Chapter 918: The Alleyway Tragedy

The scene was in the food street outside the school. When the trio arrived, they saw Yueyue’s young instructor hugging a telephone pole, trembling uncontrollably. Chen Shi gave him a tap, and he flinched, eyes vacant.

“What happened? Did you see what happened?” Chen Shi asked.

The instructor nodded vigorously.

“Don’t leave. We’ll need to ask you some questions.”

The instructor nodded again.

A group of students gathered around an alley. Chen Shi flashed his badge, asking everyone to step aside. The students got more excited seeing the police, making the scene chaotic. Chen Shi asked Yueyue to guard the entrance.

“That’s so embarrassing,” Yueyue protested.

“You’ll have to do this someday. Get used to it,” Chen Shi said.

Yueyue bit her lip and nodded. Lin Dongxue said, “I’ve contacted the school. They’ll send someone to maintain order. You only need to hold on for a bit.”

Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue walked into the alley, which reeked of blood. In the dim light lay a male corpse in military uniform. The blood was still fresh, indicating this was the primary crime scene.

Though called an alley, it was quite spacious, wide enough for two motorcycles to pass side by side. The body lay in a slightly recessed area against a wall piled with leftover construction materials, directly facing a high window.

“Dongxue, check the other end,” Chen Shi directed.

“Got it.”

Chen Shi squatted down. The victim’s stomach was gruesomely split open, with intestines spilling out, dirtied with gravel and emitting a foul odor. The body was still warm. The victim clutched some muddy soil in his hand, suggesting he was attacked from behind and then turned over and disemboweled by the killer.

Chen Shi searched the victim’s pockets, finding a wallet containing IDs, cash, coupons, a campus card, keys, and a note with a phone number. The victim’s name was Sun Lei, aged 32, holding the rank of lieutenant.

He decided not to move the body yet. The ground, still wet from rain, had several footprints, which he photographed.

Lin Dongxue returned, “The alley leads to a shantytown opposite the school, full of internet cafes, bars, and small hotels. The layout is chaotic. I found a large footprint at the entrance, already photographed it, and also found this.”

She held up an evidence bag containing a blood-soaked coarse cloth handkerchief. Chen Shi said, “The killer probably used it to wipe the knife. Looks like he escaped that way. Any cameras?”

“None.”

Chen Shi turned to the body, “Quite a sight. Look at the stomach, split open like a zipper. The killer seemed in a hurry, cutting through the belt. We might infer the weapon’s shape from this.”

“Why open the stomach?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“Either deep hatred or a specific purpose. Leave it to Lao Peng for the autopsy.”

Chen Shi photographed the blood spatters, noticing one trail that piqued his interest. It led the opposite direction from the killer’s escape, disappearing after a short distance. Looking at the exposed organs, he wondered if something was taken from the body.

Killers with collection fetishes do exist, but taking organs is rare. These questions would have to be answered gradually.

“Move back! Move back!” Yueyue blocked students trying to push into the alley. The crowd outside grew, and she struggled to hold them off.

Lin Dongxue flashed her badge, “Students, there’s been a murder. We’re investigating. Please don’t crowd here and create extra work for the police. You’re future police officers. Show some decorum.”

“Policewoman, who died? How did it happen?” Some boys tried to chat her up, smirking, clearly more interested in her than the situation.

“No comment. Step back; a police car needs to come through!”

“Bossy.”

“What’s going on here? Clear out!” A voice boomed from the back. The school’s instructors arrived, quickly restoring order.

After over half an hour, police cars arrived and cordoned off the scene. Peng Sijue entered with his kit to examine the body.

Chen Shi finally had time to question the instructor. The instructor’s name was Li. Trembling, he recounted that after afternoon training, he and Sun Lei, also instructors assigned to the school, went out for food. They took a shortcut through the alley when two men with odd brown wooden masks ambushed them. A burly one kicked Li aside, while the other, nimble as a monkey, leaped on Sun Lei, repeatedly stabbing his shoulders and neck. Sun Lei collapsed without a sound.

Li panicked, running to the alley’s entrance, shouting, “Murder!”

“How many times did you shout?” Chen Shi asked.

“Just once. The masked man chased me, so I ran. After a distance, he stopped. I kept yelling for help. People were stunned, but after about five minutes, I came back and saw… this.”

“Five minutes?” Chen Shi thought that seemed long. “Were there other witnesses?”

“Many students saw. I remember him,” Li pointed at a boy.

The boy confirmed, seeing a masked man with a knife chase Li but then return to block the alley entrance. About twenty or thirty students were outside, but none dared approach until the killer fled. Only then did they investigate.

Chen Shi pondered, “Did you have your phone?”

“Yes.”

“Did Sun Lei?”

“Of course.”

“Call his number.”

Li dialed Sun Lei’s number. The alley was silent. After a few rings, the call was abruptly ended. Chen Shi had him try again, but it went straight to voicemail.

Chen Shi concluded the killer took the phone. He contacted the station, asking the tech team to track the phone’s last known location.

Normally strict, the instructor now appeared childlike in his fear, somewhat amusing given he was barely twenty. Chen Shi wondered why the killer targeted the older instructor, Sun Lei. Personal vendetta?

Seeing Yueyue making faces at the frightened instructor to mock him, Chen Shi said, “You can head back to your dorm.”

“No, I want to stay. You forgot a question.”

“What?”

Yueyue turned to the instructor, “Are we training tomorrow?”

The instructor looked bewildered. Chen Shi said, “Enough. Stop teasing…”

His gaze fell on the instructor’s shoes. He called Lin Dongxue over, “Is the other end muddy?”

“Yes, it’s not paved.”

Chen Shi asked the instructor, “Let me see your shoes.”

“Do I have to?”

“Hurry up!”

Reluctantly, the instructor removed one shoe, balancing awkwardly. Chen Shi inspected it, “Clean soles. You said you came through the alley? Why lie?”