Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 487 Challenging the Garbage Mountain

Recycle station.

Faced with mountains of garbage and waves of pungent stench, Zhao, whose skin was already dark, turned even darker.

Forensic doctor Tursunjan quickly pulled out two masks, put one on himself, and handed the other to Captain Zhao standing beside him: "Captain Zhao, how about we call an excavator? It smells so bad, you're not planning on us having to dig it out by hand, are you?"

Team Leader Zhao, his face grim, pushed the mask back: "Use your brain! An excavator? Why don't you just get a bulldozer and flatten this whole place!"

Tursunjan didn't seem to care. He pulled out two more pairs of white gloves from his pocket and handed one pair to Captain Zhao: "Captain Zhao, I was just joking around to relax before work. Why are you taking it so seriously?"

Team Leader Zhao hesitated for a moment, but finally took it: "Take your time flipping through it. There's always hope. By the way, have you contacted the recycling station? They're not allowed to enter without our notification."

Tursunjan sighed: "He did talk about it, but the station chief is quite stubborn. He only gave us one night, saying that if we keep the recycling station sealed off tomorrow, he'll dump all the garbage into our office!"

Captain Zhao spat, threw away his cigarette butt, and stomped it out: "Who cares! Finding evidence is the priority!"

Earlier, after being alerted by Chen Shu, Team Leader Zhao immediately returned to the victim's home to inquire where the tape the suspect had tied to the boy's hands had been disposed of. After receiving the answer, he called Tursunjan, who was on duty at the team, and together they rushed to the scene. Unfortunately, the trash can where the boy had discarded the tape had already been cleaned up by sanitation workers.

Then they contacted the sanitation bureau, found the sanitation worker on duty, and followed the worker to the garbage recycling station.

Tursunjan jumped up and down to warm up, asking as he did so, "Captain Zhao, what's the matter with that murder case? Has the suspect been put online?"

"Going online" means that the police officers handling the case list a criminal suspect with conclusive evidence as a wanted person online, which is what the public usually calls an arrest warrant. However, the approval process for going online to pursue a fugitive is now very strict. There must be evidence that meets the requirements for the procuratorate to approve the arrest; otherwise, the legal staff within the public security bureau will block the process internally.

Captain Zhao was taken aback and suddenly remembered this matter. He realized that the evidence he had for the murder case was mainly based on subjective reasoning, and he had not yet found any key evidence that could lead to criminal detention or arrest. The case could only be delayed for a few days.

He steadied himself, not wanting to lose face in front of the new officers, so he made up an excuse: "The person has disappeared somewhere, and there's no way to find him right now. We can only put the case on hold for now, and we'll get the paperwork done online after Lao Wang and the others return to the station in a few days. Anyway, as long as this person is in the country, he can't escape!"

"Let's press it down a bit more?" Tursunjiang chuckled as he did the lunge and leg stretches. Remembering how Captain Zhao had always made fun of him for being a new recruit and knowing nothing, he immediately retorted, "Captain Zhao, you don't even know how to handle the paperwork for getting a suspect online, do you?"

"You talk too much! Get to work! It's getting dark soon, and once we find the tape, we'll have to go back tonight to collect fingerprints! Fingerprints! Tursunjan, this time you'd better make sure you get them right!" Captain Zhao kicked Tursunjan, successfully changing the subject.

"Row!"

Tursunjan shouted, straightened his crooked police hat, picked up the large basket at his feet, grabbed a hiking stick for climbing the garbage mountain in one hand and a cane in the other, and charged aggressively toward the massive garbage mountain.

Seeing that the new forensic doctor was working with great enthusiasm, Captain Zhao suppressed his myriad thoughts, slung the gong and drum over his shoulder, and quickly followed.

"I'm determined to solve this case! I didn't get the job as a detective captain through connections!"

In the vast Gobi Desert, behind a mud house lies a withered poplar forest.

Having not shaved for five days, Elke's beard and hair had grown long, and his once handsome face and well-built physique could only be described as thin, his energy and spirit were in a terrible state. However, he dared not complain at all, at least not outwardly.

His fellow villager, Xiliken, kept talking, and as he cleaned the sheepfold next to the mud house, he sighed, "Ugh, I really don't know what this guy is doing coming all this way! He's got everyone stuck here in this godforsaken place training every day, it's so annoying. I miss the girls and the wine of Yali Village!"

"Shh!" Elke put his index finger to his lips and glared at Xiliken. "Swallow these words! If that guy hears you, you'll be in big trouble!"

Silikon curled his lip, somewhat disdainfully.

This fool doesn't know Black Hawk's ruthlessness. Black Hawk is absolutely capable of making an example of someone. Thinking back to the first few days Black Hawk arrived in Nxjiang, when he had nothing better to do than carry a knife and bully a sheep trader and stab a motorcyclist to death, Elke felt a chill run down his spine.

After cleaning the sheepfold, Silik carried a live sheep to the kitchen in the west corner of the yard, and Elke followed him in, limping and carrying a long knife. The two began preparing dinner for everyone.

Silik pressed the sheep firmly onto a long bench. Elke stood in front of the bench, brandishing his long knife for a moment, before skillfully piercing the sheep's neck with the twenty or thirty-centimeter-long knife, cleanly and swiftly.

The sheep's blood gushed out like tap water.

Elke watched the blood gush down and muttered, "I wonder what it feels like to stab a living person in the neck."

"Huh? What did you say?"

Xiliken freed his left hand and grabbed a large basin from the side to catch the blood. The sheep was still struggling, but it didn't have much strength left. Soon, the basin was filled with sheep's blood.

Remembering the driver who had been stabbed to death by Black Hawk earlier, Elkeju gripped his long knife tightly, looking down at the flustered Silik, a hint of contempt rising in his heart.

Not long after, the two cooked the mutton and shoveled the rice, adding some onions and carrots, and the pot of pilaf was ready.

Silik carried the large pot full of pilaf, while Elke carried the basin of water for washing hands to the large house next door.

The day was over, and Black Hawk still looked down at the people inside. Six or seven people sat scattered below, all looking extremely tired.

Siliken first filled a plate with pilaf for Black Hawk, then went downstairs to plate the others one by one.

Elke limped over to Black Hawk and respectfully handed him a basin of water: "Mr. Black Hawk."

Black Hawk washed his hands and asked in a low voice, "Has the boy in the cellar been dealt with?"

The room had become somewhat lively because of the meal, but then fell silent again because of Black Hawk's casual remark, and everyone looked up at Elke.

Elke knew what Black Hawk meant by "deal with". Now, under everyone's gaze, he recalled what he had said to Xiliken in the yard earlier about making an example of someone, and he didn't expect it to happen to him so soon.

(End of this chapter)