Insights Chapter 50: Seven Deadly Weapons

Chapter 50: Seven Deadly Weapons

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Early in the morning, before the regular colleagues had even arrived at work, Shen Junci and Qi Yi’an transported the man’s corpse to the medical examiner room at the Penang City Bureau. The man’s clothes were removed, and he lay on his back on the smooth stainless steel autopsy table. Due to blood loss, the corpse’s skin appeared very pale.

Shen Junci first instructed Qi Yi’an to fetch the ink board to take fingerprints from the corpse. Qi Yi’an quickly took the fingerprints and scanned them into the computer in the medical examiner room. While the fingerprints were being compared rapidly with known information in the database, they began to observe the corpse before them.

The medical examiner conducted a meticulous examination from head to toe, front to back. The corpse was covered in wounds, bruised all over, with hardly any intact skin left. Shen Junci first observed the face of the corpse. After a moment, he said, “The corpse should have been wearing an eye mask before. The killer took it off in the end.”

A stick had struck the face, leaving a mark of the eye mask’s edge. The blood that remained was also blocked by the eye mask. Now that the eye mask had been removed, the flow of blood became less consistent.

Qi Yi’an hurried over to take photos of these details. Then, Shen Junci used his fingers to open the deceased’s eyelids and observed the size and transparency of the pupils.

After measuring, he leaned on the autopsy table with both hands and looked directly at the corpse, saying, “The pupils are uneven. Considering the head injury, the victim may have died from damage to the left middle meningeal artery.”

There were many wounds on the body of the deceased, but many of them were superficial, causing pain and bleeding but not lethal. Although the corpse bled a lot, it hadn’t reached a life-threatening level. The most serious injury was indeed to the head of the deceased. His hair had not been shaved yet, but Shen Junci could judge by experience that there were linear fractures in the left temporal bone, with two wounds. Such wounds would endanger the brain, causing cerebral contusion, acute brain swelling, or even damage to the brain artery.

This basically determined the cause of death.

Afterward, Shen Junci didn’t rush to start the autopsy. Instead, he instructed Qi Yi’an to take photos of the various wounds again and brought in a whiteboard from the nearby office. He had Qi Yi’an write down the various wounds and their conditions on the left side of the whiteboard, while pasting the corresponding printed photos on the right side.

There were many wounds on the man’s body, intricate and complex. It took nearly an hour just to record them all, and the whiteboard was filled densely. A total of seven deadly weapons were identified.

Qi Yi’an asked, “Teacher, what’s next? Are we going to start the autopsy?”

Shen Junci shook his head. “Next, we need to sort out these injuries, find the points of impact according to the timeline.” Seeing Qi Yi’an’s confusion, he explained further, “Autopsy might cause damage to these external wounds, making it less easy to study them clearly later.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Yi’an felt overwhelmed. “With so many wounds, how do we sort them out?”

In Qi Yi’an’s previous autopsies, he had to sort out at most five or six injuries. Thinking about the densely packed dozens of wounds now made his head spin.

Shen Junci calmly said, “Take it slowly.”

.

After the morning scene investigation was completed, the detective team returned to the City Bureau. The female driver’s name was Zhao Xiaohan, and shortly afterward, she arrived at the City Bureau as well.

Bai Meng directly took her to the interrogation room and was responsible for questioning her. After asking several questions, Bai Meng returned to the office and said to Gu Yanchen, “Captain Gu, this female driver also has some issues.”

Gu Yanchen asked, “What issues?”

Bai Meng opened the software on her notebook, called him over to the computer, and pointed to the screen, saying, “Nowadays, taxis are equipped with GPS. So, I had the taxi company export Zhao Xiaohan’s GPS data, overlaying the driving routes of the past three months. This is what we got.”

Gu Yanchen looked at it. There were various complex lines on it, with only one solitary line, which was from last night.

Each driver has their own fixed routes and areas. The delivery location happened to be outside Zhao Xiaohan’s usual range.

Gu Yanchen frowned.

Bai Meng analyzed carefully, “She said she was driving on the road and stopped only when someone hailed her. But usually, she takes orders through the taxi app. Yesterday’s electronic records show that at ten o’clock, she stopped all apps, parked her car in a parking lot by the roadside. At half-past ten, she received a call from an unknown phone. After that, she didn’t take any orders, passed by several waiting points, didn’t stop, and drove with an empty car all the way. Finally, she arrived at the location she mentioned, took one order, dropped off the person, and then went home. She only started driving again the next morning after six.”

