Insights Chapter 80: Double Corpses

Volume 6: The Art of Psychological Warfare

Chapter 80: Double Corpses

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

It was another sunny day at the Penang City Bureau, and it was nearing one in the afternoon. Recently, the weather began to transition to autumn, but it was the most chaotic time of the year in terms of climate. Sometimes, a sudden rain would drop the temperature by more than ten degrees, while other times, there would be days of scorching sun, making it unbearable, even worse than summer. The weather these days has been quite hot, with temperatures soaring to thirty degrees c.

In the medical examiner’s resting room, Shen Junci was asleep. He seemed to be in a somewhat eerie dream, in which he was at the scene of a crime, examining a corpse in front of him. The corpse was peculiar, a boy. The eerie part was that the corpse was placed inside a small canvas travel bag. The bag was tiny, and the boy seemed to be stuffed inside, as if folded over, with no space left.

He was performing the usual autopsy examination, when suddenly, the pale boy opened his eyes, staring directly at his chest. Shen Junci was startled, and as he lowered his head, he noticed a red flower blossoming on his white doctor’s uniform. The flower was large, lush, and he tried to pluck it, only to realize that the stem and petals seemed to be connected to his heart, and the vivid red seemed to be his blood. Too much blood flowed, the flower couldn’t absorb it all, already saturated, and the excess blood trickled down his clothes.

Shen Junci tried to figure out what was happening, but his body seemed to be entwined with threads, unable to move. A snake slithered up his leg, its fangs suddenly gleaming, heading towards the flower on his chest…

Shen Junci was awakened by this nightmare, abruptly opening his eyes. For a moment, his vision was blurry, the space seemed distorted, then gradually turned into the white ceiling. Shen Junci checked his phone; it seemed his internal clock had saved him, just past the lunch break. He straightened his clothes, got up, and went to the office where Qi Yi’an was packing up the investigation kit.

Shen Junci asked, “Heading out on a case? Why didn’t you wake me?”

Qi Yi’an replied, “Captain Gu said there were a few minutes left until lunch break ended, and we were getting ready. We planned to wake you up later.”

Shen Junci didn’t dwell on the issue; he noticed Qi Yi’an preparing two sets of tools. “What’s the situation with the case? Multiple corpses?”

“It’s two corpses, been there for a few days.” Qi Yi’an said, “Captain Gu wants us to take a look since no other medical examiner is available.”

Shen Junci said, “Let me inform them.” As he said this, he suddenly remembered something, opened the drawer of his desk, and took out a pair of plain glasses, putting them on.

In the large medical examiner’s office, only Dr. Liu and intern Song Qiancheng were present. Song Qiancheng carefully took out the dried pelvic bones, handing them to Liu Shurong. This unnamed skeleton was found yesterday, preliminarily determined to be a suicide by hanging in the suburbs. The bones were severely decomposed, and the age and identity of the deceased were yet to be determined.

Liu Shurong pieced the two pelvic bones together, producing a soft scraping sound. The two bones looked like small, pale gray shells. This was an important step in forensic anthropology to determine the age of the deceased and one of the most accurate ways to estimate age.

Liu Shurong observed while explaining to Song Qiancheng, “You see, the angle of the joint between the pelvic bones is V-shaped, not U-shaped, indicating a male victim.”

Song Qiancheng made notes and waited for Liu Shurong to make the age determination.

Liu Shurong put on gloves and carefully examined the bones. The surfaces were showing some wear, and small honeycomb-like pores were visible. He pointed to Song Qiancheng, “As age increases, the bone surface becomes smoother. This degree of wear suggests the deceased was middle-aged. As for the specific age, we need to calculate it. Do you remember the formula?”

Song Qiancheng silently recited it, then came to the whiteboard in the office, writing down a series of formulas from X1 to X8. Each value represented different parameters.

Liu Shurong nodded in satisfaction. “Well done, memorize it. Hold this for me.”

Then the two began observing, measuring, and filling in the calculations. The office was quiet, only the sound of the pen against the whiteboard.

