would he be killing? The victims have nothing in common except that they were famous martial arts masters," Lin Xiaowei pressed.
Zhang Qing had no answer to that question.
The vehicle sped through the night, arriving at the crime scene an hour later. The Shanlong City Police Bureau had already secured the area. They stepped inside the cordoned-off perimeter.
A large, broad-shouldered man in a perfectly fitted suit was berating a middle-aged police chief. Xia Wuyuan's gaze immediately settled on him. Almost at the same instant, the man sensed his stare and looked back.
The moment their eyes met, a chill suddenly ran down Xia Wuyuan's spine. It felt as though he were being watched by a monster.
But when the man noticed the police badge on Xia Wuyuan's chest, he quickly looked away, said a few more words to the police chief, then turned and walked toward a luxury car parked nearby.
"Wait..." Xia Wuyuan stepped forward.
The two men escorting the suited figure immediately blocked his path. "Sir, please don't approach our boss. We don't want any misunderstandings."
"I need him to answer a few questions," Xia Wuyuan said.
The middle-aged police officer who had just been berated hurried over to him. "Advisor Xia, Director You has absolutely nothing to do with this case. He's the majority shareholder of Yulong International, and Director Lei used to be a shareholder in the company as well. That's why, when he heard that Director Lei had died, he took the time to come here personally and check on the situation..."
The majority shareholder of Yulong International? Lin Xiaowei knew many of the important figures in and around Yunmeng City. The man's name was You Long. Although he kept a low profile in Shanlong, he was far more famous in Feiyu, where his business was based.
Even so, he was undoubtedly the most terrifying predator in all of Shanlong.
The fact that Yulong International alone contributed twenty percent of Shanlong's annual tax revenue was proof enough of the extent of his influence.
"Someone as powerful as him couldn't possibly have a motive for murder, and there's no way he'd have enough time to become a Shadow Demon and roam all over Tiannan just to kill people," Lin Xiaowei said.
The middle-aged officer nodded repeatedly. Hearing that, Xia Wuyuan looked toward You Long, who was gradually moving away surrounded by his guards and assistants. In the end, he said nothing more and turned back to examine Lei Ao's body.
Ye Yuhe stared at Lei Ao's corpse. It had been pierced through by a single thrust that crushed his heart, while a second thrust had also shattered his skull. He couldn't help muttering a curse under his breath. "Too vicious."
"We've made the comparison," Zhang Qing said after completing the formalities with the chief of the Shanlong City Police Bureau. "Based on the wounds, the weapon used to kill the victim was the same one that killed Xia Li. So it really was the same culprit."
"Senior Brother, your deduction was right," Ye Yuhe immediately cut in. "Four of Tiannan's Ten Tigers have already died at his hands. There's a very good chance his next target will be another member of the Ten Tigers. By eliminating them one by one, he's proving his strength. Besides, considering how he always chooses prominent figures, his next target will likely be either T-Rex Wang Lie or Iron Fist Shan Zhen. We can send people to watch over them and ask them to cooperate as well. We could catch him by quietly setting a trap!"
"An ambush strategy is somewhat passive, but until we find more clues, it's the only option available to us," Xia Wuyuan replied.
They discussed the matter briefly before continuing to process the crime scene. They worked for hours, recording everything that needed to be recorded, before preparing to return to headquarters.
On the way back, Lin Xiaowei was busy scrolling through the screen and scrutinizing the stream of information they had collected when a newly added file suddenly caught her attention.
This district had recently been equipped with a Light System funded by Lei Ao. Using it, they had compiled the identity records of everyone who had passed through the area before and after the murder.
Thousands of entries had come in, but one name immediately seized her attention: Su Yaoguang.
"The Third Young Master of the Su family? He came to Shanlong?" Lin Xiaowei exclaimed in surprise.