Simulated Crime, This Criminal Doesn't Seem to Be Acting-Chapter 82
The cruelty of the murderer was so extreme that even a seasoned forensic doctor would feel fear in the face of such brutality.
When Ye Sangsang answered the phone, Zhou Jianguo glanced over.
He felt somewhat embarrassed. After all, as a veteran forensic doctor, being scared of crime scenes was something that would make others laugh.
"Master, let's prepare to go to the scene."
After hearing the message from the other end, Ye Sangsang ended the call and turned to look at Zhou Jianguo.
"Aren't you afraid?"
Watching Ye Sangsang turn around, calm and composed, slowly gathering the tools she needed, Zhou Jianguo was puzzled. She seemed so indifferent, as if nothing had happened. He wondered how, after two onsite investigations, she could remain so calm in the face of such a brutal criminal.
This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.
Ye Sangsang didn’t claim she wasn’t afraid. Instead, she spoke in a measured tone, "His goal is to make us fearful. Only by setting aside our imaginings of his cruelty can we dissect his essence and see what kind of person he truly is."
She didn’t think it was funny that Zhou Jianguo was afraid. After all, although he was a forensic doctor, he was still human. It was just that she herself was different.
For a normal person, facing the brutal massacre of a family of five ten years ago, the obsession and hatred buried deep within them for a decade, and now having to confront that trauma while working, fear was an entirely normal emotion.
Zhou Jianguo took a deep breath and chuckled self-deprecatingly.
This inexplicable fear stemmed from his imagination. His thoughts had made the murderer seem indescribably terrifying, leading to his fear.
He stood up.
"Let's go. Let’s face this guy head-on. I want to see if this time I can catch him!"
Evil never prevails over justice.
This time, he was determined to provide an explanation for the dead! His eyes glowed with a relentless determination.
[That old-school spirit just surged right up.]
[Fear is temporary, but justice cannot be defeated!]
[If it were me, I wouldn’t even dare to face it. It seems those in forensic and criminal investigation work really do have a strong heart.]
A colleague patted Zhou Jianguo on the shoulder, "Come on, forget the demons. Those murderers are just hot air, thinking they’re smart. Once we catch them, we’ll just give them a taste of lead!"
"Sounds good to me," Ye Sangsang said with a smile.
She also reached out and playfully patted Zhou Jianguo on the shoulder.
"Out of line, young whippersnapper!"
Zhou Jianguo waved her off, pretending to be annoyed.
Ye Sangsang quickly darted away, taking advantage of her youth to sprint out of sight.
The two of them exchanged a look and couldn’t help but smile helplessly, hurrying to catch up.
The scene was still waiting for them!
It took them over half an hour to reach the site, driving on a bumpy road.
Upon getting out of the car, they were met with a field of green cornstalks with their tassels already showing, set against dark red and dark green hues. What should have been a refreshing environment was now tainted with an ominous aura due to the nature of the scene.
Standing in the cornfield, one’s height barely reached two-thirds of the stalks. Stepping in, a person would be fully enveloped.
Before entering, Ye Sangsang glanced around, noticing distant factory chimneys. Her gaze then fell onto the cornfield, contemplating how truly sinister this murderer was.
By "sinister," she meant his preference for dark, secluded places to dispose of bodies.
It wasn’t that he was afraid of being discovered, so he chose these locations.
Being forced into isolation, perhaps he was a loner.
"Let’s move," Zhou Jianguo pointed to the spot where several policemen were already observing.
Ye Sangsang nodded.
The three of them, one after the other, entered the cornfield.
From above, they looked like tiny figures walking into a sea of green. Within this green expanse, there was a circular area leading to a central green point where they eventually arrived.
Around them, many policemen in uniform were systematically advancing outward, meticulously combing through every inch of the cornfield and its surrounding areas.
As they approached, a patch of red among the green leaves caught their attention.
Before the forensic team arrived, the police wouldn’t disturb the body, so Ye Sangsang was somewhat puzzled. Could it be that this wasn’t a dismemberment case this time?
She quickened her pace slightly, watching her step to avoid treading on bloodstains or potential footprints left by the murderer.
