Chapter 819: Lazy Old Times

The Bandage Man strode ahead like a shooting star, and Kao Wei had to jog to keep up with his pace. After over an hour of walking, she was exhausted and suggested, “Can’t we just take a car?”

The Bandage Man glanced at her but continued walking without saying a word. Kao Wei sighed and reluctantly followed.

Finally, they arrived at an abandoned construction site. Kao Wei was nearly collapsing from fatigue, but the Bandage Man seemed unfazed. He picked up a shovel and started digging into the ground. Occasionally, he would pick something up and examine it carefully in his hands.

“Come over here,” he said softly.

Kao Wei ran over and saw the body of Zhang Dama uncovered from the soil. She screamed and hid behind the Bandage Man in fright, shocked that they had actually found her.

“It’s nothing to be afraid of; she’s been dead for over twelve hours,” the Bandage Man said calmly.

“Dead… dead people are scary! What… what are you going to do with the body?” Kao Wei asked nervously.

“Autopsy. Help me lift her out,” he instructed.

“No, no, I won’t!” Kao Wei protested.

The Bandage Man turned around and stared at Kao Wei silently. His gaze was intense, and Kao Wei finally gave in, saying, “What if I leave fingerprints?”

The Bandage Man took out a pair of plastic gloves from his pocket, and Kao Wei sighed as she put them on.

The process of moving the body was horrifying. Watching Zhang Dama, whom she knew so well, being handled lifelessly by them, Kao Wei felt a surreal and hallucinogenic sensation. She felt like Zhang Dama could open her eyes at any moment, especially with the endless night around them, intensifying the horror.

“Don’t let your imagination run wild; a corpse is just like any other object,” the Bandage Man said calmly.

“How can it be the same… why are you so calm? Have you seen dead bodies before?” Kao Wei asked.

“I have definitely seen…,” the Bandage Man trailed off vaguely. He lifted Zhang Dama’s eyelids; her eyes were bloodshot, and her pupils dilated. Then he checked the inside of her mouth with a flashlight, examining her with unusual seriousness. Suddenly, he muttered, “Lao Peng…”

“Who is Lao Peng?” Kao Wei asked.

The Bandage Man’s slightly excited expression dimmed. “It’s nothing, don’t worry… the victim was poisoned.”

“You can tell that just by looking?” Kao Wei was amazed.

“Give me your phone,” the Bandage Man said, taking pictures of the body. “There’s a needle mark behind her neck, bloodshot eyes, cyanosis of the nails—clear signs of poisoning. She coughed up blood-tinged froth, indicating the poison acted on her lungs. It could be a biological toxin like atropine or snake venom, though I’m not sure. It needs specific testing.”

Kao Wei was astonished. “You can see all that just by looking?… Hey, what are you doing?”

The Bandage Man began to undress Zhang Dama’s clothes, shamelessly inspecting her body in detail. Kao Wei’s cheeks twitched, and the Bandage Man casually said, “No signs of defensive wounds, no evidence of sexual assault. She was injected with drugs while defenseless, indicating the murderer had a clear motive, possibly related to money.”

“Isn’t that obvious?” Kao Wei exclaimed. “She’s so old, who would sexually assault her? And you have to open her up to know, you’re disgusting!”

“These details aren’t something you can just figure out with your head; you have to see it with your own eyes. You say someone as old as her wouldn’t be sexually assaulted, but I once…” the Bandage Man stopped abruptly. “Never mind.”

Kao Wei grew even more suspicious of his identity.

The Bandage Man paced around the body, analyzing, “Someone sneaked into Zhang Dama’s home last night and cleanly killed her. Her death is likely related to her intention to expose me.”

“It’s not necessarily true. Zhang Dama didn’t say she was going to expose you; maybe she was killed for another reason,” Kao Wei suggested.

“Why should we ignore the most likely scenario in front of us and speculate about ‘other reasons’?” the Bandage Man countered. “She came to pry last night, blatantly trying to gather information about you. Most likely, she was going to call the underworld after returning home… Right, where would she make the call?”

“Definitely the loan shark’s office.”

“Who runs the office?” the Bandage Man asked.

“A young boss surnamed Liu, but I don’t know much more,” Kao Wei replied.

The Bandage Man continued to pace, murmuring, “Someone wanted to expose Wang Xi, so they killed the whistleblower. Why? If there’s some unspeakable secret, wouldn’t it be better to just kill Wang Xi directly?”

“Must we discuss this here?” Kao Wei glanced at the corpse on the ground, Zhang Dama’s recently examined clothes in disarray, her eyes still half open, giving off a chilling vibe.

The Bandage Man returned to reality, saying, “Let’s bury her first.”

“Bury her?” Kao Wei asked.

“Otherwise, what? Let the police find her?” the Bandage Man said.

So the two of them carried the body back into the pit and buried her properly. The Bandage Man carefully cleaned up the footprints they had left behind with a shovel, then tossed the shovel far away. After finishing these tasks, he said calmly, “Let’s eat something!”

“What!? You’re hungry enough to eat after all this?” Kao Wei exclaimed.

“I know a Cantonese restaurant nearby that’s open all night. Their shrimp dumplings and siu mai are excellent,” the Bandage Man said.

“I have to work tomorrow. Skipping work for a day is like working for three days in vain,” Kao Wei complained.

“No worries, we can make it back by around 2 AM. Your job doesn’t require much thinking; missing a bit of sleep won’t hurt,” the Bandage Man reassured.

“Hehe, you’re right!” Kao Wei sensed his joking tone, a positive change indicating he was overcoming inner shadows and facing reality again.

Though she didn’t know who he was or where he came from, Kao Wei hoped his mood would improve. Not for any particular reason, but to keep the atmosphere at home a bit fresher—this guy went crazy with smoking whenever he got depressed.

Near the Cantonese restaurant, the Bandage Man took out a few bills from his pocket and handed them to Kao Wei, asking her to order takeout and bring it here, as he didn’t want to show his face in front of strangers.

Twenty minutes later, Kao Wei returned with a bag of takeout. The Bandage Man was sitting casually under a shop’s roller shutter, smoking a cigarette. Kao Wei complained, “Smoking again? I was just thinking about complimenting you for not smoking for a few hours.”

The Bandage Man flicked away his cigarette, took the bag from her, and said nonchalantly, “Sit down!”

The dim sum at this restaurant was indeed delicious. It reminded Kao Wei of the days spent with Wang Xi, eating and playing, two people together as if they had infinite time. Every second was sweet, warm, relaxed, and happy.

Being in love with someone was like being carefree children together. She believed this was the true face of love—joy and sincerity.

Thinking of Wang Xi, she felt a pang of sadness, but the Bandage Man’s words brought her back to reality. “The person who killed Zhang Dama is from within that underworld gang!”