Chapter 125: The Flies Will Tell You Where the Wound Is

At the scene, rain was pattering down. Rain, it seems, can drive people to crime, but the same rain can also drag certain sins back out into the open.

The child was discovered by the garbage dump, a spot that was usually deserted; the ones who found him were just some people out for a stroll.

A few opportunistic streamers had planned to put on a show at the dump and do a livestream, and then they stumbled on the body and called the police.

Under the night, the lights flickered.

A canopy was propped up overhead, and soon the flies swarming around the corpse came into view.

The stench had already begun to spread.

A few officers couldn't take it and ducked aside.

Old Song forced down his nausea and said, "What do we do? This spot isn't easy to work in."

Chen Fan said, "I'll handle it."

Chen Fan raised his hand, then looked at the half-section of a body in his grip and said, "Sorry, it broke. Sigh."

????

Wait, no—holy crap.

The viewers watching the livestream were dumbfounded; the rookies eating hotpot were dumbfounded too—did it really have to go this far?

Old Liu's face darkened as he said, "Bag it up fast, now."

Chen Fan and Old Liu busied themselves here; the scene was left to the remaining trainees, while the two of them had to head back to speed things up.

Because, in their eyes, the hotpot was still warm—finish the work now and they could still get a few bites of piping-hot hotpot.

And there was still fine wine left untouched.

Back inside, Chen Fan picked up a knife and the rest of the tools and said, "Speed it up, or what?"

"Use the most old-fashioned method."

"What?"

"Find the cause of death, the clues—look for those later. Hand the cause of death to Old Song; that guy's sharp, he'll crack the case fast."

"I need a reason."

"The way the body's been handled is too crude—this is a crime of passion. The faster, the better."

The two of them picked up their knives.

The cameraman had long since fled, leaving only the camera behind.

If it were an adult, perhaps everyone could bear it—but what if it were a child?

To be precise, a boy of thirteen or fourteen?

Everyone's heart couldn't take it anymore.

"Where the flies land, where the decay is—that's the spot we most need to dissect."

Chen Fan made the incision while Old Liu compared and analyzed alongside him.

"Death from a ruptured spleen and stomach—this kid never went to a hospital?"

Chen Fan and Old Liu were instantly alert.

Death from the spleen and stomach—that tells a story.

No knife wounds, but bruises on the body; the bruises suggested this boy may have suffered some other kind of beating.

Chen Fan compared the wounds and took photos.

The cause of death was found; nothing extra was discovered on the victim, and because of the rain, any fingerprints had been washed fairly clean.

Inside the stomach, however, something else turned up.

"Time of death is basically confirmed—three days ago."

"Yep, his last meal was hotpot. Whoa, same dishes as ours."

In the dissection room, Chen Fan complained helplessly; Old Liu said, "We're live."

"Uh, sorry, sorry, my bad, everyone. Force of habit, force of habit—couldn't hold it in. You guys aren't grossed out, right?"

The viewers, naturally, said nothing.

"Then I'll take that as your approval."

With that, Chen Fan took the contents out and placed them on a tray.

Well, the livestream lost half its audience.

They just couldn't take it anymore.

Besides, when Chen Fan was writing up the report, he added a few interesting words.

"Malnutrition."

????

Malnutrition.

Old Liu stared at those four characters and said, "You're adding that in?"

"Just tell me if it's true or not."

"It is, but it's easy to mislead people."

"That's none of my business. I just deliver the truth to Old Song."

Once that was done, Chen Fan and Old Liu went back to their hotpot—luck was on their side, it was still there, steaming hot.

Old Song looked over the series of photos and the related report, did some quick calculating, and said, "Just wait—within three hours I'll have the case cracked for you."

"Care for a drink too?"

"Yeah, a drink, a drink. When I was in the hospital they wouldn't let me touch a drop. This liquor looks pretty good to me."

At that moment Xiang Qinqin walked in, tugging a child along, and said, "Um, this kid says he killed someone."

々～ 　"

The room was unusually quiet. Hu Ge had sobered up completely. He looked at the child standing in the doorway — the child was drenched, having clearly stood in the rain before running over.

And yet, a child like this had taken the initiative to confess.