Chapter 71: The Skinning Case and Backing

When Jiang Xiaoyu went out on a call with Jin Ge, the first rain of autumn had begun to fall from the sky.

The weather turned cold all of a sudden.

The piercing sound of sirens cut through the curtain of rain. Several police cars sped by and came to an abrupt stop at the entrance of the market. The entire market had been sealed off. Jiang Xiaoyu didn’t bother with an umbrella and cupped his hand over his face to shield off the raindrops as he hurried after Jin Ge toward the crime scene.

Outside the caution tape, a crowd of onlookers was buzzing with discussion. It was easy to see the fear on their faces.

As soon as Jiang Xiaoyu stepped into the shop, he clamped his hand over his mouth and nose.

The stench of blood mixed with the nauseating odor like scalding hot water on chicken feathers assaulted him straight to the top of his head. He nearly retched but forced it back down.

When he finally took in the gruesome scene inside the shop, it was as if he’d been struck by freezing ice—he froze on the spot. In that instant, he felt like his sense of smell had completely failed him.

In the center of the butcher shop, a blood-drenched human body hung upside down from the beam. The skin had been completely peeled off, exposing the bloody, mangled muscles. The corpse had been neatly split in two, with entrails spilled all over the floor, just like a pig that had been gutted.

The blood had mostly drained out, dripping slowly with only a few stray drops left, pooling into a dark red puddle on the ground. A few flies, undeterred by the chill, buzzed around the corpse, laying eggs on the flesh.

“Go get a mask!” Jin Ge slapped Jiang Xiaoyu on the back and pushed him toward the door.

The cool raindrops hit his face. Jiang Xiaoyu took a huge breath, coughing uncontrollably from how hard he gasped. Only then did he realize that it wasn’t his sense of smell that had failed—it was that he’d been holding his breath and nearly suffocated.

Lu Wanhui had arrived early and had already collected a round of samples. He emerged reeking of blood. Seeing how pale Jiang Xiaoyu was, he unusually refrained from mocking him. Instead, he handed Jin Ge a cigarette, popped one into his own mouth, then offered the pack to Jiang Xiaoyu with a nod of his chin. “Want one? It’ll wake you up.”

Jiang Xiaoyu, face still ashen, shook his head. Before he could speak, Jin Ge had already draped a mask over his face. “If you can’t handle it, head back to the car first.”

Lu Wanhui frowned, taking a drag with half-lidded eyes before blowing the smoke into the rain. He suddenly realized that the way Jin Ge always treated Jiang Xiaoyu was indeed like a fussy old mom—not the kind of fondness between men.

His brows relaxed as he said, “You haven’t handled cases like this before. If you can’t take it, just say so. Take it slow.”

Jiang Xiaoyu’s face wasn’t large to begin with, and with the mask on, only his green eyes—like a kitten’s pupils—were visible. He shot a bewildered glance at the uncharacteristically gentle Lu Wanhui, then followed Jin Ge back into the shop.

The coroner was extracting biological evidence, dictating key points to record to his assistant nearby. The criminal techs were busy collecting footprints and tool marks. Jiang Xiaoyu carefully skirted the marked areas and arrived at the counter.

There lay a sheet of human skin, remarkably intact—even the eyelids with their short, stubby eyelashes were undamaged.

But the skin on the abdomen had been cut open, leaving a wound in the shape of a “D”.

“What does this mean?” Jiang Xiaoyu wondered to himself. The initial of a surname? Or something else?

Jin Ge clicked his tongue. “Who knows?” He pointed at a huddled figure in the corner. “Go do the interview. Record the statement.”

Jiang Xiaoyu nodded and walked over to squat down, patting the figure’s shoulder.

The figure was the butcher shop’s assistant—the first to discover the scene. He was slumped on the ground, stomach emptied from vomiting until nothing was left, his face ghastly pale and utterly dazed from shock.

At Jiang Xiaoyu’s pat, he jolted like a startled rabbit, bouncing up and looking around in panic. Only when he saw it was a cop did he relax a little, though his body still trembled nonstop.

“O-Officer… c-can I go now?” The assistant’s teeth chattered, his voice shaking. “I-I want to go home…”

Jiang Xiaoyu soothed him in a low voice. “I’ll take you out to rest for a bit.”

