On the outskirts of the city, inside an unfinished building on Muling Road, a dismemberment case had taken place.
The forensic team and trace evidence analysts had already arrived. Lin Chen studied the remains carefully, an indescribable feeling stirring in his chest. After so many years as a police officer, he had never witnessed such a brutally cruel method of killing.
Jiang Qing, the forensic examiner at the scene, frowned slightly in discomfort the moment she saw the body. However, she quickly regained her composure and began her examination with focused precision, while Lin Chen stood quietly to the side.
“This is a female corpse, but the head is missing. The victim was dismembered, and the internal organs have been removed. However, there’s something very strange,” Jiang Qing said after finishing her inspection, turning toward Lin Chen. It was her first time working with this newly appointed captain, and since no one knew him well yet, she wasn’t sure how much of her conclusions he would accept.
Lin Chen frowned slightly and said, “The organs were removed, yet the body was cut into fragments like this… what does that mean?”
Jiang Qing removed her mask, revealing a cold, expressionless face. Her clear, watery eyes held no trace of emotion. At twenty-eight, she had been working in the Provincial Public Security Department’s Criminal Investigation Corps since graduating, and she was famously known as an ice beauty. Perhaps because of her personality and profession, she had remained single all these years.
She glanced at Lin Chen calmly, a hint of surprise passing through her eyes. The new captain’s observations were indeed sharp. The rumors were not exaggerated… he clearly had real ability.
“I can confirm that the person who dismembered the body and the one who removed the victim’s organs are not the same individual,” Jiang Qing said evenly. “You can tell from the methods. The removal of the vital organs was extremely professional, but someone with that level of expertise would never treat a body with such crude violence. That’s my current analysis. As for the exact cause of death, we’ll need further examination back at the lab.”
Jiang Qing’s judgment matched Lin Chen’s own suspicions. That was exactly what had felt off to him. He nodded and said, “Then return to the team immediately and run the tests. First confirm the victim’s blood type and fingerprints.”
Then he turned to Xia Meng and said, “Once we have results, contact the Household Registration Division and identify the victim as soon as possible. Also, tell the forensics team to be thorough. Collect as many fingerprints and footprints from the scene as possible for comparison.”
After giving his instructions, he directed the others to search for any clues the suspect might have left behind, retrieve surveillance footage from the scene and nearby areas, and check surrounding residential zones for any suspicious individuals or unusual sounds reported last night.
Once the orders were issued, everyone got busy. By the time the on-site investigation was completed, it was already 14:00. Xia Meng and Lin Chen returned to the unit. During that time, his phone had been ringing nonstop. Chen Ya had called him several times. Only after returning to his office did Lin Chen remember to call her back.
The call connected, and the familiar voice came through. Lin Chen softly said, “Hello,” but Chen Ya’s string of questions immediately followed, “Lin Chen, what’s wrong with you? Even if we’re divorced, it doesn’t mean you should ignore my calls. I’ve been calling you all morning. What were you doing?”
Facing her questioning, Lin Chen felt a familiar sense of unease. Every time he was alone in Nanfeng City, he both anticipated Chen Ya’s calls and dreaded answering them. He hoped she might show a bit of concern, yet what he feared was exactly this… endless questioning, as if she had nothing for him except doubts and demands.
“I was busy with a case this morning. It wasn’t convenient to answer. What is it?” Lin Chen replied, his voice low and steady, without any trace of impatience.
“I sold the house. The 800,000 that belongs to you has been transferred to your account. That money was originally from your parents, so it should be returned to them,” Chen Ya said.
When they bought the house, it had been marital property. Chen Ya had paid most of it, but Lin Chen’s parents had contributed 800,000, which was considered his share.
In their marriage, savings were practically nonexistent. After ten years together, they had only managed to buy that one villa. After the divorce, Chen Ya no longer lived there, so she simply sold it. They had agreed that aside from returning Lin Chen’s parents’ money, he would not take a single cent. This chapter was copied from novelping . com without permission.
“Thanks. I’ll transfer it to them when I have time,” Lin Chen said.
He knew Chen Ya would never call him without a reason. In the last few years of their marriage, it had always been like this. Back then, Lin Chen was just an ordinary clerk, and Chen Ya often asked him to use his connections to help with this or that. Whether he succeeded or failed, her attitude remained the same… success was expected, and failure meant he was incompetent.
“That’s it then. Take care of yourself. Don’t just focus on your cases all the time… be a little kinder to yourself,” Chen Ya said coldly, her tone carrying a hint of impatience.
