Chapter 1: The Gruesome Female Corpse

Perhaps Li Feng had long since grown accustomed to this environment; he was not afraid at all. He urged us to come closer and gather around a corpse. He casually grabbed a corner of the white cloth and reminded us, "Don't be scared later!"

Officer Li fell into deep thought, adopting a tone that seemed both self-reflective and as if he were speaking to the two of us. He recounted an experience from his early days in the police force, when he encountered a female corpse that would smile foolishly after death. It was later determined that she had been poisoned with a strange toxin by the murderer, which caused this bizarre phenomenon. However, while the corpse was smiling eerily, there were also scabs on the back of her neck. This phenomenon was not observed in the three female corpses before us, and the forensic examination revealed no abnormalities. Even after a thorough inspection from head to toe, no wounds were found. Yet, the same eerie smile and scabs on the neck were present in the earlier case.

There were twelve people who were granted sentence reductions along with me, and in the end, only a few remained. I do not want this experience to be forgotten; I want to write it down. I firmly believe that the secrets hidden behind the cases will shock you and help you recognize another side of this world. Death is not frightening; living is harder than death. Moreover, do not let the unfairness of society strip life of its inherent meaning.

These three words struck deep into my heart like an electric current, and Panzi also looked at the sign, unable to help but take a step back, slightly shaking his head.

I paused in front of the small house and looked up. A sign hung above, displaying three stark white characters—"www.hetushu.com.com Morgue"

I understand why he specifically emphasized the fever. According to our local saying, those who are possessed by ghosts or are haunted to death will have a fever before they die. By saying this, he is clearly indicating to me that this case has nothing to do with ghosts

To speak candidly, this is my first time coming to the police station at night. Previously, I had only been here before going to prison, and suddenly returning to this "familiar place" makes me feel somewhat uneasy

I cannot describe the feeling at that moment; anyway, just a glance was enough to leave me frozen in place. Panzi was even more startled, letting out a scream and retreating repeatedly until he was cornered against the wall, only stopping when he was blocked.

Li Feng gave us a moment to rest, and for a time, the morgue was very quiet. It was not until I finished this cigarette that he spoke up, "Du Rui, what are your thoughts?"

Li Feng had been observing the reactions of Panzi and me. Perhaps he thought that this female corpse was not shocking enough for us, so he walked over to the other two morgue tables and pulled down the white sheets.

My mind was almost blank, and I didn't know what to do next. I simply leaned against the wall, reached into my pocket for a cigarette, and without caring whether smoking was allowed here, I lit one and took a few puffs.

However, Officer Li's answer provided me with no information. He told me that the female corpse was transported from a remote mountainous area in the north. The specific cause of death remains unknown, and it is only known that these three individuals died successively in the wilderness, showing no signs of madness before their deaths, nor any indications of fever.

Officer Li's remarks further ruled out the possibility of the deceased having been poisoned, leaving me even more astonished after hearing them

Panzi interjected, muttering "this, this" for quite a while. Although he did not articulate any specific content, both Li Feng and I understood his meaning

Before she died, she seemed to be smiling, but this manner of smiling could only be described as sinister, and even that would be a mild characterization. In my entire life, I have never seen anyone smile like that.

In my mind, I have this thought: these several female corpses must have been killed by a ghost; otherwise, how could they have such strange hands resembling chicken feet, and such twisted expressions?

We timed ourselves and arrived punctually at the back yard of the police station. This back yard is essentially a parking lot, which is locked up by an iron gate in the evening

Life does not possess absolute fairness, and there is no absolute good or evil in the world. In life, there are opportunities and setbacks, joy and pain. At times, we may deprive others of everything to gain our own freedom, but this is not cruelty; rather, it is the instinct for survival

There are a total of four beds in the morgue, three of which are occupied by corpses, all covered with white sheets, obscuring their faces, with their feet protruding, and a toe tag hanging from their big toes

This is a female corpse, with a large piece of surgical thread vertically placed on her abdomen, undoubtedly sewn up after an autopsy by a forensic expert. The top of her head is also wrapped in gauze, indicating that it has been opened. Her hands are curled up, resembling chicken feet at first glance, and the veins in her arms are prominently protruding, clearly showing that she was in great distress before death. However, none of this is as terrifying as her face, where the features are so distorted that they almost converge into one another, with her mouth gaping open, exposing her canine teeth.

