Chapter 41: A Twist in the Case

What are you thinking?

Inside the patrol car, Guo Qiang glanced at Xiao Yu in the front passenger seat, his expression odd. “Don’t you think it’s like using a cannon to kill a mosquito?”

Sometimes, one person holds a definite place in another’s heart, ranked in layers.

For example.

Imagine suddenly discovering that Er Ma and Yi Wang intend to steal an electric bike to make a quick buck.

Wouldn’t that be hard to swallow?

That’s exactly how Guo Qiang feels now.

He believes that having Xiao Yu investigate a ‘corpse theft’ case is a gross waste of talent.

For someone used to big cases, suddenly digging into a petty one…

It’s practically a downgrade strike!

“I just happened to see something.”

Xiao Yu explained with a smile, “This case seems interesting enough to look into.”

Yet inside, he couldn’t help but joke: Who would have thought that a mere Earthling like me could be so formidable?

Do you all really think I’m that amazing? Why am I the last to know!

“This case isn’t easy to crack.”

Guo Qiang reminded him, “That case, which our precinct took over all those years ago, met with stiff resistance during the investigation.”

Resistance? What kind?

Xiao Yu squinted as his mind raced, and then the crucial thought struck him.

The Crematorium!

Being state-run—virtually a small state-owned enterprise, if you will.

A nationwide chain!

Anyone in the know understands that state enterprises are the hardest nut to crack.

Most investigators shy away from cases involving them.

Especially when the crematorium’s ‘revenue’ is something to behold.

Regular cremation fees and miscellaneous charges add up to just a few thousand.

But the upscale, luxury cremation can run into tens of thousands.

Annually, around eight million people in the country die naturally, with another three to four million from non-natural causes.

Since most of these bodies are cremated, imagine the staggering fiscal revenue generated!

“Hmm.”

Xiao Yu nodded, not taking it too seriously.

Guo Qiang said no more and drove off to the home of the person who had reported the case years ago.

They arrived at a nice residential community—a neighborhood where properties start at 20,000 per square meter.

“Building 21, Unit 3, Room 101?”

Xiao Yu pressed the intercom button.

After a moment, a woman’s voice came through, “Who are you looking for?”

“Hello, ma’am. We’re police.” Xiao Yu showed his badge.

“Is there something you need?” the woman asked, surprised.

“It’s about the case you reported years ago—about the stolen bones…” Xiao Yu explained.

The unit door swung open automatically.

Room 101 was on the ground floor. Entering the corridor, they saw an open entryway where a woman in her fifties stood with a rather stern expression.

With the case dragging on for over four years and no resolution in sight, the family’s heartache was evident.

“Mom, who’s there?”

As Xiao Yu and Guo Qiang reached the door, a young man appeared in their line of sight.

“Police,” the woman stated.

“What?”

The young man’s face grew cold as he glared at Xiao Yu and Guo Qiang. “What are you still doing here?”

“We’re here about the case concerning your father’s remains.”

Facing the original reporter of the case, Xiao Yu remained courteous, understanding the other party’s feelings.

Clearly, in the eyes of this mother and son, the police had lost some of their luster.

“Come in,” the young man said curtly.

The woman fetched slippers for the two officers.

Stepping into the main hall, Xiao Yu observed that this was indeed a well-off household.

Over a hundred square meters of space—without talking about the decor, it was easily worth over two million.

Once seated, the young man snapped, “I already explained everything back then and answered all your questions. After all these years with no breakthrough, why are you coming back now?”

“You’re not getting any younger. Surely you know that anger won’t solve anything,” Xiao Yu replied calmly.

The young man fell silent, then the woman asked, “After all these four years, is there still any hope?”

“There isn’t any case that can’t eventually be solved. We just haven’t found the right clue yet.”

With a serious expression, Xiao Yu declared, “Since I’ve taken on this case, I’ll do everything I can. But first, we need to trust and work with each other; otherwise, there’s no way to crack it.”

“Then what exactly do you need from us?” the young man demanded, fixing his gaze on Xiao Yu.

“First, I have a few questions I need you to answer.”

Xiao Yu stared intently at the young man. “Question one: Why did you swap your father’s urn?”

“Initially, the urn holding my father’s ashes was defective—the porcelain had cracks—so we replaced it with a better one.” the young man answered without hesitation.

“Question two.”

Xiao Yu pressed on, “Most people wouldn’t dare subject their own kin’s ashes to testing. What were you thinking at that time?”

“I studied medicine. Coincidentally, my teacher once explained the differences in density between human and animal bones, as well as how bones behave after cremation.”

The young man recounted, “When we first poured out my father’s ashes, I didn’t notice anything off. But soon after, I realized the ashes were unusually dark—the residue didn’t match what my teacher had described for human bones. I suspected something was wrong. With my mother’s consent, I took the ashes to school and consulted a lecturer for testing… The result? They turned out to be pig bones!”

Seeing the expression in the young man’s eyes, Xiao Yu finally confirmed his suspicions.

The young man had been completely truthful; there was no substitution of ashes.

With that revelation, the direction of the investigation was crystal clear.

The Crematorium!