Chapter 43: Digging Up Graves! Wood Carvings!

A graveyard?
Digging up graves?
Qin Shan and Zheng Yuanqiao were even more dumbfounded.
How did the conversation suddenly shift to a graveyard?
What was the reasoning behind this?
"I found some information."
Shen Ting explained further:
"There were some issues with the follow-up handling of the accident back then..."
Shen Ting recounted how the copper plates were melted and processed, and how cenotaphs were established.
Zheng Yuanqiao glanced sideways, looking hesitantly at Qin Shan beside him.
Only to find that Qin Shan also wore an expression of complete astonishment.
It was as if he were hearing this information for the very first time!
Noticing Zheng Yuanqiao's gaze, Qin Shan said speechlessly:
"Yuanqiao, why are you looking at me like that!
I know nothing about such an outrageous matter, and it certainly wasn't my doing.
Although I was involved in the case back then, I only went to the crime scene during the initial stages.
Because there were too many victims, a special investigation team took over the case very quickly.
I have no idea how things developed afterward.
Besides, I was just a squad leader back then, I didn't have that kind of authority!"
Zheng Yuanqiao thought that made sense, but immediately afterward, he looked curiously at Shen Ting:
"However, these are details even the Detachment Leader Qin didn't know.
How did you find out about them, Shen Ting?"
"Ahem..."
It seemed like his cover was about to be blown!
All this information was obtained through [Data Sharing].
Ordinary people wouldn't know about it!
"It's simple!
I searched for it online!"
Shen Ting casually fabricated an excuse.
Zheng Yuanqiao accepted the explanation with a sudden realization, his eyes lighting up:
"That means Shen Ting's line of reasoning is indeed extremely valuable.
It's simpler and much more direct!
Alright, I'll assign another team to coordinate with the relevant authorities and dig up the graves.
We don't necessarily have to state that we're investigating a case; we can find some other excuse.
Xiao Xu, you take charge of this matter!"
"No problem!"
Xu Xinyi responded immediately.
...
Shen Ting did not accompany them to the graveyard. Instead, he returned to the Public Security Bureau along with the forensics team that had finished gathering evidence.
In this freezing weather, digging up graves sounded exhausting!
Shen Ting had a very clear understanding of his role as a consultant.
He was here to provide investigative suggestions, not to do heavy physical labor.
Otherwise, he had already done heavy physical labor delivering food in the past.
If he had to do heavy physical labor as a consultant as well, wouldn't his position as a consultant be completely pointless?
The police car sped all the way back to the Public Security Bureau.
Shen Ting slumped at his workstation, waiting for the results while browsing his phone for a decent restaurant.
The case was almost wrapped up, so it was time to treat Teacher Xiao Gao to dinner!
...
Unlike Shen Ting, who was slacking off, Xu Xinyi and Xiong Beibei, leading two squads against the biting cold wind, were digging up the ground on the hill adjacent to the old industrial zone.
Not far from the old industrial zone, there used to be a village called Huotun Village.
Essentially everyone who worked in the old industrial zone lived here.
It started merely as a gathering place and gradually developed into a village.
The workers' wives would cook meals at home, waiting for their husbands to return.
The forty-five victims of the accident back then all lived in this village.
Following the accident, their cenotaphs were naturally built nearby on the adjacent hill.
"Clang, clang, clang~~~"
Xiong Beibei hoisted his shovel and hacked fiercely at the frozen, hard ground.
Even with his large and sturdy build, he was soon sweating profusely from exhaustion.
Xu Jie, do you really think we can find the surname Liu's body in this graveyard?
Xiong Beibei knew that the copper-smelting plant belonged to Liu Furen, and naturally guessed that the kidnapping case was connected to the accident.
His form of address for Liu Furen had also changed from the respectful "President Liu" to "that guy surnamed Liu."
"We probably can!
After all, this was Shen Ting's suggestion!"
Xu Xinyi did not explain too much, nor did she analyze it at length.
A single phrase—"Shen Ting's suggestion"—was already enough.
After all!
Fishing the Hummer out of the Sanyapo pond was Shen Ting's suggestion.
Identifying the old industrial zone as the core of the trajectory was Shen Ting's suggestion.
Pinpointing the Qinghe Copper Smelting Plant as the base was also Shen Ting's suggestion!
The crucial point was!
Every single one of these suggestions had ultimately proven to be true, leading to new discoveries.
Within the First Detachment, the weight of Shen Ting's suggestions was currently extremely high!
"That's true too!"
Xiong Beibei asked while hacking away with his shovel:
"Xu Jie, how do you think Shen Ting's brain is wired?
We're all human beings. My head is much bigger than Shen Ting's.
Logically speaking, my cranial capacity should be a lot larger as well.
So why couldn't I figure out that the guy surnamed Liu might be buried in a cenotaph,
or that the criminals' base was at that copper-smelting plant?"
