Chapter 8: In the Vortex

However, Zhou Sen ended up embracing emptiness, as Lucy surprisingly dodged past him. Once again, he shouted twice at that wall, seemingly conveying a hint of urgency.

The letter is written in Russian

Although Zhou Sen does not understand cat language, for a moment he had the illusion that the expression of this little creature clearly indicated that it wanted him to follow it

The wall in front of him rotated open from the middle, revealing a small secret chamber.

The salutation reads "Dear Wasim". Old Anthony prefers to call him by his Russian name, but he himself prefers his Chinese name, as he is, after all, Chinese both inside and out

Undressing and slipping in, the hot water opened all the pores of my body, creating an unparalleled sense of comfort, temporarily casting aside all worries. No wonder people from the north enjoy soaking in baths

Lucy suddenly squatted down, scratching at a wall with her paw and letting out a cry

The perpetrator must be a professional and an experienced one at that

Alright, then be careful on your way. Upon hearing this, Zhou Sen no longer insisted and offered a word of caution

It was too cold. After Wuen sent Zhou Sen back home, his toes, which were encased in leather boots, felt as frozen as ice cubes.

Old Man Anthony is passionate about horse racing. He spent a considerable amount of money to purchase a Turkoman horse, which he keeps at the racetrack club. Although this Turkoman horse, named "Black Rose," is not particularly outstanding among the racehorses, it has still brought him considerable profits

Should we go there tomorrow

Shall we open that wooden box to take a look

Bang!

The method of killing was decisive and efficient, and after the incident, there were traces of climbing out of the chimney, yet not a single clue was left behind

Look!

Lucy

Zhou Sen picked up the copper key from the box and toyed with it for a moment. Horse racing is essentially gambling, originally established by the fleeing White Russian nobility and wealthy individuals in Ice City. Later, the Chinese became involved, and when the Japanese arrived, they took control forcefully

However, this is a copy and not the original document

Alright, young master

The last document is the autopsy report

A list of documents

In this harsh winter, with outdoor temperatures reaching minus thirty to forty degrees Celsius, it is truly unbearable to not have a drink in the evening

This belief has now been shaken

Zhou Sen was just about to return to the study when Lucy broke free from his embrace, called out, and ran downstairs.

This is a storage room, containing items that are not often used, and usually no one comes here

It is safer to place this item in the secret compartment of the mechanism

Regardless of the curiosity or other reasons, he lifted his foot and followed down the stairs

The word count is not much; it only fills about half a page of a sheet of paper. The general meaning is that Old Man Anthony is going out to handle a very important matter, and it may take a long time for him to return. If he has not returned to Ice City after six months

At worst, I can wait for Old Man Anthony to return and let him give a good beating. For now, this box is the only thing he can think of to unravel the confusion in his heart.

"Irina, I have already had dinner outside, so you can eat by yourself. Please boil some water for me later; I would like to take a bath," Zhou Sen said with a hint of disinterest.

Is the secret on the lamp base

The murder of Xie Erjin is unusual in itself, as it was the Special Operations Department of the Police Bureau that responded to the incident. Subsequently, the case was transferred to the Nangang Police Station. Is Lin Dakuan really that easy to talk to? Moreover, Aoyama Yoshiyuki surprisingly handed the case over to him, which seems rather strange. Is it merely because the incident occurred in his patrol area, and he had also inspected the scene?

A detailed file on Shekin, including age, identity background, alma mater, political inclination, and so on

"Wen, can you go back alone?" Zhou Sen asked with concern. Wen lives with his family at the Three Trees in Daowai, which is a bit far away

The photograph was taken on-site, in black and white, and is very clear. When Sheerkin died, his eyes were wide open, not knowing whether it was fear of death or if he had seen something or someone terrifying just before he passed away

A crisp sound suddenly rang out, startling Zhou Sen. He quickly put the letter and the key back into the box and then stuffed it into the hidden compartment.

Lucy stopped, turned her head to glance at Zhou Sen, and called out to him.

Meow!

In Ice City

"It must be Lucy, she has broken the dishes in the kitchen again!" Irina said with a bitter smile

Most notably, the shelves bear visible signs of disarray with paw prints, indicating that this is a place where Lucy often plays, her territory

Zhou Sen had a hard time convincing himself that one should have principles and not covet the privacy and secrets of others, even if they are close relatives

The home is not a bathhouse; being able to soak for just a quarter of an hour is about enough before the water becomes somewhat cool. After drying off, I put on a thick bathrobe and walk into my own room

Zhou Sen contemplated for a moment, reached out, and grasped the cast iron lamp base. With a forceful twist, he discovered that it could actually rotate, which brought a look of surprise to his face as he turned it vigorously

After Lucy brought Zhou Sen in, she turned on the light and saw two rows of shelves against the wall, on which various items were placed, all covered with a layer of dust

Calculating the time, he has been living in place of his original self for almost three days. Although there are still some situations he is exploring, he knows that his circumstances are not particularly favorable

Taking off his socks, the smell from his feet was so unbearable that he himself could not help but feel nauseous

One copy is the inquiry record of the Sheerkin family's servant, which is quite detailed. Zhou Sen glanced at it and set it aside, planning to analyze it carefully later

No, it should be the original self of Zhou Sen. Is there something special about him?

