Chapter 23: A Corpse Submerged in Water

Although Lu Chuan had been working for a very short time—barely a month in total—he had been involved in quite a few cases.

Right after starting his job, he had caught a fugitive wanted for twenty-eight years while attending a classmate's wedding.

Then came the Zhang Wen murder case, an unsolved robbery and assault case, the theft case involving Director Song's father-in-law's family, and the case involving the secretary of the CEO of the pedestrian street investment firm.

Every single one of them was a case that would bring honor to his superiors.

Yesterday, after being out for just one afternoon, he had also helped Action Group 2 crack the South Suburb arson case.

In this past month, Lu Chuan had been directly or indirectly involved in five cases.

If one didn't think about it closely, they might not notice, but once Liu Guodong and the others laid it all out, they were shaken to the core.

"The Zhang Wen murder, plus the Outlet case—I heard there's a possibility of a collective Third-Class Merit award for the team."

Ren Qiang looked at Lu Chuan once more: "Xiao Lu might even get an individual commendation."

After seeing Ren Qiang off, Lu Chuan looked at Liu Guodong with some confusion.

"Master, Group Leader Ren's information... is very well-connected."

Logically speaking, although Ren Qiang held a decent position as an action group leader in the Criminal Investigation Detachment, he was essentially at the level of a captain in a criminal police squadron.

How could he be so well-informed about matters within the Municipal Bureau?

While case rewards weren't exactly a secret, before official documents were issued, only a handful of people should know.

After all, such things had to undergo discussion and research by higher-ups before being officially released.

"Ren Qiang's daughter works at the Municipal Bureau headquarters; she's a clerk in the Office."

Liu Guodong revealed the secret in a single sentence.

So she was a clerk; no wonder the information was so sharp.

"By the way," Yang Sen slapped his thigh and looked at Lu Chuan, "Xiao Lu, Ren's daughter is quite a catch. Want me to introduce you?"

As soon as Lu Chuan heard Yang Sen speak, he immediately thought of his 180-pound niece.

"Brother Yang, let's just stick to comparing fingerprints."

Ren Qiang's information was not only well-connected but also precise.

Three days later, the commendation documents from the Municipal Bureau arrived.

Criminal Investigation Detachment: Collective Third-Class Merit.

Lu Chuan: A city-wide public commendation.

"Congratulations, Xiao Lu! A city-wide commendation right after starting work. Congratulations, congratulations!"

These were the congratulations from his colleagues in the detachment.

"Chuan-zi! It's gotta be you! You're a legend, man, you're absolutely killing it!"

This was his best friend, Yang Lin.

Qin Yong came to the forensic identification office once again to offer his warm condolences.

He painted a grand vision of Lu Chuan as a rising star in the police force.

The implication was: *When I die, you'll be the Detachment Captain.*

Lu Chuan was so moved he actually broke into a sweat.

Cases were like a woman's period—they always seemed to cluster during those few days, not only causing agony but also cutting off one's source of income.

However, as long as you endured it, the clouds would clear, and you could "receive guests" again.

During the peaceful days, the sound of slurping tea often echoed in the forensic identification office.

Lu Chuan leaned back in his chair, holding a large porcelain mug that Liu Guodong had given him.

He said it was the standard equipment for forensic identification; everyone had one.

Truth be told, sipping tea from a large porcelain mug with a newspaper spread out gave off a very "retired" vibe.

Having just started his job, Lu Chuan was already experiencing the lifestyle of a retiree.

"Master, it's been so peaceful lately. These days without any cases are really comf—"

"Don't say that!"

Huh?

The expressions of Liu Guodong and the other two changed instantly, but they still couldn't stop Lu Chuan.

"Master, don't say what?"

Liu Guodong and the others looked as pale as death. "In our line of work, you must never talk about cases."

"Master, you're being superstitious. It's impossible that I—"

*Bang!*

Before Lu Chuan could finish his sentence, the office door was pushed open.

It was Zhang Hui from Action Group 2. He had been on the force for five years and was about to become a core member; Lu Chuan had met him at the South Suburb arson scene.

"Supervisor Liu, something happened!"

Lu Chuan: "..."

Was it really this jinxed?

Liu Guodong and the others glanced at Lu Chuan and sighed in unison.

"Xiao Lu, in our profession, there are some things you just can't ignore."

Old Bai put down his newspaper and his slightly chipped porcelain mug, patting Lu Chuan on the shoulder. "Don't take it to heart. Even if you didn't mention cases, they would still happen... but try not to mention them in the future."

...

September 12, 2020, Tuesday, Cloudy.

North New District, Haizhou City, Xingfu Reservoir.

Lu Chuan was currently moonlighting as the driver for the forensic identification office. After parking the car, he entered the scene.

The crime scene was on the southeast side of the reservoir, where police had already cordoned off the area with caution tape.

Many local villagers were gathered around the perimeter watching.

"The informant was out fishing for wild fish in the reservoir. Ren Qiang and the others are taking his statement."

At the crime scene, Qin Yong and the others were listening to the preliminary report. Lu Chuan and his three colleagues, as the forensic team, entered the scene immediately.

The medical examiner followed closely behind.

On the shore lay a corpse wearing a white sundress.

She was lying face up, her long hair covering half of her cheek.

Uneven wounds were scattered across her body, as if she had been gnawed on by something; her original features were no longer recognizable.

Seeing such a gruesome scene for the first time, Lu Chuan's expression changed drastically.

"Xiao Lu, are you okay?"

Liu Guodong's expression was also grim as he handed Lu Chuan a pair of gloves.

Lu Chuan shook his head. He had seen corpses during his university years and didn't have a phobia of them.

Moreover, he had been at the scene when Zhang Wen was murdered.

The reason for his intense reaction this time was that the corpse's face had clearly been gnawed on by fish.

The sight was too visceral.

However, after a moment of adjustment, he felt much better.

Seeing that Lu Chuan's complexion had stabilized, Liu Guodong began assigning tasks.

It was not yet certain whether the death was a suicide or a homicide, nor was it certain if this was the primary crime scene.

But since it was a homicide, Liu Guodong immediately organized the work according to the highest protocols.

"Xiao Lu, you handle the forensic photography first. Old Yang and Old Bai, do the marking and collect the physical evidence."

Lu Chuan's performance at the Zhang Wen murder scene had been commendable; his forensic photography was very precise.

This time, the photography was different from the last.

The Zhang Wen crime scene was indoors and was the primary scene, so every detail had to be captured.

But this scene was outdoors, and the body had been retrieved from the water.

Therefore, Lu Chuan focused most of his energy on the corpse.

In less than ten minutes, he completed the forensic photography.

Afterward, the medical examiner began the examination of the body.

"There are obvious ligature marks on the neck and congestion in the corneas. Preliminary judgment: death by mechanical asphyxiation!"

The medical examiner's words weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

Mechanical asphyxiation meant the deceased could not have died by drowning.

It could now be basically confirmed as a homicide.

Another murder!

Over by Ren Qiang, the questioning of the informant had also concluded.

At this moment, his expression was extremely heavy: "Captain Qin, the informant just said that while he was fishing, his line snapped once."

"The body was hooked during his second attempt at fishing. So... there might be something else in the reservoir!"

Ren Qiang's judgment made the atmosphere at the scene even colder.

One death was already a major incident; if there were two...

(End of Chapter)