Ten years later, Shanghai, Public Security Bureau.
Sun Mingtang approving the thick dossier, accidentally raised his eyes and looked at the honor certificates hanging on the wall. A bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, thinking of the days of life and death lurking in the military system before liberation.
There was a rapid knock on the door outside.
"Please come in." He adjusted his emotions and looked at the door.
Order soldier Hu Yong walked in, his face was a little frightened, and he sent a telegram: "Deputy Chief, call from Hong Kong!"
"Oh?" Sun Mingtang was a little puzzled. He has almost no personal relationships in Hong Kong. He glanced at the signature of the telegram, his complexion changed drastically, but this telegram was from Du Yuesheng, the old gang leader in Shanghai! Although he and Du Yuesheng have not met each other, they also had a deep friendship with the Qinggang back then, so the two were considered half friends and passed several oral messages.
The text is as follows:
Deputy Director Sun, Du is very old. In the early days of liberation, Du moved to Hong Kong in a hurry. Many young gang brothers did not have time to take away. It is a great pity! I heard about the "2 01 censorship massacre" at Shanghai's Bund 18, and the victim was the brother of the Youth Gang who organized the "Red Cross" with me to fight against Japan.
The "2? 01 Killing the Door Massacre" has been suspended for more than half a year, and it has not been solved yet! Du can't really believe in the ability of the Bund patrols to solve the case. I hereby write this message, hoping that Deputy Director Sun will read about the love of the Qinggang brothers who helped you before the liberation (see "Dark Sword" for details), and solve the case personally, so that my Qinggang brothers Rest in peace under the nine springs!
Du Yuesheng
September 17, 1950
Sun Mingtang habitually struck a match, burned the telegram, and asked the orderly: "Xiao Hu, you can help me adjust the file on the Bund, pay special attention to the '2? 01 Killing the door tragedy' at Pier 18!"
[Hu Yong] His face changed a bit, and he said, "Deputy Chief, the 2001 Miemen Massacre has become an unsolved case. The scene has long been destroyed, and the corpses have been buried. Do you really want to..." He stopped.
"Entrusted by someone to eliminate disasters for others!" Sun Mingtang lit a cigarette and narrowed his eyes. It has only been a year since Shanghai was liberated, and it hasn't really been peaceful. The cases are like mountains. Many cases are gone. If it weren't for Du Yuesheng's call, he would have left behind the "2?01 Massacre Massacre".
[Hu Yong] A stack of files on the Bund was transferred from the Criminal Investigation Department. The "2? 01 Destroying Door Massacre" occurred at Pier 18, the most prosperous on the Bund. A family of four was slaughtered with a boning knife overnight. The head of the owner was killed Cut it off and put it in an iron pan. When the police found out, the head was already ripe. The owner's intestines were also brutally taken out by the murderer and folded neatly. The owner's belly was sewn with needles and threads by the murderer again, and a strange flower was embroidered on his belly.
Sun Mingtang pinched out the cigarette butt, pushed his glasses, and stared at the black and white photo attached to the file for a long time. Suddenly, a chill rose from the soles of the feet to the base of the neck. The head and big ears of the Patriarch who was rolling in the iron pan seemed to be similar, but he couldn't remember it for a while. He read the dossier again and learned that the owner of the family was Zhang Dafu, a foreigner who moved to Shanghai with his wife, one son and one daughter because of the deserter disaster.
Sun Mingtang beckoned to [Hu Yong] next to him: "Xiao Hu, come and see, what is the flower embroidered on the belly of the deceased? What kind of flower is it?"
[Hu Yong] Before following Sun Mingtang, he had worked as an attendant in the Criminal Investigation Department, and said at the moment: "Captain Li of the Criminal Investigation Department has investigated, it seems to be a flower embroidered with fish thread, it seems to be a peach blossom."
Sun Mingtang squeezed his chin and said, "Fishing line? So, maybe the murderer was a local fisherman?"
[Hu Yong] said: "From that peach blossom, it looks a bit like a love killer, but the murderer is not necessarily too cruel! If it is for money, the deceased was just unloading goods at the Bund, and there is no need to boil his head. Take out all the intestines, right?"
Sun Mingtang collected the dossier and said, "Xiao Hu, follow me to the Bund for a walk."
[Hu Yong] startled for a moment: "Deputy Director, are you really going to solve the case?"
Sun Mingtang's expression sank slightly: "Of course." A trace of anxiety passed in his heart, vaguely feeling that this incident seemed to be related to his past.
First, Sun Mingtang went to the Criminal Investigation Department and asked Captain Li about the progress of the "2? 01 Murder" six months ago. Captain Li was a little helpless and kept spreading his hands: "There is no criminal motive in this case, and it is difficult to find clues left by the murderer , No clue, it's a headless case!"
Sun Mingtang and [Hu Yong] drove to the Bund Pier 18. That Zhang Dafu's "home" is nothing but a broken fishing boat towed ashore, with a canvas patched with flour sacks on the mast. The neighbors are also poor people, and they all use the same fishing boats as houses. Sun Mingtang put on his gloves and face mask, and climbed into the fishing boat. An aura of corruption came to his nose. Inside, it was soot and dusty, and there were layers of cobwebs on the canvas.
[Hu Yong] pointed to a simple boiler beside the wooden bed: "The head of the owner was found here!"