In 2005, I committed a grave crime and was sentenced to twenty years. Later, unable to endure life in prison, I was recruited by the police as an informant. At that moment, my sentence was reduced, and thus began my life dancing on the edge of a knife. How many times I could feel death so close to me. Bullets grazed my temple, and a knife's edge was mere millimeters away from piercing my heart, yet I survived and became a survivor of several homicides.

Let me start with the incident that occurred six months after my sentence was reduced. It was a night in early autumn, around three-thirty in the morning. A thick fog had descended outdoors, making the already dark streets appear even more sinister and eerie. I was walking side by side with a person named Panzi along the roadside.

I casually took the envelope and the ticket, but at the same time, my heart felt unusually cold, because this time, the situation we were facing was truly bizarre

I thought we were going to follow Officer Li into the police station building, but he showed no intention in that regard and led us straight to a small house next to the building

However, his reminder had the opposite effect; his emphasis on not being afraid only made the two of us more anxious

I ask this to understand the cause of death of this female corpse, which indirectly informs me about the individuals we will be facing in this mission.

He leaned against the wall next to the door, lost in thought, completely unaware of our arrival. After half a minute of silence between Panzi and me, I had to clear my throat softly to give him a reminder

At this moment, I felt much calmer, and my mind was able to function normally. However, I still did not want to look at the female corpse even once, so I stared directly at Li Feng and asked him in return, "Boss, where did the female corpse come from? What was the situation at that time?"

Officer Li had lost interest in explaining further to us. It was evident that he had prepared in advance; he reached into his pocket and took out an envelope along with two train tickets, saying to us, "Although the case of these three female corpses does not fall under our municipal bureau's jurisdiction, it is related to another homicide case. I need you two to investigate in a remote mountain village. Here are the train tickets for tomorrow evening and the funds. Take them."

Three beds were placed side by side, and three grotesque female corpses appeared before my eyes, creating a truly significant visual impact

Li Feng ignored my words and shone the flashlight on Panzi. After verifying our identities, he finally opened the iron gate and waved at us

Panzi and I exchanged glances, and I nodded slightly to Officer Li to indicate my response. He pulled forcefully, exposing the corpse before us without any cover.

Li Feng was alerted by the sound of the cough, turned his head to look over, and then reached to his lower back to take out a flashlight, shining it on us

This is a powerful flashlight, and suddenly a beam of light shines on my face, making me extremely uncomfortable, and my eyes feel as if they are being pierced like a book. However, I do not shy away; I let it shine on me and say, "Boss, it's us."

We were both wearing black trench coats, which were a size larger than normal, completely concealing our physical features. We walked slowly, occasionally engaging in quiet conversation. In fact, in such dreadful weather, we had no leisure to stroll, but Officer Li Feng had arranged to meet us at the police station's backyard at exactly 4:00.

When I arrived at the door, I vaguely saw a person standing inside. Although the light was dim and I could not make out the person's features, I could discern from the blurred outline that it was Li Feng

I gently nudged him with my elbow as a reminder, then took the lead and walked in. I must say, the cooling system here is quite impressive; the moment I stepped inside, a gust of cold air hit me head-on, slicing through my body like a knife. This extreme alternation of hot and cold made me shiver uncontrollably, but I clenched my fists and held it back, while Panzi grimaced and bared his teeth.

I have grown accustomed to his silent working style and did not inquire further. Panzi and I looked around to ensure there were no followers before entering one after the other.

Li Feng is in his early thirties, and my assessment of him is that he is shrouded in many mysteries. He originally had a rather delicate appearance, and his occasional actions clearly indicate that he used to be a carefree loser. But now, he is unusually sullen, sporting a beard, and his hair is poorly maintained, giving him a scruffy look