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"I don't think there's any need to investigate. It's definitely not him. I really don't know what's wrong with him!" Fang Lei crossed her arms angrily. Even when she was slightly angry, she was still so beautiful. It seems that what some people call the equality of all people is just a way to fool the masses.

"But the thing is, he makes a lot of sense in some aspects." Li Yang sighed. He was just like Fang Lei, not believing anything that Ren Gang said.

"Don't you think he's too organized and too prepared? It's like he prepared a speech beforehand on how to deal with your police questions." I glanced sideways, secretly admiring Fang Lei's stunning face. To be slacking off at work, she really has no professional ethics!

“The problem is…” Li Yang emphasized, “the higher-ups really want to just close the case like this.”

"What?" My gaze immediately shifted from Fang Lei to Li Yang. "Have the higher-ups lost their minds? Putting everything else aside, my autopsy report just won't pass! Are they afraid that some things going on outside are going to be detrimental to them, so they're just looking for a scapegoat?!" Although people outside are saying that the police are incompetent and incapable of handling cases, they shouldn't be this impatient. They can't even handle a little bit of criticism!

"I can't say for sure, but the higher-ups' intentions are very clear. They're already preparing to hold a press conference to disclose the details of the case and shut people up." Li Yang rubbed his temples. For a junior criminal police officer who had just graduated, the words of his superiors were orders, and he couldn't change them.

I was a little angry. I didn't know what the higher-ups were thinking. Did they really want this case to start and end inexplicably? I couldn't help but think of Li Yang's superior, Chen Kai. When did this veteran detective, who was known as Bao Zheng, learn to find scapegoats? Was he just getting old and his eyesight was failing?

"Xiao Xiao, come here for a second." Sure enough, speak of the devil and he appears! Chen Kai was already standing at the door, beckoning me. I glanced at Li Yang, but that kid gave me a look that I had no idea what he meant.

"I'm here." I put down my cup and walked out of the office.

Stepping into Chen Kai's office, I noticed his exhaustion. His once bright eyes were now deeply sunken, his dark circles were prominent, and his full beard made him look much older. I imagined he hadn't had a good time these past few days. After all, maintaining the reputation of Bao Zheng (a legendary upright official) is indeed a demanding and exhausting task!

"What's up? Why did you call me?" I asked first.

"That's right, Xiao Xiao. The higher-ups are taking the recent murder cases very seriously and want us to solve them as soon as possible."

"Oh!" I replied softly, curious to see how much preamble he would take before revealing his main point.

“You did a great job. Old Cao has already reported it to me.”

"That's because Lao Cao taught me well." I laughed it off with him.

"Yes!" Chen Kai looked helpless, his eyes filled with sadness. He probably didn't know how to bring it up. He was a straightforward person and not good at beating around the bush, so he immediately revealed his intentions. "I think these cases are very important, so it would be better if the experienced Lao Cao took over. After all, he's the head of our team!"

"Oh!" I replied with a nonchalant "oh." I knew you'd say that the moment I stepped into your office. Hypocrisy, the original sin no one can escape. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going now." I didn't want to face him anymore and prepared to slip away.

"Xiao Xiao!" Chen Kai called out to me, his face full of earnestness, "Sometimes, there are things we just can't do!"

"I know, Captain Chen, you've had a tough time too." I didn't want to argue with him, and I guessed he was just following orders.

As I turned to close the door, I saw Chen Kai quietly turn his head away from me, and a feeling of a hero's decline immediately welled up in my heart. At that moment, I finally understood why Xiang Yu would rather die than cross the river. As a hero, one can only be powerful for a time, not forever.

Book One: The Three Ghosts of the City, Chapter Eleven: The Altered Autopsy Report

Book One: The Three Ghosts of the City, Chapter Eleven: The Altered Autopsy Report

After leaving Chen Kai's office, I didn't go back to my own office immediately. Instead, I went to the interrogation room. As I stood at the door, I ran into Li Yang who was coming towards me.

"What did the captain say to you?" Li Yang asked.

"It's nothing, I just hope you can handle the case with Lao Cao." I peeked through the slightly ajar door and saw a middle-aged man sitting opposite several policemen. His gray hair and wrinkled hands revealed the hardships life had brought him. This must be Ren Gang. Being a taxi driver isn't an easy job, and he also has a wife who needs huge medical expenses and a daughter who just graduated.

"Really? We're really in the same boat!" Li Yang patted my shoulder, looking helpless.

