Chapter 255: Deduction of the Truth

Since no one had anything to do, everyone gathered in Peng Sijue’s office. On his desk was a glass jar. Looking at its contents, Xu Xiaodong exclaimed, “It looks like a dirty bun!”

“That’s a liver, preserved in formalin for three years,” Peng corrected him.

“I know, it just made me think of a dirty bun… I want to buy one after work.” Xu Xiaodong’s comment earned him a glare from Lin Dongxue.

Chen Shi said, “Here’s my thought process: why would they persist in using this harmful formula if they have to pay compensations every year? It must be profitable.”

“Working backwards from the result, it won’t take much time,” Peng said, picking up a pen and paper. “Let me do the math.”

Peng quickly filled the paper with symbols and numbers, nodding continuously. “I see… this makes sense…”

Xu Xiaodong asked, “Captain Peng, can you explain?”

“Don’t interrupt!” Lin Dongxue said.

After half an hour, Peng shared his results. “According to online data, about two million patients use this drug annually, with yearly sales reaching ten million boxes. Using these numbers, I calculated that by using the toxic but cheap substance B instead of the non-toxic but expensive substance A, they make about 60 million yuan more. After deducting the average annual compensation, they still profit. Simply put, even after legal settlements, using the toxic formula is two percent more profitable than the non-toxic one.”

Chen Shi’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Just as I suspected. They have an internal profit calculation system that includes lawsuit settlements as a variable. The deaths five years ago were not accidents; they were planned, controllable losses.”

“This is terrifying!” Lin Dongxue frowned. “They treat human lives like a game for just two percent more profit?”

Old Zhang said, “For a big company, two percent can be astronomical.”

Peng added, “This is a rough estimate, but the real numbers shouldn’t be far off.”

Chen Shi said, “This is a Pandora’s box. Once opened, it won’t just be about lawsuits. They’ll have to compensate every person who used this drug until they go bankrupt. To keep this secret, they won’t hesitate to kill.”

Xu Xiaodong asked, “We have the motive, but how was the murder carried out? Isn’t this a locked room mystery?”

“Let’s take another look.”

Chen Shi, Lin Dongxue, and Peng Sijue went to the scene of production manager Zhu Jun’s death. This time, they got the keys from a real estate agent instead of breaking in.

In the empty room, Chen Shi said, “The door was locked from the inside, and the only key was on the deceased Zhu Jun. How did the killer leave after pushing him out the window?”

Lin Dongxue examined the windowsill. “It’s narrow, but there is a drainage pipe beside it.”

“Impossible,” Peng stated. “A drainage pipe can’t support a person’s weight. And if there were footprints on the windowsill, the police would have noticed.”

Lin Dongxue suddenly realized, “It’s actually simple! After pushing him out, the killer locked the door with the key and then placed the key back on the body.”

“That’s one way,” Chen Shi said.

“After the person falls, wouldn’t people gather around? Can the killer really manipulate the body at that moment?” Peng doubted.

“At eight or nine in the evening, there wouldn’t be many people around.”

“If you were the killer, planning a murder disguised as a suicide, any uncertainty could get you caught.”

Chen Shi interrupted them. “Dongxue’s idea is good. Let’s think further. The key doesn’t have to be on the body. Why does the victim have to be inside? The victim was drugged. The killer could have dragged him outside and pushed him from another spot vertically aligned with the room. That way, the key would definitely be on the body.”

“The rooftop!” Lin Dongxue exclaimed.

The three went to the rooftop. Looking down, it was really high. Falling from there would be fatal.

Chen Shi noticed that the edge of the rooftop had no railing, only red paint on the ground indicating danger. Lin Dongxue said, “It’s terrifying to look down!”

“Falling isn’t actually that painful,” Peng said.

“The few seconds in the air are terrifying enough.”

“Some people faint from fear during the fall, so they don’t feel much.”

Lin Dongxue made a face. “I don’t want that!” She stepped back and held onto Chen Shi’s coat.

Chen Shi asked, “If you fall from here, would you land face down or on your back?”

“Depends on the posture,” Peng replied.

Peng’s phone rang. After answering, he told Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue, “The liver contained trace amounts of sodium thiopental, a type of intravenous anesthetic. It can be effective orally too, and is hard to detect… Luckily, I had a comprehensive sample collection.”

“Great efficiency!” Lin Dongxue praised.

“It’s definitely murder!” Chen Shi said. “I noticed in the photos that the victim had a large dust patch on his back, indicating he was lying down before falling. He must have been lying on the rooftop edge, then turned over and fell. I think I understand: the killer placed the anesthetized victim at the edge and left. As the drug’s effect wore off, the victim moved in his sleep and fell!”

“What if the victim turned the other way?” Lin Dongxue questioned.

“Most people have a fixed sleeping posture. If you prefer sleeping on your right, it can be deduced by checking the impressions on the victim’s bed and pillow,” Chen Shi explained. “This method seems simple but is very effective.”

Peng looked at Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue, his thoughts returning to the case. “Delayed murder. It simulates an accident and provides an alibi.”

“The killer used this trick three times, and the police never caught on. We know the motive and the method. Let’s confront the suspect!”

“But we don’t have evidence yet,” Lin Dongxue pointed out.

“Do you know any hackers?” Chen Shi asked.

Peng questioned, “Are you thinking of using illegal means again?”

Chen Shi ignored him. “There might be documents related to the profit algorithm on the CEO’s computer. If we can get them, we’ll have the evidence we need.”

Lin Dongxue said, “I know someone. I’ll contact him.”

Chen Shi instructed, “Ask Xiaodong to check if Hou Yue bought sodium thiopental three years ago. If he can’t find out, it’s okay.”

Lin Dongxue went downstairs. Peng walked behind Chen Shi and said, “Dongxue is learning all your bad habits.”

“No, she’s catching on fast!” Chen Shi laughed.

Chen Shi had Xu Xiaodong from the bureau check Hou Yue’s current address and went alone to his home. When he knocked on the door, a thin man with glasses answered, “Who are you looking for?”

“Are you Hou Yue?”

“Yes, who are you?”

Chen Shi showed his ID, and Hou Yue’s expression changed instantly. He snatched the ID and opened it, “You’re not a cop?”

“Same as the police. We’re investigating your company.”

“You mean the bathhouse that was ordered to close last week?”

“Stop pretending. I’m talking about Yuhua Corporation.”

“Yuhua Corporation?” Hou Yue adjusted his glasses. “You’re thorough. I left that company three years ago.”