HH Chapter 1

June 4th, Chenghua Alley, Northern Lin City, 7:30 AM

“The rain was heavy yesterday. The muddy patch behind my house has turned into a pool.” A man carrying a shoulder pole seemed to be reminiscing about the horror of last night.

“Exactly, my small field was completely flooded last night,” said the person beside him, expressing regret.

The two sighed, shaking their heads. “Hey, go over there and see if there are any wild vegetables.”

“Okay.”

Just after the rain, the muddy ground was sticky. After walking a few steps, the unstable footing caused mud to splash directly onto his face.

“Ouch…” the man complained as he walked towards the nearby river, muttering, “How could my luck be so bad early in the morning…”

Before he could finish his sentence, he tripped on the muddy ground and fell. The next second, his entire face turned pale as he opened his mouth. After a few seconds, a scream of terror echoed from the depths of the forest.

Northern Lin City Police Department, Criminal Investigation Team

“Captain Cheng, there’s a case in the hills behind Chenghua Alley. Team One has already headed there,” Chen Xiaonuan said with a serious expression.

Cheng Ye, who was about to drink some water, paused and put the cup back on the table. “What are you standing around for? Let’s go!” he shouted.

“Erbao, pull up the current terrain of the hills,” Cheng Ye said, putting on his jacket and patting Zhang Yibao, who was sitting in front of the computer.

Zhang Yibao rolled his eyes at Cheng Ye. “Captain Cheng, my name is Zhang Yibao.”

Cheng Ye looked around. “Chen Xiaonuan, Fang Yuan, come to the scene with me.”

“Yes!” they responded in unison.

“Erbao, don’t forget to send the information,” Cheng Ye said, pushing the door open and walking out first. Chen Xiaonuan and Fang Yuan exchanged glances and smiled at Zhang Yibao.

“Erbao, we’re leaving.”

Zhang Yibao sat at the computer desk, feeling a bit aggrieved. After sighing, he looked determined and began typing on the keyboard.

Cheng Ye started the engine, attached the siren to the car roof, and Fang Yuan looked at his phone, leaning his head against the window.

Cheng Ye tightened his grip on the steering wheel. The hills often had landslides, which meant no clues. What was worrying now was that the person who reported the case was a local migrant worker.

As expected, when they arrived at the scene, apart from the forensic and trace inspection teams at work, the Team One captain was frowning and standing by the car.

“Cheng Ye, you’re here,” the Team One captain greeted Cheng Ye with a smile.

“What’s the situation now?” Cheng Ye looked around, his gaze falling on the body in the distance.

The Team One captain sighed and waved his hand. “Don’t mention it. The scene was already disturbed. We only managed to preserve the body because we arrived early.”

He then complained about the two people recording statements in the distance. “You know, people nowadays are so bold, coming in groups to see things like this.”

Cheng Ye snorted, patted the person’s shoulder, leaned against the car, and looked at the body that had already attracted a crowd. “You’re underestimating human curiosity.”

The person beside him squinted slightly, paused, and straightened up. “I have to go; there’s something at the office. This case is yours now.”

Cheng Ye nodded, got up, and crossed the police line. Looking at the body covered in various wounds, he asked, “Any findings?”

Yan Ya looked up at Cheng Ye. “The deceased is male. Based on the condition, time of death should be two to three days ago.”

“Have we identified him?” Cheng Ye squatted down, put on gloves, and examined the body.

“No identification found. Moreover, the face is severely damaged, and there are multiple sharp weapon wounds on the body,” Yan Ya said somberly. This was likely a particularly egregious case, rare in Northern Lin City.