My First Love is a Genius Profiler - Chapter 9

The police car quietly drove into an old residential area, its headlights cutting two bright beams through the dimness. The streetlights along the road were weak, flickering on and off, and a tense atmosphere hung in the air.

“It’s here,” Hu Bingyu stopped the car, pointing to a dilapidated six-story building not far away. The building’s exterior wall was mottled and peeling, with several broken windowpanes, making it look particularly eerie in the night.

The two women hurried towards the target building. Shen Anyan’s heart involuntarily quickened. She knew that every step they took could change the course of the case. The dry branches under their feet crunched, adding to the unsettling feeling.

When they arrived at Zhang Hao’s apartment door, they found it ajar. Hu Bingyu cautiously drew her sidearm and gently pushed the door open. The door hinge let out a jarring creak, like a warning of impending danger.

“Police! Is anyone here?” Hu Bingyu shouted loudly while carefully looking around. Her voice echoed in the empty room, but there was no response.

The room was a mess; drawers had been haphazardly rummaged through, and wardrobes were wide open and empty. Various documents and clothes were scattered on the floor, making a rustling sound when stepped upon. Shards of broken glass glittered faintly in the moonlight. Clearly, someone had searched the place in a hurry and taken away important items.

“It seems we’re too late,” Shen Anyan frowned, a hint of frustration flashing in her eyes. “Tang Yu might have taken all the evidence incriminating her.” She crouched down, meticulously examining the scattered document fragments, hoping to find a clue.

Hu Bingyu nodded and began a careful search of the room. Her gaze swept over every corner. Suddenly, a photo frame on a corner bookshelf caught her attention. It looked out of place with the surroundings, as if it had been hastily put back.

“Anyan, come look at this!” Hu Bingyu called out urgently, her voice tinged with excitement.

Shen Anyan quickly walked over and saw a wedding photo of Zhang Hao and Tang Yu in the frame. Tang Yu in the photo was smiling beautifully, stunning and charming, but Zhang Hao’s expression seemed somewhat stiff and unnatural. Though his lips were curved upward, he couldn’t hide the worry in his eyes.

“Don’t you think Zhang Hao’s eyes look strange?” Hu Bingyu pointed to the photo, her voice laced with confusion.

“You’re right. There seems to be a hint of fear and unease in his eyes. That’s not the look a newly married husband should have,” Shen Anyan agreed after a close look. Her finger lightly traced the photograph, as if trying to glean more information. “Perhaps Zhang Hao knew Tang Yu’s true nature all along but couldn’t escape her control.”

“Bingyu, do you remember Tang Yu’s smile?” Shen Anyan’s brow furrowed more deeply; her mind raced, attempting to connect all the clues.

“I remember, that smile sent shivers down my spine too,” Hu Bingyu nodded, recalling the chilling smile on Tang Yu’s face that day at the telecom building.

“That’s a classic trait of a psychopath,” Shen Anyan explained. “She likely lacked empathy from a young age, feeling nothing for the suffering of others. Such people are often good at pretense and can easily manipulate the emotions of others.”

Just then, Shen Anyan’s gaze fell on a corner of the bookshelf. There was a very ordinary-looking notebook there, but it was slightly protruding, as if it had been hastily shoved back. She carefully pulled out the notebook and opened the first page, which was densely covered in writing.

Shen and Hu meticulously flipped through the diary they found in Zhang Hao’s home. The pages were yellowed and curled from years of handling. As they read on, their expressions grew more serious, and a heavy atmosphere permeated the air.

January 15th, Cloudy. Received another complaint today from the user with the number 1234xxxx. Ma Ming, yes, that guy who always likes to verbally abuse the customer service reps… Why can’t anyone deal with trash like him?

February 1st, Sunny. Yang Bifang number 5678xxxx called again to make trouble. Always threatening to complain to the regulatory authorities… This kind of unreasonable user deserves a good lesson. If only she could be silenced forever.

February 8th, Partly Cloudy. Li Mei number 9876xxxx is truly a troublemaker. Always saying she wants to switch carriers. Hurry up and switch, damn it… How can people like this continue to use our service? I really hope her number is disconnected permanently.

“Is this… Tang Yu’s diary?” Hu Bingyu leaned closer, saying in surprise.

“Yes, these records are too detailed,” Shen Anyan frowned, her finger lightly running over the dense handwriting. “The home addresses, workplaces, and even the schools of their children were all recorded. This far exceeds the scope of information a regular customer service representative should possess. This diary is undoubtedly the hit list she left for Zhang Hao.”

“It’s incredibly brazen for her to leave this behind! Doesn’t she fear us catching her?” Hu Bingyu’s brow furrowed, and she unconsciously clenched her fist.

“No, Bingyu. Tang Yu is very clever; she knows this diary cannot serve as direct evidence. She dares to leave it because she’s not afraid we’ll catch her. That virtual number was her masterpiece.”

Hu Bingyu was silent for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. “So, Tang Yu planned to abandon Zhang Hao from the start?”

