Chapter 474: The Case is Filed

The forensic team brought several plastic buckets and began scooping the blood water out of the bathtub, revealing human organs at the bottom. Peng Ke, wearing gloves, calmly sorted the organs and laid them out on a waterproof sheet at the bathroom door.

Peng Ke informed Lin Qiupu that the organs likely belonged to a single person.

Lin Qiupu glanced at the meat grinder. “The meat’s here, the organs are in the tub, but where are the bones?”

Officer Zhang entered with a large butcher’s knife. “Captain Lin, we found this in the kitchen cabinet, along with a large cutting board that has some bone fragments on it.”

Peng Ke examined the heavy knife, designed for chopping bones, with a dull and greasy blade. They also found other knives, big and small, all greasy and tested positive for human protein. It seemed the killer used these tools to dismember the victim and disposed of the bones elsewhere.

In the bustling city, hidden within a seemingly peaceful neighborhood, such a murder workshop was truly chilling.

Meanwhile, Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue visited nearby recycling centers, asking if anyone had bought large quantities of discarded newspapers. Most center owners were clueless.

At the last recycling center, a man sorting newspapers looked up when they introduced themselves as police officers. He recognized Lin Dongxue. “Officer Lin? It’s me, Wu Xu!”

“Oh, it’s you!” Lin Dongxue replied with surprise and delight. “Are you doing this now?”

“No, I’m just selling scrap. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I don’t have a job, so I make a living collecting and selling recyclables.” He pointed to a van outside with signs advertising the purchase of old appliances and furniture.

“Being self-sufficient is better than anything. How’s your mother?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“She’s fine. And this is…” Wu Xu’s gaze fell on Chen Shi.

“My boyfriend and colleague,” Lin Dongxue introduced.

“Nice to meet you,” Wu Xu said, looking a bit uneasy.

They chatted briefly until the recycling center owner returned. After questioning him to no avail, Chen Shi turned back to Wu Xu. “Do you also collect old newspapers?”

“Not specifically, but if someone sells them, I take them.”

“Has anyone recently bought a lot of newspapers from you?”

“No, who would buy from me?”

“Alright, thanks.”

As they left, Chen Shi asked Lin Dongxue, “Who is he?”

“Guess,” Lin Dongxue teased.

“I remember you once mentioned your former landlord’s son who was an ex-con. Is that him?”

“Right, that’s him. He helped me move once. It’s hard for someone with his record to find a job. Being self-sufficient is quite admirable.”

Chen Shi replied, “It’s quite a coincidence running into him here. I’ll have your brother check his recent activities.”

Lin Dongxue punched his arm lightly. “You’re discriminating against him too? Just because he’s self-sufficient, doesn’t mean he’s suspicious.”

“Fine, I won’t discriminate… How does he spell his name, like the word for ‘crow’?”

Hearing this, Lin Dongxue knew Chen Shi would still check. It was hard for anyone to let go of their biases, even Chen Shi.

They returned to discussing the case. “The newspapers could have come from other recycling centers or other channels. It’s tricky.”

“What’s your preliminary assessment of this case?”

“Most likely a murder for profit.”

“That’s it?”

“For now, yes. We don’t even know who the victim is yet.”

Lin Qiupu called them back, explaining that the police were preparing to retrieve the body from the sewer, but the crowd had grown, including reporters, making the task difficult.

By 8 PM, with additional officers, the crowd began to disperse. The sewer grate was opened, and Peng Ke and his forensic assistant donned protective suits to enter. Before going down, Peng Ke asked, “There’s one suit left. Who’s coming with me?”

Everyone hesitated. Peng Ke looked at Chen Shi, “Chen?”

Chen Shi declined, “No thanks, I haven’t eaten yet. It might spoil my appetite.”

“You’re being a bit timid today,” Lin Qiupu remarked.

“I’m not a cop, just a driver. It’s okay for me to be scared. Why don’t you go down?”

Lin Qiupu frowned, “I’m overseeing things here. What if the media returns?”

“Lin Dongxue and I can handle that. Show some leadership, Captain Lin.”

Lin Qiupu coughed, preparing a response, “Everyone has their role. This is mine.”

“I’ll remember that,” Chen Shi said, smiling.

“Enough,” Peng Ke interjected. “I get it, you’re all heroes. Stay up here.”

“Peng!” Chen Shi called as Peng Ke descended, “Be careful.”

Half an hour later, Peng Ke and his team emerged, exhausted and drenched in sweat. They had retrieved three large bags of human tissue, all ground into a pulp, with no bones found.

That evening, Lin Qiupu reported to the chief, forming a task force. The next morning, they gathered in the office as Lin Qiupu briefed them:

“…The victim’s identity, gender, and age are still unknown. It appears to be one person, dismembered and ground into meat, flushed into the sewer. If not for the blockage, it might not have been discovered. A large bag of coarse salt was found, likely used to delay decomposition. The renter, ‘Mr. Shen,’ only dealt with the rental agency over the phone, never signing the lease in person, and changed the locks. The phone number used is a prepaid, untraceable one. All signs point to a premeditated crime by an experienced killer.”