When I got home, it was already 11 p.m. I went straight to bed, but I couldn't shake off the look in Yvonne Liu's eyes. Especially when this case was mentioned, her gaze became almost piercing, sharp enough to cut through the darkness.
Tomorrow morning, I'll have to find the eyewitness. Yvonne Liu said that person saw something bizarre. I didn't think much about it and shut my eyes to sleep.
Li Qian worked at a clothing store on the commercial street near Dongming Community. On the night of the incident, the shop owner saw a man come to the store entrance to pick up Li Qian. He seemed familiar, as if it was routine.
Cathy Li died seven days ago, on a rainy night. No one knows where she went that evening. The only clue is the man who came to pick her up.
As I kept thinking, I drifted off to sleep. In the middle of the night, a cold wind blew in from the window, chilling me awake. I opened my eyes and saw the window was open—the room was freezing.
It was the middle of winter and there was no air conditioning. Bracing myself, I threw off the covers and got up to close the window. It was an old sliding type. The place was run-down but the rent was cheap, and since I was single, I moved in.
After shutting the window, my hands and feet were already numb from the cold. I hurried back under the covers, but the warmth had already seeped away, leaving only a chilling emptiness.
I buried my head and tried to sleep, but soon something felt wrong. Why was it so cold in the room? Even under the blanket, I was shivering uncontrollably.
Suddenly, I felt as if someone was right next to me—a breath so cold and sinister it seemed to seep into my bones. A ghost? I stammered, then threw off the covers. Instantly, I screamed, my voice echoing in the darkness.
Standing next to my bed was a female ghost. Her eyes were missing, replaced by two bloody holes. A bluish glow radiated from her body. Her face was expressionless, and blood trickled down her cheeks like tears, dripping onto the floor with a chilling, rhythmic patter.
"Damn, who are you trying to scare?" I clenched my fists, but when I looked closer, it was Cathy Li—the same ghost girl I identified this morning. Instantly, my nerves eased. I wrapped myself in the blanket and stared at her.
"Aren't you afraid of me, Officer?"
"Just tell me—who killed you? How did you die?"
A hint of surprise flashed across Cathy Li's face. Then, she shook her head and floated swiftly toward the door.
"Wait!"
I scrambled out of bed, threw on my clothes in a rush, and ran after her.
As soon as I stepped outside, I found myself standing in front of a narrow alley. It was pitch black inside, with dim streetlights glowing on the road. The sharp sound of high heels echoed. I turned and saw Cathy Li walking toward me.
Just as I was about to call out, Cathy Li reached the mouth of the alley. Suddenly, a strong hand wearing a black leather glove shot out, covering her mouth. She whimpered as she was dragged into the alley.
Stunned, I chased after them. A piercing scream rang out. I saw a shadow flash past me. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw Cathy Li lying on the ground, struggling, her eyes gouged out, blood pooling beneath her.
After heading downstairs, I got into Yvonne Liu's car. But inside, I felt an uneasy tension. I already knew where Li Qian was killed, but I had no idea how to explain it to Yvonne Liu.
Then Cathy Li was stuffed into the suitcase and carried out of the alley.
Suddenly, everything around me vanished. I saw five female ghosts, glowing with a bluish light, standing all around me. Each of them had empty eye sockets, reaching out with anguished expressions.
"Tell me, did any of you see the killer? Please, tell me."
I wasn't afraid, but all five ghosts shook their heads. Then, one tall ghost suddenly thrust her pale face right in front of mine.
"Eyes. Find our eyes. Give us back our eyes."
Suddenly, all five ghosts grabbed at my body, tearing at me.
I screamed, jolting awake. The room was pitch black, and I was drenched in sweat.
"Was it just a dream?" I muttered, but then a chill swept over me from behind. I turned—Cathy Li was right there.
"You have to find the killer. Hurry..."
The bluish glow faded, and Cathy Li vanished into the wall. Frustration welled up inside me—they had no idea who killed them. How was I supposed to find out?
I saw a fierce light gleaming in Yvonne Liu's eyes.
I checked the time—it was just after 4 a.m. I smiled and went back to sleep.
