Let’s Squander A Billion First!

Chapter 696: Chapter 696: Encountering Splendid Auspiciousness (30)

The hallmark of this case is—the killer turns the victims into straw men.

But not by tying straw onto their bodies.

Instead, they thread straw through the victims’ flesh, making it look as if the straw is growing out from their bodies.

Just thinking about that scene makes my scalp tingle.

To kill someone and then perform some sort of performance art.

I really don’t understand how these people think.

Isn’t it a waste of time?

With that time, they could’ve killed several more.

[...] The King’s Account was somewhat speechless, [Miss, do you know what you resemble right now?]

A noble and aloof queen?

[...] Miss has a deep misunderstanding of herself. I need to assist her in correctly understanding herself; it’s my duty as the System, one that shan’t be shirked. [Miss, right now, you’re like a pervert, and not just any pervert but the super perverted kind!]

Chuzheng: ”...”

You’re the pervert!

Your whole family are perverts!

You rotten thing!

[Miss is also part of my family though.] Having said that, the King’s Account made its escape.

Chuzheng: ”...”

Chuzheng angrily flipped through old forum posts.

Anonymous Netizen No. 1: It’s way too crazy! Have the police caught the murderer? Such a person must face the death penalty!

Anonymous Netizen No. 2: This happened in our city; I’m too scared to go to school alone now.

Anonymous Netizen No. 3: It’s the third one!! Why isn’t the case solved yet? It’s really frightening.

Anonymous Netizen No. 4: Why are there so many perverts nowadays? Disgusting.

These comments were all from ten years ago.

The news from back then was there too, but not much detail was revealed.

There were no connections between the deceased, and the victims appeared to have been chosen at random, which made it all the more unsettling.

Anonymous Netizen No. 5: Three people died, and they still haven’t caught the murderer, still an unsolved case, tsk tsk tsk.

Anonymous Netizen No. 6: Insider information, it wasn’t three people that died back then, but four, including one government official.

Anonymous Netizen No. 7: Really?

Anonymous Netizen No. 8: Of course, it’s true. The last one who died was a professor from Hua University in City B; he was an advisor on the case at the time.

These comments came two years after the Straw Man serial killings.

Chuzheng sifted through the mess of comments and found the name of this professor.

He Jianping.

A professor at Hua University.

But apart from this, there was no other information.

The original case took place in City B, and now it’s indeed happening here; it’s understandable for the murderer to change the crime scene.

But why would the Good Person Card show up here in advance?

Being unable to access firsthand materials, Chuzheng felt a bit vexed. It seemed about time to consider enrolling in the police academy.

-

Yan Yu returned to the office, and Chuzheng was leaning back in her chair, seemingly asleep.

He muted his voice and covered her with a jacket.

But she suddenly awoke.

Her clear, bright eyes showed no sign of sleepiness, carrying a touch of icy chill.

She asked, ”Going home?”

Going home...

They’d never actually lived together; which place could be considered home?

How could she say it so naturally?

Yet, Yan Yu found himself moved. He yearned for the home she spoke of.

”No, it’ll be light soon,” Yan Yu really wanted to go home with her, but he restrained himself and refused, ”Can I hold you and sleep for a while?”

Chuzheng extended her hand, ”I’ll hold you.”

Yan Yu’s face revealed a hint of a smile, and he pulled out a folding bed from the office. He lifted Chuzheng onto it, and the two of them lay on the narrow folding bed, their bodies pressed tightly together.

Voices could still be heard from the corridor outside.

But Yan Yu felt the world was very quiet at that moment, his world only consisted of her.

”Do you want a kiss?” Chuzheng asked him.

”Baby, I’m not in the mood,” Yan Yu’s voice was somewhat low.

”Kissing can make you feel happy,” Chuzheng wheedled him, ”Why don’t you try?”

Yan Yu: ”...”

Yan Yu slightly lowered his head, and their lips met. Neither moved at first, but ultimately it was Chuzheng who initiated.

-

When Chuzheng woke up the next day, she was covered with Yan Yu’s jacket, but there was no sign of him in the office.

People outside were saying that Yan Yu was in a meeting.

Chuzheng drove back to change clothes and then came back with breakfast.

As soon as she arrived, she heard a very loud voice coming from the hallway.

”Yan Yu, I order you to go home and rest. You don’t need to participate in this case!”

Yan Yu was stopped by Shen Siming, and after the middle-aged man who had shouted this left with a stern face,

”Stop looking, everyone disperse!” Shen Siming told the people around.

When everyone had scattered, Shen Siming sighed, ”What were you arguing with the Chief for? The chief is also doing this for your own good, after all, it involves your teacher. It’s better for you to keep your distance. Rest assured, I will catch the killer.”

Yan Yu leaned against the wall, sliding down weakly.

Suddenly someone supported him at the waist: ”Did that guy just bully you?”

Yan Yu turned his head and saw Chuzheng’s familiar face.

”No,” Yan Yu said. ”He just won’t let me participate in the case.”

”Not letting you join is for your own good,” Shen Siming said. ”Look at you right now, can you really be rational?”

”I’m quite rational.”

Shen Siming didn’t make a sound but looked towards Chuzheng as if asking, do you think he’s rational?

Chuzheng also thought the Good Person Card was a bit off.

With the Chief’s orders, even if Yan Yu wanted to investigate, he couldn’t continue to stay here.

”You take him back first,” Shen Siming told Chuzheng. ”Keep a close eye on him.”

Chuzheng nodded and took Yan Yu back to her apartment, where she was staying currently.

Yan Yu wasn’t in good shape, spending most of his time sitting and daydreaming, occasionally showing a chilling and sullen expression.

When Chuzheng kissed him, he would relax a little.

”Eat something,” she said.

Chuzheng placed the porridge in front of him.

Yan Yu sat on the floor, in front of him lay an old notebook, which Shen Siming had someone deliver.

”Yan Yu?”

”Baby,” Yan Yu returned to his senses, his eyes somewhat vacant as he looked at her: ”What is it?”

”Eat.”

”Oh.”

If Yan Yu didn’t eat, Chuzheng would get physically forceful, so he sensibly chose to eat on his own.

Chuzheng sat beside him and looked at the notebook.

On it was a strange diagram.

”What’s this?”

Yan Yu shook his head: ”I don’t know, my teacher left it.”

He paused: ”My teacher...”

He glanced at Chuzheng, fell silent for a while, then slowly told her about the case from years ago.

He was just about to go to university ten years ago, having already decided to apply to the school where his teacher worked.

However, at that time, He Jianping was harmed by someone.

This notebook was something he had recently sorted out from He Jianping’s belongings.

It contained a great deal of data on the Straw Man serial murders.

However, the police had this information too, and he had already reviewed it a long time ago.

Only this strange diagram with ’City H’ written below stood out. It was the last entry in the notebook.

He Jianping must have discovered something but was murdered by the killer before he had the chance to investigate further.