Chapter 182: The Secret Doctor

The next morning, Chen Shi drove alone to Limin Road, an area of urban villages. The place was a mess, with illegal constructions everywhere, muddy water from melted snow covering the ground, and groups of idle young men smoking and eyeing outsiders warily.

After parking his red BMW, a few shady youths approached to check out his car. Chen Shi said, “The dashcam is on, don’t get any funny ideas.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, you old fart?” one of the youths felt insulted and kicked the car’s tire.

Chen Shi pulled out his “badge,” smiling politely, “Want to have a chat?”

Seeing he was a “cop,” the youths scattered like birds.

Walking through the maze of ramshackle buildings, Chen Shi heard children crying, couples arguing, and dogs barking. This old district could be considered the underbelly of Long’an City.

Such a chaotic area couldn’t be cleared with just a planning document.

He arrived at a tiny convenience store that had no business. Behind the counter, a young man with dyed yellow hair was engrossed in a mobile game. Chen Shi said, “I’m looking for Dr. Yang.”

“Who referred you?”

“No one. I’m just a customer,” Chen Shi pointed to his own face.

After asking Chen Shi’s name, the yellow-haired youth made a phone call, then led him to a hidden basement.

Entering the basement felt like stepping into a serial killer’s lair. The old tiled walls were covered in suspicious stains, and the air was thick with the smell of blood and disinfectant. Behind a frosted glass door, shadows moved.

A voice from inside said, “Come back in a week to remove the stitches. Avoid certain foods and take your medication on time.”

Chen Shi smoked a cigarette outside until Dr. Yang emerged from the operating room. His “customer” didn’t exit with him, as there was another exit to prevent clients from running into each other.

Dr. Yang was wearing a surgical gown stained with layers of blood, looking more like a butcher than a doctor.

“Officer Song, what brings you here?” The doctor, in his fifties, smiled, his balding head wrinkling up.

“I’m not Officer Song anymore.”

“Right, right, Chen Shi. What can I do for you?” Dr. Yang took a sip from a silver flask.

This doctor was once a top plastic surgeon in the country, highly skilled but with a messy personal life. Due to gambling debts, he eventually turned to working for a mob boss who needed a new face after committing a murder.

Since then, he made a living providing cosmetic surgery for fugitives.

He even offered a VIP service to completely transform someone’s identity, including new personal information. These new identities often belonged to people who had been missing for years but were not officially declared dead, or were based on dead infants’ information bought from hospitals, making them clean slates for forgery.

“How’s business?” Chen Shi asked.

“Same old, same old. Clients are never a problem, but the cops keep bugging me.”

“Take a look at this photo.” Chen Shi showed him a wanted poster on his phone of a suspect in a family massacre. He stared at Dr. Yang’s face, “Is he one of your clients?”

Dr. Yang glanced at the photo, then smiled and shook his head, “You’re putting me in a tough spot. I don’t divulge client information. My survival depends on my discretion. There are plenty of people who’d love to see Song Lang dead. Some might have even been in your cab. Do you want me to tell them the truth? Help others and help yourself, Mr. Chen.”

Chen Shi showed another wanted poster, still observing Dr. Yang’s micro-expressions, “What about this one?”

“Please, don’t make things hard for me. I want to stay alive.”

“And this one?” This time, Chen Shi showed Ji Chunma.

“I won’t tell you anything.”

Though Dr. Yang said this, Chen Shi could see from his expression that he hadn’t seen Ji Chunma before.

Chen Shi showed a fourth photo, “And him?”

Dr. Yang’s pupils contracted slightly when he saw the face, but he still shook his head, “No comment.”

Chen Shi got excited, grabbing Dr. Yang’s shoulders, “He had surgery here, didn’t he?”

“Are you crazy? I said no comment. Stop guessing!”

Chen Shi let go, feeling a sudden sense of danger. These four photos were the ones that had hurt Zhou Xiao. They were meant to test Dr. Yang, but unexpectedly, he found a clue.

Chen Shi said, “Be careful dealing with this guy. He’s a mad dog!”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got powerful backers. Safer than you, Mr. Chen.” Dr. Yang straightened his clothes, “I didn’t tell you anything. You figured it out yourself.”

“Take care.”

“Don’t come bothering me if you have nothing better to do. I’ve got plenty of work.”

Chen Shi left the urban village and reached the city bureau by 11 AM, asking Peng Siyue if there were any findings. Peng Siyue showed him two items: one was a marked 100-yuan bill from the bank, linked to the old kidnapping case.

Peng Siyue pointed to a stain on the bill in an evidence bag, “There’s a bloodstain in the lower left corner. I’m running a DNA test.”

“Got it. This bill carries the mastermind’s DNA. It’s a bombshell!” Chen Shi realized.

“The mastermind?”

Chen Shi explained his theory. Peng Siyue nodded, “Makes sense. How did this bill get spent?”

“Clearly, a mistress spent it accidentally, so Ji Chunma chose to silence her to thwart the police… What else did you find?”

The second item was fragments found in the trash at the crime scene, including two sets: one seemed to be from a ceramic figurine, the other from a black jar. Lin Qiupu suspected it was an antique and was getting an expert’s opinion.

Additionally, they had updates on the victims. Both seemed to be Ji Chunma’s mistresses, with other lovers on the side. Their income partly came from Ji Chunma and partly from their other lovers.

Chen Shi remarked, “Two mistresses under one roof. How harmonious.”

Peng Siyue picked up a file, “The younger victim, Qiu Ping, moved in three years ago. She was likely taken in by Ji Chunma during his escape. According to Qiu Ping’s second lover, Wang Xifeng was very jealous and often lashed out at Qiu Ping, who could only vent to outsiders.”

“First wife and second wife.”

“More like a wife and a concubine.”

“What else?”

“Autopsy is complete. Qiu Ping died around 10 PM. Wang Xifeng’s death was later, possibly due to excessive bleeding lowering liver temperature, but not past 10:30 PM. Both were killed with the same weapon. For more details, check the autopsy report.”

“10:30 PM?” Chen Shi pondered, “The dog arrived later. Was the killer still there then?”