We returned to the dinner table, where all the dishes were already served, but neither of the two women had touched their chopsticks. I said: "I've already spoken with Officer Shen, and once we catch the person, we'll go back to the police station with him."

  Tan Jiao naturally understood what I was getting at, and after a moment's thought, said: "Oh, okay, let's do it that way then."

  Zhuang Yu still ignored Shen Shiyan. Shen Shiyan sat down beside her, not saying much, and served her a bowl of rice, then refilled her water.

  I said a fair word: "Zhuang Yu, don't blame Shen Shiyan. He's a detective, if he didn't do this, he wouldn't be a qualified detective." Shen Shiyan cast a grateful glance at me. Zhuang Yu grunted. Tan Jiao also said: "Okay, Fish, forgive him. You knew early on that he was a wooden head, Shaolin monk... it's just a habit."

  "Shaolin monk?" Zhuang Yu looked at Tan Jiao in surprise, and Shen Shiyan also felt a bit awkward.

  I laughed.

  After that, the atmosphere among the four of us was finally harmonious. Tan Jiao and I kept telling them the details of the next case, Shen Shiyan listened very seriously and took out a small notebook from his pocket to take notes. Zhuang Yu swirled the cola in his red wine glass, looking at us.

  Instead, by the end, neither of us had time to eat. Tan Jiao pushed me and said: "Hey, let's eat first." I said: "It's okay." Zhuo Yu also nudged Shen Shiyan's arm: "Hey, let's eat first."

  Shen Shiyan looked up at me, immediately put down the book and pen, and took over the chopsticks handed over by Zhuang Yu. I smiled, obviously as men, our status in the family is different. Suddenly, my arm hurt, it was Tan Jiao secretly pinching me. She looked at me, her eyes were very wronged and "angry". I suddenly remembered, yes, I still have a woman who wants to win over others by a lot. I also immediately took over the bowl and chopsticks, ate a few big mouthfuls, and Tan Jiao smiled sweetly.

  I raised my head and saw Shen Shiyan smiling at me too.

  Unexpectedly, I had a sense of camaraderie with him.

  ——

  Ye Xunyi's parents are both teachers, she lives in the new campus of her university, which is not very large and still under construction.

  According to the information provided by the police later, Ye Xunyi took a taxi to the school gate on that night and walked home. There was a section of road without streetlights, which was relatively remote and dark. The police also basically confirmed that she was attacked and taken away on this road.

  The main gate of the school is where people and vehicles enter and exit, but because it's under construction, there's another road that can be taken from outside the campus to the construction site. At night, no one is on duty, and the distance from where Ye Xunyi went missing isn't far. The police speculate that the suspect drove away with Ye Xunyi from this road, so no clues were left behind.

  We went to the school that night and took a look around. The road where the incident happened was indeed very dark and secluded, with dense trees on both sides, casting eerie shadows, and it's also quite far from the teachers' dormitory. If something had happened, it would have been really hard to notice. And Ye Xunyi probably thought that the school was relatively safe, so she wouldn't have any problems walking alone at night. That person was indeed bold and calculating.

  In addition, the address of this university is also in Kaifu District. As soon as we walked in, Tan Jiao said: "Look, this is a typical serial killer, he will commit crimes in a geographical circle where he feels comfortable and familiar."

  Summarizing the lessons from last time's failure, Shen Shiyan and I discussed and decided that this time we would not act rashly. First, we would ensure that we collect and preserve sufficient evidence to secure a conviction. If conditions permit, we would then seize the opportunity to apprehend him on the spot. Since we already have a suspect in mind and he is cunning and unpredictable, as long as we can obtain conclusive evidence of his crime, take a photo of his license plate number, and track his movements, where could he possibly escape? Of course, all this must be done with the safety of the victim as the top priority.

  I'll be secretly guarding the road where the case will break out, while Shen Shiyan guards the entrance of the construction site. With our two flexible and handy people, once we join hands, whoever wants to escape from us will not find it an easy task.