Chapter 608: Investigating Through Pregnancy

When they heard Qin Fei finish that sentence,

even Chen Xiao, with his current composure, almost blurted out in surprise at the sudden news.

But even if he didn’t voice it, Jin Peng sensed something was amiss.

"What happened that has you both so shocked?"

Qin Fei didn’t respond.

But after a few seconds of thought, Chen Xiao actively said:

"We have a new discovery; the female corpse that was found may not be Zhu Nianying."

"How is that possible! I saw her with my own eyes, how could it not be her!"

Jin Peng exclaimed in disbelief.

Chen Xiao further questioned: "Are you really one hundred percent sure of what you saw, even after she was dumped, you confirmed it was Zhu Nianying?"

This question left Jin Peng momentarily speechless.

"I... I, at the time, didn’t dare enter the scene. But from the clothes and the build, it was her!"

Hearing this.

Chen Xiao couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

The moment Jin Peng wavered, it meant the female corpse was indeed suspicious!

He didn’t engage further with Jin Peng, turning around and leaving the interrogation room, then took out his phone and looked up a number.

This number was precisely Zhu Nianhong’s, Zhu Nianying’s second sister.

As soon as the call connected, Zhu Nianhong immediately asked, "Mr. Chen, why are you calling me? Is there news about Yingzi?"

"We’ve found a female body that might be Zhu Nianying, but we can’t confirm her exact identity right now. So, it would be best if you could come to Shencheng City and bring your parents with you."

In DNA testing, siblings can definitely be tested as well.

But it’s far less accurate compared to a parent-child test.

Since the corpse was in question, Chen Xiao wanted the most accurate results possible.

Zhu Nianhong had no hesitation and immediately agreed, "Alright, I’ll go get them now. You can be assured I’ll bring them to Shencheng City."

"Okay, I’ll contact Old San later, and you follow him to catch a flight here. It’s the fastest way to reach Shencheng City. As for the plane tickets, I’ll have him buy them, just get here as soon as you can."

After the call,

Chen Xiao said to Qin Fei, "Captain Qin, where is Elder Huang?"

"Over at the forensics department."

Chen Xiao nodded and headed towards the forensics department.

It wasn’t long before he saw Huang Zhao in the lounge, deep in thought.

As soon as the latter saw him, he immediately stood up, "Mr. Xiaochen..."

Before Huang Zhao could finish, Chen Xiao quickly asked, "Elder Huang, let me ask you a few questions first. What made you suspect that the female corpse is not Zhu Nianying?"

"The shoes."

"What’s that?"

"Nianying never wore high heels, and the shoes found on the female corpse are high heels!"

Chen Xiao’s gaze sharpened, "Are you sure she never wore them?"

"Yes, she’s a doctor, wearing high heels is very inconvenient. Plus, in everyday life, she never bought or wore leather shoes. Nianying doesn’t like the color black either, so whether it’s her clothes or shoes, they’re never black."

"Now the female corpse is wearing a pair of black high heels, that’s far too unusual!"

"So, aside from the shoes, there are no other suspicious elements on the female corpse?"

"It’s hard to tell, but the height is similar to Nianying’s." Huang Zhao also couldn’t be certain.

Chen Xiao fell silent, unsure of what to say for a moment.

Finally, he turned again to look at Qin Fei:

"Captain Qin, I have to trouble you again to pull up all missing persons cases in Shencheng City from the year 2000, particularly focusing on women aged 20-25 with a build similar to Zhu Nianying."

"Hmm, don’t worry... I’ll have someone do it, but..." Qin Fei paused as if hesitant but eventually spoke up,

"If it’s not Zhu Nianying, then how do we proceed with the investigation?"

Chen Xiao shook his head, "I don’t know. This turn of events has caught us off guard. But, whether or not it’s Zhu Nianying, at least the witness Jin Peng can confirm that the female body was brought out and dumped from the last place Zhu Nianying disappeared!"

"In other words, the killer might have more than one victim, suggesting a pattern of serial offenses!"

Qin Fei squinted his eyes, "Although I can’t be certain, as a homicide captain, to my knowledge, no unsolved serial cases are hanging over Shencheng City, unless the one we’re experiencing now hasn’t been discovered yet!"

"A few years back, not just in Shencheng, but in economically developed cities with a high number of migrant workers nationwide, many people went missing. The lack of technical capability, police power, and even security measures back then meant many cases remain unsolved today."

Chen Xiao nodded, "Indeed, this does not surprise me. Also, the idea of a serial offender who hasn’t been discovered even after committing multiple offenses isn’t out of the question. Your words remind me of something."

"Please go on."

"In our line of work, much like how a doctor shouldn’t empathize excessively with patients to avoid biased thinking, the same applies to us as investigators. I’m considering there might be other outcomes for Zhu Nianying."

Qin Fei’s eyes narrowed, "Are you suggesting that the roles of the victim and the perpetrator could potentially be reversed?"

"We can’t rule out that possibility! Of course, I’m conflicted now since I’m tasked with investigating Zhu Nianying’s disappearance, and another possibility arises that Zhu Nianying might still be alive, doesn’t it?"

Qin Fei sighed deeply, "Yes, but such a twist is like someone who struggles to climb out of water, only to be thrown back into a swamp."

Chen Xiao smiled, "It’s alright. No matter how complex the case is, the truth will eventually come to light. And thank you again, without your help, it would be tough to turn the tables."

"Ah, why say that. If Mr. Chen really wants to thank me, then after we solve Zhu Nianying’s case, could you help me with something too?"

Qin Fei didn’t specify what help he needed.

But Chen Xiao knew there was an unresolved case within the Shencheng City Bureau.

Precisely due to this case that Jin Peng’s return to the country seemed justifiable.

However, since Chen Xiao was preoccupied, Qin Fei didn’t bring it up directly.

Shortly after, Qin Fei got busy with work.

Chen Xiao didn’t linger either and, after saying a few words to Huang Zhao, headed toward the autopsy room.

After changing into appropriate attire, Chen Xiao greeted the chief forensic examiner before approaching the suspected Zhu Nianying female corpse.

In six years, the body had entirely decomposed to skeletal remains.

Except for the clothing, there were no personal identifiers on the body.

However, after a quick glance, Chen Xiao asked the forensic expert,

"Chief, can you determine if this female corpse was ever pregnant? If so, could you provide an approximate gestational age?"