Chapter 221: Scientific Investigation

Liu Hong sneered, “You think you’re the only one? I talk to her, what’s it to you? Girl, look at him, such a loser. You deserve better.”

“Mind your own business,” Lin Dongxue snapped back.

“Get lost, you’re an eyesore,” Chen Shi added bluntly.

“Damn it, want me to set my dog on you?”

“Go ahead, I dare you to sic your dog on me,” Chen Shi challenged, hoping Liu Hong would slip up and give them a reason to arrest him.

Liu Hong’s face twisted with anger. He pulled out his phone, “I’ll call someone to deal with you.”

“I’ll call someone too!” Chen Shi pretended to dial, “Hello, officer? There’s a man in Xiuqiu Community with a giant Tibetan Mastiff, scaring everyone. Please come quickly!”

“You’re tough!” Liu Hong quickly hung up and fled.

“Coward, I was hoping he’d come at me,” Chen Shi said regretfully.

“You’re too self-sacrificing… That guy is really annoying,” Lin Dongxue commented.

Chen Shi turned to the young monk, “Tonight, we’re continuing our investigation. Don’t wander around. Stay at the inn and wait for our news.”

The young monk bowed, “I will chant prayers for your safety.”

“Thanks for the thought!”

Peng Sijue called, inviting Chen Shi to a dinner. Chen Shi was surprised, “You’re inviting me to dinner? That’s a first!”

“It’s not my treat. I have a classmate who’s an archaeology professor. He suddenly needs my help, so I have to meet him. I’m terrible in these situations, so come and handle it for me.”

“Man or woman?”

“Does it matter?”

“Alright, where are you? I’ll come over.”

“I’ll text you the address.”

“Archaeology, huh? I feel like we might have something in common. I love reading ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light.'”

Peng Sijue raised his voice, “Don’t mention tomb-raiding novels at dinner, and no talking about state-sponsored tomb raiding. Understood?”

“Got it, got it. I’ll follow your lead.”

Since dinners like this could be awkward, Lin Dongxue decided not to join. She went back with the young monk.

Lin Dongxue and Tao Yueyue had dinner at home. Around nine o’clock, Chen Shi texted, sounding excited, “Drone! Captain Peng really pulled it off. Come to the kennel!”

Lin Dongxue took a taxi to the kennel. Chen Shi flashed his lights to guide her.

Chen Shi, Peng Sijue, and Xu Xiaodong were there, along with a balding professor. Peng Sijue introduced him, “This is my classmate.”

“Hello!” Lin Dongxue shook his hand.

On the ground was a drone. Lin Dongxue, curious, asked, “What can a drone see at night?”

“This isn’t just any drone. It’s equipped with a radiation detector we use in field archaeology to find ancient remains underground,” the professor explained. “We often think of radioactivity as coming from a few materials, but everything has some level of radioactivity. Even decayed human bones emit phosphorus, which is slightly radioactive.”

“Wow, that’s advanced! They never mentioned this in tomb-raiding novels,” Xu Xiaodong said excitedly.

“Don’t mention tomb raiding!” Peng Sijue reminded again.

“It’s fine. I enjoy those novels too,” the professor reassured.

“Do you prefer ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light’ or ‘The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles’?”

“Shut up, Xiaodong!” Peng Sijue scolded.

With the wind picking up, Chen Shi urged them to start. The professor opened a laptop, controlled the drone, and it took off. The screen soon displayed red and green patches. “These are the radiation sources around us. Those red ones are us,” the professor explained.

“We emit that much radiation?” Xu Xiaodong was surprised.

“Mostly because of our phones.”

The professor focused on maneuvering the drone, interpreting the confusing visuals. Suddenly, he said, “Here, there’s a phosphorus response!”

“Where?”

“I’ll lower the drone. Its landing spot will mark the radiation source.”

He packed up the laptop, and they all moved towards the drone’s landing site on a hillside. “I’ll get the tools from the car,” Chen Shi said.

He returned with two folding shovels. Peng Sijue asked, “Don’t you have anything more precise?”

“Stop being picky. It’s already ten. Let’s get to work!”

The professor volunteered to teach them how to dig methodically to avoid damaging any bones. Soon, they uncovered white bones. Excitedly, the professor examined a bone under the flashlight, then handed it to Peng Sijue.

“Humans don’t have such tibia. This isn’t a human bone,” Peng Sijue said.

“It’s a dog bone,” Chen Shi added, pulling out a dog skull.

“After all that work, it’s just dog bones?” Xu Xiaodong was disappointed.

“Professor, continue scanning with the drone. We’ll keep digging,” Chen Shi suggested.

“Alright!”

Chen Shi and Xu Xiaodong quickly dug out an entire dog skeleton, almost complete. Just then, the professor said, “Another spot!”

They filled in the hole and hurried to the new site, only to find more dog bones. This repeated several times. By midnight, they had discovered five complete dog skeletons within 300 meters of the kennel, leaving everyone disheartened.

In the cold and exhaustion of the night, Chen Shi handed out chocolates and energy bars from the car to keep everyone warm.

Lin Dongxue said, “These dog bones are strange. Why are they so intact? Clearly, they weren’t discarded after someone ate the dogs.”

“And these bones are quite large. Could they be Tibetan Mastiffs?” Chen Shi glanced at the dark kennel.

Peng Sijue picked up a rib bone, examining it, “The bone glaze is intact, meaning they weren’t cooked. These are whole bodies buried and decomposed, or they were buried alive.”

“Can you tell if they were buried alive or dead?” Chen Shi asked.

“We’d need to test. If they were buried alive, the bone marrow would show signs of oxygen deprivation.”

“I get it!” Xu Xiaodong exclaimed. “Look at these five dog skeletons. They’re in five directions. Could this be part of some ritual?”

“I have more chips in the car. Anyone want some?” Chen Shi asked.

“Got drinks?” Lin Dongxue inquired.

“Am I the only one who thinks my theory makes sense?” Xu Xiaodong lamented.

Peng Sijue seemed to have an idea. He dug into the soil but found nothing, then abruptly ran off.