Chapter 18: This Kidnapper Is Surprisingly Kind!

"Not only was the ear severed, but it was also roasted? And it was even eaten... half-bitten off?"

As Shen Ting read through the files, his scalp tightened, and he instinctively rubbed his own ear. When Xiong Beibei and Xu Xinyi had previously described the kidnapper in this case as brutal, he now truly understood the extent of that brutality.

Twelve years ago, after Liu Furen was kidnapped, one of his ears was severed and placed inside a ransom note. Furthermore, this ransom note was not sent to the Liu family, nor to the police. It was delivered directly to the Beijing headquarters of the *New Beijing News*!

Soon after, the newspaper and its video platforms were flooded with news of Liu Furen's kidnapping. They even published the contents of the ransom note and photos of the half-ear in their reports. Other media outlets quickly followed suit, causing a national sensation and a massive uproar.

Later, the police obtained that half-ear. Forensic analysis revealed that the bite marks on the ear were human. Additionally, the ear showed signs of having been heated at a high temperature, starting from the severed lower end. This was because the area where the bite marks remained was more thoroughly cooked, while the intact upper part was essentially still raw.

Furthermore, evidence technicians collected trace amounts of butane from the ear—the fuel used in lighters. From this, it was deduced that after the kidnapper cut off the tycoon Liu Furen's ear, they casually used a lighter to roast the lower half and then simply bit off and ate the cooked portion, sending the remainder to the newspaper office.

In the crime-solving group, Hannibal commented: "What a shame! Such waste!"

The other group members were confused, but Shen Ting understood perfectly. Hannibal was lamenting the kidnapper’s lack of appreciation for such a "delicacy." He had just received a recipe for cooking ears, after all.

Shen Ting continued flipping through the files and soon saw a photograph of the ransom note:

*"Liu Furen is in our hands, prepare one billion in ransom. No cash, exchange it all for bearer gold vouchers. You are definitely going to call the police, it doesn't matter. If we are caught, you will never see Liu Furen again. Prepare the ransom as quickly as possible and wait for us to contact you again. Oh right, add one more boat to the ransom, for the person who operates the boat."*

After reading the note, Shen Ting pondered for a moment and quickly finished the core case files. The basic facts were simple: 12 years ago, on April 22, 2012, in the early hours, Liu Furen set off from Chaoyang, Beijing, with ten million in cash to return to his hometown in Ningyuan Township in the neighboring province for a poverty alleviation event.

On the way, he passed the Luo River in Beijing and drove his car onto a private ferry. The kidnappers were lying in wait on the ferry and took control of Liu Furen, his two bodyguards, and his driver. Afterward, the perpetrators drove the ferry to a secluded river channel, doused it in gasoline, and burned it. They then left with the captives in a vehicle.

At eight o'clock that morning, a homeless person delivered the ransom note containing the ear to the *New Beijing News*. The incident exploded, drawing nationwide attention. Strangely, however, the kidnappers went silent afterward and lost all contact. They never even came to collect the one billion in gold vouchers the Liu family had prepared.

"If it had been an ordinary businessman, it wouldn't have drawn so much attention." After reading Liu Furen's background, Shen Ting understood why Xu Xinyi had said he should already know who Liu Furen was. He was indeed very famous—a household name. Most importantly, Liu Furen was known for his benevolence. He could make money, but he wasn't greedy. He cared deeply for his employees and often found excuses to give them bonuses. Every year at the company's annual meeting, he would prepare a table covered in cash for employees to count; whatever they could count in fifteen minutes was theirs to keep.

He also frequently handed out hundred-yuan bills to the impoverished in his hometown. His two bodyguards would each carry silver briefcases, and Liu Furen would grab handfuls of cash and give them to anyone he met. These scenes often appeared in newspapers or on television. He was very high-profile. Some applauded him, while others claimed he was just grandstanding for attention.

Liu Furen wouldn't back down, stating plainly that he handed out the money himself to ensure it actually reached those in need and wouldn't be embezzled or pocketed by others. Besides, the money was his; did it matter how he gave it away? To those who called it a performance, he’d say, "If you're so capable, don't come and take the money!"

The controversy was intense, but Liu Furen's company continued to grow. He earned more and more, soon becoming one of the country's prominent entrepreneurs. Someone once calculated that the daily interest on his income alone was enough to keep him handing out money indefinitely. His social influence grew, and he was frequently invited to appear on CCTV, with directors even giving him special focus.

