Chapter 18 Autopsy Report

Bai Xiao slept restlessly. In his daze, he found himself in a dim and quiet corridor.

The corridor stretches straight ahead, seemingly without end.

He took a careful step, but felt a sticky sensation on the floor. Looking down, he saw a long trail of blood winding forward.

It extends into the endless depths of darkness.

Bai Xiao followed the trail of blood for an unknown amount of time, each step feeling heavy and slow, as if he were stepping on his own heartbeat.

Finally, he arrived at a large door.

The deep sound of a bell seeped through the crack in the door.

Bai Xiao's hands began to tremble slightly.

Gently push open the door.

Inside the door was an abandoned church with mottled walls, dilapidated pewter benches leaning precariously, and a cross hanging from the ceiling, covered with candles, the red flames flickering in the wind.

Beneath the cross was a little girl, covered in blood, kneeling on the ground in a bizarre posture, like a sinner being judged.

A figure stood directly above.

The man was shrouded in a black mist and held a Bible in his hand, seemingly reading out the girl's sins.

"What crime could she, a seven-year-old child, have committed?"

A hoarse roar came from the white owl's throat.

He suddenly sat up in bed, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his chest heaving violently, as if someone had put a plastic bag over his head, making it impossible for him to breathe.

The room was quiet.

The sky outside the window was already beginning to lighten. Bai Xiao reached for his phone on the pillow, turned on the screen, and saw a picture of a little girl on the wallpaper.

Bai Xiao stared at the screen, remaining motionless for a long time.

After a long pause, his fingertips trembled as he dialed the phone.

The call was answered quickly.

Bai Xiao immediately asked, "Weiwei, has the autopsy report come out yet?"

A cold, emotionless female voice came through the phone: "It's out. I'll go to the detachment to deliver some samples first, and then bring them to you later."

"No need, I'll come and get it right away."

Hang up the phone.

Bai Xiao hurriedly dressed, not even bothering to wash up, rushed downstairs, and drove away.

Two hours later.

Criminal Investigation Detachment of Jiangcheng Public Security Bureau.

Bai Xiao had just received the preliminary autopsy report from the forensic department when he immediately convened an emergency case meeting.

"The deceased's name is Lu Yao, female. Preliminary examination revealed a large amount of neurotoxins in her body. The time of death was around 2 a.m. yesterday."

Bai Xiao turned on the projector, switched the screen, and displayed a photo of the deceased when he was found: "After data comparison, this neurotoxin is called the banded krait. This snake has very thin and short teeth. When bitten, you will not feel obvious pain and will only want to sleep. Therefore, many people call it euthanasia. Within two hours after the bite, the toxin spreads throughout the body, and the body will lose consciousness, unable to speak, until death."

"Are there any other wounds on your body?" The middle-aged man sitting next to me suddenly asked. He was Yuan Jianhua, the deputy director and captain of the Jiangcheng Public Security Bureau.

"Aside from the snake bite wound, no other wounds were found. All indications suggest that this was indeed an accident. However, our on-site investigation revealed no evidence of snakes being kept in the deceased's home, meaning that the deceased was bitten on his way home. What's strange is that the deceased did not go to the hospital immediately but instead chose to go home, which is illogical and does not conform to common sense."

"So you don't think this was an accident?" Yuan Jianhua said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, the entire office fell into an eerie silence. If it wasn't an accident, then it was premeditated murder, which would have serious implications.

According to the usual practice of the public security system, murder cases must be solved.

If a murder case is discovered and remains unsolved, the person in charge is likely to be reassigned, and a negative mark will be added to their personnel file, affecting their future promotions. Therefore, the police attach great importance to murder cases.

"I'm not entirely sure," Bai Xiao replied cautiously. "Because we can't rule out low-probability events, such as the victim lacking basic safety knowledge, or her intention to commit suicide using the venom of the silver-ringed snake. These situations are also possible."

Yuan Jianhua paused for a moment, then looked around at everyone present: "What are your thoughts? Feel free to speak your mind."

At this moment, the young man opposite stood up and said, "I agree with Master's point of view. There are indeed many things that do not make sense. Logically speaking, snakes are afraid of people. Generally speaking, as long as you don't provoke them, they will not attack people. Moreover, the banded krait is generally distributed south of the Yangtze River and rarely roams to other areas. Even if you unfortunately encounter one, the victim has plenty of time to go to the hospital for treatment."

“Unless…” the young man thought for a moment and said, “Unless the murderer restricts the victim’s ability to move and prevents her from saving herself, such as by tying her up or drugging her.”

“That’s right, that’s what I thought at first too.” Bai Xiao nodded and said, “But we couldn’t find any extra skin flakes, fingerprints, or even signs of a struggle on the victim’s body. How did the killer manage to restrict the victim’s ability to move? I’ve considered countless possibilities in my mind. No matter which possibility it is, it will leave evidence.”

"So you're not sure this time either?" Yuan Jianhua asked, somewhat surprised.

He knew Bai Xiao's abilities; he had solved many major cases, especially in recent years. Many of the police force's unsolved cases were solved by Bai Xiao, and he was awarded the honorary titles of one of the city's top ten case-handling experts and a model detective in solving cases.

He is a top detective in the industry. If even he can't figure something out, then it must be really tricky.

Bai Xiao said, "From the current perspective, the only thing I can be sure of is that the victim did not commit suicide."

Have you checked the surveillance footage?

Bai Xiao nodded: "The deceased's apartment complex is a high-end community with a full range of surveillance cameras in every household, covering everything from the entrance to the green belt, and then to the elevator and fire escape. It's almost like a comprehensive, no-blind-spot coverage, but no suspicious persons were found."

What about social relationships?

"According to our investigation, the deceased was a volunteer at a stray cat rescue station and also a well-known female internet celebrity with a wide social circle. I plan to screen the people she has been in contact with recently to see if anyone has behaved abnormally or has not appeared for several days."

"You mean it was someone you knew who committed the crime?"

Yuan Jianhua was extremely surprised.

He naturally understood what the other party meant, after all, there had been similar cases in China, such as female internet celebrities engaging in ambiguous relationships online, only to be brutally murdered by their boyfriends after being discovered.

However, these are all crimes of passion, impulsive killings, and the methods are very crude. The murder weapons are often knives or sticks, so they are not difficult to investigate. Once they are in the police station, they will basically confess honestly.

Bai Xiao nodded: "I can't guarantee it, but it's very likely."

Yuan Jianhua pondered for a moment and then instructed, "Since that's the case, you'll be in charge of it. Go ahead and investigate. I trust your abilities. Remember, you must live up to those eight words on the wall."

"Don't worry, Director Yuan, I will do my utmost to solve the case!" Bai Xiao immediately stood up straight, making his stance clear.

Yuan Jianhua patted him on the shoulder, nodded in satisfaction, and then turned and left the conference hall.

After Yuan Jianhua walked away, the young man stood up and came to Bai Xiao's side, sighing and saying, "Master, you've really made a solemn promise this time."

“It’s not me, it’s us,” Bai Xiao corrected.

The young man rolled his eyes at him: "Master, everyone else treats their disciples like precious sons, but you, you keep pushing your disciples into a fire pit."

Bai Xiao said with a smile, "Didn't you always complain that I didn't teach you anything? Well, here's your chance. Cheer up, there's a tough battle ahead."

"Hehe..." The young man forced a smile at him, a weak and bitter smile.

Bai Xiao didn't pay any attention, buried himself in organizing the documents in his hands, then turned off all the lights in the conference room, and finally glanced at the eight bright red characters on the wall—"Upholding justice and enforcing the law impartially."