Insights Chapter 68: Colleagues

Chapter 68: Colleagues

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Inside the Fourth Division, the autopsy was still ongoing. As time passed, the corpse began to thaw. The equipment in this division was clearly inferior to that of the City Bureau’s autopsy room. The exhaust fan was old and buzzing loudly. The smell of the decomposing corpse also grew stronger.

Shen Junci and Qi Yi’an acted as if they hadn’t smelled anything. They took photos of the back of the corpse, recorded each injury, and took several bone samples. Then they took bone samples from the head before flipping the corpse over.

Director Zou made an excuse of having other work and left first. With no one watching them, they became more relaxed in their work. While waiting for the thawing process, Shen Junci had Qi Yi’an conduct the observation experiment on the bone samples.

Bone samples were an important basis for determining whether injuries occurred before or after death. If injured before death, hemoglobin would penetrate into the bone, whereas post-mortem injuries wouldn’t exhibit this. By observing whether hemoglobin is present under a microscope, one could determine the timing of the injury.

Qi Yi’an carefully observed and recorded, “The head wound occurred before death, while the injuries on the back were all post-mortem.”

When the corpse was thawed enough, Shen Junci opened the chest and abdominal cavities for examination, “No obvious injuries to the chest or abdomen. The internal organs are severely decomposed, but some samples can be extracted for toxicology testing.”

After Shen Junci finished the examination, he began to fill in the gaps. Doctor Shen carefully observed the corpse’s hands and noticed that the decomposition level differed between the left and right hand. There were some black substances under the fingernails of the right hand, resembling coagulated blood. Shen Junci wiped it with a reagent, and it showed a positive reaction, confirming it was indeed blood.

He spoke, “There are blood stains on the right hand of the corpse, possibly from covering a wound or scratching the assailant.”

This was another detail that the medical examiner of the previous division hadn’t noticed. Qi Yi’an quickly recorded it and carefully collected the blood samples. “I’ll send these to the lab for analysis later.”

The head had already been subjected to a craniotomy, which saved them a lot of time.

After completing the autopsy, Shen Junci and Qi Yi’an began to suture the corpse. Then Shen Junci summarized, “Although the deceased suffered a head injury, it wasn’t too severe, and likely not fatal. Coupled with the severe decomposition of the corpse, it’s difficult to determine the cause of death at this stage.”

After a moment of consideration, he said to Qi Yi’an, “There are quite a few issues with this corpse. I suggest we transport it to the City Bureau for further examination.”

Qi Yi’an replied, “I’ll go ask them for a body bag and bring it back later.”

With the tasks arranged, Shen Junci went out to communicate with Gu Yanchen. Gu Yanchen’s desk was filled with information about those female workers. There were a total of sixteen female workers in this workshop, ranging in age from 19 to 23. At this age, many girls would still be in college, but these female workers had already left home early to enter society and work. The girls usually worked together and lived in the same dormitory, with the cafeteria located next to the factory building. Their lives mainly revolved around the dormitory and the factory.

Shen Junci analyzed, “The location where the corpse was found was definitely not the primary crime scene. The perpetrator needed to dispose and bury the body, clean up the crime scene, which would require ample time and a certain level of physical strength. I suspect there might be more than one perpetrator.”

After the female worker went missing, even if the people in the division were tired, they immediately began questioning and investigating. If the perpetrator was acting alone, they might not have had enough time to handle all these tasks. Moreover, judging from the autopsy, the deceased had a heavy weight, and the burial site was surrounded by various fences, making it difficult for vehicles to enter. Even for a male, moving the body would be very challenging.

Gu Yanchen said, “I also suspect that those female workers know something. They all eat, drink, and live together, and the disposal site is near the factory’s back door. If she was murdered near the factory, it’s impossible for no one to notice.”

Shen Junci showed Gu Yanchen the photos of the injuries on the back. Gu Yanchen was also seeing these marks for the first time. While they were discussing, Bai Meng walked over and handed them several new testimonies.

“Captain Gu, we called three female workers who shared a dormitory for verification. As soon as they heard we were asking about this, they kept repeating their previous testimonies. They claim they know nothing about Zhou Yingying’s death, and everyone got along well. When pressed further, they just say they don’t know.”

