Chapter 193: There Are Many Ways

Facing the gaze of the female forensic doctor, Xiao Yu felt a bit uneasy inside.  

‘What’s up with that look? Are you planning to dissect me or what?’

Clearly, Xiao Yu was overthinking it. The numbness in the forensic doctor’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by curiosity as she looked at Xiao Yu.  

“And you are?”  

Normally, people couldn’t casually enter an autopsy room. Even those within the system needed permission. Xiao Yu being able to walk in directly spoke volumes.  

“Criminal Investigation Unit, Xiao Yu.” Xiao Yu extended his hand. “Hello, Sister He.”  

“Xiao Yu? That name sounds familiar…”  

He Li tilted her head in thought. She removed the bloodstained gloves from her hands, tossed them into the trash, then took off her mask, revealing an ordinary face.  

In her forties, there wasn’t anything particularly striking about her appearance—just average.  

She shook hands with Xiao Yu and smiled. 

“Ah, now I remember, you’re that Xiao Yu?”  

Am I really that famous? Xiao Yu smiled without answering.  

He was well-known in Bencheng, especially within the system. And forensic doctors were also part of that system.  

“I didn’t expect Officer Xiao to be so young.” He Li joked, “What can I help you with?”  

It was clear that, despite being an older woman, she had a lively, cheerful personality.  

“You’re too kind,” Xiao Yu chuckled. “I’m looking into a case. Six years ago, there was a family of three who committed suicide here in the city. You were the one who performed the autopsy. Do you remember it?”  

“Six years ago?”  

He Li thought for a moment, then nodded. “Three bodies, a family of three… yes, I remember that.”  

“Do you recall any specific details?” Xiao Yu asked, a bit sheepishly.  

Asking someone to recall something from six years ago was indeed a tall order.  

“I’ll have to think hard about it.” He Li focused on remembering. “There are some details I don’t remember too well. I only recall that, outwardly, the bodies seemed to have died from poisoning. But…”  

“But what?” Xiao Yu’s eyes lit up.  

“The one thing that really stood out from that autopsy…” He Li’s expression became serious. “The family of three had indeed died from poisoning—a mix of cockroach and rat poison.”  

“Yes, that’s right,” Xiao Yu nodded.  

He had to admit, the forensic doctor’s memory was impressive. For most people, after more than six years, such details would be hard to recall.  

“But there was something really odd about it,” He Li said, her expression turning strange.

“Strange?” Xiao Yu’s eyes glimmered with curiosity. “What’s strange about it?”

“The smell,” He Li confidently said, “It was a smell most people couldn’t tolerate.”

‘What a strange detail.’ Xiao Yu frowned.

Then, a sudden realization. With his medical expert ability, Xiao Yu had extensive knowledge of countless substances.

What are the common ingredients in rat poison?

Typically, substances like fluoroacetate, fluoroacetamide, botulinum toxin, sodium fluoroacetate, and others are used.

Many people think rats are unintelligent, eating anything they come across. But that’s not true.

While rats have poor eyesight, they possess a strong sense of smell. They consume rat poison because the poison has specific scents designed to attract them. These chemical compounds are often present in rat poison. 

However, humans find these odors unbearable. Even the smell alone can be repulsive to people.

Similarly, cockroach poison contains compounds that attract roaches. And just like rat poison, cockroach poison has a smell that humans find even more intolerable.

Mixing these two types of poison with rice and boiling it into porridge?

Imagine making a hot, steaming bowl of something as disgusting as sewage. Who in their right mind would want to eat that?

Sure, maybe some bizarre individuals might be into it. But if you’re already planning to kill yourself, wouldn’t you choose a more comfortable method?

Was jumping off a building not appealing enough?

Was slitting your wrists not satisfying?

Or was turning on the gas too much of a hassle?

Why would someone go out of their way to make their last moments so unbearable?

“These two types of poison can mix, but when combined, they cause a chemical reaction.”

As He Li recalled the autopsy of the family, a flash of insight crossed her eyes. “For example, the human tongue and mouth are very sensitive to taste. When exposed to this chemical reaction, it would cause a sharp, stinging pain. Do you see what I mean?”

“I understand.” Xiao Yu’s eyes sharpened. “A normal person wouldn’t be able to eat it.”

“Yet somehow, they did.” He Li’s expression grew puzzled. “First, there’s the taste, then the pain. What’s even stranger is, during the autopsy, I found no signs that the poison was forced down their throats. Based on the analysis of the stomach contents, it seems they drank it willingly. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Not only did it not make sense, but it was also completely unscientific.

Xiao Yu narrowed his eyes, pulled out his phone, and opened the photo album.

Earlier, in the archive room, he had taken pictures of the autopsy report. He began reviewing the details again.

“Stomach contents: rat poison, cockroach poison, rice porridge… Wait a second.” Xiao Yu paused. “Porridge?”  

“Yeah, it was a rice porridge-like paste,” He Li confirmed, seemingly recalling the autopsy in full detail. “Why, is something wrong?”  

“Sister He, let me ask you something.” Xiao Yu blinked. “You know how to cook, right?”  

“Of course,” He Li nodded.  

“When you make porridge, do you cook it for a long time?”  

Xiao Yu frowned, “Like, until it turns into a thick, sticky paste kind of like snot?”  

Most people, when making porridge, stop while the rice grains are still visible.  

How many people would cook porridge until it became a sticky, gooey mess?  

It was not just a matter of time—it was about texture too.  

To fully break down rice into a mushy paste, it would take some effort. And based on the crime scene notes from the family’s suicide, the tool they used to cook the porridge was an old-fashioned rice cooker. One of those simple ones where you just press a button, and it automatically switches off when done.  

To turn the rice into that kind of thick porridge, the cooker would need to cycle at least three to four times. That would take about an hour to an hour and a half.  

If someone’s planning to commit suicide, would they really spend that much time making an unappetizing, unappealing mushy porridge for their last meal?  

“It doesn’t make any sense,” He Li exclaimed, her voice filled with realization. “I can’t believe I missed that back then. No normal person would go through the trouble to make such a thick, sticky porridge.”  

“Exactly, which brings us to a key question.” Xiao Yu nodded.  

“You’re asking…” He Li continued, “If there were no signs of forced ingestion, how did this porridge get into their stomachs? Did they really eat it themselves?”  

“It doesn’t have to be force-fed,” Xiao Yu smirked, as a thought crossed his mind. “There are still plenty of other ways.”