Chapter 59: Consoling the Spirits of the Departed in Heaven

Seeing Wang Hu immediately kneel triggered Xiao Yu’s suspicion.

Was he acknowledging the situation, or was it a ploy? It seemed unlikely for someone accustomed to taking bold risks. Given the magnitude of the case, capture would spell certain doom.

As everyone relaxed, thinking the suspect was surrendering, Wang Hu, on the ground, sprang into action, lunging at Xiao Yu. Moreover, he brandished a sharp knife he’d concealed.

‘The national football team hasn’t made it to the World Cup yet, and here I am, caught up in this mess,’ Xiao Yu internally scoffed, swiftly launching a defensive kick.

Thud!

Before Wang Hu could close the distance, Xiao Yu’s foot found its mark.

“Uh!”

Wang Hu’s body seized up as he grappled with the excruciating pain, his face contorting in agony. A blow to the groin is mercilessly painful.

“Thought because I am young and good looking, I’d be easy to bully?” Xiao Yu regarded the crumpled Wang Hu with a mix of disbelief and disdain. “You seem to lack a bit of brainpower.”

“…”

National Security and the armed police on the scene exchanged looks of disbelief.

‘Little brother, how did you get so streetwise?’

Two officers from National Security approached, cuffing Wang Hu who lay on the ground, convulsing and crying out in pain.

Xiao Yu and Wang Dong entered the container.

They both sharply inhaled at the sight before them.

Countless corpses filled the space, each encased in a transparent plastic bag, piled within the container. These bodies had all been frozen, rendering the interior of the container chillingly cold.

It was evident that these were the bodies Wang Hu intended to smuggle.

Was he foolish?

Hiding in such a frigid place without fear of freezing to death?

No.

He had ducked into the container upon realizing the police might be on his tail. Unfortunately, his hiding spot was compromised.

Every container was opened for inspection. Out of twenty-five containers, five were found to be filled with the deceased’s bodies.

In total, one hundred bodies were discovered.

***

Wang Hu, along with the freighter’s captain and crew, were taken into custody and escorted back to the municipal bureau.

Through interrogation, it was revealed that the freighter operated as a vessel for smuggling, specifically transporting bodies overseas for Wang Hu.

Did other countries not conduct inspections?

This showcased the sophistication of smuggling operations.

Special vessels await in international waters to rendezvous. Before reaching customs, the bodies were transferred to other ships out at sea, circumventing official scrutiny.

This maritime corpse smuggling channel had been in operation for many years.

With the leads clarified, addressing the international smuggling chain was feasible.

Through the confessions of the freighter captain and others, the methods of sea rendezvous, information about the opposing personnel, and more were thoroughly investigated.

Wang Dong reached out to the National Security Headquarters, which in turn, coordinated with the International Criminal Police.

What of the international smuggling network?

Given the Dragon Kingdom’s current global standing and power, especially in a significant international case like this, no individual or even country would attempt to impede the Dragon Kingdom over such a heinous crime.

This case flagrantly violated the very essence of humanity. 

It wouldn’t be long before the criminals abroad were apprehended and brought to justice.

Regrettably, the remains of some victims might never be recovered. After all, too much time had passed.

Xiao Yu felt a profound sense of powerlessness regarding this matter.

Being new to the police force and directly encountering such a case, retrieving the remains exceeded his capability.

Over six years, some remains might have been irretrievably lost.

Could they possibly be restored?

Xiao Yu could only ensure that the mastermind would face justice, offering solace to the spirits of the departed in heaven.

***

Upon further interrogating Wang Hu, Xiao Yu and Wang Dong were met with unsettling news that furrowed their brows. 

The mastermind, Ge Jiyang, wasn’t a citizen of the Dragon Kingdom but was of Chinese descent, with the original name Owen. This revelation explained why he was untraceable in the national database.

Owen had genuinely assumed a fake identity by bribing the original ID cardholder with a substantial amount of money to use their identity. 

It’s astounding what some would do for money.

Wang Hu further revealed that Owen was the brain behind the corpse smuggling operation, having orchestrated everything seven years ago. Wang Hu’s role was merely to bribe officials at the crematorium and the owner of the freighter for the transport of the corpses, while Owen managed the operations abroad.

However, Wang Hu did share some promising news. Although Owen had been alerted about the incident at the crematorium, he hadn’t left the country yet, though he was no longer in the city.

The hunt for Owen began. 

Locating Owen proved straightforward with the city’s comprehensive surveillance system, Sky Eye.

The purpose of using someone else’s ID card was to facilitate travel. 

For instance, hotels, which often retain surveillance footage, would have records. Alternatively, based on descriptions provided by Wang Hu, the police technicians could sketch Owen’s portrait.

Meanwhile, the National Security notified all airports and ports nationwide to prevent Owen from exiting the country using his original identity and issued a wanted notice. 

With the net cast wide, his escape seemed improbable.

Yet, after two days, Owen had vanished without a trace.

***

In T city, Xiao Yu and Wang Dong disembarked from the plane. 

Owen’s last known location was in this city. He had purchased a villa within a high-end residential area under the alias Ge Jiyang. Owen was seen entering this community a day ago and hadn’t been spotted since.

The villa’s door was found unlocked, and the police had already conducted a search. Not only were there no signs of Owen, but there was also no trace of any living being inside. The surveillance footage from the community was intact. Technical analysis confirmed there was no possibility of Owen disguising himself to exit the area.

Was it possible for a person to just vanish into thin air? If so, one must wonder about the real purpose behind their presence on Earth.