Shen Junci briskly walked to the door of the medical examiner’s office, knocked, then called out to Song Qiancheng, “Xiao Song, do you have plans this afternoon? The Special Criminal Division is short on manpower, and they need someone from your side.”

Shen Junci was wearing a white uniform, coupled with his plain glasses, making him look like a doctor.

Liu Shurong was at a critical point in his calculations; he turned around, his eyebrows furrowing.

Dr. Liu didn’t want to release Song Qiancheng, “medical examiner Shen, don’t you have well-funded medical examiners to follow you?”

Shen Junci said, “Two corpses were found.”

With multiple corpses to deal with simultaneously and assistance needed for transportation, he came to borrow someone from the medical examiner’s department.

Song Qiancheng was holding the two bones and hastily responded. He was about to leave when he noticed Dr. Liu’s displeased expression. He withdrew his hand, saying, “I’m calculating the age of the bones with Mr. Liu… It’ll be done soon…”

Two lives were definitely a serious case, and Liu Shurong didn’t dare to object, but he was at a crucial point in his calculations. He hurriedly wrote on the blackboard, “Just five minutes, no, three minutes, it’ll be done.”

As Liu Shurong spoke, Shen Junci didn’t want to embarrass him. But as he turned to leave, after a few steps, he glanced at the message sent by Gu Yanchen on his phone, then turned back.

“Dr. Liu, we’re a bit pressed for time. Qi Yi’an has already packed up and gone downstairs.” He could wait, but there was no need to make someone wait in the car. As he spoke, Shen Junci looked down at what Song Qiancheng was holding… “At the joint of the pelvic bones?” He approached, took a look, and said, “Male, around 47 years old, with a margin of error of ±1.”

Song Qiancheng was still in a daze, and Shen Junci pointed to the form on the nearby table, “Hurry up and fill it out. We need to go downstairs quickly; the car is waiting.”

“Oh, coming…” Song Qiancheng was relieved from his dilemma, joyfully put the bones aside, filled in the age, then followed Shen Junci out. “medical examiner Shen, how did you figure it out?”

“Experience,” Shen Junci walked quickly. “The medical examiner’s office has plastic models representing various age groups, which are much faster to observe than using calculations.”

Song Qiancheng’s expression became increasingly puzzled, as if saying: he’s actually trying to teach me! The junior medical examiner was dumbfounded for a moment and was about to cry. “What do bones look like at different ages? How can I remember that?”

Shen Junci said, “Even if you don’t remember it well, there are established Excel formulas. Just input the values, and you can draw conclusions without having to calculate every time.”

They chatted as they walked away. The medical examiner’s office fell silent for a moment, leaving behind the disgruntled Liu Shurong. Dr. Liu took a deep breath, cleared his mind of all distractions, and continued writing the formula at the crucial point. He had graduated a few years ago, and the teacher who taught him was rather old-fashioned, believing that this formula was the most accurate method of calculation.

Gradually, all the conditions were written on the blackboard, and then he stopped writing, frowned, and cursed, “Damn, it really is 47…”

—

The car from the Special Criminal Division had been waiting downstairs. As soon as Shen Junci and Song Qiancheng arrived, they got in and drove off. Gu Yanchen was sitting upstairs. There was an empty seat next to him, and Shen Junci instinctively sat down beside him.

Gu Yanchen glanced at him and said, “Wearing glasses?” He paused, couldn’t help but take a few more glances, “Your face shape suits glasses… nicely…”

Though Shen Junci was usually a bit aloof, his features were refined and handsome. Gu Yanchen originally thought he would look cultured and refined with glasses. He didn’t expect him to look like a completely different person, giving off a sense of a refined delinquent.

Shen Junci tapped the frame with his fair, slender fingers, “Thank you.”

Gu Yanchen asked, “To see clearer?”

“They are not prescription lenses. They said the corpses have been lying there for days.” Shen Junci explained, “So this is to prevent the decomposition from being too overwhelming for the eyes.”

Gu Yanchen, “…”

Shen Junci didn’t want to wear bulky protective goggles; they might affect his vision. So he just wore regular glasses to provide a bit of cover.

