Chapter 8
Female Corpse
Lin Yan spoke without hesitation, Pretentious, hypocritical, and annoying to watch.
Lin Ge pulled her aside, his face turning serious. What are you talking about? Its one thing to criticize me, but why
Lin Yan retorted, If you havent spent time with her, you wouldnt know. Shes two-faced, saying one thing to your face and another behind your back. With your intelligence, if she really marry into the Lin family, shell manipulate you like a puppet!
Lin Ge was infuriated, but he couldnt raise his hand against her. His face turned red, and he said, Lin Yan, are you done? Nothing has been confirmed yet! I dont know what misunderstanding you have with Miss Song, but its not right to accuse her in public!
Let me tell you this, Lin Yans sharp tongue continued, The Lin family has nothing besides wealth. Oh, wait, theres also me, the irritating little sister-in-law. Marriage is a lifelong commitment, so dont regret it later.
Song Yuhang shook her head and took another sip of water. I think you might be too confident. I dont dislike you.
Huh? Lin Yans brain had a momentary freeze.
I dont dislike you. These six words sounded unexpectedly surprising coming from Song Yuhang.
However
The cold and icy words too confident slapped her back to reality.
If it werent for her aristocratic upbringing, Lin Yan would have slammed the table and stood up. You, with the surname Song, you better not
Before she could finish uttering the words give face and not take it, both of their phones vibrated simultaneously.
Lin Yan, who was about to unleash a torrent of curses aimed at the other persons ancestors, was interrupted by the sudden ringtone. She angrily pressed the hang-up button without even looking.
The person sitting across from her answered the call and stood up, listening while pulling out a few bills from her wallet and placing them on the table.
Sorry, you covered the bill today. If its not enough, Ill transfer the rest to you after Im done with my work.
Lin Ge quickly stood up and declined, No, its not necessary. Today, Im the one who should apologize
Song Yuhang didnt pay attention to what he was saying at all, her mind filled with the sound of the command centers call, A nameless female corpse has been found in the northwest part of Lianchi Park in our city. The local police station has rushed to the scene. Director Zhao said to inform you
Ill be there right away, give me the address.
The name of the city kept flashing on the screen, and Lin Yan was annoyed as she answered and scolded straight away, Arent you annoying? Its already after work hours, dont you know?
Duan Cheng, on the other end of the call, was speechless, No, Lin Jie, something happened, theres a case
Lin Yan placed her wine glass on the table, took a couple of steps, and then came back to grab her bag. Lin Ge, Ill take off now. Im treating you to this meal; let the boss put it on my tab.
Its not Before Lin Ge could finish his sentence, both of them had already left, one after the other. He sighed deeply, looking at the messy table.
What a situation.
When she got off the car a moment ago, she had asked the driver to go back first. Now, Lin Yan stood at the intersection, trying to hail a cab during rush hour. It wasnt easy; several taxis passed by, all packed with passengers.
She was about to call the driver to come pick her up when a white domestic BYD car stopped in front of her.
Song Yuhang rolled down the car window and spoke sparingly, Get in.
Lin Yan rolled her eyes and couldnt be bothered to respond.
Seeing that she didnt react, Song Yuhang didnt waste any more time. She prepared to shift gears and drive off. Lin Yan glanced at the busy traffic at the intersection and hesitated.
Fine, unlock the door.
As she got into the car, Song Yuhang glanced at her, seemingly wanting to say something.
Lin Yan sat in the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt. Just say what you want to say, dont hold it back.
Song Yuhang took out the police lights from the armrest box and pressed them on the roof with a snap. She sat back, shifted gears, and accelerated, skillfully maneuvering through the crowded traffic with quick turns.
Youre quite self-aware.
Oh, look at you. You dont want to miss any advantage from being on Team Song.
As the sole heir of the prestigious Lins Group, do you really care about a little fuel expense?
Of course, even a tiny fly is still meat.
I thought Song Yuhang glanced at her, but didnt finish her sentence.
