Shadows

Chapter 2: The Lady

Early in the morning, the phone on the table rang. An Rou noticed and answered, hearing her husband Xu Jing’s voice on the other end.

"Who is this?" she asked.

"It's me, He Minghui," the voice responded.

"Why are you calling from a different number?" An Rou asked, puzzled.

"It's complicated. I'm looking for Xu Jing."

At that moment, Xu Jing walked out of the kitchen, carrying two plates of breakfast. "Who’s calling?"

"It’s He Minghui. He’s looking for you," An Rou replied.

"Him?" Xu Jing was surprised. "Isn’t he suspended? And it’s only eight in the morning."

Wiping his hands, Xu Jing took the phone. "Hello, it’s me."

"Old Xu, I need your help to unlock a phone," He Minghui got straight to the point.

"What have you done this time?" Xu Jing asked, already sensing trouble.

"I’ve found some clues related to the trafficking of girls."

"Wait there. I’m coming over right now!" Xu Jing’s urgency was apparent. He jumped up from his seat.

"Hey! You haven’t had breakfast yet!" An Rou reminded him.

"No time. It’s an emergency," Xu Jing replied, throwing on his coat and rushing out the door. Over the years, Xu Jing had lost count of how many times he had helped He Minghui retrieve information. But every time, he still rushed to He’s side the moment he was called.

But today, someone else arrived first.

When He Minghui got home, he found Yao Guanghan already waiting at his door, his face grim.

"Captain?" He Minghui was taken aback. The red lines in Yao’s eyes showed he hadn’t slept all night.

"Two weeks into your suspension, and you’ve already caused this much trouble!" Yao Guanghan scolded him.

"What are you talking about?" He Minghui feigned ignorance.

"Don't play dumb with me. At six this morning, forensics called to say a woman was found dead at the abandoned amusement park. That was your doing, wasn’t it?" Yao Guanghan demanded.

"I was saving someone," He Minghui admitted, realizing there was no point in hiding it. His fingerprints were all over the scene.

"This is reckless!" Yao was furious. "How do you expect to track down the people behind this when you’re acting like a loose cannon?"

He Minghui remained silent, not because he had no response, but because he knew that if he mentioned the phone, Yao would take the case out of his hands and hand it over to active sheriffs. With the possibility of getting closer to Xia Lan, He Minghui found it impossible to trust anyone else with the investigation.

Just as the tension grew, Xu Jing arrived.

"Director?" Xu Jing was startled to see Yao Guanghan.

"What are you doing here?" Yao asked, suspicious.

Xu Jing exchanged a quick glance with He Minghui, and, catching on, played along. "I thought something happened to him, so I came to check on him."

"You sly devil." Yao knew they were both pretending, but he had no choice but to relent. He turned to He Minghui and said, "Take your time with your suspension, and stay out of trouble!"

"What about the three girls?" He Minghui asked.

"They’ve all been sent home. Don’t worry about it. Just take care of yourself," Yao replied before his phone rang. He picked it up, "Yes, it’s me. I’ll be there soon." Hanging up, he gave He Minghui one final warning, "Keep an eye on him, Xu Jing. I’ll go clean up his mess."

Once Yao was gone, Xu Jing turned to He Minghui. "You owe me breakfast."

He Minghui ignored him and handed over the phone. "This is the one."

"You took this from one of the traffickers? You want me to crack it?"

"That’s right."

"Got it," Xu Jing said, understanding the secrecy. "You don’t want anyone else to know, do you?"

"Exactly."

"Leave it to me." Xu Jing headed off, while He Minghui wearily entered his apartment, exhaustion hitting him like a wave.

Throwing himself onto the wooden sofa, he succumbed to the fatigue of a sleepless night, slipping into a deep sleep.

In a spacious room, an elderly man was teaching a young woman, their private session punctuated by her muffled moans.

"Ugh!" The woman’s soft cries echoed in the room as they intertwined.

The moment was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in," the elderly man called out, putting away his whip and untying the suspended woman, placing her aside.

