Chapter 385: Do You Have to Change Faces That Fast?

The Ankang fish is an extremely ugly‑looking fish, also nicknamed "Blind Box Fish"; its mouth is huge and it feeds mainly by swallowing, and the stomachs of captured Ankang fish often contain all sorts of seafood, so opening the fish is like opening a blind box.

Therefore it is normal for this fish's stomach to contain seafood, and anyone familiar with Ankang fish knows this.

But… a human hand inside an Ankang fish's stomach is not normal!

Although the officers didn't know how Xu Mo deduced that there was a homicide in the hotel, they still followed his lead straight to the hotel's back kitchen.

Seeing a guest heading toward the back kitchen, a hotel staff member stepped out to block.

"Sir, are you looking for the Restroom?" the staff asked, pointing behind Xu Mo: "The Restroom is over there, not this way."

"I'm not going to the Restroom; I'm going to your back kitchen."

While saying that, Xu Mo produced his credentials: "Police officer, I just heard some movement in your back kitchen; I need to go in and take a look."

Hearing this, the staff showed an uneasy expression; management had instructed that only hotel employees may enter the back kitchen.

Nevertheless, a police officer stood before her, had identified himself, and said he heard movement, so she couldn't continue blocking; she stepped aside to let Xu Mo and his team pass.

"Thank you for your cooperation." Xu Mo said, and then led the officers onward toward the back kitchen.

Meanwhile.

The hotel's back kitchen.

"Manager, what do you think… should we call the police?"

"No!" the manager replied bluntly: "A human hand in a fish's stomach—if our competitors find out, they'll make a fuss and our hotel will have to shut down. So we must not call the police; that hand—just flush it down the drain!"

"Also, today's incident must never be spread. If I find out any of you have a loose mouth, I'll make you look good! Understand?" After deciding not to call the police, the manager viciously threatened the hotel chefs.

Even though the hand found in the purchased Ankang fish isn't the hotel's fault, the matter must never be leaked.

In the catering business, food safety is paramount, especially for a high‑end restaurant like theirs; even slightly stale ingredients can cause a sharp drop in patrons, let alone finding a human hand in the food.

If this gets out, who would dare eat here? Just thinking about it is terrifying.

Moreover, if they call the police and competitors learn about it, who knows what they'll do to the hotel—rumors are frightening!

One spreads to ten, ten to a hundred; the more it spreads, the more distorted, and the only fate awaiting the hotel would be closure.

The manager's reluctance to call the police stems mainly from not wanting to lose his livelihood over something unrelated to him.

Seeing the chefs still not moving, the manager shouted again.

"What are you standing there for? Can't you hear me? Grab that thing and flush it down the drain!"

Yet even with the manager furious, no chef dared to step forward.

This involves a matter of life and death; they don't want to get involved!

Each chef's face now read, "I don't dare to throw it; whoever dares, go ahead!"

"No one moving? You all don't want to do it, huh?" the manager glared, continuing his threat; the chefs wouldn't act, and he himself was also hesitant, otherwise he wouldn't force them to discard that human hand.

At that moment, several people suddenly surged into the back kitchen.

Xu Mo and the officers of Team Seven entered the back kitchen and immediately saw the half‑cut Ankang fish on the cutting board, along with the human hand inside its stomach.

"Damn…" the manager was stunned.

What you feared just showed up!

Just after insisting this must not be leaked, someone suddenly barged into the back kitchen—could this be a rival's hired hand?

Realizing this, the manager hurried to the cutting board and blocked the hand on it.

"What are you doing? This is the hotel's back kitchen; non‑employees are not allowed inside. Leave!"

"Move! What's that you're blocking behind you?" Wang Dachuan glared.

The manager retorted, "There's nothing there. I told you to leave, didn't you hear?"

"Still trying to argue? I saw it myself!" Chen Ke stepped forward, ready to push the manager aside.

Meanwhile, Xu Mo produced his credentials again.

"Police, you'd better step aside now, or I'll have reason to suspect you of murder."

Glancing at Xu Mo's credentials, the manager instinctively looked at the nearby chefs.

The anger in his heart surged instantly; these people had called the police before he even arrived! Were his earlier words all for nothing?

Yet, with matters at this point, the manager couldn't say anything in front of the officers.

Rising from an unknown foot soldier to hotel manager proves he's clever; his sense of timing and assessment is exceptional.

The manager's face instantly showed a hint of relaxation.

"Phew… you scared me. I thought it was the rival sending troublemakers, but it's actually police comrades! Sorry, sorry, you came because of the emergency call, huh? Ah, you finally showed up; I was the one who had the chef call the police! You kept us waiting forever!"

The chefs:???

Changing faces that fast—do you have to be that quick!? You just said you didn't want us to call the police!

This guy is already a talent as a hotel manager; he should learn to change faces!

With just a few words, the manager detached himself from the situation.

He said this mainly to show that he had nothing to do with the matter.

After speaking, the manager decisively stepped aside, no longer blocking the cutting board.

"This fish was procured by us; who could have known there'd be a hand inside? … Police comrades, when you investigate, could you keep this under wraps? If this gets out, our hotel will go under, and nearly a hundred staff will lose their jobs…" the manager said weakly.

Xu Mo examined the manager: "Hmm, but you need to cooperate with our investigation. Where did you source this fish from?"

"I don't know either; hold on, I'll call the person in charge of procurement."

Seeing Xu Mo nod, the manager left the back kitchen, first phoning the boss to report, then bringing in the hotel's procurement officer.

"Quickly tell the police where this fish was bought?"

The procurement staff's expression changed slightly, then said, "It's from that same supplier, you know, manager."

Xu Mo caught his subtle expression.

"Tell the truth, where did it come from!"

The manager, seeing this, also realized that the purchasing clerk might be lying: "You damn speak properly! Where on earth did this fish come from?"

The purchasing clerk swallowed a mouthful of saliva, licked their lips, and then revealed the facts.

"Actually, I just picked up this fish… Early this morning, when I went to purchase ingredients, I found this bag of fish in a trash can. I looked at them; the fish were all fresh, so I just…"