Chapter 7

The sky was overcast, with occasional drizzle, which seemed to wash away the烦恼 in one's heart without one even noticing.

Hou Jianjun rode a sidecar motorcycle, carrying Lu Zheng and Du Xiaohu through the streets and alleys of the county town. Although their movements appeared random, they were actually visiting some special marks on Lu Zheng's map.

Based on the home addresses, living areas, and the locations where the remains of the three consecutive victims were found, the county police had initially delineated a possible area where the perpetrator might reside. Of course, this dangerous area covered half of the county town. The police had conducted detailed investigations in every household within this area but found no clues. It wasn't until the end that Li Weijun was caught at the edge of this designated area.

Now, Lu Zheng was revisiting the area where the perpetrator was originally believed to have lived, hoping to unravel the clues in his mind.

However, the special task force was about to declare the case closed, and there was no one available at the bureau. Lu Zheng had no choice but to call on Hou Jianjun.

Before Gao Zhikai made the case airtight, a breakthrough had to be found.

Hou Jianjun, carrying Lu Zheng and Xiao Du, felt lost, unsure of what he was doing. The case was almost closed, yet Commissioner Lu insisted on finding fault, and he had joined in. If Gao Zhikai found out, he would surely make his life miserable.

Although Commissioner Lu had lost his influence, Hou Jianjun couldn't refuse to help him, both out of personal feelings and a sense of righteousness. Otherwise, he would be too opportunistic.

Hou Jianjun was in a state of anxiety, but he didn't really expect Lu Zheng to find any clues that could turn the case around. Over the past year, he had come to understand Commissioner Lu's style, which was similar to his own, but he knew his own temperament wouldn't lead to great achievements.

In front of a yard with a chimney emitting black smoke, Lu Zheng suddenly signaled Hou Jianjun to stop.

The yard was surrounded by high walls, and a vertical sign with white background and black letters read "Guangning County Department Store Ice Cream Factory."

Lu Zheng exclaimed, "There's a boiler here."

Hou Jianjun thought, "What's so special about a boiler room? It's not that rare. They had just visited three boiler rooms in a row."

Lu Zheng waved his hand, "Let's go in and take a look."

Du Xiaohu laughed, "So, this is where the 'Building Ice Cream' comes from?" In summer, in the countryside of Guangning, every village would have vendors selling ice lollies, and the most premium was "Building Ice Cream." Ordinary ice lollies cost 2 cents each, while Building Ice Cream sold for 5 cents and tasted quite good. However, for Lu Zheng, who had tasted various ice creams and popsicles in the future, it was nothing special.

The iron gate of the yard was open, allowing people to come and go freely. A few workers inside the yard merely glanced curiously at the three strangers, assuming they were looking for someone. The social atmosphere was still good, and small factories had little security awareness.

The boiler room was next to the wall, responsible for supplying hot water to the workers and the workshop. The boiler room was large, with a coal pile as big as a small mountain.

The boiler operator was an old worker with a kind face, but he had a limp. He looked at the three unexpected visitors and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

Lu Zheng and his companions were in plain clothes and showed their work IDs to the old worker. The old worker's expression turned serious and somewhat suspicious, "What's the matter? Are you looking for me?"

Lu Zheng smiled, "Just taking a look, just chatting."

So far, the police had not been able to determine the exact crime scene and could only rely on Li Weijun's confession, which stated that he had taken the victims to his residence and killed them there.

However, in Guangning County, the only private car was registered to the Commercial Bureau, and the population was not very mobile last year. Based on the daily life circles of the three victims, it was unlikely that they were taken to the countryside to be killed. The crime scene must be within the designated area, which led Lu Zheng to consider a problem: how did the perpetrator dispose of the large amount of blood produced during the murder and dismemberment?

In the early buildings of the designated area, most households shared kitchens and bathrooms, so the space for the perpetrator to use the drainage system to dispose of blood was limited, and it was easy to be discovered. If Li Weijun was indeed the killer, this could explain the issue, as he was a butcher at a food company and often brought bloody pig organs home, and no one would notice if he mixed human flesh in with them.

But if Li Weijun was not the killer, the boiler room could also be a perfect crime scene. Bloodstains on the coal pile would be inconspicuous and could be quickly burned. Of course, if the boiler room was the crime scene, it would need to be in a semi-closed state with few people coming and going.

Lu Zheng asked the old worker curiously, "When we came here in winter, we didn't see the chimney smoking."