"What, you've been removed from your post too?" I looked at Li Yang. It seemed that the higher-ups were determined to close this case this time, otherwise they wouldn't have demoted the people who initially took over the case.

"Yeah, what a fucking bad luck." Li Yang muttered, and without even knocking, he pushed the door open and walked into the interrogation room.

"Xiao Wang, here, the case file." Li Yang tossed a stack of documents to one of the policemen, speaking irritably. It's understandable; anyone would be furious if a case they were originally assigned to was suddenly transferred to someone else. It felt as humiliating as having your girlfriend stolen.

"Alright, Xiao Li, be a little nicer. Isn't it great that the captain is giving you a long vacation? Haven't you been asking for a vacation for a while now?" Xiao Wang comforted him.

"Ha, yes, I couldn't be happier!" Li Yang turned to Ren Gang and said slowly, "I really don't know what some people are thinking?"

A flicker of panic flashed in Ren Gang's eyes, but it disappeared in an instant. His expression was noticed by Li Yang and me as we entered the interrogation room. Because Li Yang and I were standing between Ren Gang and Xiao Wang, we created a visual obstruction for them, so I don't think they saw it.

"Let's go, Li Yang." I grabbed Li Yang and dragged him outside. This wasn't the time to act on emotion. Li Yang was a loyal, warm-hearted, and righteous man, but that was precisely his downfall; being too emotional wasn't a good thing. He was always very dedicated and serious when handling cases because he believed that justice could never triumph over evil. Every victim felt like family to him, and he deeply hated the murderer. Compared to Li Yang, I was perhaps calmer and more rational. As a professional, I preferred to view victims and murderers from a forensic perspective. To me, the victim was the object of my forensic examinations, while the murderer was merely the creator of that object. Sometimes, I even thought that murderers were essentially the same as the specimen manufacturers I used in university classes—the only difference being that one operated legally and the other illegally. Was that cold-blooded or lacking in humanitarianism? I've asked myself this more than once: every autopsy is just a routine scientific examination. What I care about isn't the truth of the case, but merely the mystery surrounding the corpse itself. But precisely because of this, my university advisor once said that, in a certain sense, I was very suitable to be a forensic doctor in this class.

After finally managing to drag Li Yang out of the interrogation room and into a relatively secluded corner, Li Yang immediately broke free from my grasp and snapped at me, "Why are you pulling me? I still want to teach that Ren Gang a lesson!"

"Have you ever seen someone deliberately confess to a capital crime that has nothing to do with them?" I decided to try to reason with him, because this matter couldn't be resolved by force.

"No!" Li Yang said angrily, hands on his hips.

"That's why there's a problem."

"nonsense!"

"Can you calm down?" I nudged Li Yang. "This person definitely wouldn't turn himself in for no reason. From another perspective, this could be another clue."

Li Yang glanced at me. He was someone who was easily impulsive but also easily calmed down. He immediately understood the meaning behind my words, but his excited face fell again after a while: "But this case is about to be closed!"

"That's why we need to hurry." For some reason, I'm particularly interested in this case, which completely violates my principle of only paying attention to the body and not the case itself.

"Time seems to be running out! And if we're going to investigate, it'll probably just be the two of us." Li Yang took out a cigarette from his pocket.

"There should still be a chance." I took the cigarette from Li Yang's hand.

"What turning point?"

"Idiot, how did you get so angry with your superiors that you went crazy?" I snatched the lighter and lit a cigarette for myself. "If more people die after the case is closed, won't Ren Gang's words fall apart on their own?" I wanted to hit Li Yang on the head.

"That's right!" Li Yang's eyes lit up. "But what if that woman asked Ren Gang to take the blame for her?"

"Do you think that's possible?" I rolled my eyes at Li Yang. At least I didn't believe it, unless you killed me.

※※※

After successfully dissuading Li Yang from his impulsive act, I returned to my office, only to find Lao Cao already waiting there. What was bound to happen, happened. I closed the door behind me.

Old Cao looked at me without saying a word, but handed me an autopsy report. I looked at it and saw that it was the autopsy report from those cases, only the coroner's name had been changed to Old Cao's. I took the report and flipped through it casually. The contents were very similar to my last report, except that the most important point, the cause of death, had changed from cardiopulmonary failure due to an excessive secretion of adrenaline to death by asphyxiation.

I closed the report and handed it back to Lao Cao with a blank expression. Although I was so angry that I wanted to tear it apart, reason told me that this would not end well.