She had been pondering on the way, which had put her behind Zhou Jianguo.
Suddenly, Zhou Jianguo came to a halt, forcing Ye Sangsang to stop as well and move to the side.
Her gaze fell on the figure on the ground, her eyes widening slightly.
The vaguely seen red dress was indeed a red dress, but it turned out to be merely a cover for the dismembered body.
This meant that a dismemberment had indeed occurred this time.
However, the difference was that the murderer had roughly assembled the body and stuffed it into the red dress, creating a grotesque and terrifying piece of work.
As the three of them got closer, Ye Sangsang noticed that the murderer probably wasn’t familiar with human anatomy. The dismembered body hadn’t been put back into its original positions but was just randomly assembled.
Even the pieces of arms and legs were mismatched.
Ye Sangsang’s gaze fell on the corn leaves scattered with bloodstains. Based on the marks on the leaves, it seemed the murderer had covered the body with them.
The body parts were stacked into a small mound about twenty centimeters high, covered with corn leaves.
She could almost imagine how a person, seeing the speckled red dress and curious enough to move the corn stalks, would react upon discovering a dismembered body inside.
The murderer must have been delighted by that thought.
And this sloppy assembly—did he think it was a masterpiece?
The first flicker of impatience crossed Ye Sangsang's eyes. The impression it left was terribly crude, devoid of any aesthetic, and just plain boring.
Thinking this over, Ye Sangsang and the others set down their toolboxes and began carefully sorting through the remains.
A colleague started taking detailed photographs of the corpse.
Compared to previous cases, this body was not highly decomposed. In fact, it could still be considered fresh…
But a body left outdoors in the sun, even for just eight or nine hours, would start showing clear signs of decomposition, such as livor mortis and the ominous stench.
A white cloth was spread out, and they began the meticulous process of piecing together the body.
By the third time doing this, Ye Sangsang even felt like she was working on a jigsaw puzzle.
On-site, they usually didn’t speak, needing to focus intently on the condition of the body.
Especially in cases like this, so the surrounding was unusually quiet, with only distant conversation from the investigative police.
While picking up the third piece of body part, Ye Sangsang could sense that the victim had a relatively plump build.
In a family of three, the daughter was the slimmest. Ye Sangsang had once heard the girl’s aunt mention that the child took after her mother and was somewhat picky with her food.
The husband, due to labor-intensive work, had a lean build. His lifestyle, though not luxurious, was regular, without bad habits. His leanness wasn’t weak, but rather, he had a thin layer of muscle.
Holding the piece of body, Ye Sangsang’s eyes wandered into deep contemplation.
"What is it?" Zhou Jianguo, seeing her deep in thought, couldn’t help but ask.
Ye Sangsang shook her head and continued piecing together the body.
Among the three, the one with the shortest career in forensic science had eight years of experience. They were all seasoned forensic doctors, their movements quick and efficient.
Not having been stitched, the body pieces were relatively flat, making the assembly easier.
But the basic details of the victim were already identifiable.
As they examined the body, they began searching for internal organs. Every fragment of the dismembered body, even a strip of flesh, had to be accounted for and taken away.
Soon, they had also sorted through the internal organs.
The heart, dismembered to a diameter of only two centimeters, took Ye Sangsang quite a while to reconstruct into a complete shape.
Another colleague had already started taking photos of the assembled parts, the snapping sounds filling the scene.
The forensic team and the stechnicians gathered all the evidence to provide to the investigators. The investigators, synthesizing all this information, sought to find and capture the true murderer, bringing them to justice.
Such was the basic model of criminal investigation.
Ye Sangsang stared intently at the reconstructed body.
[Sangsang, stop staring, you’re scaring me.]
[What is she thinking about? It must be something significant.]
[Picking up the piece of body, she seems to be pondering something.]
"What is it?" Zhou Jianguo asked again.
Ye Sangsang pointed to the woman’s body, her eyes filled with doubt. "According to logic, she shouldn’t have been overweight."
In a happy family of three, if they gained weight, it would be together.
This era is not like twenty years later, when resources were still relatively scarce. They were not a well-off family, and from the food in the fridge, it was clear that their diet was quite simple.
