Liu Taishan crouched beside the deceased, performing a preliminary external autopsy.
In stark contrast to his usual flippant demeanor, he now bore a rare air of seriousness. Lifting the victim's eyelids, he examined the corneas and pupils with a practiced eye. "Corneas are heavily clouded, livor mortis has merged into large, dark patches, rigor mortis is complete — estimated time of death is between ten to twelve hours."
Like Xiao Bingbing, Liu Taishan's name belied his nature. Despite a name that suggested stability, he was anything but. Always grinning, perpetually unserious, he nevertheless had an undeniably handsome face and a sunny charm. Those unfamiliar with him might mistake him for a flamboyant heartthrob; those who knew him better, however, harbored only one consistent urge — to smack that infuriating grin off his face.
Lu Lie knelt beside him. "I conducted an initial inspection before you arrived. Preliminary estimation puts time of death at over ten hours."
Liu Taishan frowned but quipped, "Captain Lu, must you snatch the bread from my mouth? If you keep picking up all the skills, what room is left for me in the forensics unit?"
Lu Lie shot him a frosty glare and let out a cold chuckle, his expression steeped in disdain. "You think I wanted to? If you'd shown up earlier, I wouldn't have needed to overstep my duties." Then, with a side glance, "Is that all you've got from your exam?"
Liu Taishan shrugged, chin raised with indignant pride. "Impossible. Do you know who I am? The Forensic Prince, the top dog of the criminal investigation team. Society calls me Brother Shan!"
Though the two had worked together for over five years, every interaction with Liu Taishan gave Lu Lie a throbbing headache. His thick brows furrowed as he barked, "Quit the nonsense. Continue."
"There are signs of a struggle on the body. Facial swelling, blackened lips, and traces of vomit on the ground indicate great suffering before death — consistent with poisoning. There are several puncture wounds on the arms, swollen at the site, likely insect bites. But I can't yet identify the species."
Lu Lie narrowed his eyes, recalling He Chuanhui's earlier remarks. "Insects — was it a spider?"
Liu Taishan's expression darkened. He bent down, stifling a gag at the stench of death, and examined the wounds closely. "Looks like it."
"The witness claims the victim had somehow obtained a few black widows. One escaped while he was feeding them."
"Black widow? That explains it." Liu's eyes lit up with recognition. "I've raised them before — Latrodectus, family Theridiidae. Their venom is a potent neurotoxin. The females, after mating, often devour the males — hence the name. A bite might start with numbness, then progress to unbearable pain, nausea, vomiting, and paralysis. But death from such a bite is rare — the venom dose is typically small. Judging from the victim's condition, he likely failed to receive timely treatment. I'll need to perform a full autopsy to confirm."
Lu Lie's tone remained cool. "What about the wound at the back of the head?"
"Blunt-force trauma. The impact matched the floor. My guess — in a state of delirium and agony, he smashed his own head against the ground."
"Was the body moved?"
"No."
Lu Lie stood up. Zhao Songge rushed in, notebook in hand. "Boss, we've compiled all the victim's background info." He handed over the notes.
Lu Lie flipped through the pages quickly, scanning line by line.
Name: He Wenhui. Born 1990, native of Jingning District, Jinzhou. High school education. Parents deceased in a car accident. Survived by his younger brother He Chuanhui. Spouse: Bai Wenwen — married in 2015, no children. In 2016, He opened a reptile pet shop on Huayuan Road, Jingning. Bai works as a sales associate at Chow Sang Sang in Yintai Plaza. He Chuanhui is currently a senior in high school.
As Lu read, Zhao leaned in, voice tinged with intrigue. "Captain, I picked up some gossip from the neighbors."
Lu closed the notebook, gaze sharpening. "Speak."
"A week before the incident, the neighbor, Aunt Li, overheard He Wenhui and his wife arguing — apparently, he suspected her of cheating with his best friend. They were yelling, throwing things, the works. Later, He even went and beat up that friend."
"Which brother?" Lu's eyes flicked to the door. "The one outside?"
