After dinner, Lin Qiupu’s phone suddenly rang. He pressed the answer button, and his tone turned serious, “What?… Where?… Keep the scene secure, I’m on my way!”

He hung up, took out money to pay the bill, and Chen Shi interjected, “I said I’d pay, at worst, you can treat me next time.”

“No next time!” Lin Qiupu handed the money to the vendor and stood up to leave.

Because he didn’t bring his car, Lin Qiupu called a rideshare as he walked. Chen Shi followed and joked, “Real taxis right here and you’re still ordering a ride? You really don’t want to support my business?”

Hesitating for a moment, Lin Qiupu retorted, “Don’t try to get involved again!”

“What’s up? A murder case? Look, I won’t interfere, just let me drop you off.”

Lin Qiupu hesitated for a few seconds, then said, “Get me there, and I’ll pay you like a regular taxi.”

“Rest assured, I won’t charge you a special service fee.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just a joke, you humorless guy.”

They reached the scene, a main road in the suburbs. As Chen Shi parked, he could see police cars with flashing lights ahead. Lin Qiupu started to pull out money as they arrived, placing it on the dashboard, “Alright, you can go.”

Chen Shi grinned and pocketed the money.

Upon reaching the scene, Lin Qiupu saw the forensic team examining a body—a decapitated female corpse, naked, and alarmingly thin, appearing to be in her mid-twenties. The chilling sight was unsettling in the late evening.

“Who reported the crime?” Lin Qiupu inquired.

A police officer responded, “A driver stopped to urinate and was horrified to find the body. We’ve questioned him and he seems unrelated; we let him go after getting his contact.”

“Where’s Chief Peng?”

“Chief Peng is attending a forensic conference in the province and took the day off.”

“Why didn’t you bring a forensic pathologist?”

“The pathologists are at the conference too, unexpectedly leaving us without one for this case.”

“Found anything?”

“There are signs of binding on the woman’s body. We’ve collected some powder, fibers, and hair samples from around her. Someone poured a corrosive liquid over her body postmortem, likely destroying any fingerprints.”

Lin Qiupu stroked his chin, thoughtful. The victim’s head was severed, and identification was challenging—this was a complicated case.

“Lin team, don’t move!” a voice called from behind.

Startled, Lin Qiupu was about to turn around when the voice continued, “Don’t move, you’ve stepped on something, move away slowly.”

Lin Qiupu carefully stepped aside to reveal a faint rectangular impression in the grass, unnoticed until now. It was Chen Shi who had alerted him. The officers hurried to photograph and document the evidence.

Chen Shi, supporting his knees, studied the impression, “Looks like a large box was here.”

“What are you doing here?” Lin Qiupu snapped.

“Just waiting for a fare! Just walking around.”

“What fare?”

“Don’t you understand how taxis work? After dropping off a fare, do I not wait for another call? Who pays for the gas if I don’t?”

“This case…”

“Alright, alright, I’ll just have a quick look. Can someone pass me a pair of gloves?”

Despite Lin Qiupu’s frustration, an officer actually handed over a pair of rubber gloves. Lin Qiupu thought to himself, eager to see how Chen Shi would embarrass himself, knowing full well that examining a body was not work for amateurs.

Chen Shi squatted down, manipulated the victim’s joints, and pressed on her outer arm, “Rigor mortis has passed its peak, easing in some areas; lividity is fixed…” He placed a hand on her lower abdomen, tapping, “Abdomen distended, likely containing a significant amount of serosanguineous fluid.”

Lin Qiupu was taken aback by the professional terminology—an ordinary person wouldn’t know this!

Chen Shi inspected the grass and soil beneath the body, which was slightly dry, “It rained recently, and with significant temperature changes, death likely occurred over 48 hours ago, give or take five hours. A full autopsy will need to confirm.”

A nearby officer, ready to record, glanced at Lin Qiupu for approval. Lin nodded, “Write it down.”

Chen Shi glanced at the police, then stepped back, preparing to leave. He had stirred enough curiosity and perhaps laid a foundation for solving yet another case.