Chapter 3: A Corpse Discovered in the Water Jar

The investigation into the mountain village robbery had come to a complete standstill, as if nothing had ever happened; everything returned to its tranquil state.

“Xiao Wang, have there been any reports of theft lately?” Su Tianmu wondered if clues might surface from similar cases.

Xiao Wang sifted through a stack of files, searching for something relevant.

“Captain Su, here’s a homicide case. It belongs to Team One.” Xiao Wang suddenly looked as though he’d uncovered something strange, his eyes wide with surprise.

He handed Su Tianmu a crime scene photo, pointing at a spot in the image, and said in astonishment, “Look here, this pattern!”

Following his finger, Su Tianmu saw a large water tank on the rooftop, beside which lay a drenched corpse, apparently just recovered. It was the body of a middle-aged man. From its appearance, it seemed the victim’s leg had been broken before death, though there were no other obvious injuries.

Near the body, Xiao Wang’s finger rested on what appeared to be a pattern drawn with water on the thin layer of dust atop the roof. The image wasn’t striking, but had it not appeared during the mountain village robbery and murder, Xiao Wang might never have noticed it.

The same pattern, found at two different murder scenes, suggested the cases were committed by the same person.

What did this pattern mean? Was it a message from the killer, or did it hint at some connection between the victims?

Su Tianmu couldn’t make sense of it, but it was clear the mountain village case was no mere robbery.

“Apply for a joint investigation immediately—find all related files for this case!” Su Tianmu issued orders without even looking up, eager to launch a thorough investigation and uncover the link between the two crimes.

The water tank corpse case.

The building was a hotel, its roof crowded with solar heaters and massive water tanks. The first to discover the body was a maintenance worker, who, while draining a tank for cleaning, found the corpse blocking the outlet due to suction.

Preliminary investigation identified the deceased as Shen Lang, a professional athletic coach employed at a city track and field club. No suspicious relationships surfaced, nor any clues pointing to vengeance.

Yet, Shen Lang’s leg had been broken before death—a detail suggesting something unique.

If the murderer was the same person, were the victims chosen at random, or was there a hidden connection?

Yes—let the dead speak!

Su Tianmu suddenly thought of Xia Wuyou, his unofficial assistant.

Standing outside the building where Xia Wuyou worked, Su Tianmu hesitated, fruit basket in hand, pacing the entrance, reluctant to go in.

“You’re… the handsome policeman, right?” Returning from outside, Fina spotted him, curiosity lighting her face as if she’d found a monkey escaped from the zoo.

Su Tianmu turned, recognizing her vaguely but unable to recall where they’d met.

“And you are…?”

“I’m Xia Wuyou’s colleague! Fina, at your service.” With that, she extended her hand for a confident shake.

“You’re here for Wuyou, aren’t you? Why not go in? She should be at the office right now. Come, I’ll take you.” Fina took Su Tianmu’s arm and led him inside, paying no mind to his reaction.

“What’s with you two…?” Xia Wuyou was surprised to see them enter together.

“Wuyou—no, Xia—since I was nearby, I thought I’d drop in. How are you? Has your health improved?” Su Tianmu handed over the fruit basket, standing there awkwardly.

Xia Wuyou glanced at the fruit and burst out laughing.

Seeing this tall, handsome man holding a basket of fruit, she couldn’t help but tease, “Ha, what’s gotten into you today? You look nothing like yourself!”

“Oh. Actually, I do have a favor to ask! About those two recent cases…” Su Tianmu’s lack of social tact surfaced again within five minutes.

Fina could only shake her head in exasperation.

“Well, I’ll leave you to your business then!” With that, Fina quickly retreated from the awkward scene.

“I knew it! That was really out of character for you.” Xia Wuyou, accustomed to his peculiar ways, invited Su Tianmu to sit. She fished an orange from the basket, peeled it, and popped a slice into her mouth.

“Here’s the situation: two murders have occurred recently. No clues left behind—except for one pattern. Our initial assessment is that both crimes were committed by the same person.”

Su Tianmu, entirely focused on the case, thought of nothing else.

“So now I need your special ability…” He stopped mid-sentence, recalling the time Xia Wuyou was possessed, and worry flooded him—he couldn’t bring himself to continue.

Xia Wuyou understood his concern and reassured him lightly. “It’s alright. Just tell me what you need.”

Though she knew how terrifying it could be, the thought of helping those tragic victims made her feel the hardship was worthwhile.

Su Tianmu looked at her, heart aching. If only there weren’t so many murder cases in the world, there would be less need for police—and fewer victims.

He briefly explained the circumstances of the two murders to Xia Wuyou, detailing the contrasting causes of death and the pattern left at the scenes.

Xia Wuyou found it all very strange.

“Is there any connection between the two? Did they know each other?”

“From interviews with their families and workplaces, it seems they had no overlap—likely, they didn’t know each other,” Su Tianmu replied.