I See Murders Before They Happen

Chapter 105: Chapter 103: The Murderer, Back from the Dead?

Seeing she had finished reading the contract, Meng Shuyi said, ”We have a fast-track recruitment policy for the police force. The criminal investigator position requires passing a few exams. But because your ability is so unique, the higher-ups approved this specific contract. You can decide for yourself whether you want to be a consultant or become a police officer.”

”However, Zhuang Yanzheng mentioned you have excellent combat skills, so passing a few exams shouldn’t be a problem.”

Su Miaoyi looked at the scope of privileges detailed in the contract.

This would make things much easier for her.

She had been planning to sign that other contract Zhuang Yanzheng gave her a while back, right after the New Year.

’And now another new contract has appeared.’

”Do you have any other requests?” Meng Shuyi asked. ”You can raise them now. We can accommodate anything reasonable.”

”Isn’t this salary a bit too high?” Su Miaoyi asked.

Meng Shuyi chuckled. ”Is there anyone who actually complains about their salary being too high?”

”That’s not it. It’s just... I feel...”

’It’s so high, I don’t feel right taking it.’

Meng Shuyi said, ”This was set by the higher-ups. It’s commensurate with your abilities.”

Su Miaoyi remained silent.

”Do you have some reservations?” Meng Shuyi asked. ”You didn’t sign the consultant contract from a few months ago, either.”

”I...” Su Miaoyi thought for a moment before saying, ”To be honest, I’m worried this ’ability’ of mine might just disappear one day.”

”But it’s still here now,” Meng Shuyi said. ”Why worry about something that hasn’t happened?”

”This is a three-year contract. If I lose this ability before it’s up, then...”

Meng Shuyi nodded. ”We can write that concern into the contract. If your ’ability’ disappears, our working relationship will be terminated.”

”I wouldn’t have to pay any sort of penalty for breach of contract, would I?” Su Miaoyi asked.

Meng Shuyi smiled. ”Of course not.”

Su Miaoyi smiled back, feeling much more at ease.

Meng Shuyi said, ”I’ll have someone amend the contract, then bring it to you to sign.”

”Okay,” Su Miaoyi replied.

”Once the contract is signed, I won’t have to stand on ceremony with you anymore,” Meng Shuyi said. ”Otherwise, every time I hear you’re here, I feel guilty, like I’m exploiting free labor. And I won’t have to worry about another department poaching you.”

”I got paid for every case,” Su Miaoyi said.

”That was barely anything,” Meng Shuyi said. ”Even though it was the maximum bonus I could request, it still wasn’t proportional to your abilities and contributions. It didn’t sit right with me.”

”Thank you, Director Meng,” Su Miaoyi said.

”Don’t thank me. It was Zhuang Yanzheng who went to the higher-ups to get this approved,” Meng Shuyi said.

Su Miaoyi looked at her.

Meng Shuyi said, ”You can’t go wrong working under him. When he finds talented people, he pulls them into the Municipal Bureau, into his criminal investigation team. He always makes sure his own people get the best treatment.”

Su Miaoyi nodded.

”Alright, go on and get back to work,” Meng Shuyi said.

”Okay.” Su Miaoyi stood up and left the meeting room.

...

Investigating Qian Fan’s movements from several years ago would require extensive legwork and interviews.

Zhuang Yanzheng and Su Miaoyi had already asked around in Fuxiang Village, but they hadn’t learned anything.

But they hadn’t spoken to many people.

So they notified the local precinct to conduct a wider canvass.

This also involved screening taxi and ride-share drivers.

The workload was immense.

By the time Su Miaoyi came out of the meeting room, Zhuang Yanzheng had already left with Lu Zhishen, Yan Cheng, and a few other officers to get to work.

So Su Miaoyi reviewed the case files once more.

The case from five years ago, the one from three years ago, and the current one.

As well as the information they had gathered from Fushun Village and Huayue Village.

She stared at the sketch of the killer.

’Qian Fan’s murder was likely because of domestic abuse.’

