Chapter 457: The Second Body

Chen Shi was slightly startled and asked, “Wasn’t there a security guard on duty last night?”

“Yes, there was. The guard on duty, Old Wang, went home early this morning. He left the keys on the desk with the TV still on. He must have been too tired and went home to sleep.”

“Find out his address and confirm his whereabouts… Xiaodong, you go!”

Xu Xiaodong was taken aback. “Why me?”

“Because I’m biased.”

“Nothing to say!” Xu Xiaodong left.

Chen Shi called after him, “By the way, get the hard drive from the property management. See if it can be recovered.”

Lin Dongxue finally had the chance to take a closer look at the body. “So young and already dead, such a pity. Could it be a crime of passion?”

“Too early to tell, but I think the killer is likely someone close to him.”

“As long as it’s not a serial killer.”

Peng Siyue said, “Let’s secure the scene first. Old Chen, go get a body bag from my car so we can take the body back.”

Just then, a car pulled up outside. Even before the door opened, they heard wailing. A well-dressed middle-aged couple rushed out and headed straight for the building, the woman crying, “My son!”

“Who notified the family?” Chen Shi asked in surprise.

“Nobody. Maybe a neighbor.”

“Stop them. Don’t let them contaminate the scene.”

As the couple saw the scene inside the house, their crying intensified. Lin Dongxue tried to comfort them, “Please, calm down. We are the criminal police investigating this case.”

“Who could be so heartless to kill my son? And on his thirtieth birthday! Why, why! I should have made him come home yesterday. It’s all my fault, all my fault!” The mother cried, beating her husband’s arm with her handkerchief. The husband tried to console her while holding back tears.

Dealing with grieving families is one of the hardest parts of being a police officer. No amount of comforting can ease their sorrow. After letting the woman cry for a while, Chen Shi said, “I’m sorry to ask questions at such a sad time, but we need to investigate the case…”

“No, please ask,” the mother said. “We will cooperate fully with the police. We’re willing to spend any amount to bring the killer to justice.”

“This isn’t a good place to talk. Let’s find somewhere more private.”

They moved to a stone bench area in the community. Once seated, with the woman still wiping her tears, Chen Shi asked, “How should I address you?”

“My surname is Song, and my husband’s is He,” the husband replied.

“When was the last time you saw your son?”

The couple exchanged a glance. The husband said, “Three or four days ago, probably over the weekend. We have a family tradition to have dinner together every weekend, no matter how busy we are.”

“Is it just the three of you in the family?”

“We also have a younger son who is currently in college. He’s home for the summer.”

The woman cried, “We just got the call, it was a complete shock. We haven’t even told him yet. We don’t know how to break the news.”

“What did you talk about the last time you saw him?”

The husband recalled, “We discussed work…”

The wife said, “They’re both dentists, so I couldn’t join in their professional talk.”

Judging by the way they spoke in unison, this couple seemed very loving. Chen Shi continued, “What else?”

“We talked about some movies and games that the brothers are interested in.”

“Anything else?”

“Let me think… Oh, right! Yuwen mentioned he was seeing someone. I suggested he bring her home for a meal, but he said the relationship wasn’t confirmed yet.”

“Anything else?”

“That’s about it.”

The wife suddenly said, “He mentioned that his cousin Wan Jun would be returning from abroad and that they planned to get together.”

“Yes, that’s right. Wan Jun is a relative studying abroad.”

Lin Dongxue noted everything down and asked, “Did he have any enemies?”

Both parents said no. Chen Shi recalled the wife’s earlier comment and asked, “Yesterday was his thirtieth birthday?”

“Yes.”

“I’d like to see his social media posts. We found his phone at the scene, but it was destroyed by the killer.”

The husband handed over his phone. The last post the victim made was a picture of a Black Forest cake with numbered candles, posted from his workplace. It read, “Thank you all for the birthday wishes. Enjoy the cake!”

Scrolling through his posts, Chen Shi noticed that the victim didn’t post often, mainly sharing funny jokes. “Yuwen was a very cheerful person, right?” he asked.

The husband sighed, “Yes, my son was always confident and cheerful, the joy of our home. He might not have been very smart, but he never gave up easily. He’d lose sleep if he didn’t come first in school. His grades were always excellent, and we never had to worry about him. He originally wanted to study computer science, but I insisted he study dentistry for better job prospects. He protested, saying it was boring, but eventually, he listened and did well in his career. He’s now the head of the clinic.”

“And his younger brother?”

“His younger brother, Yuchang, is the opposite. He was lively and smart as a child but never liked studying. We hired many tutors, but during his rebellious phase, he caused us a lot of trouble. I hoped he’d become a dentist too, but I couldn’t control him. He ended up choosing to study art. As parents, we supported his decision.”

“Do the brothers get along well?”

“Very well. They’ve always been close, sharing everything with each other before us.”

After noting all the information, the wife grabbed Chen Shi’s hand and pleaded, “Officer, please catch the killer and clear our son’s name.”

“We will, don’t worry,” Chen Shi reassured her.

After bidding the grieving parents farewell, Chen Shi asked Lin Dongxue, “What do you make of this family?”

“They seem like a strict, well-off family with loving parents. It’s a happy family… ruined by this tragedy. The killer is truly despicable. Do you think it could be out of jealousy?”

“Too early to say. Dying on his birthday, could that hold some special meaning?”

They returned to help Peng Siyue with the body. On the way back to the station, Lin Dongxue said, “Hey, did we forget something?”

“Damn, we forgot Xiaodong… Never mind, he can walk back himself.”

The body was sent for an autopsy. Chen Shi asked Lin Qiupu for more personnel to investigate the victim’s relationships, recent expenses, and communication records before his death.

By noon, Chen Shi suggested going out for clay pot rice. Lin Dongxue said, “Xiaodong isn’t back yet.”

Just then, Xu Xiaodong called, anxiously saying, “Where did you guys go? Come back quickly. Another body has been found!”

“What? Where? Are you alone?”

“It was found in a nearby river. It’s probably the missing security guard. I’m not alone; some local officers are here too.”

“We’re on our way!” Chen Shi told the waiter, “Could you pack our food to go?”