Chapter 2 (Part 2) The Walking Dead

Ji Kefeng could no longer wait and decided to leave the hair salon to wait outside, as there was no back door inside. Just as he was about to get up and leave, he heard hurried footsteps outside, followed by someone shouting loudly: "Police inspection!"

"Safe," the young lady replied lazily, "Look, a handsome guy just walked in, come on."

"I did not finish speaking. After Tang Shuxing left the parking lot, the security guard discovered the body. The surveillance footage captured him entering the stairwell, but there are no cameras in the stairwell, so it is unknown where he went. The security guard immediately notified other guards and called the police upon discovering the body. During this process, the guard briefly left for two minutes, and during that time, all surveillance in the square failed to capture him. However, within those two minutes, the body was mutilated. We have reason to suspect that even if Tang Shuxing is not the murderer, he is still connected to the perpetrator." Wei Dagen articulated this lengthy statement word by word.

Ji Kefeng made an excuse to find the restroom. He searched around the hair salon and found that there was no back door. The small window in the restroom was not large enough for an adult with a physique like Tang Shuxing to squeeze through. Just as he was about to check if Tang Shuxing was in one of the rooms inside, he heard a lewd voice coming from the adjacent stall: "Hey, can you be a bit more professional? Is it possible to skip the lubricant? Just be natural, be natural."

"Is it because that was a blind spot and you didn't capture anything that you suspect me?" Tang Shuxing said with a cold smile, "Is this how the police conduct their investigations?"

"Handsome, do you just like to listen?" The young lady smiled ambiguously, "You have paid as well; if you are unwilling to participate, shall I call out a couple of times for you to hear?"

"Ah, yes, I am quite free." Ji Kefeng, distracted, pressed his ear against the wall to listen to the sounds from next door. He could only hear the woman's voice growing louder, accompanied by Tang Shuxing's heavy breathing. Ji Kefeng's face turned red again as he turned back to see the young lady looking at him with a very peculiar expression.

At this moment, outside the one-way glass, Wei Dagen answered a call from the forensic department. After listening to the call, Wei Dagen's expression changed, and he stared intently into the interrogation room, looking at both Tang Shuxing and Ji Kefeng. After a long wait, he made a very difficult decision: "Release Tang Shuxing"

Oh no! Ji Kefeng realized that perhaps Tang Shuxing had discovered him. After hesitating for a moment, he steeled himself and charged inside.

Wei Dagen and Lei Yu exchanged a glance, which is the most bizarre aspect of the entire case

The taxi stopped at an old street corner, and Tang Shuxing got out, holding a cigarette between his fingers as he walked slowly ahead. As he walked, he greeted the provocatively dressed young women in the nearby salons, occasionally stopping to chat for a moment, a lewd smile on his face, before continuing on. Eventually, he entered one of the salons and did not come out for a long time.

I did not have the time to commit the crime, nor did I possess any tools to dissect the victim's abdomen. Generally speaking, to open a human body is not something that can be accomplished with an ordinary knife. Even with a double-edged surgical scalpel, one cannot make a sudden incision; it must be done slowly along the midline of the ribs. Otherwise, there is a high risk of the blade going off course. Roughly estimating, it would take at least more than two minutes, wouldn't it?" Tang Shuxing analyzed expressionlessly.

Ji Kefeng panicked, preparing to run outside like a true client, but he realized that going out would mean getting caught red-handed. As he turned to look for a window, he discovered that the young lady had not yet dressed and was in a state of surprise. Just as he suddenly came to a realization, the door to the compartment was pushed open, and two police officers stood there. They first glanced at the naked young lady, then pointed at Ji Kefeng and said: "Crouch down and cover your head!"

Ji Kefeng was highly tense, occasionally pressing against the wall, and at times glancing at the young lady. The young lady remained completely naked, conveying the message: "Since the money has been paid, I will wait. You can come whenever you wish. I am generous; I will give you one hour. Once the time is up, I will leave."

"Alright, alright, let's go." Tang Shuxing said impatiently, and then heard the woman's completely unprofessional cries, her acting extremely poor

Ji Kefeng, feeling helpless, could only squat down and explained: "Officer, I haven't done anything, I... I haven't even taken off my pants"

"Looking for someone, ah, not playing." Ji Kefeng observed the small hair salon, which was only a few square meters in size, where five young women were seated. Among them, two were relatively good-looking, while the other three were somewhat less so.

At the moment when the two were at a standstill, a deep voice from the intercom in the interrogation room began to recount the case from five days ago: "Five days ago, a man was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the underground parking lot of Wanda Plaza. The security guard discovered the body when the deceased was completely naked, with all his clothes neatly folded on the concrete ground outside the car. A high-end tie was still around the deceased's neck, who was seated in the back seat of the car. The car windows were fully open, and the car keys were not missing, still inserted in the ignition."

