Shi Shanyan's aftershave smelled very nice. Its lingering scent traveled down the tip of Yan Junxun's nose. The faint fragrance slid into Yan Junxun's T-shirt, making even his collarbones feel the coolness emanating from Shi Shanyan.

Yan Junxun had no way to retreat in the enclosed space. He darted his eyes, trying to find a direction to escape, but Shi Shanyan's reflection was on all four walls of the elevator. He was overwhelmed by Shi Shanyan. His sensory hub issued a warning; the presence of SN 01AE86 was running rampant within him.

But Shi Shanyan looked so proper, as if he were asking a new colleague, "Have you eaten?"

"No," Yan Junxun finally stared at the slowly changing floor numbers. "Normal sex is fine."

"Such a waste to say that," Shi Shanyan looked at the mole under Yan Junxun's eye. "Your perceptive abilities are so strong, you're suited for a more stimulating experience."

Yan Junxun turned his head to meet Shi Shanyan's gaze. "Are you trying to say Li Jianhua has a hidden fetish?"

"A man-child generally doesn't want to be a 'daddy', right?" Shi Shanyan found Yan Junxun's calm expression very interesting. With the meticulousness of a research project, he didn't let Yan Junxun off the hook. "Perhaps he hasn't even realized it himself. People don't necessarily understand themselves. Just like you."

They reached the second basement level. The elevator doors dinged open again.

"Actions stem from expectations," Yan Junxun was the first to walk out. "You definitely don't have a girlfriend."

......

The parking spaces in Puli Residential Community's parking lot were all linked to the residents' ID numbers. The only non-resident vehicles allowed to enter were those from moving companies and cleaning companies. The parking lot didn't have a management system, only management personnel. They set up guard posts at every exit of the parking lot to check the ID numbers of all incoming and outgoing vehicles.

Yan Junxun was certain the killer had a car because the crime scenes weren't in these three communities, and the communities were relatively far apart. Judging from the condition of the body parts in the drainage ditch, the killer hadn't taken any measures to protect them—not even plastic wrap or bags. They were thrown away directly. Therefore, it was impossible for him to have disposed of the body using public transport, nor could he have used a bicycle. He had to have a car to do it.

The dismemberment also meant the killer was from the Docking Area. He had his own private space and was also very familiar with the drainage channels of the old building district. The body disposal wasn't meant for concealment, but for discovery. Otherwise, he should have stopped throwing body parts into the drainage ditch from the moment Liu Xincheng's body parts were discovered.

The killer was very contradictory.

The victims he chose all had prior records of sexual assault, yet when he cleaned their homes, he specifically avoided all elements related to sexual assault. This point of contradiction made the killer very strange. If he had acted because of the "sexual assault," then he should have cleaned up all the photos and videos documenting the assault process.

"You're right," Yan Junxun said, looking at Li Jianhua's parking space. "People don't necessarily understand themselves, especially killers in serial murder cases. His familiarity with Puli Residential Community lowered his guard; he left too many of his personal traces here. He doesn't live here, but he really likes the environment here, do you understand? His fondness for Li Jianhua's home led him to move about inside, and he even slept there. This residential community, from the inside out, fits his fantasy. So he erased Li Jianhua, attempting to turn that place into his own home."

From a corner of the parking lot came the "di, di" sound of a time clock. The sound was very similar to the digital watch Yan Junxun used to place beside him when he did test papers as a child. He thought of his little blackboard, but it was empty.

"He's good at cleaning and knows Liu Xincheng's and Li Jianhua's living habits. There's a high probability he comes from the same kind of place as Liu Xincheng. He fed Li Jianhua's fish but didn't tidy Liu Xincheng's cupboard; this is his personal preference. He hated Liu Xincheng's living environment and didn't want to live there at all, which is why he never went back."

Shi Shanyan followed behind Yan Junxun, not interrupting him.

"Li Jianhua didn't have a hidden fetish. His intelligence wouldn't allow him to hide it. He was only sexually aroused by adult women." Yan Junxun shook the empty water bottle. "You were right again. The man-child isn't a daddy. The system voice was reset by the killer."

Yan Junxun walked to the trash can and put the empty bottle inside. The trash inside was all neatly arranged, which reminded Yan Junxun of the storage boxes in Li Jianhua's bedroom.

"He knows how to make rational use of space and is very meticulous when cleaning. I think he has a child, but he's not a pervert. He's not..." Yan Junxun hesitated slightly, then turned back to look at Shi Shanyan. "The kind of person like Liu Xincheng and Li Jianhua."

......

The two of them exited the parking lot and crossed the street to get to their car.

The entrance of Puli Residential Community was lively at night. The empty space was left for the aunties to use as a dance-off arena. They formed teams and organized activities, and by turning on their light screens, they could have dance battles with netizens from thousands of miles away. The popularization of the ID Communicator had allowed personal mobile light screens to replace cell phones. The physical device was only the size of an earring stud, making it convenient to carry around. Its wearing style could be customized; it was fine to actually wear it as an earring stud. When you went out, you just tapped wherever you needed it.

The Docking Area was more like an urban-rural fringe. Its urban planning was, in effect, a lack of planning. The Light Rail cut directly through the entire district, creating noise pollution for the residential environment. The district center had also shifted eastward due to the Light Rail's path. Semi-old, semi-new building complexes like Puli Residential Community still bore some resemblance to developing areas like Guangtong District, while the areas near the Coke Plant in the Di'ai Mountains were completely dilapidated.

"Your parking fee has been paid." The parking space's retractable barrier lowered on its own, and the system said stiffly, "Have a safe trip."

Yan Junxun's ID Communicator lit up.