"Sir, Gao He is dead," the man who had delivered goods to Gao He earlier entered the room, delivering the news.

"I figured," the elderly man said, as if he had expected this. "Find out who did it."

"Understood." The man left, not wanting to disturb the elder any longer.

"What do you think, Madam?" the old man asked, lifting the woman’s chin. Her youthful face, so delicate and beautiful, was the reason he had married her.

The woman shook her head slightly, unable to speak.

By nightfall, He Minghui was awakened by his phone vibrating against the table. He groggily opened his eyes, still feeling the weight of exhaustion.

"Hello?" he answered.

"I’ve cracked the phone, but it may not have what you’re hoping for," Xu Jing’s voice came through the line. It had only taken him a few hours to complete the task.

"Tell me," He Minghui said as he got up, wincing from the dull ache of the knife wound in his chest.

"The person was smart enough to regularly wipe their data—definitely a professional. You were unlucky to get the phone right after they cleaned the records."

"Give me something useful," He Minghui pressed.

"There’s one conversation they didn’t have time to delete. I’m sending it to you now."

Xu Jing sent a screenshot of the conversation:

Beast Tamer: I can’t give you this one.

Miss: Oh, please, just help me this once, Sister.

Beast Tamer: You already took so many last time. The master isn’t happy about it.

Miss: Don’t worry about the master. I’ll handle him. I really want her.

Beast Tamer: Fine, I give in.

Miss: Thank you, Sister!

"Can you trace the IP address?" He Minghui asked.

"I knew you’d ask that," Xu Jing replied, pulling up the coordinates. "The location wasn’t hidden. The signal is coming from Runhua Tower, the multi-use building owned by He Runhua. The lower fifty floors are offices, but the upper floors are private residences."

"So who is this ‘Miss’?"

"Most likely her," Xu Jing sent over a file: He Jie, 20 years old, missing at the age of 7, later adopted by Swan Orphanage, and found by He Runhua at age 10. She’s been living with him ever since.

"What does she want with the girls?"

"If I knew that, I’d have solved this case already."

"Is there a way in?" He Minghui asked.

"They’ve been hiring pipe workers recently to fix some plumbing."

"Thanks."

"Are you sure you don’t need help with this?" Xu Jing asked, despite knowing how many times He had gone in alone.

"No. If something goes wrong, just pick up my body," He Minghui replied coldly, staring at the moon outside his window. He knew this time he had to act during the day.

The note attached to the large box read:

**Dear Miss Jie,

Please don’t worry about Gao He’s death. She was merely a trainer, and we can continue our operations without her. Enclosed is a gift for you. Please enjoy.

Love, Doctor**

He Jie removed the note and read it with amusement before eagerly unwrapping the box like a present. Inside, just as she expected, was a girl, tightly bound and unmoving like a statue.

"Impressive work," He Jie smiled, touching the girl’s cold skin as she lifted her out and placed her in her collection room.

"Ugh!" A muffled cry came from inside the room as He Jie opened the door. Another girl, bound, gagged, and blindfolded, squirmed helplessly on a wooden plank, unable to move.

"Don’t be so excited, my sweet," He Jie whispered, brushing her fingers along the captive girl’s skin. "Once I’ve taken your eyes, I’ll turn you into one of them."

"Mmpphh! Mmphh!" The girl sobbed, shaking her head, but the only sound left in the room was the door closing behind He Jie.

He Minghui dressed in the borrowed work uniform and carried a toolbox as he walked into Runhua Tower.

"Hello, I’m here for plumbing repairs," he said to the receptionist.

"Oh, here you go," the receptionist handed him a key to access the pipes.

As he took the key, He noticed that there were two seats at the reception desk. "Where’s the other person?"

"You mean her?" The receptionist pointed to the empty chair beside her. "She didn’t show up yesterday and hasn’t been seen all day."

Sensing something wrong, He Minghui slowly made his way into the elevator. He wanted to head directly to the upper floors above the fiftieth, but he quickly noticed that the elevator didn’t display those floors as options. At that moment, he knew there had to be another way to access the top levels. Left with no other choice, he selected the forty-ninth floor.

