Good and Evil Chapter Thirty-Seven Case Analysis Meeting II

After discovering the victim’s body, Bao Chen and his team immediately conducted door-to-door inquiries near Mingxi Road and quickly identified the deceased. The victim’s parents had just returned from the police station after filing a missing person report when they heard that a girl had been found murdered in the public restroom on Mingxi Road. Upon seeing their daughter’s tragic remains, Yu Xinying’s mother fainted on the spot.

When Bao Chen brought the parents to the police station for questioning, Yu Xinying’s mother, Liu Lan, regained consciousness. She wept incessantly, repeating to the police that her daughter was a good child—though not a top student, she was obedient at home. However, Yu Xinying’s father, Yu Jing, remained silent, as though harboring some unspoken pain.

After much coaxing and encouragement, Yu Jing finally revealed some details about his daughter. Though only sixteen, Yu Xinying had already dated three boys—the first was a classmate, but the other two were local troublemakers, delinquents from outside school. Because of this, Yu Jing was frequently summoned by Xinying’s teachers. Each time he returned from the school, he would attempt to discipline her, but adolescence and rebellion rendered his words ineffective. Fortunately, though rebellious, Xinying had never stayed out all night; she always returned home, albeit sometimes late.

With the victim’s identity confirmed, Bao Chen visited Yu Xinying’s school for further investigation, focusing especially on the two boyfriends mentioned by her parents. It was discovered that the delinquents who often associated with her had recently been detained for theft and were still in custody, eliminating them as immediate suspects.

Interviews with Xinying’s classmates and teachers painted a vivid picture. According to her classmates, Xinying was vain and dressed flamboyantly at school, hardly resembling a student. She frequently mingled with those same troublemakers. More troubling, her private life was chaotic: she was known to be close with several male classmates and was often seen embracing different boys in secluded parts of the school, such as the playground or the grove—incidents that had led to her parents being called in by teachers.

Additionally, Xinying had a reputation for gossip from an early age, often speaking ill of other girls behind their backs. In her first year of high school, she lived in the dormitory, but after just half a semester, no one wanted to share a room with her. She had a habit of divulging her roommates’ private physical details—especially undergarments, styles, colors, even sizes—to others, including male classmates, which caused great embarrassment for the girls involved. Teachers had spoken to her about this more than once, but she remained defiant.

To her peers, Xinying was seen as a girl with a messy private life, vain and prone to gossip; to her teachers, she was precocious and highly rebellious—a child in need of proper guidance from adults. Based on feedback from teachers and students, the police questioned the male students closest to her. They admitted to being physically affectionate with her but denied any sexual relations. Later autopsy results confirmed that, despite her chaotic social life, Xinying was still a virgin—suggesting that for all her rebellion, she still valued her self-respect.

As for her claim to her parents that she would be studying at a classmate’s home on the night of her death, investigation revealed this was a lie; she had gone out for her own purposes. Who she met, who attacked and killed her, remained a mystery for now.

The identities of the other three recently discovered victims had not yet been established; this would require extensive fieldwork and investigation.

After listening to these reports, Xu Lang noted several key characteristics:

First, all five victims were found dead in public women’s restrooms. While the locations varied by district, the bodies were each discovered in such a facility.

Second, at each scene, the killer left the letters “S.U.E.” The meaning of these letters was still unknown.

Third, all five victims bore a butterfly tattoo on their ankles. This could be an important clue, but its exact significance was unclear.

Fourth, of the five victims, four were women and one was a man, ranging in age from thirty-four to sixteen: a mix of underage girls, divorced women, and adult men. All had their tongues cut out post-mortem. Of the two whose identities had been confirmed, both were known for gossip and sowing discord.

Fifth, a high concentration of ethanol was found in the bodies of each victim. Forensic analysis confirmed none had consumed alcohol before death, implying the killer had access to high-purity ethanol, which is typically a hospital supply and difficult for ordinary people to obtain. This strongly suggested that the killer might work in a medical facility.

