Insights Chapter 20: Amusement Park

Chapter 20: Amusement Park

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

In the medical examiner’s meeting room, Gu Yanchen handcuffed the boy and informed Lu Ying’s team to come for the arrest, preparing to formally record his statement. He led the parents into the corridor and addressed them, “You’ve seen it; current evidence indicates that this is not an accident. Your elder son, Ji Hong, is suspected of murder. Please withdraw the application to avoid an autopsy and cooperate with our police in taking his statement.”

Hearing this, Li Chumei finally reacted. It was as if she had just met her own son. She cried, “Why, why would he do such a thing?!”

Although she had been neglectful of her children, she never expected such a situation to unfold.

Father Ji Jian’an also grew anxious and blamed Li Chumei, “I told you not to request an autopsy. Why do you always stir up trouble?”

This unintentional remark had a profound impact. Gu Yanchen stood on the side, understanding the reasons behind it. The father had taken the child to the hospital last night; perhaps he already knew something and even cleaned up the lychee shells. He was not completely ignorant of the situation.

Crying, Li Chumei said, “Can’t we just let it go? Or maybe you’ve made a mistake?” She reached out to pull Wen Wan, even knelt down with a thud, “Wen Wan, I beg you. He’s my only son left.”

Wen Wan sighed, pushing away her hand. After many years of not seeing each other, she felt a sense of unfamiliarity with this older sister. The one who initially sought the truth was Li Chumei, but now she wanted to protect her elder son.

Shen Junci stood by, indifferent to the melodrama, his handsome face showing a cold expression. The child before him seemed like a spoiled apple, appearing fine on the outside, but poison had already infiltrated the flesh. To these parents, losing one son might be painful, but if the elder son went to jail, it would be an even heavier loss. That’s why the father had signed the no-autopsy agreement, wanting to keep everything hidden. The wife’s actions had brought everything to light.

They didn’t care if their elder son was guilty or how their younger son had unjustly died. In the game between the living and the dead, the parents quickly chose the one still alive. But what about the child lying on the autopsy table? Who had ever considered him?

With a frail body, long-term malnutrition, and enduring bullying from his brother, he probably never imagined that the sweet lychee handed to him by his brother would become his death sentence.

As the child was taken away, the parents continued to resist, unwilling to cooperate with the investigation. Shen Junci handed over the consent form for the autopsy. Standing aside, he said, “Such a young age, already using external factors to murder his own biological brother. If he grows up and gains more knowledge, who knows what terrible things he might do to the people he resents.”

Hearing these words, Li Chumei’s eyes flickered, and the father gritted his teeth, finally taking the form and signing it. They knew that the child harbored resentment toward them as well. If not restrained and disciplined, he might kill them in the future. The deceased had passed away, but life had to go on.

.

In the afternoon, the police finally found evidence of Ji Hong stealing lychees in the lychee orchard through surveillance footage. As Ji Hong was under fourteen years old, he was held in special custody awaiting trial. The case was quickly resolved.

In the evening, Gu Yanchen drove Shen Junci home. Shen Junci said, “Don’t order anything for dinner.”

Gu Yanchen asked, “Do you have plans?”

Shen Junci looked at the ordering app, “I found that Lingzhi Pavilion nearby has a two-person takeout combo. It looks good, but it’s a bit much for one person. You treated me last time, so this time it’s my treat.”

Gu Yanchen hadn’t decided what to eat for the evening, so he agreed. Shen Junci went back to take a shower, and when he came out, the takeout had arrived. He knocked on the door across the hall. Gu Yanchen opened the door, and his house was as neat as ever. Captain Gu had just finished wiping the paws of an unleashed dog and then removed the leash.

The newly liberated dog eagerly abandoned his owner and ran to Shen Junci’s side. Shen Junci scratched the dog’s chin, and the dog squinted his eyes in enjoyment. Shen Junci then fed him some chicken.

After Wuliang finished eating, he stuck out his tongue, wagged his tail, and rolled on the floor. Shen Junci took out his phone and snapped a photo of the cute scene.

Seeing the dignified old police dog acting cute, Gu Yanchen couldn’t help but make an expression of disbelief. He thought of a practical matter, “If I’m busy with overtime in the future, can you help me walk him?”

Shen Junci said, “Sure. I’ve had dogs before, so I know how to walk them. Just give me the key when the time comes.”

