Chapter 219: Undercover Investigation

Chen Shi whipped out his phone and dialed Peng Si Jie’s number. Peng had been up all night and was still sleeping. Roused by the call, he groggily protested, “What is it! What!”

“We’ve made a breakthrough. Want to hear about it?”

“No.”

“Then we’ll talk in person. By the way, do you know anyone at the CDC? We need to sneak into a dog kennel on the outskirts for an investigation, and quickly!”

Peng hung up without a word, and Chen chuckled, “Looks like he’s on it. Let’s wait for the news!”

“You’re too confident!” Lin Dongxue retorted. “What’s next?”

“After a busy day, I’m heading back to rest. Tao Yue Yue should be getting out of school soon.”

“I’ll head back to the station and see if I can convince my brother to officially open a case!” Lin Dongxue said.

Back at the station, Lin Dongxue relayed the current findings to Lin Qiu Pu, who shook his head, “All you’ve found so far is that this person is linked to over thirty disappearances, but that doesn’t prove it’s a criminal case.”

Lin Dongxue became agitated, “All the missing people had interactions with him, and their disappearances cleared obstacles for his career development. Isn’t that enough to suspect him of murder? Plus, there’s the testimony from the little monk.”

“Comrade Lin, don’t be so subjective. If police don’t abide by the law, then who will uphold social order? Let me give you an extreme example. In the U.S., there was a case where, after a bar fight, the perpetrator ran over the victim with his car in front of witnesses, then cleaned his car spotless. You’d think the witness testimony was enough, but the police couldn’t convict until they found a tiny bloodstain under the car. Without evidence, even seeing with your own eyes isn’t enough. We can arrest him, but if he’s acquitted due to insufficient evidence, what’s the point?”

“Brother!” Lin Dongxue pleaded.

“Alright, alright, I’ll give you another five days, no, make it five days!”

“I also want a few more people.”

“I’m short-staffed as it is, but fine, I’ll give you two people.”

“Thanks, bro!” Lin Dongxue left happily, and Lin Qiu Pu watched her go with a smile.

Just as Chen Shi got home, he received a call from Peng, “I contacted a friend at the CDC. He’ll arrange a health inspection in a few days. Prepare how you want to proceed.”

“In a few days? Can it be tomorrow?”

“I just arranged it…”

“Better to strike while the iron’s hot, make it tomorrow!” Chen could almost hear Peng’s sigh over the phone. “Whether they inspect or not doesn’t matter. We’re mainly after evidence of the kennel owner’s crimes. Just borrow the CDC uniforms and IDs, and we’ll handle it ourselves.”

“That’s against the rules.”

“Why so many rules in your head? It’s settled then, see you at the station tomorrow morning.”

“Knowing you is my misfortune!”

The next morning, Chen arrived at the station to find a CDC vehicle parked outside.

Peng, grim-faced, had borrowed uniforms and IDs from a CDC colleague, totaling five sets. Chen asked, “Did you test the evidence we found yesterday?”

“You’re getting increasingly impolite. When we first met, you at least brought breakfast and had some courtesy. Now, you’re bossing me around as if I owed you,” Peng grumbled.

“Oh, I forgot about the breakfast. It’s in my car; I’ll get it.”

Returning shortly with a large bag of breakfast, Chen greeted everyone in the technical team to join in. As they gathered around happily, Peng touched the soy milk, still hot, and scoffed, “Bought it just now?”

“Weren’t you accusing me of being insincere? You know what’s in my heart, why state the obvious?” Chen shamelessly grinned.

“Hmph!” Peng threw a newspaper at Chen. “Read it yourself.”

“Isn’t this Chen Guang’s DNA?”

“It’s human tissue alright, but no relation to the little monk.”

“No worries, maybe someone else was murdered in that house!”

“I have a question. The window in that house is pretty high, right?” Peng gestured. “According to the little monk’s description, the blood splattered and covered the whole window, even changing the color of the light outside. But a person doesn’t have that much blood.”

“You have a point…” Chen mused, “Let’s not dwell on these. As long as we find evidence on anyone, that’s enough!”

Chen’s breakfast was not just a gesture. Once everyone finished, he said, “I’m not skilled atscene processing, and since there are only five suits, it’s a waste to just go in for a look. I think it’s better for Peng to take four people with him.”

Peng replied coldly, “That’s what I was thinking.”

They selected four officers, changed into the CDC’s white coats, and because police forensic kits were too conspicuous, they bought some plastic bags from a nearby store to hide their equipment.

Once prepared, the team drove off in the CDC vehicle. Chen, driving his own car with Lin Dongxue, followed at a distance. Today, Xu Xiaodong had another task, investigating the social relationships of Liu Hong. Of course, they had to be careful not to alert the subject.

Chen parked his car near the kennel, hidden by some trees, and started fiddling with his phone. After installing a new app and tweaking some settings, an image finally appeared. Lin Dongxue, curious, leaned over to look. “What’s this?”

“Peng has a mini camera on him. This is what he’s filming now.”

Inside the kennel, Peng and his team, flashing their CDC IDs, claimed they needed to inspect the facility’s hygiene. The staff member said he had to call the boss. Peng replied sternly, “Go ahead, but we’re starting the inspection. Call him and we’ll leave. Tell him to pay a fine at our department next month.”

“No, please!” The worker hurried to make the call, and after getting permission, said, “The boss agreed to the inspection.”

Peng and his team then began to meticulously check the cleanliness of the kennel, the water supply, and vaccination documents for the dogs, slowly verifying each detail while making calls to confirm the information.

Meanwhile, his colleagues discreetly searched the area for any traces of blood.

After about half an hour, they left, the workers politely seeing them off. Back in the car, Chen couldn’t wait to call Peng. “How did it go?”

“Finding anything would have been surprising; it’s been so long!”

“No matter, think of it as an elimination method. I’ll treat everyone to lunch.”

“You’re not hosting this lunch for nothing, are you?”

“I’d like to check the surroundings of the kennel too.”

They then executed the plan, with Chen and Lin Dongxue discreetly surveying the area around the kennel for any additional clues or evidence that might help in their investigation.