Chapter 7: The Case of the Serpent (VII)

Page 1/3

As the morning light pierced through the clouds, the newly appointed forensic intern noticed a coffee cup on the autopsy table. At the bottom of the cup lay undissolved white crystals, and beside the unfolded autopsy report—left blank—someone had drawn a serpent biting its own tail with a fountain pen.

Meanwhile, Li Rui’s trench coat still hung behind the door. Inside its pocket was a blueprint of the moat project, its fresh ink bleeding into new patterns as rainwater seeped in—an encrypted language only veteran detectives could decipher, quietly growing in the veins of the city.

Li Rui stood by the moat, the blueprint in his hand blurred by rain, the ink spreading into eerie lines. Squinting to make out the smudged characters, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.

“Dr. Li, still working this late?”

He turned to see the newly appointed director, Zhou Ming, standing not far off, a meaningful smile on his face. Zhou Ming had parachuted in after Chen Ming’s resignation, rumored to have a deep background.

“Director Zhou,” Li Rui folded the blueprint calmly. “There’s a case that needs to be reevaluated.”

Zhou Ming approached, his gaze fixed on the blueprint. “The moat project? That case was closed, wasn’t it?”

“The forensic pathologist’s duty is to constantly seek the truth,” Li Rui replied evenly.

Zhou Ming chuckled and patted his shoulder. “It’s good to be energetic, young man, but know your limits. Some cases are better left in the past.”

Li Rui watched Zhou Ming walk away, feeling a chill along his spine. Looking down at the blueprint, he noticed that the rain-stained area faintly revealed an address: No. 17, Old Warehouse District, South City.

Late at night, Li Rui arrived alone at the warehouse district. The door to Warehouse No. 17 was ajar, darkness engulfing the interior. He switched on his flashlight, sweeping the beam over stacked crates, suddenly catching fresh footprints on the floor.

The footprints led to a hidden door deep within the warehouse. Li Rui pushed it open to find a small laboratory. The workbench was cluttered with various chemical reagents, and the walls plastered with photos and blueprints of the moat project.

Most striking was a safe sealed with a tape dated twenty years ago. Li Rui tried the password his father often used in life. With a click, the safe opened.

Inside lay a stack of yellowed documents, topped by a group photo. In it, a young Li Rui’s father stood with Elder Lin, the backdrop the construction site of the moat project. On the back was a note: “For a better tomorrow.”

Flipping through the files, Li Rui found detailed records of quality issues with the moat project and evidence of bribery involving key personnel. One document revealed that the steel reinforcement used was severely substandard, and the person responsible for procurement was none other than Elder Lin.

Suddenly, the laboratory lights flicked on. Li Rui turned to see Zhou Ming standing at the door with several police officers.

“Dr. Li, trespassing is illegal,” Zhou Ming said coldly.

Li Rui raised the documents. “Director Zhou, this evidence clearly shows serious problems with the moat project. My father back then—”

“Enough!” Zhou Ming interrupted. “You think your father was a good man? He took bribes, covered up the quality issues, and when his conscience finally kicked in to expose it, well...”

“You’re lying!” Li Rui shouted in anger.

Zhou Ming pulled out a document and threw it on the floor. “See for yourself.”

Li Rui picked it up, discovering it was his father’s old bank statements showing large sums of money received. His hands trembled, unable to believe the truth.

“Hand over the evidence now,” Zhou Ming demanded, extending his hand.

Li Rui stepped back. “No, this evidence must be made public.”

Zhou Ming sighed, “Then don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

Page 2/3

Several officers moved forward to arrest Li Rui when suddenly sirens blared outside. Captain Zhang and his team burst in.

“Zhou Ming, you’re suspected of shielding criminals. Come with us!” Captain Zhang declared.

Zhou Ming’s face turned pale. “You...”

“We’ve had our eye on you for a long time,” Captain Zhang said, “Thanks to the clues provided by Dr. Li.”

Li Rui was stunned. “Captain Zhang, this is—”

Captain Zhang patted his shoulder. “Your father was a good cop. The bribery evidence was fabricated. Zhou Ming and Elder Lin are working together, trying to blackmail you with fake proof.”

After Zhou Ming was taken away, Li Rui stood at the warehouse entrance, gazing toward the moat. The water shimmered softly under the moonlight, as if whispering secrets.

“Dr. Li,” Captain Zhang approached. “What’s your next move?”

Li Rui took a deep breath. “Keep investigating. This case isn’t over. There’s still much truth to uncover.”

Captain Zhang nodded. “Let me know if you need help.”

Li Rui smiled faintly. “Thank you.”

Turning toward the patrol car, he suddenly remembered something and pulled out a button engraved with the letter “L.” In the moonlight, scratches on its surface formed a strange pattern, like a code.

“Looks like the game isn’t over yet,” Li Rui murmured, pocketing the button.

As the police car drove away from the warehouse district, Li Rui watched the moat recede in the rearview mirror, a strange premonition rising in his heart. The case was far more complex than he imagined, and the truth might be darker still.

But he knew no matter what awaited him ahead, he had to press on.

Back home, the warm glow of the desk lamp cast a circle of light over a yellowed diary.

“Those who think they control everything become the deepest prisoners—Rousseau.” These words were penned by his father on the title page.

For some reason, at this moment, countless ripples stirred in Li Rui’s heart.

Turning to the last page, a photo slipped out from between the pages—a picture of his father and Elder Lin, with a note on the back: “The truth is always around the next corner.”

Along the edge of the photo were blurred numbers, stained by watermarks. Using a magnifying glass, Li Rui discovered they were coordinates pointing to an abandoned chemical factory on the outskirts of the city.

“Could there be more to this case?”

Coincidentally, his home was in the “Land” high-rise complex in the city’s western suburbs, on the 18th floor.

Standing by the window, he could see the abandoned chemical factory in the distance.

The factory lay shrouded in thick fog late at night, as if harboring countless unknown secrets.

A vibration came from the phone on the desk.

Page 3/3

Li Rui picked up the phone, frowning.

“Hello?”

“Are you asleep?”

A woman’s voice came through the line—young, slightly husky, and pleasant to hear.

“Not yet.”

“Still up this late? Working a case?”

“No!” Li Rui replied. “It’s done.”

“Oh, then congratulations, another big case cracked.”

“There’s nothing to congratulate. Is there something you need?” Li Rui’s tone was distant.

“Looks like Dr. Li is in a bad mood tonight.” The woman was perceptive, sensing the difference from before.

After a pause, she continued, “Well, I wouldn’t call unless I had a reason. Actually, there is a matter I need your help with.”

Li Rui refocused and asked seriously, “Dr. Wen, is it a case?”

“Yes. Yesterday I received a report from Nacheng—a serial murder case. The provincial bureau ordered me to handle the evidence inspection, but...”

“You’re the director of the provincial forensic center. Even you can’t crack it?”

The woman laughed. “Don’t tease me. With my personality, would I make this call if it wasn’t urgent?”

Li Rui nodded; he knew her well.

Three years ago, they had been inseparable lovers.

But now...

They were worlds apart.

Perhaps their differences had kept them from staying together.

“All right, I’ll report in first thing tomorrow morning,” Li Rui said solemnly.

“Thanks. The official notice will be sent to your city bureau soon!” With that, the woman hung up.

Li Rui shook his head helplessly. “She’s really straightforward.”