Lost in the Otherworld

"Whoa, it’s here just like that!" Wang Zikai rolled up his sleeves and strode towards the door. "Watch me beat it to death!"

"Wait..." Gao Yang grabbed Wang Zikai and covered his mouth.

Pan Jun didn’t dare make a sound, quickly hiding behind Qing Ling. Officer Huang signaled, and everyone immediately took cover on either side of the door, bodies pressed against the wall.

Officer Huang drew his gun, aimed at the door, and called out, "Who’s there?"

"I was wondering why there was light inside, turns out it's Officer Huang." An old man’s voice came from outside.

Gao Yang recognized it—it was the old man who herded geese earlier in the day. He signaled to Officer Huang that it was safe. Officer Huang holstered his gun and went to open the door.

Standing outside was indeed the old man, known in the village as Grandpa Gu Si. His wrinkled face lit up with a smile, a pipe dangling from his lips. "Ah, everyone’s here, investigating the case?"

Officer Huang gave a faint smile. "Yes, just making sure we didn’t miss any clues."

"You police really work hard, still on duty so late," the old man said, taking the pipe from his mouth and scratching his back. "I saw the light on inside and thought I'd seen a ghost."

"And yet you still dared to knock? Aren’t you afraid of ghosts?" Wang Zikai quipped, but it was a sharp one—exactly what Gao Yang was about to ask.

The old man chuckled heartily. "Not at all. I was close with Hua Zi’s family. Even if they were ghosts, they wouldn’t harm me."

"I see." Officer Huang's gaze sharpened as a thought crossed his mind. "Grandpa Gu, why don't you tell us more about Hua Zi's family?"

"Sure, but it’s not convenient here. My house is just over there, why don’t you come over and sit for a while?"

"Sorry to trouble you."

...

Five minutes later, the group arrived at Grandpa Gu’s house. He lived alone in a smaller earthen house compared to Hua Zi's. Behind it was a large yard filled with geese, occasionally honking.

They sat around a table. Grandpa Gu brewed tea, but no one touched it.

Unfazed, Grandpa Gu puffed on his pipe and began to ramble, "Hua Zi’s father was a very honest, hardworking man, though sadly, he was a stutterer. He didn’t marry until he was nearly forty. His wife, from a nearby village, had a slight disability, but otherwise, she was fine.

"They had three chubby sons, but the mother passed away a few years after giving birth to the youngest. Hua Zi’s father couldn’t support the boys just by farming, so he had to work elsewhere, sending money back each year. He asked me to take care of the boys. They often came to my house to eat, and I treated them like my own grandsons."

After listening in silence, Officer Huang asked, "Grandpa Gu, do you think the killer could be from the village?"

Grandpa Gu hesitated, then gave a meaningful smile. "Officer Huang, what I’m about to say doesn’t carry any legal weight, right? I don’t know the law..."

"Not at all, we’re just chatting. Say what you know."

Grandpa Gu nodded. "Then I’ll say it. I’m sure the killer is someone from the village."

"Why?"

"Several families here have dogs, but even if you don’t consider them, my geese would honk at any stranger passing by."

"Hua Zi’s family was dismembered, and the bodies scattered everywhere. If the killer were from another village, it would’ve stirred the animals." Gao Yang added.

"Exactly." Grandpa Gu glanced at Gao Yang, "Sharp mind, young man."

"So," Officer Huang pressed further, "who in the village do you think has a motive?"

"That, I really don’t know." Grandpa Gu took a sip of tea. "The family was known for being kind and honest. The three boys were well-behaved. To dismember a family like that... what kind of hatred could drive someone to do such a thing?"