Gu Yanchen helped with the bowls and chopsticks, saying, “I have a fingerprint lock at home; I’ll help you record a fingerprint.”

Shen Junci paused while arranging the dishes, “Captain Gu, aren’t you afraid of things being stolen from your home?”

“What’s there to be afraid of?” Gu Yanchen said, “Afraid a medical examiner will steal from the detective next door?”

Shen Junci chuckled. Gu Yanchen added, “Rest assured, Wuliang isn’t just for show. He won’t be this polite to strangers entering the house.”

Shen Junci said, “He seems to have a good temperament.”

Gu Yanchen replied, “That’s with you. Back when he participated in a drug busts, he bit a drug dealer who had previously injured two police officers. He latched onto the person, even with a bullet hitting his belly, and almost tore the person’s arm off. Because of that, he was awarded first-class merit. He even gets extra cans of dog food on weekends.”

Shen Junci touched the scar on the dog’s belly and gave him another piece of chicken leg. As they sat down to eat, Gu Yanchen noticed the variety of dishes – chicken, fish, and thought the food from this place was good. Even the takeaway boxes were custom-made.

Gu Yanchen suggested, “I think we can help each other and share meals in the future.”

Shen Junci asked, “Captain Gu, aren’t you afraid your future girlfriend will object?”

“If I really plan to find a girlfriend, do I need your help walking the dog?” Gu Yanchen pushed a box of sour fish towards Shen Junci. “Relationships depend on fate; you can’t force them.”

Shen Junci asked casually, “Captain Gu, I heard you refused Director Huang’s introduction to his daughter?”

The director of the City Bureau’s anti-vice unit was surnamed Huang, and he was jokingly referred to as ‘I clean myself’ by others. There were rumors in the bureau that Gu Yanchen had turned down the director’s daughter, and since then, he hadn’t been actively introduced to potential partners.

“That was ages ago, right? At that time, I was still in the detective squad, busy with cases,” Gu Yanchen paused. “I told Director Huang that being in a relationship would affect the speed of solving cases.”

Shen Junci looked down at the chicken leg in his bowl, lost in thought. He could imagine Director Huang being infuriated. The conversation then shifted to weekend plans, such as going to the supermarket together. The detective squad had a case last week that hadn’t been solved yet. Deputy Director Chen was actually bald, wearing a wig.

Gu Yanchen showed Shen Junci his projector, which he installed during the renovation but hadn’t used much. Shen Junci was interested, “It should be good for playing games.”

Gu Yanchen immediately suggested, “Alright, I’ll buy some new games, and you can come over to play together.”

.

After finishing dinner, Shen Junci returned to his side, lit some Tibetan incense, and sat at the table, illuminated by the light of the desk lamp. He habitually unlocked his phone and browsed through the pictures.

Among them was a photo he took of Wuliang. Shen Junci logged into a cloud account, found a picture of a small puppy with big eyes and unkempt fur. Even the bravest and most experienced dogs had a childhood.

Shen Junci remembered that the puppy was brought home by Lin Xianglan during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Lin Xianglan claimed it was a Mid-Autumn gift for him. Seeing through his father’s trick, Shen Junci exposed Lin Xianglan’s scheme, “Dad, did you forget what day it is today and just randomly brought a dog from the police station?”

Lin Xianglan was caught but showed no shame. He placed a bag of mooncakes on the table; due to being late, he could only find five-nut flavor.

“We got a litter of purebred German Shepherds in the department, a total of five. This little one was too weak, couldn’t compete for food with the others. Captain Liu suggested finding a family to raise it and then reassessing later.” He consoled his son, “When they mentioned this to me today, I suddenly remembered it’s the Mid-Autumn Reunion Festival. It must be fate!”

Hearing this, Lin Luo suddenly felt sympathy for the puppy. With no mother and a busy father, the small dog was left to fend for itself and was already being rejected by people at such a young age. He hugged the little thing. The puppy was small, warm, and a bundle of joy. He asked, “Can I keep him?”

Lin Xianglan replied, “You can keep him for now. When he’s grown up, we’ll take him for police dog training. If he passes the test, he’s officially yours. You can give him a name.” 

Looking at the dog, he glanced at the mooncakes on the table and said, “Let’s call him Wuren (Five Nut).”

This was his first pet in life, a small and fluffy creature that wobbled when it walked. Wherever he went, the dog would follow. Later, after raising the dog diligently, half a year later, the small creature began to grow rapidly, transforming into a large dog. He understood human language. Lin Luo learned some training methods online and provided the dog with basic training—crawling, lying down, running, jumping, catching frisbees, overcoming obstacles—all with high spirits.

