Chapter Four: The Eerie Womb

This discovery filled me with excitement, and I hurried to notify Tang Jingjing and Director Wang, telling them to come at once as there had been a major breakthrough! Meanwhile, I wasted no time in conducting an analysis of the uterus. Xia Feng was equally diligent and immediately began sorting and processing the uterus for urgent laboratory testing.

Director Wang was the first to arrive. As soon as he walked in, he asked, “What have you found?”

I replied, “I suspect the missing uterus from the female dormitory victim was eaten raw by this man. We discovered the uterus in his stomach.”

Director Wang, a cigarette dangling from his lips and eyes wide in shock, was clearly startled. “Does this mean there’s a connection between the two cases?”

“We can’t say for certain yet,” I told him. “We’re still waiting on the DNA test results.”

Just then, Tang Jingjing rushed in, panting heavily. Perhaps because of her angle, she hadn’t seen Director Wang. She burst in and shouted at me, “Yu Mingxuan, if this isn’t a truly major clue, don’t blame me for not warning you—when Director Wang arrives, he’ll chew you up and spit you out like chocolate!”

Cold sweat broke out on my forehead; this time, it truly wasn’t intentional.

Director Wang’s face darkened instantly. Tang Jingjing caught sight of him and let out a startled gasp, glaring at me as if she wished she could devour me.

“Hmph, shouting and causing a scene every day—how utterly improper! It seems your written apology was for nothing.”

Tang Jingjing immediately wore an apologetic expression. “Director Wang, I… I will reflect deeply on my conduct.”

Panting, Director Wang asked, “Where have you been?”

“I went to speak again with the dormitory supervisor who reported the case,” Tang Jingjing explained. “She said when she pressed her ear to the door, she could hear crying. But as soon as she unlocked and opened the door, the crying stopped abruptly, and then she saw… saw two female students lying naked and dead on the bed.”

This time, Director Wang finally slammed his palm down on the table. “Tang Jingjing, you’re one of the top students in the criminal investigation unit. How can you disclose such information so carelessly? Do you realize the implications if this gets out to the media?”

Hearing this, I felt a chill run through me. Tang Jingjing’s words implied that the dormitory supervisor heard the cries of ghosts.

The forensic doctor had established the time of death as early yesterday morning, while the supervisor reported the case at noon. By noon, the bodies had long since died; there was no way anyone could still be crying. If crying was heard, what else could it be but the wailing of ghosts?

Tang Jingjing hurriedly said, “Director Wang, perhaps I didn’t ask clearly. I’ll go back and investigate again.”

Director Wang’s expression softened somewhat.

Tang Jingjing secretly raised her tiny fist at me, to which I could only smile wryly. It’s your own bad luck, you can’t blame me.

“Yu Mingxuan, do you have any new discoveries?” Tang Jingjing asked.

I then told her about the uterus.

Just then, Xia Feng returned, holding a laboratory report.

“How did it turn out?” Director Wang, despite his calm demeanor and cigarette, was more anxious than anyone.

“Director, the DNA monitoring results show that the uterus belongs to the twenty-year-old female corpse from the dormitory,” Xia Feng replied.

Director Wang stubbed out his half-smoked cigarette on the table. “This is a mess—things are getting more and more complicated! Notify everyone for a meeting.”

The evidence department, criminal investigation unit, forensics department—all police involved in these two cases attended the meeting. Unexpectedly, the usually stern Director Wang introduced me first and even praised me, saying I had immediately grasped a key clue.

Everyone looked at me in surprise, probably because Director Wang rarely praised anyone.

Director Wang then explained the issue of the uterus. As soon as he spoke, the room erupted in astonishment.

The final outcome of the meeting was to investigate the two cases together, as Director Wang suspected the male victim was the perpetrator.

After the meeting, Director Wang called Tang Jingjing and me into his office.

