The Last Mr. Dongguo

"The other person is Zou Wen."

Dongfang Lin said Zou Wen's name with a hint of helplessness. The atmosphere in the conference room immediately became tense, and everyone's eyes turned to Zou Wen. Bai Xin took a deep breath, opened a pack of cigarettes, and offered one to Zou Wen. Zou Wen smiled and waved his hand, "I won't smoke in the conference room!"

"Alright, let's get down to business."

"That's right, I did look for the deceased last night, but he was already dead when I arrived at the scene. I also found a message left by the murderer at the scene, so I rushed to Yangmei Road, but I didn't see the person I was supposed to meet."

How was the message delivered to you?

Zou Wen took out a slip of paper and handed it to Bai Xin. After Bai Xin opened it, several messages spelled out in newspaper text appeared before his eyes.

"Don't call the police, or you'll never see him again. Meet me at the newsstand on Yangmei Road at 7:30 tomorrow morning."

"Who are you referring to?"

"It's my father, Zou Qiang, who mysteriously disappeared after the case ten years ago. After the case was shelved back then, I felt that it wasn't that simple, and I believe everyone here felt the same way. I searched for him for ten years, and I never expected that they would come back now."

After reading the note, Bai Xin handed it to Han Zhen and then looked at Zou Wen again, asking, "How do you know the deceased?"

"Liu Wei is one of the leading authorities on the study of the Classic of Mountains and Seas and Baizhugou in China. I contacted him simply to learn more about the Classic of Mountains and Seas and Baizhugou. Moreover, I suspect that all his actions revolve around the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Of course, it could also be something else, but we don't know for sure yet."

Bai Xin gestured for Han Zhen to show everyone the mythical beast found at the crime scene, and then revealed the truth to Zou Wen. "This is a pattern that Han Zhen found on the floor at the crime scene. After investigation, the blood-red pattern depicts the ancient mythical beast Kui from the Classic of Mountains and Seas. We don't know what it means yet. Is it a clue left by the deceased to guide our investigation, or is it a lead pointing to you? We don't know."

Zou Wen touched the dragon and kui jade pendant hanging around his neck and continued listening to Bai Xin's report.

"Furthermore, Han Zhen also inspected the mechanism's activation device at the scene, and it was a very common mechanism. Given the killer's calm and collected modus operandi, it's impossible that he couldn't find a way to activate it. The fact that the killer didn't flip the pattern but instead covered it with the victim's blood is itself a contradiction. At the spot where the victim fell, we also found a string of numbers that appears to have been written in the victim's blood before death."

Bai Xin pulled up another photo, the glaring blood-red words assaulting everyone's eyes.

P256.

"This should be a page number. But there are many books at the scene, and we don't know which book the deceased was referring to or what this represents. Currently, Han Zhen and Dongfang have already started investigating. Therefore, my opinion is that, for your safety and the solving of the case, I hope you can put aside your burdens and focus all your efforts on solving the case, just like before." Bai Xin extended his right hand to Zou Wen.

Zou Wen remained remarkably calm throughout, but at this moment he revealed a smile that Bai Xin found inscrutable, seemingly indicating his agreement. Zou Wen and Bai Xin then clasped their right hands tightly together.

"Leave the rest to me. I'm confident you'll get the answers you're looking for. Now, let's talk about the autopsy results." Bai Xin had Zou Wen project partial photos of the body onto the screen; the gruesome images were unsettling.

"According to the autopsy results, the deceased did not show any toxicological reactions, nor were there any restraint marks on his body. Therefore, it can be confirmed that the deceased knew the murderer well and was willing to die." Zou Wen tapped the table with his pen. "Moreover, the murderer used various methods such as burning and beating to torture the deceased before finally cutting off his head and taking it away from the scene."

"Team Leader Bai, you know the autopsy report and the scene findings. What are your thoughts?"

"The murderer is male, between 35 and 45 years old, highly educated, calm and collected, with exceptional mental fortitude. He has a stable job, appears friendly on the surface, but is actually withdrawn and has few close friends. He keeps a low profile and is likely engaged in technical work, often working night shifts, with high job flexibility, possibly in an unknown small company. He likely experienced setbacks in his childhood and comes from a single-parent family. Also, Dongfang, pull up Liu Ming's photo," Dongfang Lin said, quickly zooming in on the photo and projecting it onto the screen. "Liu Ming shouldn't be the direct culprit. Based on the information we have, Liu Ming was just an ordinary worker in the past, without any special skills, and couldn't possibly have such a mind. However, the fact that he appeared near the scene twice makes him a key suspect. Although he tried his best to hide himself, he still didn't quite grasp the essence; his movements show many signs of imitation and copying. Therefore, once we find Liu Ming, I think we can get some useful clues from him."

Late sunlight streamed into the alleyway, bringing a much-needed warmth to the otherwise cold atmosphere. The man in black looked up, savoring the comforting sunlight, then snapped his fingers towards the sky. Suddenly, the soft, warm sunlight intensified, and a blinding beam of light descended from the heavens, engulfing Fei Li and his companions. When Fei Li opened his eyes again, he found himself inside a luxurious bar.

The bar was decorated in a lavish, opulent style, yet there wasn't a single customer; even the security guards and staff were nowhere to be seen. It was as if the bar had been specially prepared for Fei Li and Li Mengying, with only a familiar melody playing.

"It's too cold outside. Good psychological counseling requires a suitable environment. A comfortable environment allows for greater relaxation and is more effective for treatment. Here, I've mixed you a cocktail; I'm sure you'll like it."

The man in black had changed into a suit and sat at the bar, skillfully swirling the cocktail shaker in his hand. In the blink of an eye, a glass of pure black liquor was displayed in front of Fei Li and Li Mengying.

The black liquor, swirling like a black hole in the stemmed glass, drew Fei Li's gaze.

"A completely black cocktail! How did you manage to mix it?"

"Give me your diary, and I'll tell you the answer. We'll both benefit, and we'll cooperate."

The man in black pointed to himself and then to Fei Li, a mysterious smile on his face—a truly confident smile.

Fei Li hesitated. The pure black cocktail was her mother's original creation, and no one else could replicate it. Under the lights, it spun endlessly like a bottomless black hole.

"Feili, no!"

Li Mengying held onto Fei Li tightly, but this did not stop Fei Li from getting close to the black wine that seemed to have magical power.

"Try it and see if it tastes the same."

The man in black gentlemanly handed the glass to Fei Li. The moment Fei Li took the glass, a familiar, refreshing aroma wafted towards her.

It tastes like mom's cooking.

Tears welled up uncontrollably and streamed down my face.