Do you remember the nationwide sensation of the "Eye-Gouging Boy" case a few years ago? It was dubbed a Chinese "cold case" by netizens, with some accusing the police of blaming a dead person to close the case.

In reality, the public only saw the tip of the iceberg. The truth is far from what people imagine. I can say this because my Cold Case Squad quickly took over the investigation.

Our squad is similar to a regular major crimes unit, but we focus on cases that even they cannot solve across the province. Only cases classified as true cold cases by the major crimes unit get escalated to us.

Though the "Eye-Gouging Boy" case wasn't a major criminal case, it captured national attention and had a significant social impact. Once it was classified as a cold case, the provincial office demanded we solve it within a week.

At the time, I was a rookie, having graduated from the police academy less than six months earlier. This was the first case I participated in solving after graduation, and two years later, the memories are still fresh.

For this case, our squad dispatched three people: Old Ge, in his fifties, a veteran in our unit and an expert in forensic science, fingerprint analysis, and crime scene investigation. He was practically a living encyclopedia of criminal investigation.

The second member was Zhang Yihan, 24 years old, two years older than me, and a very beautiful senior officer. She had a stunning figure but was also known as a formidable and fierce officer in our system. She often scolded me, and I was quite afraid of her.

Before we arrived at the crime scene, we had thoroughly studied the submitted materials. Upon arrival, we went straight to the crime scene where the boy's eyes were gouged out, without even stopping by the local police station.

Unfortunately, over ten days had passed, and many people had visited the scene, leaving it severely compromised. Valuable clues were scarce. However, our squad rarely relies solely on the crime scene, as we often take over cases long after the initial investigation. Sometimes, we visit the scene more for luck, hoping to find overlooked clues.

In this case, our visit to the crime scene was primarily to analyze the perpetrator's psychological state. Specifically, we examined the terrain and surroundings to understand why the perpetrator chose this spot to gouge out the boy's eyes, where they intended to go afterward, and why they discarded the eyes nearby.

Such analysis provided many useful clues. For instance, we quickly deduced that the theory of the perpetrator being an organ trafficker was not feasible. The boy's eyes were gouged out using a branch broken from a nearby tree. An organ trafficker would not use a branch when surgical tools or knives are readily available.

Moreover, if the perpetrator were an organ trafficker, why discard the eyes after so much effort to obtain them? It didn't add up. Thus, we focused on other aspects of the case.

After leaving the crime scene, we headed to the well in the yard where the boy's aunt had allegedly committed suicide. Based on our research, the aunt was a timid and honest person who loved the boy dearly and had no history of mental illness.

Additionally, the boy's family had a good relationship with his aunt and uncle, with no apparent conflict or motive for harm. Notably, the aunt was reportedly squeamish at the sight of blood, making it improbable for her to gouge out eyes with a branch.

These clues indicated that the aunt's death was not a suicide but a homicide. Hence, our primary task was not to find out who gouged the boy's eyes but who killed the aunt.

The provincial office involved us because of the aunt's death, not just the boy's eye-gouging incident. To divert attention and relax the real killer, the provincial spokesperson attributed the crime to the aunt.

When we arrived at the aunt's house, we were guided by Officer Li from the local precinct. In the yard, a well was covered with canvas, bricks, a thick door plank, and a large stone weighing over a hundred pounds.

After removing the coverings, the well's true form was revealed. Its mouth, about one meter in diameter, was surrounded by bricks forming a circular barrier about twenty centimeters high.

It was dusk, and the yard was deserted. According to Officer Li, the boy's uncle was at the hospital with him, leaving the yard unoccupied.

We spent about an hour and a half examining the house and the well. Officer Li urged us to return the next day as night fell, but Old Ge and Officer Zhang did not comment, and as a rookie, I dared not speak up.

Eventually, Officer Li blurted out, "This yard is haunted…"

We dismissed his claim, having solved many cases rumored to involve supernatural elements that turned out to be baseless.

Officer Li continued, "Seriously, the locals say this yard is cursed. Many have committed suicide by jumping into this well. Sometimes, you can hear cries for help or a woman sobbing..."

"How can a fellow officer believe such nonsense?" I scoffed at Officer Li.

However, Officer Zhang suddenly showed interest, smiling at me, "Lin, I think what Li said is an important clue. There might be something wrong with this well. Go down and check."

Her words left both Officer Li and me stunned. We stared at Officer Zhang in disbelief.

Seeing my reluctance, Officer Zhang's expression darkened, "Are you going or not? If not, you can leave tomorrow!" Known for her beauty and fierce reputation, few in our provincial police department dared to cross her.

Realizing she wasn't joking, I glared at Officer Li for his ghost stories before preparing the rope and portable headlamp to descend into the well.

I secured the rope to a tree and slid down. As my head neared the well's mouth, I noticed Officer Li's fearful gaze.

Initially dismissing his fear, I felt a sudden chill as I descended, especially on my back. Recalling Officer Li's ghost stories, fear began to creep in.

Turning around, I saw the well's upper walls were dry but became increasingly damp lower down. Wanting to finish quickly, I descended to the water's surface.

The well wasn't deep, just under ten meters from the ground to the water level.

Knowing why Officer Zhang sent me down, I examined the well's bottom. Soon, I found deep nail marks on the walls, some with blood. These confirmed the aunt's death was a homicide, not a suicide.

However, the autopsy report didn't mention anything about her nails.

Puzzled, I reported, "Senior Officer Zhang, there are deep scratch marks on the walls, likely made by the victim before death."

"Really?" Officer Zhang coldly replied from above, "Take some photos with your phone..."

Knowing I was nearly done, I reached for my phone. As I pulled it out, my hand slipped, dropping the phone. Trying to catch it, I lost my grip and fell into the water with a splash.

The well was deep, and I didn't touch the bottom, flailing to the surface in panic.

Suddenly, I felt something furry behind my neck. Turning slightly, I saw a figure in the water. It was a long-haired woman, her back to me, her hair floating in the water...