Ji Kefeng casually pointed to a woman, who immediately stood up and walked inside with him. After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped Ji Kefeng and said: "Fast food 150, with protection | service, without it adds 50"

Five nights ago, I was aimlessly wandering the streets, hoping to find a wallet or perhaps come across a drunken beauty. As I walked and walked, I ended up in the parking lot beneath Wanda Plaza. "Tang Shuxing was smoking a cigarette, taking slow drags, with a serious expression as if recalling something, yet his tone remained irreverent. I was just wandering around in the parking lot, having had a bit to drink, feeling a bit dizzy. After circling around, I unexpectedly bumped into a patrol officer. At that moment, the officer didn’t question me and just brushed past. Little did I know that after I walked away, the police came after me, detaining me and saying that someone had died in the parking lot. Since I was the only one there at the time, I became the prime suspect. That’s how it all unfolded.

Ji Kefeng looked at Tang Shuxing, wishing he could cover his mouth. Wasn't what he said equivalent to indicating that he was very familiar with how to use a knife? It essentially raised his level of suspicion.

Mm. Ji Kefeng merely nodded and walked inside, simultaneously asking, "Is it safe here?"

"You can ask him," Wei Dagen said coldly. "Aside from him, there was no third person present in the underground parking lot; even the security guard did not approach that car at the time."

Ah?" Lei Yu exclaimed, "What? Let him go?"

But upon reflection, Tang Shuxing has likely been frequenting such places for a long time, and he probably doesn't lack for these things on a daily basis, unlike some men who resolve their issues within five minutes of entering.

As Ji Kefeng just entered, an older woman in the salon approached him without any hesitation and asked, "Handsome, want to have some fun?"

Tang Shuxing displayed a nonchalant demeanor and remarked, "As for how to kill someone, everyone actually knows, right? Just search online with a scalpel, and you can immediately find a wealth of information."

The deceased boarded the vehicle only five minutes before Tang Shuxing arrived, and five minutes later, Tang Shuxing arrived punctually at the parking lot, but did not approach within five meters of the deceased's car, as if waiting for someone. Wei Dagen immediately responded, his voice still muffled.

Ji Kefeng stared at Tang Shuxing, knowing that this kid was still playing tricks on him. The words he spoke were equivalent to saying nothing at all; he had not revealed a single word about what was really going on. Moreover, there were several points that were clearly fabricated. He coldly asked, "You have nothing to do and are wandering around the streets? As far as I know, you rarely go to places like Wanda Plaza, only hanging around in poor alleys. Why did you go there? Also, you said you had a little to drink and felt dizzy. Five years ago, when we met, you didn't touch a drop of beer, let alone liquor. You claimed to be allergic to alcohol and that drinking would cloud your mind."

"Why would you go check?" Ji Kefeng immediately asked, "Tang Shuxing, I can no longer help you."

The forensic examination determined that the time of death was one to two hours prior to the discovery of the body. The cause of death has yet to be established, but there are no signs of external injury. After the security guard reported the incident and while waiting for the patrol officers to arrive, it was found that the abdomen of the body had been cut open with a sharp instrument. However, there was no fresh blood flowing from the abdomen, and the internal organs were completely blackened, exhibiting characteristics of cancerous changes

"You didn't do it, what are you doing here? Why is she taking off her clothes, and holding a condom?" one of the police officers said disdainfully, "Get into position!"

Ji Kefeng faced the one-way glass: "Are you saying that you suspect Tang Shuxing opened the deceased's abdomen? Why would he do that?"

There is, but only a part, precisely because it is a blind spot, only the rear of the car can be captured. " Wei Dagen immediately replied

Ji Kefeng waited anxiously, but after all, he was just a normal man. Although he was no longer a virgin, he had had very few encounters with women's bodies. Therefore, having a naked woman beside him, even if she was a professional, made him quite uneasy. His throat felt dry, his palms were sweaty, and at times, a thought would suddenly pop into his mind: "Why not just have some fun?" But he quickly suppressed it.

Ji Kefeng immediately asked, "Team Wei, did the surveillance capture when the deceased arrived at the parking lot, and when did Tang Shuxing arrive?"

Wei Dagen finished speaking and turned off the amplifier, looking out through the glass, waiting.

Wait a moment. Ji Kefeng actually blushed; this was the first time he and Tu Shu had come to this place. If it weren't for tracking Tang Shuxing, he would have avoided even the entrance of such a salon. Therefore, he was somewhat distracted and didn't know how to handle the situation below. He could only take out 300 yuan and said to the young lady, "I won't do anything, just sit here for a while. Here is the money, consider it a fee for your trouble."

