Insights Chapter 11: River Corpse

Chapter 11: River Corpse

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

In the following days, the Special Criminal Division still had no cases coming in. Song Qiancheng and Wen Wan often took Shen Junci to examine various challenging bodies. Gu Yanchen was quite relaxed, taking a few detectives to the training ground for various physical exercises. Lu Ying’s biceps became even more developed. Bai Meng went through all the files, and the roses in the office were on the verge of blooming.

Among the team, only Qi Yi’an seemed a bit uneasy. He had finally entered the seemingly impressive Special Criminal Division, but there was no work for him, which was unexpected for the medical examiner assistant.

Eventually, Qi Yi’an couldn’t endure it and went to ask Shen Junci what he should do. “No tasks?” 

Shen Junci pondered for a moment. “How about reviewing the illustrated guide to post-mortem changes?”

Qi Yi’an felt disappointed; he wanted to see real bodies, not just pictures. Shen Junci suggested, “Or you can go find Director Lu?” 

Qi Yi’an sighed, “Ever since Captain Gu came looking for me last time, Director Lu has been avoiding our office.”

Having heard this, Shen Junci advised, “If you can’t stand it, you can talk to Captain Gu about a transfer.” 

Qi Yi’an hastily waved his hands, “No, I don’t want to change jobs for now.” He had a good impression of his colleagues; he just wished there were more cases.

With the Teacher not assigning any tasks, Qi Yi’an took advantage of Shen Junci’s lunch break to seek advice from the detectives. Bai Meng changed her screensaver to the latest idol, saying, “Others are still waiting for an opportunity.”

Lu Ying put down his dumbbell to comfort him, “Having nothing to do means peace in Penang. That’s a good thing.” 

These words didn’t console Qi Yi’an.

Gu Yanchen sensed the junior colleague’s disappointment and reassured him, “Don’t worry; Director Ding won’t leave positions idle. Cases will come when the time is right.” 

Qi Yi’an asked, “Then… what kind of cases are assigned to us here?” 

He noticed an issue; although the Special Criminal Division was established, the leaders didn’t provide a clear scope for receiving cases. Regular cases were still being sent to the criminal investigation division.

Gu Yanchen said, “Cases with high difficulty and attention.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the phone on the table rang. Bai Meng picked it up, listened for a few moments, and turned to Gu Yanchen, saying, “Captain Gu, a case has come in.”

Gu Yanchen told Qi Yi’an, “Go get your teacher ready for deployment.”

At one o’clock in the afternoon, Penang City Bureau, Shen Junci was called out of the lounge by Qi Yi’an, who voluntarily carried the evidence collection box. The patrol car was already waiting. Gu Yanchen had been waiting downstairs, and his first glance caught sight of Shen Junci. It was overcast today and the temperature wasn’t high. Doctor Shen wore a white shirt, a black tie, and a seemingly spotless white medical examiner suit on top, appearing very reserved.

Shen Junci noticed Gu Yanchen’s gaze and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Gu Yanchen withdrew his gaze and said, “Nothing, your appearance looks very professional.”

Shen Junci said, “It won’t be the same when I put on the protective suit later.”

In his experience, even if one dressed cleanly, they would get dirty when working at the scene. Moreover, the batch of disposable blue protective suits provided by the City Bureau resembled trash bags in terms of material.

This time, Lu Ying served as the driver. The entire Special Criminal Division team took the seven-seater commercial vehicle. Shen Junci got into the car and automatically sat in the front row near the window. Gu Yanchen also got in and sat next to him.

Qi Yi’an sat in the back, and Bai Meng took the front passenger seat. There was still room for five more people in the car. Apart from their team, there was another City Bureau forensic vehicle following them, led by someone from the forensic department named Chen Mian. Bai Meng had already coordinated with the receiving sub-bureau and roughly explained the case information to them in the car, “This case doesn’t seem complicated. A 55-year-old male, presumed to have drowned while fishing. The sub-bureau has been salvaging for two days and found the body downstream.”

Lu Ying asked, “Why did they assign this case to us?”

Bai Meng explained, “The identity of the deceased is somewhat special, named Fang Zhenrong.”

As soon as this name was mentioned, everyone on the scene suddenly realized.

The name Fang Zhengrong was well-known to everyone in Penang. All of this was because he was the owner of the Zhengrong Group and a tycoon in Penang’s water industry. Several decades ago, if someone said that one could become wealthy by selling water, people would have thought the speaker was crazy. Water was a common asset, a gift from nature, nurturing life in rivers, ponds, and wells, an infinite resource. Later, people began extracting groundwater, and tap water entered households. Subsequently, people’s drinking habits changed, and bottled water and water containers became part of daily life. Water, seemingly inexpensive, became a lucrative business due to low production costs, turning it into a high-profit venture. Fang Zhengrong was a standout in this business.

Later, the media portrayed him as a representative entrepreneur, enjoying a moment of glory. His rags-to-riches story and some family matters became the subject of public gossip. Fang Zhengrong managed the Zhengrong Group, with several companies under his name, specializing in purified water, fruit juice, sports drinks, and tea beverages. Now, his drowning has become a cause for lamentation, a life shaped by water, both in prosperity and demise.

Lu Ying commented, “I think I’ve seen gossip about Fang Zhengrong online.”

Bai Meng nodded, “Eight years ago, Fang Zhengrong’s wife passed away, and shortly after, he married a young star named Lan Jie. Gossip erupted online, claiming Lan Jie was a third party who caused the death of his first wife. The news spread like wildfire. Fang Zhengrong’s son, Fang Jialiang, also had conflicts with his stepmother. He never appeared whenever Lan Jie was around.”