The woman was significantly fatter than her husband and daughter, especially given her picky eating habits.
Zhou Jianguo pondered for a moment and said, "Maybe she just eats more. It's not uncommon, as we in our generation think this kind of appearance signifies good fortune."
"Do you think... could she be pregnant?"
Ye Sangsang didn't respond to Zhou Jianguo's comment. Instead, her gaze fell on the breasts and then moved to the internal organs.
"The uterus... it seems larger than normal, doesn't it?"
[!!! Ah!]
[Is this for real? My tear ducts are too fragile!]
[How... terrifying, and also so cruel!]
Besides eating more, another reason women might gain weight is pregnancy.
Early in the third month, their abdomen begins to protrude as the life inside starts to take shape.
The fetus needs nutrients, and the mother begins to supplement her diet, leading to weight gain.
Ye Sangsang's words were like a bolt of lightning, shocking the five or so people present.
The victim was pregnant.
Zhou Jianguo's lips trembled as he muttered, "But... it could just be ordinary obesity."
Despite saying that, his gaze involuntarily strayed to the reconstructed uterus beside him, his eyes fixed intently, mirroring Ye Sangsang's earlier expression.
"A normal female uterus, according to ultrasound, has a diameter of 3cm. In our anatomy studies, it measures about 6 to 7cm in length, 4 to 5cm in width, and 2 to 3cm in thickness."
"She has given birth before, but that doesn't change the dimensions significantly. Yet, I can clearly see that her uterus is larger than these measurements. Her uterus has already begun to expand, and she was at least three months pregnant."
"Additionally, during pregnancy, a woman's chest undergoes changes. Being fat due to overeating and gaining weight during pregnancy produce very different bodily responses, which is the basis of my judgment."
Ye Sangsang didn't hold back, laying out all her suspicions.
A colleague quickly pulled out a ruler and began measuring carefully.
The length, width, and thickness were all measured.
The results made him frown, as the uterus was indeed larger, measuring around 11cm in length.
Since it was reconstructed, a slight deviation was expected, but this degree of enlargement was unexpected.
Seeing the measurement, everyone fell silent.
Followed by a wave of uncontrollable anger. Even the usually composed head of the criminal investigation team was seething, his fists clenched with rage.
Because they hadn't found any trace of the child in the uterus at the scene, it meant the killer had ripped the baby out.
Whether during life or after death, it attested to the murderer's brutality.
Ye Sangsang stood there, saying nothing of her suspicion that the fetus had likely been collected by the killer.
Along with the severed heads, it completed the tableau of a family of four.
Ye Sangsang took a deep breath, her fingers twitching slightly—a sign that the craving for cigarettes had hit.
Others continued the search for any new evidence.
Ye Sangsang and the team finished up the closing work and waited by the car, ready to step in if anything new emerged.
The drive back would take over half an hour, so they needed to wait until all work at the scene was completed.
"I'm out of cigarettes. Do you guys have any?" Ye Sangsang asked her colleagues.
Frank Chang is of a reticent and resilient temperament, and the pressures of being a forensic scientist are immense, so she occasionally smokes to relieve stress.
Her colleagues shook their heads; no one had brought any to work.
Xu Wan, a youthful and somewhat playful female police officer, stepped forward. "Jingjie, there's a small store by the roadside. Let's go buy some together! And my supervisor mentioned getting some cold drinks for everyone."
Ye Sangsang glanced at her and smiled, nodding in agreement. They headed to the store together.
A colleague asked to also bring a cold bottle of water, complaining about the heat.
Ye Sangsang merely hummed in acknowledgment, assuring she would.
Xu Wan, nicknamed 'Dollface', was a cheerful and vivacious officer, lacking some of the sternness typically associated with police work.
"Not calling me Sangsang anymore?" Ye Sangsang teased.
Xu Wan chuckled. "Jingjie is simpler and easier to say."
[This rookie cop seems a bit carefree.]
[Earlier, she kept sticking to Sangsang, perhaps because trainee officers aren't given much weight in serious cases.]
[This case is huge, and she's just starting out, so there's not much room for discussion, right?]
