Simulating_Crimes_C40
by MarineTLChapter 40: The Only Missing Group Photo, I Now Know Where She Is!!!
At this moment, Su Ming finally felt like he had some clues!
There was no longer a need to keep guessing Huang Yan’s whereabouts. As long as the content of the third-to-last photo was confirmed, he would be able to find her!
With that thought, Su Ming stopped hesitating and turned the page, examining the photo on the second-to-last page.
He didn’t start from the beginning. The content of this second-to-last photo was…
Huang Yan was sitting on a carousel, holding a bunch of sugar-coated haws in her hand, with her mother beside her. Her father wasn’t in the shot, probably helping with taking the picture.
After viewing the second-to-last photo, Su Ming quickly flipped to the next page.
He hoped…
That by examining the two photos before and after the missing third-to-last photo, he could find some pattern.
Based on the exquisite packaging of the album, Huang Yan must have put a lot of effort into organizing and collecting it. Therefore, all the photos were most likely arranged in chronological order, rather than randomly placed.
The content of this second-to-last photo was…
Huang Yan standing next to a clown performer, wearing a red nose and laughing so much that her eyes were squinted.
A clown?
A carousel?
Su Ming narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, then flipped to the final photo.
The content of this photo was…
The sunset setting in the distance, with Huang Yan holding a teddy bear that was larger than herself, trying to squeeze into a bus heading to Huaihai District, Line 19.
It was a humorous and quirky scene, but with a unique warmth.
The teddy bear in this photo was probably the one on the bed right now, right?
However…
The teddy bear wasn’t important, nor was it a crucial clue. Instead…
After analyzing the photos before and after, Su Ming was now able to basically confirm one thing.
The last few pages of this album were all about Huang Yan and her parents visiting an amusement park.
After that…
There were no more photos added.
This meant that after the trip to the amusement park, Huang Yan’s parents became busy with work, and they rarely returned home, sometimes only once a year!!!
Under such circumstances…
The last family trip to the amusement park was definitely the clearest and most precious memory in Huang Yan’s mind!!!
So, this third photo was definitely related to the amusement park!!!
As for which amusement park it was, it wasn’t hard to deduce.
However…
To maintain a precise and error-free attitude, Su Ming still looked at Xu Changsheng beside him and asked, “Brother Sheng.”
“One of the two starting stations for the Huaihai District Line 19 bus, is one of them Fantawild Adventure?”
This question made Xu Changsheng pause for a moment.
But he nodded and answered affirmatively.
“That’s right.”
“One starting station is Magic City University, and the other is Fantawild Adventure. The round trip takes about two hours.”
“I had researched the bus routes carefully before, specifically for the analysis of the Magic City University dismemberment case, so I’m sure I’m not mistaken.”
“Furthermore, it was specially designed…”
“To make it convenient for students from Magic City University!”
Getting this confirmation, Su Ming exhaled heavily, then hurriedly continued.
“Brother Sheng.”
“I’m 80% sure Huang Yan went to Fantawild Adventure. As for the specific details, explaining them is complicated, I’ll tell you on the way there.”
“The most important thing now is…”
“We must head straight to Fantawild Adventure!!!”
This statement made Xu Changsheng pause for a moment, as he hadn’t expected…
Su Ming to be able to so quickly pinpoint Huang Yan’s location. His reasoning ability and attention to detail were impressive and somewhat unfathomable.
Although Xu Changsheng was amazed and curious about how Su Ming came to that conclusion, he knew the urgency of the situation and didn’t hesitate to wave his hand.
“Let’s go, Xiao Ming.”
“Head straight to Fantawild Adventure. It’ll take about 15 minutes by car. I’ll have the nearest plainclothes officers head over first!”
“To avoid…”
“Causing unnecessary distress for Huang Yan by having her see officers in uniform!”
After speaking, Xu Changsheng jogged down the stairs and remotely activated the siren of the police car parked at the villa entrance.
Now, it was…
A matter of life or death, where every second counted!!!
Su Ming, equally tense, held the album and quickly descended the stairs. His peripheral vision caught sight of the confused middle-aged maid, and without hesitation, he ordered.
“Auntie.”
“We have a task to handle and don’t have time to ask you for more information.”
“Later…”
“You head to the Huaihai Criminal Investigation Team and wait for us. Just tell them Xu Changsheng sent you to cooperate with the investigation.”
