Chapter 42: Duhuang City Serial Murder Case (Part 2)
“It’s you, Class Prez. What a coincidence. Uh, I’m kinda curious about those serial murders in the news, so I came to poke around, maybe… get some inspiration,” Dongfang Cheng said, facing Huang Yu Tong’s dazzling smile, scrambling for a plausible excuse.
“Eh? You’re into cases like this?” Huang Yu Tong’s eyes widened, surprised. “I thought you only liked fighting and sleeping!”
“Well… gotta have some other hobbies, right?” Dongfang forced a laugh, quickly changing the subject. “What about you, Class Prez? Extracurricular activity?”
“Me?” Huang Yu Tong pointed casually at the alley sealed with police tape. “I’m here with my mom.”
Dongfang followed her gesture, and his pupils shrank slightly at the sight of an unmistakable figure. A tall woman exuded an intense presence even from a distance. Her sharp navy police uniform made her fiery red hair, cascading to her waist, stand out starkly. The badge on her chest bore a rank that screamed authority.
Duhuang City’s Chief of Police.
Her features, especially that striking red hair, were nearly identical to Huang Yu Tong’s—impossible to mistake. But while her mother radiated a battle-hardened, blade-like edge, Huang Yu Tong’s vibe was far more harmless.
So the class doesn’t just have rich kids, but a cop’s daughter too! Dongfang marveled inwardly.
Noticing his shock, Huang Yu Tong stuck out her tongue, clasping her hands. “Haha… um, Dongfang, my mom’s who you see, but at school, just treat me as Class Prez, okay? Keep it a secret, please!”
Dongfang suppressed his surprise, seizing the moment. “So, Class Prez, could your mom maybe… let us take a peek inside? I want to snap some photos of the scene, uh, for reference… for a mystery novel I’m working on.”
His excuse was flimsy, but Huang Yu Tong, clearly not inheriting her mother’s cop instincts, lit up. “Wow! You’re writing a novel?! That’s so cool! You gotta let me read it first when it’s done! Come on, I’ll ask her!”
“Hey, I don’t think I need to—” Dongfang started, but Huang Yu Tong grabbed his arm with surprising strength, dragging him toward the tape.
The red-haired officer, Huang Qi Lin, had already noticed them, her sharp gaze cutting over.
“Mom—” Huang Yu Tong began, only to be cut off.
“No. Too short.” Huang Qi Lin’s voice was cold, decisive, dismissing Dongfang with a glance.
“Tch.” Dongfang’s temple twitched, pulling his cap lower to hide his irritation.
Too short? He used to be 1.9 meters! Sure, he’d shrunk a bit, but he’d breathed the air up there!
“Huh? Too short?” Huang Yu Tong blinked, confused by her mother’s cryptic remark. “Mom, this is my classmate, Dongfang Cheng! He wants to take some crime scene photos for a novel he’s writing.”
“Oh? Just a classmate?” Huang Qi Lin studied Dongfang again, her gaze probing, as if searching for something beneath his cap. He nodded, expression neutral.
She didn’t press, instead flicking her daughter’s nose lightly, her tone softening with exasperation. “Yu Tong, how many times have I told you? Don’t call me ‘Mom’ on duty.”
Huang Yu Tong mumbled an “oh,” looking slightly sheepish.
“Dongfang,” Huang Qi Lin addressed him, her tone polite but formal. “I’m sorry, but the crime scene is restricted to authorized personnel—”
Dongfang cut in, blunt. “The police suspect Ouroboros is behind these murders, but I don’t buy it.”
Her eyes sharpened instantly.
“If it was Ouroboros, it’d be flashier, and the five magical girls would’ve reacted. But the killer’s vanished, and the magical girls haven’t moved, meaning no monster traces—at least not to them.”
He paused. “The murder weapons are a sword and chains. Both the first and second scenes involved chains; the first also had a sword-like cut. What’s interesting is, this doesn’t feel like random killing or typical monster chaos. It’s like targeted ‘executions.’ And the three crime scenes form a line across the city…”
“The police must be stumped. It’s not a standard monster case, so the magical girls won’t step in, but the method and the killer’s overnight range scream something beyond a normal criminal.”
Huang Qi Lin’s stern face showed rare surprise. She reassessed the delicate-featured, sharp-eyed boy, silent for a moment before speaking. “You’re observant. I’m Huang Qi Lin, Duhuang City’s Chief of Police.”
“Chief Huang,” Dongfang nodded in greeting.
She glanced at the sealed alley, her gaze heavy. “The second victim was a repeat offender with a history of animal cruelty. His death was gruesome—chains pierced his limbs, hung upside down. The killer wasn’t in a rush to kill; it was near-torturous, letting him die slowly in pain.”
“Can I take a look?” Dongfang pressed.
Huang Qi Lin glanced at him, then at her daughter’s sparkling, expectant eyes. She sighed, relenting. “Fine, just this once. If you can keep your lunch down and don’t scream or disrupt the scene, follow me.”
The magical girls’ perception filter ensured ordinary people wouldn’t clearly recall seeing them at crime scenes, and reporters wouldn’t catch anything to gossip about.
A month later, at the Huang family villa.
“You’ve gotten close to that Dongfang… Cheng, was it?” Huang Qi Lin asked, shedding her police coat, eyeing her daughter munching pudding on the sofa.
“Yup!” Huang Yu Tong nodded brightly. “Dongfang was a delinquent before, but he’s calmed down a lot. Plus, he’s been helping us magical girls a ton!”
Huang Qi Lin went quiet, sitting beside her, her gaze serious.
“Yu Tong, remember… we’re different from ordinary people, even from your teammates.”
Her voice was soft but carried an indescribable weight. “Don’t forget the cost we paid to become… to live peacefully with them.”
Huang Yu Tong’s lips tightened, silent. Staring at her empty pudding cup, the sweetness suddenly felt less vibrant.
Outside, moonlight spilled over the garden, glinting off a single crimson feather on an empty chair, glowing strangely.