Chapter 371: A Body in the Fridge

To everyone’s surprise, Xu Xiaodong came back with a whole crew, including a cameraman with a camera on his shoulder.

Chen Shi asked, “What’s going on?”

Xu Xiaodong explained, “We ran into a TV crew while coming down the mountain. They’re here filming a variety show, and they had ladders.”

Chen Shi yelled, “Stop filming! Turn off the camera!”

Finally, they were pulled up. The crew provided water and food. Parched and famished, Chen Shi downed an entire bottle of water and ate a bag of bread. He even gave some to Zheng Zhifei, who this time accepted it without fuss.

The director of the crew said, “Wow, we didn’t expect this! Where are you guys from?”

Chen Shi replied, “Where are you from?”

“We’re from XX TV, filming a new variety show. It’s a brand-new idea where we take a kid from a poor mountain village and a kid from the city, and then…”

Chen Shi cut him off, “This kind of show existed ten years ago. How is that a new idea?”

“Don’t nitpick! Our show focuses more on entertainment and viewership. By the way, you’re here to catch a criminal, right? Could you help us film a few scenes?”

Xu Xiaodong excitedly asked, “Do we get paid for being on the show?”

The director said, “Compensation is negotiable! But you have to follow the script. Rest here for a bit. I’ll discuss it with the screenwriter and give you some lines… It’s not fake, just for the effect and ratings!”

Chen Shi pulled Zheng Zhifei up, saying, “Let’s go. We’re not playing along.”

Seeing them leave, the director ran after them, saying, “Officer, let’s talk this out!”

Chen Shi and his group ignored them, leaving them with only their cold shoulders. Zheng Zhifei sneered, “City folks love to focus on our poor mountain village, showing off their generosity and kindness. It’s disgusting!”

They stayed the night at the local police station. Chen Shi texted Lin Dongxue, who was happy to hear they had captured the suspect. She also informed him that DNA from another person was found in the victim’s mouth, and if it matched Zheng Zhifei, it would be conclusive evidence.

Chen Shi asked Zheng Zhifei, “Did you kiss Li Mengran?”

Zheng Zhifei vehemently denied it, but DNA testing later confirmed it was his. Chen Shi thought to himself that if Zheng Zhifei hadn’t hung the head on Li’s front door but instead discarded it in the wild, the case might not have been solved so smoothly.

But, of course, he kept these thoughts to himself.

On the way back, Zheng Zhifei seemed distracted, only concerned about a few things: “Is there meat to eat in prison?”, “Is there TV to watch in prison?”, “Are there cigarettes in prison?”

Chen Shi answered, “They have all that, but I guarantee you’ll miss the freedom of village life once you’re inside.”

Back in Long’an, after handing over the suspect, Chen Shi and Xu Xiaodong rushed to a restaurant for a hearty meal. Following this case, the Third Team had newfound respect for Chen Shi. They even discreetly asked Lin Qiupu, “When will that consultant, Chen Shi, be available? We have a few cold cases that could use his insight.”

On June 10, the police brought Zheng Zhifei to the outskirts and found Li Mengran’s body buried under the soil. Seeing her partially decomposed body, Zheng Zhifei maintained a tense expression, but tears glistened in his eyes.

Chen Shi handed him a piece of paper. Zheng Zhifei asked, “What’s this?”

“A letter Li Mengran wrote to you when she was eleven. She wrote ten letters but never sent them. Her father didn’t want her studies disrupted.”

“What’s the use of showing me this now! What’s the use!” Zheng Zhifei got agitated, and Chen Shi quickly took the letter back to prevent him from tearing it up.

A car pulled up nearby. Mr. Li, having somehow learned of the news, arrived and knelt before his daughter’s body, sobbing uncontrollably. Chen Shi found the scene too painful to witness and signaled to Lin Dongxue, “I’m outta here.”

“You’re so unkind!”

On his way back, Chen Shi received a text from an unknown number: “Detective Chen, there’s something in the fridge at Unit 3, Building 4, Apartment 502 of the Garden District. The key is under the doormat.”

Puzzled, he hesitated for a moment but decided to go. At the apartment, he found the key under the mat, just as the message said. Inside, the place was a mess, with dark red stains on the floor.

Realizing something was amiss, he wrapped his shoes in newspaper and cautiously entered. When he opened the fridge’s lower compartment and saw what was inside, his pupils contracted involuntarily. He immediately called Lin Qiupu, “Lin, is the case over?”

“Yeah, we’ve submitted everything to the prosecutor’s office.”

“Sorry, but you won’t get any rest today. We’ve got a new case!”