Detective: From the Police Academy

Chapter 195 Murder under the Cliff
Early September.

The sun was hidden in thick clouds and the weather was hot and muggy.

The group's backs were covered in sweat and their breath was hot.

They braved the scorching heat and climbed up the hillside north of Shahe County, stepping on gravel.

This is a shortcut that allows you to quickly go up the mountain.

In fact, there is a road that winds down from the mountain.

This road is usually unused and is mainly used by large trucks and excavators to transport stones and gravel from the quarry.

However, the mine has been shut down due to over-logging.

The road was a dirt road, full of potholes, with weeds more than one meter high growing on both sides and in the middle.

Due to heavy rains in spring and summer, mudslides occurred, and a large area of ​​the road collapsed. It is blocked by gravel and sand and has not been cleared yet, so cars cannot go up at all.

After Li Nong led his men onto the road, he was already sweating profusely.

In addition to the seven police officers from Wuyuan Police Station, the county bureau's forensic doctor Han Jinli and trace investigator Miao Shouqiang were also dispatched.

The person who discovered the body was a herbalist from a nearby village. He was also the one who reported the case. He was an old man in his late sixties, his last name was Gu.

He was wearing a straw hat, a bamboo basket slung across his shoulder, and a sickle in his hand, standing in the shadow of the dirt road.

Behind him was a devastated quarry and a bare hundred-meter-high cliff, which looked like the bones of a giant with his flesh and blood stripped away, and was a heart-wrenching sight.

Especially in the hot summer, a mine that is a hundred meters deep is really like cutting open the belly of a wild beast and hollowing out its flesh and blood, which is shocking.

When Grandpa Gu saw the police coming up, he quickly took a few steps forward and said in dialect, "The man has been dead for a while, right in the innermost part."

He pointed his sickle into the depths of the quarry: "There's more than one person, there are two!"

Uncle Gu spoke directly without paying attention to who was the leader of the group of policemen. All policemen were the same anyway, so the person he was talking to was Zheng Rong.

Zheng Rong immediately asked: "How did you find out?"

Grandpa Gu said, "I went up the mountain to collect herbs in the early morning. When the sun came out, I wanted to go down the mountain. However, there are some stones that can be used at the quarry. I plan to look here to see if there are any suitable stones. I would like to use a car to bring them back and build a pigpen.

Who would have thought that when I walked to the innermost part, I would see two skeletons. "

"Bone?"

Li Nong's face was solemn. If it was just bones, then the person had been dead for a long time. And there were two sets of bones. This was a serious case.

He frowned and said, "Okay, please lead the way!"

Uncle Gu nodded, turned around and walked in, leading the way.

The group hurried to catch up because there were gravels everywhere and the soles of their feet hurt badly when they stepped on them.

Luo Rui supported Zheng Yuan, but was blocked by the latter.

"I climbed this mountain a lot when I was young, so you don't need to help me."

Zheng Rong's face also looked ugly. It was a murder case and the deceased had turned into bones but was not discovered until now. Anyone would be depressed.

There is a shallow pond at the innermost part of the quarry, which should be filled with rainwater when it rains.

Behind the shallow pool there was no longer gravel, but rather rubble of one-meter-square rocks piled together randomly.

Uncle Gu said he wanted to find stones to build a pigpen, so he should come here, but these stones are all in strange shapes and not many of them can be used.

Those that could be used had already been pulled down the mountain by the villagers.

This place is already under the cliff.

After going around the shallow pool, you can see rocks ten meters above the cliff, protruding outwards to form an eaves that protects against wind and rain.

And under the eaves, Luo Rui saw the two skeletons.

They are called white bones, but due to wind and sun, the bones have turned yellow, and wild grass is growing wildly around them, swaying in the wind.

If you stand far away, you won't be able to see them at all.

Although the quarry is located deep in the mountains, wild animals have never dared to approach because of the large number of humans and large machines active there in the past, so the corpse was fortunately preserved and not destroyed.

If it is eaten, what you see will not be a complete skeleton.

Seeing the scene in front of them, Fang Yonghui and Miao Shouqiang swallowed their saliva. They had just joined the police force, and although they had seen human bones in textbooks, seeing it with their own eyes was another matter.