Lu Ying nodded, “Yes, I remember the uproar back then. What happened afterward?”

Bai Meng said, “I guess the initial gossip was probably fueled by Fang Jialiang’s anger, and later on, Fang Zhengrong might have intervened. It’s all part of the games played by the wealthy.”

After sharing information about Fang Zhengrong, Bai Meng continued, “The incident happened at Fangxing Fishing Ground. Originally, local farmers managed the place. Fang Zhengrong visited a few times, liked it, and bought the fishing ground. It operated normally, but when Fang Zhengrong wanted to fish for leisure, they would close the area for fishing in advance, specifically for him. He even built a large vacation villa downstream. This time, he drowned in the fishing ground.”

Qi Yi’an sighed upon hearing this, “Prohibiting fishing might have its downsides. Now is the peak season for fishing. If someone else was fishing too, and he accidentally fell into the water, someone would have rescued him.”

The conversation shifted to the scenery outside the window, and Lu Ying asked, “With mountains and water, the wealthy truly know how to enjoy life. How did he pick this place?”

Shen Junci mused, “He chose a resting place for himself.”

The atmosphere in the car turned cold for a moment, and the group fell silent.

Gu Yanchen redirected the conversation back to work, “When was the police report filed?”

Bai Meng replied, “The night before last. His family noticed he didn’t come home, so they reported it. The police searched upstream and found his fishing gear. Initially, they treated it as a missing person case until this morning when they found the body. That’s when it turned into a criminal case.”

Director Ding expressed concern, “Have there been any witnesses?”

“He went fishing alone,” Bai Meng said, then added, “According to the information from the sub-bureau, there were a few other people with Fang Zhengrong this time. Besides his young wife Lan Jie, there was also his secretary Zhong Zhichun and his son Fang Jialiang.”

Gu Yanchen instructed, “When we arrive, the medical examiner will examine the body. Bai Meng, you and the forensic team check the water scene upstream. Lu Ying, take some officers from the sub-bureau to inquire around here and see if anyone knows anything.”

Qi Yi’an, appearing nervous, asked, “But isn’t fishing prohibited?”

Bai Meng looked at him disdainfully, “Do you think he’s the emperor? In such a large fishing ground, there must be people fishing or engaging in activities nearby.”

Qi Yi’an, in his first field appearance, felt a bit nervous and talkative. He licked his lips and asked again, “Has the medical examiner from the sub-bureau checked? Shouldn’t we coordinate with them?”

Bai Meng bluntly retorted, “I don’t think it makes much of a difference whether we coordinate or not. You may not know, but several sub-bureaus in Penang have some issues. Some of the chiefs were cronies of the former director Wang, and the Second and Fourth sub-bureaus have the lowest operational capability. They always make us at the City Bureau handle the dirty work, excel in slacking off, and often go against orders from the City Bureau.”

Lu Ying added, “They probably only grasp the ‘able to endure’ part of the three words ‘able to endure hardships.'”

As they continued discussing, the police car ascended the mountain road. The fishing ground was halfway up the mountain, not far from the scene. They arrived to find police cars and assistants already present. Approaching the body, Shen Junci crouched down, putting on gloves. Qi Yi’an, carrying a slightly heavy investigation kit, followed closely behind.

The body of Fang Zhengrong, just salvaged, was left untouched as the City Bureau was taking over the case. Shen Junci, at the side of the body, carefully examined it.

On the other side, not far away, Captain Cao handed a cigarette to Gu Yanchen. Gu Yanchen accepted it, and Captain Cao respectfully took out a lighter, lit it, and Gu Yanchen put the cigarette to his lips, igniting it. He took a deep drag and exhaled a puff of smoke. Gu Yanchen wasn’t a heavy smoker, just an occasional one. He often received cigarettes from others during social occasions, and he usually didn’t refuse.

Captain Cao lit his own cigarette. Watching the busy scene around them, Gu Yanchen asked Captain Cao, “Captain Cao, what’s the situation with this case?”

Captain Cao replied, “I’ve been here for a while. I’ve questioned the witnesses and got their statements. Mr. Fang Zhengrong was old and not in the best of health. He went fishing alone that day, and the scene is clean with no footprints. It seems to be a straightforward accident.”

Giving a lead to test the waters, Gu Yanchen opened the conversation, and Captain Cao continued with a detailed account. After patiently listening to the whole story, Gu Yanchen asked, “Can Fang Zhengrong swim?”

Captain Cao paused and said, “We usually deal with drowning cases, and surprisingly, whether someone can swim or not doesn’t matter much. There’s a saying that most people who drown can actually swim.”

Understanding that Captain Cao hadn’t delved into the details, Gu Yanchen offered him an out, “So, it sounds like an accident.”

Captain Cao responded, “Exactly, and the family has no objections. I was about to report it. However, Director Ding was uneasy. Considering this hot weather, he still wanted you to make a trip.”

After this brief conversation, Gu Yanchen could sense Captain Cao’s relief. He looked at the hastily set-up police cordon and had a clear understanding in his mind. If the family doesn’t make a fuss, declaring it an accident is a win-win situation.

Even though Fang Zhengrong was no more, his son Fang Jialiang remained, and the local bureau had benefited from the Fang family over the years. If anything came up, they didn’t want to send the golden goose into trouble.

Gu Yanchen glanced at Shen Junci inspecting the body not far away and flicked the ash off his cigarette. He casually said, “Alright, let’s wait for the medical examiner. If everything checks out, I’ll wrap it up quickly.”

Captain Cao nodded and said, “Sure, I guarantee there won’t be any issues.”