Zhuang Zhen furrowed his brows with hidden pain and said in a deep voice, "No wonder he was so cautious with his words and actions. He's our only breakthrough at the moment. If we can't break through this, what should we do next?"
Song Rui smiled and shook his head, "It's not that we can't break through."
Zhuang Zhen's spirits were lifted, and he immediately looked at Song Rui with a sharp gaze.
Song Rui explained, "Outsiders can't break down his defenses, but he can. As I just said, Vānagaro believes he can become a god, so his mindset is different from ours. Similarly, his perspective on the world and his methods of dealing with the world are also different from ours. While we struggle for survival, the gods stand above the world. They have no biases and only focus on the karmic cycle, the great truths. The busy lives of ordinary people are futile to the gods and spirits, even a game. This self-assurance also exists in Vānagaro's heart, so he considers this serial killing case a game too. By issuing death prophecies, he wanted to send a message to the murderer and the victims—'Look, I can glimpse your secrets and control your destiny. Your fate has long been determined and cannot be changed.' This is a means of displaying his power."
The members of the task force were stunned.
Xiao Li tentatively asked, "Is Vānagaro really acting like a teenager?"
Song Rui nodded, "Yes, he really believes that he has the power to control good and evil, as well as the ability to communicate with gods and spirits. He may suffer from a certain degree of delusion."
"But, he really did foresee those murders!" Xiao Li added.
"This is the most important piece of information that he has concealed from us. He must have learned about the murderer's plans through some means and then used them to his advantage. As I said earlier, he is quite self-assured and he believes that these murders are nothing more than a game. In the previous stages of the game, he gradually provided clues to the public, the victims, and even us police. There's no reason for us to summon him, and after a more intense confrontation, he would just be obedient. I think he will give us some hints; otherwise, this game won't be able to continue. He is the one controlling and guiding everything, and he will definitely mobilize everyone."
At this point, Song Rui suddenly grasped the mouse and urgently said, "Xiao Li, where is the video of Vānagaro manipulating the photos? Find it and slow down the speed!"
"It seems to be around the thirty-sixth minute. I'll help you find it," Xiao Li hastened to assist.
Song Rui stared fixedly at the computer screen without blinking, urging, "Where are the photos of the deceased? Quickly hand them to me! I think I know what Vānagaro is hinting at!"
Zhuang Zhen immediately took out the photos from the folder.
Imitating Vānagaro's actions in the video, Song Rui first placed the photos of Gao Yize and Wang Wei on the right, with Gao Yize's photo above and Wang Wei's below, arranging them neatly; then, he put the photos of Zhao Kai and Mao Xiaoming on the left, placing both of them below Wang Wei's and on the same level as Gao Yize's, leaving the space above Gao Yize's photo empty.
He stared at that empty space, and in that instant, the key to all the puzzles became clear. Why couldn't the task force find any connection between Zhao Kai, Mao Xiaoming, and Gao Yize? Why, after visiting the family and friends of these people, were they unable to find any intersection between them? Because there was a crucial person missing, as if a crucial piece was missing from a puzzle, no matter how it was put together, it still couldn't form a complete picture.
"It's here! Vānagaro has indeed given us a hint long ago, we just didn't realize it! The key to this problem lies here—a person who is connected to both Gao Yize and Zhao Kai, Mao Xiaoming. This person should be hiding by Gao Yize's side, and the connection between Gao Yize and Zhao Kai, Mao Xiaoming has been cut off. Without identifying this person, we won't be able to connect all the victims and the case! Check at the affiliated middle school to see if there's such a person; hurry! They may be the next victim! This case isn't over yet!" Song Rui urged repeatedly, his eyes flickering with excitement.
“No, didn't he move once? Where did the new house come from? I remember he only brought a small bag when he moved in.”
"Yes, yes, he didn't buy any food after moving to the new house! I even checked the trash he threw out, and it was just some waste paper, no food packaging or leftover food at all!"
"Oh my, I didn't think about it. But when I do, it scares me! How long have we been monitoring him? Almost a month, right? Can a person go a month without eating?"
"Oh my goodness, I'm so scared!"
"Is he a human or a ghost? My scalp is about to explode!"
Not only those responsible for monitoring Fangaro were shocked, but even the police officer who had previously argued with Liao Fang turned pale, with an expression full of suspicion and doubt. He knew that his colleagues were all atheists, so it was impossible for them to fabricate such supernatural stories for no reason. In other words, Fangaro indeed had something eerie about him! It was terrifying!
Zhuang Zhen, seeing everyone becoming less composed, immediately reprimanded, "Enough, stop talking! It's impossible for a person to go without eating for several weeks. The fact that he's still alive proves that he has eaten, we just haven't discovered it. This matter is irrelevant to the case and doesn't need to be discussed. Be quiet and let me rest for a while." He rubbed his slightly painful temples, feeling more exhausted than when they cracked Southeast Asia's largest drug trafficking case.
The police officers quickly shut their mouths, not daring to disturb the captain. However, privately, several of them looked at each other, their eyes filled with surprise, speculation, and fear.
In the inexplicable eerie atmosphere, the team arrived at the Attached Middle School of Normal University. After presenting the search warrant, the members of the special task force buried themselves in piles of student records. They not only had to check the records of students in the same year as Gao Yize, but also those from previous years, fearing that they might miss any suspicious individuals. They needed to carefully sift through which information was useful, which was irrelevant, and which concealed any connection to Zhao Kai and Mao Xiaoming.
This was a massive project that would not yield results in the short term.
---
While the special task force was busy, Fangaro was sitting in Zhao Wenyi's car listening to music. It was a soothing slow song, and a female singer with a husky and rich voice sang in a foreign language with a rhythmic melody that enlivened the surrounding air.
The sun had already set, and the city was enveloped in a light that was not natural, with all its hustle and bustle not only remaining but also awakening from the simplicity of the daytime. Everything was different from before, appearing so strange and surreal. Fangaro closed his eyes to listen, and his fair face was dyed with a splendid color by the neon lights outside the window.
Zhao Wenyi had prepared himself to be bombarded with words by Fangaro, but despite being in the car for over ten minutes, Fangaro hadn't said a word. This was unusual.
"Aren't you Fangaro?" Zhao Wenyi quickly reacted. "Has Fangaro hidden himself again? Are you Su Bing? Zhou Hongyu? Xie Qing?" He guessed several alternate personalities one after another, but none of them elicited a response from the person.
Zhao Wenyi restrained himself and continued, "You have fallen to this state today not because of Gao Yize, nor because of Sun Ying. You have brought this upon yourself. If you had been more low-key and hadn't offended so many people, even if you were exiled from the Fang family, you could still have made a living in the entertainment industry. It's your own actions that have cut off your retreat. Look at the things you posted on Weibo, does that sound like something a sane person would say? You are becoming more and more paranoid, narrow-minded, and crazy. You will destroy yourself completely sooner or later. I know it's useless to say these things to you now, but when Fangaro finishes hiding, he will have to deal with it."
Zhao Wenyi parked the car on the roadside and took out a recording pen, saying solemnly, "You must not lose this thing. Leave a note telling him that he must listen to what's inside." From his proficient actions, it was clear that he had done this kind of communication before.
Fangaro, who had been bored, finally opened his eyes and gently asked, "What do you want to say?"
When this person didn't open his eyes, he was quite handsome but not very distinctive. However, when he did open them, they were misty, radiating with starlight and carrying an abyss, leaving Zhao Wenyi staring at him blankly, his mind going blank.
A faint charm emanated from the person, not literal charm, but a kind of soul-stirring, irresistible magic.