"Winter? In winter, our ice cream factory is shut down, and the cold storage is used to store other things for other units, so the boiler room is not in use," the old worker explained, then turned to add coal to the furnace. As he opened the furnace door with a pair of tongs, a wave of heat rushed out.

"Bang," the furnace door was closed, and dust began to float in the boiler room.

Hou Jianjun, feeling uncomfortable from the sudden change in temperature, patted the dust off his clothes and grumbled, "Damn, this place is no place for humans."

This was a bit of an insult, but the old worker, with a good temper, remained silent. However, Lu Zheng could see a hint of anger in his eyes.

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Master, the boiler room is rarely visited, right?"

A strange emotion flashed in the old worker's eyes, and he bent down to move the coal blocks, saying casually, "Not really, people come by often." He was meticulous, arranging the outer coal blocks neatly and not allowing even small pieces to scatter outside the pile.

Watching his actions, Lu Zheng's eyes narrowed. This was a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and people with such conditions often had some mental issues, though not necessarily to the extent of being mentally ill.

After leaving the ice cream factory, Du Xiaohu, feeling uncomfortable about Hou Jianjun's earlier remarks, said, "The old man is dedicated, working hard in the toughest position. Commissioner, isn't this what you often talk about, dedication to one's job?"

Lu Zheng smiled, but his mind was elsewhere.

He was thinking about the old worker, Mr. Wang. During the house-to-house search of the area before the Spring Festival, the boiler room was not in use, so he had not paid much attention to it when he suspected the boiler operator. Now, the boiler room and Mr. Wang had suddenly entered his field of vision, changing many of his previous case analyses.

The three victims were all killed during the summer and early autumn of the previous year, which was when the boiler room was in normal operation.

Today, Mr. Wang's behavior was also strange. Despite the three of them staying for over two hours, no one else was seen, yet he insisted that people often came to the boiler room.

Of course, Mr. Wang might have been lying out of pride, especially after hearing Hou Jianjun's unintentional insult. To show that "this is a place for normal people," he might have lied about many people visiting his boiler room.

This subtle mindset was something Lu Zheng had come to understand after living two lives and experiencing the myriad aspects of human nature. If he had not been reborn, he would never have grasped it.

But if it wasn't pride, Mr. Wang had the perfect conditions to turn the boiler room into his crime scene. The boiler room was full of clutter, making it easy to hide a body, and dismembering and transporting it at night would be even easier.

Moreover, Mr. Wang seemed to have some mental issues.

Lu Zheng thought for a moment and said to Hou Jianjun, "Jianjun, help me dig into this Mr. Wang."

Hou Jianjun was still bickering with Du Xiaohu, not out of childishness but because he enjoyed teasing him.

Lu Zheng said helplessly, "Are you two lovebirds? If you were a man and a woman, I'd say you're a perfect match."

Hou Jianjun grinned, then asked in surprise, "You suspect this old man?"

Lu Zheng said, "Just a routine check." He looked at his watch; it was past twelve. "Let's go eat."

In recent years, private restaurants and snack shops had sprung up like mushrooms in the county town. Next to the ice cream factory, opposite the gate of No. 1 High School, there was a snack shop with no sign, just selling steamed dumplings.

The shop was nearly empty, and Lu Zheng and his companions sat by the window, ordering three trays of steamed dumplings, which they dipped in vinegar. The dumplings, filled with cabbage and very little meat, were steaming hot and quite delicious.

At another table, a young man and woman, both in their twenties, were sitting. The man wore a jacket and looked refined, while the woman wore a modified beige women's suit and trousers, which were popular in Wushan at the time. She was fair and pretty, and from their attire, it was clear they worked in the county and had seen the world, having lived in big cities.

The girl kept looking at Lu Zheng. When she saw that the three of them were about to leave after finishing their meal, she stood up hesitantly and called out, "Comrade, are you Lu Zheng?"

Lu Zheng was taken aback and looked at the girl, but he didn't recognize her.

Hou Jianjun smiled mischievously, having never seen Lu Zheng interact with young women before. He was curious to see how the usually stern and quick-to-scold "Black Judge Bao" would handle it.

The girl, now certain she had found the right person, ran over excitedly and said, "Brother Zheng, it's me, Liu Xiaohui. Don't you recognize me?"

She brushed the bangs from her forehead and cupped her face, a gesture that made her look more adorable.

