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墨書 Inktalez
Xu Yiman stared blankly at Old Shao, whose face was now covered in blood. The bright red liquid dripped slowly from Old Shao's face, making him look like a gruesome butcher. Xu Yiman couldn't escape the situation either; her hair was nearly soaked with blood.
Neither of them had the chance to wipe away the blood. Just moments ago, they had decided to go to the mall with a good mood, but now their spirits were heavy. They glanced toward the car from which several people had just exited, and saw a man lying on the roof.
The man lay on the car roof, having nearly crushed it flat. If those people had gotten out even a moment later, they would have been crushed by the dented roof. He was covered in blood, one arm hanging limply over the side of the car, completely severed. The severed hand lay on the ground, still in a grasping position, making it seem as if it might crawl away on its own.
Like a watermelon dropped from a great height, gravity had shattered the man's body. Several ribs had pierced through his flesh, protruding grotesquely, and his abdomen was torn open with entrails spilling out. His head resembled a burst balloon, blood oozing from all orifices.
Around them, no one was spared; blood sprayed at least ten meters away, creating a red flower of gore that contrasted sharply with the bustling city. Yet he seemed not to be dead yet; he emitted a "gurgling" sound from his throat.
Old Shao felt Xu Yiman trembling beside him.
Jiang He rushed forward immediately, reaching the car's edge to listen for any signs of life from the man. But he could hear nothing over the deafening music from nearby shops, the blaring alarms of parked cars, and the screams of the crowd.
"What? What did you say?" Jiang He pressed his ear against the man's body.
It was evident that this man had fallen from a great height. Even if he hadn't died instantly, there was no hope for survival now. Jiang He realized that the man wasn't saying anything; he was laughing—a gurgling laugh—though it was unclear what he found amusing.
Finally, that gurgling laughter ceased; he was dead.
At that moment, Xu Yiman's trembling finally subsided.
Old Shao gently patted Xu Yiman's hand and said softly, "It's okay now."
With that, Old Shao approached the corpse. The chaos didn't last long; as people began to understand the source of their panic, they calmed down and started taking photos from a distance. Old Shao quickly realized that photos of this man's body would soon flood social media.
Xu Yiman took a few deep breaths and joined him. She looked at the numerous wounds on his body—severed limbs, protruding bones from fractures, and blood covering his face and body—as well as his slowly leaking entrails. From what she could see on the surface, these injuries suggested blunt force trauma rather than any other obvious violent damage.
This indicated that his injuries were consistent with a fall from height and that he had been conscious at the moment of impact—whether due to intoxication or drugs remained uncertain. However, Xu Yiman knew things wouldn't be so simple; any case involving Criminal Consultant was never straightforward.
Old Shao looked up at the towering Commercial Building; its highest floor stood thirty-five meters tall. Falling from such a height onto a car below would undoubtedly result in death. In the dim night light, Old Shao couldn't make out what was happening at the top floor.
But one thing Old Shao understood: even if Criminal Consultant were inside Commercial Building right now, capturing him would be impossible. There were too many exits and mixed crowds here; evading pursuit would be far too easy.
Yuan Jun had already contacted the local police station, and two police cars arrived with sirens blaring. He had specifically asked the officers to bring body bags. The crowd of onlookers was growing, creating a negative impact on the scene. Several officers seemed to have never encountered such a gruesome sight before and hesitated to take action.
Old Shao noticed their hesitation and instructed Jiang He and Guan Deng, "Get the body into the body bag. Xu Yiman, you follow to the funeral home or the City Bureau for the autopsy."
Then Old Shao turned to Yuan Jun and said, "Yuan Jun, contact the manager of this mall immediately. We need to find out where the person jumped from."
The group nodded, and Yuan Jun headed inside the mall.
Jiang He and Guan Deng each grabbed hold of the body—one by the shoulders and the other by the feet—and carefully lowered it from the roof of the car. The body had fallen from a great height, and it appeared that every bone inside was broken, resembling a marionette with its strings cut, limbs twisted and hanging limply.
They lifted the body cautiously, fearful that any misstep would cause the intestines to spill out onto the ground. The man had only just died moments ago; blood continued to flow from his body, dripping onto the pavement like paint from a brush.
Guan Deng was visibly struggling to keep his composure, his cheeks puffed out as if he might vomit at any moment. Fortunately, several officers were quick on their feet and soon placed a body bag beneath the corpse. They gently placed the body inside, but Guan Deng couldn't hold back any longer and rushed aside to vomit.
He tried to cover his mouth with his hand but remembered that he had just touched the corpse, which made it even harder to suppress.
Jiang He squatted beside the body and began searching through its pockets. The autumn air was chilly, and although he wore several layers of clothing, his chest was nearly exposed due to gravity pulling at his shirt. He pulled out a wallet from one of the pockets.
Opening it revealed several credit cards, an ID card, and a photo of a girl.
Jiang He took out the ID card for a closer look and said to Old Shao, "The deceased's name is Luben, twenty-four years old."
Old Shao nodded and called over to Guan Deng, who was still retching nearby. "Guan Deng, take Luben's ID card and investigate his background. If you find any family members, notify them to come claim the body. Jiang He, let's head upstairs."
Jiang He nodded and placed the wallet back on the body. He zipped up the body bag but couldn't shake off thoughts of the girl in the photo. She appeared quite beautiful—about five foot seven with an attractive figure. In the picture, she sat in a café with steam rising from a cup of coffee in front of her, exuding an artistic vibe.
As they entered the mall, they found it still bustling with tourists. Many were oblivious to what had happened outside; they were lost in their own world under the store's music. Just a door away felt like two different worlds—joy and sorrow coexisting yet never intertwining.
At that moment, Yuan Jun was waiting at the entrance for Old Shao and Jiang He.
"Let's take the elevator to the sixth floor first," Yuan Jun said. "There’s a fire escape that leads up to the rooftop. I've already asked for surveillance footage; it should be ready soon."
Old Shao nodded in agreement.
The Commercial Building stood tall, its elevator a panoramic one that ascended slowly, allowing passengers to gaze through the transparent glass at the street view outside. In the distance, Wutong Square came into view, surrounded by a circle of colorful lights that looked beautiful in their vibrant hues. Street vendors called out their wares, cars flowed like a river, and dancers moved gracefully while couples held hands. Everything unfolded before their eyes, almost overwhelming them.
With a "ding," the elevator doors finally opened, and several people stepped out.
Inside the Commercial Building, the atmosphere remained bustling. However, in the fire escape corridor, a different scene unfolded. Security personnel were already waiting at the entrance of the fire escape. Yuan Jun walked toward the corridor and said to the security guard, "The manager should have given you a heads-up just now, right?"
The guard nodded and confirmed through his walkie-talkie before allowing them to enter.
"I asked," Yuan Jun continued. "The fire escape leads to the top floor, but we need to climb up."
As he spoke, a straight ladder appeared before them.
The guard added, "The cover above isn't locked; anyone can go up. But usually, no one comes this way, and we have security patrolling. If someone does come by, we should see them."
Old Shao shook his head and grabbed hold of the ladder with one hand. "No, you can't stop someone who's determined to end it all."
With that, Old Shao was the first to climb up to the top floor.
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