National Forensic Doctor-Chapter 1097 - 1028: Increase Strength

In fact, it wasn’t just Jiang Yuan who was anxious; the officers working on the garbage mountain were even more so.

The stench—it could drive anyone mad.

Forget any nonsense about "getting used to smells over time." That only applies to places like a seafood shop, where you’re dealing with a single, uniform odor that your nose can learn to tolerate.

One thing you quickly learn after setting foot on a garbage mountain is that stench intensity actually has national standards, divided into six levels. Among these, only areas that have been covered with soil are slightly better. Operational sites tend to reach level six, and landfill zones are undoubtedly the king of stench: peak level six. Or to use a more vulgar expression—it’s not that landfill zones are merely at level six; it’s that their stench is limited to no less than level six.

To prevent excessive stench intensity from being outright lethal, garbage sites are equipped with regulation pools, venting systems, and facilities to burn off gases like methane.

In short, modern landfill management is becoming increasingly professional, but the officers don’t want to know the details.

All they want is to finish the job and get out.

So, by the second day, the Criminal Investigation Division chief from Yuwan City Bureau approached Meng Chengbiao and said, "Team Meng, I heard you’re Jiang Yuan’s Accumulated Case Team’s interrogation expert?"

"I wouldn’t call myself an expert," Meng Chengbiao replied humbly. "I’m just a little better at interrogating than most."

"Wouldn’t it be more fitting for you to return to the interrogation center and oversee things there?" the chief asked tentatively.

Meng Chengbiao chuckled. "Wu Yang’s group isn’t like your average criminals. They used to be members of a gang, and after getting out of prison, they reconvened and spent one or two years fighting over turf, causing chaos. If you want to talk about it, they’re the old-school gang types who value loyalty. I can’t just barge in, throw a few simple words at them, and expect cooperation."

"But with the victim’s body found, we can charge them with murder. Surely someone will talk eventually?"

"Maybe. But Captain Jiang and Director Liu have definitely thought of that as well. Besides, even with the victim’s body, if we directly accuse Wu Yang’s gang of being the culprits, we still lack sufficient evidence."

When it comes to criminal cases—especially homicide—the evidentiary requirements for prosecution are the highest. Without direct evidence, relying solely on circumstantial evidence demands an even more comprehensive and complete chain.

Take this case, for instance. While the victim’s body appeared near Wu Yang’s hangout, and her clothing was mixed with material evidence discarded by the gang, these are purely circumstantial clues, insufficient to prove that she was killed by Wu Yang’s crew.

To make the case stick, at minimum, testimony from gang members is needed. But that brings everything back to the interrogation problem.

"There’s been no news so far. We can’t just sit around waiting," the chief said, his gaze piercing through the thick protective goggles. His masked mouth betrayed an air of bitterness. "They’re being interrogated comfortably while we’re being choked out by the smell here on the garbage mountain."

"Even if they confess, we’ll still need to dig out evidence."

"But we wouldn’t need so many people working at such intensity, would we? Even landfill workers only stay on site for six hours tops, and here we are, slaving away without sleep." The chief’s eyes were dull as he continued, "Team Meng, you’re the only one who can save us now."

Meng Chengbiao let out a helpless laugh. "Captain Jiang and Director Liu are here—they’ll make the arrangements. When the time’s right, Wu Yang’s people will talk."

"Team Meng," the chief implored, clearly overwhelmed by the unbearable smell, "I’ll be blunt with you. ’Meat-eaters are unrefined.’ They’re in their air-conditioned offices, but they don’t know that our air conditioners are blowing nothing but stink."

"Hey, I feel awful too. But I wouldn’t be much use going there either."

"With the stink clinging to you, you wouldn’t even need to say much in the interrogation room to get them to spill!" The chief snapped, unable to hold back his frustration.

Meng Chengbiao, slightly stunned by the outburst, imagined the scenario for a moment and chuckled. "To be fair, that’s not entirely unreasonable."

"See? I’m begging you, Team Meng."

Meng Chengbiao hesitated. "I’ve also been assigned a specific zone to handle..."

"We’ll split it up and cover it for you. It won’t add that much more work!" The chief promised fervently.

