chapter 15 The whole city is on alert

According to the clues provided by Noah Zhao, the police have already taken action. Therefore, Noah Zhao doesn't have much time left. If he wants to get the highest reward, he must rely on his own efforts to catch the serial killer before the police do. Otherwise, he can only get the 50,000 to 100,000 yuan reward. Actually, even 50,000 to 100,000 yuan is not a small amount, but compared to 500,000 yuan, there is a tenfold difference.
Noah Zhao, who previously lived in the mountains, had little concept of money. He used to live off the land, self-sufficient in every way. But now, in the big city, even with all his skills, he can't get by without money. That’s why he began to yearn for money. Moreover, thinking of what Moria Qin told him, the reason why his betrothed, whom he has never met, doesn’t want to marry him is probably because of money.
"There's only one night," Noah Zhao murmured to himself, clenching his fists. "I must catch him before dawn!"
After leaving the community, the first thing he did was not to look for the serial killer, but to find the native dog Black Wind and the dairy cow cat, Beast. Although he knew the physical characteristics of the killer, he didn't know where the killer was or where he was hiding. Therefore, he needed to find help.
Black Wind and Beast were wandering near Noah Zhao, waiting for his call. "Master, what are your orders?" Black Wind, the native dog, ran over first, followed by the dairy cow cat.
Seeing this, Noah Zhao went straight to the point: "I need your help to find someone."
"What does he look like?" asked Black Wind.
Noah Zhao described the killer's appearance and physical characteristics in detail to the cat and dog. After hearing this, Black Wind immediately said, "Master, I'll go and call my subordinates to help you find this person."
"You must be quick, it would be best to find him tonight!" Noah Zhao said with a serious look, adding, "Remember, this man is very dangerous, skilled, and also has a gun, so once you find him, don’t act rashly. Notify me immediately."
"Understood!" Black Wind took the order and left. As the leader of the stray dogs in the North Sea, he had thousands of stray dogs under his command, covering every corner of the city. Among all creatures, dogs have the strongest tracking ability. If there’s the slightest trace, they can lock onto it just by scent. Exaggeratingly speaking, as long as the killer is still here, he cannot escape, no matter where he hides!
Black Wind ran off, but the dairy cow cat, Beast, stayed with Noah Zhao. "Master, I think I've seen the man you're talking about..."
Hearing this, Noah Zhao immediately turned to look: "Where?"
The dairy cow cat said seriously, "In an abandoned community that's about to be demolished. Everyone has moved out, and he’s occupied a yard, boarding up all the doors and windows with wooden planks..."
"He doesn't farm or store goods, but there are a lot of fierce-looking, well-fed rats there. I once led a group of friends to forage there, but as soon as he saw us, he threw stones at us. One of my friends was killed by him on the spot. Since then, we dared not get close. I remember him vividly because of this incident!"
Noah Zhao's pupils dilated, and he immediately decided, "Take me there right away!"
"The place is quite far. If we walk, it will take about half an hour," said the dairy cow cat.
"No matter how far, we must go. It's very likely his stronghold," said Noah Zhao.
Thus, under the guidance of the dairy cow cat, Noah Zhao rushed to the abandoned community.
Meanwhile, Viola Li had returned to the police station with her team and arranged for a profiler to sketch the image of the killer based on the clues from Noah Zhao.
"Is this the guy we’ve been desperately searching for in the serial killings case?" "He looks sneaky, doesn’t look like a good person."
"Is it really this guy? We don't want to end up empty-handed after all this effort. We only have one day left to solve the case within the 72-hour deadline set by the higher-ups."
After obtaining the image, the detectives started discussing. Viola Li, however, said, "Enter this image into the computer and compare it with the criminal database to see if we can find a similar suspect."
Amidst the busy atmosphere, Director Gao hurried in, his face serious. "Viola, something big has happened!"
"What’s wrong?" asked Viola Li.