Lin Xianglan watched as the dog grew and started picking peaches. He took Wuren to the police department for the canine exam. After school, Lin Luo also went to observe. He nervously watched as the police dog was tested for fierceness, sense of smell, obedience to commands, and search ability.

The results were excellent, passing on the first attempt. Lin Xianglan pulled Wuren over and solemnly said, “From today, you’ll be eating police rations.”

The dog seemed to understand, sticking out his tongue and extending a paw for a handshake. Lin Xianglan, with a serious tone, said, “Remember, there are no tasks that cannot be completed, only brave dogs!”

The team leader in charge of the dogs, upon hearing the name Wuren, smiled broadly. “This nickname is quite good. We already have a Maotai (a type of liquor), so let’s call him Wuliangye (another type of liquor).”

At some point, the dog Lin Luo had worked hard to raise was suddenly taken away by someone else. It was the first time Lin Luo experienced the feeling of being used as a tool. He cried profusely.

Lin Xianglan teased him, “It’s not like the dog died. If you miss him, you can go see him anytime at the police station.”

In the blink of an eye, more than ten years had passed. The once-small dog had become a retired police dog, having achieved great success and accomplishments.

Shen Junci felt that Wuliang seemed to recognize him. He scrolled through his gallery, and his finger swiped forward. Recently, his phone had accumulated quite a few pictures. These were photos he took of Gu Yanchen, both on-site and in the office. Some were candid shots he hadn’t had time to filter. Shen Junci deleted the blurry ones, leaving behind the clear and attractive ones. He selected one as the background image for chatting with Gu Yanchen.

.

Around six in the evening, on the outskirts of Penang North City. The sky had gradually darkened, and the lingering glow of the sunset illuminated a giant Ferris wheel in the high sky, casting a mixed yellow light.

The towering Ferris wheel had long ceased its rotation, covered in rust. Occasionally, the wind would blow, producing creaking sounds. Standing quietly nearby were various amusement rides – a pirate ship, a free fall ride, a giant swing – essentially a complete set of an amusement park.

At this moment, the amusement park was deserted, except for occasional birds flying by. It seemed like a forgotten ruin of humanity. Two men exited a taxi at the entrance of the amusement park. The driver, looking as if he had seen a ghost, hastily turned the car around, speeding away, leaving them behind.

Both men carried various photography equipment. One held a smartphone, and the other held a DSLR camera, live-streaming their exploration. They were the popular adventure content creators, a duo running a joint account. One was chubby, the other slim, and as they live-streamed, they bantered like comedians. Due to their prolific content and humorous style, they had accumulated hundreds of thousands of followers.

“Give us a thumbs up, everyone! Cover our taxi fare. This place is too far, cost us 120 bucks. It’s so remote, who would come here for fun?”, said one of them.

“You’re clueless. Back in the day, this place was packed with kids,” the chubby one mused.

“I figured it out. In the past, it was the kids who went to amusement parks. Children’s playgrounds, amusement centers – now, it’s mostly adults going to amusement parks. Look at Universal Studios, Disney – queues every day,” the slim one remarked.

“You’re foolish. Our parents’ generation didn’t play much. I think those kids who went to amusement parks in the past grew up and became a bunch of ‘leeks,'” the chubby one joked.

At this point, the slim one skillfully took out mosquito repellent, spraying himself and the chubby one from head to toe. The chubby one opened a small speaker, playing eerie music. They officially began their broadcast.

“Now, we’re going to take you to the abandoned Penang Park,” said the slim one.

“Yeah, it’s been abandoned for nearly ten years,” added the chubby one.

“First, let’s feel the atmosphere here. This place is perfect for shooting post-apocalyptic scenes!” the slim one exclaimed, circling around with his smartphone.

A gust of wind made him shiver, and the lens in his hand trembled. The chubby one laughed, “It feels a few degrees colder than in the city.”

The slim one argued, “It’s because I sprayed mosquito repellent just now. The wind makes it cooler.”

The two continued walking forward, with only the sound of background music and the rustling of weeds under their feet.

The amusement park wasn’t too big or too small, showing faint traces of past human activities. Snack wrappers were scattered on the ground, and the chubby one picked one up, examining it, “Ten years old!”

