Diary of a Criminal Investigator

Chapter 715: Searching the Trash Cans

The scene at the informant’s home didn’t offer many clues.Wang Zhaokai from Team One had already questioned Chen Shuxian in detail about how she found the black plastic bag.

"Captain Lu, the fragments were found beside the trash can in the alley behind the Haiman Grand Hotel."

"Chen Shuxian is a cleaner at this hotel. Before the end of each workday, she needs to tidy up the area near the hotel’s back door."

"Chen Shuxian and Zheng Aiguo used to live in the countryside. They only came to the city in recent years. When Chen Shuxian worked, she often brought leftover food home, sometimes even finding some meat."

"According to Chen Shuxian’s account, when she discovered the meat in the black bag, she thought it was pork with some sweet sauce, cumin, or other seasonings on it."

"So she took it home, washed it, found the meat seemed fine, used some for dumpling filling, and made dumplings."

"Her husband, Zheng Aiguo, after eating, noticed something was off with the taste, and upon further examination discovered..."

"Then they reported it to the police."

"My suggestion is to first go check the hotel."

"Based on the fragments found now, the murderer likely dismembered the victim’s body into very small pieces."

"The hotel might have more fragments."

Wang Zhaokai’s suggestion was quite sensible.

Although Chen Shuxian’s home was where the report was filed first, the actual location where she picked up the fragments was in the alley behind the hotel kitchen.

So re-checking the initial place where the fragments were found is quite necessary.

This was also Lu Chuan’s thought.

"Alright, let’s head over there now, inform Team Two, and after the investigation, we’ll hold a meeting back here."

"Yes!"

...

Half an hour later.

Lu Chuan and his team had already arrived at the alley behind the kitchen of the Haiman Grand Hotel.

"Zhaokai, start from this side, check all the trash cans thoroughly."

After speaking, Lu Chuan put on gloves and began checking from the trash cans of the Haiman Grand Hotel.

The Haiman Grand Hotel was located in a luxurious area. Besides this hotel, there were over a dozen others on the street.

The back kitchens of these hotels or restaurants all faced the same alley.

So upon entering the alley, one was mostly greeted by garbage cans.

Honestly, the smell here was quite unpleasant.

Besides regular garbage, the trash cans in the alley were mostly filled with kitchen waste.

With plenty of alcohol smells mixed in, it was fine if left untouched, but once disturbed...

The stench was unbearable.

It was Lu Chuan’s first time doing this sort of work.

Previously, when he was in the Criminal Investigation Team, such work was done by the action group, and he just needed to wait for them to produce results.

But now being the head of the Criminal Investigation Team meant having to lead by example.

Under such circumstances, only by getting involved himself, would others truly dedicate themselves to the task.

If he merely commanded while others worked, it would make things difficult.

The difference between "do it for me" and "do it with me" might be just a word, but the result is worlds apart.

"Captain Lu! There’s a discovery!"

Quickly, an inspection team, about ten meters from the back door of the Haiman Grand Hotel, found a black plastic bag.

Lu Chuan and Wang Zhaokai swiftly went over.

Upon opening it, Lu Chuan immediately confirmed that it was human fragments.

"Continue!"

As expected, the murderer couldn’t have tossed just one bag in that place.

Subsequently, more black plastic bags were found by several others in the trash cans.

By three in the morning, all the garbage cans in the alley had been thoroughly checked.

With about a dozen people from Team One, along with Lu Chuan, everyone was covered in grime and grease.

"Let’s take a shower first, then have a meeting."

Lu Chuan wasn’t a miser, and rushing to solve the case wouldn’t make a difference for the time being.

Moreover, the current smell on their bodies...

The Criminal Investigation Team had a temporary dormitory and a shower room.

However, with so many people, both men and women, from Team One going back to wash up, who knew when it would get done.

Lu Chuan decisively led everyone to the nearby bath center.

He then called Lu Yao.

Groggy, Lu Yao answered Lu Chuan’s call and saw it was three in the morning.

"Chuan, why aren’t you asleep yet?"

"Third brother, send over twenty sets of work clothes to Water Cloud Sky Bath."

"What are you guys up to?"

Over twenty people going for a bath?

Lu Yao immediately perked up, losing any trace of sleepiness.

"There was a case tonight. I led the team to dig through garbage cans for half the night, and we reek now."

"We’re here to take a bath. Oh, third brother, three sets of women’s clothes, the rest men’s."

"Alright, wait for me. I’ll have someone fetch them from the warehouse."

After arrangements were made, Lu Chuan directly entered the bath center.

The original clothes were obviously beyond salvage, probably couldn’t be cleaned out, the smell was just too overwhelming.

From the search, Lu Chuan and his team had retrieved a total of 12 black plastic bags from the trash cans in the back alley.

Lu Chuan had already instructed Team Two to come over and bring the bags back to the Criminal Investigation Team.

But he didn’t have the forensic team perform a further examination immediately.

Everything will wait until he returns to conduct the crime scene investigation, and then proceed with further examinations.

Lu Chuan’s idea was that although the killer had dismembered the body into small pieces, it was quite possible that fingerprints were left on the plastic bags or the fragments during the process.

Even though extracting fingerprints from the body fragments or the black plastic bags is quite challenging.

But Lu Chuan still wanted to give it a try.

In addition, DNA tests had to be conducted on these fragments.

To determine whether these fragments all belong to the same person.

At 7 o’clock.

Lu Chuan led Team One back to the Criminal Investigation Team.

"Bro, I heard Captain Lu rummaged through garbage with you guys?"

Members from Teams Two and Three had completed their tasks early in the morning and had already returned.

"Yeah, leadership leading the way."

"Heard you all took a bath too?"

"Yeah, do I smell nice?"

"Captain Lu took you?"

"Do I look like someone who can afford a bath?"

"How about the issued clothes?"

"This is it, Armani!"

Team One didn’t know that what Lu Chuan referred to as ’work clothes’ was actually Armani.

How much does a set of this cost?

Is a year’s salary enough?

The Criminal Investigation Team in the High-tech Zone had handled dismemberment cases before.

Members of Team One had gone through trash cans before.

But rummaging through trash and then taking a bath, with a set of Armani afterward...

This was beyond everyone’s typical understanding.

Inside the meeting room.

Chen Jiang and Sun Biao eyed the brand-new clothes on Wang Zhaokai with a hint of envy.

"Old Wang... do you think I can handle garbage cans?"

Wang Zhaokai was feeling rather pleased at this moment.

Initially, he thought following Qin Chuan to go through garbage cans was the filthiest and most exhausting job.

But with the feel of Armani against his skin...

An aroma of what’s called money filled the air.

How many leaders like this are there in the world?