"This is what the higher-ups want," Old Cao said, bowing his head in a helpless tone.

"So, what do you mean by showing this to me? Do you expect me to applaud it?" I couldn't help but say sarcastically.

"Young man, don't oversimplify things." Old Cao looked up at me. I sighed and didn't say anything more. As the saying goes, a wise man is one who understands the ways of the world. I wonder if I'm worthy of being called a wise man?

"Do you know why the captain gave Li Yang a long leave but not you?" Old Cao suddenly asked me this question. I was confused by the question. Old Cao explained, "That's because the captain knows that you are different from Li Yang. He is too straightforward. You are different. He knows that you know when to avoid the situation and when to stand up."

"Is this a compliment?" I was both amused and exasperated; I never expected anyone to think so highly of me.

"Some things, you shouldn't judge by appearances, and you shouldn't rush things," Old Cao said to me in a low voice.

"What do you mean?" I asked, increasingly confused about his intentions.

"You should know that seven people died at Heart Lake, right?" Old Cao's words startled me. Did he know something?

"Interested in seeing a few of the autopsy reports?" Old Cao winked at me. I think I must look really dumbfounded, stunned by him!

"How did you get these? Aren't they all classified documents?"

"Don't forget I'm a forensic doctor, and a veteran one at that, with decades of experience. I must have some hidden treasures," Old Cao said proudly. "But actually, these things were left to me by my master. He gave them to me personally before he died, saying that they contained a secret."

"Your master?"

"Yes, have you heard of Liu Fugen? He was a very famous forensic doctor during the Liberation period, one of the few forensic doctors in the new China."

"It's him?" Although his name sounds a bit rustic, it's a name that's been heard of for a long time. My advisor mentioned him back in university; he's a legendary figure, a farmhand from the old society who, by chance, became an apprentice of a coroner (a person in the old government who examined the dead and injured), thus beginning his life as a forensic doctor. He assisted in solving many cases under his guidance. If it's him, then those autopsy reports aren't surprising.

"I haven't read the three reports my mentor gave me."

"Huh?" No way, these things must have been in his possession for a long time, yet he hasn't even looked at them. Does he have absolutely no interest in his master's belongings?

Old Cao clearly sensed my distrust and explained, "My master once told me before he died that unless you have immense courage and good fortune, it's best not to go see it."

"It's that simple?"

"It's also because I've handled two cases related to Heart Lake myself. One of the deceased was my senior brother, and the other was my master's daughter. They both died because they were too curious. Xiao Xiao, you need to know that I'm not a very courageous or curious person." Old Cao answered me in an almost trembling voice. I could understand his pain. His loved ones had died, but he had no way to find out the truth. This feeling was so familiar.

"Come to my house at 11 p.m. tonight, and I'll give you those things." Old Cao stood up after saying that, but stopped at the door and looked back at me. "If you're not interested, you don't have to come. In any case, I don't want you to follow in the footsteps of my senior brothers."

I knew what Lao Cao meant, but for some reason, I inexplicably shook my head, indicating that I wouldn't refuse. Subsequent events proved that a momentary impulse can indeed be fatal.

※※※

Fang Lei remained unusually calm after hearing that I had been ordered to transfer the case and that the autopsy report had been altered, showing none of the anger and resentment that Li Yang had displayed. Her composure surprised me. Aren't the heroines described in books supposed to rise up and fight to the bitter end after hearing about such injustices and the erasure of the truth? It seems there is a significant difference between reality and books.

Li Yang came to see me again later, telling me he was going to start his long vacation. Of course, this was just an excuse; I knew he was planning to work alone. After failing to persuade him otherwise, I had to give in and tell him I was willing to help, but only within legal and reasonable bounds—after all, he's my buddy. After promising I wouldn't act recklessly, Li Yang said he wanted to talk to my older sister to find out why she had that woman's photos. This gave me a huge headache, because I hadn't seen her for several days and had no idea where she was. I had suggested she bring a cell phone, because they're so common now, even street sweepers have them, and I simply can't understand why someone who needs to contact a publisher constantly wouldn't have one. Her explanation was that she didn't want to be disturbed by her phone while writing, otherwise her inspiration would be gone. Heaven knows if that's true; probably, she just wanted to avoid being tracked by her many lovers!

As for the autopsy reports that Lao Cao mentioned, I didn't tell Li Yang. Although Lao Cao hadn't specifically instructed me to, I knew he wouldn't want a third person to know about it. So I decided to wait until I got the autopsy reports before making any further statements.

