Chapter 2 Someone's Dead
"Chen Xuan!"
A startled shout made Chen Xuan, who was immersed in the files, almost jump up in shock. Then, all the personnel rushed out like a school of fish after losing the bait.
"A murder has been discovered in Chaonan District. The cause of death is bizarre. Send police to the scene immediately!"
Chen Xuan picked up the hat and put it on his head, then walked towards the boarding point without saying a word. At the same time, his colleagues were constantly inputting information about the deceased.
"The deceased was a 28-year-old male who died at home. Preliminary identification of the deceased was that of the head of the household, named Wang Sanbei."
Chen Xuan paused suddenly, his heart skipping a beat.
"The deceased's name is Wang Sanbei?"
"Why, do you have any impression of this name?"
Chen Xuan nodded and looked at his colleague solemnly.
"Remember the home invasion case three days ago?"
"The man who broke into the house illegally is called Wang Sanbei."
…
…
The sound of taking pictures at the scene could not cover up the sound of vomiting. Just as Chen Xuan set up the cordon, a young police officer rushed out of the crime scene with his mouth covered.
“Ugh~Ugh…”
"Be prepared, I heard the death was horrible."
Chen Xuan nodded, put on white gloves and shoe covers, set up the second cordon, and walked into the room.
What came before them was a scene that those with trypophobia could not bear to see at all—
Beyond the outline of a human, the deceased's body was covered in countless flesh holes. These holes, enlarged along the pores, pried apart the skin and flesh, connecting them to other parts. In his right hand, he held a fruit knife, the tip of which had become blunt, as if he had been using it to shave off his own flesh bit by bit. Looking down, the sole of the deceased's foot had been sliced off in half, leaving only the back of the heel. Looking up, the deceased's face was still smeared with a thick layer of makeup, looking extremely pale, and no longer recognizable as a man. His mouth was open, and his eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.
"This is Wang Sanbei..."
Chen Xuan covered his mouth, his eyes filled with shock. Even though he had seen him once before, he could not compare him at all.
"How is the surveillance going? Investigate Wang Sanbei's social contacts and physical condition. Then ask about his next-door neighbor Wang Sanbei's recent movements."
"quick!"
The people around left one after another, and Chen Xuan squatted at the scene, staring at the corpse.
Chen Xuan suppressed the discomfort and found that these holes seemed to be different in age. Some were still oozing blood, while some were already dark and black. This showed that these were not injuries caused in a short period of time, but were probably caused by continuous digging over three days.
Who has such a deep hatred for him?
Could it be Li Qiqi from the last break-in? She wouldn't have been so violent, right?
Standing up, the body was too badly damaged to see anything in a short time.
"Officer Chen, preliminary investigations indicate that Wang Sanbei previously worked as an ordinary clerk in a company. He's a kind and honest man who doesn't normally have grudges against others, let alone any deep hatred."
"I have no financial disputes, I'm in good health, I'm cheerful and lively, and I have a good relationship with my neighbors..."
"But one point the neighbors raised was that Wang Sanbei had been wearing a thick layer of makeup recently. He looked completely different from his usual self. The neighbors almost couldn't recognize him, so they were left with a deep impression."
"Wang Sanbei was startled at the time, glanced at his neighbor, and seemed to be mumbling something, looking very confused. After throwing away the garbage, he hurried back home and locked himself in."
"The surveillance footage shows normal activity. Wang Sanbei has never left the complex, and there's no relevant information in the visitor logs. However, with the constant flow of people in the complex, it's possible the surveillance camera may have missed something."
"It seems so..."
"This is too bizarre."
The young police officer wanted to say that the deceased was suspected of committing suicide, but he couldn't say it when he got to his mouth.
Chen Xuan's mind was churning, and he wanted to find an explanation, but he had no idea.
The only explanation now is that someone bypassed the surveillance cameras, entered the room, kidnapped Wang Sanbei, and then continued to torture him. During this time, he disguised himself and walked out of the room, creating the illusion of going out, trying to confuse the timeline, and then returned home to continue the cruel torture.
"Have you collected other people's fingerprints and footprints?"
“There are some in the room, but they are very old.”
The killer also has to clean up fingerprints and footprints during the three days of life.
Who is it and what is their motive?
Chen Xuan took a deep breath. There were too many suspicious points in this case. Now, he could only interrogate the most suspicious criminal first.
"Contact Li Qiqi and we'll go to her house."
…
…
Li Qiqi's home.
"What??!!"
Li Qiqi suddenly clutched the sofa and her face turned pale.
"Wang, Wang Sanbei, dead, dead?"
"How come?"
"So you haven't contacted ?"
"No, absolutely not. We didn't leave any contact information at the time, and I never saw him again."
"What have you been doing these past three days?"
"At work. My boss can prove it. I worked overtime yesterday and didn't get off work until 8 pm... How did he die? Was it suicide or homicide?"
"We need to keep the death information confidential for now. Have you asked your friends if anyone knows him?"
"No, my best friend and parents don't know him either... No, how could he be dead? Did he do something? Or... is it related to the break-in that night?"
"Don't worry, Miss Li. We're still investigating the cause of Wang Sanbei's death. We can't give you any conclusions at this time. We will protect the safety of all people. Right now, the investigation is just looking for clues and a routine check."
"If you have any further questions, please contact me immediately. Thank you very much for your cooperation this time. We will not disturb your rest for now."
"Let's go."
"well."
As Li Qiqi was hesitant, Chen Xuan left the scene, but this time, his expression was heavier.
"Officer Chen, Li Qiqi doesn't act like she knew about Wang Sanbei's death. And how can a girl like that stand up to a man like Wang Sanbei?"
"How did Wang Sanbei die? Could it be... something really unclean?"
The young policeman shuddered and took a deep breath. He didn't hear Chen Xuan's response for a long time. When he looked over, he saw Chen Xuan in deep thought.
"Officer Chen?"
"Oh? Nothing. I was just thinking about the details of the case."
"OK."
The two fell into silence, and Chen Xuan's expression of doubt became more intense as he thought about it.
Chen Xuan thought about it, and there was another point that made him extremely confused.
What was Wang Sanbei writing when he was sleepwalking three nights ago?
