Chapter 23

Compared to the relatively relaxed atmosphere in the rest room, Lin Peixin’s expression in the autopsy room was grave.

The four hearts dredged up from the scene, after examination, were all the same: both atria and ventricles were empty, without a single drop of blood.

If only one heart had been like this, it might have been an accident—the owner dying from acute blood loss due to multiple injuries.

But with all four hearts in the same condition, the victims’ cause of death had to be questioned.

Moreover, the cuts on the hearts were smooth. If he hadn’t known where they were dredged from, he would have suspected they were standard specimens taken from an autopsy room.

That thought flashed across his mind, but Lin Peixin forced down the unease in his chest and continued examining.

Time passed little by little, and Lin Peixin concentrated fully on his work.

Large beads of sweat hung on his forehead. Suddenly, Lin Peixin discovered something and his eyes widened.

After much effort, he finally extracted the object from the blood vessel.

When Lin Peixin opened the door of the autopsy room, he happened to meet Ruan Mingxi, who was about to come ask about the situation.

“Perfect timing, I was just going to find you.” Lin Peixin’s face could not hide his joy.

Ruan Mingxi was startled by the suddenly opened door, then quickly reacted, “You found a clue?”

“Yes!” Lin Peixin spoke quickly, showing how excited he was, “Immediately take people to investigate in major hospitals the patient records of those who underwent heart stent surgery in the past two years. The stent number is this one.”

Heart stents are high‑risk medical devices. For easier control, each stent has its own unique identifier, which cannot be faked. As long as the source of the stent is found, the victim’s identity can be confirmed.

“I’ll go right away.” Ruan Mingxi instantly understood why Lin Peixin was so thrilled.

The code on a heart stent is like a person’s ID card. As long as it can be determined whose body the stent was used in, the victim’s identity can be confirmed.

Once the source of the corpse is identified, much information will surface.

Taking the evidence, Ruan Mingxi immediately arranged for his team members to spread out and investigate in various hospitals.

…

Early in the morning, Jiang Xuzhou went to the traffic bureau to deal with his car that had been towed. Both drivers had agreed to meet at the bureau that morning.

When he arrived, the other party, upon hearing his license plate number, showed a subtle expression, as if wanting to laugh but holding it back.

“Yesterday Captain Ruan called us. The fine for illegal parking has already been paid by him through Alipay to our leader. You don’t need to worry about that. Although the other party’s car hit yours, because there was illegal parking involved, you still have to bear some responsibility.”

“Alright, we’ll handle it according to the rules.” Jiang Xuzhou, learning that Ruan Mingxi had already paid the fine for him, let the corners of his lips lift slightly, “May I ask when he paid the fine?”

“Oh, that I don’t know. My leader just said the God of Wealth sent the money and told me to record it. I really don’t know when he transferred it.”

The officer laughed along, “If you want to know, I can ask for you?”

“No need, I’ll just ask him myself when I get back.” Jiang Xuzhou said, not troubling him further.

The officer took Jiang Xuzhou to look at the car that had been towed back. He had expected the rear of the car might be in bad shape, but when he actually saw it, he was still stunned.

Not only was a large patch of paint scraped off, but the very center was dented inward. If he hadn’t known it was hit by a car, his first thought might have been that a rhinoceros had rammed it.

Strangely enough, the shape actually looked rather stylish, like the tail of a tuxedo.

“A few half‑grown kids secretly rode their family’s electric tricycle out. The brakes on the tricycle weren’t very reliable. When the vehicle went downhill, they couldn’t stop it and it crashed straight into yours.”

Jiang Xuzhou’s brow twitched. “Those kids are alright, aren’t they?”

“They’re fine. Before the crash they jumped out of the vehicle. Just scraped their palms a little.”

The children didn’t know the value of the car, but the officer did very clearly. “Your car is quite expensive. Even if it’s sent for repair and repainting, it won’t be easy to restore.”