This was the only line of concern Lin Chen had heard from her in the past three years. It pierced straight into his heart. Recently, her figure often appeared in his dreams, faint and elusive. Even though she had never treated him well, and even his father could see that she cared more about others than about him, Lin Chen had always believed their relationship was unbreakable.
After hanging up, his mood dropped to the lowest point.
At that moment, another call came in. It was from his superior. This case had already caused a serious negative impact on society, and the department demanded that Lin Chen solve it within a limited time. The immense pressure and urgency instantly weighed down on him.
However, Lin Chen was completely different at work than in life. In life, he avoided many things, but at work, he was meticulous and faced every challenge head-on.
That afternoon, all the leads gathered by the field team were reported to him in the evening. There was no major breakthrough. Lin Chen had no choice but to stay at the unit and wait for the forensic results.
Before he knew it, it was already 19:00. After an entire afternoon of meetings, his stomach growled loudly. Only then did he realize he hadn’t eaten anything all day.
Knock, knock, knock…
Hearing the knock, Lin Chen looked up. Xia Meng stood at the door with a bright smile, holding a lunchbox and waving it at him.
The two sat down. After what happened in the morning, Xia Meng hadn’t had any appetite all day either. She had only gone to the cafeteria in the evening to drink some porridge. The cafeteria uncle, seeing that she was new, asked why the captain who came with her hadn’t shown up. After asking around, Xia Meng learned that Lin Chen had been busy all day and hadn’t eaten.
“I asked the cafeteria uncle to make you some noodles. Eat a little first,” Xia Meng said.
Lin Chen took the lunchbox, opened it, and began eating hungrily. The room was thick with the smell of smoke, so Xia Meng walked over to the window and opened it for ventilation.
She leaned quietly by the window, watching him eat. Her thoughts drifted back to the photo frame she had seen in the morning. Curiosity crept into her mind… what kind of person would end up divorced like this?
After finishing his meal, Lin Chen began tidying the messy desk and said, “You should head back later. I’ll stay here tonight. Just tell the forensics and trace teams to notify me immediately if there’s any update.”
“When I used to work in administration, I always saw you people heading out on cases and working through the night. Only after experiencing it myself did I realize how intense the pressure is,” Xia Meng said as she stepped forward, picked up the empty lunchbox, and put it into a bag. What she felt most from interacting with Lin Chen was that, unlike other leaders, he never put on airs. He truly had no sense of superiority.
“I’ll clean up and head back then. I’ll come early tomorrow morning and bring you breakfast,” Xia Meng said with a faint smile, waving the lunchbox again before leaving the office.
After she left, Lin Chen muttered to himself, “If I keep eating like this, I’ll gain 5 kilograms in a month…” Visit g.com for the full chapter.
He was about to take a short nap when his phone chimed with a message. He opened it and saw it was from his close friend Shen Yizhuo.
[Brother Chen, I heard you and Chen Ya got divorced.]
Shen Yizhuo was a younger friend Lin Chen had met at Chen Ya’s company. He was a simple and sturdy young man. The two had bonded over their shared love of drinking and traveling, and over time, they had become close friends.
Compared to those flattering, drinking companions who surrounded Chen Ya over the years, Shen Yizhuo was one of the few people who had truly witnessed their relationship. He was also one of Lin Chen’s closest confidants.
[How did you find out?] Lin Chen replied.
When Lin Chen went back to Donghai City to finalize the divorce, he hadn’t told anyone. Not because he didn’t want to, but because there had been too many things happening recently. He just wanted some quiet time alone.
[I went to Sister Chen Ya’s company this morning. She told me. She seems okay. She asked me to visit Nanfeng City when I have time and keep you company.]
Reading the concern between the lines, Lin Chen smiled faintly, then put down his phone and let out a heavy sigh.
Shen Yizhuo’s message was one of the few instances of genuine concern he had received since the divorce.
Just then, his phone chimed again… three times in a row. He thought it was Shen Yizhuo again, but to his surprise, it was from the beautiful flight attendant Bai Mengyan.
[Captain Lin Chen, thank you for what happened yesterday.]
[I’m returning tomorrow. Do you have time to pick me up?]
[If you’re busy, it’s fine. I can take a taxi myself. I mainly want to treat you to a meal to thank you.]
Seeing the three messages in a row, Lin Chen couldn’t help but smile slightly. He replied simply.
[We just got a major case today. What time tomorrow? If I’m not busy, I’ll come pick you up.]
For a moment, Xia Meng’s dinner, his friend’s concern, and the invitation from a near stranger made Lin Chen realize something… perhaps, apart from Chen Ya, there were still many warm and kind people in his life.