Good and Evil Chapter 148: Identifying the Deceased, Investigation in City G

Chen Xingzhou and his wife, along with Chen Zhi's younger brother Chenyiming and his newlywed wife, arrived in S City at a little past ten o'clock that evening. Accompanying them were two local police officers from N City.

After receiving their phone call, Ning Yanran arranged for Zhang Lei to pick them up at the railway station. Because the Chen family arrived in S City quite late at night, Zhang Lei accommodated them in the public security bureau's guesthouse, instructing them to come to the public security bureau the next morning to identify the remains.

The members of the Second Serious Crime Investigation Team, who had been working tirelessly for days, went home to rest only after the Chen family's arrival in S City.

The night passed peacefully, and the next day dawned.

Winter mornings break much later than those in summer. When the sky finally grew fully bright, it was already seven o'clock. After a simple wash, Xu Lang came to the public security bureau, where the Chen family was already waiting in the office area of the Second Serious Crime Investigation Team.

By the time Xu Lang arrived at the Second Serious Crime Investigation Team, the Chen family had already finished viewing the remains. They had stared for a long time at the severely mutilated body, yet failed to recognize it as the son who had been missing for eleven years. This was entirely understandable; after all, with the body reduced to just a complete right hand and half of a left thigh, anyone would find it hard to identify the deceased.

To be absolutely prudent, Ning Yanran and her team extracted blood samples from Chen Xingzhou and his wife once again for DNA comparison.

While awaiting the results, Ning Yanran questioned the Chen family regarding Chen Zhi.

Inside the interrogation room, Xu Lang and Ning Yanran sat opposite the Chen family. Looking at the nearly sixty-year-old Chen Xingzhou, Xu Lang felt a heavy ache in his chest. Chen Xingzhou was a genuine rural farmer from N City, having worked the land all his life. His large hands were already covered in calluses, and scars of various sizes marked his fingers and the backs of his hands. The old man's hair had turned gray, with the beginnings of baldness. His eye sockets were deeply sunken, his eyes habitually squinted, and his brown irises had long since grown cloudy. His face, resembling the rough bark of an ancient tree, was etched with worry and sorrow.

Inside the interrogation room, the old man kept smoking his self-rolled harsh tobacco, while Chen Xingzhou's wife sat quietly, head bowed, wiping away the tears that constantly welled up from her eyes using the back of her hand. Chen Zhi's younger brother, Chenyiming, and his newlywed wife were being questioned in another interrogation room by Zhang Lei and Zhao Hua, who had received them.

"When did Chen Zhi go missing?" After a long silence, Xu Lang finally spoke up.

"I don't recall the exact date, but I remember that ever since the boy made that phone call eleven years ago, we never had any news from him again. Ah, if only I had known it would turn out like this, I shouldn't have spoken to him that way on the phone back then, otherwise..."

At this point, Chen Xingzhou let out a long sigh, his tobacco-smoking movements growing more frequent. Pungent smoke curled upward, veering across the old man's already wrinkled face.

"What did Chen Zhi say to you on the phone?" Xu Lang asked again.

"What did he say? Ah..."

Chen Xingzhou sighed once more and slowly continued, "He said he wasn't happy living in G City. Although the work wasn't tiring, he felt deeply suppressed. Ever since graduation, he had gone to work in G City, living alone there year after year. He had no friends, no classmates, no relatives in G City, and wasn't seeing anyone either—just all alone, living in utter isolation. In fact, as parents, we knew all of this; we knew how hard it was for our child out there alone. But he had managed to get into a university with great difficulty and then secure a job at a state-owned enterprise, which was a matter of great pride in our village. So at the time, when I heard the boy say those things, I scolded him a bit over the phone."

"Aside from complaining to you over the phone, did Chen Zhi say anything else? For instance, about having a girlfriend?" Xu Lang asked again.

"Cough, cough..."