Volume One: The Three Ghosts of the City, Chapter Twelve: Old Cao's Death

Volume One: The Three Ghosts of the City, Chapter Twelve: Old Cao's Death

Old Cao sighed, put the phone back, and glanced at the bag on the table. He could still vividly recall his master's dying moments, but so many years had passed in the blink of an eye. What was bound to happen would happen, no matter how many years he had tried to escape it.

Looking at the clock, it was ten o'clock, an hour before Lin Xiao's visit. The reason he'd arranged to meet her so late was because Lao Cao needed to make a very important phone call. Lao Cao made this call almost every day, though it was always just an answering machine. But Lao Cao believed that as long as he didn't give up, there would eventually be a day when she would change her mind. However, recently, Lao Cao's belief had become increasingly wavering, not because of his own shortcomings, but because recent events had instilled in him a nameless fear, a feeling of death approaching step by step, and a helpless weakness. So today, Lao Cao had left many messages on the answering machine. Lao Cao lived in the suburbs, in a building with his family. He lived alone in such a large house, and sometimes it felt lonely. Although he had considered moving into the company dormitory, the thought that she might return any day made him abandon the idea. People in the suburbs went to bed early; at this hour, almost everyone else's lights were off, except for Lao Cao's, whose light was still on.

"Knock knock!" The knocking interrupted Old Cao's thoughts. Could it be that Lin Xiao couldn't wait until eleven o'clock and came over? It seems that young people just can't wait. Old Cao shook his head, walked into the yard, opened the door, and saw a pale-faced man with a gloomy look in his eyes that made people uncomfortable.

"Excuse me, who are you looking for?" Old Cao asked.

"Are you Cao Wanguang?" The man's hoarse voice sounded like a broken gong.

"Yes!" The years of experience as a forensic doctor made Old Cao feel a little backward, but it was too late. The man smiled sinisterly, like the smile of death, making Old Cao feel suffocated.

※※※

I glanced at my watch anxiously. There were only fifteen minutes left until the time I agreed to meet Lao Cao, but the car was still stuck in traffic, completely immobile. It was infuriating! Why was there still a traffic jam so late? The traffic in this city was really terrible!

"Sir, you're just unlucky. There must have been some kind of traffic accident up ahead. Accidents happen all the time on this road. I don't know how many people have died! We drivers call this road Death Avenue!" The taxi driver turned around and comforted me.

"I have things to do! How much longer will this take!" I checked my watch again, hoping that time would slow down.

"Just wait, what else can we do!" The driver was quite calm, so he simply opened the car door, got out, and stretched his limbs.

After waiting for nearly half an hour, just as I was about to give up, the long line of cars finally showed signs of moving forward. I looked at my watch; it was already 11:15. I hoped that Lao Cao hadn't fallen asleep from waiting. At that moment, I had no idea that Lao Cao had indeed "slept," and was in a deep, unawakened sleep.

The taxi driver was driving very fast, and the sound of the wind whistling past my ears made the sound from my phone unclear, appearing both real and indistinct.

"Why is it Xiao Ren?" I muttered to myself. He's a policeman in the station too, but usually when he calls my cell phone, it's not a good sign. It means there's another body waiting for me to examine. Damn it, calling me at this time. I reluctantly answered the phone. Looks like I'll have to go get Lao Cao's stack of stuff another time.

"Xiao Ren, is there another case?" I asked.

Instead of Xiao Ren's usual frantic shouts, I heard heavy breathing on the phone, sensing the immense grief the owner was suppressing. My heart sank, and my eyes started twitching again.

"What's wrong? Speak up!" I shouted nervously, my hand holding the phone trembling involuntarily.

"Xiao Lin, Lao Cao... Lao Cao... Lao Cao... he's dead! You need to come to Lao Cao's house right now!" Xiao Ren's words immediately filled me with a hellish fear. I don't know how I hung up the phone. At least from that moment until I reached Lao Cao's house, my mind was blank. I couldn't accept this fact. I even checked the date on my phone to make sure it wasn't April Fool's Day and that Xiao Ren wasn't playing a cruel joke on me. I actually hoped it was April Fool's Day. It wasn't until the car got closer to Lao Cao's house, and the rows of police cars, the crowd of onlookers, and the long yellow police tape came into view, that I realized Xiao Ren wasn't lying.