What did you think? Lin Yan asked, but Song Yuhang just shook her head and opened the cars Bluetooth speaker to focus on listening to the case details.
With that, there was no room for Lin Yan to interject further.
The case also captured Lin Yans attention, and she even felt a bit eager to get involved.
She had already dissected several rats and rabbits for a few days, and her hands were itching with impatience.
Seeing her expression, Song Yuhangs face darkened a bit, but she was good at controlling her emotions, so she didnt say anything. She stepped on the gas pedal and drove straight through the narrow gap between two large trucks, causing Lin Yan to scream in terror.
Damn it, Song Yuhang, if you want to die, dont take me with you!
Five minutes later, at Lianchi Park.
Song Yuhang parked the car on the outskirts. The scene was already congested, with flashing police lights and a barricade set up. Several police officers from the local police station were maintaining order.
She presented her credentials and lifted the police cordon to walk inside, but Lin Yan, who came later, was stopped in her tracks.
Hey, I said
Song Yuhang turned back and gently lifted the police cordon for her. This is our citys new forensic doctor, let her in.
Several police officers glanced at each other before allowing her to pass.
No wonder they were hesitant.
Lin Yan, dressed in an exquisite dress with high heels, looked like a model straight out of a magazine, a stark contrast to the title forensic doctor.
The personnel from the local police station were already busy. One officer was in charge of questioning the witnesses, while another was taking notes.
Forensic and technical investigation teams were also present.
Song Yuhang glanced around briefly, and a middle-aged man with sharp features and a bit of a shrewd look came up to her, offering her a cigarette.
Team Song, what wind blew you here?
Thanks, but I dont smoke. Lets get to the details of the case.
The man chuckled awkwardly and put the cigarette back.
Well, it happened around 7 p.m. in the evening. The salvagers from the Municipal Waterway Management were conducting their operations
A man in his fifties, wearing a bamboo hat and soaked all over, stood shivering as he recounted the details of the case. Even now, he still seemed haunted by the memory.
Its been hot lately, and many people come to the park to cool off. Theres also a lot of garbage in the waterway. I thought of doing one last salvaging before getting off work and going home. As soon as I paddled the raft to under that bridge over there, I felt like I hit something.
Following his fingers direction, Song Yuhang looked over to Lianchi Park, a scenic park with a large lotus pond. In the height of summer, the lotus flowers were in full bloom. The location where the body was found was right below a stone arch bridge.
At the time, there must have been a crowd gathered on the bridge. The news of the body being salvaged from the waterway spread like wildfire, along with a few eye-catching, uncensored pictures, circulating widely.
Within the time of a meal, everyone already knew about it.
No wonder Director Feng was so angry and specially called her to come here.
I thought someone had dumped construction waste into the water again, and it infuriated me! I used a pole to poke it, thinking it was just something heavy! When I tried to bring it up, it seemed like the raft would tip over. So, I planned to drag it to the bank and call some colleagues to help.
I didnt expect that as soon as I got closer, I smelled a strong stench. It was there on the raft, but I didnt pay much attention to it. Its summer, and with so much garbage in the waterway, that smell is common. But this smell was so nauseating
Lin Yan rolled her eyes, thinking to herself: How can the smell of a corpse be the same as garbage?
As soon as I touched that plastic bag, I felt something was off. It was cold and slippery, but I still bravely dragged it towards the bank. But halfway through, the bag tore open, revealing a foot, and II
He trembled and broke into a cold sweat in the hot summer night of over 30 degrees Celsius. If it werent for my good swimming skills, I might have had trouble coming up.
Do you remember the specific time you discovered the body?
The elderly man pondered for a moment and then shook his head in confusion. I dont remember anymore. I just know it was around 7 p.m., but as soon as I got ashore, I immediately called the police. At that time, I checked my phone, and it was around 8:30.
Alright, please leave your name and phone number. If we need further assistance, we will contact you for investigation.
A police officer handed over a pen and paper, and the old man quickly wrote down his name and a series of numbers.
The forensic doctor from the local police station was conducting a preliminary examination of the body, and Lin Yan approached to observe carefully.