He maintained his cold, detached expression, smoking as he said, “Mingxuan, from today, you’ll assist Tang Jingjing from the criminal investigation team. I’ll write up a new file for you.”

“Director, I’m only a trainee forensic doctor…”

“Who says forensic doctors can’t investigate cases? Don’t think I don’t know your fa—” Director Wang paused mid-sentence, then changed his words, “Anyway, if you’re afraid, get out now.”

With things as they were, I could only shrug.

Outside, Tang Jingjing asked what my next move would be.

I smiled. “You’re the team leader; I should be asking you.”

“Director Wang said you’re my assistant. If you’re scared, leave. Lucky for you, I spotted your talent.”

I realized Tang Jingjing was taking the opportunity for revenge.

I said I needed to go back and check whether the bloodstains found on the female corpse’s chest matched those of the male victim.

Yet, I was still puzzled; the bloody handprint on the girl’s breast was clearly that of an infant. How could that be?

Returning to the morgue, as I lifted the white sheet covering the male corpse’s head, I was startled.

The male corpse’s mouth seemed stuffed with something. When I pried open the mouth, I was shocked to find the uterine meat packed inside.

Xia Feng was startled as well.

I immediately turned to Xia Feng: You’ve been in the autopsy room the whole time, right?

Xia Feng replied: Yes.

I suspected someone had sneaked into the autopsy room, so I rushed out to check the surveillance cameras. Since this was the police department, the corridors were monitored—anyone coming in would be caught on tape.

But as soon as I stepped out, I collided hard with a middle-aged man.

This middle-aged man, with a full beard and the air of an artist, was Chief Li from the evidence department.

Seeing me, he hurriedly asked, “Mingxuan, I was just looking for you!”

I asked, “Did the uterus go missing from the evidence department?”

After the DNA test, the uterus had been stored there as evidence.

Chief Li nodded repeatedly. “The evidence department is staffed around the clock—outsiders can’t get in. How could such crucial evidence just disappear?”

I took a deep breath. “Chief Li, I need to tell you something. Don’t be alarmed. The uterus fragments have been stuffed into the male corpse’s mouth, and our female forensic doctor in the autopsy room knows nothing about it.”

Chief Li and I exchanged a look.

We didn’t speak, but in each other’s eyes, we both read the same word: uncanny!

The only solution was to check the surveillance footage. I immediately called Tang Jingjing, asking her to copy the footage and bring it over.

But the results shocked us: no one had entered either the evidence department or the forensics department during this period!

“Could it really be a haunting?” Chief Li was so anxious he was nearly in tears.

I felt a chill down my spine, and my thoughts flashed to the terrifying legend of the ghost infant.

Tang Jingjing cautiously asked, “This case is so bizarre, and now this has happened—could the real culprit… not be human?”

Chief Li hurriedly shushed her. “Don’t say such things! Mingxuan, I want to discuss something with you in private. Come with me.”

“What’s there to discuss that you can’t say in front of me? I’m coming too.” Tang Jingjing, annoyed by our secrecy, was visibly upset.

Chief Li led me straight into the men’s restroom, leaving Tang Jingjing outside, stamping her feet in frustration.

It turned out Chief Li wanted to take the evidence back and pretend nothing had happened. After all, he was retiring this year; if he were disciplined, he might not even receive his pension.

I understood Chief Li’s predicament. The case was so uncanny, it was hardly his fault, so I readily agreed.

Chief Li patted my shoulder happily. “Good lad, I owe you one. If you ever need help, come straight to Uncle!”

After letting Chief Li take the evidence, Xia Feng finished his shift, and Tang Jingjing, suddenly uneasy, tugged at my sleeve: “Mingxuan, do you think the ghost infant is behind this?”

I smiled. “Do you know what my father always said to me? ‘There are no ghosts in this world; a skilled hand clears injustice.’”

Looking around the empty forensic room, my mind drifted back to a strange case recorded in a notebook I’d seen at home as a child.