Han Jinli, on the other hand, had a blank expression on her face. She and Miao Shouqiang began to dress up and prepared to enter the scene.

Li Nong put on shoe covers and walked into the scene. He squatted down and carefully examined the two skeletons.

Fang Yonghui gritted his teeth and wanted to step forward to learn, but was stopped by Han Jinli.

"Don't go yet. Let us investigate first."

At this time, Zheng Rong, Yang Bo and Peng Jie all looked at Luo Rui at the same time.

"No, why are you looking at me?"

Zheng Rong said: "Can you solve the case?"

Luo Rui blinked: "No, Master, do you think I am a god?"

"Your resume is so impressive, we will definitely ask you."

Luo Rui was speechless: "Master, we just got here."

Zheng Rong insisted, "You will definitely be able to figure it out!"

Luo Rui did not answer, but stretched his neck and looked at the scene.

After spending a large amount of money and studying for more than a year, Luo Rui is no longer the young man who analyzed crime scenes without any clue.

As his knowledge and experience accumulated, he became more awed by homicides and felt that calmness and composure, as well as solid evidence, were the keys to solving cases, rather than blindly relying on intuition and simple clues to infer the case.

The police from Wuyuan Police Station came to maintain the scene, but this place was sparsely populated and there was no need to maintain it at all.

Out of curiosity, everyone began to whisper and talk about it.

It was almost noon, the sun was high in the sky, and the weather was getting hotter, so the police found a shady place to rest.

Only the forensic doctor and trace investigator were busy in the shadow of the eaves.

Luo Rui stood on the periphery from beginning to end, without moving, staring at Han Jinli collecting the bones without blinking, while handing water to her and Miao Shouqiang.

I was busy until the afternoon and finally finished the work.

Han Jinli's face was covered in sweat. She stood up, exhaled, and looked at Li Nong.

She didn't say anything, and then looked at Luo Rui on the side.

There are confidentiality regulations for murder cases, and Han Jinli cannot report the preliminary investigation results in front of Luo Rui.

Luo Rui understood what she meant and had to walk away.

Zheng Rong, Yang Bo and Peng Jie sat on the rocks, with their collars open, fanning themselves with picked up branches.

Yang Bo took out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, gave one to Peng Jie, and they both started smoking.

Zheng Rong glanced at him with dissatisfaction, touched his trouser pocket, and found that the cigarette was gone.

He said viciously: "Yang Bo, if you want to take a vacation next week, give me back the cigarettes! Don't think I don't know that you stole my Hongtashan cigarettes!"

Yang Bo said helplessly: "Zheng, stop smoking. You have lung cancer. What's more important, life or cigarettes? When your retirement notice comes, go for chemotherapy immediately. Don't delay!"

Zheng Rong sighed, broke off a branch and put it in his mouth, then saw a group of people gathered around Li Nong, discussing the case.

Luo Rui sat on the stone next to Zheng Rong, but the stone was very hot, so he immediately raised his buttocks.

"Hey, kid, you really don't see anything?" Zheng Rong asked him.

Luo Rui wiped the sweat off his face with the back of his hand and said, "I can see a lot."

Hearing this, Yang Bo and Peng Jie hurried over and surrounded him.

Zheng Rong said: "Tell me about it?"

Luo Rui pondered and said, "Two skeletons, one male and one female. The male victim was between 22 and 25 years old, and the female was around 30 years old. There were no puncture wounds on the skeleton, and no scars were found on the skull."

Zheng Rong knew that the gender and age of the deceased could be roughly determined from the bones, but it required the use of sophisticated tools. Luo Rui was just watching from the outside, but he was able to determine the result so easily?
Zheng Rong and the other two opened their eyes wide.

While Yang Bo was stunned, Zheng Rong stole half of the cigarette from between his fingers, took a puff of it comfortably, and asked, "Luo Rui, how did you know that? Have you studied forensics?"

Luo Rui nodded, took the cigarette from Zheng Rong's hand and put it into Yang Bo's mouth.

"I studied forensic anthropology for a while. This is not a crime scene. These two people definitely did not fall from the cliff. The scene does not match the traces of falling off a cliff. The two dead bodies were either dumped by someone, or..."

