Chapter 212: Shadows of Secrecy

Chapter 212: Two Cases of Special Edition Cigarettes

Deng Hua: Family visit passport; living abroad… Alright, I got it.

Wang Dong’s voice came through the phone, “What case is this time?”

Xiao Yu relayed the case details.

“Phew!”

Wang Dong exhaled in relief over the phone, “It’s that kind of case. Now I can relax. Honestly, little brother, you sure know how to stir up trouble. I’m really worried you’ll get entangled in yet another…special case, and then we’ll have to meet again.”

Ha… Xiao Yu’s expression grew rather odd.

He thought, Why do you always speak so bluntly, Big Boss? What if it ends up awkward?

Recalling that twenty-day deadline, a twitch escaped the corner of his mouth.

“No kidding—National Security might actually show up!”

“By the way, I’ve sent the cigarettes over.”

Wang Dong continued, “They should have reached your Criminal Investigation Team by now. Don’t forget to check.”

“Huh?” Xiao Yu paused in surprise.

Even if they’re special edition, isn’t such extra caution a bit much?

Ending the call, he returned to the Criminal Investigation Team.

In the end…

He noticed a police car with Capital City plates parked in the team’s yard.

He also saw two of Wang Dong’s subordinates—members of the Second Unit.

“Boss, good day!”

The two Second Unit members quickly nodded and greeted him as they approached.

Just as Xiao Yu in the Criminal Investigation Team called Zhao Changshan “Boss” and Zhou Tinghu “Boss”…

Wang Dong was their superior, and recently, having grown close with the Second Unit, Xiao Yu

had become the Second Unit’s… boss!

How had that happened?

After so many collaborations, even Wang Dong ended up following Xiao Yu’s lead.

None of them were fools—Big Boss and Little King were still easily distinguishable.

“Thanks for the trouble. Sending over a pack of cigarettes and making you run around like that,” he remarked.

Xiao Yu laughed and shook hands with the two, not minding their unconventional titles.

For his own safety, he’d never go to National Security. Who do they think I am, ready to be their boss?

Dream on!

Capital City’s security personnel soon arrived, and Zhao Changshan and Zhou Tinghu personally greeted them.

However, while they smiled and nodded perfunctorily at the newcomers, with Xiao Yu they were genuinely cordial.

Anyone with eyes could tell.

After unloading the two cases of special edition cigarettes, both Zhao Changshan and Zhou Tinghu gasped in shock.

They knew such items were strictly regulated—a set quota was assigned monthly for those of a certain rank.

Not to mention, someone of Wang Dong’s stature would only receive a few packs each month.

Zhao Changshan and Zhou Tinghu exchanged looks, their faces reflecting both horror and disbelief.

It was utterly terrifying!

And Xiao Yu finally realized: why else would there be a special delivery for cigarettes?

First, because of the item’s unique nature; second, the quantity was excessive—approved specifically by Big Boss.

Losing them could spark a major incident.

No joke!

“Let’s grab a meal and take a day off,” someone suggested.

Xiao Yu, having received the cigarettes, laughed as he replied,

“No, I’ve got work to do.”

The two team members shook their heads, exchanged brief pleasantries, then boarded their car and left.

Turning around, Xiao Yu noticed that the faces of Big Boss and his ‘boss’ weren’t quite right.

Behind the team’s windows, a crowd had gathered.

“Look at that—if Boss and the other one get one each, and everyone else gets a pack, there’s no way to divvy them up evenly!”

Xiao Yu felt as generous as a fool.

Two cases with a hundred packs in total—dividing them would leave just ten each, and the remainder was plenty for his own smoking.

They were all family, so he didn’t fuss much about it…

While awaiting further updates from Wang Dong, Xiao Yu set off with Guo Qiang to the scene where the abandoned corpse lay.

Investigating overseas matters takes time, and Wang Dong would notify him when there was news.

Xiao Yu was curious. If the suspect, Yu Shaoyang, truly committed murder and abandoned the body,

then how did a human corpse end up as a dog’s?

…

It’s common knowledge that there are few mountains in a city.

Mountains are mostly found on the outskirts.

According to Yu Shaoyang’s confession, he used a taxi to transport the body to a place called ‘Da Gu Mountain.’

Xiao Yu arrived at the scene and stepped inside the secured perimeter.

Once he crouched beside an earthen pit, he began his investigation.

He had already reviewed the suitcase and the report regarding the dog corpse—strange, yet it didn’t raise obvious suspicions.

If there were clues, they would have to be uncovered on site.

“Are there signs that the earth was dug up a second time?”

Xiao Yu stared at the pit and casually asked.

“None at all; it was all formed in one go,” came the response.

Guo Qiang, smirking as he puffed on a Special Edition Cigarette,

chimed, “Second digging? What do you mean by one-formed?”

Such details are well understood in criminal investigations.

For instance, when a body is disposed of, a pit is dug and then filled—a procedure known as ‘one-formed.’

But if the pit has been re-dug, the soil’s texture, moisture, and color will subtly differ from the surrounding earth.

Even after three years, a careful inspection can reveal the change.

Suppose someone actually replaced a human corpse with a dog’s.

That would require digging and reburial a second time.

The soil in the new location would be noticeably different.

That’s what they call ‘second digging.’

It’s common knowledge in criminal investigations…

“Hmph!”

Standing up, Xiao Yu glanced at the surrounding mountains and forests. “So, the first abandoned corpse could only have been a dog’s. It just can’t be human, right?”

“That’s the only possibility,” Guo Qiang, the veteran detective, affirmed with a nod.

“Assuming Yu Shaoyang really killed, dismembered, and abandoned the body…”

Xiao Yu smiled. “Then is it possible that the process was tampered with?”

“A normal person, after committing murder, wouldn’t lose sight of the act of disposing the body, would they?”

Guo Qiang considered this and shook his head. “After a murder, dismemberment must be done in secret; there’d rarely be witnesses. The chance of someone swapping the body is slim.”

“Remember Yu Shaoyang’s statement about the suitcase during his 240th confession?”

Taking out a cigarette box, Xiao Yu lit one. “To hide the corpse, he once went out to buy a suitcase… Is it possible that someone had been tailing him, purchased an identical one, and then swapped the corpse after he was done?”

“This…”

Guo Qiang was baffled, clearly in shock. “How could that be?”

“Why not?”

Exhaling a perfect smoke ring, Xiao Yu squinted. “Fifty-three surveillance cameras!”

Guo Qiang’s heart skipped a beat.

Exactly.

After all, Yu Shaoyang’s entire criminal act was recorded by cameras.

Could someone have been watching his every move, waiting for the right moment to swap the body?

Otherwise, why would Yu Shaoyang be so adamant about claiming he killed and abandoned a corpse?

But still…

“There’s one more issue,” Xiao Yu stated.

Frowning, he continued, “If Yu Shaoyang truly killed and someone swapped the corpse, what was that person trying to achieve? Are they insane? Getting involved in a murder case and stealing a body without any reason?”

Guo Qiang was utterly dumbfounded.

“Yeah, are you out of your mind?”

If he wasn’t insane, then what was his motive?

“It seems the key still lies with Yu Shaoyang,”

Xiao Yu discarded his cigarette butt and headed down the mountain. “There must be some secret linked to him…”