It was Song Qiancheng’s first time riding with the Special Criminal Division. He was a bit excited at first. Qi Yi’an was also very pleased today, feeling like he wasn’t the most inexperienced one anymore.

Bai Meng cleared her throat, turned on the computer, and briefed everyone on the case. “This case was taken over by a local precinct. The incident occurred in an upscale villa community. The victim’s colleagues from the company tried to contact him but got no response, so they went to his house to check and found him dead for several days.”

Lu Ying, driving, asked, “Another wealthy person? What’s the cause this time? Love affairs? Inheritance disputes?”

“It shouldn’t be,” Bai Meng said, “This time, the victim was a good person.”

Lu Ying chuckled, “There aren’t many people in this world you can call ‘good people’.”

“And this just happened to be one,” Bai Meng revealed, “The deceased is Jin Yuewen and his father, Jin Shichang.”

The car fell silent as soon as this was said, and Qi Yi’an frowned, “That philanthropist, Jin Yuewen?”

Bai Meng said, “Yes.”

There are many articles online about Jin Yuewen.

Jin Yuewen was a businessman in Penang, dealing in the clothing industry. However, his fame didn’t come from his business but from his charity work.

Jin Yuewen’s kindness manifested in various ways. His clothing company hired many deaf and mute disabled individuals, and he frequently made donations. Records of his donations were often seen on various crowdfunding platforms. He established Hope Elementary Schools under his name, sponsored impoverished students who couldn’t afford education, and contributed to disaster relief efforts by donating money and supplies. He even volunteered in disaster-stricken areas, staying on the front lines of rescue efforts.

When Jin Yuewen started doing these deeds, some people criticized him for being ostentatious. However, Jin Yuewen persisted, day after day, year after year, always striving to help those in need, whether in front of the camera or behind it. His selflessness even made his wife unable to bear it and led to their divorce. Later, Jin Yuewen never remarried, always living with his elderly father and never even having a girlfriend again.

In recent years, Jin Yuewen had also joined the Penang Bin Ai Foundation, which aimed to protect the environment, assist those in need, and reduce the wealth gap. He often participated in promotional activities for the foundation. The last time Gu Yanchen saw him, Jin Yuewen was involved in earthquake relief efforts. Now, such an upright and good-hearted person had died in his own villa.

Qi Yi’an sighed, “This is…” He wanted to say good people don’t get good endings but stopped himself.

The death of such a person would surely attract attention from society. There weren’t many news articles online yet, but a few sporadic ones had already surfaced. After briefing everyone on the case, the car stopped at the entrance of the Qingwang Mansion. The name sounded grand, and the entrance was also grandly constructed. The entire compound was Chinese-style architecture. The courtyards were all two-story small villas, each with its own gate and courtyard. The scenery was made up of pavilions, towers, and flowing water.

The sunlight was dazzling, and after Gu Yanchen got out of the car, he squinted as he surveyed the surroundings. Then, they all walked inside together.

Bai Meng asked, “Is it possible that burglars broke in?”

Lu Ying shook his head and pointed out a doubt, “These days, there aren’t many burglars, and Jin Yuewen’s villa is the smallest in the entire compound. It hasn’t undergone any renovations. If it were burglars, why would they target him specifically?”

The Jin family’s villa was located in the southeast corner of the compound, surrounded by a circle of tree walls. Thorny plants over two meters high surrounded the villa, making it impenetrable. There was only one path leading to it, with uniform bluestone paving on both sides. Each bluestone was half a meter wide and two meters long, very sturdy.

After observing the surrounding environment, Gu Yanchen became more certain that the murderer had targeted Jin Yuewen. But how could someone as kind-hearted as Jin Yuewen provoke such a ruthless enemy?

Gu Yanchen led the team to the entrance of the Jin family’s courtyard. A team of local police officers and property management personnel were already there, and they had set up a cordon. At the moment, the detectives from the local police station were squatting in a row outside the gate.

Seeing them arrive, the tired-looking detectives breathed a sigh of relief and the Captain stood up to greet Gu Yanchen.

