SFTD -Chapter 239 The White Patch

“You’re telling me that someone so meticulous could leave behind such a flaw?”

“I don’t buy it.”

Zhou Hai didn’t believe it. Given the man’s usual level of precision, he would never leave behind such an obvious weakness—unless it was intentional. That would be a provocation, a declaration: this is who I am.

A way of telling everyone that he was the one behind the Migao poisoning case.

Suddenly, something clicked in Zhou Hai’s mind. He looked up at Liu Da.

“Liu Da, how was the Migao poisoning case finally handled?”

Liu Da paused slightly. He turned to a staff member beside him. The man handed over a notebook. After flipping through it, Liu Da’s expression instantly stiffened. With a snap, he shut the notebook.

“What is Hu Changjun trying to do? Wasn’t the bureau already instructed to transfer the case? Why did they still close it as a concluded case?”

Zhou Hai took the notebook from Liu Da’s hand. Sure enough, there was a record.

It was a closure recommendation submitted by Captain Hu from the Migao criminal police team. Zhou Hai’s face darkened instantly. They had actually classified Zhang Mingquan as the main culprit and closed the case that way—treating the dead as if they couldn’t speak, allowing anyone to smear them at will.

Below it was another note—likely Hu Changjun’s explanation. Zhou Hai glanced at it briefly before closing the file. Liu Da shot him a look.

“Seems like this was the opinion from the Migao municipal leadership. Even their bureau chief couldn’t override it. The case was too sensational, dragged on too long, and caused widespread panic.”

Zhou Hai looked at him coldly.

“I already said it back then—this case would never end like that. We only caught one claw of an octopus. The real body is still out there, just temporarily halted. He could strike again at any time. Only by catching him can this case truly be closed. Otherwise, it will always be an unresolved obsession. I think the killer left behind those cyanide traces just to tell us who he is—while also warning us about how the Migao case was judged. As for whether he acted personally this time… it’s still unclear. It might even be a second Zhang Mingquan.”

Silence fell over the room.

Then Team Leader Huang’s phone suddenly rang. In the quiet room, the sound was sharp. He glanced at the number and quickly answered.

“Da Liu, go ahead… yes… alright… got it. Send the sketch for comparison immediately.”

Those few words immediately drew Zhou Hai’s attention. Could it be news about the cleaner who disappeared without a trace?

Captain Hu didn’t hide it.

“Daliu and the team just finished the suspect’s composite sketch. Six people saw him at the scene, and each provided descriptions. We combined them. The differences were minimal. The photos and video files are already on the way. They’re also bringing all surveillance footage to Dr. Nan’s place to analyze the entry and exit paths, to see if we can determine his escape route.”

Liu Da nodded firmly.

“A direction is good. Focus on two things—surveillance and the two convergence points from the Migao case analysis. Shift the investigation center there. If Wang Man is too busy, let Zhong Sheng continue.”

Captain Huang frowned.

“What two convergence points?”

Xu Biao straightened up. He understood this part better and took over before Zhou Hai could speak.

“We reorganized all four victims’ data. We only found two intersections in time and space:

First, all of them had visited the Third People’s Hospital.
Second, apart from regular pension insurance, they all had personal accident insurance policies with Zhongtai Insurance.

Only these two points overlap. Age, education, spending habits, social circles—none of them match. The victims are too different from each other.

So the investigation should focus on these two locations.”

Zhou Hai raised his hand, stopping him.

“There’s also the laboratory. Whoever it is must have access to a lab where he can freely process chemicals. The drugs were purified by him personally—he must have had access to raw materials and equipment.

And someone capable of commissioning specialized machining… custom tools… and more.”

He paused.

At first, Zhou Hai had thought even mining labs might fit. But now he realized he had missed something crucial.

“Actually… every municipal jurisdiction has its own forensic laboratory. The equipment needed for synthesis and purification isn’t restricted. It’s easy to obtain. What’s rare is someone who can connect all these points together in one workflow.”

Team Leader Huang quickly wrote everything down.

Before he could respond, the computer on the desk suddenly let out a notification sound.

Xu Biao quickly opened the screen.

An email had arrived from Daliu containing several images. As soon as the six combined suspect sketches appeared, Zhou Hai narrowed his eyes.

It was obvious—the cleaner had disguised himself.

Based on all six descriptions, the man was about 172 cm tall, average build, slightly hunched. His neck leaned forward slightly, as if he was always stretching his head out.

This posture made people less likely to remember his face. The thick black-framed glasses were the most memorable feature, followed by messy hair that often covered his eyes. Everything else—body details, clothing—was barely noted.

The more Zhou Hai looked, the more dangerous the man seemed.

He didn’t just hide himself—he deliberately guided attention toward false details. That itself was a skill.

The printed sketch was distributed among the group, but Zhou Hai already knew it was nearly useless. The drawing was distorted, and combined with the disguise, it didn’t hold much value.

The computer chimed again.

This time it was Dr. Nan.

Zhou Hai leaned in immediately. If it was Nan, the analysis would likely be solid.

Several video screenshots and clips appeared.

A man in a navy-blue tracksuit and glasses walked toward the bridal studio. Before entering, he paused at the glass door and seemed to check his appearance. His gait was slightly abnormal—his right leg seemed uncomfortable. The timestamp showed 9:20 AM—likely when he applied for the job.

Another clip showed him leaving the studio looking exhausted, walking with difficulty, even rubbing his lower back.

But when the camera angle changed as he turned a corner, he walked straight into a passage beneath the building—and disappeared completely from view.

Further enhanced stills revealed a clearer face: thick black-framed glasses, messy hair—likely a wig.

Zhou Hai zoomed in again, moving from the face toward the side of the head.

And then he saw it.

A white patch behind the ear.

An oval-shaped depigmented mark stretched from the edge of the ear to the area behind it—clearly visible.

Xu Biao slapped Zhou Hai on the back.

“At least we finally found a distinctive feature.”