Chapter 3, Dismemberment

Suddenly mentioning Zhang Zihua made Sun Pangzi's heart skip a beat, and his right eyelid twitched irregularly twice, giving him a sense of foreboding. He began to murmur to himself: "Could it be that this guy has gotten into trouble again, even attracting the attention of the criminal police team? It seems this matter is not trivial." After a brief pause, Sun Pangzi said: "We did have some acquaintance in the past, and I saw him just yesterday. I’m not saying he has gotten into any trouble, right? If it’s not a big deal, considering my relationship with him, maybe he can be detained for a couple of days less. If there’s any compensation needed, just let me know, and I’ll find a way..."

Sun Fatty laughed heartily and said, "Captain Zhang, guess what? If something really goes wrong, who do you think will be in trouble, you, the chief of the criminal police team, or me, the deputy director of the polling bureau?"

The speaker is an undercover officer in his thirties, not yet forty. Sun Pangzi glanced at him and simultaneously turned his thoughts around, feeling that he had no impression of this person: "I’m not saying anything, do you know me?"

Reflecting on his own disheveled state after being released from prison, he realized that this former acquaintance who had once betrayed him could still offer a few words of warmth and understanding. At that moment, this once-great figure felt a deep sense of nostalgia. Sun, the overweight man, had initially intended to offer further comfort, but at that moment, calls from the bureau began to come in one after another, leaving him with no choice. Sun quickly settled the bill and left the restaurant ahead of the others

Early the next morning, Sun Pangzi returned to the polling bureau shortly after. Just as he was preparing to clock in and head to the hospital to see me, he suddenly received a call from Gao Liang, asking him to go to the municipal police's criminal investigation team, as there seemed to be a case that required his input. At that moment, Sun Pangzi was anxious to go to the hospital and did not have time to ask for details. Since such matters often occurred in his line of work, he did not consider it a significant issue, thinking it was just a matter of attending to some official business before heading to the hospital.

After taking photos and surveying the scene, the police stood guard outside, while not a single living person could be seen inside. As he navigated around the extremely high-stacked goods, Sun Pangzi spotted a single bed inside, where Zhang Zihua lay divided into three parts.

Captain Zhang stared at Fatty Sun for a while, and finally relented. After a brief pause, he took out his phone, pressed a few numbers at random, and made the call: "Old Wang, about the case in the basement at No. 26 XX Road this morning. Yes, the dismemberment case. The scene hasn't been cleared yet, right? Hmm, keep it for a few more hours. Also, has there been any result from the forensic department? I know it takes twenty-four hours to get a report, can't they speed it up a bit... The scene hasn't been cleared yet, right? Hmm, keep it for a few more hours. Also, has there been any result from the forensic department? I know it takes twenty-four hours to get a report, can't they speed it up a bit..."

The entrance to the hospital restroom is certainly not a place for conversation. In the end, Fatty Sun took this former big brother to a restaurant near the hospital, and after finding a private room, they began to eat and chat inside.

After making a series of chaotic phone calls, Team Leader Zhang turned around only to find that Fatty Sun, who had been sitting in the chair, had vanished without a trace. Zhang spat at the chair where Fatty Sun had been sitting and muttered to himself, "Starting tomorrow, I will report even the missing persons to your polling bureau!"

He then handed a business card with his name from the Ministry of Public Security to Zhang Zihua, saying: "My phone number is on the card; if you have any issues in the future, just contact me. I will also look for suitable job opportunities for you in the coming days, and help you find a place to live. Even if you can't become extremely wealthy, at least you shouldn't have to worry about food and clothing."

Sun Fatty felt a tightness in his throat, as breakfast was eagerly pushing its way back up from his stomach...

Team Leader Zhang shook his head with a wry smile and said, "He won't be able to cause any more trouble in the future"

As the plainclothes officer spoke, Sun Fatty glanced into the room and saw blood everywhere on the floor. Sun Fatty, somewhat puzzled, said: "I’m not saying anything, but with so much blood spilled, how many people have died?"

The plainclothes officer smiled again and said, "Just now, Zhang called me and said you would be arriving shortly, asking me to receive you. I was among the first to enter the crime scene this morning, and I have quite a bit of information regarding this case. Please feel free to speak with me about anything you wish."

Now, Sun Fat finally understands why the police were not guarding the crime scene. Before him, on the single bed, lay a neatly arranged pile of internal organs, positioned from head to toe in accordance with the proportions of a normal person. On the floor beside the single bed, there was a human skin laid out neatly on one side, which contained some material that appeared to be muscle or similar human tissue. The front of this human skin was facing up, and it was none other than Zhang Zihua, whom he had seen just yesterday. On the other side lay a complete human skeleton, which was tidily arranged, with not a single strand of flesh visible on the stark white bones. Together, these three parts constituted Zhang Zihua, who had drunk with him just the day before.

Sun Fatty listened for a while before pulling back the caution tape and walking into the corridor. Fortunately, he had heard in the morning that they were going to the police station, so he changed into a police uniform, not expecting it would come in handy at this moment

"Is it really that disgusting?" Sun Pangzi glanced at the plainclothes officer, then pushed the door and entered the crime scene. Zhang Zihua had truly fallen on hard times in life; the basement he lived in was merely a storage room. Living here meant having to keep an eye on the goods inside. However, the warehouse was now filled with blood. If it weren't for the earlier comments from the plainclothes officer, no one would have imagined that a normal person could have such a large volume of blood.