Luo Rui didn't finish his words because he saw Li Nong walking towards him.

Li Nong had sharp hearing. Han Jinli had just reported what Luo Rui had just said, but her analysis of the age range of the deceased was wider and not as precise as Luo Rui's.

Especially for the female deceased, Han Jinli gave the age as between 25 and 30 years old, while Luo Rui directly gave 30 years old.

This is fucked up, thirty years old?

How did he figure it out?

Li Nong snatched the Zhonghua cigarette from Yang Bo, took a puff, and then returned it to him.

"Luo Rui, you just said this isn't the first crime scene? What's the basis for your judgment?"

Luo Rui said: "The deceased's clothes are gone, and only two skeletons are left. They couldn't have been taken away by wild animals, right? There are two possibilities. Either the bodies were dumped by someone, or two people ran here naked and died unfortunately."

Luo Rui pointed to where the bones were.

Li Nong raised his eyebrows. The deceased's clothes were missing, and everyone could see that. If the body was dumped, it would be plausible, otherwise there was no way to explain where the clothes went.

It is normal for a murderer to take off the clothes of the deceased and conceal his identity after killing him.

Li Nong also made the same inference, but Luo Rui was different. He gave two speculations. The two deceased ran here naked and died unfortunately?
This speculation is far-fetched and does not conform to objective conditions.

Zheng Rong also thought so, including Yang Bo and Peng Jie. They squinted their eyes and thought about this possibility.

After thinking for a while, no one was sure, so Li Nong asked, "Which line of reasoning do you prefer?"

"You really want me to say it?"

Li Nong nodded: "You can say whatever you want!"

"Okay." Luo Rui rolled his eyes: "I tend to favor the latter possibility, but the premise is the forensic doctor's judgment on the cause of death of the two deceased."

"Oh? What do you say?"

"Let's check the cause of death. If there are no obvious external injuries that led to the death, see if they have a history of drug abuse. If it is a murder case, the murderer would not leave the body exposed in the wild. Although this place is rarely visited, it is possible that it will be discovered.

If it was flour inhalation, it would explain why these two people were naked, took off their clothes in a trance, and did some overly intimate behaviors. And..."

Luo Rui raised his head and looked towards the cliff: "Maybe we can find traces of the deceased in this mountain."

Everyone followed his gaze and looked up at the jagged cliffs and the rolling mountains behind them.

Luo Rui's guess is based on facts. Shahe County is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces water on one side.

In addition to the villagers who go up the mountain to collect herbs, there are also poachers from other places and hikers who come here because of its reputation.

Two people died and their bodies were almost skeletons. The county bureau and police station have not received any reports of their disappearance, so there is a high possibility that these two people were from other places.

Li Nong agreed with and was surprised by Luo Rui's analysis.

No matter what Luo Rui's file was, he already understood that based on the other party's ability to save people and his analysis of the case at this moment, he was definitely not a rookie.

Li Nong looked at him deeply, then went to arrange people to search the mountain.

Zheng Rong snatched the cigarette from Yang Bo's hand, took a last puff, then put it out on the stone, wrapped the cigarette butt in a tissue and put it in his pocket.

"Let's go and search the mountain."

Yang Bo looked at Luo Rui blankly: "You weren't just guessing, were you?"

"If it's what I think, we should be able to find traces soon."

Under the organization of Li Nong, more than twenty people walked around the quarry and then prepared to search the mountain.

Because there were too few people, he called the county bureau and asked for additional personnel, but the mountains here were high and the forests were dense, and the roads were blocked, so cars could not get up at all.

Luo Rui found Uncle Gu and whispered a few words to him. Then Uncle Gu called the villagers at the foot of the mountain, and more than fifty villagers ran up the mountain in a mighty manner.

Among them were men, women, women and children.

Li Nong got a headache just by looking at this, but Luo Rui's eyes lit up. He touched the Zhonghua cigarettes in his pocket and walked into the crowd.

Li Nong, Zheng Rong and others looked at him strangely. Soon, Luo Rui finished smoking all the cigarettes in his hand.