Chen Xingzhou coughed twice, then slowly shook his head and said, "No, Chen Zhi was a man of few words on weekdays and didn't interact much with others, so he never found anyone."

Hearing this, Xu Lang nodded. Next, Xu Lang asked several more questions regarding Chen Zhi's situation, and Chen Xingzhou answered every question. In fact, even before the Chen family arrived in S City, Xu Lang and his team had already learned about these matters through the police in N City. The reason Xu Lang questioned them again now was primarily to verify the details.

When Xu Lang asked why they hadn't gone to the local police station to record their DNA data when Chen Zhi first went missing, Chen Xingzhou explained to Xu Lang that neither he nor Chen Zhi's mother had much education; they didn't know what DNA was and had never even heard of it. The only thing they could do all those years was ask the young people of Xiaofeng Village who went out to work if they had encountered Chen Zhi while working away from home. Chenyiming had even secretly gone to G City behind his parents' back to search for his older brother, but the search yielded nothing.

The reason the DNA of the eleven-year-old unidentified male corpse finally matched Chen Xingzhou this time was because of a distant relative, also from Xiaofeng Village, who had graduated and become a local auxiliary police officer. That auxiliary officer told them that there was now something called DNA and suggested they go to the public security bureau to have it tested, as it might help them find him.

Upon hearing this advice, Chen Xingzhou actually went. Originally, he held little hope; after all, Chen Zhi had been missing for eleven years, and in the old man's heart, he already believed that Chen Zhi was likely dead. Yet, no parents want their child to die away from home, abandoned in a foreign land. To his surprise, two years after they entered their DNA data into the database, comrades from the Ministry of Public Security, while comparing DNA records, unexpectedly discovered a match between the eleven-year-old unidentified male corpse in S City and Chen Xingzhou's DNA. Upon obtaining this result, the comrades at the Ministry of Public Security immediately faxed the DNA comparison results to S City, landing them directly in Lu Ye's hands.

In Lu Ye's heart, many emotional knots remained untied. Among them was the tragic case of Xu Lang's family, which had remained unsolved for twenty years; Xu Yuan's innocence, which still could not be cleared; the murderer of Xu Chan, who had yet to be caught; and the case of the unidentified male corpse from eleven years ago, which he had personally handled. Since there was now a result, it naturally had to be thoroughly investigated.

Although the source of the corpse could not be determined back then, the DNA data had been preserved exceptionally well. After obtaining the blood sample from Chen Xingzhou, the technical division personnel immediately conducted a DNA comparison. Because this was a case supervised by Lu Ye, the results came out much sooner than usual. By the time Xu Lang and his team finished questioning the Chen family about Chen Zhi, the results were ready.

The DNA comparison results showed that the unidentified male corpse from eleven years ago shared a blood relation with Chen Xingzhou; the deceased was indeed Chen Zhi, who had been missing for eleven years. Upon hearing this result, Xu Lang and the others first felt a sense of relief, followed immediately by a heavy wave of helplessness.

When the Chen family learned of this outcome, Chen Xingzhou remained silent, smoking his harsh tobacco furiously. The pungent smell of the native tobacco was even stronger than a whole pack of cigarettes smoked by Xu Lang. Chen Zhi's mother fainted directly upon hearing the news, while Chen Zhi's younger brother, Chenyiming, clenched his fists tightly, his face turning pale with fury.

The reaction of the Chen family was entirely within Xu Lang's expectations. No matter whose child it is, after eleven years of missing persons while the family is still bitterly waiting for them to return, suddenly discovering that he had died eleven years ago is a devastating blow that cannot be accepted overnight.

After the identification results were released, Ning Yanran instructed Zhang Lei to send the Chen family back to the guesthouse, while she and Xu Lang convened another case analysis meeting.

In the conference room, everyone remained silent. First, after witnessing the weeping and heartbreaking despair of the Chen family, none of their hearts felt at ease. Second, although the identity of the deceased was now known, the clues remaining to solve the case were still far too few.

