I told Huang Xiaotao the case was actually pretty clear.
The culprit was Deng Chao. The headless corpse was Ma Baobao's. Deng Chao had wanted to kill Ma Baobao for a long time. His first attempt failed, so he came up with a flawless plan.
"The sequence should be like this," I cleared my throat. "Deng Chao killed Ma Baobao first, preserved the body with dry ice, then, using the pretense of drinking, suggested playing 'Truth or Dare' in the old teaching building. The two girls were completely manipulated; Deng Chao was just putting on a show! After scaring them off, he quickly changed Ma Baobao's corpse into his own clothes. Since he couldn't perfectly replicate the complex death caused by the guitar string cutting the head, he used a knife and saw to cut off Ma Baobao's head, making it as realistic as possible."
"Finally, he used a corrosive chemical to erode Ma Baobao's head, making it unrecognizable. He faked his death and escaped. The police couldn't find Ma Baobao's body, so it was treated as a disappearance. I have to admit, this guy's a genius — truly a high-IQ criminal!" I praised sincerely.
"Even so smart, you still caught his trick. Sounds like you're just giving yourself credit!" Huang Xiaotao laughed.
"Flattery will get you nowhere!" I replied humbly.
"So why did Zhang Kai die?" she asked.
"Disposable," I said. "Deng Chao needed a helper for his 'ghost killing' act. Remember the guitar strings flying around? Zhang Kai tried to help but got his hand cut, adding to the fear and convincing the girls the ghost was real. Without Zhang Kai, the trick might have been exposed. He was essential."
"Deng Chao was cunning! If Zhang Kai had survived, he might crack under police interrogation and blow the case wide open. To be safe, Deng Chao had to kill his own friend to cover up."
"Just for a university recommendation spot, he killed two people. Was it worth it?" Huang Xiaotao sighed.
"To outsiders, no. But for these students, that recommendation was their future — their lifeline." I analyzed, "Deng Chao, a top student, never faced real failure. After being exposed for plagiarism by Ma Baobao, his pride was shattered, twisting him inside. He was determined to kill, even if it meant sacrificing his friend."
Huang Xiaotao looked at me seriously, making me a bit embarrassed. "Song Yang, you don't sound like a regular college student. Is this really your first case?"
"Yeah, first time for everything. Don't believe me, ask around," I shrugged.
She laughed. "Alright, I believe you, detective. So, how do we catch Deng Chao?"
"Not yet. We need to verify some info first."
"Verify what? Go to Ma Baobao's dorm?"
"No, definitely not!" I waved my hand.
"Why?"
"We have to pretend we don't know the victim is Ma Baobao." I sneered.
Huang Xiaotao's eyes gleamed. "A trap?"
"Exactly! With all these police around, Deng Chao is watching closely. We need to play into his expectations and make him careless."
"So what now?" she asked.
I handed her a plastic surgery flyer. She gasped. "Why give me this? I don't need plastic surgery!"
I laughed. "Stop jumping to conclusions. Check if Deng Chao ever visited this clinic. I have another lead to verify."
She teased, "Why not say 'You're already beautiful, no surgery needed'? So sweet!"
I scratched my head. Girls love compliments, after all.
"Alright, I'm heading out now. Lunch is on me with Wang Dali."
"Deal."
Back in my dorm, Wang Dali wasn't there. Unlocking his phone was a nightmare. Then I saw several messages telling me to come to Laoyao's room.
Thinking of Laoyao's creepy face made me nervous, but I went anyway.
The room reeked of sweat and garbage. Empty bottles and takeout boxes everywhere. Colorful underwear hung on a string. Others had moved out; this was Laoyao's lair — more like a den of filth.
Laoyao squatted like a monkey, skinny as a skeleton, wearing a loose tank top. His filthy feet hadn't been washed for ages. He smoked and was absorbed in playing League of Legends.
Wang Dali pleaded, "Laoyao, can you hurry? You said you'd help after this game. You've played three rounds already."
Laoyao shrugged, "Relax, I'll do it after this game. Wait."
When he saw me, his eyes lit up and he grinned slyly, "Hey, little Song Song! Long time no see, getting cuter!"
I shuddered all over.
He grabbed his filthy slippers from the mess and rushed at me.
"Miss me? Come here for a hug!"
I pushed him away, frowning, "We're civilized people. Keep your hands to yourself."
Laoyao laughed, "Oh, getting shy? Heard you were the star this morning, working with cops on a serial murder. True or not?"
Then he slapped my butt. I seriously wanted to die.