Just as Ji Kefeng crouched down, a figure appeared at the door of the compartment. Ji Kefeng turned his head to look and saw Tang Shuxing, who was dressed neatly and feigned a look of surprise. Tang Shuxing deliberately widened his eyes and opened his mouth, pointing at Ji Kefeng and saying: "Ji Ye, I didn't expect you to be this kind of person"

Ah? The young lady was taken aback for a moment, then smiled again and directly took the money, "Handsome, you are really wealthy, aren't you just idling around?"

Tang Shuxing's taxi drove straight towards Wanda Plaza in the city center. After arriving at the underground parking lot of Wanda Plaza, Tang Shuxing opened the door and got out, standing in front of a trash can at the parking lot entrance while smoking, seemingly lost in thought. Ji Kefeng followed him from a distance, noticing that he walked several laps around the entire Wanda Plaza before getting into another taxi. Ji Kefeng had no choice but to flag down another taxi to continue his pursuit, following Tang Shuxing back to the old district where he lived.

The forensic expert called and said that the body tested positive for drugs, showing traces of opiates and other chemicals. However, the time of death remains unclear, estimated to be one to two hours ago, and the deceased was still able to walk naturally. Wei Dagen sat down, running his fingers through his hair, and said, "I am not saying he is innocent, but he is the prime suspect. You also heard that armed police officer, Ji Kefeng, asking him about that drug lord. I suspect there is a connection between the two. Notify the narcotics department and have them send someone over. I will also inform the director; we must establish a joint task force, otherwise, this case cannot be investigated. Moreover, the deceased was a local wealthy businessman and was even being considered for nomination as a member of the municipal political consultative conference. If we are not careful, this case could implicate all of us."

Ji Kefeng furrowed his brows and stood up, facing the one-way glass: "Captain Wei, what kind of joke is this? You previously stated that the forensic examination indicated the time of death was one to two hours before the body was discovered, yet you also said that the deceased walked to the front of the car five minutes before Tang Shuxing arrived. This is contradictory! This has nothing to do with Tang Shuxing!"

Ji Kefeng searched outside the Criminal Police Building for quite a while. Due to the vast area, he was unable to find Tang Shuxing on his own. He decided to take a taxi to Tang Shuxing's home. However, just as he was about to wave down a taxi, he noticed Tang Shuxing walking out of a nearby shop, smoking a cigarette. Tang then got into a taxi. Ji Kefeng immediately hailed a taxi, intending to follow Tang Shuxing and see where he was headed.

The middle-aged woman looked Ji Kefeng up and down and said, "Choose one."

Ji Kefeng felt relieved, slipping into the adjacent compartment, sitting by the bed, carefully listening to the sounds inside. Glancing sideways, he noticed that the lady he had called for was already undressed, holding a condom in her hand, and asked: "If you don't wear a condom, it will cost extra, but if we proceed, it is mandatory to wear one."

"No... no need for that." Ji Kefeng quickly waved his hand, looking to the young lady as if he were an innocent child who had not yet experienced the world

Then a woman said with disdain: "Brother, can I not apply it? Facing so many people every day, where would I find a natural reaction?"

"Anyone handling the case, you are the primary suspect." Wei Dagen responded coldly

"People can change, right!" Tang Shuxing chuckled and said, "In any case, that's how things are. I've said my piece, you may leave now"

A few minutes later, Lei Yu entered the interrogation room with a notebook, asked Hu Shuntang to sign and fingerprint, and then informed him that he could leave. After this was said, Ji Kefeng was also taken aback and immediately left the interrogation room to find Wei Dagen, wanting to clarify what had happened. However, it seemed that Wei Dagen was avoiding him; no matter whom Ji Kefeng asked, everyone shook their heads, saying they did not know where Captain Wei had gone. Ji Kefeng had no choice but to return to the interrogation room. Upon returning, he found that Tang Shuxing had long since disappeared, and he could only curse under his breath as he rushed out of the criminal police building, searching everywhere for Tang Shuxing's whereabouts.

The sounds from the partition continued incessantly, followed by exaggerated drinking noises, and then shouts, persisting without interruption for about half an hour. Ji Kefeng sat there restlessly, unsure when Tang Shuxing would finish, cursing inwardly: how can this guy take so long?

"Tang Shuxing! I curse you!" Ji Kefeng shouted, realizing that he had been played by Tang Shuxing

Wei Dagen smiled as he looked at Tang Shuxing in the interrogation room, then turned his head to glance at Lei Yu, as if to say: Look, he has confessed without being coerced.

Tang Shuxing rose at this moment and pointed at the one-way glass, saying: "Captain Wei, may I ask if the deceased's car was captured by the surveillance cameras"