Decayed Vulgarian chapter 10

On-Site Investigation

Let’s rewind time by five hours.

Saturday evening, 5 o’clock.

Not long after seeing off Meng Yuan Cen, Shen Xun didn’t feel like preparing dinner for himself and decided to order takeout. He had a bit of a choice paralysis and had collected several coupons through public accounts, constantly comparing prices. Finally, after twenty minutes, he successfully placed an order.

Now he just needed to wait for the delivery. Shen Xun had some free time on his hands and inexplicably found himself flipping open the diary tucked inside the “Color Atlas of Forensic Medicine.”

A few minutes later, he closed the diary with a complicated expression. It revealed emotions he wouldn’t even show during an autopsy. Shen Xun placed the book back on the shelf, as if ridding himself of a hot potato, and turned to leave.

However, the memories etched in those loose-leaf pages continued to torment him with phrases like “I want to be a forensic scientist in the future, to forever uphold justice. Some people may not understand me, but that’s okay. I don’t care.” They taunted him incessantly.

After several dozen seconds, Shen Xun returned to the bookshelf. He retrieved those two loose-leaf pages, crumpled them into a ball, and tossed them into the trash bin. He felt a sense of relief after disposing of them.

But it didn’t last long. Shen Xun suddenly realized a more serious matter: what if he lent the book to Meng Yuan Cen with some miscellaneous items still inserted in it?

He racked his brain to recall and finally remembered that “Philosophy of Crime and Punishment” was a book he bought during his college years. He wouldn’t have written such edgy content back in college. With that in mind, he heaved a sigh of relief.

His phone rang at that moment.

Shen Xun initially thought it was the delivery. He picked up the phone and saw “Captain Liu” glaring at him from the screen.

There was a 101% chance it was a call to ask him to work overtime.

Although Shen Xun didn’t have to be on duty this weekend and wasn’t required to be on standby, situations like the one before him were no longer unusual for him. He didn’t find it surprising. He picked up his keys, grabbed his credentials, and went downstairs to call a taxi. The situation was urgent, and there was no time for him to leisurely take the subway or ride an electric scooter.

Upon arriving at the police station, his colleagues informed him that the on-duty forensic examiner, Xiao Ruan, had already gone to the crime scene. Shen Xun ran into Jiang Zhuo, who was responsible for collecting evidence, and they exchanged greetings. They both joined the criminal investigation team’s police car.

On the way, Captain Liu massaged his temples and said, “The initial on-site inspection couldn’t rule out the possibility of homicide. We might have to struggle against some sinister forces late into the night, or even until dawn.”

Shen Xun, holding the forensic examination kit, looked out the window in silence as the police sirens blared. Onlookers pointed in the direction of the police car.

He remained quiet, conserving his energy. Jiang Zhuo, who had worked in the police force for several years longer than Shen Xun, had encountered many situations and had developed a stable mindset. He even had the mood to engage in a conversation with Shen Xun. “Xiao Ruan has bad luck. He’s only been here for half a year and has been on duty for two homicide cases. Maybe he should copy more Buddhist scriptures.”

Shen Xun, hearing this, turned to Jiang Zhuo and, after a few seconds of silence, nodded in agreement. “I did suggest to him that he should listen to the Great Compassion Mantra more often.”

Next to Shen Xun, Detective Zhu chimed in after hearing their conversation. “Tonight, I saw Xiao Ruan eating mangoes during his shift. If only I had reminded him earlier.”

He sighed after speaking.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xun and Jiang Zhuo exchanged knowing glances, clearly indicating that it was as expected.

Captain Liu, who initially had a stern and slightly worried expression, seemed to be listening to something as his ears twitched. He said with a mix of frustration and amusement, “Let’s not be superstitious. We are the people’s police; we must believe in the power of science.”

Shen Xun, Jiang Zhuo, and Detective Zhu all exchanged glances, their facial expressions twitching as if they were suppressing something. After a brief moment of silence, they all agreed, “Captain Liu is right.”

After that, Jiang Zhuo looked down and saw Captain Liu’s keychain, which had an amulet hanging on it. He knew that Captain Liu’s wife had obtained it from a famous local temple. Jiang Zhuo then shifted his gaze and noticed that Shen Xun was also observing the amulet.

The two of them exchanged a smile, understanding each other without words.

As they neared the crime scene, Shen Xun took out disposable surgical gowns, latex gloves, shoe covers, and masks from the forensic examination kit. Fully equipped, only their eyes were exposed as they surveyed their surroundings. 

The police car came to a steady stop with its sirens flashing. The crime scene was in a small grove in the Blue Lake Park in the Yuhai district. The victim was a woman.

Local police officers had arrived early, and they had taped off the area around the body with a blue and white police tape, protecting the crime scene. Many onlookers were talking among themselves, and some police officers were maintaining order, while others were taking statements from the witnesses.

Shen Xun and Jiang Zhuo, wearing their forensic examination suits, emerged from behind the police tape. They asked Xiao Ruan, the forensic examiner, for an update. He looked relieved to see Shen Xun, as if he had just found a lifeline. “Shen Ge, you’re finally here!”

Shen Xun responded with a simple “Mmm, what do we have so far?”

Xiao Ruan replied, “Hu-ge thinks it’s probably a body dumping site.”

Hu-ge, as mentioned, was a professional in trace analysis with a wealth of experience, so his conclusion was reliable.

Xiao Ruan continued, “I’ve documented post-mortem rigidity, and I’ve done a preliminary examination of the victim’s face and neck. It appears she was strangled.”

Shen Xun placed the forensic examination kit on the ground and began asking questions as he opened the kit. “Has the rectal temperature been measured?”