“Yes, Zhang Hao was just a pawn to her,” Shen Anyan slowly closed the diary. “This woman is extremely dangerous. We need to find her as soon as possible…”

Just then, Hu Bingyu’s phone suddenly rang, breaking the tense silence in the room. The caller ID showed Wang Li. She answered the call, and after a brief conversation, her expression grew even more serious.

Hanging up the phone, Hu Bingyu sighed deeply and said helplessly, “Captain Wang said he has already reported the case as closed. All evidence points to Zhang Hao, and superiors are also pressuring him to close the case quickly and provide an explanation to the public.”

“But these suspicions we just found…” Shen Anyan frowned, her tone urgent, but her sentence was cut short by Hu Bingyu.

“The problem is…” Hu Bingyu shook her head in frustration, her voice full of defeat. “We have no direct evidence proving Tang Yu was involved in the murders. During questioning, Tang Yu was cleared of suspicion for the crimes of aiding and abetting or incitement. While this diary is suspicious, as you just said, from a legal standpoint, it’s not enough to secure a conviction.”

Shen Anyan fell into deep thought, her eyes becoming profound and complex. This was not the first time she had encountered such a cunning and brazen criminal, but she absolutely could not accept letting the person get away.

After a moment, she slowly spoke, “We need more evidence. Although Tang Yu is smart, her personality is very conceited. Even the most perfect crime will have loopholes. We must find that breakthrough, Bingyu.”

“I understand. You’re right, we can’t give up now. If a criminal like Tang Yu remains at large, it will only lead to more tragedy.” Hu Bingyu nodded. As a criminal investigator, she also didn’t want to miss any chance to catch a criminal.

After composing themselves, the two decided to search the room carefully again, hoping to find more clues. They moved back and forth in the empty room until suddenly, Shen Anyan’s heel kicked something. She bent down and found it was just an ordinary wall socket, but upon closer inspection, she noticed the socket plate was slightly raised from the wall.

“Bingyu, look at this.” Shen Anyan gently tapped the wall around the socket, producing a hollow echo.

Hu Bingyu understood and nodded. She pulled a small knife from her waist and carefully pried open the socket. Unexpectedly, a small safe was hidden behind it.

“It looks like Zhang Hao had his own secrets too,” Hu Bingyu whispered, a glimmer of excitement in her eyes.

Shen Anyan examined the safe and saw that it required a six-digit code. She thought for a moment and suddenly realized something.

“Bingyu, remember that wedding photo?” Shen Anyan asked. “There’s a date below the photo, it should be their wedding anniversary.”

“That’s right, it’s 201707.” Hu Bingyu quickly went to the photo frame to check.

Shen Anyan entered the set of numbers. The safe made a soft click and slowly opened. Inside was a stack of documents and a USB flash drive.

The two quickly flipped through the documents, discovering that these were pieces of evidence Zhang Hao had secretly collected. They included Tang Yu’s call records with multiple customers, some suspicious bank transfer details, and several photos of Tang Yu in intimate contact with different men.

“It seems Zhang Hao suspected Tang Yu for a long time,” Hu Bingyu said, sounding a bit surprised.

“He was probably looking for an opportunity to break free from Tang Yu’s control. But Tang Yu was too cunning; she could always implement her psychological manipulation (PUA) techniques one step ahead of him,” Shen Anyan nodded.

They continued to examine the contents of the USB drive. There were several audio recordings—conversations Zhang Hao had secretly taped between him and Tang Yu.

Tang Yu: Darling, do you know how much I love you? As long as you obey, we can be together forever.

Zhang Hao: Voice trembling But… those people… they are all innocent.

Tang Yu: Scoffs Innocent? They deserved it! Those self-righteous customers only complain, threaten, and insult. They don’t deserve to live!

Zhang Hao: But this is against the law… we’ll be caught.

Tang Yu: Tone suddenly becoming tender Silly, with me here, who can catch us? Just do as I say, and we can live happily together forever.

After listening to the recording, Shen Anyan and Hu Bingyu exchanged glances, both showing shock and anger. A brief silence fell in the room. This conversation not only revealed Tang Yu’s crimes but also exposed her twisted inner world and the methods she used to psychologically manipulate Zhang Hao.

“This is the crucial evidence we needed,” Shen Anyan broke the silence, her voice edged with excitement. “Tang Yu was not only aware but was the mastermind behind this series of crimes. We now have enough reason to arrest her.”

“Exactly. This recording is enough to overturn the previous conclusion and restart the investigation. Tang Yu won’t escape this time.”

Shen Anyan quickly took out her phone and called Wang Li. “Captain Wang, we found important evidence at Zhang Hao’s home proving that Tang Yu is the real mastermind. Please organize personnel immediately; we need to arrest Tang Yu right away.”

“Understood, I’ll arrange it immediately. Secure the evidence and wait for backup,” Captain Wang on the other end, upon hearing the report, immediately realized the severity of the situation.

“Captain Wang is organizing the arrest operation. We have to capture Tang Yu before she becomes aware of anything,” Shen Anyan said, hanging up the phone and looking at Hu Bingyu.

Hu Bingyu nodded, her eyes flashing with determination. “Let’s go. We can’t delay any longer.”