Chapter 930: Blood on the Sole

Reinforcements finally arrived, and it took four officers to lift the heavy body into the police car, wrapped only in a sheet since no body bag was large enough.

Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue searched the perimeter of the factory and checked the surveillance footage but found no evidence of the killer sneaking in. Lin Dongxue found it unbelievable that such a giant killer could have entered unnoticed.

“He must have come in at night. The manager said the victim had a family matter in the morning and only came to work in the afternoon. So, they must have been hiding in the warehouse beforehand,” Chen Shi speculated.

“They’re very cautious, only striking when the victim is alone.”

“Given this modus operandi, I suspect there are other victims whose bodies have yet to be found,” Chen Shi frowned. “Hiring a hitman leaves no trace of the mastermind. It’s frustrating!”

“Can your friend help trace how they hired the hitmen?”

“That’s the plan.” Chen Shi texted Sun Zhen.

Back at the precinct, Peng Siyue performed an autopsy, revealing that the killer had a history of drug use. The contents of his stomach were common food items, and his last meal was the previous evening, consistent with Chen Shi’s theory that the killer had been hiding in the warehouse.

The murder weapon had four DNA samples, including those of the instructor and the madwoman, but not the warehouse manager’s, indicating that the killers had finished their gruesome task.

The rescued victim was out of danger, under observation in the hospital. His stomach was entirely removed, which would likely reduce his appetite once he recovered.

At 9 PM, Chen Shi was still at the precinct, staring at the ceiling in the conference room, pondering various leads. The place was a mess of documents, evidence of ongoing investigations.

Lin Dongxue walked in, placing a bowl of instant noodles in front of him. “Captain, eat something.”

“Any progress?” Chen Shi asked.

“Captain Peng is still working.”

“I’ll wait.” Chen Shi twirled the noodles with his chopsticks. “If I said I’ve lost hope, you wouldn’t blame me, right? This case is essentially closed. The killers delivered the organs to the mastermind, who paid them and is now hiding somewhere performing their ritual. We’ll never know. There won’t be any new leads.”

“We can still track the killers.”

“Yes, we can track them, but they won’t reveal the mastermind. It’s like with Zhou Xiao; we never knew who else he worked for besides Lie Guoxiao. Small evils are eliminated while the big ones remain untouched.”

“Eat your noodles before they get soggy.”

Chen Shi ate the noodles quickly, clearly frustrated by the case.

Lin Dongxue tried to comfort him. “Don’t be so discouraged. Everyone felt good about today. We took down a killer and saved a victim. For most of us, that’s a significant victory.”

“A significant victory,” Chen Shi scoffed.

His phone rang. It was KK, who sounded excited. “Chen, the old man agreed to help. Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Is the murder weapon ready?”

“What’s the procedure?”

“Face-to-face talk.”

“I’m exhausted today. How about tomorrow…”

“No, we’re already outside, but the guards won’t let us in!”

Chen Shi hung up and went to the entrance, finding the trio barred by the guards. Given their shady appearance, it was no wonder the guards were hesitant.

Chen Shi brought them in. The old man looked around with interest. “So, this is what a government office looks like.”

“You’ve never been inside one?” Chen Shi asked.

The old man boasted, “I’ve lived my life without a blemish, never set foot in a jail.”

KK translated, “He means he’s never been arrested.”

“Impressive! You’ve had an illustrious life. I know a writer who could turn your story into a book.”

“Unless it’s Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng, I don’t care for any other writer!” the old man said indignantly.

“Do you read the illustrated versions?” KK teased, earning a glare from the old man. Clearly, the trio was in good spirits.

In the conference room, KK greeted Lin Dongxue cheerfully, addressing her as “sister-in-law.” The old man demanded tea. Chen Shi handed him a cup of water from the dispenser.

“I wanted Dragon Well tea.”

“Take it or leave it.”

“Kids these days…” The old man sipped from the paper cup.

KK recounted the afternoon’s events. They had visited the hotel, and initially, the staff wouldn’t let them in. The old man had performed a few tricks, impressing them enough to notify Mr. Lu.

The old man introduced himself, claiming to have seen a black aura suppressing a golden light, out of compassion and duty, he felt compelled to warn the household.

Mr. Lu was excited, noting that Master Liao had said the same. Apparently, these con artists had a common script.

The old man and Master Liao exchanged theatrical dialogue, with Master Liao deferring to his elder. After their performance, the old man asked to be shown around.

According to the old man, Master Liao had two disciples named Qingfeng and Mingyue. The rest were from a performing arts school, essentially a circus troupe posing as spiritual guides. Mr. Lu was unwittingly hosting a circus, thinking they were divine beings.

There were no issues; Master Liao was following the rules. However, KK had grabbed a peach from the altar, which Qingfeng said was an offering to the ancestors. When KK talked back, Qingfeng grabbed his collar.

“Insulting me in front of my people is unacceptable. So, I challenged him to a ritual battle!” the old man declared.

KK smirked. “It was my initiative, unlike some bookworms who do nothing.”

Sun Zhen retorted, “Screw you.”

Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue exchanged awkward glances. “So, this was just picking a fight?” Chen Shi asked.

“He disrespected me, so I had to retaliate. Now I have a reason to act,” the old man boasted.

“Alright, that works.” Chen Shi thought, knowing the promise of a substantial reward from Wang Haitao motivated the old man.

Chen Shi’s attention was drawn to a small red spot on KK’s shoe. KK placed his foot down and said, “Chen, we’ve completed our mission. Let’s celebrate with seafood. The old man is treating us… Chen, why are you staring at me like that? Have I become more handsome?”

“KK, why is there blood on your shoe?” Chen Shi demanded.