Chapter 257 - 257 242 The Second Corpse

Words : 1800 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

257: Chapter 242 The Second Corpse 257: Chapter 242 The Second Corpse The source of the odor was decomposing garbage. In a normal reservoir, there’s an abundance of fish, shrimp, algae, and various microorganisms. However, in the seepage tunnels of such a coal mine, living creatures are exceedingly rare and particularly uniform. Occasionally, there might be some fish and such, barely alive, making it even harder to form an ecosystem like that of a reservoir. The garbage dumped here decomposes especially slowly. When the heavy machinery began operating, some of the exposed decomposing matter started to emit odors under the sun’s baking. The complexions of the mining bureau’s leaders grew even worse. Garbage landfills aren’t forbidden, but there are strict regulations. For example, Unity Coal Mine at the foot of the mountain was an open-pit coal mine on its shallow layers. Several communes invested in its creation, and it was quickly exhausted. The exposed mining area eventually turned into the Zi Feng Town garbage landfill. That was a landfill approved under regulations, where fees and responsibilities for waterproofing the base were mandated. The requirements for landfills in mine pits like this were much stricter; not just any household waste could be dumped in. The mining bureau’s regulatory violations were sure to cause trouble down the line... Xu Taining and the others could no longer be concerned with these issues, they simply craned their necks, waiting for the heavy machinery to clear away some of the upper layers of concrete, then ordered, “The forensic doctor goes down first. Wait for the rescue dogs.” The dogs’ paws were delicate, and if there were too many broken concrete bricks, cables, wires, and rebar below, they could easily be injured. But the forensic doctors weren’t a concern. Jiang Yuan, without a word, got himself geared up and descended into the pit using a basket along the rock wall. The mining bureau’s warehouse had plenty of such equipment, though it was old and in disrepair, raising concerns about potentially fatal accidents. A mine shaft about 50 meters deep, equivalent to the height of a 13-story building, looked a bit terrifying from above. Of course, the terror level was even higher at the bottom of the pit. Sludgy mud, gooey underfoot sensations, and occasional exposures of rebar, wire, discarded equipment, chunks of coal... There were also huge concrete blocks standing nearby, their stability uncertain. “I hate dealing with sites like this. We haven’t even seen a body; shouldn’t we have let the scene investigators come first?” complained Doctor Wang Lan, wrapped up tightly beside him. Jiang Yuan had already greeted her earlier, as well as Chief Medical Examiner Niu beside her, both forensic doctors who had come to assist that day. The case occurred in Qinghe Town, and although the provincial department had dispatched quite a few people to help, the main force was still the police from Qinghe City. The several forensic doctors checked each other’s equipment and then got busy. Despite her complaints, Wang Lan was efficient in her work, first cautiously stepping on stable spots, then gradually expanding the investigation area. She placed flags for marking where it was too deep, and used her hands to sift through the mud where needed. Soon, the group’s legs sank into the soft mud, rendering them immobile. Chief Medical Examiner Niu, short in stature, had his thighs buried even deeper, struggling immensely. “Should we use a machine to dig a bit?” Wang Lan moved to Chief Medical Examiner Niu’s side. Chief Medical Examiner Niu hesitated for a moment before saying, “Let’s not. The smell doesn’t feel right.” “Do you get a sense of the smell of decomposition?” Wang Lan asked Chief Medical Examiner Niu for confirmation. “I feel like it’s there.” Chief Medical Examiner Niu undid his mask and took a couple of breaths, nodding affirmatively. For forensic doctors, the sense of smell is a very important standard for judgment. For example, a sweet, sickly scent mixed with the smell of decomposition may suggest the victim was poisoned. However, because it’s difficult to convey the sense of smell in TV series, and due to the general public’s fear of the smell of decay, descriptions of scents are rare. In reality, though, humans have an innate sensitivity to the scent of death. The biggest obstacle in disposing of bodies is the smell. Many people who die at home or whose bodies are discarded by roadsides are often discovered quickly because of their smell. The silt at the bottom of the water originally had no odor, but under the scorching sun, it gradually began to emit various scents. Jiang Yuan and the other two younger forensic doctors were wearing activated carbon masks, which filtered most of the odors. They listened to the conversation between Doctor Wang and Chief Medical Examiner Niu without making any special effort to smell. Jiang Yuan had Level 4 crime scene investigation skills, which provided him with more information through observation. As for other advantages brought by scents, they could be entirely achieved through other means. Like...touch. Jiang Yuan bent down, reached out his hand, and slowly pulled out an...arm. Crime scene investigation often results in special findings at times like this. “It’s human,” said Jiang Yuan after a glance and called out. Not just the forensic doctors at