Chapter 19: Disappearing Companions (VI)
Ye Bai carefully checked the items in the backpack and found that in addition to cash and a mobile phone, there were four unopened packs of cigarettes, a lighter, a pack of tissues and a pack of betel nuts. The dates showed that these items were all new.
The cigarettes and other items in this backpack had passed through the hands of Zhong Menhuai and Xiao Lu, but now it is impossible to confirm whether it originally belonged to the deceased or their cousins.
Since Xiao Lu had been refusing to cooperate, Han Jianye could only assign personnel to go to the area around his dormitory to retrieve surveillance videos.
They started to reversely track the surveillance video with Baitao Community as the center and expanded outward within a radius of 5 kilometers.
Ye Bai pondered for a moment and said, "That money should have been raised by Zhong Menhuai in order to escape. I suspect he may have met with an accident."
This sentence made everyone present fall silent, because they found this situation unbelievable. How could Huang Ziyuan and Zhong Menhuai disappear one after another?
Their previous speculation was that Huang Ziyuan and Zhong Menhuai went to Baiyun Mountain, two went and one came back, the money in Huang Ziyuan's bank card was taken away by Zhong Menhuai, and Huang Ziyuan might have been killed.
The current situation is that Zhong Menhuai went to find Xiao Lu alone, and the backpack that Zhong Menhuai carried in the bank appeared on Xiao Lu, but Zhong Menhuai himself disappeared.
This greatly increases the complexity of the entire incident.
Han Jianye put out the cigarette in his hand, frowning: "It's really one thing after another."
But no matter what, two living people would not disappear for no reason.
Despite the confusing situation, they had to continue searching and split into two groups: one group went to Baiyun Mountain, and the other stayed in Baitao Community to check the surveillance video.
Zhu Ni led Su Wan, Liao Wei and other team members to Baiyun Mountain. They used drones to conduct aerial reconnaissance in the mountains and collected a lot of video footage.
Liao Wei seemed a little anxious and made a suggestion: "We can only see the surface phenomenon through the video. Do you want to lead the police dog down the mountain to search?"
Zhu Ni hesitated for a moment and responded, "If a corpse is exposed outdoors for a long time, especially in the summer, bacteria will quickly decompose the corpse, and it may turn into bones within a month."
"That's true." Su Wan nodded in agreement. "This doesn't even take into account the possibility of animals eating the body. If the body is eaten by animals, the bones may be scattered everywhere."
…
Han Jianye had been watching surveillance videos for a whole day, and after handing over the goods to someone, he was so tired that he lay down on the sofa and prepared to rest his eyes.
Ye Bai was just about to go get a glass of water when his eyes inadvertently fell on Han Jianye who was sitting on the sofa. He saw that he was rubbing his eyes gently and was obviously very sleepy.
Ye Bai walked up to Han Jianye and reminded him softly, "Captain Han, you haven't taken your vitamin tablets yet. Do you want to take them before going to bed?"
This sentence was like a gentle breeze that stopped Han Jianye's movements abruptly. His eyes suddenly opened and he looked at Ye Bai sharply.
The two people's eyes met in the air, and for a moment, the air around them seemed to freeze.
The portable medicine box in Ye Bai's hand became the focus of this moment.
This simple action unexpectedly triggered Han Jianye's memory and reminded him of a scene: "Da Lang, get up and take medicine quickly."
"Ye Bai, are you okay?"
Ye Bai was stunned after hearing this, and his face looked a little embarrassed.
Han Jianye spoke again, "I don't want to eat. I'm in good health."
(′_).…
Ye Bai didn't answer.
Han Jianye thought he had figured it out and would never remind him to take vitamin tablets again.
Unexpectedly, Ye Bai added: "Then we'll eat it tonight."
( )! ?
Han Jianye thought that Ye Bai might have been a donkey in his previous life.
Ye Bai’s idea was actually very simple. He believed that since he took vitamin tablets every day, he should stick to it and not give up halfway.
He wanted to say something else, but Han Jianye could already hear his deep breathing in his sleep.
Ye Bai sighed softly, thinking that since Han Jianye didn't want to eat, then forget it, he didn't want to make himself unhappy.
Anyway, there are still more than two months left, and he believes that Captain Yan will definitely find a way to transfer him back.
Thinking of this, he decisively turned around and left to continue checking the surveillance video.
Zhong Menhuai went to see Xiao Lu on May 15th. Xiao Lu's roommate mentioned that he left after staying for a week, which was on the 21st.
Ye Bai and other colleagues were staring intently at the large screen on the wall. The surveillance video on the display was very clear.
He leaned back against the table, crossed his arms over his chest, and watched intently.
Since the storage space of some street-side surveillance cameras can only save 7 days of data, they focused their main clues on the street in front of the Baitao community because they would definitely use transportation when leaving the community.
Just then, Han Jianye's cell phone suddenly rang. He immediately opened his eyes and sat up. The call was from Su Wan.
"Captain Han, we have made a new discovery in Baiyun Mountain."
Han Jianye stood up quickly, with a hint of excitement in his voice, "Did you find Huang Ziyuan?"
"It was a body hanging on a tree trunk at the foot of the mountain. We are still unsure whether it is Huang Ziyuan, but judging by the clothes the body was wearing, they looked very similar to the clothes Huang Ziyuan was wearing when he left the hotel."
These words made Han Jianye more certain of his speculation. He had previously speculated that Huang Ziyuan might have been pushed down the mountain by Zhong Menhuai. If the body was really Huang Ziyuan, then his speculation would be confirmed.
Ye Bai also wanted to go with Han Jianye, but he was left behind to watch the surveillance.
He just needs to follow the forensic team to Baiyun Mountain alone.
I heard that the body was photographed by a drone. Although the mountain is steep, it is not difficult to walk down. However, the possibility of survival after falling from such a high cliff is almost zero.
The deceased's abdominal cavity was pierced by a dry branch and he was hanging on the tree, with his head and limbs hanging limply. The soft tissue had liquefied, leaving only bones.
Fortunately, the tree where the deceased was hung was not high, and they found a way to slowly lower the skeletonized body.
In the summer woods, mosquitoes are extremely active, and the air at the foot of the mountain seems to be frozen, hot and unbearable.
Soon after they arrived, sweat began to pour out of their skin like mushrooms after rain, soaking their clothes.
Liao Wei's condition was particularly serious. His neck was covered with red and swollen lumps left by mosquito bites, which looked quite exaggerated.
Despite this, they cannot leave and must stay at the scene and continue searching for any suspicious items that may be related to the deceased.
This task is both a responsibility and a challenge for them.