The Little Orange Dragon was still wearing Shi Shanyan's sunglasses. It hugged its front paws and said, "A message from the Special Inspectorate Bureau. Jiang Lian says he's waiting for you guys at 'Delicious Delicious Super Delicious.'"

Yan Junxun gripped the steering wheel and said coldly, "There is no 'us'."

......

"Delicious Delicious Super Delicious" was a rather private barbecue restaurant located near the Special Inspectorate Bureau. It was also Jiang Lian's wife's shop; every day after work, he would carry his briefcase over to pick her up.

"The resident interviews are still ongoing, as is the investigation into the relevant property management. Huihe and Diba have no security cameras, and Puli's cameras happened to be broken during the week of the crime." Jiang Lian flipped the grilling meat. "But a lot of people knew Li Jianhua's door code. His friend said all his passwords are his birthday. Whether it was Liu Xincheng, Li Jianhua, or Huo Qingjun, the killer left no fingerprints or saliva in their homes. He's too careful."

"It's more like a professional habit," Yan Junxun swirled the beer mug filled with ice cubes. The amber-colored beer was bubbling. "He's very professional at cleaning rooms."

"You think he's a cleaner?" Jiang Lian glanced at Shi Shanyan, then back at Yan Junxun. "Puli's property management said they've been working with a cleaning company called 'Punctual Cleaning' for a long time and have never had any issues. A week after Li Jianhua was discovered, we investigated 'Punctual Cleaning.' They have clear work schedules, and their home visits can be accurately recorded down to the minute. But Li Jianhua's mother was a neat freak and very picky about cleaning work. She had to personally screen any cleaning staff assigned to Li Jianhua, and no one could satisfy her. So before she passed away, she was the one cleaning for Li Jianhua herself. However, Li Jianhua never changed his password, so anyone could get in."

"Just because the killer has done this kind of work doesn't mean he's still doing it. He's older than you," Yan Junxun looked up at the closed private room door. It was covered with a Ukiyo-e print. The posture of the reclining woman was somewhat similar to the graffiti in Liu Xincheng's stairwell. "The victims he chose were all in the news ten years ago. What about your investigation into the sexual assault victims?"

Jiang Lian glanced at Shi Shanyan again. Shi Shanyan ate very quietly, not at all like someone who had been locked up for four years. He was quite knowledgeable about mixing dipping sauces for the barbecue; the aroma had already crossed over to Yan Junxun's side. He didn't even drink alcohol; the hot milk beside him seemed out of place.

"The sexual assault victim in the Liu Xincheng case has already moved out of the Docking Area," Jiang Lian tried to make his gaze less obvious. "After Liu Xincheng was released from prison, he stalked her. She reported it to the police many times back then. The Supervisory Bureau forbade Liu Xincheng from approaching the victim's residential area again, but it was useless. His psychological torment of the victim continued, and she moved away two years later." Jiang Lian chose his words carefully. "There are more professional psychologists in Guangtong District helping her. Although her family clapped and cheered at Liu Xincheng's death, they were also very shocked. The investigation proved that none of them had ever come back, let alone had any further contact with Liu Xincheng."

Shi Shanyan looked up at Jiang Lian and asked, "Do you want some barbecue?"

"...No need, thank you." Jiang Lian tactfully passed the barbecue tongs to the other side. He took a sip of alcohol and continued speaking to Yan Junxun, "The sexual assault victim in the Li Jianhua case had her life greatly affected by the news. After Li Jianhua was imprisoned, she lost her job and stayed at home for several years. I heard she jumped off a building when she learned Li Jianhua was about to be released. She has no immediate family; her funeral was handled by distant relatives. As for Huo Qingjun... his case is more complicated."

"Back in 2154, Huo Qingjun was a math teacher at the Docking Area's No. 6 Middle School. He was sentenced to ten years for sexually assaulting a student. When he went in, his wife divorced him and left with their child. Huo Qingjun himself always denied assaulting the student, expressed his refusal to accept the verdict, and appealed multiple times, but without success. After his release, he continued to appeal, hit a wall everywhere looking for a job, and could only end up working as a gate guard at Diba Residential Community. He even came to the Supervisory Bureau at the end of last year."

"What about the victims?"

"None of them stayed in the Docking Area." At this point, Jiang Lian started to worry about the future of the Docking Area again. "All the talented people are running to the developing districts now. Who would stay in this grimy, godforsaken place? Of course, you two talents are the exception. You are both good youths with a spirit of dedication. On behalf of the Docking Area, I thank you."

"No need to thank us," Yan Junxun drained his beer. "It's all thanks to Fu Chenghui."

"This case has too many connections," Jiang Lian cocked his ear to listen to the news playing on the light screen in the main hall and curled his lip. "That reporter, Liu Chen, is jumping into this with all his might. Look, you hear that? He's bringing up the victims' sexual assault cases again. His live feed has been all about 'revenge killing' these past few days."

Yan Junxun turned, pushed the door open, and looked at the light screen in the hall. Shi Shanyan also turned, but before he could see, Yan Junxun had already closed the door again. His gaze shifted to Shi Shanyan as he said, "Sorry, I get nauseous just seeing that person."

Shi Shanyan nodded. "Let me get nauseous for a look too."

Yan Junxun wouldn't open it. He said, "A revenge killing would be more symbolic. At the very least, he would destroy the sexual assault materials."

"People subconsciously avoid certain things. It's not necessarily out of fear, but possibly because they can't bear to face the version of themselves that lost control during that event." Shi Shanyan paused for two seconds, his expression suddenly turning mysterious, and he instigated in a low voice, "You can also apply this feeling to yourself at the moment of climax."