Chapter 462: Invisible Secrets

Back at the station, Xu Xiaodong was leaning back in his chair, putting in eye drops. Seeing them return, he said, “Did you catch the killer?”

“Do you think it’s that quick?” Lin Dongxue replied.

“If you did, I wouldn’t need these drops… My eyes are practically shot from watching all day,” Xu Xiaodong said.

“Are you watching at 1x speed?” Chen Shi asked.

“Yeah, you told me to be thorough.”

“Too honest! 2x speed would have been fine!”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier? I can’t do this anymore. My eyes hurt; I’m going to stand by the window for a bit.”

Chen Shi sat down and asked, “Who has entered the security room?”

“No one, just the guard himself.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. You said the killer erased the footage, right? I watched all day, and no one else went into the security room!”

“Then who do you think deleted the footage?”

“Uh… I’ve heard of optical camouflage that can make people invisible…” Xu Xiaodong began to speculate wildly.

Chen Shi shook his head with a smile, “Let’s be more realistic. Dongxue, what do you think?”

“If only the guard entered the room, then eliminating all other possibilities, what’s left must be the truth… But it can’t be. Why would the guard delete the footage, especially at such a critical time?”

“The neighborhood is usually very peaceful. No one would normally check the surveillance. The guard works day after day in front of the computer. Suddenly, there’s a murder, and he formats the hard drive. What could be the reason?”

“Something he didn’t want anyone to see?” Lin Dongxue suggested.

Xu Xiaodong exclaimed, “I get it! The guard probably downloaded too much porn and was afraid the police would find out, so he formatted the hard drive.”

Chen Shi thought for a moment, “Your idea might be crude, but it touches on something important. The guard’s biggest fear wasn’t the murder investigation; it was getting fired. So, as long as no one sees what’s on the hard drive, he’s fine.”

Chen Shi opened a folder, “Hmm, why is there only one video on this USB? Aren’t there more?”

“The information department only gave me the video.”

“Stop someone before they leave and have them recover the entire hard drive. I want to see everything.”

The three of them flagged down a late-leaving tech guy and, with the promise of a meal, persuaded him to stay and help. As they were coercing him, Peng Sijue walked by. Chen Shi called out, “Old Peng, have you finished the autopsy on the second body?”

“Yes, but the ballistics expert has gone home, so the report isn’t written yet.”

“Any findings?”

“Come take a look.”

Chen Shi followed Peng Sijue to the forensic lab. Two forensic experts were working, removing bone fragments from the body. A tray beside them held dozens of small bone pieces.

Peng Sijue said, “I was just about to find you. During the autopsy, we found something unusual. You know that when a bullet enters the body, it creates a near-vacuum tunnel that air rushes into, causing a secondary explosion. So, the exit wound area will have a lot of bone fragments.”

“Just tell me the conclusion.”

“You previously thought the back was the entry point, but there’s not much bone fragmentation in the chest. The back, however, has more fragments and an outward blast pattern. So, it’s more likely that the chest was the entry point… I kept the victim’s clothes and will confirm with the ballistics expert tomorrow.”

“The chest was the entry point?” Chen Shi was surprised. He pulled Peng Sijue outside and grabbed a pen.

“What are you doing?” Peng Sijue asked.

“Recreating the scene.”

“Wait…” Peng Sijue took a box of modeling clay from a drawer. “Use this. We use it for non-Newtonian fluid experiments.”

Chen Shi used different colors of clay to set up the scene on the table. “Here’s the bridge, this is the river, and the person was standing here urinating. If the chest was the entry point, where would the shooter be? In the river?”

“Who said the victim was urinating?”

“The guard said they all pee by the river at night.”

Peng Sijue turned the clay figure around. “Maybe the victim felt someone behind him, turned around, and was then shot and fell into the water… No, this angle wouldn’t create that trajectory. The trajectory would be from high to low.”

“The shooter was in the water?” Chen Shi had an epiphany. “The shooter was in the water! I get it now. That’s why the shooter wasn’t caught on surveillance—because of the river! Let’s go!”

“Where?”

“The crime scene! Bring a waterproof suit.”

They drove to the scene, where night had already fallen. The community was peaceful, with lights glowing in the homes. Chen Shi went to where the guard was killed. Peng Sijue already knew his intent, “Are you sure you want to do this at night?”

“The crime happened at night. We need to recreate the conditions.”

“I’m not going in.”

“Keep watch here!”

Chen Shi put on the protective suit, feeling stiflingly hot. He got into the water, which provided some relief despite the sewage smell. He borrowed a flashlight from Peng Sijue and waded under the bridge.

The bridge was actually a half-road bridge, with water on one side and none on the other. Beneath it was a tunnel. He waded through waist-deep water, the tunnel walls covered in slimy moss, and it was unbearably hot. His suit was soaked with sweat.

After wading for some distance, he saw light ahead. He climbed out through an unnoticed storm drain inside the community.

He was thrilled—this was how the killer vanished from the surveillance. Nearly cheering, he was spotted by a resident who screamed and ran off, thinking he was suspicious.

Chen Shi ran out of the community. Peng Sijue was still by the water, “I figured it out. The killer came from the water. The guard saw someone emerge and was killed to silence him.”

“And the missing footage?”

“Just a coincidence… Let me get out of these clothes.”

Smelling the stench on Chen Shi, Peng Sijue grimaced, “Why didn’t you use a small paper boat for the test?”

“Easy to say. The exit wasn’t that easy to find. It was hidden in the greenery, probably a rainwater drain without a cover… The killer either knew about it or scouted it beforehand.”

“Impressive cunning!”

“Do you want to go in and check for clues?”

“What do you think?”

Chen Shi thought for a moment, “Forget it. It’s too filthy inside. It’s all sewage; we won’t find any evidence.”

Lin Dongxue called, “Where did you go? Chasing after Peng, and now you’re gone.”

“I’m with Old Peng at the scene.”

“Leaving without a word, really!” Lin Dongxue chuckled.

“Did you find anything?”

“Yes, but… hard to explain. I’ll send you some pictures.”