"No, not the real brother. His close friend — went to the same high school as both of them. Goes by the name Qiangzi. No job, a freeloader. Aunt Li saw him flirting with Bai Wenwen at the shop more than once."
"Find out Qiangzi's full identity. I want it in ten minutes."
"Got it, boss. I'll dig up everything."
Lu furrowed his brows and turned to Wang Xinyu. "Fatty, how's the surveillance footage?"
Fatty wiped his sweaty forehead. "The cameras are down. Nothing usable."
"Stop wasting time. Get the tech team in. Meanwhile, gather some men and search the store thoroughly. Be careful — don't contaminate the scene."
Fatty's voice was loud and clear. "Understood. What exactly are we looking for?"
"Spiders."
"Spiders?"
Lu nodded. "Black ones, hourglass marking on the back. Not the ones in the cages. The ones that got loose. Search every corner. They might not be here anymore — but if they are, don't get bitten."
"No problem!"
Fatty moved quickly, organizing two new officers for a grid search of the small pet shop.
Meanwhile, Zhou Chaochao had collected partial fingerprints and shoe prints. The marks on the walls had also been photographed and documented. She rose, her gaze naturally drifting to Lu Lie.
Overwhelmed by a craving, Lu fished out a pack of cigarettes and stepped outside. As he lit one and took a few puffs, he turned — catching Zhou Chaochao's eyes.
His gaze narrowed. He casually gestured for her to approach.
She paused, then stepped out after removing her shoe covers. Her voice rose slightly at the end. "Captain Lu?"
Lu looked into her clear eyes, then pointed to the ground. "Do you see it?"
Zhou hesitated briefly, then followed his gesture. She understood immediately.
The tile floor was covered in muddy footprints, made indistinct by the rain. Virtually worthless for evidence. But inside, the only set of clear prints told a different story.
"The shop floor was definitely cleaned after the incident."
She turned her gaze toward He Chuanhui, who stood tensely, back facing them.
She strode over, firm and composed. "Hello, I need your cooperation on something."
He finally turned, clutching the hem of his shirt. "What is it?"
Zhou looked down at his filthy sneakers. "Please remove one shoe for inspection."
"Uh?" He hesitated, glancing shyly at her fair, elegant face. "Isn't that... a bit much?"
Zhou remained impassive. "Just for a look. Thank you."
Though clearly embarrassed, he leaned on the wall, slipped off a shoe, and handed it over.
The moment Zhou took it, a foul smell hit her. She frowned slightly. He scratched his head and offered a sheepish apology, "Sorry, miss… it's been a while since I changed them…"
Zhou smiled calmly. "It's fine. I just need to check the sole."
A treaded pattern — matching the shop prints exactly. His story of finding the body held up.
She returned the shoe and gave Lu a subtle nod. He caught the signal, flicked the cigarette, and exhaled a final wisp of smoke.
Within twenty minutes, Zhao had dug up Qiangzi's full details.
Chen Shengqiang. Male. Born 1990. Unemployed. Resides at No. 97, Huayuan Road, Jingning District.
Not far.
There was a photo — buzz cut, beady eyes, rodent-like features.
"Any contact info?"
"One number found through police systems, but it's out of service. I'm searching for others."
Lu stubbed out his cigarette. "Forget it. It's nearby. I'll pay him a visit myself."
Rain was falling once more. A black umbrella leaned against the wall — finely made. Lu picked it up, opened it, and stepped into the drizzle. After a few steps, he paused and looked back.
With a flick of his wrist, he gestured lazily. "Zhou Chaochao, you're coming with me."
"Me?" she asked in surprise.
Lu squinted, as if the answer was self-evident. "Who else? You're under my lead now — who else would you follow?"
Zhou pressed her lips together and let out a long "Oh." She jogged lightly to catch up under the umbrella.
Raindrops clung to her hair, beading on her crown. She looked up at him and smiled, her gaze pure and clear. Water dripped from the edge of her hair onto her shoulder.
Lu faltered, his eyes momentarily dazed. Then he cleared his throat and looked away.
"Stand closer."
"Huh?" Zhou blinked. "What did you say, Captain?"
Lu reached out and gently...