Chapter 136 Romantic Killer
Screech!
With the soft sound of brakes, the nanny van sent by the Yida Group to pick up King and his small hero team came to a stop in front of a luxurious villa.
The villa's luxury wasn't just in its magnificent, palace-like architecture, but also in its vast grounds—badminton courts, tennis courts, a golf course, a horse ranch, a race track, a water park, an amusement park, and so on. This wasn't a villa estate; it was a small town.
"They're this rich? It'd be a crime if villains didn't kidnap you."
King stared, dumbfounded, at the directional map in front of the villa, which was named "Yayuan." He couldn't help but give the villains a mental thumbs-up. This kind of inhumanly wealthy fellow deserved to be taught a lesson.
"Welcome, heroes, to Yayuan."
The massive, ancient city gate-like doors creaked open, and an elderly man walked out. The man was impeccably dressed in a suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he even wore white gloves. His entire demeanor was amiable and graceful.
"Greetings, everyone. I am the butler of Yayuan. My name is Yamason."
"Hello, I am Silverfang."
As the elder of the group, Bang stepped forward to offer greetings on behalf of the hero team.
"Silverfang? Of course, I know you! I've heard your name so often my ears have grown calluses. You're older than I am, yet you're still active on the battlefield. I privately admire you a great deal."
"You're too kind." Bang smiled humbly, then gestured to the other members of the hero team and began the introductions. "This is King..."
"The Strongest Man, I presume! He truly possesses the majesty of an emperor. I've admired you for a long time."
"This is Superalloy Darkshine."
"Oh, one look at this great hero's muscular body and you can tell it's filled with explosive power."
"This is Puri-Puri Prisoner."
"Speaking of which, I must thank you on behalf of the people of the world. Ever since you began guarding Self-Surrender Prison, there hasn't been a single escape incident. Those deserving villains have received the punishment they deserve. You've worked hard."
"This is Child Emperor."
"Ah, the young genius, the model child for every other family, the example for all children in the world."
...
As Bang continued with the introductions, Yamason always had a few warm words to say, as if they were old friends who hadn't met in years. He had a great deal of charisma, making everyone feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze, completely at ease.
"Mr. Yamason, may I ask about the progress of the case?"
After the introductions were complete, Bang got straight to the point, asking about Yali's disappearance.
A trace of sorrow appeared on Yamason's gentle and refined face. "The police haven't made any breakthroughs yet. They are still following up on it, but the outcome is uncertain."
Bang nodded and asked again, "Oh, I heard that Miss Yali was abducted by the A-Class wanted criminal, the Romantic Killer?"
"Yes. Twenty hours after Miss Yali went missing, we chose to call the police. Based on a bouquet of roses and a wedding ring left in Miss Yali's bedroom, the police speculated that the A-Class wanted criminal who has been most active in O-City for the past two years—the Romantic Killer—abducted Miss Yali."
Yamason sighed softly, the worry on his face deepening. Ever since the Romantic Killer first appeared, no one had ever been heard of surviving an encounter with him.
King muttered to himself, "The Romantic Killer? A killer who's also romantic... Truly, strange things happen every year, but this year has been especially full of them."
Speaking of this Romantic Killer, after Sitch had informed him of the case, he had specifically looked him up. He discovered that the Romantic Killer wasn't just bizarre, but also a pervert—a pervert who specifically preyed on wealthy women.
No one had ever seen the Romantic Killer's face. People only knew that after committing the crime, he would leave a bouquet of vibrant roses and a precious wedding ring at the scene of the murder, as if he had killed the wealthy women in a fit of rage after a failed marriage proposal. Hence, he earned the name "Romantic Killer."
Chain Toad and Gunman were dumbfounded. Investigate a case? What about wiping out that evil organization we agreed on?
They felt completely powerless. What's a missing person case got to do with us? It's not like we know how to investigate. Isn't this just wasting our time!
Child Emperor licked his lollipop, his small eyes flashing with the bright light of intelligence. "Hey, Uncle Yamason, as far as I know, the Romantic Killer only leaves roses and a wedding ring at the murder scene. Right now, Big Sister Yali is only missing, yet roses and a ring were found in her room. This doesn't fit the Romantic Killer's usual M.O. Therefore, there are two possibilities for this case. One is that the Romantic Killer has changed his methods. The other is that someone is impersonating the Romantic Killer to commit this crime."
King silently handed a pair of glasses to Child Emperor. "Hey, Conan, you forgot to wear your glasses."
Child Emperor stared blankly at King. "Who's Conan? Never heard of him."
"Oh, just some guy with the nickname 'Reaper'," King explained casually.
Child Emperor nodded. "Hmm, he must be someone incredible then!" Anyone who could earn the nickname "Reaper" must be a powerful individual. For King to compare him to such a person, did that mean King acknowledged his strength?
With that thought, his mood immediately brightened, and he revealed an innocent, harmless smile.
Yamason nodded in agreement with Child Emperor's idea. "Yes, what Child Emperor said is correct. The case of the young mistress's disappearance is indeed full of suspicious points. Our friends in the police are also investigating various angles, striving to identify the culprit as soon as possible."
"I also have a few thoughts about the Romantic Killer," Child Emperor continued. "Based on the Romantic Killer's past criminal behavior, I've analyzed that he has three characteristics. First, the Romantic Killer is a wealthy person, or at least not short on money."
Indeed, he kidnapped and then tortured wealthy women every time, never extorting money. Furthermore, he would leave a bouquet of roses and a priceless wedding ring at the murder scene. From this, one could deduce that the Romantic Killer was certainly not poor.
"Second, the Romantic Killer has been hurt by love before, possibly abandoned by a wealthy woman in the past."
From the fact that the Romantic Killer specifically targeted wealthy women, it was clear he held a grudge against them. And since he left behind items for a marriage proposal like roses and a wedding ring, one could infer that he had been hurt by love, and the person who hurt him was definitely a wealthy woman.
"Third, he should be quite handsome."
Right, to be noticed by a wealthy woman, one would first need to meet certain standards of appearance.
After hearing Child Emperor's analysis, King cleared his throat thoughtfully. "Let me add something. The Romantic Killer might not necessarily be handsome. It's also possible that his abilities in a certain area are particularly... 'outstanding'."
Puri-Puri Prisoner shot a sharp glance at King, his eyes blazing. *King, my man, I get you.*
"Outstanding abilities?" Child Emperor was still a kid, after all, and didn't delve into adult matters. However, he did agree with King's point. "Hmm, Uncle King is right. The Romantic Killer might be an exceptional person. Judging by the fact that he has committed multiple crimes and still hasn't been caught, his intelligence should not be low."
If little Child Emperor knew what King truly meant, he would probably shout, "Stop the bus! This isn't the bus to kindergarten! I want to get off!"
Bang summarized with a smile, "Hmm, based on this analysis, the Romantic Killer, to put it simply, is a well-to-do, elite individual who was once the lover of a wealthy woman and is likely quite handsome."
"Correct. This narrows down the scope of the investigation into the Romantic Killer by a significant margin."
Watching Child Emperor and the others nearly pinpoint the Romantic Killer's profile in just a few words, Yamason's heart skipped a beat. He began to take this hero team seriously. Perhaps they were more useful than the police.
(end of chapter)