The novel update's chapter was indeed as Fatty described, bloody, detailing the process of removing organs and creating mummies. The physical process need not be elaborated. What was most captivating was the extraction of the brain, which was done by entering through the nose, drilling through, and using equipment to absorb the brain. Finally, those with only bones and flesh were dried and turned into mummies.
Fatty said that in the novel "Calamity Strikes Thrice," the act of turning people into mummies was commonplace. The general intention was to ensure that these rich people who exploited the poor would never be reborn, and even in death, their souls would forever remain on these mummies.
"Every time it's the rich who are killed?"
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"Yes!"
"This is a typical anti-rich sentiment. I wonder if this detective, J, truly despises the rich, or if he's just using this to win over fans. By the way, why is it called 'Calamity Strikes Thrice'?"
Fatty sighed, "In each unit story, there's a triple murder case. But, often, in these triple murders, it's hard to distinguish the truth from the lies. The story takes a turn, and then turns again. Out of the three victims, only one is the person J detective wants to kill. His methods are a bit like a fox with multiple burrows, and fans really admire it."
...
After listening to Fatty's description, I was even more convinced that the author of this novel was a schemer.
"He hasn't killed the woman impersonating Lin Han yet."
"But he said he's already started making mummies."
I smiled and shook my head, "Brother Fatty, look closely at his writing. It's all misleading. He says that after taking the woman back in the suitcase, he started the process of making mummies, but he didn't say if the body was the woman he brought back."
Hearing me say this, Fatty reread the article carefully, "That makes sense. He really didn't say so, but why didn't he?"
"Two possibilities. First, I think he took the woman impersonating Lin Han back to his place, only to discover that the woman was fake. This discovery caused a change in his plan, so he decided to use the novel to lure me in. Second, he knew from the beginning that Lin Han was fake, and this novel was prepared in advance."
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Fatty realized, and looked at me, "Tang Nan, you mean, the person J detective has always wanted to kill is you."
"Yes! That's what I mean. Did he mention the location?"
"No, he only said the place of judgment is the funeral parlor under the big willow tree."
"Judgment?"
I only focused on the logic, not the specific wording. Fatty's unintentional mention made me think of a crucial point.
"No wonder there's a schemer targeting me out of the blue. It turns out to be them."
"Who?"
"Remnants of 'Zheng Qi'."
Hearing it was people from 'Zheng Qi', Fatty's face changed. In January, 'Zheng Qi' made a move against us, and Chang Dachun and Lin Han were captured. If I hadn't obtained crucial evidence, we would have lost everything.
Moreover, Fatty eventually learned that the boss of 'Zheng Qi' was a very powerful figure, and subordinates under such capable people were certainly not weak.
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With Cui Fang's evidence, we only managed to purge the 'Zheng Qi' elements within the organization. However, some of them did not work in official positions but operated under codenames. Finding them was harder than climbing to heaven. Furthermore, after the big boss was taken down, they immediately vanished into thin air.
...
When we left Hong Kong, Senior Sister said she gave me a gift. Now I understand. It must be because of Zhang Ying Ai that she still has contact with the remnants of 'Zheng Qi'. With her unique eloquence, she must have persuaded this anti-rich detective J to target me.
I don't know the other reasons, but a mere hundred billion yuan would be enough for this anti-rich detective J to kill me ten times over.
...
Seeing my silence, Fatty also became worried. "What do we do now?"
"We follow his method. Let's enter the game first."
I whispered a few words to Fatty, and he nodded, going off alone to find Da Zhou. I told Fatty to tell Da Zhou that although this detective J writes novels on Shanghai websites, based on the descriptions in the novels, this detective J is in Beijing. I presume Da Zhou had already figured this out. Therefore, Fatty would continue to make suggestions. The funeral parlor under the big willow tree made me think of a place: the ghost market.
There are funeral parlors in the ghost market, so they're easy to find!
Da Zhou indeed accepted Fatty's suggestion and prepared to go to the funeral parlor under the big willow tree to search. Such shops responsible for funeral rites were not many, and not hard to find. We went with Da Zhou and searched several, but found nothing. However, at the last one, the door was tightly shut, and the windows were covered with black cloth.
"Hello, is anyone home? Police."
Da Zhou's subordinate knocked on the door, but no one answered.
At this moment, Fatty quietly pulled me aside and whispered, "Someone is taking photos."
