Chapter 19: A Gruesome Discovery

The car came to a smooth stop by the roadside. Wang Jian glanced at the dilapidated, unfinished building outside the window, then addressed Hao Yang, who was seated behind him.

“Xiaoxiao, we’ve arrived at the place you mentioned,” Wang Jian said, turning his head to face Hao Yang in the back seat.

“Mm,” Hao Yang acknowledged, then promptly opened the car door and hopped out.

Numerous trees surrounded them, significantly dampening the wind. Dressed in warm clothing, Hao Yang felt no particular chill.

“It’s in that building! Quickly, follow me, Police Uncle!” Hao Yang exclaimed, a tremor of excitement in her voice as she pointed towards the familiar structure.

The two police officers exchanged no words, simply trailing silently behind her.

Hao Yang led the way towards the building. Though it appeared utterly unremarkable, she knew that few, if any, suspected a murder had once transpired within its walls.

As Hao Yang gazed at the staircase before her, a shiver of fear ran down her spine. This place had etched itself into her mind as a traumatic shadow; it was here that she had witnessed a murder.

Despite her true age being considerably older than her current body, she was still only sixteen—hardly more than a child, a student at best.

Suddenly, Hao Yang heard a stir behind her. She turned her head to find two tall men, clad in police uniforms, regarding her with gentle, reassuring expressions.

To the people of Huaxia, police officers were the very embodiment of justice, a profession steeped in honor. Countless children harbored dreams of joining their ranks, and indeed, modern Huaxia police had instilled a profound sense of security within the current generation.

Like many across Huaxia, Hao Yang held immense trust in the police. Thus, the sight of the uniformed officers instantly dispelled much of her fear regarding the building, replacing it with a comforting sense of security that seemed to permeate her surroundings.

Hao Yang gathered her courage and slowly ascended the stairs, the two police officers close behind. The moment they stepped onto the second-floor corridor, a peculiar odor assailed Hao Yang’s senses.

It was a faint, yet distinctly putrid smell, as if something was decaying. While not overwhelmingly strong, it was undeniably present.

As an adult, Wang Jian also detected the faint stench of decay upon entering the second-floor corridor. His training immediately allowed him to identify it: the unmistakable odor of a rotting corpse.

With a grave expression, Wang Jian turned his head to meet his colleague’s gaze, finding the other officer similarly furrowed in a frown. A silent exchange passed between them before they both drew their batons from their waist pouches.

Wang Jian then addressed Hao Yang, who was still behind them.

“Xiaoxiao, stay right here and don’t move. Wait patiently for Police Uncle, okay?”

“Mm,” Hao Yang replied, a hint of confusion in her tone. She hadn’t yet connected the foul smell with a decomposing body; after all, she distinctly recalled the two men dragging away the homeless man’s corpse that day, presumably for organ trafficking.

The two police officers moved stealthily, hunched at the waist, as they advanced towards the room where Hao Yang had once slept. Upon reaching the doorway, they exchanged one final, decisive glance before bursting inside.

Immediately after they burst through, a brief commotion ensued, only to be followed by an unsettling silence.

Hao Yang waited for a short while in the corridor, but her curiosity eventually proved too potent. Step by careful step, she crept closer.

She paused, hesitating for a moment at the threshold, before finally peeking her head into the room.

Inside the room, two tall police officers stood, their faces etched with grim expressions as they stared at a shapeless mass on the floor. From her vantage point, Hao Yang couldn’t discern the object clearly, though she noticed the officers occasionally exchanging hushed words.

Without further hesitation, Hao Yang stepped inside, positioning herself by the officers’ feet. It was then that she clearly saw the object on the floor.

It was a black dog, lifeless and still. Its body bore numerous marks of severe beatings, with several areas caved inward, presenting a truly horrifying sight.

The dog’s mouth hung wide open, a pool of blood beside it suggesting a final, desperate heave before death. Its head appeared to have been struck by a heavy object, now caved inward, and though its eyes were shut, a thin, blood-streaked line connected the narrow slit between its eyelids. Following this gruesome thread, one could discern the dog’s prolapsed eyeball.

Adding to the horror, the dog’s belly was unusually distended and also bore signs of beating. From the ruptured section of its abdomen, several tiny, nascent paws protruded.

A few flies occasionally buzzed around the dog’s corpse, and the pungent odor of advanced decomposition was undeniably strong near its remains.

Hao Yang’s face instantly blanched. The sheer brutality of the scene had utterly terrified her.

“Xiaoxiao, don’t look,” Wang Jian said, stepping closer and gently covering Hao Yang’s eyes with his hand.

Hao Yang, however, subtly evaded his well-intentioned hand. Still, she obediently turned her head away.

Observing her reaction, Wang Jian refrained from further action, simply opening his mouth to ask.

“Xiaoxiao, is this the homeless man’s body you told us about?”

“No, no, it’s not! I don’t know; the homeless man’s body was dragged away by those two people. I have no idea why this dog’s corpse is here,” Hao Yang stammered frantically.

“Then let me ask you again,” Wang Jian pressed, his face utterly serious, “Are you absolutely certain those two individuals killed a *person*?”

“Yes, I remember it very clearly! Those two people strangled the homeless man to death right here in this room!” Hao Yang insisted, her words tumbling out in a frantic, almost incoherent rush, her emotions clearly unstable.

Wang Jian watched the flustered Hao Yang, a frown creasing his brow. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had been made a fool of. How could he have possibly believed the wild tales of this child?

In this era, the likelihood of one person murdering another was exceedingly slim; most people lived peaceful, stable lives, rarely committing even the smallest transgression.

When the child first told him she had witnessed a murder, he had been somewhat perplexed. If the perpetrators had seen her, why hadn’t they eliminated her as well? And how could she be recounting the murder to him so openly?

He had initially suspected the child was fabricating the story, yet her earnestness had swayed him then. But now…

Beside him, Hao Yang grew increasingly agitated, attempting to explain herself with a torrent of incoherent words.

“Tang Xiao, little one, please stop for a moment,” Wang Jian interjected, doing his utmost to soften his voice. “Will you listen to Police Uncle say a few things first, alright?”