Jiang Xuzhou understood the hidden meaning in the officer’s words. He guessed that the families of the children who caused the accident were not well‑off. If possible, perhaps the compensation could be asked for a little less.

After inspecting the car, both parties met.

The children’s parents drove large freight trucks. At the time of the accident, they were away on deliveries in another city. The children lived with their grandparents, making them half left‑behind children.

The grandparents were in poor health, taking medicine all year round, and the family’s situation was not wealthy.

The children also knew they had caused trouble, timidly hiding behind the elders like quails.

The elderly man, his complexion showing an unnatural sallow yellow, stood helplessly, his legs trembling unconsciously. His gaze toward Jiang Xuzhou was cautious yet full of guilt.

After the officer explained the handling result, the old man asked about compensation, his voice trembling.

Jiang Xuzhou followed up naturally, “My car is insured. The repair costs won’t be much, so there’s no need for compensation.”

Hearing this, the old man was both shocked and delighted, thanking him repeatedly.

Then he gently pushed the child forward, signaling him to step up.

The child pulled out from behind his back a red plastic bag, stretched so thin it looked almost ready to tear.

“Uncle, I’m sorry. This is for you.”

Jiang Xuzhou opened the bag and saw eggs, all wiped perfectly clean.

Several pairs of eyes looked at him expectantly, as if afraid he might refuse.

Jiang Xuzhou accepted them with a gentle expression, and only then did the others breathe a sigh of relief.

After finishing the matter of the car, Jiang Xuzhou went home, showered, and after a short rest headed to the police bureau.

The previous night he had rested slumped over his desk at the bureau. When he woke, his whole body felt as if he had been beaten.

When Jiang Xuzhou arrived, Lin Peixin was enthusiastically slurping a bucket of Old jar sauerkraut instant noodles. The office was nearly empty.

When Lin Peixin saw him arrive, he immediately greeted him warmly and invited him to eat together.

Jiang Xuzhou smiled and declined his kindness, but from his pocket he gave him a boiled egg he had just brought from home.

Lin Peixin’s eyes lit up instantly, his gaze toward Jiang full of fiery enthusiasm, as if he wanted to become sworn brothers with him.

When Jiang asked, he learned that there had been a major discovery. Most of the team members were out investigating the sources of medical equipment, which explained why the office was nearly empty.

After finishing his noodles, Lin Peixin pushed the bowl aside. “Xiao Jiang, I heard from Ruan Mingxi that you majored in criminal psychology, and that you’re Professor Wei’s last disciple. Since we’re resting now, I’d really like to know what you think about this case.”

Jiang Xuzhou chuckled softly, “Does this count as an on‑the‑job assessment?”

Lin Peixin quickly shook his head with a smile. “No, I studied forensic medicine, but I’m very interested in criminal psychology. Let’s just call this an exchange between colleagues.”

Since the conversation had already gone this far, there was no reason to refuse.

“Normally, after a case occurs, the first step is to determine the source of the corpse and establish the cause of death—whether it was suicide or homicide.”

Lin Peixin nodded. “Yes, exactly. Go on.”

“If the cause of death is determined not to be suicide or accidental death but a homicide, then it is classified as a case. The forensic doctor only needs to do identification work. If it is a homicide, then further autopsy is required to determine the victim’s gender, age, height, and other related information, providing clues and direction for the investigation.”

Jiang Xuzhou did not immediately start talking about theories of criminal psychology. At this moment, he was not only exchanging information with Lin Peixin but also representing the reputation of his professor.

Since he was assisting the investigation in the role of consultant, he should approach it from the perspective of case handling.

Even if he was not as familiar with the team’s investigative procedures as they were, at the very least he could not be completely ignorant, relying only on his professor’s name.

Professor Wei would never allow such a situation, and Jiang Xuzhou even more so. This was a matter of principle.

One should only take on as much work as one’s ability allows. From the start, everything must be made clear on the table. The criminal investigation squad handles homicide cases, and it is absolutely not permitted to act recklessly just for the sake of saving face.