After Bai Meng finished analyzing the whole process, Gu Yanchen said, “It’s like she was waiting for this particular order, waited for a long time, and went home after completing it.”

Bai Meng added, “Also, previous surveillance footage showed that she stayed at the alley entrance for about ten minutes. But normally, even if she’s helping someone out of the car, five minutes would be enough.”

Gu Yanchen said, “She might have helped the perpetrator, dragging the man all the way to the basement.”

“Additionally, I found another piece of information.” Bai Meng said, opening a file, “I compared the contact lists of the female landlord and the female driver and found a common WeChat number.”

He found an account named “Xiao Bei,” but there wasn’t much information inside. However, two seemingly unrelated individuals suddenly had contact at a certain point, which itself was a clue worth paying attention to.

Gu Yanchen patted Bai Meng’s shoulder. “Well done. You keep interrogating her, see what else she has to say.”

Meanwhile, in the medical examiner room, Shen Junci started analyzing the wounds, bleeding conditions, and the intersections of the wounds with Qi Yi’an. Shen Junci seemed a bit affected by yesterday’s hangover. He seemed a bit tired, leaning on a table in the autopsy room, his voice slightly hoarse, “Generally, early wounds bleed more, while later ones bleed less. Wounds change from the moment they occur, such as bleeding, infection, clotting, which can form scabs in as short as three hours. The phenomenon of the extension lines of wounds and fractures being interrupted also helps determine the order of injuries. These are our basis for judgment.”

“The first weapon the perpetrator used was a stick. There were eight stick wounds on the victim, meaning he was struck eight times. The first stick wound hit the victim’s face, causing nasal bleeding. The second weapon used was an awl, which stabbed three cone-shaped wounds in the victim’s chest and abdomen…”

“…”

“The fourth weapon used was a bottle, which caused head fragmentation, resulting in one head injury. This bottle was also the only weapon that the perpetrator couldn’t take away from the scene.”

“…”

“The seventh and final weapon used was a hammer, which was hammered six times. The first time was on the hand, the second time was on the leg, the third time was on the ankle… the fifth time was on the head, which caused the victim’s death.”

Shen Junci spoke not quickly, but his reasoning was clear.

Qi Yi’an was responsible for recording on the side. If he hadn’t witnessed it himself, he almost suspected that Shen Junci had watched a video of the crime process. Otherwise, how could he analyze it so meticulously and in such detail? The more he listened, the more he frowned. “These weapons are all common in daily life, as if they were just grabbed from a table or a cupboard to hit someone. But when put together, it’s not common.”

If it was a knife used for killing, he would have found it more normal and reasonable.

Qi Yi’an remembered what Shen Junci had said before, “If it’s not a torture|kill, then what is it… revenge?”

After Shen Junci had looked for a while, he heard a prompt sound from the nearby computer.

Qi Yi’an hurried over to look. He clicked the mouse and said excitedly, “We’ve found the victim’s identity! This man’s name is Zuo Junming.”

Shen Junci said, “Send a message to Captain Gu.”

Qi Yi’an quickly took off his gloves, picked up his phone, and sent the corresponding information to Gu Yanchen.

,

This case occurred in a residential area, and nearby residents have all been questioned by the police. News of the homicide quickly spread, and netizens began urging the police to make An Nannouncement. After confirming the identity of the deceased, the Penang Police finally issued a notice, stating that a male corpse had been found, identified as “Mr. Zuo.”

This surname is quite rare, and someone replied to this information, “Mr. Zuo? Could it be Zuo Junming?”

“How did he die?”

“Could it be retaliation from his wife?”

“Wow, if it’s someone killed by Zhang Kabei, then I absolutely agree, that domestic violence man deserves to die!”

Soon, there were some informative posts on the internet, detailing the sequence of events and consequences. Gu Yanchen was also searching, and as soon as he entered the name, information about Zuo Junming appeared on the computer screen.

Gu Yanchen found his name familiar, scrolled down, and saw a case along with the court’s judgment. He opened the file, carefully reviewed it, then printed it out and headed to the medical examiner’s center. As Gu Yanchen arrived at the entrance to the autopsy room, Shen Junci, who had just finished handling the corpse, removed his gloves and mask.

Gu Yanchen looked at the corpse lying on the dissecting table. “Do you know about Zhang Kabei’s case last year? He was Zhang Kabei’s husband.”

As soon as he said this, not only did Shen Junci freeze, but even Qi Yi’an was dumbfounded. “You mean that… controversial domestic violence case?”

