Chapter 2 Key
Bai Yanliang remained silent and turned his head slightly to look out the car window.

The bright sunshine shines on every corner of Yecheng, and it seems that even the tiniest dust can be seen clearly.

"Thank you, Uncle Yang."

"What are you talking about, silly boy." Yang Wanlong couldn't help it after all, and put an unlit cigarette in the corner of his mouth to satisfy his craving.

"Ten years." Bai Yanliang's voice was very soft. He looked quietly at the high-rise buildings lined up one after another. Yecheng has changed so much compared to ten years ago.

But there are always things that remain unchanged.

"Uncle Yang, why do you still believe that the Yanren case from ten years ago has nothing to do with me?"

Bai Yanliang finally withdrew his gaze and looked at Yang Wanlong who was concentrating on driving.

"Tsk... If you must explain why." Yang Wanlong freed his right hand and scratched the back of his head, "It should be because I saw a similar case when I was a child."

"Uncle Yang when he was a child?" Bai Yanliang thought of many possibilities, such as Yang Wanlong discovered some clues, but he never thought of this reason.

This middle-aged criminal policeman is already 42 years old. His childhood happened at least 30 years ago. The case from 30 years ago...

"Well, that guy's experience was similar to yours, but that time, I witnessed it with my own eyes." Yang Wanlong finally lit the cigarette. From the rearview mirror, Bai Yanliang saw that Yang Wanlong's pupils were shrinking slightly, as if he was thinking of something that frightened him.

What could make a middle-aged detective who is used to seeing all kinds of bizarre murders show such fear?

Bai Yanliang was a little curious.

"At that time, my family was poor. I went to school half a day and herded cattle half a day. That afternoon, I went to the hillside to herd cattle as usual, and then... I witnessed a strange murder case." Yang Wanlong's hands were shaking slightly. Obviously, although the incident had happened more than ten years ago, the incident had not been forgotten with the passage of time. Instead, it was like old wine that had been stored in the cellar for many years, and the fragrance could be smelled before the seal was removed.

"Yang Erwa from the village, his father Yang Laocheng is in the mountains! I still remember what he looked like, his face was hideous and distorted, his movements were weird, as if... possessed by a ghost."

Having said that, Yang Wanlong put out his cigarette, swallowed his saliva, and seemed to feel a little dry in the mouth.

Bai Yanliang also noticed that his lips were very dry, even pale.

"I hid behind the cow, so scared that I dared not even breathe. I abandoned the cow and ran back home."

"and after?"

"Later... Yang Erwa was arrested. When he was arrested, he looked exactly like you did back then, with a dazed expression. He sat beside his father's body in a daze. He wouldn't cry, wouldn't laugh, and wouldn't answer questions. Later, I heard that the guy hanged himself in prison." Yang Wanlong glanced at Bai Yanliang in the rearview mirror, but couldn't tell anything from Bai Yanliang's expression.

"So, Uncle Yang is afraid that I will commit suicide, so he takes time out every year to visit me in the mental hospital?" Bai Yanliang asked with a smile.

"I guess so." Yang Wanlong did not comment.

Bai Yanliang knew what Yang Wanlong wanted to ask. How could a human being have such great strength?

Although a fruit knife was found at the scene of Bai Yanren's case, but... could a young child commit such a heinous crime with just a small fruit knife?

Moreover, judging from the situation at the scene and the subsequent autopsy report, Bai Yanren's body did not seem to have been cut open by a sharp weapon, but rather... was eroded by a huge force...

This is almost identical to the case that Yang Wanlong witnessed when he was a child. Bai Yanliang seems to be the same as Yang Erwa, the one who suddenly went crazy and killed his loved ones.

Bai Yanliang also wanted to know what had happened, but... he really didn't remember anything.

He had no memory of the crime scene at all.

"By the way, your brother was confirmed dead just like Yang Laocheng, but his body is missing." Yang Wanlong suddenly said, "It has not been found until now."

Yang Wanlong seemed to glance at Bai Yanliang intentionally or unintentionally.

"Yanren's body?" Bai Yanliang didn't know this news. "Well, we searched your rental house but couldn't find it. We also searched the sewers and trash cans in several nearby streets but found nothing."

"..."

Bai Yanliang remained silent.

Yang Wanlong didn't say anything else and just drove in silence.

Twenty minutes later, the car stopped in front of a relatively upscale residential area.

"Wait for me here while I park the car."

Bai Yanliang nodded, got off the car with his luggage and stood at the entrance of the community.

Rongyuan Community.

Bai Yanliang took a look at the name of the community. It seemed to be a relatively prosperous neighborhood. Next door was the famous commercial center of JB District in Yecheng, which had a pedestrian street and an entertainment city.

It didn't take long before Yang Wanlong came back.

The two of them carried their luggage and walked one after the other towards a 30-story residential building.

"It's here. Your aunt died early, and only my two daughters and I live in the big house. The eldest daughter goes to the Affiliated Hospital in the South District and doesn't come home on weekdays. Now there are only me and Yang Yiyi at home. She is busy with her studies this year and doesn't come home until nine o'clock in the evening." Yang Wanlong said as he pressed the elevator button for the 18th floor.

Bai Yanliang listened quietly. When Yang Wanlong talked about his two daughters, his tone became noticeably higher. It was obvious that he loved his two daughters very much.

Although he didn't say anything, Bai Yanliang still decided to find a job and leave Uncle Yang's house as soon as possible. After all, he was not related to Uncle Yang and Uncle Yang was busy with work. It would be inappropriate for him to stay in the same house with someone else's daughter for a long time.

"come in."

As they were talking, the two had already reached the eighteenth floor.

Yang Wanlong opened the door and turned on the light in the living room.

"Sit wherever you want. I'll go give you your brother's things."

Bai Yanliang nodded and looked around the room.

It has three bedrooms and a living room, about 120 square meters, which is considered a very good family home in this industrial city where every inch of land is valuable.

"Here, your brother was a private detective ten years ago. It seemed that he was investigating some business before he died, but it has little to do with his case. Look, this is the work information your brother left behind, and this." As he spoke, Yang Wanlong handed over something.

Bai Yanliang first took the documents one by one, and then took the small item handed over by Yang Wanlong.

He just felt his palms getting cold, and when he looked away, he was stunned.

"key?"

What is the key to this place?

Seeing his puzzled expression, Yang Wanlong also spread his hands: "I don't know, no one has tried what it can open."

Bai Yanliang held the key and looked at it carefully. It was silver all over, with a round hollow handle carved with mysterious patterns on one end, and the other end extending forward with three small dots protruding from it.

It can be seen that although it is finely made, it looks a bit old and is not the key to the door lock.

Bai Yanliang frowned slightly. He didn't know why, but as he held this exquisite but extremely strange key, a strange feeling of palpitations gradually welled up in his heart, as if... something was opened.

(End of this chapter)