This time, Xu Xinyi did not reply.
Because she didn't understand either. Shen Ting was just a food delivery driver who clearly had never received professional criminal police training—why was he so formidable?
She could barely wrap her head around the idea of the man surnamed Liu being buried in a cenotaph once she learned about the accident and how the copper plates were handled back then.
But why was the criminals' base located at the Qinghe Copper Smelting Plant?
Even now that clues had been discovered there, she still couldn't figure it out.
The only thing she could think of was that the "冂" shape on the front door of the Hummer was a component related to copper.
But that didn't make sense either!
In the old industrial zone, there were many copper smelting plants, copper processing plants, copper product factories, and so on!
Furthermore, just the copper smelting plants alone numbered several.
Besides, twenty years ago was the booming period of Liu Furen's career.
Many factories in the old industrial zone were invested in by him.
From production to processing, it was a complete, integrated chain!
Moreover, there was more than one factory where accidents or even deaths had occurred.
How on earth did Shen Ting directly determine that the criminals' base was the Qinghe Copper Smelting Plant?
Xu Xinyi racked her brains and still couldn't figure it out.
She pulled a palm-sized notebook from her pocket; the top of the first page bore the heading: "Questions to ask Shen Ting."
She earnestly wrote down: "How to confirm the base is at the Qinghe Copper Smelting Plant?"
Above that, she had also written: "Since there are so many places suitable for dumping a vehicle, how was the dumping site confirmed to be the Sanyapo pond?"
And: "How was the Hummer's driving route determined through the spore-pollen assemblage?"
However, Xu Xinyi crossed out this last question.
Because this involved knowledge of palynology, something she definitely couldn't master in a short time.
"I'll ask Shen Ting after the case is closed!"
Xu Xinyi put away her notebook and resumed digging with her shovel.
Right at that moment!
A cry of surprise came from nearby.
"Xu Jie, look over here, I found something!"
Xiong Beibei shouted excitedly.
Xu Xinyi hurriedly dropped her shovel and ran over.
Xiong Beibei had the greatest physical strength, and the cenotaph had been almost completely excavated.
From the pit, an object could be vaguely seen—round and very much resembling a human skull.
"Huh, they really found it?"
"Liu Furen's body is actually here?"
"Damn, Brother Xiong is really strong!"
"Hehe, didn't grow this big for nothing!"
"I didn't expect Shen Ting to be right again."
...
Unlike the sounds of pleasant surprise around her, Xu Xinyi frowned slightly as she looked at the skull-like object.
Because the texture didn't look quite right!
And it was far too regular!
Logically speaking, the criminals had trapped Liu Furen in a concrete pool and poured molten copper over him,
followed by cutting the copper blocks apart!
Liu Furen's skull shouldn't have been kept so intact!
After being killed by high-temperature molten copper, the flesh, blood, and bones would shrink and carbonize, making the texture extremely brittle.
It shouldn't be as solid as the object in front of them either!
"Brother Sun, bring it up and let's take a look."
She instructed the forensics technician to enter the pit.
As soon as the technician touched the "skull," the delight on his face turned to hesitation.
After examining it closely for a moment, he shook his head and said:
"No, this isn't Liu Furen's skull, nor is it a human skull at all.
It's made of wood, and the surface has likely been waxed and treated for anti-corrosion and insect prevention.
It's just been carved into the shape of a human head.
There should be a wooden carved body underneath it as well."
The police officers on the scene naturally understood the reason.
With forty-five victims leaving no remains behind,
the families probably felt it wasn't right to place only clothing in the graves, and therefore hired a carver to shape wooden likenesses of the victims as they appeared in life to be buried in the graves.
While letting out sighs, everyone also felt a sense of disappointment.
Xu Xinyi then spoke up:
"It's fine, the excavation has only just begun.
Just because Liu Furen's remains aren't here doesn't mean they won't be in the other graves.
Keep going, everyone!"
The officers returned to their posts and continued digging with their heads down.
More and more humanoid wooden carvings were unearthed.
However, Liu Furen's body was still nowhere to be found.
Everyone began to hesitate.
Xu Xinyi frowned as well.
Virtually all the graves had been dug open!
If the body had been buried in the graves, they should have at least struck some scrap copper material by now.
Recalling the criminals' cautious, high-IQ style of thinking three steps ahead for every move they made, along with the motive of the memorial...
Xu Xinyi said:
"Try digging the area directly in front of the graves.
If that doesn't work, dig out the humanoid wooden carvings entirely and keep digging downward!"
"Got it!"
"No problem!"
...
Without hesitation, the officers began swinging their shovels once more.
"Clang~~~"
An exceptionally crisp sound suddenly echoed across the graveyard hill.
All the officers raised their heads to look!
Because this sound was distinctly different from the dull thuds made when the wooden carvings were unearthed.
It was the sound that could only be produced by metal colliding...