The slim one, with a mysterious tone, said, “Rumor has it that this place was abandoned because of an accident with the giant swing. The arm suddenly broke, killing over a dozen people on the spot. The park owner went bankrupt, closed the park, and no one has bought this land since.”

The barrage of comments in the live chat quickly filled the screen.

“Oh my god, a giant swing falling down is like the ceiling fan falling in the classroom – my two childhood traumas!”

“Fake, there’s no record of a giant swing death incident online.”

“Hey, streamer, change the background music, this one is too spooky.”

“I don’t get it, this place is not scary at all; it’s all thanks to that eerie background music.”

“Best performance award: Background music.”

“Others do late-night exploration live broadcasts, and now it’s just past six, the sun hasn’t even set, and you guys are starting? Can’t handle late-night adventures?”

The slim one glanced at the barrage and interacted with the questions, “Can’t handle it? Let me tell you, today we’re not planning to go back. We’re spending the night here.”

The live audience was greatly satisfied, applauding and encouraging them.

“This is what an adventure streamer looks like!”

The two continued walking towards the center of the amusement park. They had to break through some wire fences, entering the park. The ground was covered with yellow withered grass.

Many wooden structures were decaying, and the old decorations had fallen off, entwined with each other. Graffiti covered the walls, with the clowns and balloons now looking faded and somewhat eerie. The two streamers chatted and joked with each other as they walked.

“Be careful with the wire fence. If you scratch yourself, I won’t accompany you to get a tetanus shot.”

“Look, the carousel! Hmm, it seems like we can still ride on it.”

“With your weight, be careful not to collapse. Oh, what’s on the ground?”

“A dead bird!”

“Do you smell something?”

“I think I stepped on a frog just now.”

Soon, they continued chatting and walking, crossing the tracks of a small train, arriving at the west side of the amusement park. There was a large building nearby, probably the biggest structure in the amusement park. The building had several windows, all shattered, and the sign on the roof had fallen, making the writing illegible.

The live chat asked, “Isn’t this a haunted house?”

The slim one waved the map in his hand, “Haunted house? This is the Youth Activity Center. Haven’t you heard that amusement parks used to have activity centers? It’s a tear of the era.”

The Penang Park Youth Activity Center used to be quite famous, hosting regular art exhibitions, scientific displays, and lectures. Nowadays, such setups were no longer popular, but back then, parents highly praised this arrangement.

The slim one agilely climbed through a window, moving like an Assassin’s Creed character. Inside, he found some areas covered with glass roofs, letting the evening sun in, bringing a hint of summer heat.

“So hot!” The slim one was sweating profusely, taking off his outer layer and tying it around his waist.

The chubby one followed suit, his movements clumsy. After climbing twice and being pulled up by the slim one, he finally reached the window sill. As he was about to jump down, he suddenly froze, his gaze fixed on a door in the corner of the room.

The slim one turned and asked, “Why aren’t you jumping down?”

The chubby one didn’t speak, staring straight at the door, swallowing nervously.

“Jump, hurry up!” the slim one urged.

Only then did the chubby one point to something black emerging from the door, “What’s that? Looks like someone’s hair.”

The slim one turned on the flashlight and, with the sunlight from outside, walked over to take a look, “Seems like a wig.”

The background music coincidentally reached its most eerie part.

The live chat exploded, “Damn, with this music, I’m a bit scared to watch…”

“Playing mysterious, pretending to be supernatural.”

“Do you know? Many streamers come early to scout locations, put some small animal corpses, set up eerie paintings, splash some red paint to fake bloodstains – it’s all old tricks.”

The slim one stood by the window, glancing at the barrage, “Damn, if we’re acting, I’d reverse my last name.”

The barrage filled with 66666.

Then someone noticed the key point, “Aren’t you, the streamer, surnamed Wang?” 

The slim one ignored the barrage, pulled the chubby one off the wall, and they continued walking. He held a selfie stick in his hand, ready to open the door. The door was locked, an old-fashioned lock on it. It seemed like someone had tampered with it, and the lock was already loose. The chubby one, holding a DSLR, switched to video mode.

Boldly, they used the wooden pole of the selfie stick to forcefully pry open the lock. The door finally opened. Inside was a blank room with white walls and a glass roof.

As they opened the door, something leaning against it fell, revealing a segment of yellow-brown material that landed near the slim one’s feet, almost touching him.