Duan Cheng held the instruments but didnt take photos. Several uniformed police officers surrounded the body.
Lin Yan casually took a photo and asked, Hey, have you found anything?
The officer who was addressed, wearing a mask, turned back impatiently, Onlookers, step aside. This is not a place for you to enter.
Lin Yan chuckled, Really? After watching for so long, you still havent figured it out.
I The male forensic doctors face turned red, and his voice became louder, The cause of death is drowning, and there are no visible injuries on the body. Its highly likely to be a suicide.
Song Yuhang was shocked by his shocking statement, turned her head abruptly, clenched her lips, and her gaze darkened.
You tell me, which person committing suicide would put themselves in a plastic bag before jumping into the river?
Lin Yan couldnt help but chuckle, Hahaha, Team Song, youre really humorous
She was laughing when she saw Song Yuhangs decisive expression, so she closed her mouth.
The captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade, who had just offered her a cigarette, approached with a complacent face. Oh, Team Song, dont be angry. Its just a remark from a newcomer. We will definitely investigate this case thoroughly.
Lin Yan knew the working style of the grassroots Criminal Investigation Brigade. The citys Public Security Bureau sets rigid standards for the annual case clearance rate. If they fail to meet the standard, what can they do? Either work hard on patrolling to prevent the occurrence of serious incidents from the source, or take shortcuts by treating criminal cases as public security cases. Especially in cases where they dont know the identity of the victim, they tend to drag and delay, and this is how batches of wrongful cases emerge.
But unfortunately for him, he had run into Song Yuhang, who was known for not tolerating any nonsense.
Starting from now, the city bureau is taking over this case. Before he could react, Song Yuhang decisively gave the order.
Duan Cheng, dont just stand there. Take the criminal photographs and videos. Fang Xin, collect the scene evidence. The rest of you, interview the onlookers again and redo the statements. Forensic Doctor Lin
As her gaze fell on Lin Yan, she had already tied up her long hair and put on gloves from the investigation box. With a swift motion, she covered most of her enchanting face with a mask, and her profile looked serious and focused.
Song Yuhang lightly pursed her lips and also walked over, squatting down beside her.
The plastic bag had already been opened, revealing the giant-sized body. The clothing was intact, but most of the skin had begun to peel off, especially on the hands, giving the appearance of wearing a layer of rubber gloves.
Lin Yan reached out and touched the layer of corpse oil, the pungent smell entering her nostrils. Without even furrowing her brows, she used a flashlight to open the deceaseds eyelids.
Conjunctival petechiae1 are visible.
Duan Cheng quickly came over to take photographs for documentation.
Livor mortis2 is pale and shows a light red color.
The flashlights beam moved to the mouth and nose of the deceased.
Clusters of white cotton-like substances blocked the mouth and nose, known in forensic medicine as foam-like froth.
Lin Yan made a decisive judgment, It fits the characteristics of drowning before death.
Song Yuhang, wearing gloves, roughly felt the clothes on the body but found nothing that could represent the identity.
Fang Xin, come here to extract DNA. Lets compare it with the missing persons database.
Okay, Team Song, Fang Xin replied as she was extracting suspicious fingerprints from the plastic bag. She grabbed the investigation box and rushed over.
Song Yuhang looked around at the bustling crowd. The area was spacious with people coming and going. If someone had disposed of a body here, there should have been witnesses.
Whats the time of death, Doctor Forensic Lin?
Lin Yan didnt answer her question but asked Duan Cheng to hand her the body thermometer.
A long probe was inserted into the deceaseds armpit, and Lin Yan bent down to take a look. Axillary temperature is 25.80C. Duan Cheng, go measure the water temperature. The average temperature in the last week is
Duan Cheng went off cheerfully with the thermometer, while Lin Yan was still muttering to herself. She couldnt possibly go digging into her bag with her hands covered in corpse oil.
Song Yuhang said, The average temperature is 30C.
