SFTD -Chapter 217 The Incomplete Password (Part 1)

Lu Xi lifted her chin toward her parents, looking slightly provocative.

Seeing Zhou Hai standing there acting so foolishly, the two elders could not help but laugh happily as well. Finding a man like this for their daughter—it seemed their girl truly had good judgment. With that, what more was there to be picky about?

“Alright, alright, we know you treat Xixi well! Let’s discuss the wedding date.”

“……”

That entire afternoon was basically spent settling the details of their marriage. The wedding date was set for October 1st, leaving them nearly six months to prepare, which was more than enough time. However, judging from the attitudes of the two elders, they practically wished the pair would get their marriage certificate the very next day.

Lu Xi’s idea was to wait until after summer vacation to officially register the marriage, though things like wedding photos could be prepared now. After all, spring was full of life and greenery, and the pictures would surely turn out beautifully. How could Zhou Hai possibly refuse such a request? Naturally, he had no objections.

Looking at Lu Xi’s delighted expression, Zhou Hai suddenly felt a little guilty. Thinking about it carefully, it seemed they had completely skipped the proposal stage. Somehow, they had muddled their way straight from dating into marriage. He tightened his grip around Lu Xi’s hand. Never before had Zhou Hai felt so fulfilled.

Receiving the approval of Lu Xi’s parents felt different from when it had only been the two of them together. It gave him the strange feeling that he could finally flirt openly and shamelessly. Though the comparison was hardly appropriate, that was honestly how Zhou Hai felt.

By the time he left, however, reality proved he had been overthinking things.

Neither Lu Xi nor the little loli returned home with him. They were both staying temporarily at the Lu residence. At that moment, Zhou Hai genuinely wanted to shamelessly stay there too. After all, without Lu Xi around, he could not even sleep at night anymore. Still, after thinking it over, he swallowed the thought. Otherwise, the Lu parents might very well execute him on the spot.

Left with no choice, Zhou Hai waved goodbye helplessly. Before leaving, he deliberately tried to act pitiful and casually asked Lu Xi where she had hidden his medicine. Seeing the worry appear in Lu Xi’s eyes, he felt a faint sense of triumph spreading inside him.

Unfortunately, the little loli exposed him immediately.

“There’s a suitcase in the wardrobe in my room. There are more than ten unopened boxes inside. If you really couldn’t sleep, you would’ve found them long ago.”

Looking at the little traitor exposing him so mercilessly, Zhou Hai truly wanted to smack someone. Letting out a sigh, he finally left.

…

Early in the morning on April 13th, Zhou Hai had just arrived at the office when his phone rang.

The words “Director Pang” flashed continuously on the screen. Zhou Hai’s brows twitched. A call at this hour—could there be another case?

“Director Pang?”

“Forensic Doctor Zhou, have your Team Two prepare themselves and head directly to Migao. There’s a case there involving several consecutive deaths. On the surface they all appear to be suicides by poisoning, but there are some suspicious points. According to the families, none of these people were the type to commit suicide. This morning, a TV host from Southeast Television was found dead inside a factory building. Captain Hu has no leads at all and wants your Team Two to take a look.”

Zhou Hai frowned tightly. Cases like this could drag on for a long time. And they were supposed to take wedding photos this weekend. Just thinking about it gave him a headache. Still, since they had specifically requested him, he could hardly refuse.

“Alright then. I’ll bring the team over to take a look.”

“Mm, hurry over. I heard they haven’t even processed the scene yet—they’re waiting for you.”

After hanging up, the other three happened to walk in.

“Bring all the equipment. We’re going to Migao.”

Xu Biao immediately let out a miserable wail.

“Ahhh! It’s only Monday morning and before I’ve even fully woken up we’re already heading out? Where’s the justice in this world?!”

Complaining aside, the four quickly gathered their emergency bags and equipment before hurrying downstairs. This time, Director Pang had actually shown some kindness and even arranged a driver. Xu Biao patted Fengzi on the shoulder.

