Chapter 185: The Crossdressing Boss

Goudan wasn’t sure whether the evil woman had fallen. He stared at her motionless body and finally mustered the courage to enter the house.

“His understanding of death is still vague,” Chen Shi added.

Goudan had a thought; if he could quietly take some money from the wealthy woman’s house, his grandma wouldn’t have to sleep in the cold, hard little room anymore. He tiptoed around the blood on the floor and made his way into the bedroom, only to find Aunt Pingzi also lying on the bed.

Goudan believed Aunt Pingzi was a good person. He tried to wake her but ended up with his hand covered in something red.

Footsteps echoed from the living room, scaring Goudan. He quickly wiped his hand on the furniture and hid in the gap between the bed and the window, curling up and not daring to move.

The person entered the room, humming a tune. The sound of their steps on the floorboards reached Goudan, and fear overwhelmed him. He covered his mouth, tears streaming down his face, almost crying out for his grandma.

Then he heard the sound of cutting. The person left, and Goudan cautiously peeked out to make sure they were gone.

However, he wasn’t sure if the person had really left or was still in the house. He crawled under the bed and lay still.

The house was eerily quiet. He could distinctly hear the sound of cooking from the kitchen followed by slurping noises as if someone was eating noodles. In between, the person even said something like, “Stupid bitch, I told you not to touch that stuff!”

Then there was a rustling noise that lasted quite a while, followed by the sound of burning, crackling loudly with a choking smoke smell. Goudan covered his mouth, trying not to cough.

After what felt like an eternity, a loud door slam reverberated, and then silence filled the house. Only then did Goudan dare to crawl out. He found a chunk of flesh had been cut from Aunt Pingzi’s leg; the sight was horrifying.

He shook Aunt Pingzi a few more times. Fearing the bad person might return, he quickly ran out the door.

Later, he encountered his grandma who had come looking for him in the neighborhood.

Tao Yueyue turned off the recording. Most of it corroborated the police’s speculation about the scene, except for the rustling sound Goudan had heard.

Chen Shi called out, “Goudan, let’s go home!”

Back at home, Goudan was eager to play video games, but Chen Shi grabbed him, “Do you want to eat ice cream tomorrow?”

Goudan nodded.

“Then answer one question from Uncle. You don’t have to speak; just nod or shake your head.”

Goudan hesitated, then nodded.

Chen Shi moved to the curtains and rubbed them, asking, “Was this the rustling sound you heard?”

Goudan shook his head.

Chen Shi tore a page from a calendar and crumpled it, “How about this?”

Still shaking his head.

Tao Yueyue took a pencil and wrote on a notebook. Chen Shi asked, “This one?”

Goudan continued to shake his head.

After trying every sound in the house without success, Chen Shi, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, suddenly realized the answer when he felt his own stubbly chin. He headed to the bathroom, applied shaving cream, and started shaving with a razor. “This sound?”

Goudan eagerly nodded.

“How long did the rustling sound last? Keep counting as I keep shaving.”

After finishing, Chen Shi asked, “Was it longer than this?”

Goudan nodded.

Chen Shi laughed triumphantly, “Got it! That’s it!”

He immediately sent several messages in the task force group chat, restless all night. The next morning, he rushed to the station, where Peng Sizhe remarked, “What were those messages last night about investigating the victim’s cosmetics and wigs?”

“Did you check?”

“Chief Lin took people to investigate early this morning. He values your suggestions highly now.”

“Good to teach. What about you?”

Peng Sizhe held up a document, “DNA results match. The blood on the money is a perfect match with Lu Zhendong’s DNA.”

Chen Shi closed his eyes, tilting his head back, “Unveiling the truth feels as exhilarating as glimpsing the universe’s deepest secrets.”

“Somebody who didn’t sleep at all might not agree,” Peng Sizhe hinted.

“Talking about me? Got time to join me at the scene?”

In the car, Chen Shi pulled out a can of Red Bull for Peng Sizhe. Peng Sizhe popped the tab, “The kidnapping five years ago, all orchestrated by Lu Zhendong?”

“Not exactly. The initial investigation