Chapter 033: The Hammer Demon Case (II)

"The department requires our special task force to shift our focus immediately from the 'Na City Case' to the 'Xiping Case.' We must solve this as quickly as possible and restore a safe and stable social environment for the people!" Han Junshan said with a hint of apology. "I'm sorry, Wen Rou. I shouldn't be giving orders at a time like this, but the case is critical..."

"I understand. It's fine, Director Han. I can join the operation immediately," Wen Rou replied.

"No, that won't do." Han Junshan waved his hand. "As I said, you need to get some proper rest. Stay here for a week first. As for the case, I’ll have Lei Chen and Xiao Qi go ahead, and you can join them once you've fully recovered."

Wen Rou said sheepishly, "There's no need to go to such trouble..."

"Enough, this is not up for discussion. It's settled!" After saying this, Han Junshan looked at Li Rui. "And you, I'll give you two choices: either stay here to look after Wen Rou, or come with me to Xiping right now. You decide."

Li Rui was taken aback. "This..."

Han Junshan's intention had been to give him a chance to step up and show his dedication by staying behind to care for Wen Rou. He never expected this blockhead to actually hesitate.

"Is this really such a hard choice?" Han Junshan glared at him. "You truly are a piece of wood that cannot be carved!" With that, he marched toward the door in a huff. "Think it over yourself!"

"Wait, Director Han, what does that mean?" Li Rui called out after him.

Wen Rou shot him a look of exasperation and urged, "Go on, hurry up!"

"But what about you?"

"I'm fine. I can manage on my own."

Li Rui took a step, then hesitated again.

"What are you waiting for? Go chase him!" Wen Rou insisted.

Li Rui shook his head, his expression firm. "I can't leave you alone. I'll report for duty first thing tomorrow morning."

Looking into his eyes, Wen Rou felt a surge of warmth in her heart.

"You fool, what a great opportunity to prove yourself, and you're just letting it slip through your fingers!" she complained, though her tone softened.

"You know I don't care about those things," Li Rui said, sitting back down. "There are things in my life that matter more."

Wen Rou's face flushed. She was deeply touched, but she retorted, "Director Han was right—you really are a piece of wood that cannot be carved!"

Late at night, when everything was quiet, Li Rui sat by the window, gazing at a photograph in his hands. In the picture, Liu Meixin’s face was delicate and her eyes were gentle, still holding the faint trace of the innocent person she once was.

Li Rui stared at the photo and whispered to himself, "Have I ever regretted it?"

He knew this question was destined to remain unresolved; no matter how deeply he searched, he would never find a definitive answer. Liu Meixin's ordeal had become an eternal scar on his heart, a knot he could neither untie nor release, branded deep within his soul. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, inhaling deeply, trying to calm the turbulent storm within him.

"Beep-beep." His phone vibrated.

The call was from Lei Chen. At this hour, it had to be about the case. Li Rui answered, "What is it, Lei Chen?"

"Forensic Examiner Li, I’m sorry to disturb you so late."

"It's fine, I'm still up. Tell me, what’s happened?"

"The 'Hammer Maniac' has struck again. He killed a resident and then desecrated the body of the young daughter."

"Is there biological evidence?"

"Yes!"

"Good. I'll head to Xiping first thing tomorrow morning."

"This time it's not Xiping, but a place called Xiaoli Village in the southern part of Hui County. This guy is on the move."

Li Rui nodded, his expression grave. "Understood."

After hanging up, Liu Meixin's voice seemed to rise from the abyss. He could hear her trembling, her tears falling as she cried, "He threatened me. If I didn't comply, he would kill my whole family..."

In that moment, he fell silent. He couldn't imagine how that kind-hearted woman had struggled to survive in such a living hell. And the little girl—her fate, like Liu Meixin's, was no longer in her own hands.

...

At the first light of dawn, in Xiaoli Village, two beams of light cut through the gloom of the small, haze-covered village.

The car pulled up to the crime scene, and an officer stepped forward to block them. "Sorry, comrade, no entry allowed here."