Director Gao said, "The twin daughters of Boss Chen from Wanfu Jewelry were kidnapped while on a trip this morning!"
"When did this happen?" asked Viola Li.
"Just this morning," answered Director Gao.
Viola Li was stunned. "Why is it only being reported now?"
Director Gao patiently explained, "Boss Chen's daughters usually travel with bodyguards and a driver for protection, so safety issues rarely arise... When Boss Chen, busy with business, didn't receive calls from his daughters, he became anxious. Unable to contact the bodyguards or driver, he feared the worst. Using the GPS in their car, he rushed to the scene with his men, only to be shocked at what he found."
"The bodyguards and driver lay in a pool of blood. The driver, shot in the head, was already dead, while the bodyguard was seriously injured and barely survived after being rushed to the hospital. However, the two girls were nowhere to be found!"
Hearing this, Viola Li had a rough idea of what had happened.
"Boss Chen is a well-known figure in Beihai. The higher-ups have just ordered us to find his daughters and bring the kidnappers to justice, no matter what."
Just then, a group of people burst into the office. The leader, a middle-aged man in a suit, looked hurried and panicked. It was Reg Chen, the jewelry magnate!
"Officer Li, I've heard of your reputation. You're the pride of the police force, solving countless cases and known as the Beihai Goddess Detective. I beg you, please help me find my missing daughters," he implored.
Viola Li responded seriously, "Mr. Chen, please stay calm. I've already heard about the situation from Director Gao. Rest assured, I'll immediately deploy police to conduct a comprehensive search around the site of the incident."
Reg Chen said, "The only eyewitness, the bodyguard protecting my daughters, has been brought to the police station after being stabilized in the hospital. You can ask him anything!"
With that, two men in black pushed a mobile hospital bed into the office, carrying a young man with a breathing mask, pale and weak but with his eyes open, showing some signs of consciousness.
Viola Li had never encountered such a situation in her years of service. It seemed that the wealthy Boss Chen, deeply caring for his daughters, had prepared everything for the police to expedite their rescue.
This made it easier for Viola Li; she didn’t need to visit the hospital herself.
The barely alive bodyguard, upon catching sight of something, suddenly raised his hand, pointing in a direction and shouting, "It's him, him, it's definitely him!"
Everyone turned to look where he was pointing – at the blackboard with the serial killer's sketch.
Viola Li immediately took the sketch to the bodyguard and asked, "Is the person who kidnapped Miss Chen the one in this sketch?"
The bodyguard nodded frantically, "Absolutely him. He has a long face with a scar on the right... I would recognize him even if he turned to ashes!"
"Whose sketch is this?" asked Director Gao.
Viola Li replied, "The serial killer in the teenage girls’ murder case!"
Upon hearing this, Director Gao turned pale. The most critical case for all police stations in Beihai was the teenage girls’ serial murder case. This man, within just three months, had committed nine murders, targeting girls aged between 18 and 20, all virgins. Strangely, although their bodies were brutally mutilated, there were no signs of sexual assault. Another commonality was the frightening bite marks on their necks, with veins and trachea exposed, and their blood completely drained.
The detectives, familiar with homicide cases, realized the severity of this particular case. They suspected the perpetrator was not only ruthless but also psychologically deranged.
If Boss Chen’s daughters had been kidnapped by regular kidnappers, it wouldn't be as alarming, as kidnappers typically seek ransom. However, if they were taken by this serial killer, the consequences were unimaginable.
"Viola, where did you get this sketch?" Director Gao suddenly asked.
Viola Li then explained in detail how they discovered the killer while on night patrol.
Director Gao's expression changed drastically. "So, the kidnapper of Miss Chen and the serial killer are the same person?"
This revelation shocked everyone in the room. Even Boss Chen staggered backward as if struck by a thunderbolt, only to be caught by quick-reacting people behind him.
Director Gao urgently ordered, "Contact the armed police and the public security brigade to enter first-level combat readiness and impose a citywide curfew. Search for the suspect based on the sketch!"