The assistant wasn’t very old. Trailing shakily behind Jiang Xiaoyu toward the police car, he gradually calmed down.

“Wipe off the water.” Jiang Xiaoyu handed him a towel and wiped his own rain-soaked hair.

Once the assistant had recovered, he began answering Jiang Xiaoyu’s questions. As Jiang Xiaoyu recorded and observed him, he asked, “What happened to your cheek?”

There were several deep scratches, like claw marks, already scabbed over. They looked a few days old.

The assistant subconsciously covered it, mumbling evasively, “It’s nothing. Got scratched by a cat.”

They were busy until nearly noon before the police gradually wrapped up the necessary procedures and headed back to the Public Security Bureau one after another.

Jiang Xiaoyu picked at his meal listlessly when Zhang Pangpang came over with his tray. “You went to that skinning case this morning? I heard the scene was brutal—made a bunch of people puke. Too bad I was out catching a cat for some old guy and missed it.”

Jiang Xiaoyu was a bit speechless at his enthusiasm and handed him an osmanthus pastry. “Weren’t you assigned to a homicide case too? How’d you end up doing minor cases?”

Minor cases were the everyday stuff the Case Handling Office dealt with most—catching cats, saving dogs, chasing off wild animals, that sort of thing.

Zhang Pangpang took a messy bite of the pastry, crumbs falling everywhere. “Ugh, don’t remind me. You know how much of a pain it is coordinating with Criminal Investigation. They’re all so arrogant, think I’m useless or whatever.” He lowered his voice. “Act like their department’s the only real deal—super cliquey, even worse than Lu Wanhui’s squad with their snobby eyes.”

Jiang Xiaoyu furrowed his brows but said nothing. Jin Ge, having just washed off the blood stench, sat down beside them still damp. He directed the Black Cat Cub to get him food. “Get two chicken legs.” Remembering the crime scene, he paused. “Nah, skip the meat. Get some veggies instead.”

Jiang Xiaoyu agreed obediently. Once the Black Cat Cub left, Jin Ge swatted away Zhang Pangpang’s hand reaching for more snacks and claimed the rest for himself. Munching away, he said, “Getting the cold shoulder from Criminal Investigation?”

Zhang Pangpang pursed his lips. “Pfft, whatever. Fat Lord ain’t scared.”

Jin Ge laughed and patted his head. “Good attitude. Nice. I’ll chat with Lu Wanhui later, have him talk to the team lead on your case. Don’t take those guys too personally—they’re just sore about it, but they all want to crack cases.”

Zhang Pangpang didn’t care much and sneaked another osmanthus pastry while Jin Ge talked.

—

Yesterday’s rain had been quite erratic. After a cold day, the temperature shot back up.

Ye Qingxu pulled out the summer clothes he’d just put away and handed them to Jiang Xiaoyu. “Gonna pull another all-nighter tonight?”

Jiang Xiaoyu nodded. “Yeah, it’s ramping up toward National Day.” Especially with several gruesome cases popping up at this critical time—not big cases, but enough to put the higher-ups on edge.

Ye Qingxu packed up the bento boxes. The top one had a row of glistening char siu, sweet and salty just right—secretly delivered by Wan Keyao early that morning.

“Haven’t cooked in years. See if it tastes like what you used to like. This one’s for you, that one’s for the boy.”

Ye Qingxu wanted to snap back, Who’s your son? But looking at the man’s eager, fawning expression, he couldn’t bring himself to.

“Dad?” Seeing Ye Qingxu spacing out, Jiang Xiaoyu waved a hand in front of his face. “How much longer for the yard? Temps’ll drop after National Day. Can’t have the cats and dogs all cooped up inside.”

Ye Qingxu snapped back, smiling. “Almost done. The custom cat and dog houses arrive the day after tomorrow, then just assemble the rest. C’mon, Dad’ll drive you to work.”

While waiting at a red light, Jiang Xiaoyu was texting Ye Lian and venting about recent coworker drama.

Jiang Xiaoyu: I think they’re so childish. People’s police should be focused on solving cases, not excluding others. We’re not stealing their credit—why give us those looks?

Ye Lian: Yeah, too mean. Our Little Yu is mature, Little Yu is great. They exclude Little Yu, they’re bad.