Li Rui produced his credentials. "I'm with the special task force."

"You must be Forensic Examiner Li!"

"I am Li Rui."

"Captain Lei gave orders; he said you'd definitely be here this morning."

Li Rui smiled. "What else did he say?"

"He said you’d probably try to barge in alone, so we had to make sure to stop you," the officer laughed.

Li Rui wasn't offended. He asked, "What's the situation at the scene?"

"It's horrific. A family of three, all dead. The victims were a 62-year-old grandmother, a 12-year-old granddaughter, and a 7-year-old grandson," the officer said heavily. "The family wasn't wealthy; the house is surrounded by dirt paths that turn into a quagmire whenever it rains. The weather was bad when it happened, and it was late at night. We suspect the perpetrator snuck into the courtyard while they were sound asleep and carried out the robbery and murder."

Li Rui stood in the courtyard and studied the wall. "How high is this wall?"

"About two and a half meters."

"Is it easy for an ordinary person to climb over?"

The officer thought for a moment. "It's not overly difficult, but... if someone were trying to break in to commit theft or murder, it would seem like a lot of noise."

"Are there any footprints by the wall?" Li Rui asked.

The officer blinked, then replied, "We didn't recover any valuable footprints."

"Then that's it. He probably didn't climb the wall; he used the front door."

"The front door?" The officer was surprised. "He didn't have a key. How did he get in?"

Li Rui walked to the door, touched the lock, and said, "For a standard lock like this, it isn't difficult to open without a key."

"But..." the officer frowned.

"I suspect the perpetrator has a history of theft and is skilled at picking locks. He’s likely not very tall—around one meter sixty-five, or even shorter."

The officer’s eyes widened. "Forensic Examiner Li, how did you determine that?"

"It’s not hard to deduce," Li Rui said, walking inside. "The suspect must have scouted the location beforehand. Have you asked the nearby villagers if they've seen any suspicious characters over the past few days?"

The officer looked troubled. "The situation was urgent, so we haven't gotten around to it yet, but we'll be conducting interviews today."

Before entering, Li Rui took shoe covers from his bag, carefully put on gloves, and asked, "The scene hasn't been disturbed, has it?"

"Rest assured, before you arrived, Captain Lei gave strict orders to protect the scene. He even said that if we failed to protect it, you would definitely give us a harsh scolding," the officer said.

Li Rui felt a bit awkward and walked into the house.

The officer followed close behind, explaining, "The grandmother and the young boy were sleeping in the outer room, not far from the door. The granddaughter was in the inner room. After entering, the perpetrator used a blunt object to strike the grandmother and the boy's heads violently, killing the boy instantly. At that time, the girl in the inner room was fast asleep and didn't sense the danger."

Li Rui finished examining the outer room and moved to the inner room.

"The girl’s fate was even more tragic. After being murdered, she was also sexually assaulted," the officer said indignantly.

Li Rui looked at the outline on the floor where the body had been. "Is this larger circle where the grandmother was when she died?"

The officer nodded. "Yes. We were puzzled at first as to why her body was in this room, until we saw the blood trail. We realized the grandmother probably wasn't killed immediately. She must have used her last breath to crawl to the inner room, trying to use her final strength to stop the killer. The enraged perpetrator then pulled out a sharp knife and stabbed her in the face, killing her brutally. The entire family was wiped out."

"Who discovered the scene?" Li Rui asked.

"A neighbor," the officer replied. "The rain finally stopped at daybreak, and the neighbor came over to borrow something. He knocked for a while, but no one answered, and he didn't hear the children. He looked into the house out of curiosity, and the sight of the blood frightened him so badly he fell to the ground, screaming 'Dead bodies!' The neighbors rushed over and called the police."

Li Rui’s expression was grim. "Have the bodies been transported to the municipal bureau?"

"Yes, they've been sent to the forensic center."

Li Rui nodded. "Thank you for your hard work. I'm heading to the bureau now. When Captain Lei arrives, tell him to meet me there."

The officer nodded. "Yes, sir!"