Chapter 2
Mentor

The police station doesn’t have a dedicated forensic autopsy room; all autopsies are conducted at the funeral home, which is located on the westernmost side of the city. It takes over thirty minutes by taxi from the police station to get there.

The original owner had never been to the funeral home, let alone the autopsy room.

Xie Qing had to ask several people before finding the right place.

The corridor was long, dimly lit, and filled with the faint smell of corpses in the hot and humid air.

Although unpleasant, this was a familiar and comfortable environment for Xie Qing. Entering it, she felt a sense of security in this unfamiliar world.

“Knock, knock.” She knocked twice on the door and, hearing someone inside say, “Come in,” pushed the door open.

The room was small, and the smell was strong.

There were two autopsy tables, and on the one by the window lay a male corpse.

Three people stood by the table, one of whom was a middle-aged man with a long face, fair skin, and a tired expression—this was the original owner’s mentor, Cao Haisheng.

“Mentor,” Xie Qing greeted.

Cao Haisheng turned his face, glanced at Xie Qing, and introduced her to the other two, “This is the new assistant, Xiao Xie.”

The two male forensic doctors nodded at Xie Qing, and the younger one joked, “Great, we finally have a beauty in the forensic department.”

Cao Haisheng didn’t respond to the joke and said calmly, “These are Forensic Doctors An and Ding from the Development Zone Branch. Get ready.”

Xie Qing greeted, “Hello, Forensic Doctors An and Ding.”

Having dealt with male forensic doctors for years, Xie Qing knew that Cao Haisheng was displeased with her appearance—she was wearing a light blue dress and white mid-heeled sandals, with long, sunny hair, looking like a delicate girl. She wanted to change clothes, but the original owner didn’t have suitable ones, and she didn’t want to ruin the new clothes she had bought. While her appearance was being scrutinized, her work ability must not be questioned.

Xie Qing put down her bag and quickly put on a white lab coat.

Cao Haisheng said, “Let’s begin.”

Forensic Doctor Ding grabbed the razor first, “I’ll shave the head.”

“Mentor, I’m good at shaving heads. Let me do it,” Xie Qing said, putting on a mask.

Shaving was usually done by assistant forensic doctors like Xie Qing. Forensic Doctor Ding stopped and exchanged a look with Cao Haisheng.

“You?” Cao Haisheng was surprised but agreed after a moment’s hesitation, “Alright, you shave the head. Xiao Ding will record.”

“Okay,” Forensic Doctor Ding agreed.

Xie Qing put on gloves and skillfully began shaving the deceased’s head.

The deceased was a middle-aged man with a receding hairline and sparse hair. She quickly shaved it clean.

At that moment, Cao Haisheng, who had just finished examining the clothes, said in surprise, “Have you practiced?”

“Yes,” Xie Qing half-lied, “I used to shave my grandfather’s head when he was alive.”

The original owner had never shaved a head, but her grandfather had indeed passed away.

Cao Haisheng didn’t say anything further and glanced at the idle camera.

Xie Qing understood and picked up the camera, taking photos at the right angles and positions while examining the corpse’s features.

The deceased had an injury on the back of his head, with a slight bone crepitus when pressed but minimal vital reaction. His face was swollen and cyanotic, with two distinct ligature marks below the thyroid cartilage—one shallow and one deep, likely the fatal injury and antemortem. The ligature marks were smooth and consistent in-depth, appearing dark brown and leathery. The abdomen was noticeably distended, and there were clusters of fly eggs and larvae on the eyebrows, face, and other indescribable areas, which had been cleaned. There were no large contusions on the front of the body.

Xie Qing deduced that the head injury occurred when the killer handled the body near death, and the weapon was likely a 2.5mm wire.

Forensic Doctor An used rib shears to cut the ribs and opened the chest and abdominal cavity: the internal organs were severely congested.

Cao Haisheng dissected the neck with steady and precise cuts, peeling back layers of tissue to reveal the thyroid and cricoid cartilages, both of which had longitudinal fractures.

These findings, along with the ligature marks on the neck, confirmed that the deceased had died from mechanical asphyxiation.

Forensic Doctor Ding put down the autopsy form, “I’ll handle the stomach contents.”

Extracting stomach contents was a particularly unpleasant task and one of the assistant’s duties.

Xie Qing looked at Cao Haisheng and volunteered.

Cao Haisheng asked, “Can you do it?”

Xie Qing replied, “Yes, I can.”

Cao Haisheng agreed. Xie Qing fetched a container and a spoon, using the spoon to scoop out the stomach contents. The contents emitted a sour, rotten smell mixed with the distinct odors of alcohol and fish.