Lu Zheng exclaimed, "Xiaodun?" He looked closely and gradually remembered who she was. She was his childhood playmate from Nanying. When he left his adoptive parents' home, she was a chubby little girl with a runny nose. Now, a few years later, she had grown into a beautiful young woman and had clearly made something of herself.

"What are you talking about!" Liu Xiaohui pouted, her face slightly red, but the joy of a long-lost reunion quickly washed away her embarrassment. She asked eagerly, "Brother Zheng, when did you come back? Uncle and Aunt San didn't mention that you were back in Guangning when I visited Nanying during the New Year."

She added, "Brother Zheng, I recognized you right away. You haven't changed much."

Lu Zheng's face was still young, just a bit more mature than when he was a teenager. Most old friends could recognize him after so many years.

The "Uncle and Aunt San" Liu Xiaohui referred to were Lu Zheng's adoptive parents, Lu Guobin and Ma Cuihong.

Lu Zheng smiled, not knowing how to explain, but he was surprised to hear that his adoptive parents were no longer in Nanying. He asked, "Where do Aunt Cuihong and Uncle live now?" Lu Guobin and Ma Cuihong had adopted him when he was eight, and he was quite sensible. Ma Cuihong was a close friend of his deceased adoptive mother, and he had always called them by their old names. However, he called Lu Guobin by his name, as Lu Guobin treated him harshly, often beating and scolding him, and had only agreed to adopt him to have an extra laborer.

Liu Xiaohui sighed, "You still call them that." She paused, realizing something, and said, "You haven't found Uncle and Aunt San, have you? You don't even know where they live?"

Lu Zheng felt a bit guilty, realizing that his twenty-something self from his previous life had been a bit too harsh. After all, Aunt Cuihong had been good to him, even if she couldn't stand up to Lu Guobin. He said vaguely, "I just got back, so..."

Liu Xiaohui understood and said, "Oh, I see. Your family has moved to the city. Uncle brought Aunt to the city two years ago and found her a job at the fertilizer factory's kindergarten."

Lu Zheng nodded. Lu Guobin had been a worker at the fertilizer factory, and Ma Cuihong had been a farmer. After decades of hard work, it was only right that he could bring his family to the city.

"By the way, do you know where they live? I can take you there," Liu Xiaohui said excitedly.

Actually, seeing Liu Xiaohui, Lu Zheng was far from the calm exterior he showed. He was reminded of many past memories. In Nanying, there were many nightmarish memories, but there were also warm and happy ones, like his childhood playmates.

"Not in a hurry," Lu Zheng waved his hand and looked at Liu Xiaohui, "What are you doing now?"

Liu Xiaohui said playfully, "Guess! Here's a hint: I've achieved my childhood dream."

Lu Zheng smiled, "Congratulations! You really became a teacher. That's great, you've become an intellectual who educates others."

Hearing that Lu Zheng remembered her childhood dream, Liu Xiaohui felt a warm glow. She was a few years younger than Lu Zheng and had once idolized him as the leader of the children in Nanying, the toughest fighter, and her childhood hero. Recalling those carefree days of childhood, she felt a sense of nostalgia.

Lu Zheng pointed to the gate of No. 1 High School and asked, "Do you teach here?"

Liu Xiaohui said shyly, "Sort of, but I teach junior high at the teacher's college."

Lu Zheng said, "That's impressive." Hearing that Liu Xiaohui was a teacher at No. 1 High School, Lu Zheng's interest was piqued.

At this moment, the young man with Liu Xiaohui couldn't hold back his dissatisfaction and stepped forward, asking, "Xiaohui, who is this?"

Liu Xiaohui giggled, "Look at me, I'm so excited. Come, let me introduce you..." She gestured toward Lu Zheng and said to the young man, "This handsome guy is the commander of our 'Red Movement' in Nanying, you can call him Commander Lu or Brother Zheng." She then turned to Lu Zheng and said, "This is Qin Mingliang..." She hesitated for a moment and added, "My boyfriend."

Liu Xiaohui was perceptive and noticed her boyfriend's dissatisfaction. She also realized that she had been too close with Lu Zheng, neglecting Qin Mingliang. Although she considered Zheng like a brother, she didn't want to affect her relationship with Qin Mingliang, so she clarified his status.

Qin Mingliang's expression softened as he looked at Lu Zheng. He had heard about this person from Liu Xiaohui, remembering him as a tough kid from the countryside who loved fighting. He had expected a rough, uneducated man, but seeing Lu Zheng in person, he felt a significant threat from this strong and charismatic young man.