As the elevator ascended, He Minghui tried to open the panel at the top of the elevator, hoping to climb through the shaft. However, his hopes were dashed when he saw that the ceiling above the forty-ninth floor was sealed tight. It meant that climbing through the elevator shaft wasn’t an option.

Meanwhile, He Jie, with her legs crossed, smiled at the sight of the female employee who was bound and kneeling helplessly before her. The woman trembled as He Jie tapped her high-heeled foot against the employee’s thigh, causing her to wince in pain.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" He Jie asked with a cold smile.

"Mmpphh… mmpphh…" the female employee shook her head frantically, unable to speak through the gag.

"Your mistake is that you’re too pretty. You’ve been getting in my way," He Jie pressed the heel of her shoe harder against the woman’s black stocking-clad leg, causing her to cry out in muffled pain.

"Luckily, A-Liang can help me deal with you," He Jie said as she twisted her heel, tearing the woman’s stockings. "You’ll become one of my dolls."

With a ding, the elevator doors opened, and He Minghui stepped out onto the forty-ninth floor. It was a hive of activity. Chefs scurried about, preparing what looked like an elaborate feast.

"Is the birthday cake ready?" the head chef barked.

"All set!" A chef wheeled out a towering seven-tiered cake.

"We’ve only got ten hours until the party starts, everyone move fast!" Several chefs began applying frosting to the cake with expert precision.

He Minghui stood off to the side, catching the attention of one of the chefs. "What are you doing here?" the chef asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Oh, I’m here to fix the pipes," He Minghui gestured toward his toolbox.

"The broken pipes are on the fortieth floor. You’re in the wrong place," the chef pointed him in the right direction.

"Thanks," He Minghui tipped his cap, then casually asked, "How do you send food up to the private floors?"

"Through the food lift, of course," the chef pointed to a small food elevator in the corner.

He Minghui glanced toward the corner, an idea forming in his mind. The private floors had separate security systems and elevators that were off-limits, but the food lift wasn’t guarded.

Eyeing the size of the cake, he guessed the food lift was just big enough for a person to fit through. With the kitchen in full swing, none of the busy chefs paid any attention to him as He Minghui quietly opened the food lift panel and slipped inside.

The food lift wasn’t running, and all the trays were down, leaving the shaft completely clear. He Minghui turned on his small flashlight and began carefully climbing up the narrow shaft toward the fiftieth floor.

It didn’t take long for him to reach the top. Emerging from the lift, he found himself in a luxurious dining room, its pristine white tiles gleaming under the soft light. The room was immaculate, exuding a sense of quiet elegance.

"I need to go higher," He thought, opening the door to the stairwell and beginning his ascent toward the topmost floors.

He had only gone up one flight of stairs when he heard voices coming from the other side of the door. Pressing his ear against the door, he listened intently.

"Have all the invitations been sent out?" A middle-aged man’s voice inquired. From the tone, He Minghui guessed it was He Runhua.

"Yes, they’ve all been delivered. The event starts at seven tonight."

"Jie has been planning this for so long. We can’t let her down."

"Understood, sir."

He Minghui heard the elevator open and close again as the voices faded away. Taking a deep breath, he continued climbing, determined to start his search from the fifty-third floor, the very top of the building.

The door to the top floor was locked, but He Minghui was prepared. After making sure no one was nearby, he pulled out a lock-picking kit. Over the years, he had learned far more skills than he had ever anticipated needing.

With a soft click, the door opened.

To his right was the elevator, and the indicator showed that it was heading down. Directly in front of him was a long hallway, dimly lit by old-fashioned lamps. Lining the walls were numerous oil paintings, each depicting a naked woman.

As He Minghui walked down the hallway, he realized that every painting was of the same woman—likely He Jie herself. His stomach churned with disgust as he imagined the level of obsession He Runhua must have with his daughter, a disturbing and pathological love that permeated the atmosphere of the hallway.

Reaching the end of the corridor, He opened the door to a dark room. He didn’t dare turn on the lights, so he relied on his flashlight to scan the area.

