Chapter 21: The Autopsy Report

Tang Jianing nodded at the old butler’s words and began to eat the breakfast prepared by the kitchen staff.

Just as she was enjoying her meal, a voice sounded from outside the door. "Miss, there is a man here who claims to be the captain of the Criminal Investigation Division to see you!"

"Invite him in, and prepare an extra set of utensils."

"Yes, Miss!"

There were plenty of servants in the villa, and following Tang Jianing’s order, a brand-new set of tableware was brought over immediately.

"Sit down and join me for a bite."

"As expected of a young lady from a prominent family; this breakfast is more sumptuous than what I eat on holidays!"

Liu Yufeng had spent time with Tang Jianing before and knew her temperament well. He didn't decline, picking up his chopsticks and digging in. While they ate, Liu Yufeng explained the purpose of his visit.

"The forensic results are in. Most of the victims were killed instantly by blades or blunt objects. The cruelty of the killer is beyond imagination." He paused, his expression darkening. "Furthermore, according to the autopsy, these victims suffered varying degrees of torture before death; many of their bones were shattered."

Liu Yufeng couldn't help but let out a surge of anger as he spoke. As a police officer, it was difficult to remain composed when faced with such a tragedy.

Tang Jianing took a bite of red magic shrimp and, after a moment of contemplation, spoke. "I have found some clues. I will share them with you once I have verified them. The pressure from your superiors must be quite heavy, right?"

Hearing this, Liu Yufeng’s face grew even gloomier. "The impact of this case is significant. The victims' families have already protested at the Provincial Department. We were given only five days; the Bureau Chief is trying his best to stall for more time."

In truth, such major cases come with strict deadlines. While there might not be severe punishment for exceeding them, it would at least require writing a formal apology or facing a reprimand.

"We have formed a special task force designated as the '061 Major Case.' If there is no breakthrough within the time limit, I suspect the people from the Provincial Department will hijack the investigation."

"Seven days. That should be enough." Tang Jianing carefully considered the clues she held and gave Liu Yufeng an assurance. Although seven days was not much, once one or two of the primary crime scenes were identified, finding the killer would not be particularly difficult.

"What stage are you at right now?"

"Screening. We have copied all the surveillance footage from the past year for every road leading to the warehouse."

The police could not act as recklessly as Tang Jianing, nor did they have the budget to deploy so many people for a carpet search. In comparison, using officers to manually review surveillance footage was a logical option.

"That’s a clumsy method. Let me give you a direction: go to the anti-vice unit, pull the records of the 'hustlers,' and look for clues in the surveillance footage they possess."

"What do you mean?"

Liu Yufeng, having worked as a criminal investigator for many years, understood the term "hustlers"—those who provided venues for prostitution. These individuals were well-informed and adroit at navigating social circles, often providing protection for their clients. Crucially, they only provided the space and offered no other services, allowing them to claim ignorance if any trouble arose. Still, he couldn't grasp why Tang Jianing wanted him to investigate them.

"The victims were all high-end escorts with high price tags." Tang Jianing paused, deliberating for a moment before deciding to protect Hua Laosan. "These girls previously worked under Hua Laosan. He provided the important clues. Try not to implicate him when you sweep the hustlers."

Liu Yufeng nodded. Since they were investigating a murder case, they really didn't care about the anti-vice side of things. Pimps were inevitable, and as long as they didn't cross the line or use force against innocent women, the police had no interest in pursuing them.

"Fine, I’ve noted that. I’ll tell them to steer clear of him."

Tang Jianing said no more; a mere mention was enough. As long as Hua Laosan didn't do anything foolish, he would be safe.

"Do you have information on these hustlers?" Liu Yufeng asked after a moment of hesitation. These people hid deep, and even the records from the anti-vice unit were incomplete. If Tang Jianing were willing to help, they could surely grasp the information of most of the hustlers in Shancheng.

"I do, but I cannot give it to you. If I were to hand it over, it would break the code."

People in the underworld could have dealings with the police—that was permitted. But they absolutely could not leak information about other brothers in the trade to the authorities. Even though Tang Jianing was the eldest daughter of the Da Tang family, and no one would dare speak up if she did, the next time she needed help from the underworld, most would hesitate, fearing they might be sold out.

"Help me out. The amount we can find on our own is limited."

"How about this? You know who the Seventh Master is. Have him come forward to copy the surveillance footage for you. As for who needs to cooperate, we can talk about that after you've reviewed the footage."

By doing this, she wouldn't be handing over the information of so many hustlers to the police, which wouldn't offend anyone too deeply. With the Seventh Master’s status, people in the underworld would show enough respect not to mind.

"Fine. We only need the footage and the clues; we really don't care about the rest!" Hearing that there was a solution, Liu Yufeng stopped pressing for the information on the hustlers.

"Here is a copy of the autopsy report. Take a look if you are interested, but please, do not lose it."

This document was considered confidential. Handing it to Tang Jianing was a gesture of trust. Since he had decided to build a good cooperative relationship to solve the case, Liu Yufeng would no longer hold back.

"Understood. I will look at it in a moment and return it to you once I'm done."

Tang Jianing knew that Liu Yufeng was taking a risk by giving this to her. If it were lost, a formal apology would be the best-case scenario. If the report caused public outcry or if the killer learned sensitive information ahead of time, Liu Yufeng might even lose his badge.

Once the business was concluded, Liu Yufeng quickly shoved a steamed lamb bun into his mouth and stood up. "I have a lot of work to do, so I’ll be going. You must notify me if you have any news!"

"Of course. Someone, see him out!"

Tang Jianing nodded, and a villa servant escorted Liu Yufeng out. After finishing the last of her broth, she leaned back on the sofa and began to carefully flip through the forensic report. Although some of the remains had been there for a long time, the traces left behind were enough to confirm the specific cause of death.

The earliest victims had suffered extensive torture before being killed by blunt force trauma to the head.