the bottom of the pit, but also the crowd above the mine shaft stirred. “Confirmed human remains,” Wang Lan quickly came over for a look and gave a positive response. Finding remains was not a good sign, but it at least proved that this lengthy operation wasn’t a farce. The suited officials above also heaved a sigh of relief. Xu Taining immediately took out his phone and started making calls. Although thousands of people had been mobilized, consuming a tremendous amount of manpower and resources, solving a homicide case could still be considered justifiable. Of course, finding Liu Jinghui alive was very important if he were still living. Xu Taining whispered to the person next to him, and then someone asked through the walkie-talkie, “How long has the body been dead? More than a week?” This was their discreet way of asking if it was Liu Jinghui without stating it outright. Wang Lan jabbed the walkie-talkie, saying, “There’s corpse wax, so it’s at least a 10-month-old body.” Corpse wax is a relatively rare phenomenon in bodies, generally occurring in water or humid soil, where a body’s fat undergoes saponification, leading to the formation of corpse wax. Bodies with corpse wax are referred to as preserved bodies. Similarly renowned examples include mummies, such as Egyptian mummies or the Lady of the Loulan. The conditions required for the formation of a preserved body are quite strict and require a long time. However, once formed, a body can be preserved for an extended period. Mummies and the Lady of the Loulan, both with a history of thousands of years, have managed to avoid traditional decay and skeletonization. But determining exactly how long a body has been preserved is another complex task. Knowing that the body was not Liu Jinghui, Xu Taining ordered, “Continue the search.” He then proceeded with a further discussion with several white-shirted superiors. The atmosphere around the mine shaft noticeably improved. The police dogs felt it most distinctly; Heizi and Dazhuang both sat down obediently, calm and collected, like steady township civil servants. More technicians were lowered into the mine by basket. The usual office workers now had to lower their heads and dig into the mud during such times. Everyone surrounded the spot where Jiang Yuan had found the arm, continuously expanding the search downwards. There was no longer a need to fumble; in the knee-deep muck, each person used a metal tray to hold the scooped-up sludge. The metal trays, used in the dining hall for serving dishes and rice, over a meter long and half a meter wide, could hold a large amount of sludge. Once nearly full, they were pushed to the edge and emptied into buckets to be hauled away. Soon, a Komatsu mini excavator started to contribute to the excavation. Its half-meter-wide bucket may have seemed toy-like, but it was efficiently doing its job, a proper tool of productivity. “A leg.” Someone had found another “treasure.” Following that, other scattered remains continued to surface. Only the head was nowhere to be seen. If unseen, the search continued; those tired from searching were hoisted up in the basket for a rest, and after recovering, were sent back down. At this point, no one mentioned overtime payments or anything of the sort. There was none available, so the search continued relentlessly, downwards and outwards. It was in the course of such meticulous work that another hand and some toes were eventually found. More objects were being retrieved and the mine cavern became abuzz with voices. Jiang Yuan was once again lifted out, exhausted. The sludge below was challenging to navigate, walking meant dragging one’s feet, substantially increasing fatigue. Recovering items required bending over, frequently carrying weight. Add to that the continuous task of identifying what was being dredged up... frankly, some trash that looked like actual garbage, was indeed just that. Jiang Yuan rested quite a while before washing his clothes, hands, and legs with water, then heading over to the camper van about a hundred meters away to take a shower. The camper van was brought in by Xu Taining’s orders, specifically for everyone to shower and change clothes. Truthfully, the logistical support for this operation was properly in place. Consequently, although everyone was tired, there were few complaints. Cleaned up, Jiang Yuan came out to sit and drink a cup of tea, finally smelling the stench distinctly on his nose. At that moment, he even felt a slight rush of pleasure. After resting for about two hours, Jiang Yuan opened his mobile phone and saw that the small work group had already started discussing the body. “The body was sawn apart, most likely with a chainsaw or similar equipment. It resembles the corpse from the earlier reservoir case.” “Dismemberment was probably also for ease of transport, it seems they’re not very knowledgeable about anatomy.” “Maybe they were pretending. If you dismember enough, even those who don’t know will learn.” Just when the site was about to turn into a large-scale investigative field lecture, more commotion erupted from below. Several resting forensic doctors emerged from their hiding spots, running out. Below the mine, noise and swift commands rose through the air. Peering over the edge of the mine shaft, Jiang Yuan saw a gray travel bag being unearthed from below. “The second body,” came the muffled voice from beneath.

Chapter 257 - 257 242 The Second Corpse

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