Based on these findings, Xu Lang outlined the next investigative steps:

First, determine the identities of the remaining three victims by focusing on recent missing person reports.

Second, decipher the meaning of the “S.U.E.” symbol left at each crime scene.

Third, investigate all tattoo parlors in the city to trace the origin of the butterfly tattoos.

Fourth, visit local hospitals, clinics, and factories that use high-purity ethanol.

Fifth, review surveillance footage from the nights and locations of the murders.

Sixth, investigate any possible social links between Pi Ruhyu and Yu Xinying. Given their shared penchant for gossip and stirring trouble, it was important to determine if they had mutual acquaintances—such a person would be a strong suspect.

As Xu Lang finished, Wu Yong frowned and asked, “With so many directions to investigate and so few people, aren’t we stretching ourselves too thin?”

Before he could finish, Xu Lang replied, “We’re out of time. Director Lu has only given us ten days. If we don’t solve the case within that window, you’d better start thinking about how to explain it to him.”

Wu Yong was left speechless and immediately began assigning tasks. It was clear that he and Ning Yanran had reached a tacit understanding: the first criminal investigation team would continue working on victim identification, canvassing residents near the crime scenes, and digging into the social circles of Pi Ruhyu and Yu Xinying, while the second team would investigate tattoo parlors, hospitals, clinics, and factories. Reviewing surveillance footage would be a joint effort. As for deciphering the symbol, Xu Lang, Wu Yong, and Ning Yanran would tackle it themselves.

Once the meeting ended, everyone sprang into action. Despite some resentment in the first team about the second team’s involvement, the urgency of the ten-day deadline left no room for complaints; all hands were on deck.

With both teams gone, the conference room emptied, leaving only Xu Lang and Ye Xuefei. Xu Lang, deep in thought, pored over the case files, oblivious to Ye Xuefei, who quietly left for the basement morgue to continue her autopsy work.

While reviewing the files, Xu Lang noticed something odd. The first murder occurred on June 10, the second on June 15, the third on June 23, and the fourth on June 28. The intervals between the first and second, and between the third and fourth, were five days each; between the second and third, and between the fourth and fifth, eight days each. What was the killer doing during those intervals? Was there a pattern? If the killer was operating on a schedule, would the next murder be in five days—on July 11? That meant only four days remained, increasing the pressure on Xu Lang.

He then examined the locations of the five murders: Caihua Road, Mingxi Road, Fangxi Road, Changyang Road, and Baima Road. Marking them on a city map, he noticed that four of the locations—Caihua, Mingxi, Fangxi, and Changyang—formed a cross, lying at the cardinal points. The fifth, Baima Road, was situated between Caihua and Mingxi, acting as a bisector if those roads formed a right angle.

Xu Lang sketched on the map, soon revealing a pattern resembling the Chinese character for “rice,” with the intersection point landing squarely on the city’s television station. This realization puzzled him. If the map was predictive, the next likely crime scene would be in the Fenghua Road area.

With this new insight, Xu Lang immediately summoned Wu Yong and Ning Yanran, instructing them to focus their efforts on Fenghua Road. Though they didn’t fully understand, they complied nonetheless.

By the time the case analysis meeting ended, it was past two in the afternoon—well beyond the lunch hour. Xu Lang’s stomach grumbled in protest, prompting him to stand up and leave the conference room.

No sooner had he stepped out than his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he gave a resigned, wry smile—it was Ellen, the female DJ from COCO Bar.

He answered, “Is there something you need from me?”

“Can’t I call you for no reason?” Ellen sounded aggrieved on the other end.

Xu Lang, exasperated, replied, “You can, but I’m really busy right now.”

“I know you’re busy, and I also know you haven’t eaten lunch,” Ellen said with a laugh.

“How do you know that?” Xu Lang asked, puzzled.

“Because I’m right outside the police station. Come out—I brought you something delicious.”

“That’s not really necessary.” Xu Lang rubbed his nose.

“Just come out, will you?”

With that, Ellen hung up. Xu Lang put down his phone, shook his head, and resigned himself to leaving the station to collect the promised treat.