Preliminary Investigation

The hallway lights of the county hospital flickered white, and Lao Zhang sat on a bench outside the emergency room, holding a cup of instant coffee that had long since been cold. The wall clock on the wall pointed to seven and fifteen in the morning, four hours after they found the two men in the woods.

"Comrade Zhang, hard work." A middle-aged man in a police uniform walked up to him and handed him a pack of cigarettes.

Lao Zhang recognized him, Chen Guoqiang, the captain of the criminal investigation team of the county public security bureau, and they had dealt with several times, mostly about poaching cases.

"Team Chen." Lao Zhang took the cigarette, but did not light it immediately, "How are those two people?" "

"The man's condition is not very good, he has a hypothermia, and he is not out of danger. The woman had just woken up, but she wasn't very cooperative. Chen Guoqiang lowered his voice, "When you found them, did you see anything special?" Weapons? Drugs? "

Lao Zhang shook his head and took out the evidence bag from his pocket: "Only this is the one found from the woman's hand." "

Chen Guoqiang took the evidence bag and frowned at the blood-soaked photo: "What kind of symbol is this?" "

"I don't know, but the chain lock on the man's foot has the same marking." Lao Zhang paused, "Thirty years, I have seen a lot of strange things in this forest, but this time... It's not the same. "

Chen Guoqiang nodded: "The forensic doctor is examining their injuries, do you want to listen to it together?" "

In the medical examiner's office, a middle-aged woman with glasses is sorting out information in front of a computer. Seeing Chen Guoqiang and Lao Zhang coming in, she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.

"Forensic Doctor Wang, how's the situation?" Chen Guoqiang asked.

"It's weird." Forensic doctor Wang clicked on the photo on the computer, "The female patient, Xu Meifeng, 28 years old, has multiple bruises and abrasions on her body, but these are the most special things. "

The screen shows a close-up of the bruises on Xu Meifeng's arm, showing a regular circular arrangement.

"These bruises are not naturally formed, as if they were caused by the regular pressure of some kind of round object, and I suspect that it may be some kind of rosary or chain." "And judging by the color of the bruises, these scars were formed at different times, and the earliest may be two weeks old." "

Lao Zhang frowned: "You mean, this is not a one-time injury?" "

"yes, like... Some kind of ongoing ritual. "Forensic Wang switched to another photo," said the male patient, Chen Shusheng, 32 years old, who had obvious strangulation marks on his ankle in addition to symptoms of hypothermia, which matched the iron chain. But even more bizarrely, he had similar circular bruises on his chest, arranged in almost the same way as those on the arms of female patients. "

Chen Guoqiang and Lao Zhang exchanged a look.

"Also," Dr. Wang continued, "the scars on a woman's back are recent and may not be more than a week. The temperature of the brand is not very high, so it does not cause major burns, but it is enough to leave a permanent scar. "

"Does the phrase, 'Tempt your God not be tempted,' have any special meaning?" Chen Guoqiang asked.

Forensic Doctor Wang shook his head: "This is a quote from the Bible, from the book of Deuteronomy. I'm not an expert on religion, but this practice reminds me of certain extreme religious rituals. "

Lao Zhang suddenly remembered something: "Do you know what that symbol, the photo and the lock on, do you mean?" "

Forensic Wang took the evidence bag and looked closely: "This looks like an alchemical symbol, which may represent some element or concept. I need to look it up. "

Outside the hospital ward, Chen Guoqiang answered the phone, his expression becoming more and more solemn. After hanging up, he said to Lao Zhang: "The preliminary investigation results are out. Chen Shusheng, a Chinese returned from Australia, returned to China three years ago to settle down and work for a design company in Shanghai. It looks normal on the surface, but..."

"But what?"

"His father was a member of the 'Wilderness Preaching' cult, and 20 years ago he set himself on fire in the Alps with other members, and only a few escaped, including Chen Shusheng, who was a child at the time."

Lao Zhang took a breath: "What about the woman?" "

Xu Meifeng, a native of Shanghai, works in a tailor shop and is in an unmarried relationship with Chen Shusheng. Her background is ordinary, with no record of religious extremism. "

"So she could be a victim?" Lao Zhang asked.

Chen Guoqiang shook his head: "Not sure." We need to ask clearly. "

In the ward, Xu Meifeng leaned on the head of the bed, staring out the window with her eyes blankly. Her wrists were wrapped in bandages, and the bead-like bruises were clearly visible on her exposed skin.

"Ms. Xu, I'm Chen Guoqiang from the County Public Security Bureau." Chen Guoqiang sat down on the edge of the bed and said in a calm tone, "Can you tell us what happened?" "

Xu Meifeng's gaze slowly moved to Chen Guoqiang, and then to Lao Zhang, who was standing aside. Her lips moved, but she didn't make a sound.

"Did Chen Shusheng take you to that forest?" Chen Guoqiang continued to ask.

Hearing this name, Xu Meifeng's body trembled obviously. She clutched the sheets, her knuckles white.

"He... Is he alive? Her voice was hoarse and barely audible.

"He's still resuscitating, and he's not doing well." Chen Guoqiang replied, "Ms. Xu, we need to know what is going on in order to help you. "

Xu Meifeng shook her head, tears sliding silently: "I don't remember... I don't remember anything..."

When Lao Zhang noticed that when she said this, his right hand unconsciously touched the bruise on his left arm, as if to confirm something.

"Do you remember this symbol?" Chen Guoqiang took out the photo.

When Xu Meifeng saw the photo, she suddenly coughed violently, as if she was choked by something. The nurse hurried in and put an oxygen mask on her.

"That's the end of the question." The nurse sternly said, "The patient needs to rest." "

In the hospital corridor, Lao Zhang lit the crumpled cigarette.

"She's lying." Lao Zhang spat out a puff of smoke, "She remembers, she just doesn't want to say." "

Chen Guoqiang leaned against the wall: "What do you think of this case?" "

Lao Zhang was silent for a while: "I have worked in the forest farm for thirty years, and I have seen many strange things. Once, an old hunter was found painting symbols in a cave, saying that it would ward off evil spirits. Another time, a couple knelt on the top of a mountain on a full moon night and prayed, saying that they were asking for a child. "

He flicked the ashes of his cigarette: "But this time is different. The look in the woman's eyes... She wasn't just scared, she was struggling, like she knew some terrible secret, and she didn't dare to tell it. "

Chen Guoqiang's mobile phone rang suddenly, and he picked up the phone, his expression becoming more and more serious. After hanging up, he said to Lao Zhang: "Chen Shusheng has woken up, but he has been talking nonsense, mentioning the 'Seventh Seal' and the 'Angel's Horn'. Doctors said he might have mental problems. "

Lao Zhang frowned: "The content of the Book of Revelation." "

Chen Guoqiang looked at him in surprise: "You know the Bible? "

"When I was younger, I was a soldier at the border and came into contact with some missionaries." Lao Zhang explained briefly, and then pointed to the photo in the evidence bag, "I suggest you check this symbol, as well as the information on the 'Wilderness Preaching'. This is no ordinary lost or accidental, there's something deeper here. "

At this moment, a nurse hurriedly ran over: "Officer Chen! The female patient is gone! "

The two immediately rushed to Xu Meifeng's hospital room. The bed was empty, the windows were wide open, and the cold wind blew the curtains. On the bedside table was a note that read, in trembling handwriting: "They will come to me." 🜏"

Lao Zhang walked to the window and looked at the snow outside. There were no footprints, as if Xu Meifeng had disappeared out of thin air.

"This case is much more complicated than we thought." Lao Zhang whispered, his eyes falling on the strange symbol.