Hours later, we investigated using ID information, mobile signals, and dashcam footage, but still couldn't find the person. They must have been protected by members of the "Dao Zui Zhe" organization. This means the person wasn't a leader within their ranks, perhaps just a minor one. This situation is akin to the "Polaris" organization, and it seems we've really gotten ourselves into trouble this time.
One "Polaris" was already troublesome enough, and now "Dao Zui Zhe" has appeared. Following their pattern, they will undoubtedly continue to sell murder tutorials to those in need. This is becoming a monumental problem. Just as we were contemplating this, another bizarre case quickly occurred in Guangming City.
The date was November 24, 2022. By this time, we had already finished investigating the scene and obtained the victim's notebook.
Before handing it over to the forensic identification department, I read the contents of the notebook myself.
"October 31, 2022. Clear weather.
Our house has been strange lately. Every night, around midnight, we hear squeaking sounds. I told my father that there might be rats in the house. My father said it's normal to have rats and I shouldn't worry about it. I mumbled an 'okay' and continued with my homework. But then I suddenly felt like many rats were scurrying around on the floor of our house. I got impatient and stomped on the floor. The rats then scurried away.
November 1, 2022. Cloudy.
I noticed that last night, while I was sleeping, those rats dared to come close to my bed. It wasn't just one, probably dozens. I was too scared to open my eyes because I've been afraid of dense things since I was a child – cockroaches, spiders, bees, anything that crawls. Everyone mocks me, saying there's nothing to be afraid of with these small insects, but I am. Oh, right, there were many cockroaches crawling on those rats, and they seemed to be eating them. Those creatures had red eyes, as if they really liked eating cockroaches.
Then, when I got up to pee, they all ran away again. I knew they wouldn't dare approach me.
November 2, 2022. Cloudy.
My father has been acting a bit strange these past few days. He always comes home very late. And he never liked keeping cats before, but this time he brought several home at once. I was so happy because I've always loved cats. Now I finally had the chance! So, I took a white one to my room, built a simple wooden house for it, and prepared a food and water bowl. Heh heh. Then, every night, I let it sleep with me. That should keep the rats away, right?
Thinking this, I couldn't help but smile smugly…
November 3, 2022. Heavy rain.
This rain today is so infuriating, it's like it's raining to death. Thankfully, school is canceled. I've been writing here constantly, writing this diary. I actually enjoy it. My name is Liu Siya, a 17-year-old high school girl on the verge of entering university. The college entrance exam is next year. But this constant rain has put me in a bad mood, and I can't concentrate on my studies. The sound of the downpour makes me feel exceptionally uneasy. Coupled with the squeaking of rats in the house, I suspect this is going to be trouble. Looking at my recent report card, I can only sigh repeatedly. Fortunately, my father doesn't seem to care much about these things. Oh, right, my mother left a long time ago. I don't know how she disappeared. I heard from a neighbor that my mother ran off with another man. My father was very sad at the time…
But all that is in the past. At least my father and I are living reasonably well now, and with so many cats for company, I hope I can get into a good university, unleash my literary talent, and become a famous literary writer in the future. My father will surely be very happy then, and it will make that woman who abandoned him regret it immensely!!
That woman doesn't deserve to be my mother, she's a bitch. If I ever see her again, I'll beat her so badly her grandmother won't recognize her. What kind of woman does that? Such an ungrateful dog!
I feel much better after writing these diary entries. Then I slept with Xiaobai next to me. That's the name I gave my cat. It's a bit tacky, but it doesn't matter because I like it.
November 4, 2022. Heavy rain.
'Damn it!' This is a common curse among students around here. I couldn't help but say it today because this rain still hasn't stopped. My dear heavens, why won't it stop? I've noticed that the rain seems to make the rats more agitated. At night, more and more squeaking sounds fill the air, almost driving me to madness. I can't sleep under these circumstances. And I noticed that Xiaobai is now even afraid of rats. I was utterly shocked. You're a cat, big brother, how can you be afraid of rats?
When I went to the restroom late at night, I finally realized why Xiaobai was scared. Our house was completely surrounded by rats. I was so scared I fell to the ground. Besides rats, I also saw quite a few spiders and cockroaches among them…
What the hell, why?
At that moment, I thought I had entered some sci-fi world or was dreaming. But I pinched my face hard and found it hurt. I quickly grabbed Xiaobai and scrambled to find my father. However, when I reached his room…
He was already surrounded by rats, and he had been eaten down to nothing but a bare skeleton!
I was so terrified my heart was about to explode. My father had turned into a skeleton, and his room was piled high with countless rats!!
Afraid, I wanted to leave, feeling that the rats' next target would surely be me. Wooo! Help!
I screamed and pulled Xiaobai, fleeing for my life. I don't know how long I ran before I finally left the house. Strangely, I noticed that the rats were only concentrated in my house and didn't leave. That's odd, why? This is a notebook I wrote using my memories. Alright, I hope someone sees this. I can't return for now."
This girl probably left us some clues. The case is as follows: today someone reported finding a skeleton in a bungalow. The situation is very similar to what Liu Siya described in her diary. However, the skeleton hasn't undergone a detailed examination yet. We need to go back and confirm if it was indeed caused by rats. But there are indeed many tiny footprints inside the house, along with cat paw prints, and prints from a man and a girl. After that, there are no other traces of people. Although many human footprints are covered by rat tracks, footprints can still be distinguished. After all, human footprints are much deeper than those of rats.