’But if the same person killed that family of three, what was the motive?’

Su Miaoyi looked at the photo of Ma Yan’s family of three, then at the killer’s sketch.

’She thought about what the killer looked like in her vision.’

’When she was nailing the body in the cellar, there was no sense of fear from her at all.’

’Her eyes and expression were mostly just numb.’

’And within that numbness, there was a hint of relief.’

Su Miaoyi then looked at the old autopsy photos.

Yan Cheng had already been at the Municipal Bureau back then.

But he wasn’t the one who signed the autopsy report; it was another medical examiner.

The weather had been cold, and it had snowed, so Ma Yan’s body was relatively intact.

Zhu He’s body was somewhat decomposed, but the low temperature had slowed the process.

Su Miaoyi looked at the photo of Zhu He’s body.

She looked at the indentations on her skull—one on the back of her head, and another on her forehead.

The autopsy report stated that the indentation on the forehead was caused by three hammer blows.

Just as she was about to flip to the next page, Su Miaoyi was suddenly pulled into a vision.

She felt a sudden, sharp blow to the back of her head, and the world started to spin.

But she still instinctively turned to look behind her.

The moment she saw the person behind her, she collapsed to the ground. ”Ma Nan?”

The woman, Ma Nan, had a numb expression. She held a hammer in her hand. She took two steps forward, squatted down beside her, and just looked at her.

”Ma Nan, you... you... Help me, help me.”

Ma Nan just stared at her.

”Help me, I’m your mother... How... how could you? You...” The victim clutched at Ma Nan’s clothes, gripping them tightly.

Ma Nan finally spoke, her expression still numb. ”Ma Nan is dead. There is no Ma Nan anymore. From now on, there is only Yao Ying.”

After saying this, Ma Nan raised the hammer and brought it down hard.

Su Miaoyi snapped out of the vision, stunned for a moment.

’The killer... it’s the same person I saw nailing Qian Fan’s body.’

’Her name is Ma Nan?’

Su Miaoyi flipped through the photos.

Photos of Ma Yan’s home had been taken during the original investigation.

Soon she found the photo she was looking for.

The vision she just had took place outside. It was already getting dark, but she could see a house and a yard in the distance.

It was a match for what she had seen in the vision.

She had seen Ma Yan’s yard.

Su Miaoyi quickly pulled up the case file on Ma Yan’s family.

Eldest daughter: Ma Nan, deceased.

Su Miaoyi immediately called Zhuang Yanzheng.

She told Zhuang Yanzheng what she had seen in her vision.

After listening, Zhuang Yanzheng said, ”Ma Nan isn’t dead?”

Su Miaoyi said, ”That’s what I saw in my vision.”

”Ma Nan has a death certificate and a cremation certificate,” Zhuang Yanzheng said, then fell silent.

Su Miaoyi looked at the death certificate and cremation certificate in the file.

Zhuang Yanzheng suddenly asked, ”Risen from the dead?”

The moment he said that, Su Miaoyi’s heart hammered in her chest. She didn’t know why she was suddenly so nervous. After taking a moment to compose herself, she said, ”How could something so absurd be possible?”

Zhuang Yanzheng was silent again.

Su Miaoyi said, ”There has to be more to this story.”

”Yeah,” Zhuang Yanzheng agreed.

Su Miaoyi said, ”She goes by Yao Ying now. If there’s no information on her in the system, does that mean she never got an ID card, or she’s using a fake one?”

”Does that narrow down the search? She has to make a living, which means she needs to earn money. Jobs that don’t require an ID...”

”That’s assuming she hasn’t left Jinghai,” Zhuang Yanzheng said.

Su Miaoyi also fell silent for a moment.

’And Jinghai is a big city.’

”So, should we issue a wanted notice?” Su Miaoyi asked.

’Even though it’s just a sketch, it’s a very good likeness.’

”Mm,” Zhuang Yanzheng said. ”I’ll talk to Director Meng.”

...