Chapter 38: Worrying Aimlessly; Overprotective Brother

Translator: Azza

Editor: Conspiracing

After Lin Dongxue went inside, the time was already 10 o'clock in the evening. Chen Shi debated whether he should go for a round of work, but a bout of laziness washed over him. He decided that he would be lazy today and take a rest.

Outside the complex, there was a family wonton restaurant with a tempting fragrance wafting over. Chen Shi went to buy a big bowl of wontons and sat down to eat.

Halfway through eating, a taxi suddenly arrived and a person jumped out of the car. It wasn’t just anyone, it was Lin Qiupu, looking like he was ready to kill someone.

Chen Shi couldn’t help but laugh, this overprotective brother, was it necessary to be like this?

“Qiupu!” he called.

Lin Qiupu was startled and looked around. Only then did he discover Chen Shi. He came over with surprise and asked, “Where’s Dongxue?”

“She went back!”

Lin Qiupu looked at him suspiciously in silence for a few seconds. He sat down and said, “Don't think that I don't know, you’re just deliberately pretending to be a gentleman to win her goodwill!”

“Did you lack care during your breastfeeding period? Did you have no sense of security when you grew up? Then what did you want to see when you got here? Your sister and I fiercely playing games in her house...?”

“My sister doesn't play games! She is a good child.”

“I have never been to her house, how would I know? Waiter, another bowl please!”

“No!”

“I’ll treat you!”

“No need!”

“You don’t have to eat if you don’t want to then.”

A bowl of fragrant wontons came up, and Lin Qiupu took a spoon to move the chopped green onion and coriander away. He reminded, “I will reiterate again...”

“There is no end to this, huh? I will tell you clearly now that I am not interested in your sister!”

“Oh what a joke. My sister was born beautiful and she’s such a good girl. She’s never been in a relationship and you’re saying you’re not interested in her?”

Chen Shi couldn’t deal with this guy. “You should go see a psychiatrist.”

In the middle of eating, Chen Shi took out a packet of cigarettes and handed one to Lin Qiupu. Lin Qiupu refused, “I’ve quit.”

“One isn’t going to make you addicted again.”

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Qiupu took the cigarette and lit it. Then he stared at Chen Shi, because this sentence was once said to him by a senior he respected very much.

Surely it’s impossible?!

At this time, Chen Shi stretched out the lighter to light his own cigarette. His cigarette lighting action was completely different from that of his senior. Lin Qiupu let go of the suspicions in his heart. It couldn’t be the same person.

“How is the wanted criminal?” Chen Shi asked.

“The doctor said that he broke a few bones and hit his head. He may be in a coma for a while... It’s unknown for how many months or years.”

“I am really embarrassed and sorry that I wasn’t able to catch him.”

“It’s okay, I don't blame you. He was caught anyway. This guy is a murdering rapist. He committed at least five crimes and was still roaming around. Now he is in the hands of our Long’An police. It is also a meritorious service.”

Chen Shi nodded and suddenly wanted to tease Lin Qiupu. His eyes looked towards the front gate of the apartment complex, “Your sister came out!”

Lin Qiupu panicked and quickly threw the lit cigarette on the ground, covering his head with clothes while stepping on the cigarette.

“I was just playing.” Chen Shi smiled.

“You!” Lin Qiupu grit his teeth.

Whilst eating his food, Lin Qiupu’s cell phone suddenly rang. He answered seriously, “What’s up...? Where...? Protect the scene. I’ll come over now!”

He hung up the phone and paid for the bill. Chen Shi reminded, “I said I would treat. You can always just treat me next time.”

“There won’t be a next time!” Lin Qiupu gave the money to the stall owner and stood up to go.

Because he didn’t drive today, Lin Qiupu called for a taxi while walking. Chen Shi said in a disgruntled manner, “You’re not taking this on-hand taxi next to you, but you’re calling for one? You don’t want to give me business?”

