Chapter 102: Dug Up a Corpse

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At the command, two young, burly agents immediately grabbed entrenching shovels and, without hesitation, began to dig.

"Clang! Clang!"

The shovel blades struck the hard-packed earth, producing dull, muffled sounds.

In the villa's grand hall, everyone held their breath. Dozens of eyes were fixed on the exposed floorboards, the atmosphere so heavy it was suffocating.

Chen Yu stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning lazily against a priceless Roman column, yet his eyes were unusually sharp.

His gaze unconsciously drifted toward Su Qingzhu, who stood not far away, hands on her hips, giving orders.

This girl—today she wore a trim set of police tactical gear that accentuated her killer figure to the fullest. Her long hair was tied up high, making her look sharp and dashing.

Tsk.

Too bad her brains didn't quite match.

Ever since the day I burst onto the scene, this girl's IQ had plummeted like a rock, as if a dog had taken a bite out of it. Before, she could at least analyze a case. Now all she did was glare and bark orders.

Was this what they call the legendary intelligence-draining aura?

Chen Yu stroked his chin, his face the picture of deep contemplation.

"Got any ideas?"

Yan Zheng had appeared beside him without a sound, his voice low. His broad, square face was the very portrait of "I'm annoyed, don't mess with me."

Chen Yu withdrew his gaze, lazily raised his eyelids, leaned in close to Yan Zheng, and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Before Zeng Chen went on that crazy drive, where did he go?"

"A private club on the outskirts of town, meeting a few foreign businessmen," Yan Zheng replied in a low voice. "We checked them out. Their backgrounds are clean. No suspicious contact."

Chen Yu said "Oh," then asked, "And then the moment he got in his car, he started tearing down the road like a madman, heading straight for the moat river?"

Yan Zheng's brow twitched sharply. He instantly caught the implication hidden in Chen Yu's words. "You mean... the killer was in his car?"

"I'd even go so far as to say that car wasn't driven by Zeng Chen at all," Chen Yu said with a cold laugh. "My guess is the masked man was behind the wheel himself, driving Zeng Chen straight into the river."

At these words, Su Qingzhu, who had been eavesdropping nearby, couldn't help but jump in to object: "That's impossible! Our people watched the whole time. They saw him come out of the club and get into that car! No one came anywhere near it the entire time!"

"Are you sure?" Chen Yu let out a derisive snort, staring at her like she was an idiot. "My dear Chief Su, have you forgotten? This mysterious bastard's favorite trick is sleight of hand!"

"Remember that fat cat? All lively and kicking during the livestream. And the truth? The damn thing had been dead for God knows how long! That was just a recording!"

"How do you know when the killer got in the car?"

Chen Yu's words hit Su Qingzhu like a bucket of ice water poured over her head, leaving her speechless in an instant.

Right.

They had all fallen into a mental trap, believing that seeing was believing.

But their adversary was a madman who excelled at manipulating minds and technology!

Yan Zheng's expression grew even grimmer. "Are you saying the killer might have gone down to the riverbed along with Zeng Chen?"

"That's not necessarily so." Chen Yu shrugged. "Maybe he pulled a golden cicada trick—slipped away while leaving the shell behind. Say, a second before the car plunged off the bridge, he jumped out the other door. The moat river is pitch black, the current is vicious—who could see anything?"

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Chen Yu didn't really have a solid read on it, either.

To be honest, this was pure speculation.

After all, agents had been keeping Zeng Chen under twenty-four-hour surveillance these past few days. How the hell had the masked man managed to strike right under their noses without anyone noticing?

That was the part he couldn't wrap his head around.

"Was Zeng Chen under unbroken, no-blind-spot surveillance around the clock?" Chen Yu confirmed again.

Su Qingzhu's face flickered with helplessness as she explained, "In theory, yes... but in practice, it's difficult. Zeng Chen is Dong Zhan's personal secretary, and you know who Dong Zhan is—one of the top three big shots in Jiangcheng."

"Zeng Chen deals with high-profile figures all the time, and a lot of commercial secrets are involved. Our agents can't just shadow him openly like bodyguards. They can only keep watch from the outside, undercover..."

"So there's still a window of vulnerability!" Chen Yu's eyes went cold in an instant.

Now he understood.

This mysterious man was like a venomous snake lurking in the dark, slipping in through every crack.

As long as there was even the slightest gap in the protection, he could strike in an instant and deliver a lethal blow!

Yan Zheng's fist clenched hard. He had clearly arrived at the same realization.

This feeling of being beaten while on the defensive had him, the head of the criminal investigation unit, frustrated to the breaking point.

"Right now, discussing how the killer did it isn't the priority!" Yan Zheng cut off Chen Yu's train of thought, his gaze returning to the ever-deepening pit. "The most urgent thing is to find Zeng Chen! We need him alive; if he's dead, we need the body!"

Just as the two were talking, a dull thud came from inside the pit.

One of the agents' shovels seemed to hit something soft. His whole body jolted, and he immediately stopped digging.

"Captain! We found something!"

The shout struck like a thunderclap, sending everyone's hearts leaping into their throats!

The crowd's spirits jumped, and they swarmed over.

The two agents in the pit abandoned their shovels, ignoring everything else, and started scooping away the dirt with their bare hands.

Soon, a piece of coarse burlap emerged from the soil.

Farther down was a huge, bulging sack!

From its size and shape, it looked a lot like a human form!

A wave of dread instantly settled over everyone's heads.

The police dogs' growls grew even more frantic and piercing in that moment.

"Bring it up!" Yan Zheng's voice was hoarse.

Several agents jumped into the pit and, working together, dragged the enormously heavy sack out of the earth, setting it down carefully on the marble floor.

The sack was caked with wet soil and gave off a strong, earthy stench.

Everyone stared at the sack, barely daring to breathe.

The entire hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

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Yan Zheng's face, illuminated by the alternating red-and-blue police lights, looked grim beyond words.

He stared hard at the sack, silent for a few seconds, before forcing two words through clenched teeth.

"Open it."

At the command, a forensic agent in gloves stepped forward. Holding a sharp scalpel, he slowly crouched down.

He didn't bother with the tightly bound rope at the opening. Instead, he chose to make a careful incision along the middle of the sack.

"Riiip—"

A soft sound.

The instant the slit opened, a wave of foul, stomach-churning stench burst forth from the sack!

It was a sickening blend of soil, blood, and rotting flesh.

"Ugh—"

Several of the younger agents closest to it couldn't hold it in any longer. Clamping their hands over their mouths, they scrambled aside and retched loudly.

Even battle-hardened veterans like Yan Zheng and Su Qingzhu turned pale and involuntarily took two steps back.

Chen Yu frowned deeply and covered his nose and mouth.

Shit. That stench was next-level.

It was practically a biological weapon!

The forensic agent was clearly experienced. Without changing expression, he held his breath and continued cutting the sack fully open with his scalpel.

As the burlap was slowly peeled away, what was inside finally came into view.

It was a pale, stark-naked corpse.

Every single person present wore a look of utter bewilderment and shock.

Yan Zheng's pupils contracted sharply, as if he had seen something utterly inconceivable.

Su Qingzhu's beautiful eyes went wide, her lips slightly parted, her face full of disbelief.

The agents around them exchanged glances, confusion and dazedness written all over their faces.

In an instant, the atmosphere became deeply eerie.

Chen Yu endured the reeking stench and forced himself to focus on the corpse.

One look—and his face, too, went "whoosh" pale, turning horrifically grim.

This corpse...

This is...

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