Chapter 3: A Knife from the Medical School

Before long, Zou Xiangdong brought in a man in his fifties: "Ling Dui, this is Vice Dean Chen Tao from the Medical School. You asked me to check if there were any missing faculty members at the school. Vice Dean Chen said that Professor Zeng Cheng, the head of the anatomy department, was supposed to have a major class this morning, but he did not show up and did not request leave from the school leadership." Ling Li looked at Vice Dean Chen, whose hair was slightly graying and who wore a pair of thick black-framed glasses, the lenses as thick as the bottom of a wine bottle. However, he held himself very straight, exuding a certain military demeanor.

Yan Ping, are you not exaggerating? At that time, did you really have the courage to see so clearly? Lin Hongbin, who shared a dormitory, was quite skeptical about whether Yan Ping truly had that kind of bravery; if it were him, he would have been terrified long ago.

Chen Tao put on a pair of rubber gloves from the side, gently picked up the deceased's hand, examined one hand, then the other, and then carefully held the deceased's bloodied and disfigured face to take a closer look. After observing for nearly a minute, he finally let out a long sigh: "Indeed, it is him"

Ling Li asked, "Vice Dean Chen, I would like you to identify whether the deceased and the *image* are indeed the person you mentioned, Cheng Cheng, or possibly someone else from the academy. However..." Chen Tao, being straightforward, replied, "Captain Ling, just say what you need to say. I am a straightforward person. Although I am currently engaged in medical research, my military nature still remains!" Only then did Ling Li express his hope that Chen Tao would be mentally prepared, as the deceased had been skinned and had flesh removed. Although it was said that the face could still be vaguely recognized, it was bloodied and mangled, requiring careful observation to distinguish. However, truly staring at that face would require a great deal of courage.

Liu Xiaolu patted her on the back and said, "Is it really that serious? However, after this experience, you won't feel anything when you see such things again." Ling Li cast an unhappy glance at Liu Xiaolu, who cleared her throat and continued, "It was her own insistence to see it, so you can't blame me. I know you care for her, but I believe that such an experience isn't necessarily a bad thing for her. Not to mention her, even I, after working as a forensic doctor for five or six years, have never encountered a scene like this before. It's quite an eye-opener, isn't it?"

Chen Tao nodded: "I am quite familiar with him and the *Tu* book. I came here twelve years ago, and I remember that when I arrived, Leizhou Medical College had not yet been upgraded; it was called Leizhou City Health School at that time. Two years later, the health school was elevated to a medical college, and a public recruitment was conducted across the city to hire a group of academically experienced doctors to strengthen the faculty. Additionally, some academic backbones were also recruited from the provincial level. Zeng Cheng was one of those brought in from the provincial health school. Our Dean Cui holds Zeng Cheng in high regard; in his words, finding Zeng Cheng was like striking gold!"

Miao Xin was so nauseated that her face turned pale; she nearly vomited up the bile.

Allow me to introduce, this is our forensic expert, Xiao Liu

He walked up to the corpse, but his gaze did not immediately fall on the deceased's face; instead, it rested on the only part of the body that retained its original appearance—those two hands. He squinted and asked, "Why is this so?" Ling Li understood why he was asking; he must be puzzled as to why the murderer left the deceased with a complete pair of hands. Ling Li replied, "We also want to know the answer."

However, Chen Tao is an experienced doctor, so he still possesses a certain level of composure

Liu Xiaolu took off her gloves and graciously extended her hand: "Hello, my name is Liu Xiaolu!" Chen Tao hurriedly shook her hand and then smiled, saying: "Comrade Xiao Liu is remarkable, truly a woman who does not fall behind men!" Liu Xiaolu shrugged her shoulders and replied: "There’s no helping it; after all, this is what we do, so we are used to it."

Chen Tao looked at Liu Xiaolu in surprise; he simply could not understand how a young woman who appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six could remain so composed in the face of such a terrifying scene, casually chatting and leisurely enjoying a lollipop.

"Vice Dean Chen, are you familiar with Director Zeng?" Ling Li did not allow Chen Tao to enter the dissection room immediately. Although Chen Tao also came from a medical background, not every doctor can handle such a scene.

Is Vice Dean Chen a military veteran?" Ling Li asked with a smile as he shook hands with Chen Tao

At this point, Chen Tao glanced into the dissection room and said, "Could it really be that something has happened to him?"

Chen Tao widened his eyes: "How could this be? What kind of deep-seated hatred could lead to this?"

Chen Tao followed Ling Li into the dissection room, and he was stunned by the scene before him. No wonder that female police officer had vomited and that the young faces outside the door looked so pale. Even the students from the medical school who had come to watch the commotion wore expressions of fear. This was too gruesome

In the boys' dormitory of the medical school, Yan Ping vividly described the terrifying scene to his roommates

Liu Xiaolu had never left the dissection room, and at this moment, she surprisingly had a lollipop in her mouth: "I believe the murderer must be completing some sort of ritual, or perhaps the murderer intentionally left this hand holding the scalpel as a form of mockery. Isn't it a great irony for someone skilled in using a scalpel to die beneath one?"

Chen Tao informed Ling Li that he was originally a doctor at a certain military hospital, and later transitioned to civilian life. Due to his previous research on some academic projects at the hospital, he came to the medical school upon returning to civilian life

Ling Li did not answer his question, and he was unable to answer it either. At this moment, the identity of the deceased remains a mystery. However, whether or not it is the person named Zeng Cheng mentioned by Chen Tao can be quickly determined through fingerprint or DNA comparison.

Ling Li gave a wry smile; he could naturally understand Chen Tao's surprise. In Ling Li's view, Liu Xiaolu was simply an alternative to a *picture* book. On ordinary days, she was gentle and charming, undoubtedly a delicate woman. However, once she entered work mode, she was even more manly than a man

Ling Li's eyes sparkled with intensity: "Are you sure?" Chen Tao nodded vigorously: "Of course I am sure, it is Zeng Cheng. The medical school organizes annual health check-ups for faculty and staff at the affiliated hospital, and the hospital should have records for all faculty and staff. You can cross-reference them. Additionally, his fingers are intact, and a fingerprint comparison can also verify his identity."

Yan Ping let out a light snort: "Lin Hongbin, do you think I am like you? Who am I, Yan Ping? I am the brother of the King of Hell, known as Yan Daring in the Medical School. Let me tell you, I certainly have seen clearly, and I even recognized who the deceased was!" Upon hearing this, several roommates curiously asked who the deceased was. Yan Ping replied softly: "Professor Zeng, Zeng Cheng. Although his entire scalp was peeled off, the damage to his facial features was not too severe, and I could still vaguely recognize his general appearance. Alas, he was a renowned surgeon from our Medical School, even famous in Leizhou, and yet he died like this. I wonder what kind of person he offended."