Lin Qiupu hesitated. “Don’t interfere with my work again!”

“What's wrong? A murder case? I won’t interfere, I’ll leave after I take you there!”

Lin Qiupu hesitated for a few seconds before responding. “When I get to the scene, I’ll pay you the cost of the fare.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t charge you a special service fee.”

“What do you mean?”

“Man, you don't understand humor.”

The location was next to a main road in a rural area. Chen Shi arrived in the car and saw the police cars parked on the side of the road. The police lights flashed. Lin Qiupu began to fish out money. He put the money on top of the glove box. “Okay, you can go now!”

Chen Shi smiled and collected the money.

Lin Qiupu came to the scene where the forensics team was taking pictures of the body and taking evidence. It was a headless female body. The body was naked bare and fairly thin, and she was about 25 years old. Late at night, it was a bit of a scary sight.

“Who reported the case?” Lin Qiupu asked.

A police officer replied, “A frightened driver who got out to pee and saw the body. We have already questioned him. He should be irrelevant to the case. We let him go after he left his contact information to us.”

“Where’s Lao Peng?”

“Captain Peng went to the criminal investigation technology exchange meeting in the province, so he took the day off today.”

“Why did you come without a forensic doctor?”

“The forensic doctors in the team all attended the exchange meeting. They didn’t think we would have a case today.”

“What did you find?”

“The female body has traces of being tied up. Some powder, fiber and a few hairs have been extracted from the surroundings. The female body has been splashed with a corrosive chemical. It should have been splashed after death, so the fingerprint is difficult to extract.”

Lin Qiupu touched his chin and muttered to himself. The head is cut off and the body is also difficult to identify. The case will be a bit tricky.

“Captain Lin, you stand still!” A voice came from behind.

Lin Qiupu was shocked and was about to turn back when the man said again, “Don't move, you’ve stepped on something under your feet. Slowly move away.”

Lin Qiupu slowly moved his foot. It turned out that there was a rectangular indentation on the grass where he had just stood. Because it was too shallow, no one found it. The person who reminded him was Chen Shi. The police officers quickly took photos and obtained evidence of the area.

Chen Shi supported his knee with his hands and studied. “It looks like a big box.”

“Who told you to come over?” Lin Qiupu barked.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

“I am waiting for clients! So I came over for a walk.”

“What kind of client?”

“Are you not too knowledgeable regarding the profession of a driver? Why would I return after sending the customer to their destination? Who will pay for the gas money on my return? I must wait for the guest to call on my services before making the trip. Don’t you agree?”

“This case...”

“Okay, I will leave after a few looks! So and so, can you bring me a pair of gloves?”

Lin Qiupu was very angry. The police officers under him actually handed a pair of rubber gloves to Chen Shi. Lin Qiupu thought to himself, Fine I will see how you’ll make a mockery of yourself. Examining a corpse is impossible unless you have a few years of experience under your belt.

Chen Shi squatted down, moving the joints of the deceased and pressing the outside of her arms and shoulders with his hand, saying, “The rigor mortis has passed its peak period, and the corpse has partially loosened up already due to the decomposition of the muscles; livor mortis has set in, for the colour of the skin isn’t paling even when pressure is put on...” He put a hand on the lower abdomen of the deceased, tapping on it with his fingers a few times. “The lower abdomen is bloated. I suspect it contains a large amount of bloody leakage.”

Lin Qiupu was amazed. These professional terms are by no means words an ordinary person would know!

Chen Shi checked the grass and leaves of the surrounding grass, focusing on the grass stems pressed by the deceased and the slightly dry soil under her body. He continued, “There was rain these past two days, and the temperature difference is large. Taking all of this into account, the time of death should be more than forty-eight hours ago, and the margin of error should be no more than five hours. The specifics will only be found after the autopsy.”

The police officer next to him took a small notebook to prepare for recording, but looked at Lin Qiupu with a requesting look first. Lin Qiupu nodded. “Note it down first!”