Two hours later.

A group of people stood atop a small mound of garbage, waving their arms enthusiastically to bid farewell to Meng Chengbiao as if sending hope itself out the door.

"Now that Team Meng’s gone, we’ll finally catch a break."

"Safe travels, Team Meng!"

"Drink some water, organize the evidence—we should be good to go soon."

Shen Yaowei watched the smiles that couldn’t be concealed by the masks or goggles. He gave a slight smile himself. The first time he scaled a garbage mountain, he’d shared such unrealistic fantasies. Later...he learned you always get used to it.

...

Meng Chengbiao returned to the police bureau carrying the fresh aroma of the garbage mountain. Reporting to Jiang Yuan, he relayed the eager expectations of the other officers.

Sniffing the genuine stench emanating from Meng Chengbiao, Liu Jinghui exchanged a knowing smile with Jiang Yuan. "See? I told you they’d send Old Meng back."

Meng Chengbiao gave a bitter smile. "What’s the plan for me now?"

"With the smell you’re carrying, as soon as the suspects catch a whiff, they’ll be subconsciously convinced we’ve already recovered all the evidence they buried on the garbage mountain. At that point, their camaraderie will crumble—they’ll stop being loyal brothers and start acting like competitors eager to save themselves," Liu Jinghui explained. His proposal aligned with the chief’s idea earlier but carried a higher level of finesse and articulation.

Meng Chengbiao smiled with admiration and agreed readily. In his heart, he thought, Liu might look like a simpleton, but he’s a seasoned fox after all.

"As for the suspect, I’d recommend focusing on the one named Li Biao," Liu Jinghui advised. "Li Biao is slightly older than Wu Yang, and his former status in the underworld was relatively high. After the gang was formed, his relationship with Wu Yang became strained. He’s more of a peripheral figure within the group and should be easier to crack."

"Using the female victim’s case as an entry point makes sense. Li Biao likely isn’t the primary culprit in this case, right?" Meng Chengbiao pointed out a key concern.

Liu Jinghui smiled knowingly. "That’s another reason I recommend him. According to feedback from the detention center, Li Biao appears to suffer from impotence."

"Some impotent men are even more twisted," Meng Chengbiao countered, not to argue but to seriously analyze the case.

Liu Jinghui’s tone grew serious: "What you’re describing applies mostly to rape cases. For this case, though, illegal detention, rape, and human trafficking seem more likely. Oh, and Captain Jiang has already confirmed the victim’s identity. Zhu Huixian, high school education. Her primary job was as a singer-dancer at a local nightclub. She was a frequent client of beauty and cosmetic surgery clinics. Her photos have been corroborated by multiple sources."

"Thugs killing a prostitute? A pretty mundane case," Meng Chengbiao commented. This is how most cases in the world are—banal.

"Certainly lacks elegance," Liu Jinghui sighed.

Jiang Yuan, standing to the side, scoffed. "Solve the case first. Then we’ll have the right to discuss elegance."

Meng Chengbiao immediately reversed his stance: "True. Spending enormous time and effort on a dull case, only to fail to solve it—that’s what’s truly frustrating."

"This case isn’t solved yet anyway. I’m still waiting on more evidence from all of you." Jiang Yuan spread his hands helplessly.

Liu Jinghui put on a resigned expression and said to Jiang Yuan, "Now that Wu Yang’s gang isn’t cooperating, you’re back to poring over old cases again. Always trying to overwhelm the problem with quantity."

"Quantity inevitably leads to quality," Jiang Yuan replied. "This gang isn’t solely responsible for child trafficking. If we catch more people from other groups, they’ll start reporting one another. Who knows? The case might just crack open. We have to try, right?"

It was evident the two had differing ideas about how to proceed with case recommendations. As the veteran interrogator, Meng Chengbiao instinctively sided with Jiang Yuan and said, "That does sound like a plan. The question is whether Yuwan City Bureau will cooperate."

"Commissioner Huang has already negotiated with them," Jiang Yuan said confidently. He clearly believed that once the case showed promise of being cracked, even the most reluctant party would be willing to collaborate.