Chapter 8: The Corpse Room 8  

Yan Yu carefully examined the young girl he had just pulled up, noting that her right arm, hanging at her side, no longer trembled as violently as before. Her complexion also seemed fine, suggesting she was likely unharmed.  

However, whether due to the intense physical exertion or the sudden strain, her still slightly chubby cheeks were now flushed, and her forehead and nose were dotted with fine beads of sweat.  

Yet she seemed oddly dazed. Could an arm injury affect the brain? With this thought, Yan Yu shifted slightly but then lowered his gaze expressionlessly to their still-clasped hands.  

He intended to withdraw his hand, but the person before him showed no sign of letting go. A flicker of amusement crossed his handsome face, and he deliberately tightened his grip.  

Jolted by the sudden force, Ye Zhu finally released his hand as if scalded, only to meet the man’s faintly disdainful expression. His hand, which she had clutched moments ago, even rubbed against the fabric at his waist with exaggerated distaste.  

“……” Ye Zhu averted her eyes, refusing to engage.  

“Let’s take her back first,” Yan Yu said, offering no comment on her earlier actions. Instead, he glanced at the growing crowd of onlookers and made a decision.  

Jiang Bing acknowledged the order, pulling the suspect to his feet and deftly securing handcuffs around his wrists.  

Just as the three were about to leave, Yan Yu paused, hesitating as he glanced at Ye Zhu, who had remained unusually quiet. After a brief consideration, he altered their plans. “We’ll head to the hospital first. Contact the Fenghhe City Public Security Bureau afterward and have them send backup to meet us there.”  

“Got it,” Jiang Bing replied, his eyes briefly scanning Ye Zhu’s right arm before agreeing without hesitation.  

“I’m fine,” Ye Zhu insisted, unwilling to delay the investigation because of her condition. Besides, after about ten minutes of recovery, she genuinely felt no pain.  

To prove her point, she supported her right shoulder with her left hand and rotated her right arm smoothly, her face showing no sign of discomfort.  

Jiang Bing’s eyebrows twitched, and his gaze deepened with unspoken meaning. He couldn’t help recalling yesterday’s events in Wenzhuang Village’s alley—how the young girl had bounced back within minutes, seemingly unharmed. Later, after the car accident, the emergency doctor had examined her and found only minor bruising on her back, the kind one might get from bumping into a table corner.  

When colleagues from the Fenghhe City Public Security Bureau urged the doctor to re-examine her—emphasizing that she had been struck full-force with a shovel by a grown man—the doctor had scoffed dismissively.  

“A grown man did this?” he’d retorted with a knowing smile. “Guess the suspect took pity on such a pretty officer?”  

The others had laughed, but Jiang Bing knew the truth. He had been mere meters away when the suspect, Tang Qiang, swung that shovel with brutal force. The sound of metal striking flesh had been sickening. There had been no mercy whatsoever.

Returning to today’s events, Qian Bin’s weight was clearly evident—a 150-pound object falling vertically. Ye Zhu’s reaction at the time was genuine and unfeigned, visibly sustaining significant injuries.  

For an ordinary person suffering two severe blows within two days, even if they weren’t bedridden and speechless, they certainly wouldn’t be as lively as her, swinging her arm around like a windmill.  

The sudden conversation interrupted Jiang Bing’s train of thought. He snapped back to attention and saw Yan Yu speaking up, his tone cool: “No one said you were in trouble. But during the arrest, you were dragging the suspect by the collar. If Jiang Bing hadn’t arrived in time, the guy would’ve been strangled to death.”  

This wasn’t an exaggeration. At the time, Qian Bin couldn’t use his limbs and was choking on his own clothes, his eyes rolling back as his face turned a deep shade of purple-red.  

Hearing this, Ye Zhu guiltily glanced at the man Jiang Bing had just shoved into the back seat. Seeing the glaring red mark on his neck, she immediately fell silent and awkwardly climbed into the car.  

Naturally, Jiang Bing took the wheel again for the trip to the hospital.  

By the time they circled back to the municipal bureau, it was already past three in the afternoon. While at the hospital, Ye Zhu had “casually” asked a doctor to examine her right arm, only to be diagnosed with a minor muscle strain—rest for two days, and it would heal.  

Yet ever since hearing the diagnosis, the two men accompanying her had been staring at her with meaningful looks, making her extremely uncomfortable.  

Like right now, for instance. Qian Bin had already been taken to the interrogation room by their colleagues, leaving just the three of them in the elevator. She could practically feel their gazes boring holes into her back.  

She had considered explaining, but the words died on her lips—how could she even justify it?  

*Oh hey, turns out my body’s just built different. Surprise!*  

Even she would find that ridiculous, so she opted to play dumb.  

