HH Chapter 3

Fang Yuan, feeling a bit embarrassed, brushed the dirt off his clothes. “Team Leader Cheng, you know I’m the least brainy in the team. I’m good for physical tasks, but thinking through these things is a bit hard for me…”

As Fang Yuan spoke, he avoided eye contact with Cheng Ye. Cheng Ye placed a foot on a nearby stone. “Carrying an adult male corpse from the foot of the mountain to the top without leaving any traces is nearly impossible.”

Cheng Ye pointed to the path closest to the river. “The traces left here are very faint, and with the heavy rain, they’re even harder to detect.”

Fang Yuan thought Cheng Ye made sense and quickly agreed. “So, the victim and the perpetrator probably knew each other?”

“You’re not completely brainless,” Cheng Ye remarked, spotting the forensics team approaching with Chen Xiaonuan. “Take a few people and conduct some interviews around here. Also, inform Er Bao to check the nearby surveillance cameras.”

“Yes,” Fang Yuan responded with a cheeky grin.

As soon as Cheng Ye got into the car, the chief called. The sound of the ringtone made Cheng Ye’s head throb.

“Hello?” Cheng Ye answered.

“Where are you?” The chief’s tone was calm, like a fisherman casting a line.

“On a case,” Cheng Ye replied curtly.

“The scene is processed, and Yan Ya has returned. Come back; I need to talk to you.” The chief’s voice grew more serious.

“I don’t need a partner,” Cheng Ye stated plainly.

“Hey!” The chief’s voice rose. “This time is different. He’s famous and has helped several precincts. I worked hard to get him here.”

“No matter what you say, I don’t need him.” Cheng Ye hung up the phone with a snap, his expression sour.

…..

Fang Yuan, being proactive, took two people and started canvassing the area at the foot of the mountain. Most of the residents were elderly; the young had left for work, leaving the old behind, earning the place the nickname “Old Folks’ Alley.”

News of the incident on the mountain spread quickly. The whole alley soon knew about it, with some even suggesting it was a curse from the mountain god. It turned out the deceased was Tian Mingwei, who lived at 233.

People identified him by his clothes.

“Officer, it’s good he’s dead! He deserved it!” An old lady blocked Fang Yuan’s path, angrily showing a bruise on her arm. “He did this!”

Fang Yuan and the two officers behind him were shocked. “He hit people?”

The old lady became more animated, pulling Fang Yuan to recount everything in detail. With no other choice, one officer stayed behind to listen.

An elderly man, who seemed to understand the procedure, slowly recounted the story.

“Don’t be fooled by his cultured name, Tian Mingwei was a bastard. When he first married, he and his wife were very affectionate, always together. We all hoped for more young people in Chenghua Alley.”

“But later, that scoundrel would be gone for days, come back and smash things, and even beat his own wife. My wife and I tried to help, but he beat us too.” The old man shook his head as he spoke.

“After that, no one dared to intervene. His wife endured it for a year before she finally ran away.”