He chatted with these people for a while, touched the heads of several children, then walked back and said, "Found it. In the middle of last year, a half-grown child found a tent and two backpacks in the mountains. The child saw that no one wanted them, so he took all the things home."

Li Nong touched his cheek and swallowed.

Zheng Rong laughed out loud. Searching the mountain was going to be hard work, with the scorching sun and the rugged mountain roads.

If we can't find any traces, we might still be wandering in the mountains late at night.

He didn't expect Luo Rui to get the job done so easily.

Luo Rui continued, "However, I just told them that those who provide information will be rewarded with two bags of rice and three barrels of oil. Captain Li, what do you think?"

Li Nong sighed: "Give it, you must give it!"

Then he asked, "There are tents and backpacks. So, these two people are really here for tourism?"

Luo Rui nodded: "I guess the scene was severely damaged. I don't know if we can extract any biological traces from the backpack and the tent."

But no matter what, the direction of the investigation should be correct. Next, we will wait for the forensic doctor to determine the cause of death of the deceased and then decide the nature of the case.

Li Nong led the team, using the child as a guide, to the place where the deceased had camped before his death.

The people from Wuyuan Police Station found that everything was fine, so they prepared to return to the police station.

Li Nong planned to invite Luo Rui to go into the mountains together, but Luo Rui refused.

On the way back, Zheng Rong asked him, "If it's not a murder case, you're not interested?"

Luo Rui turned around and looked at him: "Master, who said this is not a murder case?"

"Didn't you say that? You believed these two people overdosed on that stuff..."

Luo Rui shook his head: "The cause of death hasn't been revealed yet, so we can't be so absolute."

Zheng Rong was speechless for a moment. Luo Rui made confident guesses while maintaining a high level of skepticism. This level of calmness and logical thinking was indeed not something an ordinary criminal police officer could possess.

Yang Bo also admired him very much. He and Peng Jie not only admired Luo Rui, but also felt that they could not catch up with him.

Several people walked down the mountain together, chatting.

Luo Rui asked, "Are there many drug addicts in our county?"

Zheng Rong sighed: "In recent years, there has been a high incidence of cases, especially in those nightclubs and KTVs. The county bureau has conducted many secret visits, but has not caught any loose carriers."

"Who are the owners of the nightclubs and KTVs?"

"One is a foreign boss named Yan Yun, and the other one you have met..."

Luo Rui frowned and asked, "Gu Zhiliang?"

Zheng Rong shook his head: "It's Dai Baoyue, the female manager of Wuyuan Sand Mining Field."

Yang Bo interrupted: "It looks exactly like Gu Zhiliang's property."

Luo Rui narrowed his eyes slightly: "This Gu Zhiliang is not simple!"

Zheng Rong said angrily: "Everyone knows that he has a dirty background. If you say that Gu Zhiliang is involved in drugs, then it is really possible! This man is too bold. He is so powerful in Shahe County, but no one can find evidence of his crime. I hope that before I die, someone can bring him to justice!"

"That day will come!" Luo Rui muttered.

The next day, at daybreak, Luo Rui and Zheng Rong, who had just finished their morning meeting, sat on the metal bench outside the door as usual.

As long as nothing happens at the Wuyuan sand mining site, the police station is peaceful and quiet.

The murder that happened yesterday had nothing to do with the police station. Yang Bo and Peng Jie were still bragging and chatting as usual, going out for a patrol and taking care of the Dian horses in the carport.

This Dian horse has lived in the police station for a month and has become a member of the police station. It will nudge the shoulder of anyone who touches its head.

Luo Rui searched all the cigarettes in Zheng Rong's pocket. In order to make him quit smoking, Yang Bo and Peng Jie also smoked behind his back.

Zheng Rong was in the process of withdrawal. When he was free, he would hold a toothpick in his mouth and swallow his saliva uncontrollably.

The leisurely morning time was suddenly interrupted by a gust of sandstorm.

Li Nong's second-hand Mitsubishi SUV drove directly into the yard, raising a large cloud of dust.

Zheng Rong whispered to Luo Rui, "Believe it or not, if you continue to stay in our institute, this guy will come here every day."

Luo Rui smacked his lips and said nothing. He stood up and walked forward.

