SFTD -Chapter 219 The Incomplete Password (Part 3)

The ring looked somewhat shabby compared to the dazzling necklace around her neck. Zhou Hai, wearing gloves, carefully removed the ring. He found that the inner surface of the ring was very clean, while the diamond-studded exterior had dulled and lost its shine. In one of the embedded gaps, there was a small trace of white residue. He brought it closer to his nose and sniffed it—likely soap.

Her hair was slightly disheveled. The bun she had tied had come loose, with a strand of hair hanging over her shoulder. For such a glamorous appearance, this messy hair looked out of place.

Moving to the right side, Zhou Hai held the deceased’s wrist and gently lifted it. Her fingernails were painted a pale pink, but the edges of the manicure were badly worn. It seemed she had used all her remaining strength to leave behind the password.

Finally, Zhou Hai’s gaze fell on the incomplete code.

Looking at it again—“yll0127”—it now felt different… The last two characters seemed to be “ds,” but her fingers had stopped just before completing the final letter “s.”

“yll0127ds” — what did it mean? Had she failed to finish it? What was the missing part?

More importantly, what was she trying to convey by leaving behind this incomplete code at the moment of death?

And why hadn’t the killer taken any valuables?

At this moment, Fengzi had finished measuring the body temperature and calculated the time of death using the formula.

“Boss, based on body temperature, the estimated time of death is 11.5 hours ago. It’s 9:20 now, so the time of death should be between 9:30 and 10:30 last night.”

Zhou Hai lifted the deceased’s eyelids. Her corneas were clear, and only faint livor mortis appeared on the left cheek and palms. It confirmed that the time of death was indeed between 9:30 and 10:30 on April 12. They still had to wait for the autopsy.

“Move the body. We need to proceed with the autopsy immediately!”

Xiao Liang quickly ran outside. When he returned, the transport vehicle was already waiting at the entrance.

Xu Biao walked over to Zhou Hai. “This is already the fourth case. I think the first three have already been autopsied.”

Zhou Hai nodded. “This one is different. It’s different from the previous three cases. Don’t you feel like something is missing from the victim?”

Xu Biao was stunned. “Missing what?”

“A bag!”

“What woman goes out without a bag? Especially someone who came from Dongnan City to Migao. A trip like that—without a car, alone—what was she doing here? Cosmetics, phone, tablet, voice recorder… and clothes. She was only wearing thin clothing, so she must have brought thicker clothes too. Where are all these things?”

“Could it be a business trip?” Xu Biao guessed, then immediately shook his head.

“No. Like you said, if it were a business trip, she wouldn’t be alone, and she definitely wouldn’t have come without a car. Could the car have been stolen? A robbery? But if that were the case… wouldn’t the necklace around her neck be even more valuable?”

Zhou Hai gestured toward the entrance.

“Have Captain Hu check the nearby garbage disposal points. The victim should have been carrying a small suitcase. If we’re slow, someone might have already picked it up. Move fast.”

Fengzi stopped Xu Biao’s movement—he was closer to the exit—and quickly went out to find Captain Hu. Xiao Liang had already brought people in. Xu Biao cleared a passage for them to enter, as the scene still needed to be protected.

The body was turned over, ready to be placed into the body bag for transport. Xu Biao quickly stopped their rough handling, since it could alter the livor mortis patterns. The men carefully turned the body back.

Zhou Hai and the others exited the factory. Captain Hu and the forensic doctor Chu were standing in the yard. Seeing them come out, they hurried over.

“Doctor Zhou, any new findings?”

“Some, but not many. Has the suitcase been searched for?”

“We’ve already sent people to look,” Captain Hu replied.

Forensic Doctor Chu beside him peeked toward the factory.

“Doctor Zhou, please tell us your findings. We didn’t even dare approach the scene this morning, so we have no idea where the clues lead.”

Xu Biao got irritated and was about to retort, but Zhou Hai held his arm back. Although Chu’s tone was unpleasant, Captain Hu was clearly eager for information, so it made sense to explain.

“From the scene, there isn’t much we can determine.

Yu Lele was married, but not in a happy relationship. She often removed her ring and didn’t care much about it. She likely had a complicated private life. The necklace on her neck alone is worth over 230,000 yuan—not something an ordinary person would casually own.

She came to Migao alone last night, not on business. She likely came to meet someone. She didn’t drive, and her dress was still damp, meaning she walked in the rain for part of the way. The wind was strong, her collar was turned up, and even the inside of her collar was wet. Time of death is confirmed as 9:30–10:30.

Cause of death is obvious: drug poisoning. The dying message—the password she left—is incomplete. I haven’t figured out its meaning yet. We need to find her bag first. The autopsy won’t yield many clues in this case.

Captain Hu should also investigate whether anyone in the village saw any vehicles entering or leaving last night.”

Zhou Hai then called Xu Biao over and instructed him to check carefully outside the open entrance for tire tracks. A woman from Dongnan City couldn’t have walked all the way here on foot—there must have been transportation.

Seeing Xu Biao move, Chu’s expression stiffened. He felt embarrassed—after all, the perimeter had been his responsibility. He let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

“My God, Doctor Zhou’s analysis is impressive. How do you even know why she came to Migao? And how are you so sure she had a suitcase? From Dongnan to Migao, carrying a suitcase? It’s not a long trip. That doesn’t make sense. Maybe the suitcase was stolen?”

Captain Hu didn’t stop him; he also had the same doubts.

Zhou Hai raised a hand and stopped the body transport vehicle, then opened the body bag again. The victim’s prone position was revealed once more.

“There are two rings on her left ring finger. The wedding ring is so subtle it’s almost unnoticeable. Other jewelry appears well-maintained, except the wedding ring, which has soap residue. That shows how careless she was with it. The necklace is a Chow Tai Seng spring new model worth over 230,000 yuan. You don’t need me to explain whether a suitcase or a necklace is more valuable.”

Chu frowned but still refused to give in.

“Then what about the suitcase? Why are you so sure the killer took it?”

Zhou Hai looked at him.

“Good question. Look at the deceased’s flesh-toned stockings. The right leg has many mud splashes on the upper side, but the left side is mostly clean—except for two marks above the knee.

This means that while she was walking in the rain, she was dragging a suitcase, which blocked the mud. But the suitcase wasn’t large—it only blocked up to the lower leg.

Also, there were no wheel tracks found on the ground at the crime scene.

What does that tell you?”

Chu blinked, lips tightly pressed. If he understood, he wouldn’t need Zhou Hai’s help in the first place. He could only endure it.

Xu Biao returned just in time to hear the last part. He removed his gloves while looking at Captain Hu and Chu.

“Sigh. Watching you guys analyze this is frustrating. Why can’t you just keep up? The suitcase wasn’t brought into the factory—meaning it’s still in the killer’s car.”

Chu’s eyebrows shot up. “But there were no tire tracks at the entrance?”