Upon hearing this, the mannequin-like woman's pupil dilated slightly.

Liu Hong pinched the woman's chin and looked at her face carefully. Although she was beautiful, the years were unforgiving. She had wrinkles on the side of her eyes.

“Yes, he looks like you. That little monk is your son.” Liu Hong said in a low voice.

“He…”

Without giving the woman a chance to continue speaking, Liu Hong slapped her face and reprimanded, “How many times have I told you that you’re not allowed to speak in this house?!”

The woman looked at him in horror and Liu Hong reached out his hand. The woman saw it as a sign of forgiveness and began to lick Liu Hong's calloused palm intensely.

Liu Hong continued to say in a very low voice, “Li Biao’s case was too risky, but there was no way out of it. Who told that kid to betray me and whistle-blow the police! I spent so much mouth-sealing money to raise a white-eyed wolf[1]. I wouldn’t have kept him if I had known! The police are still watching me closely these days. It’s not safe here. You need to go to the safe house and stay there. You’re not allowed to set a foot out of that house unless I give you permission.”

The woman nodded desperately.

Liu Hong stroked the woman's hair and ears. “Your son should have seen my face back then. If we need to kill him, would you do it yourself?”

The woman hesitated for half a second before nodding her head.

“How good! Everyone else has betrayed me. Only you are still by my side. When the wind has passed, I'll take care of you properly. Now, get lost!”

The woman continued licking his hand, but Liu Hong pushed her away. “Hurry up and get lost! Don't let anyone see you.”

The woman began to pack her things while Liu Hong kept playing with the dog loudly. He would glance at the window from time to time.

The woman wrapped her scarf around her, put on her sunglasses, and left with a bag.

As she went downstairs, she looked cautiously around and determined that no suspicious people were around before she left.

When she left the community, a pair of mud-covered monk shoes quietly followed.

“Where is the little master?” Lin Dongxue finished up some things and asked the policeman who was just with the young monk.

The policeman said, “He left! Did you want to detain him?”

“No need. Let him go!”

The police officers of the task force stayed in the conference room. Many men smoked and smoke filled the room. Everyone was waiting for news from Captain Peng.

Finally, Peng Sijue came back and everyone rushed to meet him, asking this and that. Peng Sijue instructed, “One by one, how can I answer all that?!”

Lin Dongxue said, “Did you find DNA?”

“No!”

“What about other things?”

“Footprints, hair, some fibers. We’re currently preparing the tests.”

Chen Shi said, “Can you show me the hair?”

Peng Sijue took out an evidence bag. In it was obviously a woman's hair, as it was very long.

Chen Shi said, “Do a test on this one first!”

“Like I needed you to tell me that!”

Everyone waited for the results. Naturally, DNA couldn’t be extracted as hair that falls naturally couldn’t be tested. However, chromosomes and the sex of the person could be identified.

Three hours later, Peng Sijue came out with a report. “A woman's hair. She’s about thirty-seven years old and in poor physical condition. She seems to be living in a place that has been chronically deprived of light and has a severe lack of vitamin D.”

Chen Shi thought deeply and asked Lin Dongxue to go aside. “When Chen Xuan's mother disappeared, I remember her being twenty-four years old. If she is still alive, she would be thirty-seven.”

“That’s too wild a thought, don’t you think?”

“Not at all. Among the missing people, only Yin Wen is of this age!”

“Do you suspect that she’s still alive?”

“I have long suspected it. From the beginning, I felt that the memory of the little master was a bit distorted. When I tried to find out the truth from that year, I thought that his mother was probably not abused nor killed by Liu Hong. The truth of the matter may not be complicated. Liu Hong and Yin Wen may have had a secret relationship and Chen Guang found out. Chen Guang might have threatened Liu Hong, so Liu Hong killed him!”

“Little master said he saw Liu Hong hit his mother.”

“What he saw was most likely them conducting the affair.”

“If Yin Wen is really alive, we have a heavyweight witness and we might still be able to convict Liu Hong!”

“I worry…”

“Worry about what?”

“Captain Peng said that the owner of the hair lived in a place without light for a long time. I’m worried that Yin Wen has been imprisoned. She was imprisoned for 13 years. What would happen?”

“Would she go crazy?!”

“Human psychology will continue to establish a balanced relationship with the environment. When the outside world is too difficult and can’t be changed, the heart will adapt to it and accept it. It’s like a pumpkin being squished down by iron. The inside of the pumpkin will continue to harden and become hard like wood. If a person is imprisoned and loses all their personal freedom, and if they feel like their life is being threatened, they will gradually give up their dignity for survival and please the captives in exchange for the resources to survive. They may even fall in love with their captors.”

“Stockholm syndrome?”

“Yes! Of course, the crazy you spoke of is another way of balancing her environment. If Yin Wen went crazy, she would definitely be out of control. Liu Hong wouldn't keep her around for so long if she was like that. She’s still alive, which means she’s useful. She’s probably not like the Yin Wen of the past… Even if we find her, she might not accuse Liu Hong.”

Lin Dongxue shivered upon hearing this. Is there really nothing we can do now?

Chen Shi continued, “But it is not meaningless to find Yin Wen. Her existence is evidence itself.”

“That's right. We need to expand the investigation. I'll try to apply for a search warrant.”

Lin Dongxue went to Lin Qiupu, but Lin Qiupu flatly said, “No, the director will not sign it.”

Lin Dongxue said, “Li Biao's disappearance is the best breakthrough. If we miss this opportunity, we may only be able to see him live freely from now on.

Lin Qiupu sighed. “It is only a disappearance and a case for him has not been formally filed yet. Even so, you went to his house to search? This is already a violation of the rules.”

“We couldn’t help it at the time!”

“That’s not a reason to violate the regulations. When this is all over, you need to write me a report!”

Lin Dongxue saluted angrily. “I understand!”

Lin Dongxue was ready to leave, but Lin Qiupu called her back. “Wait a minute, I can try using this disappearance case. The circumstances are special, and maybe a court search warrant can be obtained. However, you must guarantee that you won’t mess around before that!”

“Thank you, brother!”

After busying themselves for a day at the bureau, it didn’t make much sense to stay in the bureau any longer, so Chen Shi took Lin Dongxue home.

On the way, they were still discussing the case. When they got close to the neighborhood, Chen Shi said, “Let's find the little master and ask him again!”

“Would he be willing to let you poke at his wounds again?”

“It’s different now. He has now seen the murderer, so maybe his mentality has changed!”

So, the two got to the hostel, but the administrator said that the young monk hadn’t returned today. Chen Shi couldn't get through to his phone either. Lin Dongxue suggested, “Perhaps he went out for food and his phone is out of battery?”

“I bought him a big pack of food the day before yesterday. Where would he go to eat?”

“Maybe he wants to change up his food as well!”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“At the bureau when he yelled at Liu Hong... What about you?”

“Same as you!” Chen Shi had a bad feeling about this. “He wouldn’t do anything impulsive, right?”

1. An expression used to describe people who bite the hand that feeds them.