It took about five minutes to reach the small store by the roadside, surrounded by some scattered shops selling seeds, pesticides, or miscellaneous goods.
Upon arriving at the shop, Ye Sangsang placed her hand on the counter, pointing to a pack of slim cigarettes and asking for a lighter.
The shopkeeper smiled and quickly handed them over.
Ye Sangsang placed a fifty-yuan bill on the counter. "Everything the girl picks, total it up. I'll also take three bottles of cold mineral water."
The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly and took the money to fetch the items.
Xu Wan glanced back at Ye Sangsang but didn't say anything.
Ye Sangsang smiled, lit a cigarette, took a couple of puffs, and then grinned.
[A bit odd, but Sangsang isn't the type to act weird for no reason.]
[She paid... Xu Wan didn't say anything. Oh! I get it now!]
[Ahhh! What do you mean by 'oh!'? Explain, please!]
[I see too! Sangsang tested Xu Wan to see if she was the player. Because if she was just a NPC, she would feel embarrassed or even argue about Sangsang paying, unless she wasn't concerned about in-game currency.]
Most viewers were confused at first, but the memory of the first episode where Ye Sangsang casually buried tens of thousands of dollars helped clear it up.
Ye Sangsang stood there, looking at the distant cornfield from the hillside.
The view was clear from this vantage point.
"There's been a murder case over there, right? I've never seen so many police officers in my life!"
Xu Wan was still browsing the store's offerings, and the shopkeeper struck up a conversation with Ye Sangsang.
Ye Sangsang glanced at the shopkeeper and replied, "Yes, such a tragedy."
"Those damn villains. They'll get what's coming to them sooner or later!" The shopkeeper, with his simple, moralistic view of right and wrong, fumed.
"Indeed." Ye Sangsang thought for a moment, as if suddenly interested, and asked, "Around here, if a pregnant woman is only in her early stages, is it customary not to talk about it?"
The shopkeeper, in his forties, nodded at the question.
"Yes, it's usually not mentioned until after the third month, when the pregnancy is stable. It's said that talking about it too early might jinx it."
"Thank you."
Ye Sangsang smiled.
Xu Wan had chosen her items, and after the shopkeeper calculated, he returned eleven yuan to Ye Sangsang, which she accepted with a smile.
On the way back, Ye Sangsang offered to help carry the items, but Xu Wan politely declined.
Upon returning, the forensic team leaned against the car, sipping water and discussing the case.
Meanwhile, the detectives were in heated debate.
The challenging aspect of this case was that they had already investigated all social connections related to the family of three and found no suspicious individuals.
Even if a suspect seemed suspicious, they had alibis, cutting off all leads.
This made them consider the possibility that the killer had acted on a sudden impulse and randomly chosen this family.
Such a wide scope meant searching through a city of over a million people, more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack.
The only clues left at the scene were fingerprints and shoeprints, with no DNA evidence.
The crucial issue was that they had no comparison objects; even if they had a suspect, matching fingerprints would have been a breakthrough.
Under pressure from their superiors and the sweltering heat, tensions rose, leading to the heated argument.
However, despite the strain, all procedures were still carefully followed.
In the afternoon, Ye Sangsang and her team returned.
The tools used for dismemberment were the same—a hatchet—but for cutting meat, a knife about thirty centimeters long was used.
Ye Sangsang carefully extracted evidence from the victim's interdigital spaces and stomach contents.
Others analyzed pre-death and post-death injuries.
Like the husband, the wife had been bound before death and subjected to forced sexual activity. However, the killer was cunning, likely using a condom, leaving no trace of bodily fluids.
One thing was certain: the killer was male.
Although they could speculate, only concrete evidence could confirm their judgment.
Ye Sangsang noticed a bruised needle mark on the inner elbow of the deceased and faint needle marks on the fingertips, which were nearly healed and barely visible.
This had clearly happened before the death.
After pondering, Ye Sangsang recorded it in her notes.
The cause was evident to everyone.
That spot was where blood was drawn, likely for a pregnancy test or some other checkup.
As Ye Sangsang examined the surroundings, she picked up a hair from a corner.
It was long, probably belonging to the deceased, though DNA testing would be necessary to confirm, which would take about a week even with expedited processing.
