Working in a Zoo with Beast Taming System

Chapter 312: Chapter 188: How to Kill with Animals? (2)

The fourth case: drowning while saving someone.

This was the most complex one.

A high school student jumped into a river to save an elementary schooler, only to drown himself. His heroism was undeniable, but for a young man who could swim to suddenly drown while he still had stamina—could there be other factors at play? For example, perhaps his legs had suddenly gone numb or cramped, either before he entered the water or while he was in it?

The abnormal flocking of birds was the key to why the elementary schooler had fallen into the water.

Yang Qi’s eyes were glued to the preliminary autopsy report for the fourth case. It only mentioned clear signs of asphyxiation from drowning and a few scrapes on the body, which were consistent with struggling in the water. There was no mention of any obvious external injuries or sudden illness.

’No mention...’

Yang Qi muttered to himself, ’No mention doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. What if it was an extremely subtle, non-lethal injected anesthetic or neurotoxin? Something that targeted a specific muscle group and had already been metabolized or broken down before he drowned and the autopsy was performed...’

The glint in his eyes grew sharper as a chain of events, based on the modified chameleon’s abilities, began to form in his mind.

The key was the chameleon!

It might have been modified to have enhanced strength, climbing ability, and the capacity to precisely deliver micro-doses of anesthetics or other agents.

Just then—

"THUD!"

A muffled thud came from two doors down, in the direction of Tang Yuan’s office. It was followed by Tang Yuan’s furious, low roar.

"What? You let him get away? What the hell are you guys good for? A whole team surrounding one old residential complex, and you still let him slip through your fingers?!"

The entire floor instantly fell silent.

Yang Qi didn’t move. He waited a moment before getting up and heading toward Tang Yuan’s office.

The door was ajar. After knocking and getting a reply, he pushed it open and walked in.

Inside the office, Tang Yuan had an ugly expression on his face.

"Advisor Yang, sorry about that. We didn’t catch him."

Tang Yuan exhaled. "The guy’s slippery as an eel. Our people had just reached the perimeter of the complex when he somehow caught wind of our arrival. He slipped out through an alternate exit he’d prepared, leaving behind a room full of miscellaneous equipment, a few empty cages, and some strange chemical residue."

Yang Qi didn’t seem surprised. Instead, he asked, "Director Tang, are there many trees around that old residential complex? Or are there a lot of birds roosting there? Sparrows, crows, that kind of thing."

Tang Yuan was taken aback by the question.

"Those old complexes always have plenty of trees, so I’m sure there are birds. Why?"

"Using birds as an early-warning system isn’t particularly difficult for a professional who works with animals long-term and can communicate with and train them to some degree."

Yang Qi explained calmly, "Especially for a professional animal killer from a secret organization like Li Jiahao. It’s highly likely he deliberately left food in specific spots around his hideout to form a simple ’early-warning pact’ with the local birds."

"If a large group of strangers, police officers, or police cars approach, the way the startled birds take flight and the frequency of their calls would serve as the perfect alarm for him."

Upon hearing this, the expression on Tang Yuan’s face grew even fouler.

The task force had considered surveillance, electronic signals, and social connections, but they never once thought the suspect might use something as primitive as ’animal sentinels’!

"So, Advisor Yang, you predicted our operation might fail?"

Tang Yuan asked, his voice strained.

Yang Qi didn’t answer directly. Instead, he countered, "Director Tang, the fourth case... is the high school student’s body still here? I’d like to see it myself to verify a theory."

"It’s still at the bureau’s forensic center. Advisor Yang, what have you figured out?" Tang Yuan pressed.

"I think I know how Li Jiahao uses animals to kill people," Yang Qi said calmly.

A jolt went through Tang Yuan.

"Go to the forensic center immediately. I’ll arrange the paperwork."

Tang Yuan said decisively.

"Thank you, Director Tang," Yang Qi said.

「Soon.」

Yang Qi arrived at the forensic center.

The body of the high school boy who had drowned in the fourth case was stored in a separate refrigerated drawer.

After receiving the family’s consent and completing the necessary paperwork, two forensic doctors on duty helped move the body for examination. One was Forensic Doctor Liu, an experienced man in his fifties, and the other was a younger man in his early thirties, Forensic Doctor Xiaowang.

Yang Qi didn’t look at the deceased’s face or other obvious areas. His gaze fell directly on the lower limbs, specifically the calf and ankle region.

"Forensic Doctor Liu, Forensic Doctor Wang."

Yang Qi pulled on a pair of gloves and pointed to an inconspicuous spot on the back of the deceased’s right calf, midway down the gastrocnemius muscle. "Could I trouble you to closely examine the muscle tissue in this specific area? See if there are any subtle differences in its microstructure, texture, or any chemical residue compared to the surrounding tissue."

The younger doctor, Forensic Doctor Xiaowang, leaned in for a look. He gently pressed the area with his fingers, then shook his head. "Advisor Yang, visually and by touch, I don’t see any difference. It’s just normal muscle tissue, a little slack from being in the water."

But the experienced Forensic Doctor Liu didn’t jump to a conclusion so quickly.

He took out a specialized magnifying glass and a penlight, leaned in close to the spot Yang Qi had indicated, and began observing it with extreme care. His fingers gently traced, pressed, and compared the area along the muscle fibers.

After a moment, Forensic Doctor Liu’s brow furrowed. He looked up, his eyes filled with a mixture of shock and suspicion.

"That’s strange. The muscle in this area feels... a little ’softer’ to the touch than the surrounding tissue. It’s not the softness of decomposition, more like the textural difference you’d find in a minor contusion that’s started to heal. But there’s no obvious bruising or signs of injury. It’s incredibly subtle. You’d barely notice it without making a specific comparison."

"Could it have been caused by some kind of special anesthetic or biotoxin that only targets local muscle nerves?"