Turns into Blue Clouds
17:42, an investigation team consisting of 3 police cars and 12 officers was rapidly deployed to the Bach Suong tunnel.
The distance from the police station to Bach Dieu Bridge was approximately only 3.8 km. Initially, the police made good progress, but once they covered a third of the way, their greatest challenge arrived.
The roads were congested and difficult to maneuver through, as it was currently peak rush hour for workers.
At this vehicle speed, let alone rescuing the victim, even capturing the perpetrator became an arduous task.
Sirens wailed incessantly, but there was no way to move forward.
17:48, Lang Dinh sat in the back seat of a police car, surrounded by a sea of other vehicles tailing one another.
He looked at the watch on his wrist; the second and minute hands were relentlessly pushing the hour hand forward. Right now, every minute, every second was precious.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke to the police driver:
"Pull over to the curb. I'll run there alone."
Da Dang Ha, sitting next to him, panicked:
"You can't! Facing the killer alone is too dangerous! We should abandon the rescue mission this time!"
Lang Dinh gave a faint smile and opened the car door to step out:
"Inspector Da, you are a police officer-don't say things like that."
"But..."
"That psychology kid has a saying that I can never forget... 'Justice will never give up'."
With one hand in his coat pocket and the other slamming the door shut, he quickly sprinted away, leaving Da Dang Ha sitting in the car in stunned silence.
17:59, a beautiful woman over the age of 35, wearing a white dress, was driving amidst the heavy traffic.
She looked around searching constantly, her lips murmuring prayers. She hoped that no one had seen those photos; otherwise, she would have to pay with the rest of her life behind bars.
The atmosphere here grew increasingly and uncomfortably suffocating as if something had crowded out all the oxygen.
Exactly 18:00, the engine cut out. The ill-fated woman slumped her head onto the steering wheel, eyes wide open-unable to even process her impending death.
At that same moment, Lang Dinh arrived on foot. Looking at his watch, he grimaced.
"It's 18:00."
Scanning the area quickly, Lang Dinh's pupils dilated when he saw a white car stalled in the middle of the tunnel amidst the slowly moving traffic.
"I'm too late..."
18:16, the bridge was cordoned off by police forces.
Phan Thap Hoa looked through the car window and shivered at the sight of a woman with wide-open eyes lying frozen over the steering wheel.
As a rookie officer, Phan Thap Hoa was so terrified that her heart nearly stopped. Although it wasn't as gruesome as the previous victim, it took a heavy toll on her psyche.
Phan Thap Hoa tried to regain her courage and opened the car door. Along with the other officers, she carefully moved the body out and began searching the scene.
Lang Dinh sat on the sidewalk, hurriedly gulping down water. He hadn't expected the killer to play word games with him like this.
Seeing Lang Dinh in such a state, Da Dang Ha sighed in silence. His own mood was no better.
A mix of guilt and heavy failure weighed on them for failing to protect the victim, letting the justice they believed in be eclipsed by darkness-like a garden trampled before the eyes of a helpless child, a chaotic mess of petals and leaves.
While investigating and photographing the scene inside the car, Phan Thap Hoa discovered a dark navy blue dossier and a white smiley face icon in the trunk. She quickly brought them out.
Upon seeing the dossier, Da Dang Ha said in surprise:
"That is... the victim's profile file!!?"
Hearing this, Lang Dinh stood up and said:
"Let's go back to the station."
At that moment, in a small street corner, Diep La was gently stroking a black cat with bright yellow eyes.
A friendly smile remained on the killer's face, making one feel both chilled and mystified. Diep La said to the little cat:
"Hey, do you know why justice always wins? Because only the winner is justice."
20:34, at the Gia Uyen Provincial Police Station, the forensic results were quickly delivered.
After reading the information in the report, Da Dang Ha sighed and set it aside.
Lang Dinh, on the contrary, stared intently at the paper.
The victim died of CO poisoning. The killer had meticulously calculated the gas volume, timing, and sealed the car's vents. By ensuring the engine stalled, the victim's collapse wouldn't accidentally steer the car and affect others. Everything was calculated to near perfection.
But what caught Lang Dinh's attention and surprised him even more was the document file found in the victim's car.
Upon opening the file, a series of photos and evidence of the victim's crimes were presented in detail.
Victim: Ho Lieu, Female, 36 years old, born May 17, 19JG, hometown in Lo Ninh District, Gia Uyen Province. Charges: trafficking opium and prohibited substances, murder, and asset appropriation.
Reading through the contents and seeing the photos containing the victim's fingerprints-which served as incriminating evidence-Lang Dinh fell into a momentary silence. Many unanswerable questions rose within him.
Why did the killer know the victim's carefully hidden crimes so well? One must know that these criminals hide their tracks very thoroughly; ordinary police could never have investigated this. How could the opponent know so much?
While lost in thought, Lang Dinh was suddenly startled by his phone ringing.
Turning on the screen, he was even more astonished to see the nickname he had saved: "Psychology Kid."
Isn't that kid handling some complex cases abroad? Why does he have time to call me? Is he asking for help?
Lang Dinh answered and asked:
"Is something wrong, kid?"
"Uncle."
Hearing that address, Lang Dinh grimaced in annoyance and barked:
"Don't call me uncle, I'm only a few years older than you!"
There was a sudden silence on the other end, then a voice continued:
"Don't underestimate that killer."
Then, the call abruptly disconnected. Lang Dinh clenched his fist.
He understood that the mysterious person was both warning him and placing trust in him for this case. He could no longer afford to underestimate that killer.
Lang Dinh sighed and leaned back in his chair, whispering:
"Since I've taken the mission, I have to see it through to the end."