“What is this?” the chubby one asked. “It looks like…”

The slim one bravely touched it, then recoiled, “Soft, feels like leather. What is this?!” He opened the door wider, looking inside. The camera captured a curled-up object on the floor. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he cursed, “Damn!”

It turned out to be a mummified female corpse wearing a dress. The arm they had encountered earlier belonged to this corpse.

The slim one was too scared to speak. The chubby one’s face also changed dramatically. “Ah! Ahhh!!!” This time, he didn’t need anyone’s support. With the speed of an obstacle course runner, he flipped out of the building.

Both of them ran out of the amusement park like mad, crying and screaming. The barrage swiftly scrolled, “Nice acting, I did get startled just now. But it was the streamer’s scream that scared me.”

“I didn’t see clearly what they filmed.”

“It’s fake, a mannequin, it must be fake. They set up a fake body themselves.”

“The way they ran, I’m almost getting nauseous.”

The comments were mocking and lighthearted. The two streamers were frightened out of their wits. They kept running until they were far outside the park. The slim one finally remembered they were still live-streaming, picked up his phone, and aimed it at the chubby one.

The audience watching from their screens couldn’t feel the shock the two streamers had experienced. Both had pale faces, were panting rapidly, had cold sweat on their foreheads, and goosebumps all over.

The chubby one, gasping for breath, said, “I, I recorded it just now…”

The slim one’s live stream was showing the footage he had just captured. The chubby one’s angle was clearer. At the moment the door opened, a mummified arm hung down from the empty room, followed by the view of the human figure inside.

“No, it can’t be a prop. I’ve seen haunted house props; they can’t look so real.” Tears mixed with sweat streamed down the chubby one’s face. “It’s a person! A dead person! It’s a corpse! Call the police, let’s call the police…”

.

At this moment in Penang’s third autopsy room, a middle-aged male corpse lay on the dissecting table, naked and lifeless for nearly ten hours. Under the light, the skin had taken on a pale hue.

Shen Junci, resembling an examiner, asked Song Qiancheng, “What do you think is the cause of death?”

Song Qiancheng glanced at the incident report and replied, “According to the testimony of the deceased’s wife, he mentioned smelling bitter almonds. Shortly afterward, he died suddenly. It should be cyanide poisoning.”

Having reviewed the detective’s records, Song Qiancheng preliminarily concluded that this was a case of poisoning that escalated after a neighbor dispute, but the toxicology results were still pending.

Shen Junci continued to inquire, “What are the other characteristics of cyanide poisoning?”

Song Qiancheng pondered and replied, “Cherry-red lividity, cyanosis, bright red blood, visceral congestion, and rapid death.”

Shen Junci asked again, “Do these match?”

Song Qiancheng carefully examined the corpse and said, “Bluish lips, purple tongue…”

From these observations, it seemed consistent with cyanide poisoning.

“The deceased does not have cherry-red lividity,” Shen Junci said, turning the corpse over to show the back. “When the deceased passed away, he was lying flat, and lividity is on his back. Here are some pre-mortem injuries, bruises in shades of purple.”

The deceased’s back bore the aftermath of a recent dispute with a neighbor, showing bruises. Amid the bruises, there were some peculiar brown and green colors. Although such discoloration might occur during the healing of injuries, the conditions on the corpse were noticeably different.

Qi Yi’an, who was recording on the side, exclaimed, “These are not just bruises, but blue lividity! Could it be nitrobenzene poisoning?”

Shen Junci responded, “The cause of death is poisoning, but nitrobenzene and cyanide are worlds apart. Don’t associate bitter almonds with cyanide at the first mention; we also need to rule out nitrobenzene.”

Cyanide was more well-known, but nitrobenzene belonged to the aromatic amine nitro compounds, commonly used in industry and more accessible.

Shen Junci explained, “this is just speculation based on the surface condition of the corpse and lividity. The specific cause of death can only be concluded after the autopsy.”

After the explanation, Shen Junci checked the time and said, “We’re off duty.”

Qi Yi’an playfully patted Song Qiancheng’s shoulder, saying, “Medical Examiner Song, good luck tonight.”

They should have finished work by now; Song Qiancheng had brought them in for a brief analysis. Song Qiancheng didn’t let them leave, seizing the opportunity to ask, “Doctor Shen, I’d like to ask about what you mentioned last time. What does ‘baseline corpse’ mean?”

He had noted Shen Junci mentioning this term while recording recently, and it had been on his mind.

