I ran over and saw that across from us was a five-story building. There was a three-meter gap between the two buildings. Remarkably, Bai Ye and Wang Yuanchao both had incredible agility—they leapt across it in a single bound!
Right now, they were circling each other on the rooftops, like cats playing with a mouse.
Three meters may not seem far on the ground—I might have been able to sprint and jump across—but dozens of meters above the ground? One slip, and you'd plummet to your death. Just thinking about it made my legs tremble.
There was no way I'd dare jump. I took out my phone and called Huang Xiaotao: "Bai Ye has escaped to the apartment building across the way. Wang Yuanchao is there too. You guys better move in quickly."
"Got it!" Huang Xiaotao replied swiftly.
I glanced at the dean lying on the ground, clutching his broken leg and groaning. "By the way, send an officer here—there's an injured accomplice."
After hanging up, I approached the dean. Hearing my footsteps, his first words were, "Has Xiaoye been caught?"
I crouched down and said, "Soon. You and your son are at the end of the line…"
Suddenly he grabbed my shirt fiercely, desperation in his eyes. "Please spare Xiaoye! I killed those women—it was me! I did it!"
...
...
He held me tight, and I was sweating nervously. What if he had a hidden knife in his sleeve? I'd be done for. At that moment, Wang Dali rushed over, shining a UV flashlight in the dean's eyes. "Old man, let go. Are you trying to assault an officer?"
Blinded by the light, the dean released me.
I instinctively kept my distance and asked, "Why did you help Bai Ye kill those innocent women?"
The dean answered, "A father should do whatever his son asks. After all, I never truly fulfilled my duty as a father."
"You're a believer. Aren't you afraid of going to hell for this?" I scolded him, frustrated.
He said, "Moses' law tells us to stone such women. Do you think I'll go to hell for obeying?"
I was stunned. Wang Dali asked me, "What is this old man talking about?"
I realized he was quoting the Bible to justify himself. He had spent his life immersed in scripture, but I had only read a few Bible stories.
Still, I couldn't believe a religion that teaches kindness would encourage killing prostitutes. He was just twisting it to excuse his crime.
I said, "Mary Magdalene was a prostitute too. She washed Jesus' feet with tears of repentance. After Jesus was crucified, he redeemed her. If your Lord despised them, why save Mary Magdalene? True Christians seek goodness—they're noble. Not like you, a murderer."
The dean's eyes widened in shock, speechless for a moment.
Suddenly, gunshots rang out from the opposite building, piercing the night. The dean trembled violently and struggled to sit up. "What happened to my son? What have you done to him?"
Wang Dali ran over and reported, "Officer Wang has captured him."
"Alive?" the dean anxiously asked.
"Yes," Wang Dali nodded.
The dean finally relaxed and lay back with a deep sigh.
Soon, officers arrived to take him away. Wang Dali said, "Song Yang, you did great back there. Where did you get that example to silence the old man?"
"From the Bible! Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, but Jesus showed her mercy." That last part I remembered from the movie The Da Vinci Code.
"You're so knowledgeable! How do you know all that?"
"Less gaming, more reading," I replied.
Suddenly, I recalled something and caught up with the dean as officers helped him limp downstairs.
"Why did you smear eel blood at the crime scene to attract bats?"
He was exhausted, looking ten years older and haggard. "I wanted you to think it was a vampire attack so you'd stop investigating…"
I was speechless. He'd spent a lifetime reading the Bible and thought ordinary people would believe those myths. Too bad the police are atheists—we investigate vampires or demons to the very end.
A little later, we headed downstairs. Huang Xiaotao patted my shoulder excitedly: "Song Yang, you really made a big contribution this time."
"No, it's all Wang Yuanchao's credit," I said modestly.
Wang Yuanchao was leaning against a police car, smoking. His forehead wound was crusted over, and his leather jacket was filthy. I thanked him and asked, "Officer Wang, how did you know there was a building across the way?"
"I didn't," he answered casually.
I was stunned. That was reckless. What if the criminal had jumped to his death? He would have sacrificed himself for nothing.
But if he hadn't taken that leap, Bai Ye would have escaped. I admired Wang Yuanchao's guts silently.
Huang Xiaotao said, "The case is closed. The tech team will handle cleanup. We're taking the suspect back for interrogation. Wang Yuanchao will escort you to school."
"No need. Officer Wang's worked hard tonight. I'll take a cab with Dali," I waved off.
"Be careful on the way."
In the days after the case, Wang Dali kept checking the news online. But the vampire case never appeared in any media. Maybe the police sealed it off for being too bizarre. Then Huang Xiaotao called us—there was a celebration dinner tonight, and we had to attend.
Naturally, Wang Dali didn't refuse food. We took a cab to a restaurant and were led to a private room filled with members of the task force. As we entered, everyone applauded warmly.
The lively atmosphere made me a bit embarrassed. I nodded and smiled, then found a seat with Wang Dali.
Just then, Officer Zhou came over with a cup. He was tipsy and looked very different from his usual polished self. Slurring, he said, "Song, the killer wasn't a vampire. Just a normal person. I was overthinking. Without you, we wouldn't have cracked this. Honestly, I respect you the most. Cheers!"
I declined, "Officer Zhou, thanks, but I don't drink."
"No worries—juice's fine."
He poured orange juice into my cup and toasted me. Other officers came to toast too, but Huang Xiaotao stopped them. "Later, later! I have something serious to say to Song Yang!"
The officers teased her loudly, and Huang Xiaotao blushed with anger, "I'm serious!"
Everyone laughed and joked freely. Tonight, the whole team was relaxed, no cop pretenses.
"You, you, you..." Huang Xiaotao stammered, cheeks red. "Bonus deducted!"
She sat beside me, grumbling, "Damn, you guys never hold your tongues!"
Wearing a white blouse and ultra-short denim shorts, Huang Xiaotao's figure was stunning. Her smooth legs were boldly on display, her neckline revealing a hint of cleavage. Though slim, she was fit, with toned arms, abs, and strong thighs—a healthy beauty. I blushed and looked down at my drink.
"Xiaotao, you look gorgeous tonight!" Wang Dali said with a smirk.
"Haha, just something casual. When you're pretty, what can you do?" she smiled vainly.
She patted me on the shoulder. "Song Yang, Bai Ye confessed everything yesterday. It matches your theory almost exactly—except for one detail you didn't expect..."