Chapter 514: A Corpse Hidden in the Wall

Chen Shi rushed out of the interrogation room, clutching the wall for support as he felt waves of nausea.

Lin Dongxue was equally pale. “Should we go to the hospital and get our stomachs pumped?” Chen Shi suggested.

“It’s too late. The food we ate yesterday is already in our intestines,” Lin Dongxue tried to convince herself. “It can’t be true. It’s impossible. Absolutely impossible!”

Any thoughts of breakfast vanished from Chen Shi’s mind.

Zhang Farong had just claimed that the meat they ate was human flesh, specifically from Zhang Hao’s father.

“But if it was human meat,” Lin Dongxue argued, “we would have noticed. The texture and taste of beef are distinct.”

“Let’s test it!” Chen Shi insisted.

Peng Sijue was quick to refuse. “Meat is composed of proteins and fats. Even with a mass spectrometer, we can’t distinguish between different types of meat. I can’t test for it.”

“I have an idea,” Chen Shi said, and he dashed to the cafeteria to borrow a pot, heading to the technical squad’s office. Peng Sijue shooed him away, “Don’t mess around here!”

“Come on, this is about whether I can enjoy meat in the future. Show some empathy!”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s human or beef. Both are just proteins,” Peng Sijue argued.

“If it’s human meat, you should try a piece,” Chen Shi retorted, feeling nauseous again at the thought.

Lin Dongxue whispered, “It can’t be. It tasted just like beef.”

“Ever heard of beef extract?” Peng Sijue asked.

“What’s that?”

“It’s an additive made from beef bones and fat. It can make other meats taste like beef.”

This revelation made Lin Dongxue uneasy. Chen Shi had already considered this possibility but hadn’t mentioned it.

The food industry was rife with scandals—cakes with plasticizers, fried dough sticks with detergents, and hotpot restaurants using artificial flavoring. Chen Shi was aware of these issues but usually chose to ignore them, relying on the resilience of his body. But the idea of eating human meat was intolerable.

He used an alcohol burner to heat the pot, frying the minced meat. The smell of beef quickly filled the room. Lin Dongxue observed, “It looks and smells like beef.”

“Have you ever seen human minced meat?” Chen Shi asked.

“No…”

“I bet the meat has been doctored. We should go to the site and investigate. If they’re using beef extract, we need to test the meat properly.”

They returned to Zhang’s Noodle Shop. Zhang Hao’s wife was cleaning the store. When she saw the police, she asked anxiously, “When can my husband come back? It wasn’t his fault. Why is he still detained?”

“Since he attacked someone with a weapon, we need to clarify the details before releasing him. We hope you understand,” Chen Shi explained.

“If he goes to prison, how will my son and I survive? This shop’s broth recipe is a family secret. Only he knows it. Without him, we can’t operate.”

“Don’t worry, it won’t take long. We have other questions. Where does this shop get its meat?”

“The meat? I’m not sure. The chefs handle the purchases.”

“Do you have any contact information?”

Several chefs were summoned. When asked about the meat, they were vague, claiming it came from the market but couldn’t provide receipts. Chen Shi changed tactics, “Do you use beef extract?”

“No… no…” The chefs denied in unison, their behavior suspicious.

“Alright, you can go.”

Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue searched the shop thoroughly. In a bottom drawer, they found several green cans. Opening one, they were hit by a strong beef aroma.

Lin Dongxue turned pale. “I’m never eating out again.”

Chen Shi stared at the cans, lost in thought. “Why didn’t I think of this sooner? If this is true, we just need to find out where the missing person is.”

He asked Zhang Hao’s wife, “Where is Zhang Hao’s father?”

She hesitated, “He… he disappeared.”

“How long has he been missing?”

She fetched a stack of missing person flyers, printed with details of Zhang Fude’s disappearance in early 2017.

Lin Dongxue called the local police station and whispered the results to Chen Shi. He said, “There’s no official record of his disappearance. You didn’t file a report?”

“I’m not sure. My husband handled it.”

“Your husband!?”

“I mean, he printed the flyers.”

“Two years and no leads at all?”

She shook her head.

Chen Shi had a hunch. Zhang Farong knew about this and had been using it to blackmail his nephew. His intuition seemed correct; the unusual behavior of those involved hinted at a hidden crime.

This shop had also been closed for two years before reopening.

Lin Dongxue gave Chen Shi a look, and they stepped outside. “Zhang Farong’s account doesn’t match Zhang Hao’s,” she said.

“About last night?”

“Yes. Zhang Hao said he saw someone sneaking around and defended himself with a knife. But Zhang Farong claims he called out Zhang Hao’s name, and Zhang Hao recognized him before attacking.”

“Where was Zhang Farong injured?”

“On his back,” Lin Dongxue pointed to her shoulder blade. “And twice on his back.”

Chen Shi considered, “If they’re relatives, the first slash would make him speak up. To follow with two more slashes suggests an intent to kill.”

“Are you saying Zhang Hao really killed his father? But Zhang Farong has no evidence!”

“He doesn’t need evidence if he knows and uses it for blackmail. It’s a threat!”

“No wonder you scared him during the interrogation. You suspect there’s a deeper crime?” Lin Dongxue glanced at the old shop. “Didn’t you say you were worried about missing breakfast tomorrow?”

Chen Shi laughed, “The truth is more compelling than noodles. Let’s search again!”

Lin Dongxue asked Zhang Hao’s wife to step aside while they conducted a thorough search. They found nothing suspicious on the first floor. About to move upstairs, Chen Shi noticed something odd behind the freezer.

He asked Lin Dongxue to help move it. The wallpaper behind was slightly raised. Tapping it revealed it was hollow.

Chen Shi acted quickly, using a kitchen knife to cut the wallpaper.

Behind it was a wooden board. Lin Dongxue felt uneasy. Chen Shi pried it open, revealing a cavity. He reached in and his expression changed.

He pulled out a charred bone, unmistakably a human tibia.