Chapter 631: The Angler

On November 20th, Chen Shi arrived at the park where he had arranged to meet Peng Sijue. It was already autumn, and he wore a trench coat with a slightly different hairstyle.

No matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t find Peng Sijue, and his calls went unanswered. As he searched, he suddenly noticed someone by the river whose back looked familiar. To his surprise, Peng Sijue was sitting under a tree, fishing.

Chen Shi, in a playful mood, picked up a stone and tossed it into the river near Peng Sijue. Peng Sijue frowned, “You jerk!”

“When did you start fishing? Weren’t you into archery before?” Chen Shi asked as he approached.

“The archery range is always crowded. Sitting alone in the park allows me to think quietly,” Peng Sijue said, staring at the water as it gradually calmed.

Chen Shi squatted beside him, “We’re both approaching forty. It’s good to develop some middle-aged hobbies… What kind of fish are in this river?”

“Small crucian carp.”

“Are they tasty?”

“I never cook,” Peng Sijue replied, shaking his head.

“You say that like it’s something to be proud of… When are you wrapping up here? Where are we going for lunch?” Chen Shi was only concerned about what to eat. Maybe after lunch, he could get a massage; his shoulders had been stiff and sore recently.

Peng Sijue continued to stare at the water in silence, seemingly lost in thought.

Chen Shi was naturally active, whereas Peng Sijue was the opposite. When they were younger, Peng Sijue was always the most unsocial in the group, doing his own thing. Gradually, he had fewer friends, with only Chen Shi still willing to engage with him.

“The poison in the Silent One, I couldn’t identify it,” Peng Sijue said quietly.

“If you couldn’t identify it, you couldn’t identify it.”

“This is the first time I’ve written ‘unknown toxic substance’ in a report. Captain Lin asked me what happened, and I said nothing. Then, I carefully reviewed the autopsy report and consulted pathology experts at the evidence center but found no answers. An unknown poison… This kind of thing actually exists. Could the killer have developed a new compound? I have a feeling we’ll see this poison again. It could be ruled as sudden death, allowing the killer to go free.”

“Is that why you’re so down?”

“Just like when you can’t figure out the truth of a case.”

“So, it really was poisoning?”

“Yes. Animal tests showed that mice and rabbits injected with the victim’s serum died within seconds. It’s definitely poisoning.”

Chen Shi pondered, “It must be Xu Fa, Zhou Tiannan’s poison expert. He’s a formidable character.”

“The victim’s body contained cocaine, but the dose was small, just enough to act as a distraction.”

“Cocaine? Since they set a distraction, the poison might still be in the books. But this isn’t my area of expertise, so I can’t give any advice. By the way, how did they get the drugs? Zhou Tiannan has killed many people but never dealt with drugs. Could his men have fallen so far? Ah, my leg’s numb…” Chen Shi stood up and walked around. “You fishermen really have patience, sitting for hours without getting bored.”

“You know me, I can stay alone for ages.”

“That’s one thing I admire about you… Look at that guy over there, sitting still.”

Peng Sijue turned to glance at a man in a beanie and vest who hadn’t moved. “He was sitting there when I arrived.”

“Quite a feat of endurance!”

Peng Sijue smiled, “I’m competing with him.”

“How’s it going?”

“I’ve caught three fish. He hasn’t caught any… But wait, he hasn’t moved in three hours! Chen, his hands look a bit pale.”

“Let’s check it out.”

Peng Sijue packed up his fishing gear, and the two walked over. Chen Shi called out a few times, but the man didn’t move. Chen Shi lifted the man’s hat to find him pale and unresponsive.

The two exchanged shocked glances. Chen Shi checked the man’s breath, “He’s dead.”

Peng Sijue was about to examine the man’s eyelids, but as soon as he touched him, the man, still in a sitting position, toppled over like a statue. His joints were completely stiff.

“Well, no rest for us today,” Chen Shi said with a wry smile.

Police cars soon arrived at the park. The officers were shocked by the corpse, which seemed more like a meditating monk than a sudden death.

They found the man’s ID, wallet, and phone, which had several missed calls from a contact labeled “Daughter.” The ID identified him as Geng Changle, 58, an employee at a gear factory.

The body showed signs of mild corneal clouding and fixed livor mortis, with livor mortis fusion. However, pressing on the skin still caused the discoloration to fade, and the extremities were stiff. His hands were gripping the fishing rod so tightly that the police had to borrow a saw from park management to cut it free. The preliminary estimate of the time of death was around twelve hours, meaning he had been sitting in that position all night.

Park staff mentioned they hadn’t noticed anyone during their last patrol. Chen Shi asked, “How many people patrol and what’s your route?”

“Usually three or four of us, walking around the park to prevent vagrants from staying overnight,” the manager said, looking slightly nervous. Chen Shi thought, this is probably a lie. The park is large and free to enter, and with so few staff, they’ve likely become complacent.

Chen Shi pointed to the river, “Do the water police patrol here?”

“They don’t come this way. This river is man-made, circling the park. It’s not very deep, and there have never been any drownings.”

“Peng… Peng?” Chen Shi saw Peng Sijue staring at the body in a daze. “There don’t seem to be any external injuries. The pupils are a bit constricted, similar to the Silent One case.”

“Don’t overthink it. It’s unlikely the same poison appeared so soon,” Chen Shi said, trying to reassure him, though he himself was unsure.

“Dad!” A girl ran over, crying, and was stopped by the police. She sobbed, “I’m his daughter, Geng Qing. You just called me… How did my dad die? Was he murdered?”

“The cause of death is still under investigation,” an officer replied.

“Can I see my dad?”

The officer warned her not to touch anything. The girl knelt by the body, crying loudly. Chen Shi observed her grief, noting it wasn’t feigned. “I’m sorry for your loss. Did he live with you?”

“I usually stay at my workplace. I only come home on my days off. Last night, my dad said he was going fishing. When he didn’t come back, I called him and went out to look. I was so worried!”

“Is this his usual fishing spot?”

“I don’t know. He always went fishing alone. It’s been his habit for twenty years.”

“Why did you immediately think it was murder? Does your father have any enemies?”