“A baseline corpse is a perfect corpse,” Shen Junci explained. “It is the most standard one among all the corpses you dissect. Human corpses vary in many ways, like triangles with obtuse angles, acute angles, or even incomplete triangles. In our forensic investigations, sometimes we are fortunate to dissect a baseline corpse, like encountering a perfectly equilateral triangle. Such a corpse becomes your baseline.”

Shen Junci continued, and Song Qiancheng, the junior medical examiner, sensed a certain longing in his tone, starting to imagine along with him. Then he asked, “So, what does a perfect corpse look like?”

“That corpse could be an adult male or female, with a perfect physique, well-distributed fat, healthy internal organs. Once you come across such a specimen, you’ll suddenly understand what a perfect corpse looks like. The one you’ve been waiting for is that moment.”

Shen Junci added, “In short, not too tall, not too short, not too fat, not too thin. The muscle content should be just right. You can see the shape of the brainstem just from the skin. Most importantly, the internal organs must be healthy, with low fat content. Every few seconds, the heart bursts with blood, flowing throughout the body. The heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys all have a healthy color, each performing its function. Such a fresh corpse is truly invaluable.”

Song Qiancheng said, “I understand a bit now. In the art world, it’s like Michelangelo’s sculpture of David or da Vinci’s Mona Lisa!”

Shen Junci nodded, “Once you thoroughly study such a corpse and integrate that knowledge, your skills will undergo a qualitative improvement.”

Qi Yi’an sighed and poured cold water on them, “Teacher, not to mention corpses, there are hardly any people like that on the streets.”

Song Qiancheng also realized, “Yeah, I don’t think I know anyone like that.”

Shen Junci thought for a moment and mentioned, “There are some in the City Bureau, like Gu Yanchen.”

“Captain Gu…” Qi Yi’an thought for a moment. Gu Yanchen was tall, well-built, and physically healthy; indeed, he could be considered a perfect corpse on the dissecting table.

Gu Yanchen walked in, and upon hearing the term “perfect corpse” being discussed, he became a little uneasy. He asked Shen Junci, “What were you talking about just now?”

Doctor Shen remained calm, “Nothing.”

Gu Yanchen didn’t expect to get any information from him and turned to Qi Yi’an.

Qi Yi’an nervously said, “Captain Gu, we were praising you. Doctor Shen said… your physique is particularly perfect.”

Gu Yanchen, upon hearing this, glanced at Shen Junci, and Shen Junci nodded subtly, confirming it. Captain Gu felt that something was off but couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

.

It was past seven in the evening, and the sky over Penang had already turned completely dark. The police car from the station illuminated the road as it headed towards the outskirts in the north of the city.

Shen Junci and the team were in a hurry and didn’t have time to buy dinner. Fortunately, Gu Yanchen had thought ahead and instructed Lu Ying to purchase a family bucket of fried chicken, various burgers, and a bag of fruits as soon as they received the message.

Eating dinner in the car, the aroma of fried chicken wings filled the vehicle. Shen Junci also grabbed a burger and ate slowly.

Bai Meng, as usual, briefed them on the situation while flipping through the documents, explaining, “The ones who reported this case are a pair of adventure YouTubers. They were exploring the abandoned Penang amusement park and discovered a corpse in one of the buildings. The medical examiner from the sub-bureau arrived first and confirmed it to be a female corpse, already in an advanced state of decomposition.”

Qi Yi’an exclaimed, “Decomposed?!” It was not a common occurrence in their routine forensic work.

Lu Ying added, “I think I know that amusement park. It used to be crowded when it was first built.”

Bai Meng continued, “Yes, it was Penang’s first amusement park with a Ferris wheel and a swing ride. Unfortunately, times have changed.”

Lu Ying reminisced while driving, “I remember our elementary school organizing activities there. Later, they built something called Happy Valley in the city, and nobody went there anymore.”

Gu Yanchen asked, “Has the identity of the deceased been confirmed?”

Bai Meng shook her head, “I only have this much information for now; nothing else has been confirmed. The two YouTubers were live-streaming when they found the corpse, and many people witnessed the entire process. That’s why Director Ding forwarded this case to us, emphasizing the urgency of solving it quickly to minimize the social impact.”

Gu Yanchen, after listening, handed an orange to Shen Junci, “Here.”

Shen Junci hesitated for a moment, not reaching out. He explained, “I came out in a hurry and didn’t wash my hands.”

