Chapter 57: The Corpse Smuggling Operation
by xennovelTwo cars raced down the road, one in front of the other, with a traffic officer on a motorcycle clearing the path ahead.
Inside the car, Xiao Yu pressed hard on the pedal, his mind racing through case details.
The massive corpse smuggling case began six years ago.
It all started when a man approached Crematorium Manager Wang Fugu.
This man was introduced by a friend of Wang Fugu.
During their initial meetings, everyone just ate and drank together.
After getting familiar, the man mentioned a deal and asked Wang Fugu if he was interested.
Hearing that the deal involved corpses, Wang Fugu was taken aback.
Although he initially refused, the money offered was too enticing!
The offer was 500,000 for one transaction—a gesture of friendship?
Anyone with even a modicum of sense would recognize that 500,000 as a red flag.
The man explained that the 500,000 was just a meeting bonus.
From then on, every corpse would net him 100,000.
Tempted by money, Wang Fugu gave in.
Money really does move people!
At first, Wang Fugu and a handful of his employees only dared to steal one or two corpses at a time.
Gradually, the numbers increased to five, then ten corpses a day.
At the peak of their operation…
They swapped out all 24 corpses scheduled for cremation each day!
Worried about getting caught, he used his position to bribe most of his staff.
He forced the employees involved to sign affidavits, using videos and other evidence as leverage.
Then, he modified the cremation furnace, dug underground tunnels, used garages…
Over six years, the total number of corpses stolen became so vast that even Wang Fugu lost count.
And how were the bodies handled?
Each time, the counterpart would send a refrigerated truck—cash in one hand, corpse in the other—with very little direct contact between them.
Over six years, both sides grew so familiar that the other slyly mentioned it as smuggling.
Wang Fugu admitted he had no idea how much each body sold for overseas.
Two suspects soon came under police scrutiny.
Wang Hu, 37, a local from this city… a driver of refrigerated trucks.
Ge Jiyang, 36, using an alias and with an untraceable identity in the databases…
Wang Hu was the buyer who, through mutual friends, got connected with Wang Fugu back in the day.
However, the payments were handled by none other than Ge Jiyang.
National Security had their eyes on both Ge Jiyang and Wang Hu.
Yesterday, when Xiao Yu and his team came to investigate, Wang Fugu called to tip off Ge Xuyang and Wang Hu.
The plan was to have them haul away three corpses, leaving no evidence tying anyone to the crime.
What good is it if the police find something?
Without evidence, there’s nothing to nail them on!
Unbeknownst to all, Ge Xuyang and Wang Hu had already fled at the first hint of trouble.
They sensed the danger early and sold out to Wang Fugu, vanishing without a trace!
This only increased the difficulty for the police and National Security in making an arrest.
Fortunately, a tip-off hinted that Wang Hu might have been spotted at the port.
Bincheng is a coastal city and one of the most popular tourist destinations.
It is also a major cold-chain import-export hub with numerous ports…
By the time Xiao Yu and his team arrived at one of these ports, an hour had already passed.
Normally, if someone’s on the run for that long, they would have fled sooner, right?
No.
Their plan was to escape abroad via an ocean-going fishing boat.
But with National Security’s strict orders and a ban on vessel departures from the port, leaving wasn’t an option.
Only after a full investigation and inspection would the ships be allowed to depart…
When they reached the port, countless vessels and cargo ships were docked alongside.
Soon after, they boarded an ocean-going fishing boat.
On the deck, Xiao Yu and Wang Dong watched as four National Security agents searched the fishing boat.
Someone still made a run for it!
Even criminals have some wits about them.
Realizing that departures were banned at the port, they surely sensed something was off—waiting around was not an option if you wanted to avoid capture.
“Got something!
A National Security agent appeared before Xiao Yu and Wang Dong, lugging a very heavy suitcase.
The suitcase belonged to the suspect, Wang Hu, left behind during his escape.
When they opened it, everyone gasped.
The box was packed full of cash!
In two lifetimes, it was the first time Xiao Yu had ever seen so much money.
How much can a 24-inch suitcase really hold?
You wouldn’t believe it—it was between 5 to 6 million!
That kind of money just disappearing like that?
Xiao Yu furrowed his brow.
Was it because the heavy box made escaping difficult?
No.
A normal person, faced with such an enormous sum, would insist on taking it, no matter what.
Who has the guts to just leave behind 5 or 6 million?
Even with a net worth of tens of millions or hundreds of millions, hardly anyone would risk it like this.
If there really was that much money, surely there must be some secret bank accounts involved.
How could anyone possibly carry so much cash?
Xiao Yu crouched down.
Activating Wangdie’s Nose!
A person’s scent is unique and impossible to fake.
Moreover, the lingering intensity of a scent can reveal exactly when someone left.
This, however, is a skill most humans lack.
But the extraordinary Xiao Yu was far from ordinary.
Wang Hu’s scent was extremely strong, suggesting he had left only recently.
Noticing this, Xiao Yu’s eyes lit up as he scanned the area around the port.
Activating Falcon’s Eye!
There’s only one route in and out of the port. When they drove in, no vehicle left.
If Wang Hu was on the run, he had to be heading out to sea.
Or perhaps…
Xiao Yu looked from one ship to another, a sly smile playing on his lips.
How fast do you really think you can run?
…
PS: To our old friend ‘Wang Xun ob’—I don’t think I’ve ever removed your review!
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