Chen Zhi had graduated fourteen years ago and then entered G City to work. According to Chen Xingzhou's account, Chen Zhi was a man of few words, reserved, and poor at dealing with people. Thus, even after working in G City for three years, he still had no friends. G City was neither too far nor too close to S City; it took several hours by train.

Now that the identity of the deceased was known, the first step was to arrange personnel to go to G City to investigate and visit the state-owned enterprise where Chen Zhi used to work, in order to see if his former colleagues and leaders had any clues. The second step was to arrange personnel to investigate and interview Chen Zhi's interpersonal relationships during his lifetime.

Since Chen Zhi had few friends in G City, the investigation would begin with his classmates.

With a clear direction for the investigation, Ning Yanran began assigning tasks. Zhao Hua and Li磊 were dispatched to G City to launch an investigation at Chen Zhi's former workplace, while Zhang Lei and Lü Xing accompanied the police officers from N City back to N City to investigate Chen Zhi's interpersonal relationships prior to his death, focusing primarily on his classmates.

Following the meeting, Zhao Hua and Li Lei immediately set off for G City, while Ning Yanran contacted the local police in G City and issued a notice of cooperation.

Zhang Lei and Lü Xing chose to head to N City the next day, both to safely escort the Chen family back and to investigate the case locally.

Xu Lang sat in a chair in the meeting room, smoking continuously from the start of the meeting without uttering a single word. Even after the meeting ended and everyone else had left, Xu Lang remained seated, smoking in silence. He knew the case files of this eleven-year-old cold case inside and out, and right now, his mind was grappling with several specific points regarding the case.

First, Chen Zhi was from Xiaofeng Village in N City and went to work in G City after graduating from university. However, why did his corpse appear in S City? According to Chen Zhi's parents, Chen Zhi had no relatives or friends in S City. Could he have been murdered in G City, and the murderer brought his corpse to S City for disposal?

Second, at the crime scene where the body was discovered, no bloodstains, murder weapons, victim's clothing, or identification documents were found. This indicated that the discovery site was merely a dumping ground. So, where was the primary crime scene where Chen Zhi was murdered?

Third, why did the killer murder Chen Zhi? Was it a crime of passion, a vendetta, or a spur-of-the-moment homicide?

If it were a crime of passion, a woman would surely have been involved. Yet, based on currently available information, Chen Zhi was single and not in a relationship, making a crime of passion less likely. Of course, the possibility that he had a secret girlfriend unknown to his family could not be ruled out. Another possibility was whether Chen Zhi had unknowingly become a third party in someone else's relationship. The Chen family had brought a photo of Chen Zhi taken thirteen years ago in G City. In the photo, Chen Zhi looked very youthful, with sparse stubble on his chin. He did not look exceptionally handsome—not fitting the description of a striking hunk—and appeared somewhat thin. Looking at the photo, Xu Lang could not imagine Chen Zhi possessing a ripped physique.

Since Chen Zhi was neither a handsome heartthrob nor a muscular powerhouse, his only notable asset was his youth, making him akin to a fresh-faced young man. Until Chen Zhi's interpersonal relationships were fully investigated, the possibility that he was murdered over romance could not be eliminated.

If it were a vendetta, who would hold a grudge against him? A colleague from work? A unit leader? Or a former classmate? According to the Chen family's account and the recollections of the local police, Chen Zhi was the type of person who was deeply filial, taciturn, and kept to himself—a thoroughly honest and law-abiding person. Ordinarily, such people find it difficult to make enemies. Even if minor conflicts arose, they wouldn't warrant murder. Yet, if it wasn't a vendetta, why would the killer dismember Chen Zhi's corpse so thoroughly and scatter the body parts across different locations?

