Volume 12: Invitation from Hell Chapter 19: The Ninth Invitation

On West Sea Street, there was always a brazen figure about, but for the past few days, no one had seen him. Could this man have turned over a new leaf? That seemed impossible.

"Someone's dead!" A panicked cry broke the quiet morning of the street.

"Phoenix, the ninth invitation has been found in a residential building on West Sea Street." Song Xuekai hurried in, then hurried back out.

West Sea Street could be called the slums of Ye City. It was home to ordinary folk who ran small businesses or set up street stalls. They were diligent and kind, but one should not underestimate this street. The best snacks, the finest tailors, the most skilled paper-cutting masters, exquisite craftsmen, and the sweetest sugar figurines could all be found here. The old man selling oysters would tell you exactly how to eat them for the best flavor, and the woman tailoring clothes could tell your pants length just by looking at you. The night market was another major feature—cheap and high-quality. Yaoguang had bought several brooms for the courtyard here; they lasted a year, and they only cost two yuan each. But the appearance of the ninth invitation had sent the street into a frenzy.

The team arrived at the scene. The small building was the most conspicuous one on the street. A crowd had already gathered to watch, but no one dared to enter.

"Check the reporter," Yaoguang said before heading upstairs.

The first floor was a shop front filled with mahjong machines. Yaoguang went to the second floor, which consisted of a corridor with a row of doors on the left and a platform on the right. On that platform stood a large pot, and a man's head rested against its rim. His eyes were wide open, and his mouth was agape.

Seeing the victim, everyone froze. "Mole-Face?! How could it be him?"

"Master, who is this person? Why do you all recognize him?" Jiang Yun asked, looking puzzled. Having joined the team late, he did not know the "notorious" Mole-Face.

"His name is Qin Si. He has a mole on his forehead, hence the nickname. He is a famous figure on West Sea Street. He spends a few days in detention every month, but his offenses are never serious—just petty theft. Nothing ever keeps him locked up for long. He is the tumor of West Sea Street; everyone finds him a nuisance," Song Xuekai explained. "We questioned the person who reported it; it’s just someone who comes here to play mahjong every day. They arrived today and found Qin Si dead."

"He's finally quiet now. I’m curious what he did to attract the attention of the 'Hell Messenger'," Xuanchen said, walking over. "Lele, Chenchen, prepare plenty of detergent for the autopsy—the heavy-duty degreasing kind." Xuanchen’s expression was troubled.

Chenchen walked over first, then said to Huo Mingkun, Jiang Yun, and Chen Haixu, "You three stay back, or you'll vomit."

Yaoguang walked over and was also shocked. "Good heavens, a human 'twisted doughnut,' already deep-fried. What kind of grudge requires an oil vat...?"

"Ugh..." Sure enough, sounds of dry heaving came from behind.

Mole-Face’s hands and feet were tied behind his back, propped up in the oil vat with only his head exposed. There was a wire mesh around his neck to prevent scalding; the killer hadn't wanted to fry his head along with the body, perhaps to make it easier for the police to identify him. Resting on top of the victim's head was a plate, and upon it lay a black invitation.

Yaoguang took it and opened it.

Invitee: Qin Si.
Do you know why you were cast into the oil vat? Because your sins are unforgivable. Do you know what crimes you have committed? You thought no one knew what you had done, but unfortunately, though others didn't know, I did. Nothing escapes my eyes. Want to know how I found out? Don't worry, come to hell, and we can talk while we fry.

Signature: Hell Messenger.

"What is this? What does 'others didn't know but I did' mean? Could the killer know? But how?" Xuanchen looked at the invitation.

"I think the killer knows, otherwise they wouldn't have used an oil vat to entertain him. We just don't know yet. This Qin Si was anything but 'civilized.' The dirt on him is enough to keep us busy for a long time; even if we told it as a story, a thousand and one nights wouldn't be enough to finish," Yaoguang sighed.

"He was that bad...?" Huo Mingkun asked from a distance.

"What do you think? Just judge him by the sins of the Oil Vat Hell..." Yaoguang was speechless.

"The ninth level of hell: The Oil Vat Hell. Prostitutes, thieves, robbers, bullies, child traffickers, those who make false accusations, and those who covet others' property or wives are cast into the oil vat after death, stripped naked, and fried. Pop! Pop! It sounds constantly! Depending on the severity of the sin, they are fried N times... Sometimes those with deep sins are sent here from the Iceberg Hell just to 'warm up'," Jiang Yun said, then paused. "Given all the punishments in the Oil Vat Hell, which one did he commit?"