Lifting the hair, she noted it still had a follicle.
Normally, when hair falls out, it doesn’t come with the follicle, which suggested this was pulled out.
“I suspect this person has some serious mental issues to do something so heinous,” her colleague remarked, looking at the dense, crisscrossed dismemberment marks on the body.
Ye Sangsang remained silent before responding, “The deceased has been dead for more than 48 hours, 24 hours, and 12 hours respectively. The killer’s time management is meticulous, indicating someone with a job who could only dismember the body during breaks.”
“Emotionally deranged but outwardly ordinary and unassuming, probably never accepted by anyone. This person likely has a major flaw in their appearance, personality, or family situation, leading to an exceedingly unhappy life.”
“Exactly, and twisted by darkness, they likely enjoy spying on others from the shadows, envying the good lives of others.”
“Plus, maybe they think police never caught the murderer of that family of five ten years ago, so they’re mimicking the crime and trying to frame someone!”
The three of them continued to work while chatting behind their masks.
Forensic doctors also possess some reasoning skills.
After all, they are responsible for speaking for the deceased, explaining the causes of injuries, how long they lasted, and so on.
The uterus was Ye Sangsang’s focus, sensing it was the killer’s as well.
Wearing gloves, she examined the uterine fragments closely.
“Is something wrong?” Zhou Jianguo asked.
Ye Sangsang continued looking but did not answer immediately.
After a while, she pointed a finger at the middle of the uterus, “This was a vertical cut, not cleanly done in one stroke, but carefully done in two…”
The other two stopped what they were doing.
Based on their previous assessment, the killer’s knife was extremely sharp, honed on a whetstone.
All other organs were cleanly sliced into pieces with a single cut, yet the uterus had two.
Her colleague swallowed hard, “You mean, he was dissecting the uterus to extract the fetus…”
Everyone in the room, except Ye Sangsang, felt a chill at this speculation.
This suggested the killer knew the victim was pregnant.
He had done it deliberately.
But this was also good news… since the victim’s parents and relatives on both sides were unaware of the pregnancy.
This narrowed down the people who knew, making the investigation easier.
The three of them quickened their pace, their expressions slightly relieved.
They worked diligently to finish the autopsy report and hand it over to the investigators to catch the perpetrator.
Despite their efforts, the report was completed only by 6 PM.
After stitching up the wounds and wrapping up the work, Ye Sangsang went to deliver the materials and ran into Xu Wan, who had been sent to inquire about the report.
“Is this the autopsy report?” Xu Wan asked curiously, her eyes wide.
Ye Sangsang nodded but did not hand it to the intern Xu Wan, instead taking her directly to the Criminal Investigation Division office.
Ye Sangsang wondered why there were two investigators in this scenario.
Could it be that the superintelligence system also found the scenario highly challenging?
As for the perpetrator, this role was unsuitable for the criminal actor, as the actions of the killer were far from someone with even a shred of kindness.
If they lacked it, they wouldn’t be the criminal.
Especially since Xu Wan was a police officer, “Crime Files” wouldn’t assign her that role.
That left investigators and victims. Given her police identity, Xu Wan was more likely an investigator.
Ye Sangsang wasn’t sure if Xu Wan had figured her out, but perhaps she had noticed something and approached repeatedly.
Xu Wan finding out she was an influencer was relatively simple, even without live chat notifications, certain traits could give her away.
Before reaching the office, neither said a word, Xu Wan remaining cheerful and optimistic.
Ye Sangsang handed the autopsy report to Qiu Guoqing, who received it, carefully reviewing its contents.
She recounted their findings during the autopsy, which boosted morale among the team, giving them a solid lead!
Many resumed their work, re-examining witnesses and revisiting earlier investigations.
Ye Sangsang didn’t leave. She picked up the investigation materials on the desk and started reading.
From the victim’s family, job, recent activities to people they interacted with, everything was meticulously investigated.
Even neighbors across multiple buildings were interviewed and questioned.
The recreated crime scene based on evidence was clearly outlined on a whiteboard, detailing time, location, and positions.
[It takes more than two days to achieve this, even with overtime.]
