Chapter 81:抢尸体 (Seizing the Corpses)

Du Long slammed the report onto Ma Guangming's desk, walked over to the sofa, and collapsed onto it, saying lazily, "All three bodies have two obvious gunshot wounds. The two victims from the Tieling coal mine both suffered through-and-through gunshot wounds to their left shoulder and left arm. From the size of the wounds and the amount of blood, these were injuries sustained before death, and the bullets entered from the front. The bleeding was not heavy because their heads were soon shot from behind. My conclusion is that after being hit, they were afraid and tried to escape, but were then shot dead by the gunman. The injuries to both victims are similar, and the fatal wounds are consistent. I suspect it was the same gunman. The gunman intentionally wounded them to watch them run, and then delivered the fatal shot. The gunman is a psychopath."

Ma Guangming frowned and said, "How did the man from Black Gold Company die? Did you figure it out?"

Du Long said, "Obviously, he was shot in the thigh. Although he bled a lot, it did not hit a major artery, so we can infer that he lived for at least half an hour after being injured. His fatal wound was to the forehead, with the bullet still in his brain. The gunshot entry wound is clear, and there are even visible traces of gunpowder. He was shot at close range. After he was injured, he had already been evacuated from the scene. Who else but his own people from Black Gold Company would kill him?"

Ma Guangming said, "You mean... to balance or reduce pressure, they shot one of their own after the two deaths at Tieling coal mine?"

Du Long nodded silently, and Ma Guangming closed his bloodshot eyes, asking, "Can you guarantee your judgment is correct? How come I didn't know you studied forensic medicine?"

Du Long said, "I studied forensic medicine on my own. As a genius in criminal investigation, I naturally need to know a bit about everything."

Ma Guangming said in a deep voice, "You can brag all you want, but we don't have much time. The families of the deceased are probably on their way. What if they don't allow an autopsy?"

Du Long smiled and said, "Uncle Ma, have you heard of the mandatory autopsy regulations? They were passed by the Supreme People's Court last year and are now being implemented nationwide. For any body with suspicious causes of death, an autopsy can be conducted without the family's consent, ordered by the local higher authorities."

Ma Guangming said, "Hmm, I'm not very familiar with this. Since there's a legal basis, it's easier to handle. Perhaps the cases of these three victims can be a breakthrough, bringing light to the people of Wuxi County."

Du Long smiled and said, "Uncle Ma has finally made a decision."

Ma Guangming sighed lightly and said, "It's not easy... I want to make it clear to you. If I get into trouble, you won't escape either. We're now tied to the same rope like grasshoppers!"

Du Long laughed, a confident laugh... The families of the deceased indeed arrived at the county government soon, demanding the return of the bodies for cremation. Ma Guangming personally explained the policies and reasons to them, but with little effect. In more backward areas, people are particularly resistant to autopsies. For people in these remote and backward regions, not being buried whole is a very terrifying thing. Simple explanations are useless.

Facing these misled citizens, Ma Guangming was at a loss. Early in the morning, more and more people gathered, and the influence of Black Gold Company in Wuxi County was evident.

Ma Guangming knew that most of these people were incited. He could even recognize some familiar faces in the crowd, but he couldn't have them arrested. As the crowd's emotions grew more agitated, Ma Guangming frowned deeply, thinking hard for a solution. Suddenly, an ambulance screamed out from behind the government building, and the crowd hurriedly moved out of the way. Du Long poked his head out of the driver's seat and shouted to Ma Guangming, "Mayor Ma, I'll take the bodies to another place first, and bring them back after the autopsy. See you later!"

Before the people surrounding the county government could react, the ambulance had already turned onto the main road, and most of the crowd at the county government gate shouted and chased after the ambulance.

The imminent crisis at the county government gate was averted in an instant. Ma Guangming couldn't help but secretly admire Du Long's sudden clever move. He sighed in relief and turned to his secretary, Lu Shunyu, and said, "Xiao Yu, call some armed police from Yuming City to guard the three bodies. No one is allowed to approach them. If anyone asks, tell them Du Long took the bodies away."

Lu Shunyu ran back to the back of the county government building and returned shortly. He whispered something in Ma Guangming's ear, and Ma Guangming's face changed instantly. He silently cursed in his heart, "This little rascal, he really took the bodies away!"

Du Long drove the ambulance with the siren blaring, speeding along. He knew it wouldn't be long before someone came after him. In a small place like Wuxi County, there was no room for maneuver. If he got blocked, it would be bad. Black Gold Company's influence in Wuxi County was deeply rooted, and Du Long didn't want to lose this only chance.

Taking the bodies away was a last resort. There were many people in the county government, both openly and secretly, helping Black Gold Company's boss, Li Wuwei. If the bodies hadn't been taken away, the news would have spread quickly, and those people would have returned to surround the county government, possibly even rushing in to seize the bodies. With enough people and chaos, anything could happen. At that time, whether Ma Guangming's response was strong or weak, it would be criticized. So Du Long decided to take the bodies away, leaving the people with no excuse to surround the government building.

However, this transferred the danger and responsibility to himself. Du Long was well aware of this. He was not familiar with the roads and traffic in Wuxi County, so he drove along the route he had come from, heading towards Yuming City. As long as he left the jurisdiction of Wuxi County, would Li Wuwei dare to send a large group to chase him to Yuming City?

Soon, Du Long noticed a suspicious Liuwei Wuling minivan following him. The Wuling minivan is the most popular minivan in China, seen everywhere, but this one immediately caught Du Long's attention. It was clearly chasing the ambulance and soon caught up.

The minivan did not rush to overtake the ambulance but stayed behind. Soon, several more minivans joined, surrounding Du Long like they were escorting a leader. Du Long quickly realized their intention: they wanted to force the ambulance to the outskirts and then stop it to seize the bodies.

Du Long had no other choice but to step on the gas and speed forward. However, it was not easy to shake off the cars behind him. Just then, a fork in the road appeared ahead. The minivans behind him suddenly accelerated, with two of them rushing in front of the ambulance. They braked sharply after passing the fork, blocking the road with their minivans. The drivers jumped out and gestured for the ambulance to turn.