Xie Qing sifted through the contents, “The deceased drank alcohol and ate meat, fish, and vegetables. The contents are clear and almost undigested. Judging by the fullness of the stomach, the deceased likely died shortly after their last meal.”

Forensic Doctor Ding recorded the information.

Forensic Doctor An continued his methodical examination, “The duodenum is almost empty. I’ll check the small and large intestines.”

The small intestine contained undigested food, but it was no longer identifiable. The large intestine was empty—the contents were on the pants.

Cao Haisheng summarized, “Based on the length of the larvae on the body, we can determine the time of death to be three days ago. Considering the stomach contents, it should be the evening of September 3rd. Any objections?”

Forensic Doctor Ding paused his writing, “I agree with Brother Cao. Having dinner in the evening and disposing of the body at night fits the usual behavior pattern.”

Forensic Doctor An nodded silently.

Cao Haisheng continued, “I found nothing in the clothing, but the deceased had dental work on both molars and had their wisdom teeth removed. We can create a sketch and inquire at hospitals and clinics.”

Forensic Doctor Ding asked, “Brother Cao, what if the deceased isn’t from this city?”

“Then we’ll have to send official letters requesting assistance from other regions,” Cao Haisheng said, leaning on the autopsy table and examining the deceased’s right hand. “The deceased’s nails are clean, and there are no calluses on the fingertips or the pen-holding area of the right middle finger, but there are many calluses on the feet. What do you think this person did for a living?”

Xie Qing understood that this was an unidentified body, and the first task was to find the source. She took some photos of the clothing.

The top was a light blue short-sleeved shirt paired with khaki casual pants, and the shoes were 70% new crocodile leather sandals. There was also a yellowed dirty handkerchief. The clothing was of good quality, fashionable items for middle-aged men at the time.

Even if the deceased wasn’t wealthy, he was at least well-off. So, what did he do for a living?

Forensic Doctor Ding suggested two possibilities, “A physical education teacher or a street vendor?”

Xie Qing said, “A salesperson?”

Cao Haisheng smiled with satisfaction, “Judging by his age and attire, a salesperson is more likely.”

“Smart girl,” Forensic Doctor Ding praised Xie Qing, then added, “Oh no, that makes it even harder to find him. He could be from this city or another.”

Cao Haisheng pondered for a moment, “It’s been three days, and no police stations have received any reports. The deceased is likely an out-of-town salesperson. The killer probably had a premeditated plan, likely related to robbery.”

Forensic Doctor An spoke up, “Could he have been a wholesaler coming to settle accounts?”

Forensic Doctor Ding gave a thumbs up.

Cao Haisheng said, “That’s more likely. Ordering, restocking, and collecting payments make sense. Additionally…” He pointed to the clothing, “The top shows no signs of tearing, the shoes have no trampling marks, and there are no large contusions on the body. The ligature marks are only two, indicating the killer ambushed the deceased. The deceased struggled violently, causing the rope to move, and the killer increased the force, quickly gaining the upper hand. The killer is very strong.”

“I agree with Brother Cao,” Forensic Doctor Ding said, gesturing over the body. “It’s not easy to control a big guy who’s been drinking. Should we test the stomach contents?”

“Of course,” Cao Haisheng replied, removing his gloves. “Xiao Xie, any thoughts?”

Xie Qing thought that he was testing her abilities by asking her instead of Forensic Doctor An. She said, “I noticed the deceased’s nails are very clean. Could the killer have cleaned them?”

“Ah, you’re right,” Forensic Doctor Ding said, pointing at Xie Qing with his pen. “Makes sense.”

“Very good,” Cao Haisheng said, a hint of a smile in his eyes. “Take the sample and send it to the lab immediately.”

“Yes,” Xie Qing replied, putting the camera away and placing the sample in her small bag.

She hesitated for a moment before asking, “Mentor, what should I do with this?”

“Take it back and wash it, then hang it here again,” Cao Haisheng instructed.

“Okay,” Xie Qing said, removing the lab coat, rolling it up, and holding it in her hand. She bowed slightly to the three forensic doctors and left the autopsy room.

After the door closed, Forensic Doctor Ding asked, “Brother Cao, is Xiao Xie really a newcomer?”

“Of course, today is her first day,” Cao Haisheng replied.

Forensic Doctors Ding and An exchanged a glance. “Wow, she’s impressive. She seems more skilled than those who’ve been here for a year or two.”

Cao Haisheng smiled, “It’s just shaving a head and being observant. No need to praise her too much. Besides, it’s not easy for a girl to do this job. She seems to come from a good family. Let’s see how long she can last.”

Forensic Doctor Ding agreed, “Indeed, her attire is quite refined. She doesn’t seem like someone who can stick with this job for long.”