As for a spur-of-the-moment homicide, the contributing factors were simply too numerous. It could stem from a single remark, a dispute over money, or a physical altercation—any of which could lead to murder. If it truly was a crime of passion, solving the case would become infinitely more difficult. Unlike crimes committed by someone the victim knew well, a sudden impulse killer might not even know the victim. Such cases are notoriously hard to crack in routine investigations, let alone when eleven years had already elapsed. The murderer could have died of natural causes or been imprisoned for other crimes. In short, the possibilities were vast, making resolution exceptionally difficult.

Right now, aside from pursuing the investigation along the line of Chen Zhi's interpersonal relationships, another crucial point needed to be clarified: did Chen Zhi come to S City of his own accord while alive, or was he brought to S City after death? These two possibilities pointed toward entirely different investigative directions. If Chen Zhi had come to S City himself, why would he travel from G City, a place he was relatively familiar with, to S City? If his body was brought to S City post-mortem, who was the person who transported him?

For now, these remained mere speculations and questions. Everything would have to wait for the results of Zhao Hua and his team's investigation.

Two days later, Zhao Hua and his team in G City sent back the first piece of news. Aided by the local police in G City, Zhao Hua and Li Lei located the state-owned enterprise where Chen Zhi used to work and contacted the person in charge. The manager had no recollection of who Chen Zhi was; after all, in an enterprise with so many employees, it was impossible to remember everyone, let alone an employee who had worked there more than a decade ago.

However, unlike private companies, state-owned enterprises meticulously recorded when employees started working and the reasons for their departure. As long as the company remained in business, these records persisted. In the human resources department of the state-owned enterprise, Zhao Hua and Li Lei tracked down a dust-covered archival file and found Chen Zhi's employment record.

The records showed that Chen Zhi entered the company in the late 1990s. During his tenure, the evaluations given to him by his supervisors were consistently "average." Among all his colleagues, Chen Zhi was neither the most outstanding nor the worst, falling squarely into the category of quiet mediocrity. People of this sort are hard to remember because they neither cause trouble nor show any standout achievements.

At the very end of Chen Zhi's file, it was noted that he had "left" rather than formally resigned. Zhao Hua located the relevant human resources manager who had been working there during Chen Zhi's tenure. According to his recollection, Chen Zhi left the company in the autumn of eleven years ago, right after a company-wide holiday. When the holiday ended, Chen Zhi never returned to work. Initially, company staff assumed Chen Zhi had returned to his hometown in Xiaofeng Village, N City, knowing full well he was not a local of G City. Consequently, Chen Zhi's supervisor tried calling him, but Chen Zhi's phone was already turned off and unreachable. His supervisor tried calling two more times with the same result, so they stopped trying, assuming Chen Zhi had quit to take a job elsewhere.

Simultaneously, Zhao Hua and his team tracked down Chen Zhi's former colleagues to inquire about him. At first, none of them could recall who Chen Zhi was. Only after being prompted by Zhao Hua and shown Chen Zhi's photograph did they finally remember him. However, none of them knew why Chen Zhi had left in the first place. Because Chen Zhi was naturally uncommunicative, and the workplace—unlike school—was fraught with intrigue and maneuvering, steady, quiet workers like Chen Zhi were rarely paid much attention.

Although they didn't know why or how Chen Zhi had left, they did share one observation with Zhao Hua and his team: prior to his departure, Chen Zhi's spirits had been rather low. He seemed to have lost enthusiasm for the job and harbored intentions of resigning. They guessed that the reason Chen Zhi stopped coming to work was likely because he had already lined up another job.

Zhao Hua further inquired whether Chen Zhi had been in a relationship while working there, whether he had ever confessed his feelings to anyone, or harbored a secret crush. They all shook their heads and firmly stated no. In their impression, Chen Zhi was the quintessential silent type—someone who wouldn't say a word even if you struck him three times with a stick. As for whether Chen Zhi had a secret crush, they had no idea, but they were certain he was never in a relationship and had never confessed to any female colleagues in the company.