Following, taking photos, Fatty was quite professional. He said someone was secretly taking pictures nearby, and it was likely accurate. Intentionally leaving clues in the article to lure us and the police, then secretly taking photos.
Following this line of thought, this should be it. The moat, the big willow tree, it's right!
"It should be here!"
"There's no one inside!" Hearing me say it was here, Da Zhou seemed troubled. At this moment, Fatty was decisive. He picked up a brick from the ground and smashed the glass. As the window broke, a disgusting smell emanated from inside.
Although it was a coffin shop, with cremation now prevalent, this smell of corpses shouldn't be present. Da Zhou was decisive and told his subordinates, "Pry open the door. I'll take responsibility for anything."
Upon entering, there was an open coffin, with a recently processed corpse inside, likely the mummy from the novel. Besides that, Da Zhou heard the sound of kicking a coffin nearby and quickly ordered someone to push open the coffin lid. Inside the coffin, a woman was bound tightly. Judging by her clothes, she should be the Lin Han from the video, but she wasn't Lin Han. I saw she was wearing an eye mask, likely because the detective J didn't want her to see his true appearance.
"What about that reporter?"
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Fatty leaned close and whispered to me.
"Don't mind him."
...
Da Zhou took the woman rescued from the coffin back to the criminal investigation team and questioned her. It turned out this woman had taken fifty thousand yuan from Lin Han at the boarding gate, changed clothes with Lin Han, and came to this city. According to their agreement, once she reached the city, the woman could leave freely. Fifty thousand yuan was more than enough to buy an airplane ticket anywhere.
The woman was quite happy, thinking she had struck gold. However, when she went to the restroom to change her clothes and leave, someone was hiding in a restroom stall and covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief. When she woke up, she was sent to this coffin shop.
Da Zhou asked about Lin Han's whereabouts, but the woman shook her head, "I don't know. Lin Han and I were strangers. For fifty thousand yuan, I impulsively agreed to her condition."
Seeing no other leads, Da Zhou decided to buy a train ticket tomorrow to send the woman home. I wanted to talk to the woman, and Da Zhou agreed.
"Hello, what is your name?"
"Zhou Jie."
"Zhou Jie, when Lin Han gave you money to impersonate her, did she say anything else?"
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"She didn't say anything?"
"Without any reason, you agreed?"
Zhou Jie had already answered this question from the police. She glanced at Da Zhou, who was standing beside her, and answered seriously, "She said she was being domestically abused by her husband and wanted to escape, but her husband had hired a private investigator to follow her. She wanted to shake him off."
Domestic abuse? Fatty suppressed a smile and glanced at me. I didn't pay attention and pressed further, "Anything else?"
"She also gave me fifty thousand yuan."
"Did you get any of Lin Han's belongings?"
"She gave me her phone, but it's with the killer now."
I smiled and said, "Thank you so much. With the phone, I'll know where Lin Han is." After talking with Zhou Jie, I turned to Da Zhou, "Brother Zhou, please work a bit harder. Lin Han and I have an agreement. If we encounter danger and the opponent might be listening in, we'll take off the phone cover and write the destination or contact information on the back. Please have your men search thoroughly."
"Okay, is there anything else you need to ask?"
"No."
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I thanked Da Zhou and bowed to Zhou Jie, "Thank you for helping Lin Han escape this disaster. Your great kindness will never be forgotten."
Zhou Jie smiled helplessly, "I was only doing it for the money. I won't do it again in the future."
...
Fatty and I stayed until we came out of the interrogation room. Fatty asked me in surprise, "Do you have persecution complex with Sister? Why do you have such an agreement in normal times?"
I didn't say anything, and only spoke when we reached a secluded spot, "Brother Fatty, Lin Han and I never had such an agreement."
Fatty was stunned, "Then why did you..."
"Is this woman lying?"
"She's lying?"
"There are quite a few people in the restroom after getting off the plane. What are the chances of knocking someone out here?"
"Didn't he hide?"
"Yes, that makes the chances even smaller. He hid in a cubicle. He would have to wait for Zhou Jie to approach the cubicle before he could make a move. The probability is even lower."
Fatty understood, but then asked, "Then how did she do it?"
"This woman is similar to Lin Han. She's not short. And it's not winter. As long as she wears a few extra layers, she could disguise herself as a fat person."
"Where did the clothes come from?"
"That suitcase."