Van Garo's Weibo account originally had only 10 million followers, but after the scandal, it increased to 20 million. After the murder case, it had already surpassed many first-line celebrities, reaching 58 million, and this number was accurate, without any exaggeration. In other words, his popularity had far exceeded those popular celebrities in the circle.
However, while others had loyal and devoted fans, his fans were all black. Among the more than 58 million people, at least 50 million were there to attack him, and several million were just there to watch the fun, not offering a word of justice for him. When they saw his updates, the excited netizens swarmed like hungry hyenas, coming to drink his blood, eat his flesh, and gnaw at his bones. If words could kill, he might have died thousands of times already.
After scrutinizing Van Garo's social media account, the police officer who had been monitoring him immediately turned to Zhuang Zhen, and seriously said, "Boss, look, Van Garo has made another statement on the internet!" Given that Van Garo had previously issued a death warning before Gao Yize was killed, there was every reason to suspect that this new Weibo post also held a deep meaning.
"The second one?" Zhuang Zhen pondered for a moment and his tone became very serious. "He might be implying that there is another potential victim. If that's the case, then this person should have offended him as seriously as Gao Yize did in the past. Currently, Van Garo is left disgraced and with nothing to lose, so in seeking revenge against society, he is highly likely to do something insane. Xiao Luo, put the investigation of Gao Yize's social background on hold, and look into Van Garo's social background. See who, other than Gao Yize, has the deepest grudge against him. Let's make a list and ensure the potential victims are protected."
"Understood, boss, I'll go check immediately!" said the officer named Luo Hong with a frown. "Is this Van Garo crazy? Is he planning to kill all the people who offended him? We shouldn't have let him go in the first place!"
Zhuang Zhen remained solemn and did not speak. The deputy team leader Liu Tao added, "Boss, this is like fishing with a long line. Only by letting him go can we continue to monitor his activities. Once he becomes active, we can find his flaws and then gather irrefutable evidence against him. You see, he's at the end of his tether thinking that we, the police, can't touch him. He's becoming impatient, even issuing death warnings. This is indeed audacious! There's a saying, 'Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.'"
"You're right, but every time I think about him out there, planning how to kill the next person, it doesn't sit well with me. Boss, I'll go check his social connections immediately. We can't let any more innocent victims be harmed!" Luo hurriedly left.
Seated in the corner, Liao Fang, the pretty policewoman responsible for taking Van Garo's testimony, hesitated and raised a hand, hesitantly saying, "Boss, I've studied a bit of criminal psychology, and I don't think Van Garo is like a deranged serial killer. Judging from his behavior, his current psychological state is very stable."
"It's easy for young girls to be misled by appearances. I've been in the criminal police brigade for a lifetime, and I've seen all types of deranged killers. The calmer they look on the surface, the more ruthless they are when it comes to committing crimes," Liu Tao shook his head, holding a thermos cup.
Liao Fang blushed but still looked hopeful for Zhuang Zhen's approval.
"Van Garo is a dangerous character, judging by his paintings and the posts on his Weibo, he is one hundred percent connected to this case. Don't forget, he's a multiple personality disorder patient. The one you think is innocent may just be one of his personalities, while the real one with blood on his hands could be hiding and evading our investigation. Regardless, he is a murderer, and it's our duty to bring him to justice. Whether he should bear the legal responsibility is a matter for the court, not for us. Don't let personal feelings interfere with your work. Go check his social connections. Move quickly; I suspect he has already planned all his criminal activities. If we're a step behind, it will cost us another life," Zhuang Zhen glanced at Liao Fang, admonishing, "Don't bring personal feelings into your work."
Liao Fang wilted down as if deflated, and dispiritedly said, "I understand, boss. I'll go check Van Garo's social connections right away."
Due to Van Garo being a public figure and very high-profile, the special task force took only half a day to investigate his social connections.
Zhuang Zhen pinned photos on the case summary board and explained, "This is Van Luo Mountain, the head of the Van family. He sacrificed Van Garo, his adopted son, in order to bring back his illegitimate son, and there is deep enmity between them. This is Van Kaisen, Van Luo Mountain's illegitimate son, currently living abroad. This is Sun Ying, Van Garo's teammate, who had bought 'water armies' multiple times to attack Van Garo, damaging his reputation and also turning over his dark secrets. They had even fought physically. In the most serious instance, Van Garo had beaten Sun Ying into the hospital, and the enmity between them runs deep. This is Cao Xiaofeng, Van Garo's agent, who had disputes with Van Garo over profit distribution and had taken advantage of Van Garo's abandonment by the family, pressing him down relentlessly. This is Zhao Wenyang, who rejected Van Garo's confession. This is Su Fengxi, Zhao Wenyang's girlfriend and also Van Garo's rival. She's currently in England filming."
As Zhuang Zhen finished explaining, Deputy Team Leader Liu Tao began to analyze, "Viewed in terms of the depth of hatred, Van Garo's greatest hatred should be towards Van Luo Mountain, followed by Sun Ying. But Van Luo Mountain is the head of the Van family and is surrounded by bodyguards at all times, so it's not easy to take action against him. Sun Ying doesn't have such protection, and Van Garo knows everything about him and is fully capable of planning a murder. My opinion is to focus on protecting Sun Ying."
Some members of the task force nodded in agreement, some furrowed their brows and pondered seriously, and others raised their hands to express their opinions.
Zhuang Zhen pointed to one of the police officers, and the officer said, "I think the order is wrong. The two people abroad can be ignored; Van Garo's reach is not that far. It's very difficult to take action against Van Luo Mountain, and without full assurance, Van Garo shouldn't move. Among the remaining three, I think he hates Zhao Wenyang the most, then Sun Ying, and then Cao Xiaofeng. They say the depth of hatred is proportional to the depth of love. Van Garo could've committed suicide twice for Zhao Wenyang, and after being rejected, he might as well take him with him."
Several emotionally invested female officers nodded in agreement, but Liao Fang wrinkled her brow and didn't say a word. She really couldn't associate such a calm and peaceful person with a murder case. But he's a multiple personality disorder patient, maybe he killed someone without even realizing it? Ah, why did a person like him have to get this illness?
Liao Fang lowered her head, sighing quietly.
Zhuang Zhen then pointed to a few more people for their opinions and then concluded, "Zhao Wenyang might be the one whom Van Garo hates the most. However, it's very difficult to take action against him or Van Luo Mountain, so Van Garo is unlikely to act without full assurance. My suggestion is to focus on protecting Sun Ying, given that he lived with Van Garo for several months and is very familiar with him and hence the most vulnerable. Moreover, like Gao Yize, Sun Ying is also a member of the STARS group, so Van Garo might be planning to eradicate the STARS group completely."
"Indeed, Sun Ying and Gao Yize are the culprits who have led to Van Garo's disgrace. If it weren't for the damaging information they provided, Van Garo wouldn't have been left with no chance of a comeback. I think Van Garo knows this too, and he should know who's been harming him. Right?" The officers all nodded in agreement.
Zhuang Zhen tidied up the scattered information and instructed, "For the next few days, we'll closely monitor Van Garo and the people on this list. We must prevent the occurrence of a second murder and focus on protecting Sun Ying."
"Understood, boss!" The officers all pledged, then each began their respective actions.