099 Special Markings and Autopsy

"All right. But may I ask how long I’ll need to go?" Du Ruo frowned as he considered it. He had originally wanted to ask many things, but after thinking it over, he held them back. He had never intended to refuse anyway. As a citizen, he had a duty to cooperate with or assist the police, and since the man had already said he was from the criminal investigation division, there was no need to press for every detail. Still, asking about the time was reasonable, since they had only said they wanted his assistance in an inquiry, not that he was being treated as a suspect.

"To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. It shouldn’t take too long."

The middle-aged man answered with a smile. Behind him, a female officer withdrew her gaze from the courtyard and looked at Du Ruo with open curiosity, as if trying to find what was so unusual about him.

"Then could you give me a little time? There are a few things I need to arrange," Du Ruo said, glancing toward the three women in the yard.

"Of course. How about this: we’ll wait for you in the patrol car outside. Is fifteen minutes enough?"

The middle-aged officer was very courteous and spoke with a pleasant manner.

"Enough. It’s only a few words."

Du Ruo nodded, then watched as the middle-aged officer led the young man and woman out of the courtyard.

"A Qi, your younger cousin has already learned most of it. Not to mention her husband—so long as an ordinary person isn’t armed, she can even handle them now. I still have things to do here, so I won’t see you off."

Du Ruo spoke directly to Li Qiyao. He had taught her younger cousin grappling and restraint techniques in order to repay Li Qiyao’s kindness, so when something came up, he still preferred to speak to Li Qiyao directly.

"No, no, do your work. And I’m not going back either. My cousin can drive home herself. When she gets back, she can help look after my studio. I’ve decided to stay and keep Yuanyuan company until she gets better, so just mind your own business," Li Qiyao said, a little embarrassed. Du Ruo had helped her so much that she felt what little she had done for him was nothing in comparison.

"Fine. Then help keep an eye on the guesthouse while you’re at it. Call me if anything comes up."

Aside from that, Du Ruo really had nothing else to arrange. He did not even know how long he would be gone; perhaps he would be back by afternoon, so there was no need for further instructions.

After a moment’s thought, however, he returned to his room and took a newly tied bundle of hidden weapons before leaving the courtyard and heading toward the patrol car.

"All right, let’s go."

By the time Du Ruo reached the car, the three officers were waiting beside it.

"Then get in. Don’t be nervous, Boss Du. We just ran into a few difficulties and wanted to ask you for advice."

The middle-aged officer was clearly experienced. Once they were in the car, he explained a little to Du Ruo, partly to reassure him and keep him from feeling uneasy.

The young officer drove, the female officer sat in the front passenger seat, and the middle-aged officer sat in the back with Du Ruo.

"I’m not nervous. I just don’t understand why you’re looking for me. I’m only a small-time innkeeper. I don’t seem like someone who could help you with anything."

"Boss Du, you’re being modest. I’ve seen your photo myself."

After speaking, the middle-aged officer saw that Du Ruo still looked confused, clearly not knowing what photo he meant. Only then did he take out his phone, pull up an image, and hold it in front of Du Ruo.

"Look. This was sent over by the Wildlife Research Institute some time ago. We were all rather shocked at the time. After a routine inquiry, we investigated you a little and made a special note of it. That was when I saw this photo."

The photo the middle-aged officer showed Du Ruo was the one taken that day in the pine grove when Du Ruo fought the wild boar—the third punch. Come to think of it, that shot did make him look rather impressive.

"Oh, that one. I really hadn’t expected anyone to have photographed it. So, Officer, what exactly is this special note?"

Only then did Du Ruo understand why the city bureau had come to ask for his assistance. His interest was piqued as well. He had never heard of such a thing before, so he asked a few more questions out of curiosity.

"It’s for people with special abilities. As long as they have no criminal record and no bad habits, they’ll be specially noted. For example, highly skilled locksmiths, inheritors of anti-gambling traditions, experts in counterfeit currency, and other specialists with distinctive talents. Someone with your kind of martial skill is actually quite rare in our Hui Province."

Smiling, the middle-aged officer explained. Then he added, "Of course, this kind of special note isn’t made public. It only circulates internally. Only when a special case arises will these special talents be checked first. Or when we run into a difficult problem, we’ll invite people like them to help with the investigation. Specialists naturally understand their own fields better. Sometimes they can offer a lot of different perspectives, which makes solving cases easier."

"I see. I had no idea these few moves of mine could contribute in such a way."

Du Ruo finally understood. No doubt they had come to him because of some special case. He just did not know what kind of case it was.

"Boss Du, this isn’t just a matter of ‘a few moves.’ Anyone with a special note has been evaluated by us, and we have professionals in this area."

After a pause, the middle-aged man continued, "After all, people like you become subjects of focused attention. When certain judgments are made, the standards are raised as well. For instance, in ordinary legitimate self-defense, the rules are upgraded for people like you to make the determination. Bare hands against weapons, and weapons against firearms—that kind of defense is what counts as legitimate self-defense."