Gu Yanchen took the records.

Shen Junci also looked at those testimonies and after a while, he said softly, “I feel like the relationship between them is different from regular colleagues.”

Bai Meng said, “Yes, when I called, I couldn’t pinpoint what was strange, but it just felt very wrong, very unnatural.”

Gu Yanchen noticed the issue, “One colleague goes missing in the factory, dies a year ago, and the others seem unsurprised. That’s indeed illogical.”

Bai Meng realized, “Yes, Captain Gu, now that you mention it, it makes sense. Each of them on the phone sounded rehearsed, as if they had prepared their statements in advance.”

Gu Yanchen added, “Moreover, the testimonies are highly consistent.”

Bai Meng compared the details, “Indeed, many phrases are the same.”

Each person would have different reactions to an event and different memories. Logically, after a year, there would be significant differences in their statements. But the answers from those three female workers were eerily similar, which raised suspicions.

Gu Yanchen asked, “Have you arranged for a scene investigation at the factory?”

Bai Meng replied, “Yes, it’s scheduled for 3 PM. We’ve also coordinated with the evidence team.”

Gu Yanchen then asked, “Are all the documents copied here?”

Bai Meng said, “They’re all sorted out. Their records are quite inadequate, so we had to find most of the information ourselves.”

Gu Yanchen said, “Alright, let’s get ready to head back to the City Bureau.”

After finishing their discussion, Bai Meng left to make arrangements for the return journey. Qi Yi’an had also arranged for the division’s mortuary van to follow them. The leaders of the division, including Zhao Bureau’s group, saw them off with relieved expressions. When they saw them leaving, they visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Once everyone was back in the car, Gu Yanchen took out a stack of forms from the documents Bai Meng had just printed out. It was quite thick, and he didn’t hold it steady, causing it to scatter.

Shen Junci sat beside him, reached out, and helped him gather the papers and pick up the fallen ones. Gu Yanchen thanked him and began to sort through the documents, his expression focused and serious

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a golden glow on his face, making each eyelash stand out distinctly. Shen Junci stared at him for a while before asking, “What direction are you planning to investigate next?”

“I suspect those female workers know something,” Gu Yanchen said. “We need to find a breakthrough now, to get them to open up…”

What they saw was just the tip of the iceberg. If they wanted to uncover the secrets hidden in this female worker workshop, they had to find out what lay beneath the surface.

Gu Yanchen pulled out a form from the stack with his left hand, “This is the breakthrough I’ve chosen.”

Then he turned to Shen Junci and said, “Doctor Shen, do you have time to have lunch with me later?”

At noon, Gu Yanchen parked the car outside a small restaurant, and Shen Junci, who was sitting in the back seat, got out of the car. In the pile of files, Gu Yanchen found that a female worker from the same workshop had resigned over a year ago. She left the factory and started working as a waitress in a restaurant. Although the restaurant was not large, it was spacious and bright.

Gu Yanchen ordered several dishes and instructed them to be served later. After explaining their purpose to the owner, the owner quickly agreed to cooperate with the police and called the waitress out. The waitress looked young with a doll-like face, still in her teenage years. She was wearing a white T-shirt and a restaurant uniform on top. Her name was Han Ziai, and she had resigned before Zhou Yingying went missing over a year ago. She had returned to her hometown, not in Penang.

Gu Yanchen showed her his police ID and then said, “Don’t be nervous. We’re here just to have a meal and also to ask you about your previous work environment.”

This was considered questioning a witness during an investigation, which was less formal than questioning a suspect and not restricted to a specific setting. Han Ziai led Gu Yanchen and Shen Junci to a booth inside, poured them two glasses of lemon water, and poured one for herself as well.

Gu Yanchen opened the recording pen used for documentation, briefly explained the importance of providing truthful information, and directed the conversation to the main topic.

Han Ziai asked, “Officer Gu, what would you like to know?”

Gu Yanchen asked, “I’d like to understand your relationship with Zhou Yingying and the relationship between you and your colleagues in the workshop.”

