Chapter 386: This Case Is Truly Bizarre

"All those fish in the bag were picked up by you? How could there be this in a trash can?" The manager expressed shock at the purchaser's words.

The Ankang fish is not as pricey as rare seafood like Australian lobster or king crab, but it isn't cheap either.

Who would toss a bag of Ankang fish into a trash can? Especially fresh fish, not already rotten ones—how is that any different from just throwing away money?

But soon, the manager figured it out.

The belly of this Ankang fish contains a human hand!

The fish is problematic, which is why it was thrown away; no one would discard a normal Ankang fish.

After realizing that, the manager's lungs felt like they were about to explode; with the hotel tangled in this, the purchaser has to take the blame!

If he hadn't picked up those suspicious Ankang fish, could this whole mess have happened?

Damn it, I'll fire this idiot later! What a jinx! the manager glared fiercely at the purchaser.

Xu Mo and the other officers also thought of this right after the purchaser finished speaking.

The bag of Ankang fish was tossed into the trash because the vendor knew the fish were defective and didn't dare sell them openly.

"Be more specific—where did you pick them up?" Xu Mo asked again.

The purchaser recalled, "I can't really describe that place, but I can take you there—I remember the route."

Xu Mo looked at Chen Ke, "Take two people and go with him, see the surroundings."

After speaking, he turned to the manager, "Do we have gloves and sealed bags?"

"We have them, we have them! I'll go get them for you!"

After Chen Ke left with two officers following the purchaser,

Xu Mo put on gloves, placed the hand on the cutting board into a sealed bag, then instructed the manager to pack the remaining Ankang fish and prepare to bring them back to the Police Station.

Because the case involved a homicide, the hotel's back kitchen had to be sealed off, and the hotel could not operate until the case was resolved.

The hotel manager and the back kitchen's chefs were taken back to the Police Station for routine interrogation.

…

Police Station.

Autopsy room.

The forensic doctor was dissecting the retrieved Ankang fish one by one, while Xu Mo watched nearby, not eager to get involved.

"This is my first time killing fish in an autopsy room… how bizarre. After all these years as a forensic doctor, it's the first time I've seen this method of handling a corpse—chopping a person up to feed fish. Only a truly twisted person could do this," the forensic doctor lamented.

The autopsy room was filled with a nauseating, strong fishy odor.

The forensic doctor, accustomed to gruesome scenes, found the fishy smell unpleasant but far less foul than the worst odors he'd encountered, so even amid the stench he could work without flinching.

Xu Mo gave a helpless smile, "It's my first time seeing this technique either."

After half an hour, the forensic doctor finally gutted all the Ankang fish brought from the hotel, found additional Body Fragments inside, and pieced them together as best as possible.

"We only found these fragments—mostly chopped limbs, with little of the torso left. The corpse is incomplete, but preliminary assessment suggests the victim is a slender, petite female, appearing quite young, possibly underage."

Xu Mo nodded; he could see the same things the forensic doctor described.

However, those observations were of little use; with only limbs, they could not determine the victim's identity.

From the Body Fragments, Xu Mo and the forensic doctor could glean few clues, not even the location of the fatal wound.

To find clues, they'll have to rely on Chen Ke's progress.

Just then, Xu Mo's phone rang—it was Chen Ke.

After answering, Chen Ke's voice came through the phone.

"Team Leader, I've arrived. I took a quick look: the trash can where the purchaser found the bag of Ankang fish is beside the seafood market, and there's a surveillance camera opposite the can that might reveal something. I'm about to check the footage now," Chen Ke said.

"Mm," Xu Mo replied.

As long as there's a camera opposite the trash can, they can identify who dumped the fish and the case can proceed smoothly.

Ten minutes later.

Chen Ke finished reviewing the footage, sent the copied video to Xu Mo, and attached an audio clip.

"The person dumped the fish just after 2 a. m.; he was wrapped tightly, face obscured, but from his build it appears to be a male," the audio said.

Xu Mo watched the video Chen Ke sent and confirmed that, as Chen Ke described, the footage captured the person discarding the bag, but the man was wrapped so tightly his features were invisible.

Chen Ke could find no more, and then he returned to the Police Station with the officers and the purchaser.

At this point, the officers who had been interrogating the hotel chefs and manager finished their questioning.

The interrogation results matched their initial assessment: the chefs were completely unaware and had no suspicion; they only discovered the body fragments while processing the fish.

Keeping them at the Police Station was pointless, so Xu Mo, after reminding them not to leak the case, released everyone.

Besides the chefs, the purchaser also had little suspicion; the footage could prove his innocence.

The footage showed the bag of Ankang fish was discarded in the trash can at 2 a. m.; the purchaser only retrieved the fish after six in the morning. Comparing the two, the purchaser's build was slightly smaller, so he is not a suspect.

…

The Police Station was shrouded in smoke.

The huge office area was unnaturally quiet; apart from the sound of tobacco burning in the officers' hands, there was no other noise.

The officers were all intently reviewing the footage, none speaking.

Since the victim's identity was unknown, the investigation could only start with the tightly wrapped man captured on the camera beside the trash can.

The Ankang fish with body fragments inside were dumped by this man; he is the prime suspect, and the victim was most likely murdered by him!

Although the camera only captured his silhouette, not his face, that's no issue; at 2 a. m. the seafood market is nearly empty, so even without facial comparison the officers can easily spot the man who appeared there in the dead of night across the various feeds.

After half an hour of tracing the road cameras, the officers located the man's destination after leaving the market—a rundown residential complex.

"That must be his home!" Li Chen said, energized.

"Probably, let's go check," Xu Mo decided.

The group set off immediately, heading toward that old complex…