In forensic medicine, there is a complicated process of reasoning to estimate the time of death based on the appearance of the body, the degree of decomposition, and the environmental temperature. However, Lin Yan didnt hesitate too much and spoke up immediately.
Estimated time of death is around 3-5 days. For a more accurate determination, well need to examine the stomach contents and liver temperature back at the lab. When it comes to disposing of a body in a place like this, the estimation of the time of death is influenced by the environment, water depth, location, and other factors. So, dont get your hopes up for precise results.
She was very meticulous in her work.
Song Yuhang took a step back and gestured to put the body into the body bag first before discussing further. They didnt want the onlookers to have more to gawk at, and tomorrows headlines in Jiangcheng City would already have enough sensational news.
After transporting the body to the mortuary, the next step was a vast and meticulous process of investigation and interviews.
Lin Yan and Fang Xin took the biological samples back to the police department for further examination.
Zheng Chengrui started reviewing the surveillance footage.
Meanwhile, Song Yuhang strolled around the park alone, at least thats what it seemed on the surface.
It was now well past 10 oclock at night, and the heat of summer had dissipated, causing Lianchi Park to gradually become less crowded.
Lianchi Park wasnt large, a recent municipal project that was open 24 hours a day without an entrance fee, attracting a significant number of visitors. While this presented challenges for the criminal investigation, it also meant that the difficulty of disposing of a body here was very high.
Because the perpetrator would likely be seen by someone.
If it were her, she would never choose this place to dump a body; it was too easily exposed.
As long as the police were willing to put in the effort, solving the case was just a matter of time.
Song Yuhang leaned on the railing of the stone arch bridge and looked down; not far from there was the spot where the body was discovered.
Beside her, a lush reed swayed, now trampled and scattered by the river-cleaning workers and the first batch of police who arrived at the scene. She descended the steps.
At first glance of the body, she had a question: it was too clean.
In modern times, people always carry their identification, drivers license, wallet, bank cards, and of course, their mobile phones.
Especially adult women, aside from those in special professions like hers, most of them would have a few personal belongings on them.
Extravagant like Lin Yan, she wore a Rolex watch on her wrist.
Plain like Fang Xin, she might wear an earring or a bracelet.
This was human nature, the pursuit of beauty, and few people were exempt from it.
Carrying her flashlight, Lin Yan waded through waist-deep weeds, trying to find some clues.
Most robbers who targeted wealth would take away the victims belongings. But if it was merely a robbery, why would they bother putting the body in a plastic bag and disposing of it? Such criminals usually fell into the category of crimes of passion, and whether the victim struggled or called for help, there would always be traces left behind.
The possibility of the perpetrator being an acquaintance crossed her mind.
But what could be the motive?
A big question mark formed in her mind.
The dew of the late night dampened her clothes as she looked around with her flashlight. This area was rarely visited by people. Most of those who came to admire the flowers would stay on the stone bridge and not venture down. The reed bed where the victim had been found was now flattened in the shape of a body.
There were no surveillance cameras around, and the low-hanging willow branches created a natural blind spot in the visibility.
She crouched down, stepping in the muddy riverbank and putting on her gloves. Inch by inch, she carefully felt around.
She firmly believed that there was no perfect crime, nor was there a so-called perfect crime scene.
If this was the primary crime scene for disposing of the body, there must be something left behind.
Her efforts paid off when her phone rang. While feeling through the half-inch deep mud, Song Yuhang pulled out a ring. She shone her flashlight on it; the ring was smooth, likely made of pure silver, with no decorations except for a small letter S engraved on the inside.
Song Yuhang placed the ring in an evidence bag and took off her gloves to answer the phone: Hello?
Lin Yan cleared her throat, The deceaseds family has been found.
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Conjunctival petechiae are an important diagnostic finding in external examination of forensic cases, being a sign of possible mechanical compression of the neck and jugular veins (e.g. choking, strangulation)Livor mortis, also known as post-mortem lividity or post-mortem hypostasis, refers to the pooling of blood in the lower portion, or dependent parts, of the body after death. This results in a dark purple discoloration of the skin.
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