A detailed record was made of the personnel dispatched, the time, and the traces found at the scene, including the mention of fingerprints collected from the bedroom of Xie Erjin and signs of someone having climbed inside the chimney of the fireplace.

A white shadow darted out from the corner, gliding along the handrail of the staircase, and then nestled into his embrace

"Rest assured, young master, I have no issues. I could walk back to Ice City with my eyes closed," said Wuen.

Suddenly, my gaze swept to the black lamp holder on the wall

This strike was swift, ruthless, and precise, leaving the victim almost no opportunity to struggle or resist. Furthermore, after the murderer severed the carotid artery of Xie Erjin, they quickly covered the body with a quilt and pressed it down hard onto the bed, rendering the victim unable to make any sound, with all the blood sprayed being absorbed by the quilt

Upon entering, I took off my heavy leather boots and slipped into the slippers that Irina had prepared long ago, my toes still numb

The knife wound is located on the right side of the neck, approximately three inches in length. Based on the direction of the attack, it appears that the assailant was holding the knife with their left hand. Could it be that the assailant is left-handed

In the study, Zhou Sen turned on the desk lamp, opened the file bag containing the documents, and took out the files inside

Is there something wrong with this wall

Looking at the materials on the table, Zhou Sen fell into deep thought

Irina ... ... Zhou Sen, wearing slippers, opened the door and walked down the stairs.

The reasoning is too far-fetched

Horse racing takes place from April to October each year. Currently, it is the depths of winter, and there are no visitors at the race club. All the horses used for racing are kept at the stables, where they are cared for by dedicated grooms.

Where exactly did the problem arise

Young master, dinner is ready

"Young Master Wasim, I apologize for waking you up," Irina said, running out of the kitchen in her pajamas, looking quite apologetic.

Zhou Sen carefully examined the wall, then reached out and gently tapped it, finding nothing unusual, just as he was about to leave once more

Encountering such desperate criminals can intimidate even seasoned police officers with decades of experience, let alone a young officer like Zhou Sen. Even if the identity of the murderer is known, apprehending this individual is no easy task

He cast a glance at the dark corner of the bookshelf.

He brought back the case files of the Sheerkin murder case, although he was well aware that this case was quite complex and that there could be numerous obstacles in solving it

... ...

What is going on? The original self used to have a bit of a cleanliness obsession, yet now I cannot tolerate it myself

He looked around at the items on the shelf, but there was nothing that caught his attention; they were all ordinary, unused things

Moreover, the attitude of the Songjiang Daily towards the murder of Xie Erjin is somewhat peculiar, as it displays a remarkable indifference, giving off a sense of being uninvolved and detached from the matter

What is going on

Zhou Sen felt an inexplicable surge of panic, even breaking out in a fine layer of sweat on his forehead. When it concerns one's life and property, how could he not be anxious

Press the switch to open the hidden compartment, take out the wooden box inside, place it on the table, hesitate for a moment, then grit your teeth and reach out to unfasten the brass clasp on the box.

Various signs indicate that this is by no means an ordinary murder case; there must be some unknown secret hidden within it

No one wishes to die

Zhou Sen recalled the mechanism of the oil painting in the study, and he was certain that Old Man Anthony was by no means an ordinary merchant. Could it be that there were some secrets hidden in this seemingly ordinary storage room?

The Ice City Racehorse Club is located in Majia Gou, and a round trip takes nearly half a day

The round, glistening eyes blinked at him in a seemingly flattering manner, the expression clearly intended to plead for forgiveness for having broken a plate at home

In fact, he had long wanted to take a bath, but he just didn't have the courage to bring it up, after all, he was still not so accustomed to giving orders to others

"Irina, the plate is broken, so let it be. Don't clean it up now; we can do it tomorrow. For now, go back to your room and rest," Zhou Sen said to Irina in Russian.

... ...

The fireplace is burning fiercely, and the temperature in the room is simply incomparable to that outside

"Lucy, Lucy..." Zhou Sen called out, having not seen this little creature since his return, and he had no idea where it had gone off to play in the nooks and crannies.

"Alright, Master Wasim," Irina replied and then turned to return to her room

However, he still wants to study the case in order to have a clear understanding of it

The handwriting is very messy, indicating that it was likely written in a hurry

Zhou Sen also felt that he had lost his mind, how could he trust a cat, and it actually came with him. He stepped forward to pick up Lucy: "Lucy, it's too dirty here, come on, let's go back and sleep, okay?"

Meow!

But why is it oneself, of all people

Then there is the on-site police report and the photographs taken.

Upon careful observation of the layout within the storage room once again, although the items are somewhat disorganized, there are absolutely no obstacles from the entrance to this wall, and there are no shelves or items placed in front of this wall

Let Zhou Sen take the key from the box to the Ice City Race Club to retrieve his belongings stored at the club

The bathtub is filled with hot water

The deadline set by Old Man Anthony was that he could only retrieve his belongings from the club if he did not return to Ice City within six months, and now only three months have passed...

The autopsy report was written in Japanese, which Zhou Sen could naturally understand. It detailed the time and cause of Xie Erjin's death, with a particular emphasis on the description of the cut on the right side of the neck.

Taking out the letter, I opened it to find that it was actually a letter left by Old Man Anthony for the original body, that is to say, it was a letter from him

There were no mechanisms inside the box, and it opened easily. Zhou Sen looked inside and saw a copper key resting on a piece of stationery.

This puts him in a difficult position