“Remember…”
“Cooperating with the investigation is the duty of every citizen!!!”
“Don’t… worry, Officer,” the middle-aged maid immediately nodded and replied without hesitation.
“I’ll close the door now and head to the criminal investigation team…”
Before she could finish, Su Ming had already disappeared from her sight and sat in the front passenger seat of the police car.
The next second…
Before Su Ming could even fasten his seatbelt, the roar of the engine sounded, and they sped towards the location of Fantawild Adventure.
…
The shrill sound of the siren echoed on the road.
Cars ahead immediately swerved to make way.
In the driver’s seat, Xu Changsheng removed the mini earbud from his ear and stared sharply ahead, speeding past one car after another. He said in a grave tone.
“Xiao Ming, no problem.”
“I just had Huzi check the surveillance at the entrance of Fantawild Adventure. Indeed, at 9 AM, three hours ago…”
“We saw Huang Yan enter Fantawild Adventure.”
“At the same time…”
“Three security officers responsible for Fantawild Adventure have already entered the park, but due to the large crowd, it’s currently impossible to find Huang Yan.”
“One of the officers has gone to the surveillance room to try and find Huang Yan’s location using the cameras.”
“But it’s still extremely difficult…”
“Fantawild Adventure is too large, and there are many blind spots and areas with no surveillance. Finding one person is like looking for a needle in a haystack!”
“We have to narrow the search area further. Xiao Ming, have you found any other clues in the album?”
Xu Changsheng’s words made Su Ming anxious.
Huang Yan arrived at Fantawild Adventure three hours ago, and Zhang Wan’s body was discovered two hours ago.
That meant…
From receiving the alarm to analyzing clues and tracking Huang Yan’s whereabouts, only less than two hours had passed.
The speed of the case’s progress was already incredibly fast.
But now…
It still wasn’t enough!
Because…
This three-hour window, uninterrupted, was more than enough for Huang Yan to commit suicide a hundred times!!!
Let alone…
The time spent searching for her once they arrived at Fantawild Adventure.
Urgency!
Time was truly running out!
They had to narrow down the search area further!!!
…
At this moment, Su Ming closed his eyes, leaned back in the seat, crossed his arms, and lightly tapped his left arm with his right hand, forcing himself to relax and stay calm.
At the same time, his mind continued to analyze and deduce.
The third-to-last photo…
It had been taken out and carried away, which showed how much Huang Yan valued it.
So…
What was special about this photo compared to other old photos from the amusement park?
According to the album’s content.
There were 25 photos from the amusement park, including photos of the facilities, photos with the dolls, and some candid quirky shots.
If the third-to-last photo was of a facility…
Since many attractions didn’t allow photos, it would rule out special rides like roller coasters, the giant swing, pirate ships, etc., leaving only the more relaxed rides.
But there were so many attractions, it was really hard to narrow down!
If it was a photo with a doll…
Or a quirky shot…
There wouldn’t be anything special, as many were similar, so it wouldn’t have been singled out.
So…
One thing could be confirmed.
The third-to-last photo taken out was definitely something special, unique!
It was unique…
Special…
As Su Ming continued to recall the numerous photos, he suddenly realized a critical detail!
That was…
There were no photos of Huang Yan with her parents, the three of them together!
Either it was a solo photo of Huang Yan…
Or a photo of Huang Yan with her father or mother!
Because…
When riding attractions, it was impossible to ask other visitors to take photos, so one person had to help take the photo!
And when not riding attractions, there was nothing particularly worth taking a picture of, and the two adults had no interest in the dolls!
So…
The photo taken out was most likely…
The only photo of the family together on this trip to the amusement park!!!
Moreover…
It had to be from an attraction where the three could sit together, with something beautiful or interesting enough to be worth photographing.
And the attraction had to be safe enough for the parent to hold up a phone with one hand and take the picture!!!
Even in an amusement park, there were few such attractions!!!
Now…
They just needed to rule out all the attractions that didn’t meet the conditions…
Three seconds later.
Su Ming suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing in them.
He looked ahead, where Fantawild Adventure appeared in his sight, and the slowly rotating circular ride. He smiled confidently and said.
“Brother Sheng, I think…”
“I already know where Huang Yan is in the amusement park!!!”