SFTD -Chapter 25 Giant Cadaveric Swelling (Part 5)

“Mm.

Through the victim’s fingerprints, we were able to retrieve his detailed information.

The deceased was named Xu Zekai, male, born in December 1990, twenty-four years old, a native of Southeast City.

We just tried contacting his aunt. She should be here shortly.

Xu Zekai went to study in England during his second year of high school. His grades were excellent, and he studied architecture. Between 2012 and 2014, he traveled frequently between the UK, the US, and China.”

As he spoke, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in!”

A couple in their fifties walked in trembling slightly. It was obvious the two were well-mannered and doing their best to control their emotions.

“Hello, my name is Xu Xiangyun. I’m Xu Zekai’s aunt. This is my husband, Wan Ziyun.”

Captain Huang stood and guided them to their seats.

“I’m Huang Zhongsheng, deputy captain of the East District Criminal Investigation Division. These are my colleagues. Please don’t be nervous. I already explained over the phone that we only need you to help identify the deceased.”

Xu Xiangyun gave a slight nod. The man beside her wrapped an arm around her shoulders and softly comforted her.

“Alright, I understand. I’ll try my best to stay calm.”

Zhou Hai handed her the photograph of the tattoo.

“Do you recognize this tattoo?”

Xu Xiangyun glanced at it before passing the photo to her husband behind her.

“I’ve never seen this tattoo before.”

Captain Huang looked puzzled and was about to speak, but Zhou Hai pressed down lightly on his arm.

“Do you remember whether Xu Zekai underwent hernia surgery around the age of four or five?”

Xu Xiangyun thought for a moment before answering.

“Yes, I remember. When he was four and a half, he got into a fight with another child. After he came home, he complained of stomach pain, so they took him to the hospital. It turned out to be a very severe inguinal hernia.”

“At the time, there weren’t suitable mesh implants available domestically. So you accepted the doctor’s recommendation and went abroad for treatment, correct?”

Xu Xiangyun nodded repeatedly.

“That’s right! On the third day, my older brother took him to England. At that time, the Huatai Construction Group branch in the UK had just been established. My brother went there first to oversee operations, so they used that opportunity to have the surgery done there.”

Zhou Hai pulled out a photograph of the hernia repair mesh.

“This was the hernia repair patch removed from the victim’s right groin. Based on the material, size, and stitching method, we determined that the deceased underwent hernia repair surgery abroad. As for this tattoo, it was probably done within the last two years to cover the scar.”

Xu Xiangyun took out her phone, her trembling hand raising it shakily.

“I’ll ask my son. He and Kaikai were extremely close.”

Zhou Hai glanced at Huang Zhongsheng, and Captain Huang immediately understood the look.

He quickly stopped Xu Xiangyun.

“Wait. There’s no need to confirm that for now.”

Xu Xiangyun froze.

“Because Xu Zekai’s fingerprints are a complete match with the database. I think you should notify his parents.”

“Alright.”

“Also, what kind of car did Xu Zekai drive?”

Xu Xiangyun’s husband, Wan Ziyun, thought for a moment.

“A Cayenne. Champagne gold. The license plate is Dong L 0008.”

“Very good. We’ll check whether there are any records of the vehicle’s movements. Right now, we need to visit Xu Zekai’s residence in Southeast City, and we’ll need your authorization for that.”

Captain Huang explained carefully.

“Kaikai owns property in Southeast City. I happen to have a spare key.”

As she spoke, Xu Xiangyun covered her mouth.

She didn’t cry aloud, but her entire body trembled violently.

It took her quite a while to regain control of herself. In the end, it was her husband who stepped outside to call the victim’s parents.

Captain Huang let out a long breath. Following standard procedure, he had someone apply for a search warrant. After returning to the room and taking his seat, he leaned forward with both elbows resting on the table.

“Although this may not be the best time to discuss it, we all hope to solve the case as soon as possible. Could you try to recall the last time you saw Xu Zekai?”

Xu Xiangyun wiped away her tears, thought for a moment, then took out her phone and opened her call logs and WeChat chat history with Xu Zekai.

“On March 8th, Kaikai called me and even ordered flowers for me, wishing me a happy holiday. He said he was flying to England that night. After that, we continued chatting on WeChat. Look, on July 12th, I even received birthday wishes from him.”

As she spoke, she handed the phone to Captain Huang. The group passed it around for a look. Captain Huang then opened a file folder and took out Xu Zekai’s immigration records for all of 2014.

January 15, 2014 — Returned to China from the UK.

February 17, 2014 — Departed for the UK.

February 25, 2014 — Returned to China from the UK.

After that, there were no further immigration records, and certainly no record of the March 8th departure Xu Xiangyun mentioned.

However, when compared against the airport photo Xu Zekai had supposedly sent her on WeChat on March 9th, everyone fell into deep thought.

The killer knew Xu Zekai’s habits frighteningly well—even preparing photos in advance.

“Xu Zekai had been returning to China frequently lately. Could there have been something he needed to deal with here?”

Captain Huang handed Xu Xiangyun’s phone to Zhou Hai.

Xu Xiangyun thought for a moment.

“It seemed Kaikai and Xiaozhi started a design company together. There was also a male classmate named Lü Shuo who came to help for a while, though I don’t know why he stopped coming later. After all, they all studied architecture and wanted to make something of themselves.”

“Xiaozhi? Who is Xiaozhi?”

Captain Huang asked in confusion.

Xu Biao interrupted the conversation.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I need to print these photos. Ms. Xu, is that alright?”

Xu Xiangyun nodded. A short while later, Xu Biao returned carrying several color-printed A4 sheets.

“Here’s your phone.”

Xu Xiangyun took back the phone and continued speaking.

“Oh, Xiaozhi is my son, Wan Zhiyong. Coincidentally, he and Kaikai share the same birthday, and they were also high school classmates. But our family’s financial situation wasn’t as good as my brother’s, so we didn’t send Xiaozhi to England. He graduated from Tongji University in Shanghai with a degree in architecture. Xiaozhi and Lü Shuo were also university classmates. Early last year, the three of them registered a company together. The name was…What was it again?”

Her husband Wan Ziyun added from beside her,

“ZK Zhikai Architectural Design Company! It was registered in the UK last year, and they even took on two projects there. Of course, Big Brother helped them out. He said it would make things easier when they returned to develop business domestically.”

“Alright, we understand. Please leave us the contact information for Xu Zekai’s parents as well as Wan Zhiyong’s number, so we can stay in touch conveniently…”

Xu Xiangyun nodded.

“Of course. Xiaozhi has been staying in Southeast City recently. But Kaikai’s parents probably won’t be able to return for the time being. Apparently, my older brother’s company overseas division is currently handling a major bidding project, so he’s extremely busy. And his mother suffered high-level paralysis from a car accident three years ago. Her mind is no longer very clear. She requires twenty-four-hour care now, so he truly cannot leave.”

Captain Huang stood and escorted the couple out.

Xu Biao noticed Zhou Hai hadn’t moved and still wore a deeply contemplative expression. He knew Zhou Hai must have thought of something, so he didn’t disturb him.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated twice.