Li Nong ran up the stairs again and said, "Luo Rui, I am officially informing you that you will be seconded to the County Criminal Police Brigade for a long term."

"I'm going to find your director right now. Wait for him to sign and stamp, and then you can come with me."

Luo Rui sighed and shook his head: "Captain Li, I don't agree."

Li Nong opened his eyes wide: "Why? Such a good opportunity! What are you thinking? Are you really hiding something from me? The county bureau has not been able to access your file until now, and your skills and ability to solve cases are obviously not that of a rookie!

I've been a criminal policeman all my life, but I still don't know what a criminal policeman is like? Luo Rui, you are definitely not an ordinary person!

So, tell me now, who are you?"

After saying this, he looked at Zheng Rong, who had a serious expression. He looked at Yang Bo and Peng Jie, who also had serious expressions on their faces.

Li Nong knew Zheng Rong very well. He was well-known for being protective of his disciples, especially his own apprentices, whom he treated almost like his own sons.

Zheng Rong didn't say a word about what he just said.

Li Nong understood immediately and asked loudly, "Old Zheng, Chief Zheng, do you know Luo Rui's identity? And you, this who, Yang Bo and Peng Jie, you two little brats, yesterday morning, I asked Luo Rui to learn how to handle cases, and you were the ones who laughed at me, right?"

Yang Bo quickly waved his hands: "No, I didn't laugh! Peng Jie, have you ever laughed?"

Peng Jie shook his head: "I'm not laughing. Yang Bo is the Captain Li you're laughing at, right?"

"Don't talk nonsense, I didn't, I'm not!"

Li Nong gritted his teeth and looked at Zheng Rong.

Zheng Rong shrugged, pursed his lips, and looked innocent.

Luo Rui asked at this time: "Captain Li, have you found the cause of death of the victim?"

Li Nong did not answer, but stared at him: "Tell me first, do you agree to the secondment?"

Luo Rui took two steps and answered solemnly: "I'd better be a local police officer first."

Li Nong was like a defeated rooster, his spirit suddenly weakened.

"good very good!"

He said this, ran down the steps and got into the car.

Fang Yonghui looked at him: "Captain Li, how is it?"

"Go back to the county bureau! Oh, and step on the accelerator a little harder to throw out all the sand on the tires!"

Fang Yonghui smacked his lips, turned the car in a direction and drove out of the police station.

Zheng Rong saw the dust rising, coughed twice, and scolded Luo Rui with a smile: "You are also a stubborn person. What are you doing staying in our small temple? Captain Li invited you twice, but you refused both times. I don't know what you are thinking. Look at Yang Bo and Peng Jie. They have worked hard for so many years, but they are still local police officers. They don't even have the opportunity to go to the county bureau."

Yang Bo put his hands in his pockets and walked forward.

"By the way, Captain Li came in such a hurry, is there something new in the case?"

Peng Jie also joined in the fun: "I think Luo Rui's speculation yesterday might have been all correct."

"Perhaps yesterday's case might be more difficult."

Zheng Rong looked at Luo Rui: "What do you mean? It's not really a murder case, is it?"

"Who knows?" Luo Rui shrugged and looked at the three people: "I have nothing to do after get off work. Let's find a place and I'll treat you to a drink."

Yang Bo smiled and said, "That's great! You've been here for so long, but we haven't expressed our feelings yet."

Peng Jie also smiled and said, "That's right. I've been smoking your good cigarettes for so long that I'm not used to smoking Hongtashan. Yang Bo and I will treat you and Zheng Suo to a drink."

Luo Rui waved his hand to refuse: "Let me treat you. I have more money than you."

Zheng Rong taunted, "How much money do you have? I can't always take advantage of you. Master, I'll be the one to pay for it!"

Luo Rui said absentmindedly: "Not much, just a few hundred million. By the way, let's go to the KTV owned by Dai Baoyue tonight."

Hearing this, Zheng Rong and Yang Bo looked at each other.

They didn't care about Luo Rui's last sentence. They cared about the few hundred million...

Thanks to Andy for the reward,
Thank you all readers for your monthly votes!

It’s the end of the month, thank you!

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(End of this chapter)