Chapter 614: Heartbroken
Until after six in the evening, all the sleeping brothers had gotten up. A group of them rubbed their eyes and stretched lazily.
"How's it going?" Lu Dapao hurried over.
The group yawned and gathered around Lin Chuan.
"No news yet." Lin Chuan shook his head.
"How come there's still no news after so long?" Zhou Kai scratched his curly hair, shirtless, and walked out.
Just when everyone was looking frustrated, Lin Chuan's phone rang.
"Lin Chuan," Zhang Wenhui's tone was grave.
"Captain Zhang, what's the situation?" Lin Chuan asked anxiously.
"You'd better hurry to the pier," Zhang Wenhui urged.
"What's wrong?" Lin Chuan felt a sinking feeling in his heart.
"Just come quickly," Zhang Wenhui's tone was very heavy.
After hanging up, Lin Chuan dashed outside.
"There's a situation," Lin Chuan hurriedly said: "Gather at East River Pier."
Zhou Rui also hurriedly ran with Lin Chuan.
After getting into the cars, three vans raced along the road very swiftly.
Upon arriving at East River Pier, more than ten police officers were busy on the scene, with speedboats on the water apparently retrieving something. The scene was already cordoned off. As the three vans arrived on scene, two police officers immediately shouted, "No outsiders, stay back from the scene!"
Lin Chuan led his group and pushed through directly.
Just as the two police officers were about to stop Lin Chuan and his group, Zhou Kai brandished two axes and roared fiercely, "Dare to move and I'll chop you dead!"
The two police officers were immediately frightened and stood still, not daring to move.
Lin Chuan led the group and charged over.
"Old Zhang, what's the situation?" Lin Chuan asked anxiously.
"Have a look if that's the van!" Zhang Wenhui pointed to a Jinbei van not far away.
"Yes, that's it!" Zhou Kai and the others shouted vehemently.
"The police have found this van here after a search," Zhang Wenhui started, "but from the traces at the scene, I'm afraid you need to be prepared mentally!"
"What?!" Zhou Rui suddenly felt dizzy.
Although Lin Chuan had already braced for the worst, the sudden turn of events left him somewhat scared and nervous.
"What's the situation?" Lin Chuan asked.
"Blood was found in the car, and also, follow me," Zhang Wenhui pushed through the crowd and then walked towards the side of the pier. The group also followed.
Several police officers were photographing and collecting evidence at the scene, with several discarded cement bags on the pier still containing some cement.
"From the bloodstains on the car and the footprints and traces here, it's highly likely your mother was murdered," Zhang Wenhui took a drag of his cigarette and said, "Moreover, the perpetrator used a deeply malevolent method to destroy the body."
"Cement-filled chemical drums!" a police officer photographing nearby added.
Click, click...
Lin Chuan's teeth were almost cracking, and his fists clenched so tightly they crackled.
"Of course, it's still possible it's not," Zhang Wenhui patted Lin Chuan's shoulder and said, "We've already sent people to dredge, let's wait for the final result."
However, Lin Chuan well understood that the scene clearly involved the most heinous method of disposing of a body. The cement bags still contained fresh cement; had it been there for an extended period, it would have solidified, not remaining powdery.
"Got it!" Suddenly, a police officer on lookout shouted urgently.
Whoosh whoosh...
Everyone crowded around.
A frogman emerged from the water at that moment and gestured with an 'OK' sign.
Soon, the police on the speedboat started hauling, and not long after, a heavy chemical drum was retrieved from the water and pulled towards the shore.
Lin Chuan felt a stabbing pain in his arm, while Zhou Rui beside him had turned pale. Her hand squeezed harder involuntary, pinching Lin Chuan's arm with increasing force, her nails digging into his flesh. Zhou Rui was also very scared; she dreaded that the person found in this chemical drum could really be Mrs. Lin, knowing how devastated and heartbroken Lin Chuan would be. She didn't want Lin Chuan to suffer.
It was not only Zhou Rui, everyone on the shore felt anxious for Lin Chuan.
Soon, the chemical drum was pulled ashore.
Indeed, there was a body in the barrel, a female corpse, filled with a large amount of cement, leaving only the shoulder and above exposed. The hair was gray and white, and the face was swollen from soaking. It was completely unrecognizable.
At this moment, the forensic expert standing by immediately stepped forward to conduct the examination. Soon, the results were out.
There were multiple abrasions on the body, and a radiative wound on the back of the head; the fatal injury was that wound on the back of the head, caused by blunt force trauma leading to brain death.
Lin Chuan dared not look, he was afraid to see what was inside.
This was the first time he had ever been afraid in his life. Previously on the battlefield, he was always victorious and strategic, never fearing even when storming the headquarters of terrorists. But now, he was afraid to look at a corpse.