[Every case really tests the police.]
[It’s not easy to sift through all these clues and interrogations to find the truth.]
Ye Sangsang studied these materials, and no one objected to her presence.
Instead, they shared her focus, standing or sitting nearby.
Their hope was to have someone provide a new direction, which would be invaluable.
Especially given that investigators often had to double as forensic experts in older cases.
Ye Sangsang first looked at the neighbors surrounding the victim. Most were older, with the youngest being over 45.
Common descriptions were that the couple was loving, never argued, and their child was lively, sweet-talking, and adored by the elderly in the building.
Over the past few days, the family of three mostly interacted with familiar faces, keeping their circle tight.
“We’ve paid attention to many strangers, but the few we could trace were just passersby, not suspicious,” Xu Wan said, sitting next to Ye Sangsang, her expression troubled as she studied the activity routes.
Ye Sangsang’s gaze landed on the girl’s school. “Have you questioned the school?”
This question drew several eyes to Ye Sangsang.
Qiu Guoqing shifted his attention from the autopsy report. “Yes, we’ve even started collecting fingerprints from students, parents, and teachers for direct comparisons.”
“Are they already using a grid search?” Ye Sangsang thought but didn’t voice.
Earlier, some unsolved cases resorted to grid search tactics when other methods failed. After forensic tech improved, if a village or area was suspected, they collected DNA for mass comparisons.
She continued looking at the trajectories, considering, “If this is an impulsive, spur-of-the-moment crime mimicking past dismemberments, could it mean he had contact with the victim, perhaps for some time?”
“Happy people tend to be less guarded, liking to share and hoping others are the same. After discovering the pregnancy, the couple might share it casually, so anyone they’ve told could be a suspect.”
“The womb was cut with a small knife, carefully done. Combined with the blood tests, I think they should investigate from where the couple first learned about the pregnancy.”
Ye Sangsang’s suggestion made Qiu Guoqing nod. Indeed, they should start from where the couple first learned of the pregnancy.
If the timeline was close, hospital surveillance could be reviewed.
With the plan set, the entire Criminal Investigation Team got to work. Xu Wan offered to head to the hospital.
Whether the hospital was open or closed didn’t matter; the police had investigation authority.
Before leaving, Qiu Guoqing grabbed his keys and said earnestly to Ye Sangsang, “Thank you.”
“No problem.”
Five or six investigators went, not just to the hospital but also routes the couple might have taken after finding out, including buses and highway cameras that might’ve caught them.
Although it might seem like just a small suggestion, investigating it was proving to be quite challenging.
In fact, this was normal, as many cases were cracked by discovering tiny, seemingly insignificant details.
When interrogating suspects, police often focus on these small details.
They ask repeatedly, searching for flaws, and strike decisively once a weakness is found.
The office was still bustling, as the entire case was being closely watched. An entire team was working together, dedicating all their efforts to solving this case.
Ye Sangsang sat and continued reviewing the files, waiting for news.
During this time, Ye Sangsang even felt a bit leisurely. With the recent tight schedule of the investigation, suddenly not being involved in running around felt rather unusual.
After finishing her review, she noticed a whiteboard positioned to the side with a sheet of paper pinned to it.
Male, aged between twenty-five and thirty, average to below-average appearance, height between 5'7" and 5'9", with a gloomy demeanor due to physical issues. Recently experienced a significant setback, employed but with a low-income and low social status.
Possible reproductive issues, likely uncurable.
Ye Sangsang jotted down this observation.
Encountered a couple, engaged in conversation, and held a grudge afterward.
Simulated the crime and showed some anti-investigation awareness.
Ye Sangsang paused here, puzzled, and added a question mark.
Because the footprints and fingerprints at the scene were not cleaned up, why would the perpetrator leave them if they wanted to avoid detection?
Ye Sangsang pondered this.
Meanwhile, with the hospital's assistance, they quickly traced the time of the couple's medical examination.
Bruises from a needle prick were still visible on the arm, dating back to four days ago in the morning.
A trainee nurse had caused the bruising due to her lack of skill, leaving a large blotch on the deceased.
The couple didn't complain, as they were more eager to welcome a new life.
