Criminal Investigation Notes

noticed that the two police officers had drunk water but didn't seem to be leaving.
He asked, “Do you need me to cooperate with anything else?”

 

Qiao Ze followed up, “I actually like art, Mr.
Fu.
Could you lead us around the gallery?”

 

Fu Yunchu seemed visibly nervous for a moment but eventually said, “It looks empty here, but it's not very big.
There's a small exhibition hall in the front, and my studio, bedroom, and bathroom are in the back.”

 

Qiao Ze looked around, and because this place used to be a warehouse, the ceiling was very high, and the walls were covered in paintings.
There weren't many furnishings, making it look empty, like an art exhibition hall.
Some of the paintings were a bit abstract, but the skill was still quite good.
In the lobby, there were also various sizes of plaster statues and other works of art.

 

Three people walked through a somewhat spacious exhibition hall.
Qiao Ze steadied himself and looked at a painting in the center, saying, “This painting is well done.” The painting depicted a woman of indeterminate age sitting in a chair with her head bowed and eyes closed, looking peaceful and serene.
Behind her were many squares that looked like boxes.
The painting was called “Beloved.”

 

Fu Yunchu's face showed a hint of pride.
“This painting is my most famous work, and it won an award at the art festival,” he said.

 

Qiao Ze turned to look at the other paintings on the wall and stopped in front of one that depicted several women standing in a row, their eyes closed and mouths slightly open, with a somewhat eerie expression on their faces.
The painting was called “Chorus.” Qiao Ze noticed that Mr.
Fu seemed to like painting women, with 80% of his paintings featuring women, while the remaining 20% depicted landscapes and a few other subjects.
The women in his paintings mostly had pale faces and closed eyes, which made people feel uneasy.

 

Thinking about the dismembered limbs in the boxes, Qiao Ze's hair stood on end.

 

The exhibition hall quickly made a circle, and Fu Yunchu slowed down and looked at them…

 

“I can't hold on much longer!” At this moment, Qiao Ze heard Lu Junchi's voice in his earpiece.
“It's basically confirmed.
I just had Xia Mingxi check the electricity usage here, and it's several times the normal amount.
We're on our way, so be sure to stay safe!”

 

There weren't many lights in this place, and the ceiling was high.
Even without air conditioning, it was a bit chilly.
If they needed so much electricity, it was obvious that there was an underground cold storage or large freezer equipment here.

 

Qi Shi looked at the paintings on the wall and said, “We've been running around for half a day.
It's hot outside, but it's comfortable here.
We don't need air conditioning, which saves electricity.”

 

After hearing this, Qiao Ze's heart skipped a beat.
As expected, the man who had just been talking to them turned pale.
Fu Yunchu took two steps back and his eyes flashed with hostility.

 

Qi Shi had only mentioned this casually, but Fu Yunchu was clearly feeling guilty! He took that sentence as a test and thought he had been identified.

 

Qiao Ze reacted quickly.
He went up to grab Fu Yunchu's hand, but Fu Yunchu tried to dodge.
Qiao Ze seemed to anticipate his move and kicked him in the stomach.
Fu Yunchu grunted and tried to retaliate, but Qiao Ze quickly pulled out a gun from behind his holster and fired without aiming.

 

With a loud bang, a gunshot exploded in the gallery, shattering the peace.
The bullet grazed Fu Yunchu's upper arm.
He was obviously more familiar with the place than the two young police officers who had just arrived.
He turned and pressed a button on the wall.

 

Several plaster statues shattered in response, and the ground was covered with white plaster debris.
These plaster statues were specially made, and a large amount of white powder spilled out of them.
The air was filled with a pungent smell, obscuring the two officers' vision.

 

This was obviously a trap set up by the culprit in advance.

 

Qiao Ze shouted, “Watch out, it's poisonous!” He quickly covered his mouth and nose, held his breath, and pulled Qi Shi back to the door.

 

Qi Shi finally reacted at this point and followed Qiao Ze's lead, using his sleeve to cover his mouth and nose.

 

Fu Yunchu had apparently stored a lot of chemical materials, and they didn't know what the white powder inside was.

 

The white mist gradually dissipated, and at this time, Lu Junchi's voice came through Qiao Ze's Bluetooth earpiece: “We're here, open the door!”

 

Qiao Ze quickly opened the gallery's door and let Lu Junchi and other officers in.

 

Inside the gallery, Fu Yunchu had already disappeared without a trace.
As a serial killer's lair, he probably had planned various escape routes long ago.

 

The entering officers quickly opened various windows.
The gallery was in a mess, and there was still the smell of some residual chemicals.

 

“Captain Lu, a car drove away from the back door direction…” Zheng Bai's voice came through the intercom.
They were in charge of blocking the back door.
The car had rushed past them not far away, and they had been unable to stop it.

 

Lu Junchi looked in the direction of the back door, where a trail of blood stretched away.
They had rushed over, but they were still one step too late.

 

“Captain Lu! Do we still pursue?” Qu Ming asked anxiously.

 

“Let Zheng Bai go after him.
We need to save people first! If our inference is correct, the victim may be locked up here!” Lu Junchi quickly gave orders, then walked back and saw Qiao Ze.

 

“I'm sorry, Captain Lu.
It's my fault for not stopping the culprit.” There was still some white powder on Qiao Ze's cheek, and he looked a bit disheveled and aggrieved.

 

If he had been more decisive just now, if he had coordinated with Qi Shi earlier, if he had been more skilled in combat, if he had been more accurate in shooting…

 

That was a brutal serial killer, and letting him go could lead to more killings and more victims!

 

If it had been Captain Lu here just now, he would have been able to catch the killer without fail and not let him escape.

 

Qiao Ze clenched his fists in regret.
Teacher Su had already analyzed the killer's location, but he had let the killer escape in the end.
Thinking about this, his eyes felt sore, and the corners of his eyes turned red.

 

Lu Junchi looked at Qiao Ze.
The person in front of him was only twenty-four years old, and not everyone had the courage to face a brutal serial killer and fight to the death.

 

If he rashly chased after him, he might get hurt…

 

TN:

Time for another recommendation.
The kdrama “Connect” is based on a serial killer who uses human corpses to make art.
*brrrrr* So Creepy.
But did you know that making art out of corpses is actually a real thing? There's a museum called “Body World” based in Berlin where they use real human corpses as artwork.
People donate their bodies for plastination.
They are then selectively shaped to expose certain organs thus the 'art' comes in here.
They go around the world holding exhibits so if you want some new nightmare material because the ones you've been having have been getting kinda boring and repetitive, then watch out for the next time the exhibit will be popping up in your city and go take a look.
You can thank me later.
*wink wink*