During his time at the City Bureau, he had assisted Song Qiancheng with corpse examinations, and although he wore gloves, there wasn’t always time to wash hands after removing them.

Gu Yanchen asked, “Do you want to eat?”

Shen Junci nodded slightly.

“I’ve washed my hands; you don’t mind, do you?” Gu Yanchen said, peeling an orange, taking a segment, and feeding it to Shen Junci.

Shen Junci ate a few orange segments with his burger; the oranges were sweet.

While eating, Lu Ying turned around, “Captain Gu, I also want oranges!” and opened his mouth, “Ah…”

Seeing his subordinate taking advantage, Gu Yanchen tossed him an orange, “Peel it yourself when we’re not driving.”

With fewer vehicles on the road at night, the City Bureau police cars arrived at the amusement park’s open space before 8 PM. Local police officers had already set up electric lights, connected from nearby factories, to facilitate their work during the night.

The officers disembarked, and Shen Junci, upon getting out of the car, noticed a particular facility nearby. He couldn’t help but stop and look into the darkness.

Around this area, there were tracks laid out—rails for a small train. Not far away, a small train sat motionless, with weeds growing over it.

“Teacher, what’s over there?” Qi Yi’an asked in a low voice.

“Nothing,” Shen Junci turned his head, looking at the rest, and then followed everyone towards the direction of the activity center.

The two YouTubers had not used the main entrance but had climbed into the lounge directly. Gu Yanchen’s team, leading through the main entrance, entered and saw a set of worn-out tables and chairs. Nearby shelves held outdated maps and guidebooks. The thick layer of dust on the floor had been somewhat illuminated by the lights and flashlights, reducing the eerie atmosphere.

The two adventure YouTubers were just finishing their statement with the local police officers. Lu Ying went to record the official report, seeing the thin one recovering while the plump one remained apologetic, continuously muttering, “Sorry… sorry…”

Bai Meng comforted them, “It’s okay. There are no ghosts in this world. You found her, allowing her to be free from suffering. Maybe she will be grateful to you.”

Lu Ying handed them two bottles of water after they drank; the plump guy felt a bit better. They repeated the story of how they had discovered the corpse during their live stream. Due to the live stream leaving behind visual evidence, it saved a lot of time. To avoid destroying evidence, after the footprints were collected, and the environment was photographed, Shen Junci and Qi Yi’an were allowed to enter.

Approaching the room’s entrance, they carefully observed the female corpse.

Qi Yi’an took out the crime scene investigation form, while Shen Junci put on a mask and gloves. In front of them lay a partially waxed, light-brown mummy, covered in a dull grayish hue. As they approached, an unpleasant odor emanated from the corpse.

That corpse had almost turned into a mummy, with skin tightly adhering to the bones. The eye sockets were sunken, the mouth slightly ajar, and it had shoulder-length hair. The female corpse was dressed in a linen-colored long skirt, and her undergarments were intact. Next to her was a small lady’s handbag containing a set of keys, a few banknotes, and a packet of tissues.

It was Qi Yi’an’s first time seeing a mummified corpse. He reached out to touch the skin, which felt like hardened leather. Though unmistakably human skin, the unique nature of this corpse gave him goosebumps on his arm.

Shen Junci remained composed, flipping through the details of the corpse. While observing, he recorded, “Female corpse, aged between 24 and 26, approximately 1.58 meters tall. The corpse is intact, mummified, with no apparent external injuries, no tattoos, and no obvious disabilities.”

Once he finished documenting the condition of the corpse, he started inspecting its attire, “The soles of the shoes are clean, but there is mud on the back of the clothes and shoe heels. She didn’t come here on her own; it seems like she was dragged in.”

Qi Yi’an compared it with the map and gestured, “She likely entered from the nearest west gate. The deceased has a slim figure; an adult should be able to drag her.”

Shen Junci also examined the corpse’s arms, discovering that the corpse was stuck to several broken cards. Presumably, when the woman died, she fell, and her body pressed against the shattered cards. Over time, these cards had embedded into her skin, contaminated and making it difficult to identify any writing on them.

Shen Junci requested a bag from the evidence collection team and used tweezers to carefully remove the fragmented cards.

Gu Yanchen assigned tasks for the crime scene. Walking over, Shen Junci handed him the evidence bag containing the cards.

Gu Yanchen squatted down, searching through the debris on the floor outside the room. Soon, he found another half of a broken card and, examining it in the light, vaguely made out “yo” from the word “yoga.”