Hearing Liu Xiaohui mention the "Red Movement," Lu Zheng laughed and extended his hand to Qin Mingliang.

The "Red Movement" was a youth organization that Lu Zheng had founded in Nanying during his teenage years, inspired by the Red Guards in the cities. The full name was "Red Movement Youth Vanguard Corps," and Lu Zheng appointed himself as the "Commander." Of course, this "organization" was not recognized by the Nanying Revolutionary Committee and was just a game for children. However, it was well-known in Nanying, and many young people were proud to be part of it.

"Go on, Jianjun, don't forget what I asked you to do," Lu Zheng said to Hou Jianjun and Du Xiaohu, giving them a meaningful look. Hearing that Liu Xiaohui and Qin Mingliang were both teachers at No. 1 High School, and that Qin Mingliang's parents taught high school and lived in the No. 1 High School residential area, Lu Zheng had an idea. He wanted to visit the No. 1 High School residential area to see if he could find any clues.

Du Xiaohu hesitated for a moment but was pulled out by Hou Jianjun, who laughed.

Watching the green sidecar motorcycle drive away, Liu Xiaohui asked curiously, "Brother Zheng, who are they?"

Lu Zheng smiled, "They're from the business administration. I want to start a small business and asked them for help." These three-wheeled motorcycles were only used by law enforcement, so he gave a vague answer to avoid revealing his police identity.

The No. 1 High School residential area was a new residential complex completed two years ago, with each unit having its own kitchen and bathroom, unlike the old residential areas where these were shared. The No. 1 High School residential area was also within the designated area where the perpetrator might live. If the perpetrator lived here, disposing of bloodstains would be convenient. The special task force had visited every household in the designated area, and in the shared kitchen and bathroom units, they had found some clues.

However, the No. 1 High School residential area was home to many respected old teachers, who were considered high-level intellectuals in Guangning. The special task force had not focused much suspicion on this area, and neither had Lu Zheng in his previous life.

But now, Lu Zheng had to reconsider. What if the perpetrator was among them?

Liu Xiaohui was excited and said, "Brother Zheng, our 'Red Movement' has produced many successful people. Xiaoguang got into Beijing Elementary School, and many others work in the city or county... Oh, and Guo Weisong is in the Qilong County Propaganda Department."

Xiaoguang and Xiaosong were Lu Zheng's best friends, the "Chief of Staff" and "Deputy Chief of Staff" of the "Red Movement." Hearing that they had succeeded, Lu Zheng felt happy for them and laughed, "Looks like I'm the least successful."

In fact, Xiaoguang and Xiaosong's academic pursuits were influenced by Lu Zheng. His deceased adoptive mother, a former nanny from a high-ranking family, had a broad perspective and often imparted life lessons to Lu Zheng. Despite often participating in labor during elementary and middle school, Lu Zheng's studies were solid, and his two best friends were influenced by him.

However, if you consider the other members of the "Red Movement," almost all the children aged seven to seventeen in Nanying had joined. Some were older than Lu Zheng, but none could match his fighting skills, so they acknowledged his leadership. In Nanying, Lu Zheng was the most prominent among the children.

So, while it was true that the "Red Movement" produced many successful people, it was also true that most of the generation of children in Nanying ended up living a simple rural life.

Liu Xiaohui sighed, "But the most successful person from Nanying is Ma Suzhen..."

Lu Zheng was taken aback and asked, "The landlord's daughter?"

Liu Xiaohui smiled, "You remember her?"

Lu Zheng nodded slightly, with a vague memory. She was a few years younger than him, always well-mannered and beautifully dressed, clearly different from the other children in the village. Her grandfather, originally a city official, had been sent to Nanying to work as the director of the health center as a form of re-education.

Because she was different from the other children, she was given the nickname "landlord's daughter." Some members of the "Red Movement" had even tried to drag her out for a struggle session, but Lu Zheng, feeling it was unfair for a group of boys to bully a little girl, had intervened.

So, Lu Zheng had a memory of her.

Liu Xiaohui said enviously, "She's doing very well now. Her father is a big official in the city, and she works as an announcer at the city TV station. She's very famous in the city and even acts in TV dramas. Recently, the county TV station invited her to train our announcers, and the vice-county magistrate personally drove to pick her up."

Lu Zheng smiled, "Is that so?" He was surprised by her success, but he didn't pay much attention to the fact that her father was a city official or that the vice-county magistrate had picked her up. To him, such things were trivial.

After all, his grandfather was one of the most powerful figures