Chapter 476: Just Use This Test for the Officer?

A corpse of an adult male weighing around 170 jin is not something one person can lift.

When a person is drunk, unconscious, or otherwise unaware, they become unusually hard to lift; a single person simply cannot move a corpse.

Moreover, directly transporting a corpse is not only exhausting but also risky of being discovered, so Xu Mo inferred that the killer is more than one person and that the killer has a vehicle for the crime.

Xu Mo's analysis is much the same as Han Fei's.

But the primary task now is not analyzing the killer, but first confirming the victim's identity.

The victim's face has been artificially damaged, making identification by appearance impossible.

"The killer is a resident of this area, and the victim is very likely also from here; let's check the residents of this area to see if any middle‑aged men have recently gone missing," the experienced Han Fei said, following Xu Mo's analysis.

He has handled many homicide cases and is fairly familiar with this type of case.

These cases almost always share one common trait: the Throw Corpse site is usually not far from the crime scene, because the killer follows the principle of proximity when disposing of the body.

After all, the longer the night, the more trouble can arise; no one wants to invite trouble, and if a traffic police stop occurs halfway and the corpse in the car is discovered, it's over.

After Han Fei issued the order, the police officers immediately investigated recent missing middle‑aged men in this area.

The investigation went smoothly; this time they actually found one.

Liang Youping, thirty‑four years old, vanished without a trace three days ago; his disappearance time and age match the death time Xu Mo inferred for the victim.

Police brought the corpse back to the Police Station; to ensure the subsequent investigation stays on track, they also notified Liang Youping's family—his wife—and asked her to identify the body.

Liang Youping's wife arrived at the Police Station shortly thereafter.

Upon seeing the corpse, her remarks instantly left the police dumbfounded.

"This isn't Liang Youping; he weighs only about 130 jin, he's not that bulky, and he doesn't have any tattoos."

The police database doesn't record details such as a person's weight or whether they have tattoos, which is why they brought a family member to identify the body to avoid mistakes.

"Not your husband?" Han Fei was slightly taken aback.

"Yes! He has no tattoos at all; I hate tattoos, especially full‑sleeve ones," the woman replied. "If there's nothing else, may I leave?"

"Sure, thank you for cooperating," Han Fei nodded.

However, as the woman turned and hadn't left yet, Xu Mo called out to her.

"Wait, don't go. You don't seem at all anxious about your husband's disappearance."

The woman turned back and gave a cold laugh.

"Heh, why would I be anxious? That bastard ran off with my sister‑in‑law; I actually hope he dies—if he dies, it's best, because those several apartments here become mine."

Goodness! He ran off with his sister‑in‑law…?

Isn't this Huang He Qian's business? A very familiar melody instantly rang in Xu Mo's mind.

No wonder the woman wasn't anxious at all; Xu Mo dismissed his suspicion toward her and waved his hand.

"That's all, you may go. Thank you for cooperating."

But the woman suddenly wasn't in a hurry to leave; she pulled a business card from her bag, handed it to Xu Mo, and gave a flirtatious glance: "Handsome, here's my contact info; if you have any more questions, feel free to reach out anytime, even at night—I'm available twenty‑four hours…"

Earlier she was only focused on whether her husband was dead; if Xu Mo hadn't called out to her before she left, she wouldn't have noticed this little handsome guy.

Using this as a test for the officer? I'm not Cao Ze! Xu Mo simply didn't take the card.

"Please have some self‑respect!"

Seeing this, the self‑indulgent woman shrugged and left the Police Station.

After the woman left, Han Fei furrowed his brows and muttered to himself.

"Liang Youping isn't the victim… then who is this corpse?"

At this point, even the experienced Han Fei was at a loss.

The worst thing in an investigation is not being able to determine the victim's identity! Because even with immense ability, you can't proceed; after all, if the victim's identity is unclear, there's simply no way to start.

Beside him, Xu Mo stared at the corpse, already forming an idea.

He possesses a skill: Bone‑Based Portrait!

This is one of the high‑difficulty techniques in the portrait skill granted by the System Reward; even if the corpse's face is severely damaged or only a skull remains, he can reconstruct the victim's appearance from the skull.

During previous investigations, Xu Mo had already used this technique.

However, it requires a long time.

Previously, to save time—since the victim's identity could be determined by normal means, there was no need for Bone‑Based Portrait; it would be a waste of time.

But now, with the police unable to confirm the victim's identity, using Xu Mo's Bone‑Based Portrait to do so is perfectly appropriate.

"Han Team, I have a way to confirm the victim's identity," Xu Mo said after deciding to use this method.

"You have a way?" Han Fei was startled, looking at Xu Mo: "What method do you have?"

"Do you still remember Bone‑Based Portrait?"

Hearing this, Han Fei's previously worried eyes instantly brightened.

Right, how could I have forgotten Xu Mo's skill! He actually used this method during earlier investigations.

Han Fei slapped his forehead.

"Right, right, look at me—I've been so busy I forgot about this case. Can you start now? If you can, I'll go get paper and a pen."

Xu Mo nodded, then began to carefully observe the corpse's face, attempting in his mind to reconstruct the victim's appearance as fully as possible.

It's a massive undertaking; it requires a long time and meticulous observation to complete.

In a short while, Han Fei fetched paper and pen and handed them to Xu Mo.

He even thoughtfully brought a small table and a chair, put on gloves, and assisted Xu Mo.

"Tell me directly which angle you need to observe from, and I'll assist you," Han Fei said.

Bone‑Based Portrait requires multiple observations of the corpse's face from various angles, so the skull must be turned frequently.

Xu Mo needs to focus on the portrait; constantly moving the corpse and then returning to his seat wastes time.

"Is this angle okay?" Han Fei asked.

"Okay... that's about right, Han Team, turn a bit to the left, let me see..."

The two coordinated with great harmony.

It took a little over four hours, and Xu Mo completed the portrait: "Done!"