What the light revealed sent chills down his spine.

Covered objects filled the room, white sheets draped over them like ghosts. The room was crowded with these mysterious forms. Steeling himself, He Minghui took a deep breath and approached the nearest one, pulling the sheet away.

With a soft whoosh, the sheet fell to the floor, revealing what appeared to be a statue of a girl. Her arms were twisted behind her back, handcuffed, her ankles shackled, dressed in ragged clothing like a prisoner.

But something was wrong.

After staring at the figure for several seconds, He Minghui noticed that the skin texture was unnervingly realistic—too detailed for a simple sculpture. His heart raced as he reached out with a trembling hand, touching the cold surface of the "statue."

The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. This was no statue. This was a girl—a living person, frozen in place, turned into a grotesque display through the use of liquid nitrogen and some kind of gel that had preserved her body in this horrific state.

He immediately moved to uncover the other sheets, each one revealing a similar fate. All of them were girls, victims of a sick and twisted collector.

Feeling his stomach churn with nausea, He Minghui doubled over and vomited, expelling the egg pancake he had hastily eaten that morning. His body shook with revulsion.

Once the retching subsided, he fumbled for a cigarette, lighting it up and taking a deep drag to steady his nerves.

The brief respite gave him enough composure to refocus. He quickly donned his gloves and began searching the room for anything of value. He didn’t want to stay here any longer than necessary.

On a table beside one of the frozen girls, he found a document:

The skin graft surgery was a success. The client’s skin has improved significantly, thanks to this girl’s flawless complexion.

Lead Surgeon: Dr. Mi Liang

Instinctively, He Minghui knew this document was important. He snapped several photos of it with his phone and prepared to leave.

"Mmpphh!" A faint cry startled him, causing his heart to skip a beat. For a moment, he thought the frozen girls had come back to life.

But then he heard the sound again, and he realized someone was still alive.

"Who’s there?" he called out softly.

"Mmpphh! Mmpphh!" the sound grew louder, more desperate.

He followed the noise and found a girl bound on a rack, still alive. He quickly released her restraints.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Help me… help me," the girl sobbed, clinging to him for dear life.

"Calm down. I’m getting you out of here," He Minghui reassured her. But just then, he heard footsteps approaching. He quickly covered the girl’s mouth and motioned for her to crouch down.

Peeking through the door, He saw He Jie leading another bound and gagged female employee into the room. She flipped on the lights, her eyes immediately narrowing as she caught the acrid scent of smoke in the air.

"What the hell?" She muttered, spotting the puddle of vomit on the floor. She quickly tied the female employee to a post and turned to leave, intent on calling for help.

In that split second, He Minghui’s mind raced. If she called the guards, he and the girl would be trapped. There was no way out.

She’s a murderer, a monster who plays with the bodies of her victims…

How many girls like Xia Lan had she harmed?

An overwhelming surge of fury clouded He Minghui’s judgment. Before he knew it, he had lunged forward, his baton swinging hard toward He Jie’s temple.

Thud!

The impact was sickening. He Jie collapsed to the floor, blood pooling beneath her head.

When He Minghui came to his senses, his baton was dripping with blood.

He had killed her.

The girl behind him gasped at the sight, frozen in shock.

Without wasting another moment, He Minghui knelt beside He Jie’s body, rifling through her pockets until he found her key card. He stood up, freed the female employee from her gag and blindfold, and asked, "Can the elevator take us down to the first floor?"

The female employee, still stunned, hesitated before nodding frantically.

"Yes, yes it can."

He Minghui released the ropes binding her and helped both girls into the elevator. "When you get to the first floor, call for help. Don’t tell anyone I was the one who saved you. Understand?"

Both girls nodded vigorously, their eyes wide with fear.

The elevator doors opened on the first floor, and the girls tumbled out, screaming for help. In the ensuing chaos, He Minghui slipped out of Runhua Tower unnoticed.

Back in his car, He Minghui sent the photos of the documents to his informant, "Rat," then leaned back in his seat, his heart still racing from the events of the night.