“Yes, it has.”

Shen Xun started by pressing the facial skin. “Facial swelling and cyanosis. The skull is intact without deformities or fractures.”

He combed through the victim’s hair carefully. “No foreign material. There are injuries on the top of the head. Pass me the scale.”

Xiao Ruan handed over the scale.

After examining the head, Shen Xun said, “Flashlight.”

Xiao Ruan held the flashlight while Shen Xun, using tweezers, looked at the victim’s eyes through a magnifying glass. “Moderate clouding of the corneas.”

He raised the upper and lower eyelids, “Scattered petechial hemorrhages (small red spots) are visible on both eyelids.”

Shen Xun wanted to inspect the inside of the mouth, but due to rigor mortis(death stiffness), he couldn’t open it. He searched for a mouth opener tool in the forensic kit, twisted the metal ring, and finally managed to shine a flashlight inside the victim’s mouth. “Point-like bleeding is present on the mouth lining.”

He continued down the body. “Extensive under the skin bleeding in the neck area. On the right side of the neck, near the throat, there’s an oval wound, measuring 1.3 cm x 0.4 cm. Below the front of the neck, there’s a scratch, measuring 0.2 cm x 0.2 cm. In the midsection of the right collarbone, there’s a 0.3 cm x 0.2 cm skin injury, and there are three skin injuries near the xiphoid process (bottom tip of the breastbone).”

“The nail beds of all ten fingers are bluish. There’s a 0.2 cm x 0.1 cm injury on the upper end of the left forearm, and there are fresh ruptures at the 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions on the hymen…”

Before collecting evidence, Shen Xun turned to Xiao Ruan and asked, “Has the body temperature been measured for the second time?”

Xiao Ruan was so fascinated by Shen Xun’s examination that he temporarily forgot about it. But after Shen Xun’s question, he quickly went to fetch a digital thermometer.

The forensic team members worked diligently for a while and had successfully collected secretions from important areas and other materials. They documented and photographed the evidence as needed, and the preliminary autopsy was complete.

As they returned, Jiang Zhuo, who had put down his pen, began a casual conversation. “Shen Xun, have you had dinner yet?”

Shen Xun shook his head. “No, I just ordered takeout but Captain Liu called, so I rushed here.”

Jiang Zhuo responded, “While waiting for the autopsy request to be approved, you should eat a meal before going to the dissection table. Being well-fed will give you the energy to work.”

Xiao Ruan chimed in, “Jiang-ge is right. Otherwise, after performing the autopsy, you’ll carry the odor on you. Even the best appetite can be spoiled.”

Shen Xun smiled, “That won’t happen. Xiao Ruan, you’re still young. After you’ve been a forensic examiner for a while, nothing will faze you.”

As the conversation continued, Jiang Zhuo suddenly remembered something. “By the way, Xiao Ruan, detective Zhu from the Criminal Investigation Division next door asked me to tell you not to eat mangoes, and also, avoid blueberries and strawberries on weekends.”

Xiao Ruan: ?

Seeing the bewildered expression on his face, Shen Xun first chuckled silently, and once he had enough, he began to explain, “You’ve only been at our branch for a short time, so you might not understand, but you need to adapt to the local customs.”

“On Saturdays, avoid eating fruits with ‘mango’ and ‘berry’ in their names. The former will make you busy, and the latter will bring bad luck. It’s to avoid encountering murder cases while you’re on duty.”

Jiang Zhuo chimed in, “You can also get an amulet or a talisman to hang around your neck or put a paper charm in your phone case for protection against evil.”

Xiao Ruan hesitated, looking at Shen Xun and then at Jiang Zhuo, “Is this not superstition?”

Jiang Zhuo made a clicking sound and, with the tone of someone who had been through a lot, said, “Youth is a wonderful thing.”

Xiao Ruan then turned his gaze to Shen Xun, “I believe Shen-ge wouldn’t believe in superstitions.”

Shen Xun replied, “I don’t have amulets, talismans, or paper charms. But I recite Buddhist scriptures.”

Xiao Ruan: …

“By the way, Shen-ge,” Xiao Ruan thought of something important. Having only been there for half a year, he was not entirely familiar with the procedures. “Are we having a meeting later? Do we need to present the details of the scene and the body? I get nervous when there are too many leaders. I’m afraid I might forget some key points.”

“We won’t be having a meeting for now. It’s almost impossible for strangulation to be a suicide. We can determine the nature of the case at the scene, and the rest will be discussed by the Criminal Investigation Division. But if the leads are unclear, they might come to you for consultation.”

Shen Xun reassured him, “Just keep practicing, and you’ll get better. My first report was even worse than yours.”

The scheduled autopsy was for tonight, and the approval had come quickly, leaving Shen Xun with no time to eat. They waited for a moment at the Public Security Bureau, and the four forensic experts were gathered in the car—two for the autopsy, one for filming, and one for recording. They headed to the mortuary, which was adjacent to the Forensic Examination Center. It was a bit far from the city center, and the mortuary was known for having a “spooky” reputation. As they approached, they exchanged ghost stories to boost their courage.

However, Shen Xun did not join in their conversation. Instead, he silently opened a small gap in the car window.

He suddenly remembered something and took out his phone.

There were no new WeChat messages from Meng Yuan Cen.

He clicked into WeChat and double-checked. Meng Yuan Cen hadn’t sent any photos, perhaps he had forgotten.

Oddly, Meng Yuan Cen also hadn’t initiated a chat.

With these thoughts in mind, Shen Xun put his phone back into his pocket. The night breeze rushed in through the crack in the car window and slapped his face. The outside was shrouded in darkness, and the phone displayed the time in the top right corner: 20:16.