Jiang Xiaoyu blushed: Well, not really. Their case-solving skills are obvious—they’re really good.

Ye Qingxu had been watching the kid the whole time. Once he put away his phone, Ye Qingxu gripped the steering wheel tighter and said with resolve, “Little Yu, Dad knows of an agency that can develop a serum to understand what shapeshifters say in their shifted forms.”

Jiang Xiaoyu quickly got it, tilting his head and listening patiently as he explained the agency.

“If you’re willing… Dad wants to take you for a sample. I want to understand what you say when you’re in cat form.”

There was nervousness in his expression, caution, and a hint of anticipation. Jiang Xiaoyu felt a pang in his heart. “Of course I’m willing. But I haven’t had time lately. Does the agency need advance booking? And as a public servant, genetic sampling requires reporting.”

Ye Qingxu got the answer he wanted and grinned foolishly, flooring the gas. “Don’t worry about that. Report it to your superiors first. Whenever you have time, we’ll go—they’ll cooperate with us.”

Jiang Xiaoyu nodded, gaze landing on Ye Qingxu’s face. He looked like he’d received the best news ever, joy spilling over.

Jiang Xiaoyu looked away, out at the clear blue sky.

His dad always acted like he owed him. But clearly, he had been a victim too back then.

At the agency entrance, Jiang Xiaoyu shut the car door and was about to leave when Ye Qingxu called him back to remind him to eat properly. He promised repeatedly, bid farewell to his reluctant Ye Dad, and entered the Case Handling Office. The atmosphere inside was noticeably tense.

“What’s going on?” Jiang Xiaoyu greeted his colleagues, then lowered his head to ask Zhang Pangpang beside him, who hadn’t even dared to eat breakfast.

“The big meeting’s about to start, and the Old Bureau Chief is doing a surprise inspection.” Zhang Pangpang pulled a long face. “If I’d known, I would’ve eaten it on the way.”

Jiang Xiaoyu touched his nose, muttering to himself inwardly: It’s already known in advance, and they still call it a surprise inspection? Just going through the motions.

He hadn’t even finished griping when Jin Ge over there clapped his hands urgently to get everyone’s attention. “Everyone, change into your police uniforms. We’re having a big meeting with the Criminal Investigation Division to discuss the progress on recent cases.”

The Criminal Investigation Division Chief was a bit older than Jin Ge, but his qualifications and achievements fell far short, so he was quite unconvinced about Jin Ge and felt like the guy had gotten his position through connections. It could be said that from top to bottom in Criminal Investigation, no one looked favorably on the Case Handling Office—there were historical reasons for that.

The meeting was held in the Criminal Investigation Division’s conference room, with dozens of police officers gathered together. The atmosphere was quite solemn and serious.

Presiding over the meeting was a legendary figure in Pine City’s police circles, the Public Security Bureau Chief of Pine City—a stern elder with eagle eyes and a lion’s nose. As soon as he appeared in the conference room, everyone involuntarily sat up straight.

“This meeting is just to purely discuss the recent cases—no rushing progress, no applying pressure. Everyone, no need to be too tense.” The Old Bureau Chief pressed his hands down, signaling everyone to relax, then dove straight into the main topic and began analyzing the cases.

There had been many recent cases. After a quick rundown, the Old Bureau Chief smiled and said, “I won’t ask the old-timers. Let’s hear from the new recruits under the brigade.” He raised his head, his eagle eyes scanning the crowd, then pointed in one direction. “Lu Wanhui, come on up. Analyze it for us—talk about that Steel Needle Piercing Heart Case you’re investigating right now.”

Lu Wanhui was used to handling these kinds of occasions. He stood up calmly and steady, speaking about the latest progress on the case and the investigation directions. “The killer’s methods are cruel and skilled, showing strong anti-detection awareness and criminal experience. We have reason to believe the perpetrator likely has a prior criminal record or has worked in a related profession, and is connected to steel needle procurement. We’re fully investigating similar cases from recent years and conducting background checks on suspects. We believe we’ll find a breakthrough soon.”

It was standard and by-the-book, nothing wrong with it. The Old Bureau Chief gave Lu Wanhui face by clapping a few times, then glanced below and suddenly pointed at Jiang Xiaoyu. “Which department is that young guy from?”