"Looking at it this way, Liu Furen's kidnapping must have been a national sensation at the time!" The investigative files at Shen Ting's side corroborated this. The Chaoyang police had taken the case very seriously, dispatching three criminal investigation brigades to solve it together. When it couldn't be solved, they kept adding manpower. Beijing police even established a special expert group to oversee the investigation in Chaoyang, yet they found nothing.

Over the years, special task forces focusing on cold cases would periodically reopen the investigation, but each time with little success. Not only were they unable to catch the kidnappers or rescue Liu Furen, but they couldn't even locate the driver, the bodyguards, or the Hummer they were driving at the time. It is now generally accepted that the four of them were murdered.

Seeing Shen Ting put down the files, Xu Xinyi assumed he was bored and laughed, "What do you think? I told you this case was strange, didn't I?"

Xiong Beibei had long been frustrated by the mountain of documents, scratching his head in annoyance: "Let's pick a different case, let's investigate something else! The top experts have already looked at this one and found absolutely nothing. Besides, it’s been twelve years; much of the evidence at the scene has already been destroyed. It's too difficult to investigate! Why not pick a case from the last few years?"

Shen Ting pondered for a moment, debating whether to continue. Just then, the system prompt sounded:

【Task Issued: Solve the Luo River kidnapping case within five days!】
【Base Reward: 10 Skill Points!】

A task had been issued? Shen Ting raised an eyebrow. If a task was issued, did that mean there was actually hope of solving it?

"A five-day time limit—that's quite a bit more than the two days for the Highway 245 skull-crushing case! Does the system also think this case is much harder than that one?"

Shen Ting looked at the two of them: "I want to go see the crime scene!"

Xiong Beibei and Xu Xinyi exchanged glances, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

Xiong Beibei: "You really want to investigate this case?"

Xu Xinyi: "If we go to the scene, should we notify Captain Song and have more people come with us? Or perhaps, officially reopen the investigation?"

"No!" Shen Ting refused decisively. "Just the three of us. Let's look into it quietly; don't tell anyone else. If we can find new leads, that's great. If not, we'll just act like we never looked into it."

"Uh, okay!"
"That makes sense, it really does!"

Xiong Beibei and Xu Xinyi both smiled. The three of them grabbed Shen Manman, who was busy eating potato chips, and left the archives room. On the way to the parking lot, Shen Ting noticed that many of the police officers they passed greeted Xiong Beibei and Xu Xinyi, but their looks toward him were filled with curiosity and scrutiny. Some even showed clear hostility.

"What's going on?" Shen Ting asked, confused.

Xu Xinyi hesitated to speak, but Xiong Beibei was blunt: "Shen Ting, you might not know this. Your position as a consultant was secured only because Captain Zheng pushed through the opposition to get it for you. This position is very precious; many people are eyeing it!"

Xu Xinyi nodded: "Indeed! Our Chaoyang police force has one criminal investigation detachment, which oversees four criminal investigation brigades. Captain Zheng is only the head of the First Brigade. There are only a few consultant spots available each year—you can count them on one hand. While not an official civil service appointment, you get a salary, bonuses, and a promotion path without having to take the exams, so you're practically one of 'us.' Many people have been waiting in line to get their own people into these spots."

"But Captain Zheng used the credit from the Highway 245 skull-crushing case to force the detachment head to grab this spot for you. You know, you're young, you don't have a relevant background, and you didn't have any record of solving cases before! So, many people doubt your abilities, and some even suspect you are Captain Zheng's... *cough*!"

"Relative?" Shen Ting guessed with a smile.

Xiong Beibei shook his head: "Illegitimate son!"

*Pfft!*

Shen Ting burst out laughing. These people sure had vivid imaginations! He had suddenly acquired a father? Seeing that Shen Ting didn't seem to care, Xu Xinyi also laughed: "Anyway, a lot of people in the bureau are watching you now. If you make a mistake, they'll drag you down and put their own people in your place. Even if you don't make mistakes, if you perform poorly, they won't treat you well, and Captain Zheng will be the one they gossip about!"

So, the police bureau was also full of office politics! Shen Ting thought as he helped Shen Manman into the police car and set off. He opened the crime-solving group, where the discussion was already underway. The three newcomers seemed to have adapted well.

Then, Kira Yoshikage spoke for the first time, shocking Shen Ting:

"Heh, interesting! This kidnapper... is actually quite kind..."