Zhang took out a cigarette, handed one to Sun Pangzi, and lit one for himself. He then said: "This morning around 6:00, a corpse was discovered in a rental apartment. Preliminary identification indicates that the deceased is Zhang Zihua, the tenant of the apartment. Among his personal belongings, we found your business card. As per usual procedure, we need to invite you to clarify your relationship with him, as well as your whereabouts between 2:00 and 4:00 this morning. Do you have any witnesses who can verify your alibi?"

At this point, Sun Fatty paused for a moment, blinking his eyes as he looked at Captain Zhang and said, "Captain Zhang, it's not that I'm saying this, but the fact that you called me here indicates that Zhang Zihua did not die by suicide, nor did he die from an illness. I won't ask about anything else; I just want to know how he died"

After Sun Pangzi recovered, he said, "From 2:00 AM to 4:00 AM... I was sleeping in the dormitory at the bureau. There are no time witnesses, but recently, surveillance cameras have been installed in the dormitory corridor. If needed, you can check them."

The location of the incident involving Zhang Zihua was in the suburbs. It took Sun Pangzi an hour of driving to reach the scene. When he arrived, the police cordon had not yet been removed, and some elderly people were gathered outside discussing the situation. He overheard an elderly woman say: "I told you I heard someone shouting for help this morning, it was very real. After a few calls, there was no more sound. At first, I thought it was just some young rascals fighting, beating someone up and that would be the end of it. I didn't expect that when I opened the door this morning, the smell of blood hit me. We live on the fourth floor, and when I went down, the police had just arrived. I took advantage of the chaos to take a look, and my goodness, the hallway in the basement was covered in blood... After a few calls, there was no more sound. At first, I thought it was just some young rascals fighting, beating someone up and that would be the end of it. I didn't expect that when I opened the door this morning, the smell of blood hit me. We live on the fourth floor, and when I went down, the police had just arrived. I took advantage of the chaos to take a look, and my goodness, the hallway in the basement was covered in blood..."

Zhang Zihua has died ... ... Sun Pangzi was completely stunned. They had just met yesterday; how could a living person suddenly be said to be dead? After Zhang Duiwei noticed that Deputy Director Sun had no reaction to his words, he repeated himself before finally bringing Sun Pangzi back to his senses

The old lady was not speaking nonsense; as soon as Fatty Sun entered the corridor, he detected a pungent smell of blood. Covering his nose, he walked into the basement crime scene when he was finally stopped by the first police officer: "Director Sun, right? I've been waiting for you for quite some time"

Captain Zhang looked at Fatty Sun and chuckled, saying: "Director Sun, it is said that the matters we both handle are quite similar, and some of the rules you also follow. Since you are still involved in the case, according to the rules, I truly cannot discuss such matters with you"

However, when he arrived at the Criminal Investigation Brigade, he soon realized that the situation was not as simple as he had thought. He was received by a Captain Zhang, who, being aware of Sun Fatty's background, treated him with great courtesy. After a few opening remarks, Captain Zhang quickly got to the point: "Director Sun, do you know Zhang Zihua?"

"Rules are good; I prefer to follow the rules." Initially, upon hearing the news of Zhang Zihua's death, Sun Pangzi wore a serious expression. However, when he heard Captain Zhang mention following the rules, Sun Pangzi immediately returned to his usual trademark smile, extinguished half of his cigarette, switched to his own cigarette, and took a puff. He then flashed a grin at Captain Zhang and said, "Every year, you sign off on an average of twenty-five special cases sent to the Public Opinion Bureau. From now on, our bureau will also follow the rules; all cases will first be sent to Investigation Room Five for consolidation and scheduling. Once we finish our current tasks, we will attend to your special cases."

Upon hearing what Fatty Sun said, Zhang opened his mouth wide and couldn't help but suck his teeth. At that moment, his heart began to race. Gritting his teeth, he said to Fatty Sun: "Director Sun, we can't do this, can we? This is the capital; if something goes wrong, you won't be able to take responsibility"

The plainclothes officer sighed and said, "It's just a Zhang Zihua, but the methods of the murderer are too brutal. I have been in this line of work for seventeen years, and I have never encountered such a vicious criminal. You have no idea; after seeing the scene, I have already vomited three times. I will never dare to touch seafood or tofu pudding again..." As he spoke the last part, the officer recalled the scene at the crime scene, immediately covering his mouth, nearly vomiting again. I will never dare to touch seafood or tofu pudding again..." As he spoke the last part, the officer recalled the scene at the crime scene, immediately covering his mouth, nearly vomiting again.

After a few glasses of beer, Zhang Zihua did not hold back from Sun Pangzi, recounting all the disappointments he had faced over the years. Upon hearing this, Sun Pangzi also began to reflect on his own experiences. In the end, he took out his wallet, pulled out all the cash inside, and handed it to Zhang Zihua, saying: "I didn't bring much money today, so you can use this for now"

The small police officer stationed at the periphery saw Fatty Sun enter and initially intended to stop him. However, upon seeing Fatty Sun's police rank, he stuck out his tongue and retreated. As Fatty Sun made his way to the basement, he encountered several police officers, yet none dared to come forward to stop him.

Sun Fatty was taken aback for a moment, blinked his eyes, and said: "What do you mean by this? I can't get into trouble anymore"