Jin Ge, sitting to his left, smiled and said, “One of mine.”

The Old Bureau Chief nodded. “Then you come up and talk.”

The Criminal Investigation Division Chief, sitting to the Old Bureau Chief’s right, seized the opportunity with a smile. “The Case Handling Office followed a skinning case yesterday too, right? Might as well share your thoughts on that while you’re at it.”

Jin Ge wanted to roll his eyes. The case had just come in yesterday— even the forensic report wasn’t out yet, what thoughts? It was clearly meant to put the Case Handling Office on the spot. He wanted to bail Jiang Xiaoyu out, but then he heard that kid—who he thought was still wet behind the ears—speak up with one sentence that shocked the entire room.

“I think this is a serial murder case. The killer is the same person.”

As soon as Jiang Xiaoyu opened his mouth, dozens of gazes swarmed over. Someone scoffed disdainfully. He withstood the pressure and continued under the Old Bureau Chief’s piercing gaze. “I’ve reviewed the files on the Steel Needle Piercing Heart Case and found it shares a common point with the Skinning Case. The victim in the Skinning Case had a ‘D’ symbol carved into his skin, and the Steel Needle Piercing Heart Case victim had a similar mark on his body.”

A female criminal police officer from Lu Wanhui’s side immediately spoke up. “Impossible! The body was thoroughly examined, and no such mark was found.”

The scene grew a bit noisy, full of agreeing voices. The Old Bureau Chief smiled and clapped his hands. “Friendly discussion, everyone—pool your wisdom. We’re all police, all serving the people. Listen to your teammate’s views! It’s okay to be wrong.”

Under the Old Bureau Chief’s encouraging gaze, Jiang Xiaoyu steadied his nerves and continued. “In the Steel Needle Case, the steel needles inserted into the chest cavity vary in length, but their cross-sections form a semicircle, very much like a ‘D’.”

Lu Wanhui’s brows furrowed a bit, but he didn’t snap back. Instead, he said, “That’s a bit of a stretch.”

Jiang Xiaoyu said, “Before the Steel Needle Piercing Heart Case happened, I handled a minor case—rescuing a stray cat.”

Laughter of mockery rose from below, but Jiang Xiaoyu paid it no mind and continued. “That stray cat’s cat mom and cat brother—one had its face smashed to bits, the other shot dead with an arrow. When I saw the Steel Needle Case victim, it felt very similar to how those two cats died. And a few days before the Skinning Case, I responded to another minor case. Some lab dogs were sold to a meat shop, skinned and chopped up for sale. The Skinning Case victim was the meat shop owner, and his death matched the lab dogs almost exactly.”

Some officers caught the scent and asked aloud, “Are you saying someone got inspiration from these cat- and dog-killing cases and committed a twisted imitation crime?”

Jiang Xiaoyu shook his head, his eyes gleaming intensely. “I don’t think it was inspiration from the animals for the MO. I’m more inclined to believe it’s retaliatory crime. Someone thinks they’re delivering justice, getting payback for the horribly killed animals.”

Ye Yuzhi did a quick inspection and left soon after, as if the whole visit was just to say a few words of encouragement.

Jin Ge kept a forced smile as he saw off the two big shots— the secretary and the bureau chief—one after the other. Then he dragged Jiang Xiaoyu to a secluded spot and demanded, “What the hell? Explain yourself!”

Jiang Xiaoyu answered honestly, “Secretary Ye is Ye Lian’s brother.”

“Nonsense! Of course I know that! How many people in the world share that surname? I’m asking what the situation is! How’d he become your third brother?”

Jiang Xiaoyu felt a bit awkward and didn’t admit it was his own slip-up calling him third brother…

Outside the window, traffic flowed endlessly. Ye Yuzhi dialed Ye Lian. “Fourth Brother, you owe me a huge favor now. If Dad finds out I used my position to back someone up for you, these old bones of mine are gonna get a beating.”

No one knew what was said on the other end, but after hanging up, Ye Yuzhi’s expression turned somewhat pleased.

“Looked like a silly, dazed kid. Who knows how he caught Lian Zhi’s eye. He’s genuinely interesting, no pretense. But getting past the old man—that’s not easy for you two. Good luck.”