At 6:30, my alarm went off. I got up right away, washed up, and left by eight. After grabbing breakfast, I arrived at the police station right at 7:50.
As soon as I entered the office, I nearly bumped into Yvonne Liu. She looked rushed.
"Zhang, grab an electric scooter. Your place is pretty far from here, right? I'm going to see the eyewitness—come with me."
I replied, but wondered why she didn’t call anyone else and chose me.
On the way downstairs, I ran into Dexter Sun, who greeted me with a big smile and threw his arm around my neck.
"You probably don't know, but Captain Liu is obsessed with this case. Now she's got someone she can boss around."
Dexter Sun let go and gave me a mysterious smile.
After heading downstairs, I got into Yvonne Liu's car. But inside, I felt awkward. I already knew where Cathy Li was killed, but I had no idea how to explain it to Yvonne Liu.
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We drove to the commercial street near Dongming Estates. After parking in the underground lot, Yvonne Liu and I walked up to the street and stopped in front of a clothing store called Jianmei.
Inside, Yvonne Liu began a detailed interrogation while I took notes in my little notebook.
According to the shop owner, the man who came to pick up Yvonne Liu that night was well-dressed—apparently her boyfriend. The strange thing was, before leaving, Yvonne Liu told the owner she might die soon.
As I recorded this, my sense of unease grew.
We then asked the shop owner about Yvonne Liu's boyfriend. He was said to be a local troublemaker named Frank Feng, who ran a pool hall on a secluded street behind the commercial area.
Yvonne Liu and I went to the underground pool hall. The place was smoky and crowded with young men—hair dyed, cigarettes in hand—gathered around the tables. As soon as we entered, several people surrounded us.
Yvonne Liu flashed her badge, and everyone panicked. Then Frank Feng, the troublemaker, came over to us.
"Officer, what can I do for you?" he said with a smirk.
Yvonne Liu led Frank Feng outside. We stopped at a drink shop, ordered three drinks, and sat down.
"Did you know your girlfriend Cathy Li is dead?" Yvonne Liu asked. Instantly, Frank Feng choked and sprayed his milk tea everywhere.
After a while, Frank Feng's face turned ashen. When he finally calmed down, he spoke, voice trembling.
"I... I... never expected that night..." he sobbed, bursting into tears.
That night, Frank Feng went to pick up Cathy Li, planning to hang out together around nine. But on the way, they started arguing about the future. The fight escalated, and in a fit of anger, Frank left Cathy Li behind—around ten o'clock. That's when it happened.
"Did Cathy Li say anything to you that night? Did she mention she might die?"
Frank Feng shook his head.
After our questions, we prepared to leave. In the underground parking lot, I said I'd had a dream about where Cathy Li died.
Yvonne Liu smiled at first, but when she saw how serious I was, she decided to drive over. I’d paid attention to the street signs last night—it was on a deserted road near the commercial street, called East Back Street.
We drove to that street. There were several alleys, and we moved slowly. Finally, I spotted the alley from last night and hurried out of the car.
It had rained several times over the past few days, so the bloodstains were probably gone. The alley was a dead end, about ten meters long. Inside, there was trash everywhere and a foul stench.
"This is the place?"
Yvonne Liu asked. I nodded, squatting near the middle of the alley, searching all around but found no obvious traces.
"Is there any surveillance around here?" I asked. Yvonne Liu shook her head.
"This street is pretty old. I'm not sure. We'll have to check when we get back."
Suddenly, I discovered a strange metal object—it looked like a small spoon. I quickly dug through the trash and picked up the sharp-edged spoon. It felt like iron, with some rusted spots. The edge was very sharp. Yvonne Liu hurried over, took a cloth, and accepted the spoon from me.
"This might be the murder weapon."
There were dark red stains on the spoon. Yvonne Liu held it up to her eyes, comparing it.
"Let's go, hurry back for testing."
I responded and stood up. Yvonne Liu and I got back in the car. She looked excited and patted my shoulder.
"Not bad, Zhang. I'll treat you to lunch this afternoon—things are finally looking up."
I saw a glimmer in Yvonne Liu's eyes.