“Mother of mercy, we finally don’t have to suffer through Fengzi’s street racing anymore. So happy!”

The other three ignored him entirely as they climbed into the car and sped toward Migao.

Unable to endure the suspense any longer during the trip, Captain Hu had already sent over the relevant case files. The more Zhou Hai and the others read, the stranger things became.

Since the Spring Festival, there had been four similar cases in total. Every scene contained a small glass bottle, and the victim’s fingerprints could always be found on it. The crime scenes were generally located in remote alleys or abandoned buildings unfamiliar to the victims. Moreover, every family firmly claimed the deceased could not possibly have committed suicide.

The first case occurred on March 2nd.

The victim, Wang Chunsheng, male, 35 years old, was a designer for a well-known corporation. He was discovered on a small road outside Migao Experimental High School, dressed neatly and lying sideways beside the road. A tiny glass bottle had been placed in front of him.

The second case occurred on March 21st.

The victim, Liu Yusong, male, 41 years old, was a teacher at Migao No. 4 Elementary School. He was found in the parking lot north of Liqun Supermarket. He was still carrying a bag containing two packed portions of Crossing-the-Bridge noodles and fried chicken cutlets. Beside his head was another tiny glass bottle.

The third case occurred on April 5th.

The victim, Zhu Leyu, female, 29 years old, worked as a quality inspector at Changxin Shoe Factory. She was discovered inside a house awaiting demolition in Xinli Street Residential Area. Inside her backpack was a pregnancy examination report. She had already been five months pregnant with her second child. Just like the others, she tightly clutched a glass bottle in her hand.

The fourth case occurred on April 13th.

The victim, Yu Lele, female, 34 years old, was a news anchor for Southeast Television’s financial channel. At 6:20 this morning, she was found dead inside an abandoned factory building in eastern Migao City. All her jewelry remained untouched, with no signs of robbery or sexual assault. A glass bottle lay beside her feet.

However, Yu Lele’s hands had been pressed against the ground, her fingernails severely worn down. Several letters had been scratched into the floor nearby, though their meaning was still unclear.

A photograph appeared next.

Zhou Hai enlarged the image, and everyone leaned closer to examine it. The crooked letters were difficult to identify at first glance. After analysis, the first sequence of letters and numbers appeared to read: yll0127. But the latter half was nearly impossible to make out, especially due to the severe glare in the photograph.

“Damn, what kind of photography skills are these? Don’t tell me Captain Hu took this himself. Couldn’t he at least turn off the flash?”

Fengzi poked Xu Biao in the ribs and gestured toward Zhou Hai with his chin.

“Boss seems to have thought of something. Don’t interrupt his train of thought.”

Xu Biao instantly shut up.

Xiao Liang pulled out a notebook and carefully copied down the letters as best he could. The further he got, the harder they became to distinguish. Perhaps the poison had acted too quickly, leaving the victim unable to think clearly.

The rest of the journey passed in silence. Everyone’s mind was occupied by that strange sequence of letters and numbers.

Soon, they arrived in Migao.

Captain Hu’s people were already waiting at the highway exit. Following the lead police car, they drove directly to the factory site.

Beside a marketplace in an urban village stood a walled compound. Unexpectedly, inside was an abandoned factory. Zhou Hai frowned at the location. How had the killer known this place was both a factory and abandoned?

The four got out carrying their forensic kits and entered the scene.

As soon as they stepped through the gate, Captain Hu hurried over and firmly grabbed Zhou Hai’s hand.

“Forensic Doctor Zhou, thank goodness you’re finally here.”

Zhou Hai nodded.

“No need for formalities. Judging from your appearance, the scene hasn’t been disturbed?”

“That’s right. Only Forensic Doctor Chu and I stepped inside briefly using boards to avoid contaminating the scene.”

Xu Biao looked confused and craned his neck inward.

“Who reported the case?”