"I feel like any of them could apply to his character. He is truly a man of many stains," Song Xuekai said.

"Let’s split up and canvas West Sea Street. The neighbors know his business best," Yaoguang directed.

"Understood. We’ll go back for the autopsy. How are we going to get him out of there?" Lele was dejected.

The rest of the time was spent canvassing and investigating. The sordid details of Qin Si's life were endless.

By evening, back at the police station, the team began organizing the data.

"I'll start with the autopsy results. The victim, Qin Si, 32, male. Time of death was around 2:00 AM. Cause of death was mechanical asphyxia. There is a clear ligature mark on his neck; he was strangled from behind with a rope. The killer acted cleanly and decisively, leaving no chance for survival. He was placed in the vat afterward. Judging by the skin damage, the oil was just reaching a boil. The victim was tied up and placed in the vat before the heat was turned on. The killer controlled the temperature perfectly—the fire went out just as the oil reached a boil. The victim's skin was burned by the high temperature. Also, his blood alcohol level was extremely high—he wasn't just drinking; he was pouring it down his throat. He had severe cirrhosis and stomach ulcers from years of abuse. That's the situation," Lele concluded, putting down the report.

"We canvassed West Sea Street. Everyone knows him. He was 'rife with evil,' a regular at a local bar. Every hostess there knew him. He was a petty thief, stealing money from barbershops and jewelry from snack stalls. He collected protection money from every stall and shop on the street, and he never paid for food or goods. He even had a small gang of thugs to help him fight and collect money," Xuanchen reported.

"Were there any casualties in all these incidents?" Yaoguang asked.

"No. There hasn't been a single murder on this street. The only case of robbery was not committed by him. He was at a mahjong parlor at the end of the street that day, and the surveillance footage proves it. He only left briefly to buy cigarettes; he had no time to commit the crime. Besides, that case is already solved; the victim saw the killer's face, and the kid is still in jail," Xuanchen shook his head.

"If none of these involved loss of life, why would the killer kill him? It doesn't fit the killer's logic. We know this 'Hell Messenger' targets people who carry unforgivable sins—the kind that would result in life sentences. But look at Qin Si: gambling, drinking, whoring, petty theft, bullying—all minor offenses. Even his protection money was paltry. People on the street mostly just found him annoying. How does a petty hood like this deserve the 'Oil Vat Hell' treatment? Moreover, the killer didn't take any organs or tissues. Based on the killer's usual profile, they despised him and simply wanted him dead. By using the oil vat, the killer is telling us that this man is a heinous sinner who had to die. Therefore, Qin Si's true crimes must be far more complex than what we see." Yaoguang thought for a moment. "Captain Song, please pull all the case files on Qin Si. Let's see if we can find a breakthrough."

Thirty minutes later, Song returned with a thick stack of documents.

"So many?" Jiang Yun exclaimed.

"Like I told you, he's a troublemaker, a regular at the police station," Xuanchen said helplessly.

"Start checking. Every case must be re-verified. Rule out all possibilities, and what remains must be the clue," Yaoguang said.

Qin Si's crimes were generally fighting, gambling, theft, and extortion. The fights only resulted in minor injuries. The gambling was caught during a crackdown, but the stakes were low; he loved mahjong, but always for small change, and he had no major debts. The thefts were petty, and the items were always returned, with victims choosing not to press charges. The extortion was inconsistent, and the amounts were small. He also had no history of drug use.

After two days of investigation, no breakthroughs were found in his prior record.

"Is our investigation direction wrong? Are we being led by the killer? Setting aside his criminal record, let's think about other possibilities," Yaoguang pondered. "I think we need to look at his interpersonal relationships. We seem to have overlooked something. We checked his friends in Ye City—all just low-life cronies. He has no relatives. As for enemies, the whole street hated him, but none of the street's crimes involved him. He had no spouse or girlfriend. What are we missing?"

"The invitation said Qin Si knew his own sin, but others didn't. What is something he knew that no one else did? I think it's a private matter. He has no spouse or girlfriend now, but what about before? If he did, why did they break up?" Huo Mingkun asked.

"Akun, you’ve reminded me of something," Yaoguang’s eyes lit up. "Check his original household registration and place of residence. See if he had a marriage history or anything else. Let’s go back and examine his home."

"Good, I'll go with Axu to check the records. You go to his house," Chu Tianyou said, taking Chen Haixu with him.

Yaoguang called Yitian to bring Jelly over. Jelly could always pick up scents they couldn't. Perhaps it could find something.