Lin Chuan was frightened, Lin Chuan was terrified.
At this point, Zhou Kai and others gathered around. A group of people looked for a long time but couldn't determine if it was her.
"This... doesn't look like it!" Zhou Kai hurriedly said.
"After soaking for over ten hours, the face has swollen," Zhang Wenhui, wearing white gloves, manipulated the corpse's head to check the wound at the back of the head, then spoke: "Comparing with the video, the clothing matches, and the shape of the deceased's face is very similar to Lin Chuan. According to my judgment, there's a 90% chance it is her. Of course, we still need Lin Chuan's final identification."
The identification by a family member was the final step.
Lin Chuan stood far away, scared, and dared not step forward.
"Lin Chuan!" Zhou Rui glanced at Lin Chuan.
"Yes!" Lin Chuan took a deep breath, reassuring himself that it surely wasn't his mother.
However, when he approached the chemical barrel, he completely collapsed.
"Mom! Mom!!" Lin Chuan instantly went mad, throwing himself at her.
No matter how badly swollen the face of the corpse was, or how twisted the features were, he recognized at a glance that it was indeed his mother.
"Lin Chuan, restrain your grief," Zhang Wenhui rushed to hold back Lin Chuan.
Bang...
Lin Chuan grabbed Zhang Wenhui's arm and flung him far away. The strength was astonishing.
Zhang Wenhui was shocked; he did not expect Lin Chuan to be so strong. Strong enough to surprise him.
Lin Chuan lunged forward, crashing heavily onto the ground, hugging the chemical barrel, tears streaming down. Lin Chuan's crying was agonizing; in that moment, he felt like his world was collapsing, as if heaven and earth were shattering, and seas drying up and stones crumbling. He frantically banged his head against the hard chemical barrel, quickly bleeding profusely from his forehead.
"Lin Chuan!" Zhou Rui rushed over, holding Lin Chuan tightly, cradling his head in her bosom, continuously comforting, "Please don't do this, I'm begging you, don't torment yourself like this..."
Zhou Rui's crying continued, but she knew she must not cry; she had to be strong. At this time, someone was more heartbroken, more miserable than herself, and she had to comfort him, to give him emotional encouragement and solace.
Zhou Kai wiped his own tears with his sleeve. Da Pao turned his head away, unable to watch the scene. Huang Bo's eyes were swollen, tears kept flowing. All the brothers at the scene cried. Lin Chuan's crying was not out of cowardice or timidity. It was a mourning for his mother.
Who isn't born from a mother? Who isn't a piece of flesh from their mother's body?
Having been conceived in ten months, bearing a fetus, nurturing a life, but what is born is a whole world.
"Brother Chuan, restrain your grief," Zhou Kai stepped forward to stop Lin Chuan's self-harm.
Zhou Rui used her bosom to block Lin Chuan's self-harm, and even though she was almost spat blood from being bumped by Lin Chuan several times, she kept holding on. Her breasts were soft, and she could only use them to protect Lin Chuan.
There was no filthy thought, no obscene mentality.
This was just a woman's protection for the man she loved.
Officers at the scene also sighed at this scene. Zhang Wenhui rubbed his arm. Although he had seen many deaths and witnessed various family members crying, only Lin Chuan's desperate crying moved Zhang Wenhui.
For Zhang Wenhui, the crying of many sons and daughters always had some hypocrisy. However, Lin Chuan's crying made Zhang Wenhui feel a profound sense of filial piety.
Zhou Rui held Lin Chuan tightly, fearing that Lin Chuan might not make it through. She held Lin Chuan close, crying while saying, "Lin Chuan, I beg you, please don't treat yourself like this. You're only making everyone more upset."
"Mom, your son is unfilial, your son is unfilial…" Lin Chuan's crying never stopped.
It lasted for more than half an hour, and during this half-hour, Zhang Wenhui ordered the other officers to halt. Only after half an hour did Lin Chuan's emotions somewhat stabilize, his eyes bloodshot, filled with murderous intent.
"Mom, I'll carry you home," Lin Chuan suddenly stood up.
"Chief Zhang, this…" an officer hurriedly said, "We need to take the body back for autopsy. This involves a case of murder."
"Let him be," Zhang Wenhui said, "You've all seen the situation. The fatal wound is at the back of the head. You've also taken photos. Just let him take the body back!"
"This is against the rules," the officer hurriedly protested.
"Rules are dead, people are alive!" Zhang Wenhui rebuked.
"Yes!" the officer promptly nodded.
In fact, Zhang Wenhui was aware of such regulations. However, at this moment, any rules were invalid in front of Lin Chuan. If they really wanted to take the body back, they would probably need to step over Lin Chuan's own body. To avoid unnecessary conflict, Zhang Wenhui had to let Lin Chuan take the body back.