Gu Yanchen asked the head of the local police station in charge, “Have you been inside to check?”

The detective captain from the local police station replied, “Yes, we’ve seen it. One corpse is in the downstairs living room, and the other is on the stairs. There’s a lot of blood, so we didn’t dare to move anything. We’ve been waiting for you.”

Gu Yanchen then asked, “Have you retrieved the surveillance footage?”

The property manager took the initiative to respond, “Yes, we’re working on it. A few security guards from our community security team just resigned recently, so we’ve been short-staffed lately. As for visitor records and surveillance footage, they’re being sorted out.”

Bai Meng frowned and muttered softly, “Even with so much money spent on buying houses, they’re not safe after all.”

Such communities were supposed to have real-time monitoring and twenty-four-hour security patrols, but in reality, they only discovered the incident days later.

“The property manager’s words sound nice, but in reality, the villa area is sparsely populated, and with only a few security guards deployed, they can’t even meet each other as they go around in circles. They wouldn’t bother checking every house thoroughly,” Lu Ying sneered as he led the detectives to observe the surroundings.

Shen Junci, Qi Yi’an, and Song Qiancheng were fully equipped at the entrance, wearing protective suits, shoe covers, gloves, and masks, ready to enter first. Shen Junci didn’t rush to go in, standing at the entrance and peering through the French windows. Then, he reminded the other two, “Wear double-layer gloves today.”

Although Qi Yi’an and Song Qiancheng didn’t understand why, they obediently complied. Song Qiancheng, who hadn’t been to many scenes, was the most enthusiastic and walked in first.

The local police detectives had already been here, so the scene was definitely not dangerous. At this moment, the main gate was half-open, and as soon as Song Qiancheng pushed it open and entered, he heard a buzzing sound, and a swarm of flies flew out, catching him off guard. Then, a strong and pungent odor hit him. Although he was only an intern, as a medical examiner, he had dealt with many corpses. He thought he was experienced, but the smell in front of him was still overwhelming.

Song Qiancheng took a half breath and was immediately choked. The smell was so strong that it seemed like there was smoke in the air. His tears and mucus flowed out together, and then he felt like his stomach was turned upside down. It was hard to describe how severe the smell was. It was like being in a giant garbage dump, or like rotten fish and shrimp left out in the sun for days. In the face of such a smell, even the soup from canned sardines could be considered perfume.

This discomfort was beyond physiological resistance. Song Qiancheng was directly defeated, covering his mouth and running out of the crime scene.

Several detectives from the local police station had already witnessed this scene and pointed to the side, saying, “The trash can is over there.”

Song Qiancheng managed to run over and vomited all his lunch.

Shen Junci stood aside, looking at the scene, and first comforted Song Qiancheng, “This is a normal physiological reaction. There’s no need to suppress it.”

Qi Yi’an nodded and patted his back, “Yes, as medical examiners, who hasn’t vomited before? It’s a test that all medical examiners must go through. You’ll get used to it after vomiting a few times.”

Shen Junci said to Qi Yi’an, “The first step of observing the scene is the most important. Go to the trunk and get two masks, it’ll help a bit.”

Song Qiancheng, with tears in his eyes, looked up and said, “medical examiner Shen, why didn’t you give them to me earlier…”

Shen Junci sympathetically looked at him, “Because the first intern I brought in once vomited into the mask when he saw the giant’s view for the first time…”

Song Qiancheng, “…”

At this moment, Qi Yi’an brought over the masks from the trunk and handed one to Shen Junci, who waved his hand, “Give it to Song Qiancheng, and bring him some water too.”

Qi Yi’an asked, “Teacher, what about you?”

Shen Junci adjusted his glasses and said, “I don’t need it for now.”

Bai Meng stood at the entrance and also smelled the foul odor. She felt that this was definitely the most unpleasant scene she had ever encountered. Covering her nose, she asked Shen Junci, “medical examiner Shen, how bad is the corpse? Why is the smell so strong?”

Shen Junci raised his eyelashes lightly and said, “This is the legendary Giant phenomenon.”