Diary of a Criminal Investigator

Lu Chuan couldn’t be certain that the body below was Wang Mingshan’s because if it were remains of another animal, the skeletal remains left after decay could also produce this phenomenon.

However, the variable-frequency laser spectrometer’s reaction indicated there was definitely something below.

"Should we call Captain Qin over?"

Wang Changjiang looked around at everyone, feeling it was time to report it.

Liu Guodong didn’t immediately agree. They had already been searching for most of the night, and now it was past 1 AM. People were exhausted, struggling to keep going by sheer willpower.

If there was indeed a discovery at this time, it would certainly be a great encouragement to the search team. However, if the find turned out to be nothing, it would be a huge blow to the team.

So, Liu Guodong looked at Lu Chuan: "Are you confident?"

"Although the green light lasted only a very short time, it was indeed the gas chromatography reaction produced when laser encounters phosphorus."

"However, this reaction occurs as long as the laser meets phosphorus volatilized by skeletal remains. I can’t be sure that it’s Wang Mingshan’s body below, but there’s definitely decayed skeletal remains there, whether it’s a person or some animal or something else."

It’s uncertain if it’s human, but it’s definite there’s something there.

"I think it’s about right."

Old Bai pointed around the large area: "We searched such a large area for the first half of the night without any reaction, and only this spot had a reaction. Whether it’s Wang Mingshan’s body or not, we have to dig it up."

"Yes, I agree with Old Bai’s opinion. We have to dig it up regardless. If it isn’t, we just keep searching. If it is, then all’s well that ends well."

That’s the logic.

"Alright, let’s go with what everyone said. I’ll report to Captain Qin now."

Turning on the walkie-talkie, Liu Guodong called on the public channel: "Captain Qin, Captain Qin."

"There’s a discovery on the north bank, a discovery on the north bank!"

"Received, I’m coming over immediately!"

Twenty minutes later, Qin Yong arrived with Zhang Hui and several others from team two at Lu Chuan’s location.

"How is it?"

"Lu Chuan just used the variable-frequency laser spectrometer, and there was a strange reaction in this area, creating a green light. We suspect there’s something underneath."

"Something?"

"It’s not certain it’s what we’re looking for, but there’s a high probability of skeletal remains beneath."

Liu Guodong was still cautious in his report, leaving room for uncertainty.

"What’s the opinion?"

"Dig it up."

Liu Guodong pointed around: "We searched roughly 10,000 square meters in the first half of the night, but only found a reaction here."

"So, we have to dig it up, no matter what’s below."

"Okay, I agree. Zhang Hui, you take a few people to assist with the crime scene investigation here, and don’t stop the search in the southern area."

"Yes!"

At the Crime Scene Investigation office, only Lu Chuan was capable of doing the work. On the forensic side, Wang Changjiang was quite old, and Shen Yan was a female colleague, making this team relatively ineffective.

If the action team didn’t help, relying only on these few people, they couldn’t dig a meter deep by tomorrow.

With Zhang Hui’s team, it was different. A few tall, burly men, they looked to be perfect for digging.

"Lu Chuan, which spot?"

"Right here, within a five-meter radius."

"Five meters?"

"That’s not too big. Alright, brothers, let’s get to work."

Without a word, the burly men rolled up their sleeves, grabbed pickaxes, and started digging.

Qin Yong didn’t leave; he stayed there to keep an eye.

The monotonous search lacked excitement, but digging was a bit more engaging. After all, it was physical labor, at least allowing them to sweat.

"Let me take over, you’re too slow."

"Bull, I just didn’t eat meat for dinner..."

"Come on, you see where I strike with the pickaxe..."

"Damn!"

"Captain Qin! There’s something here!"

They had dug nearly a meter deep when Chen Jian’s strike felt distinctly different.

Looking down with a flashlight, it seemed like clothes!

Qin Yong dashed over: "What is it? What is it?"

"Clothes, there’s clothes buried underground!"

Damn, this discovery invigorated the entire team.

The Crime Scene Investigation team, following Qin Yong, rushed over as Lu Chuan stopped them while running: "Don’t touch anything, let me handle it!"

Even though this might just be a burial site and not the initial crime scene, it held significant value for the Crime Scene Investigation.

Zhang Hui and his team knew their laboring job was over, and now it was up to the technical specialists.

The burly men climbed out of the pit and stood by the edge, but the joking atmosphere was gone since what might lie below was potentially their former colleague, Wang Mingshan, who had been missing for five years.

Back then, when Wang Mingshan went missing, his son was still in middle school; now he was in high school, about to take the university entrance exams.

Moreover, because Wang Mingshan just went missing without any official orders when he investigated the case, his family didn’t receive any benefits, not even compensation.

Finally, is he going to be found?

Five years!

Wang Mingshan had been buried alone in this godforsaken place for five years.

Team two members who had been searching along the southern side of the bridge also rushed over, some of whom were former partners of Wang Mingshan, their eyes reddened, silently watching Lu Chuan put on shoe covers and masks.

"Master, shall I go down first?"

"Alright, I’ll assist from the side."

Lu Chuan nodded, and the pit wasn’t deep, about a meter or so.

After descending, Lu Chuan picked up a small scoop from the edge and began carefully excavating soil around the area where the clothes were discovered, little by little.

Before long, Lu Chuan looked up: "Master, the bag."

The flashlight was bright, illuminating the entire excavation area as if it were daylight.

Lu Chuan was collecting a clump of somewhat compacted soil.

The excavation continued but progressed slowly, as only Lu Chuan was inside, carefully digging with a small scoop. By dawn, half the excavation was completed.

However, the outline of an entire skeleton had already appeared. The skeleton in the pit was curled up, arms behind with a pair of rusty handcuffs securing them to the bones.

The legs were joined together, and Lu Chuan had just extracted a piece of nearly decayed plastic, presumably a zip tie used to bind the legs.

Based on the state of the corpse, it was highly probable that the person had been buried alive.

The clothes Chen Jian had uncovered were mostly decayed, and Lu Chuan had collected them completely.

Now, with a soft brush, Lu Chuan was meticulously cleaning the soil surrounding the skeletal remains.

All night, everyone stood silently at the edge of the pit, watching Lu Chuan and the others handle the skeletal remains.

The dew had wetted the backs of their uniforms, yet no one left.

At eight in the morning, as the sun rose high, Lu Chuan finally straightened up in the pit. The excavation work on the skeletal remains was largely complete.

"We need to go back for Skeleton Identification Analysis."

The identity of the deceased was already confirmed; the half-decayed police badge, the rusty handcuffs, and other belongings all proved the owner of these skeletal remains was the missing officer Wang Mingshan from five years ago!