Blood tests to confirm the results took time, so the couple waited for over an hour.
Fortunately, the waiting area was not a blind spot for the surveillance cameras, and three investigators were monitoring the footage.
Their task was to determine if the couple had interacted with anyone.
Both appeared excited, chatting constantly, but no one approached them during their time there.
Qiu Guoqing, Xu Wan, and another investigator reviewed the footage repeatedly, finding no interaction.
Even after the couple left, no one had approached them.
Could the judgment be wrong?
The surveillance footage continued to play, and after about a minute, Xu Wan pointed at a corner of the video. "A black area just disappeared here. Was someone sitting there before?"
The rest area's surveillance didn't cover the entire corner, only capturing a small portion.
Qiu Guoqing and the others reviewed the footage repeatedly, confirming that someone had indeed been seated there.
They began cross-referencing other surveillance angles, managing to capture at most a distant back view.
Qiu Guoqing narrowed his eyes, dialing his teammates working on bus company surveillance, instructing them to check if the couple had taken a bus four days ago at 1 PM, and whether there was any tracking involved.
He then reached out to the road management department to obtain footage from road cameras, hoping to find traces of that person.
Everyone prayed that this lead would not be lost. With only a vague description of the person's clothing, finding them would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
They could also check with the hospital's doctors who were on duty four days ago, to see if anyone remembered interacting with that person.
Quickly, investigations into the surveillance footage from various sources revealed no tracking had occurred.
Many were dumbfounded. Without tracking, there was no way to confirm this person was the culprit.
Moreover, the bus they took showed no signs of anyone speaking.
Qiu Guoqing took a deep breath, stepping into the corridor to smoke, his hand trembling as he did.
The doctors and nurses might not yield any useful clues.
After all, they see countless patients daily, often unable to recall individual faces, let alone after four or five days have passed.
Relying on questioning alone held no hope.
Xu Wan took a deep breath, asking Qiu Guoqing for Ye Sangsang's phone number.
Though unsure of her intentions, Qiu Guoqing provided it. He wasn't one to make things difficult for others over minor issues.
Xu Wan pursed her lips, dialing Ye Sangsang's number.
"Sangsang, do you think there's any other breakthrough point we're missing?" Her voice trembled with tension and a hint of fear.
【Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, people won't eat you.】
【Oh my, I'm dying of laughter. You’re the epitome of being both scared and daring, afraid yet still going for it.】
【I've already checked, the progress is really fast.】
Xu Wan's livestream chat was lively, although only around thirty people were watching, the atmosphere was bustling.
Xu Wan glanced resentfully at the livestream. Sometimes, encountering these sarcastic fans made her want to call the police.
They mentioned that the other side was an ultra-popular streamer; she was straight-up terrified.
Ye Sangsang, unaware of these behind-the-scenes antics, inquired about the progress from Xu Wan.
Xu Wan quietly narrated the investigation's full process.
Ye Sangsang's pen tapped against the whiteboard on her end, her tone unhurried. "Go to the urology department. There aren't many patients there, so it should be easier to trace who visited four days ago. Narrow down the age range, check the visitor logs to match the description, and you'll likely find your suspect."
"Alright..." Xu Wan eagerly hung up, her eyes shining as she looked at Qiu Guoqing.
Qiu Guoqing crushed his cigarette and stood up, heading to the hospital administration to request the doctor's contact and the patient registration logs.
While Ye Sangsang, however, was intrigued by the lack of tracking.
Could it be that their initial estimation was wrong, and it wasn't a stranger's crime?
Was it someone familiar with the couple's personal details?
Ye Sangsang took a deep breath, sensing that the truth was close at hand. She would soon uncover the mystery.
As Ye Sangsang anticipated, they located the registration log and quickly identified a matching suspect.
Based on the registered address, the police swiftly arrived at the suspect's door.
No one answered the door when they knocked.
Xu Wan, noticing the slight movement of the door, reached out, thrusting it forward forcefully.
A "bang" sounded from behind the door, as if something blocking it had been dislodged.
The creaking, old wooden door slowly opened, its sound grating on the nerves.
"Ring ring ring ring ring ring"
The white telephone began to ring once more.
