Chapter 331: A Possibility

A lot of people might not know what a spider lift was. It was similar to a boom lift, equipped with an aerial work arm that could extend between 12 to 50 meters. Its telescopic boom could rotate a full 360 degrees and came with a hydraulic platform that swiveled 45 degrees in both directions.

It ran on rubber tracks, making it lightweight and able to maneuver on any terrain.

And most importantly, it could be remotely controlled from up to 100 meters away.

The surveillance footage from all three crime scenes from five years ago was pulled up for review.

The target? Spider lifts.

“Got something!”

“Me too!”

“Found one here as well!”

Excited voices echoed through the Criminal Investigation Brigade.

Xiao Yu remained unfazed as if he had expected this outcome.

It wasn’t hard to deduce.

Five years ago, the detectives handling the case had likely focused too much on tracking people and overlooked the possibility of someone using machinery to commit the crimes.

It was understandable. Even Xiao Yu hadn’t figured it out right away. It was only after re-examining the scene, piecing together on-site findings, logical deductions, and finally Feng Xiuyun’s testimony, that everything clicked.

And yet—despite now having the answer—everyone in the room, from seasoned detectives to forensic expert He Li, and even the imprisoned Feng Xiuyun, couldn’t hide their shock. They were stunned by Xiao Yu’s terrifying investigative instincts.

It was human nature to gravitate toward the brightest star. And at this moment—without a doubt—Xiao Yu was that star.

Too strong.

But Xiao Yu?

He ignored the awe-struck looks, completely unbothered. There was not a hint of arrogance.

They were all familiar with each other anyway—what was the point of showing off?

His gaze remained locked on the three monitors in front of him. He stared at the surveillance footage from all three crime scenes. Each case had one thing in common—a spider lift had been present.

“That confirms it. The likelihood of the perpetrator using a spider lift is high. After all, this is a remote-controlled aerial work vehicle. It doesn’t require a driver.

“As long as the operator controls it remotely and times it right, they can maneuver it into the crime scene unnoticed. We can assume the perpetrator had been scouting their victims in advance. All the victims shared one common trait, they liked wearing red shoes.

“That means the suspect first surveyed the area, waited for the right moment, identified a target, and then carried out the crime. Using the spider lift, they transported the victim out of the surveillance blind spot, most likely into a waiting vehicle to leave the scene.

“As for the spider lift itself, it could be left parked near the crime scene for a few days before being driven away.”

Xiao Yu laid out his conclusion.

“Spider lifts are classified as specialty work vehicles. They require registration, and there shouldn’t be too many of them in the city. Let’s track them down and identify the owner.”

“Understood!”

The officers responded in unison and quickly dispersed to begin the search.

***

Vehicle records and ownership details were retrieved one hour later.

Registered owner: Li Shuangcheng.

‘Wait… Li Shuangcheng?’

That was the middle-aged man who had been brutally killed by the woman in red three years ago. The same man Feng Xiuyun had deliberately lured out by wearing red high heels.

The moment this name popped up, the entire investigation team froze.

It was collective silence.

Total disbelief.

Could it be that Li Shuangcheng really was the serial offender from five years ago?

Had Feng Xiuyun gotten the right guy all along?

If he was the perpetrator back then, then who was behind the recent assault case?

What was going on? Why was the latest crime identical to the ones from five years ago?

Same modus operandi. Same victim profile. Even the cross-shaped wounds on their backs were exactly the same.

Everyone, including Xiao Yu, was starting to question reality.

No. This was just speculation.

Shaking his head, Xiao Yu forced himself to refocus.

‘Stay calm. Think clearly. Reanalyze.’

He began cross-referencing the three cases from five years ago with the current one, methodically listing out and organizing every clue.

There were three key points.

The first point was identical crime scene patterns. The victims suffered the same form of assault. The cross-shaped lacerations on their backs were exactly alike.

The second point was the spider lift connection. The first three crimes most likely involved a spider lift to transport victims. What about the fourth case? Was the same method used again?

The third point, were there more than one perpetrator? Was Li Shuangcheng really working alone? Could he have had an accomplice?

Xiao Yu’s expression turned cold.

The woman in red?

Three years ago, Feng Xiuyun tracked down Li Shuangcheng. She nearly fell into his trap, only to be saved by the Woman in Red.

Xiao Yu had seen the full six-hour video. There were too many inconsistencies.

Could it be that the woman in red killed Li Shuangcheng to silence him?

No. That didn’t make sense.

If she was tying up loose ends then why didn’t she kill Feng Xiuyun too? More than that, why did she leave the entire murder on video for the police to find?

What was she trying to do?!

Xiao Yu’s brain kicked into overdrive.

His first instinct? 

She’s insane.

His second instinct? 

Was she Li Shuangcheng’s accomplice?

His third instinct?

‘Wait. Hold on… Holy shit!’

Xiao Yu’s eyes widened. He had figured it out.

First of all, why was the woman in red dressed entirely in red? Why did the perpetrator specifically target women wearing red shoes?

Then what if the real target they were after was the woman in red herself?

What did they want from her?

Did they even know who she was? Or were they hunting her, only knowing she was a young woman who liked red shoes?

And if that was the case was the assault, the torture, the mutilation an act of revenge?

Had the woman in red done something to them in the past?

Xiao Yu exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was a whole lot of intense analysis, but what was his conclusion? 

‘It’s still a facking mystery.’

All of this was just speculation and deduction. He had no real proof. The spider lift lead had completely died with Li Shuangcheng.

But—

Xiao Yu got to his feet.

“Let’s go.”

He took He Li and Feng Xiuyun straight to the hospital.

The clues from five years ago or three years ago were hard to track down. But right now, there was still one lead they could investigate.

The fourth victim—Yu Anan.

***

When the three arrived at the hospital, Yu Anan’s condition was surprisingly stable.

No crying. No panic. Just quiet.

She sat there, listening as her parents spoke to her, only offering a small nod in response. But when she saw Xiao Yu walk into the room, her expression flickered. The dullness in her eyes cleared a little.

Xiao Yu smiled.

“I need to ask you a few questions. Is that alright?”

Yu Anan hesitated for a second, then nodded.

“Good.” Xiao Yu’s gaze sharpened. “Tell me everything about that night. How you were taken. What happened after that. Every last detail.”

Yu Anan’s face went pale.