Diary of a Criminal Investigator-Chapter 401: Human Skin in the Lumber Mill

Zhang Hui quickly assumed his role as a mentor, protecting his apprentice even before the formal acceptance ceremony.

In fact, within the public security system, the significance of mentor-apprentice relationships is often deeper than in other professions.

Especially between frontline detectives, the relationship is different from the technical transmission between Liu Guodong and Lu Chuan.

Because frontline detectives often deal with suspects, engage in field operations, and apprehend suspects in hazardous situations.

A mentor passes on not only investigation skills but also survival tactics to their apprentice.

In the public security system, especially in the fields of criminal investigation and drug enforcement, it’s not uncommon for mentors to get injured or even make the ultimate sacrifice to protect their apprentices.

The growth of a newcomer often comes at a great cost to someone else.

So within the system, it’s not uncommon for mentors to feel a closer bond with their apprentices than with their own sons.

And it’s not uncommon for them to see them off into retirement or even in death.

The initial excitement of a newcomer doesn’t last long, and without a case, the life of a detective is relatively dull.

Of course, unexpected events can always occur, and a calm morning doesn’t guarantee a peaceful story.

July 11th, mostly cloudy.

Lu Chuan was awakened by a phone call at 5:30 in the morning.

"Lu, come to the team, there’s a big case!"

The call was from Liu Guodong, who had taught Lu Chuan from the first day to keep his phone on at all times and never on silent mode, always reachable.

Hearing there was a case, Lu Chuan immediately jumped out of bed, hastily dressed, and drove straight to the criminal investigation team.

Lu Chuan and Liu Guodong arrived at the team’s entrance almost simultaneously.

"Master, what’s going on?"

Liu Guodong shook his head: "Captain Qin personally called me. I don’t know the details yet, but he said it’s a big case."

As they spoke, Sun Jun, Ren Qiang, Zhang Hui, and others arrived at the criminal investigation team, along with Yang Sen and Old Bai.

Within half an hour, the core team had assembled.

The only forensic doctor was Wang Changjiang; clearly, they hadn’t called Shen Yan.

Lu Chuan checked the time—it was already close to 6 o’clock. Shen Yan should be awake by now, so he sent her a WeChat message.

He briefed her on the situation, then gathered the equipment and joined the team heading to the crime scene.

East Suburb Wood Factory.

By the time the criminal investigation team arrived, officers from the East Suburb police station were already there.

"What’s the situation?"

The East Suburb police station chief reported the case to Qin Yong.

But due to time constraints, Qin Yong only knew that a homicide had occurred and wasn’t clear on the specifics.

The police chief’s expression was grim. He didn’t begin by detailing the case: "It’s hard to describe. You should see it for yourself. You’ll understand everything then."

Qin Yong was puzzled. How was a single death "hard to describe"?

Nonetheless, he followed the chief into the crime scene.

The scene was inside a factory building, piled high with square logs, directly facing the entrance. There, everyone witnessed a shocking sight.

The morning sunlight streamed through the factory door, illuminating the opposite wall.

A human skin was nailed to the wall’s center, displayed in a crucifixion-like pose, reminiscent of Jesus on the cross.

This scene...

No wonder the East Suburb police chief struggled to report it.

How would you report it?

Claim there was a Jesus on the wall?

Made of human skin?

"Who else has been inside the scene?"

"The person who reported it was a transport worker, here in the early hours to load cargo and discovered it. He reported it right away. When we arrived and saw this, we didn’t act rashly; I reported directly to you."

The East Suburb police chief was Liu Dequan, a lifelong officer who had served twenty years as chief. He was known for his calm demeanor.

Qin Yong sighed in relief, then turned to Liu Guodong: "Old Liu, you go ahead."

Liu Guodong, Lu Chuan, and others were ready, equipped with gloves, protective shoes, and portable instruments.

The first step was to photograph the scene for investigation. Lu Chuan began at the entrance, marking and photographing features in sequence.

The factory was large, beneath the human skin lay a pool of blood.

From the evidence, it appeared the murderer skinned the victim within the factory, yet no flesh or body was found beneath the skin.

Old Bai laid transparent pads across the scene to preserve evidence, preventing footprints from contaminating it.

Liu Guodong prepared a UV lamp to scan for fingerprints.

Yang Sen started from the perimeter, gradually moving inward for inspection.

Before long, Yang Sen made a discovery: "Old Liu, here, come quickly!"

Yang Sen found a gap between the wall where the skin was displayed and the stacked logs.

Amidst the space lay a gruesome, bloodied corpse.

"Captain Qin, we’ve found the body."

Using a walkie-talkie, Liu Guodong reported the situation.

"Lu, take a picture."

The body’s position showed it slumped forward, which Lu Chuan immediately noticed.

"Master, this body... doesn’t seem like it was dumped here. The chest..."

Behind the body lay a trail of dragged blood stains, with clear crawling marks.

Liu Guodong’s expression grew grim.

The signs indicated the deceased was still alive while being skinned.

The body, devoid of skin, had crawled here unaided.

Embedded in the body’s back was a knife.

Presumably, this was the cause of death.

"Old Wang, come check this out. We’ve found the corpse."

Finding the body meant it was time for the forensic doctor to examine it.

Wang Changjiang visibly startled at the sight.

"Did this... crawl here on its own?!"

Being skinned alive... that’s not a common occurrence.

While the scene was being investigated, the operations team conducted their own work.

Over thirty workers at the wood factory were questioned one by one.

"I didn’t hear anything. After work yesterday, I went out drinking with some friends and came back to sleep."

Many of the thirty were migrant workers living in on-site dorms.

Several were supervisors, mess hall staff, and security guards.

"I sleep in the gatehouse. There were no strangers last night."

"Is there only one entrance to your wood factory?"

"There’s just one entrance. The gate is the only one. But the walls aren’t high; someone could climb over them."

"Did anyone go into that factory room yesterday?"

"Every day before finishing work, the already sorted logs are piled into that factory room. In the early hours, someone comes for them."

"Finished work at 6 p.m. yesterday. No one entered the factory room again until the transport worker discovered... that this morning at 5 a.m. ..."