[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-chasing-the-criminal-case":3,"chapter-chasing-the-criminal-case-chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-53":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Chasing the Criminal Case",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2328821,4554,"Chapter 53","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-53",53,"\u003Cp>A thick black plastic bag, its cut edge neat, contained human tissue that had been cleanly severed at the joints…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Gao Jianjun arrived at the scene and saw this sight, his heart jolted—how much social panic would this cause, with so many civilians witnessing it in broad daylight!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swiftly ordered the scene sealed off; at that moment, the district police detachment’s criminal investigation team, led by You Xinfah, arrived on site.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Captain You, these two are Li Master and Zhou Master from the district sanitation department who found the body parts.” Gao Jianjun pointed to Li and Zhou as he greeted You Xinfah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Xinfah looked to be in his thirties, tall and upright; his face usually wore a smile, but his hairline was receded and his hair thin, making him appear older than his actual age. Still, at under thirty-five, he was already a full-section-level captain of the criminal investigation team—undeniably capable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Xinfah flashed his signature smile and nodded to Gao Jianjun, who was several years his senior: “Brother Jun, your efficiency is still top-notch—quick, decisive, and the scene is perfectly secured! So, how many body parts have you found so far?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jianjun said: “Xinfah, so far we’ve recovered only one bag of body parts. My preliminary inspection shows it contains both hands and feet severed at the wrists, plus a section of lower arm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Gao Jianjun was only a police station chief, the Shizi Street Police Station occupied a key location in Jiangnan District, serving a large population, a provincial-level prestigious high school, and several municipal government offices—so its chief held a full-section rank. Both men were equal in administrative level, and in some ways, Gao Jianjun’s position was even more desirable. Their personal relationship was also good, so their informal address came naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Xinfah nodded and followed him to the scene, where forensic expert Ye Hui had already begun preliminary examination of the body parts…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Captain You, Chief Gao, based solely on the body bag and the dismemberment technique, I believe this closely matches the method used in the city bureau’s earlier bulletin regarding the 1.10 dismemberment case! But we’ve only found a small portion so far—the final determination must wait until all body parts are recovered and examined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zi Zhen City’s only female forensic expert, Ye Hui, told You and Gao after her inspection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The body parts are highly decomposed—the time of death is approximately fifteen days ago. From the existing parts (hands and feet), we can confidently confirm they belong to a male. The victim’s identity is currently unidentifiable—the skin on the hands and feet has been stripped, leaving no usable fingerprints. As for the dumping site, it certainly wasn’t here. This sewer is the city’s main wastewater conduit, running through both Jiangnan and Jiangdong districts, covering a vast area with dense residential zones along its route—any upstream location could have been used.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jianjun had thought of Wang He Shan, who had just been reported missing, but since the body parts had been dead for half a month, Wang was clearly ruled out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jianjun said: “Xinfah, this case is vile and complex, and the body parts were discovered during peak hours in a busy commercial area—most of the onlookers saw it. We’re under immense pressure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Xinfah nodded: “Yes, Brother Jun. I’ll report the case to the city bureau immediately. Now we must hurry to find the other body parts—that’ll take serious effort!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon receiving the Jiangnan District report, the city bureau immediately formed a special task force composed of Deputy Director Guo Shuqing (in charge of criminal investigations), Police Brigade Commander Wang Feihong, City Forensic Center’s Lu You’an, Jiangnan District Criminal Investigation Captain You Xinfah, and Shizi Street Police Station Chief Gao Jianjun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When task force member Lu You’an saw the body parts, he immediately recommended merging the case with the 1.10 dismemberment case. In his words, such a skilled joint-separation technique couldn’t be the work of an amateur—if he’d spent half a lifetime as a forensic expert and couldn’t tell that, he’d wasted it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All task force members knew the old forensic expert’s capabilities, and from the method of dismemberment and the body bag used, the 1.10 and 1.16 cases shared too many similarities—merging them was entirely feasible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, this dismemberment case brought together the three legendary detectives of Zi Zhen City’s 1990s police force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After merging the cases, at Deputy Director Guo Shuqing’s suggestion, the operation was codenamed “Exorcist,” meaning to drive away the killer demon and restore the people’s clear sky!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Jiangdong District Criminal Investigation team members, investigating the source of the 1.10 victim, finally uncovered a lead on Yuema Street after checking several directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the same day, at 6 p.m., Gu Changzheng, carrying photos of the 1.10 victim, was investigating entertainment venues with Hu Jinquan. It was still too early for the dance halls to open; each hall on Yuema Street had just finished pre-opening preparations, filled only with waitstaff and a few early-arriving hostesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu and Hu walked around the street, then entered a small convenience store across from one dance hall, where Gu Changzheng bought a pack of cigarettes and casually chatted with the owner: “Boss, your shop’s location is great—don’t many of the dancers from across the street come here to spend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owner was a man in his fifties—perhaps because older people liked to talk, or perhaps he was naturally chatty—he gave a cryptic smile: “Hah, not just the dancers across the street—so many people on this street come here to buy things! You two are here to have fun, right? I’ll tell you, it’s still early. Right now I can chat with you, but once it’s fully dark and the crowd comes, I won’t have time for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng chuckled in agreement: “So you know quite a few people on this street, then?” The old man looked at him with a smug expression: “I’d say so. The women who come and go—most of them know me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t say he knew them—he said they knew him! Gu Changzheng smiled inwardly: “Boss, mind answering me a question?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owner’s eyes lit up like he’d seen gold—he dangled his index and middle fingers, half-lidded: “My information comes at a price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Hu Jinquan reached for his credentials to reveal their identity, but Gu Changzheng subtly elbowed him, signaling him not to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng smiled: “What do you mean, Boss? Just say it plainly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two packs of Zhonghua. Buy two packs of Zhonghua, and I’ll answer one question you want to know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah! Are you so sure you know who I’m looking for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Relax—anyone who’s ever appeared on this street, especially strangers—I remember them all. Look for yourself: ask or don’t ask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng shook his head in disbelief at the old man’s outrageous profit scheme—he pulled a hundred-yuan note from his pocket and handed it over, adding: “Don’t give me fake cigarettes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owner shot him a glance: “Fair trade, no cheating—my ‘Info Master’ reputation isn’t that kind of person!” He handed him two packs of hard Zhonghua and returned thirty yuan in change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Changzheng winced at the cost—those two packs had eaten nearly a fifth of his salary. He grabbed one and tossed it to Hu Jinquan, then asked: “Info Master, impressive. Tell me—have you ever seen a young man, about 175 cm tall, neither fat nor thin, with thick black hair, fair and clean-faced, always wearing a watch on his left wrist—metal band—and probably owns a motorcycle or similar vehicle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who? Xiao Fang?” Info Master instantly named a person upon hearing Gu Changzheng’s description.\u003C\u002Fp>",1273,"2026-06-20T19:35:30.807Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","68568f0df5cba246c5e951a728c3f50a2905ee46ea99b359b83a8c4c4cc0115c","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-54","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-52",276,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchasing-the-criminal-case-cover.jpg"]