Fortunately, Yan Yu and Jiang Bing didn’t seem overly curious and understood social boundaries. Though their eyes still held scrutiny, neither pressed further.  

The elevator stopped at the floor housing the Special Task Force’s office. Since the bureau had temporarily assigned the Special Investigation Unit’s workspace here, the three stepped out and headed toward the mid-sized conference room at the end of the hallway, adjacent to the break room.  

Pushing the door open, they found two people already inside—Luo Qi and Peng Yishan.  

The conference room had undergone a rough remodel. Aside from the large central meeting table, several standard-sized desks had been added. Whiteboards, swivel chairs, computers, printers, and other office essentials were all in place.  

Luo Qi sat at the massive meeting table, three laptops spread before him. His fingers danced across the keyboards as his eyes flicked between the screens, exuding effortless composure.  

Beside one laptop sat a uniquely designed small speaker, currently blaring head-thumping heavy metal music throughout the room.

Peng Yishan, on the other hand, appeared relatively relaxed. He held a steaming thermos cup in his hands, leaned back in his chair with his feet propped up on a desk, idly bouncing one leg.

Luo Qi seemed too absorbed in his work to even glance up when the three entered.

Peng Yishan lazily raised a hand in greeting. “Back already? Weren’t you bringing someone from that transport company? Why no interrogation?”

“Guy’s being difficult. Boss said to let him stew first,” Jiang Bing replied before exhaling deeply. He swayed over to a chair and collapsed into it with an expression of utter contentment. “You guys carry on. I’m gonna catch some Z’s…”

Before he’d even finished speaking, his breathing had already evened out, and faint snores could be heard.

Ye Zhu shot Yan Yu a surprised look. Judging by Jiang Bing’s state, these two must have pulled an all-nighter after sending her home yesterday.

Peng Yishan, clearly accustomed to this, stood up and casually grabbed the thin jacket draped over his chair. Without even looking, he tossed it through the air—the garment landed perfectly on Jiang Bing, covering him just right while leaving his nose and mouth exposed for breathing.

This simple display secretly amazed Ye Zhu. The Special Investigation Unit truly had hidden talents; not a single member was ordinary.

“Captain Yan, the tox report came in,” Peng Yishan said after tending to his colleague. He turned to pick up a thin report from the desk and handed it over.

Yan Yu skimmed through it, faint creases appearing between his brows. “Laxatives?”

“Right, and a substantial dose too—enough to give Huang Jingguo severe diarrhea. Based on residual traces in his system, he ingested it about an hour before death. But no matter how bad the diarrhea, it wouldn’t be fatal.”

Yan Yu nodded and continued reading. “Propofol?”

Peng Yishan smiled knowingly. “Exactly. After getting the report, I re-examined Huang Jingguo’s body more carefully. Despite extensive epidermal damage, I finally found an injection mark on his upper arm.”

He produced a close-up photo. “Standard 7-gauge needle. But here’s the thing—if someone really wanted him dead, using both laxatives and an anesthetic seems… excessive, don’t you think?”

Yan Yu merely smiled faintly. “Not necessarily the same person.”

Peng Yishan nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly remembered something. “But Captain Yan, didn’t we come here to investigate the serial disappearances? Shouldn’t we focus on the victim found in Wenzhuang Village next? We can’t just investigate Huang Jingguo because he nearly ran you and Jiang Bing over, right?”

“Oh, Jiang Bing probably forgot to mention—during last night’s accident, someone broke into our car. There were signs of searching.”

“The timing’s that coincidental? You think Huang Jingguo’s crash is connected?” Peng Yishan looked startled.

Yan Yu didn’t respond, merely quirking his lips slightly as he lowered his gaze to continue studying the photos and report.

Suddenly, the meeting room door was forcefully shoved open from outside, slamming against the wall before rebounding with a loud crash.

Even Jiang Bing, who had been sound asleep, was startled awake, looking over with bleary eyes and a confused expression.  

Standing at the door, Zhang Hao was met with five pairs of eyes staring straight at him, his bronze-skinned face showing a hint of discomfort. He raised the file folder in his hand and, with a bit of force, tossed it onto the conference table.  

“I knocked,” he said dryly by way of explanation. “I didn’t push the door that hard… We should have someone check if it’s broken.”  

“Team Leader Zhang.” Ye Zhu stepped forward to take the file, easing the awkward tension. “What’s this?”  

“Huzi’s team found something interesting while confiscating stolen goods in Wenzhuang Village this morning.” Zhang Hao kept his expression stern, his gaze settling on Yan Yu. “Team Leader Yan, I’d like to speak with you alone.”  

With that, he turned and walked across the hallway to stand by the window.  

Yan Yu’s expression remained unchanged as he casually handed what he was holding to Ye Zhu and followed him out.