He was clearly offering a reminder. Of course, it was only an analogy. The actual judgment belonged to the judge, and the matter was far more complicated than he was making it sound. Still, he believed Du Ruo would understand.

"So that’s how it is. The restrictions are pretty significant, then."

"Not just anyone gets classified as special talent, either. I’ve been on the job for several years, and this is the first time I’ve heard of it."

At that point, the female officer in the front passenger seat turned around. As she spoke, she could not help glancing at Du Ruo again. She simply could not see what was so special about him, but as an insider, she still trusted the authority of the designation.

"Haha, it’s not just you. In our Hui Province, Boss Du, you’re the first person like this I’ve ever seen. Before, whenever we ran into a special case, we still had to wait for someone to be sent down from above."

After saying that, the middle-aged officer burst out laughing.

He was an old hand at this. A few casual exchanges were enough for him to explain the background to Du Ruo, which could prevent Du Ruo from becoming nervous and make any mishap less likely. It also gave Du Ruo a rough idea of what lay ahead, so he could prepare himself.

The patrol car sped along as the four of them chatted. Now and then, the officer driving would also ask a question or two.

Everyone kept things restrained, though, and the conversation stayed on everyday matters. No one pried into anything too private.

The car moved quickly. From the countryside to the city took just over an hour. Instead of heading to the parking lot, the vehicle stopped directly at the entrance to the municipal bureau.

"The man at the entrance is our Deputy Director Shi. He’s in charge of criminal investigation, economic crime, narcotics, network security, and so on."

Before getting out, the middle-aged officer leaned close to Du Ruo and said this in a low voice, then opened the door and stepped out.

"Director Shi, this is Master Du Ruo. As soon as he heard we needed assistance, he came right along with us. I haven’t even told him the details of the case yet."

The middle-aged officer introduced the two men to each other after getting out.

"Master Du, thank you for taking the trouble. Once this case is wrapped up, I’ll treat you to dinner."

Deputy Director Shi shook Du Ruo’s hand warmly. His words were polite, almost ceremonious. It was clear this was their first time working together, and he did not yet know the specific circumstances.

"It’s no trouble. I’m just worried I won’t be able to help much."

Du Ruo did not make any grand promises. He still did not know what was going on, and it never hurt to be modest.

"All right. I still have a meeting to attend. Team Leader Huang, take Master Du to have a look first and see if he can spot anything."

After the pleasantries were over, Deputy Director Shi left. Only then did Du Ruo learn that the middle-aged officer’s surname was Huang.

"Master Du, would you like to rest a bit first, or should we get straight to work?"

Team Leader Huang walked ahead, his steps somewhat hurried, though he still did not cut straight to the point.

"Let’s get to work first. I may not necessarily be able to help. If I can’t, then you can always invite someone else with greater expertise."

Du Ruo did not want to waste time. There was no need for flattery or building connections. If he could not help, the other side would merely treat him to a meal and send him back. But if he could help, then there was no need for much talk; they would naturally handle their relationship with him properly.

"All right, then come this way. This time, we’ve run into a homicide. The forensic examination showed that the victim had obvious external injuries, but they couldn’t find a fatal wound. It looks like death from a heart attack, yet the impact site is a little unusual, and even the weapon can’t be confirmed. That’s why we wondered whether it might be some special technique used by a martial artist or something of the sort, and why we asked a professional like you to come and help."

Only then did Team Leader Huang begin to reveal the details of the case, though he did not go into depth. He merely explained the part that required Du Ruo’s assistance.

Du Ruo said nothing and thought nothing further. Only now did he realize that perhaps they had asked him here simply as a process of elimination. If they could uncover useful information, that would be ideal; if not, then so be it. In that case, there would be nothing more for him to do.

Team Leader Huang led Du Ruo straight to the morgue in the forensic division.

"This is the specialist we invited today. Is the victim from Case 721 ready?"

There was only one forensic doctor working in the division, and as soon as Team Leader Huang arrived, he asked the question directly.

"Team Leader Huang, he’s already in the autopsy room. I’ll take you there."

The forensic doctor glanced at Du Ruo, nodded to Team Leader Huang, and then led them to the autopsy room. He opened the door but did not leave; instead, he stood aside and watched.

"If Master Du still can’t determine the cause of death, then we’ll proceed with the autopsy. The case has reached a deadlock, and we can’t keep dragging it out."

Team Leader Huang explained to Du Ruo, then walked over to the autopsy table.

The temperature in the autopsy room was noticeably lower. Once inside, Du Ruo’s first sight was a sheet of white cloth draped over the stainless-steel table. The victim must have been beneath it.

"These are gloves and masks. Put them on first."

The forensic doctor handed out several pairs of gloves and masks to the three of them. Then he walked over, gently lifted the white cloth, and a male corpse appeared before them.

The dead man’s face was blue-white, and many parts of his body bore deep purple blotches. The spread of those bruised-purple marks drew Du Ruo’s attention at once.