Reaching through the evidence bag, he felt the card, “There’s a protruding card number on it; maybe we can reconstruct it.”

Even though the image on the card had faded, the raised indentation remained intact. Sometimes, identifying the identity of the deceased required these minute details.

Gu Yanchen inspected the lock on the cabinet, “The deceased tried to open this lock during her lifetime, so the door is somewhat deformed. She might have tried to pick the lock with this card, causing it to break.”

Shen Junci felt his deduction was reasonable. He carefully examined the corpse’s fingernails and had Qi Yi’an record, “Multiple scratches on the corpse’s fingernails. Check the room again for any other traces.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Yanchen, wearing gloves and holding a flashlight, crossed over the corpse and entered the room.

The room was approximately ten square meters, windowless, with white walls on all sides. It was empty, except for a layer of worn-out carpet on the floor. The top of the room was a skylight-type structure that had possibly contained blackout curtains, which were now missing. The ceiling sloped slightly but was not very dirty. Through the glass, one could see the pitch-black night sky. On one wall near the door were various blood-stained scratch marks.

Gu Yanchen directed the evidence collection team to bring a camera, carefully capturing several shots of the scratches. It appeared the woman had attempted to climb to a higher place to see if she could break the glass above and escape.

Qi Yi’an summarized while looking up, “These marks indicate that she was alive when she was locked in here.”

Shen Junci nodded.

“That… it’s really terrifying,” Qi Yi’an looked at the corpse, feeling some sympathy. Goosebumps appeared on his arm.

Being confined in such a place, hungry, thirsty, without a phone, unable to break free, it was a form of torture beyond imagination. The woman before them had died in despair.

Lu Ying looked at the corpse and asked, “Why did it turn into a mummy here?”

Shen Junci explained, “The deceased had extensive dehydration before death.” He pointed to the glass roof above, “This glass roof functions like a greenhouse, with high temperature and poor ventilation. During the scorching summer days, the temperature can reach over fifty or even sixty degrees. The corpse’s moisture evaporated rapidly, and the conditions were not suitable for bacteria growth, resulting in mummification.”

Even now, during the night, the temperature here was considerably higher than outside. One could imagine that during the daytime, this place was like a massive steamer.

Bai Meng also joined the conversation, “So… how long has this corpse been here approximately?”

Shen Junci stated, “For an adult body to become a mummy, even under favorable conditions, it would take at least a few months. This corpse has been here for about a year. The cause of death, with an injury to the back of the head, will be confirmed after the autopsy.”

Mummies preserved the external injuries and the initial state of the corpse exceptionally well, even retaining signs of invasion. This would help further confirm the cause of death during the autopsy.

Gu Yanchen stood up, surveying the surroundings, images forming in his mind. A young girl, blood flowing from the back of her head, locked in a room. When she woke up, all she saw was an endless, cramped space. A woman screamed loudly, struggling incessantly, using all her strength to kick the door in an attempt to escape. there was no response to her cries. Later, she took out a yoga card from her bag, trying to pry open the locked door, but the card broke with a single force.

Thirst, hunger, and fear rushed in like a tide, and she became increasingly desperate. The woman scratched at the wall, struggling and jumping, attempting to climb up, but the smooth surface offered no grip. Her fingernails all split open.

In the end, due to lack of water, she fell into unconsciousness within the confined space, heading towards death. Gu Yanchen pondered, wondering about the emotions the killer carried while committing the murder. During the woman’s struggle, where would the killer be? It didn’t seem like a typical killing; rather, it resembled an act of violence and torture.

His gaze extended from the direction of the door, facing the window that the two adventurers had entered. On the other side of the window, there were several chairs.

Gu Yanchen walked over, keenly noticing that the dust on one of the seats was significantly less than the others, as if someone had sat there, gazing at the closed door. Then, Gu Yanchen searched the ground and found a dark-colored mark. He turned and called Shen Junci, “Doctor Shen, come and take a look.”

Shen Junci walked over and crouched down, carefully examining it. “This might be the blood left by the killer.”

He then looked at a nearby dilapidated cabinet with an exposed long nail, stained with blood. Shen Junci gestured at the height, “The killer might not have noticed when dragging her in, scratching his arm.”

He then examined the blood on the ground, reconstructing the sequence of events. “Initially, the killer might have rested here. His clothes picked up dust from the chair, and the bleeding wound left this bloodstain.”