Chapter 4: Project 520

The deceased was Zeng Cheng, a professor of surgery and the director of the anatomy department at Leizhou Medical College, aged forty-seven. He was a key technical figure at the medical college and was renowned as a "master surgeon" at the affiliated hospital, with considerable fame even throughout Leizhou City, earning the nickname "Zeng Yidao." Additionally, he had made significant contributions in the academic field, with two of his anatomical research papers published in the most authoritative academic journals in the country, and they were also widely reprinted by several foreign medical publications. Dean Cui and Vice Dean Chen of the medical college held him in high regard, stating that he was a versatile technical backbone, excelling in both theoretical knowledge and practical work capabilities. At this point, Zou Xiangdong switched the image, and the bloody scene on the screen transformed into a candid photo of Zeng Cheng.

Lei Zhenyu said: "Well, you are the captain of the criminal police team, so you can handle the investigation as you see fit. However, I suggest establishing a special task force dedicated to solving this case. Today is May 20th, so let's call it the 520 Task Force. You will personally take charge, is that alright? The daily work of the team can be handled by Jianguo."

Ling Li squinted his eyes: "First, we need to conduct a background investigation on Zeng Cheng, examining his social relationships with the library. According to the teachers and students at the school, Zeng Cheng is a good-natured person, who, in theory, should not have any enemies. However, the facts we have observed clearly indicate that this is a case of revenge killing. Therefore, we have reason to suspect that Zeng Cheng's good-natured persona is merely a facade. Secondly, we will conduct a small-scale investigation of the personnel at the Medical School and the affiliated hospital. The murderer is likely an expert in dissection, possibly a surgical specialist from the Medical School or the affiliated hospital. Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that the murderer comes from another medical institution, but one thing is certain: he must have some connection to Zeng Cheng, and he is likely very familiar with him. Vice Dean Chen mentioned that Zeng Cheng cares most about his hands. Zeng Cheng once said that his hands are a masterpiece of God, the hands of an artist. In Zeng Cheng's view, his surgical subjects are works of art, and he holds himself to very high standards, hoping that each surgery can be nearly perfect. The fact that the murderer deliberately left his hands behind is likely closely related to this statement."

Ling Lidun paused and said: "Xiao Liu mentioned that the murderer spent nearly five hours in total at the library before and after the crime. From his methods, it is evident that he was very calm and composed during the act, indicating that the murderer possesses excellent psychological qualities. Additionally, the murderer is very familiar with the medical school; he knows that no one would come to the experimental building at night, so he would not worry about being caught while committing the crime. Even if he turned on the lights in the dissection room, he would not be discovered, as there is a grove of pines and cypresses outside the dissection room. Unless one approaches the dissection room, nothing would be visible."

Ling Li also meant this. He did not understand why, but after arriving at the scene early in the morning and witnessing that scene, he always felt uneasy. He had a sense that the Cheng Cheng case was just the beginning. This feeling was quite strong, yet he did not mention it to anyone, as it was merely his intuition without any basis.

On that noon, the 520 Task Force was established, led by Ling Li. The members included Zou Xiangdong, Ji Dequ, Miao Xin, Su Kai, and Liu Xiaolu. Liu Xiaolu is a forensic expert, and her inclusion was at Ling Li's suggestion. This case is somewhat special and requires a professional well-versed in surgical anatomy. Liu Xiaolu is naturally the best choice for this role.

The deputy director in charge of criminal investigation, Lei Zhenyu, glanced at Ling Li and said, "Team Leader Ling, why don't you say a few words as well"

At this point, Ling Li seemed to recall something: "By the way, there is a boiler room located more than 100 meters diagonally across from the laboratory building. However, to reach the boiler room, one must pass through the pine and cypress forest. The boiler room is overseen by an elderly man with the surname Qu, who has poor hearing and eyesight. Even until we responded to the incident, the old man had no idea what had actually happened. We went to the boiler room to take a look, but from there, we could not see what was happening on the side of the laboratory building."

Zou Xiangdong took a sip of tea and continued, "Zeng Cheng has a very good rapport at school; both teachers and students say he is an exceptionally kind person, always wearing a smile when he sees others. In the ten years since he was transferred from the provincial health school, he has never had a falling out or argued with anyone. In the words of Vice Dean Chen, he is simply a good man devoted to academic pursuits. His death has left everyone in the college who knew him in disbelief, as it stands to reason that such a person should have no enemies. Zeng Cheng was at the affiliated hospital for a specialist consultation yesterday afternoon and left the hospital at five-thirty, after which he went missing. His wife, You Juan, thought he was busy at the hospital and would not return, so she did not take it seriously, as such situations often occur. When he is on the operating table, he frequently works late into the night, and during such times, Zeng Cheng usually spends the night in the small apartment assigned to him by the medical school.

"Xiang Dong and Miao Xin, you are in one group. You are responsible for investigating Zeng Cheng's social connections, including colleagues he has interacted with and students he has mentored over the years. Pay special attention to those who have made achievements in surgical procedures, and ascertain whether there are any significant conflicts between them and Zeng Cheng. De Kui and Su Kai, you are in another group. You are tasked with gathering all surgical records of Zeng Cheng from the affiliated hospital over the years. Be vigilant for any medical accidents that may have occurred involving Zeng Cheng, and check if any of his patients died during or shortly after surgery. I and Xiao Liu are in a group responsible for investigating Zeng Cheng's whereabouts before and after the incident, as well as those he has been in contact with, including individuals with whom he has had phone conversations."

From the perspective of the methods employed by the perpetrator, I believe this is a case of revenge killing. As the saying goes, killing is merely a matter of striking the head, yet the murderer cruelly skinned him, removed his flesh, and even hollowed out his organs. The blender found at the scene was used by the murderer to grind the organs, and we extracted remnants of the organs from it. If there were not deep-seated hatred, I believe no one would resort to such a nearly insane method of revenge against another person. Additionally, forensic expert Xiao Liu mentioned that based on the techniques used by the perpetrator, he must also be an expert in dissection; it is even possible that Cheng was alive when he was dissected. However, the technical department's on-site investigation revealed that the perpetrator left no trace behind, with the only item remaining being that blender.

Zou Xiangdong sat down after he finished speaking

Lei Zhenyu nodded slightly: "This is a heinous case. The methods employed by the perpetrator are extremely brutal, especially since the crime took place in a school, which has caused a very negative impact on society. The bureau hopes that you can solve the case as soon as possible and bring the perpetrator to justice. I have been a veteran detective for a long time, and from the points you just mentioned, it is clear that the perpetrator is very cunning and likely possesses strong counter-surveillance capabilities. I know this is a tough nut to crack, but I believe our detectives are not only willing to take on tough cases but are also skilled at handling them. Now it depends on you. Captain Ling, please share your thoughts. Where do you plan to start?"