Gu Yanchen nodded and handed them a stack of case files. It was a case from a year ago that shocked Penang. What initially caught the public’s attention was a video recording. In the video, a woman was being beaten, screaming in agony, blood everywhere, her body unable to move, curled up in a corner like a frightened animal.

Meanwhile, a man was belting her with a belt, shouting loudly, “If you dare to call the police, dare to run away, I’ll kill you, and then kill your whole family!”

Such a video was chilling to watch, and many people began paying attention to the case because of it. Later, everyone learned that the woman in the video was named Zhang Kabei, a 33-year-old housewife. In August of that year, she was hospitalized due to a head injury.

Zhang Kabei filed charges of intentional injury against her husband, Zuo Junming. During the trial, Zhang Kabei appeared in court, and it was evident to everyone that she was a woman who had suffered greatly. In court, Zhang Kabei presented numerous pieces of evidence. She had been subjected to domestic violence multiple times, and because she saw signs of remorse in Zuo Junming, she did not pursue the matter.

But a few months later, things escalated. Each time Zhang Kabei was abused, she was left bleeding from the head, and her husband would also threaten her with death. Based on her chats with family and friends, medical records, she summarized the specific times, methods of severe abuse, photo evidence, and medical information. However, despite all this, she lost the case.

Her previous injuries had already healed, and she hadn’t been examined by a medical examiner at the time. Some hospital records were unclear and couldn’t be used as legal evidence. Furthermore, the medical examiner determined that Zhang Kabei’s head injury was from falling down the stairs, not from a direct blow. The scene had been cleaned, and Zhang Kabei had no direct evidence to prove that Zuo Junming had pushed her down the stairs.

Zuo Junming hired a very famous lawyer who argued based on these points, claiming that Zhang Kabei’s previous injuries were just minor marital disputes and not as serious as she claimed. He doubted the authenticity of medical records, suspecting they were fabricated. The video posted online had been edited, and Zhang Kabei’s subsequent head injury was a result of a natural fall down the stairs.

Ultimately, due to insufficient evidence, Zuo Junming was acquitted. Even Zhang Kabei’s request for divorce was rejected. At one point, Zhang Kabei was even accused of setting up a trap for Zuo Junming, fabricating evidence just to get a divorce settlement from him, and some called her a treacherous woman. Some even dug up information, claiming Zhang Kabei had been secretly transferring assets and having affairs with other men, completely contradicting the image of a fragile woman.

Many people were shocked by the turn of events, regretting their earlier stance. But Zhang Kabei refused to accept the verdict and chose to appeal. She wrote an article titled “Seven Deadly Weapons.”

In it, she recounted seven instances of surviving domestic violence, ending by asking, if all this evidence couldn’t prove he hurt me, did I have to die for it to end? This poignant article immediately resonated with many people, even going viral. Later, someone revealed that the reason Zhang Kabei lost the case was because Zuo Junming had bribed officials. Even those who had exclaimed a reversal online were mixed in with a large number of paid commentators.

Forensic investigators conducted a thorough examination of Zhang Kabei, confirming she had long been a victim of domestic violence. When Zhang Kabei finally won her appeal, she received compensation and was finally able to divorce, escaping the clutches of that terrifying man. All of this happened a year ago, lasting for several months like a soap opera. The storm had long since subsided, and Zhang Kabei had begun a new life.

But just then, Zuo Junming died.

Qi Yi’an looked at the detailed records. “These tools of domestic violence conveniently correspond to the murder weapons.”

He finally understood why the murderer kept changing weapons. The stick corresponded to the broom at home, and the others were all easily accessible household tools. With each injury accumulating, Zuo Junming ultimately died from a severe blow to the head, corresponding to Zhang Kabei’s fall down the stairs.

“This man is simply a beast, and this looks like revenge…” Qi Yi’an’s voice trembled.

Gu Yanchen crossed his arms. “That’s what many netizens think too.”

Qi Yi’an’s theory aligned perfectly with the mainstream online narrative. And now, various analyses were popping up online, some directly blaming Zhang Kabei as the murderer, while others defended her. Each one seemed as if the commentator was present at the scene.

Shen Junci finished browsing the information and looked back at the corpse lying on the autopsy table. “So could the killer be Zhang Kabei?”

Gu Yanchen replied, “At the moment, it seems highly likely.” All the clues pointed to that woman, especially when considering Bai Meng’s earlier discovery, that the landlady and the female driver added on WeChat as “Xiaobei,” were very likely Zhang Kabei. He said solemnly, “We need to find this Ms. Zhang and investigate.”