Han Ziai organized her thoughts and said, “I used to share a bunk bed with Zhou Yingying. She was a good person, just very honest and timid. Her performance was excellent, ranking among the top three in the workshop. Oh, by the way, she’s from Xinxian County. It’s not far from my hometown. When she went home, she brought back pickled vegetables from my hometown.”

“How many people from Xinxian County are there in your workshop?”

“There are several of us. Me, Tao Ya, and Zhou Yingying were recruited from Xinxian County. Others mostly come from Lixian County, and they tend to stick together.”

Most of those female workers were recruited from nearby towns and villages in Penang.

Han Ziai paused for a moment and then said, “I recently heard that a corpse was found there. Could it be Zhou Yingying?”

Although she had left the job a year ago, she still often paid attention to the news there. Especially after Zhou Yingying went missing, she often dreamed about her.

Now that Han Ziai had mentioned it, Gu Yanchen stated their purpose, “The identity of the corpse has been confirmed as Zhou Yingying. We’re here to investigate this matter. What do you think might be related to Zhou Yingying’s death?”

Han Ziai took a sip of water to steady her emotions.

She began, “Regarding Zhou Yingying’s incident, I suggest you look into the workshop supervisor named Sun Yushi.”

After saying this, Han Ziai’s gaze fell on the recording pen. She seemed to realize that her words might not be appropriate, hastily put down the water glass, waved her hand, and added, “I’m not suggesting that she’s the culprit. I mean, she…”

Gu Yanchen said, “I understand. We will investigate anyone or anything suspicious thoroughly.” He vaguely remembered the name, “Sun Yushi, she is the dormitory leader and also in charge of the workshop?”

Han Ziai confirmed, “Yes, Sun Yushi looks pretty good and has that kind of relationship with the deputy factory director. The deputy factory director there is a man in his forties who has been married for a long time. Because of this relationship, Sun Yushi doesn’t regard others highly. She and those colleagues from Lixian County often bully others together.”

As Han Ziai spoke, it seemed she recalled something, her hands clasped together, unconsciously playing with her fingers.

Gu Yanchen noticed this gesture, indicating a lack of security. Moreover, from her words and actions, he could tell that Han Ziai still harbored fear towards Sun Yushi. Even after leaving the job for a year, now in a comfortable environment, this fear still persisted.

In solving such cases, it was crucial not to be too hasty. Sometimes, rushing could lead to mistakes, and clues often hid in seemingly insignificant details. In their brief conversation with Han Ziai, Gu Yanchen felt like he had found a key to unlocking this case.

Gu Yanchen asked, “So, did Sun Yushi ever ostracize Zhou Yingying?”

Han Ziai took a deep breath, “When new people came to the workshop, they would choose someone to target, mock, bully, and manipulate. The person they targeted would be scrutinized in everything they said and did, their actions distorted. They called the person they targeted a ‘sheep’…” Han Ziai continued, “Once someone became a ‘sheep,’ they would be bullied by them. These women would form groups and isolate the ‘sheep’ in the group, anonymously mock and insult the person in the group chat. Sometimes, they would whisper and laugh in front of the ‘sheep,’ sharing things that the ‘sheep’ didn’t know. The ‘sheep’ would be laughed at suddenly for anything they said, and they would also imitate the ‘sheep’s’ catchphrases, accents, and actions.”

A sheep, soft and powerless, was at the mercy of others. This description reminded Shen Junci of the metaphor of the silent lamb. Such behavior sounded extreme, but it was quite common, not only in factories but also in schools, companies, and enterprises.

As Han Ziai spoke, her voice trembled a bit. She took a deep breath before continuing, “Also, they have many tricks. Some of them play good cop, some play bad cop. After the ‘sheep’ is bullied, someone pretends to be a kind-hearted person and consoles the ‘sheep,’ getting close to them. At that time, when the ‘sheep’ feels desperate and heartbroken, thinking they’ve finally met a good person and start opening up to them, the others will tell everything they know to others, or even announce it, pushing the ‘sheep’ into a deeper abyss.”

Your own secrets or complaints would soon be revealed to others, making them known to everyone…

“I thought of you as a friend, but you treated me like a joke.”

Such behavior was like stabbing a knife into someone’s chest.