The group hurried to catch up with Peng Siqian. Normally not very active, Peng was now running so fast that even Xu Xiaodong couldn’t keep up. Reaching the second pit, he silently began to dig. As the others caught up, Lin Dongxue asked, “Chief Peng, what’s going on? What’s missing?”

Peng examined a handful of soil and then moved on to inspect a third pit.

Everyone followed in silence, puzzled by his behavior. Peng was running so enthusiastically he stumbled and fell. Chen Shi commented, “Look at him, he’s as happy as a kid with New Year’s money.”

“Shameless!” Lin Dongxue remarked.

At the third pit, Peng stopped to examine it closely. The team finally caught up, and Lin Dongxue urged, “Chief Peng, stop keeping us in suspense. What did you find?”

“Yeah, don’t keep mumbling to yourself, share with the group,” Chen Shi added.

“I’m just enjoying being mysterious for once!” Peng replied to Chen.

Sighing, Chen squatted down, “Old Peng, you’re the smartest. In the whole city—no, the entire province—you’re the best forensic expert. Nothing escapes your eagle eyes…”

Pleased by the compliment, Peng finally shared his observation, “Haven’t you noticed? Hair! There’s not a single hair in the soil.”

“Decomposed?” Xu Xiaodong speculated.

Chen explained, “While hair is organic, it decomposes very slowly due to the scarcity of bacteria that can break it down. Normally, it takes about fifty years to completely decompose.”

Peng continued, “Considering the vegetation and the color of the soil around here, these bones were buried only a few years ago. Why no hair? There’s only one possibility—they were buried without any.”

“I get it. Some psycho shaved the dogs and buried them alive!” Xu Xiaodong blurted out.

Ignoring Xu, Chen proposed, “The dogs were skinned!”

“Skinned!” Lin Dongxue gasped. “Why would someone do that?”

“Could this be related to the disappearance of the bodies?”

Thinking it over, Lin Dongxue reasoned, “If the dogs were skinned and buried here, and the skin is missing, the bodies are also gone…”

“I’ve got it!” Xu Xiaodong exclaimed, “The dog skins were used to disguise other dogs as Tibetan Mastiffs, which were then sold off. That’s why there are no bodies or living witnesses.”

“You really think of the most far-fetched ideas!” Lin Dongxue chided.

“There were those street performers who could disguise as dogs, right? So I thought…” Xu continued.

Xu’s wild guess, however, sparked a moment of contemplation in Chen, making a possible direct link between the dog skins and the disappearances seem plausible.

Just then, a bright light flashed their way as a vehicle approached. The man who got out was holding something that looked like a stick.

“Who’s that?” Lin Dongxue instinctively reached for her gun, only to remember she wasn’t armed.

“There are five of us here, why be scared? Let’s go check it out!” Chen encouraged.

As they stood and approached, the man suddenly turned and ran back to his car, driving away quickly.

“Sneaky, definitely suspicious!” Chen remarked, pulling out his phone to snap a picture of the tire tracks.

Glancing at his watch, Chen remarked, “It’s been quite an experience investigating with you all, but it’s past one in the morning. Shouldn’t we head back?”

“Thanks for tonight. I’ll treat you to dinner another day!” Chen promised.

“No trouble at all, I hope you solve the case soon!” the professor said.

Chen didn’t sleep well that night, his mind racing about the case, and even dreamed of a large dog that stood up and turned into a person, waking him in fright.

At dawn, as the girls and the cat slept, Chen decided to start making breakfast, feeling somewhat relieved as he watched the sky brighten.

At eight in the morning, Lin Dongxue stretched in the living room, tasted the meat on the table, and remarked, “A bit bland for chicken early in the morning, isn’t it?”

“That’s for the cat! I was just airing it out!”

As Mao Ball clawed at the table, eager for breakfast, Lin Dongxue let out a cat-like “Meow~” to ease the awkward moment.

Chen emerged from the kitchen, “Aren’t you a bit old to be acting cute?”

“Still younger than you!” she retorted.

“Go ahead and eat, that’s yours.”

“Sigh, up at dawn every day. I overheard two girls my age talking on the street yesterday and I couldn’t understand a word they said. No time for any fun.”

“After the case, I’ll take you to a movie.”

“Noneed for you to treat me; I’ve been staying at your place, so I’ll treat you!” Lin Dongxue suggested, though the thought of potentially having to move out after the case made her mood dip slightly. She quickly reconsidered, wondering if she was planning to overstay her welcome.

Both of their phones pinged simultaneously with a message. Xu Xiaodong had updated the group chat: “This morning, Liu Hong met with Li Biao at a beef noodle restaurant on Wuli Street.”

Chen Shi was looking something up on his phone as Lin Dongxue read out the message. “I saw it,” he replied.

“What are you checking?” she inquired, curious.

“I’m comparing tire treads from a database online,” Chen explained, showing her his screen. “Found it—these are Mazda tires, just like the ones at the scene last night. It was definitely Liu Hong who came.”

“Driving out to the kennels in the middle of the night… It has to be him.”

Chen considered Liu Hong’s reaction. “Interesting how he’s aware we’re on to him but chose to meet with Li Biao. What does that tell us?”

“Maybe Li Biao knows something about his secrets?”

“Good point. But first, could you brush your teeth before breakfast?”

Lin Dongxue pouted and hurried off to the bathroom.

Chen thought it likely that Liu Hong suspected Li Biao of betraying him. If Liu acted against Li Biao, it could give them the breakthrough they needed. He felt conflicted; hoping for Liu to slip up yet not wanting anyone else harmed.

After weighing his options, Chen decided to take a bold step. He texted Xu Xiaodong to keep an eye on Li Biao and informed him that he and Lin Dongxue would join shortly.

By nine o’clock, the unoccupied Li Biao, having finished his breakfast, headed to a local opera house. The trio intercepted him at the entrance. Despite his bulky frame and sharp, scrutinizing eyes, Li Biao was cornered. Lin Dongxue flashed her badge, “We’re criminal police, looking to discuss something about Liu Hong.”

“I don’t know any Liu Hong or Ma Hong,” Li Biao deflected.

Chen cut to the chase, “You were partners in a kennel business ten years ago before you transferred your shares to him. You expect us to believe you don’t know him?”

Caught off-guard, Li Biao suggested, “Talking here is tiring. Let’s sit inside the opera house.”

“Too noisy,” Chen countered.

“How about a tea house then?”

They settled into a nearby tea house where Li Biao ordered generously. Chen noted his expensive tastes—gold teeth, fancy rings, and silk robes.

Cutting through the niceties, Chen laid out photos on the table. “No beating around the bush.” He pointed at each photo, “These people were Liu Hong’s friends, and over the past few years, they’ve disappeared one by one.”

“I know, they were all killed by that scoundrel Liu Hong,” Li Biao confessed.

His admission stunned the officers, offering them a critical lead. Now, they needed to leverage this break in the case to peel back the layers of Liu Hong’s criminal activities and expose the full extent of his dealings.