"Are you saying that the power of these explosive pills is weakening?"
"Yes, you could say that. It's like a half-finished product."
"Indeed." As we were conversing, Professor Huo suddenly murmured.
Although his voice was very soft, I still heard it. Curious, I looked at him and asked, "Professor, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. I originally came here to investigate this case. I heard you had already solved it, and I was quite happy about it, but now the situation is different. Someone has died again."
"Yes, maybe there's more than one manufacturing site for the explosive pills," I speculated.
Professor Huo nodded. At this moment, Zhao Simeng instructed her assistant to turn the body over. After a while, Sima Chao arrived, but Dr. Huang had not come yet.
Together with Zhao Simeng, Sima Chao examined the body and found another needle mark on the back of the neck. I looked down and observed, "This needle mark is only about two hours old!"
"That's right. But that's strange. What kind of drug could this be? And what does it have to do with the explosive pills?" Sima Chao wondered.
I said, "That's a good question. It seems like there's nothing more to discover here."
"Simeng, now it's your turn to help. We need you to dissect the body and analyze the substance injected. If it's venom, you'll be much faster than me!"
"Thanks," she replied.
I understood why she said that. During the poisoning case last time, if it weren't for Sima Chao helping with the toxicology analysis, Zhao Simeng would have been in quite a bind.
Their collaboration, combining both ancient and modern methods, was indeed powerful. As long as Dr. Huang didn't interfere, I believed their cooperation would be flawless.
After bringing the body back to the police station, we all got busy. Everyone in the station was thrilled by Professor Huo's arrival, and they invited him to the VIP room. Soon, the reporters arrived, as Professor Huo's reputation had already spread far and wide.
Before Professor Huo could even settle into the VIP room, he was quickly escorted by our Director Liu to the press room.
As soon as he arrived, many reporters raised their cameras and video recorders to take photos.
"We are honored to invite Professor Huo from Fuming City Police Academy to assist us in this investigation. I believe this case will be resolved soon, so everyone need not worry! We must give our police more support!" Director Liu said to the reporters.
Dr. Huang and I were also nearby, along with several important figures from the police department. The spotlight of the reporters was now entirely focused on them.
"Wasn't it previously said that the pharmaceutical factory producing the explosive pills had already been found? Why is this terrifying case still happening? Does this mean that the police forces are inadequate?" One reporter suddenly asked this sensitive question.
Professor Huo quickly replied, "Of course, that's not the case. Since I came here, we've already stationed multiple officers at every transportation hub in Fuming City: the train stations, airports, bus stations, hotels, even post offices, and so on. The criminals won't escape."
"That's right. I hope this foolish criminal will surrender to the police soon. Otherwise, once we catch them, their fate will be very different!" I added in a threatening tone, facing the cameras. I didn't expect to appear on TV, but for the sake of justice, if my parents saw this, they would probably feel proud of me.
At this moment, more reporters surged forward. One of them asked, "Officer He, we heard that this recent case happened just as you and Professor Huo were leaving the train station. Don't you think that's a coincidence?"
"I did think about that. Perhaps the murderer is taunting us."
Before I could finish, Professor Huo added, "He is quite ruthless, but doing this won't last long. We'll quickly find a way to bring him to justice. I advise the public not to buy painkillers recklessly, especially the ones advertised online!"
"Yes, Professor Huo, how long do you think it will take to solve this case?" Another reporter asked.
"I can't be certain about the exact time, but it will be resolved soon," Professor Huo replied.
If I were in his shoes, I would've said the same thing. Just as we were facing the reporters, suddenly another group of people entered the room. It seemed like another batch of reporters had arrived.
With so many people gathering, I could tell that Professor Huo's fame was truly significant.
As we were handling the crowd, unexpectedly, a reporter in a blue suit suddenly exploded with a loud bang.
We saw his abdomen burst open, and a flood of blood erupted from his body. The scene caused panic among everyone, and Director Liu quickly ordered the reporters to leave. However, despite the situation, the reporters, although frightened, couldn't resist the opportunity to capture the moment.
They frantically pressed their camera shutters, with the sounds of clicks echoing throughout the room. Many scenes were recorded. Dr. Huang immediately rushed to the body.
Turning to Sima Chao, he ordered him to bring over the forensic kit, and I quickly notified Zhao Simeng.
Damn, why did another person's abdomen explode? This time it happened right at the police station's press conference. If someone told me this wasn't horrifying, they'd be lying. After a series of checks, Dr. Huang said, "The abdomen has ruptured, and three ribs were broken, just like the previous case."
"Damn, how could this happen?" Sima Chao cursed.
I moved closer to the body and had them flip it over. This time, we didn't find a needle mark on the reporter's neck. When Zhao Simeng arrived, Dr. Huang said, "Young forensic doctor, there's no need for an autopsy. The situation is very similar!"
"I'll take a look." Zhao Simeng took out her usual tools. Since there had been many bodies to examine recently, I won't go into the specifics. After a while, Zhao Simeng stood up and said, "Regarding the female student's body, I've reached a conclusion. The explosive pills should have had a similar power to this one, but after she took the pill, she drank some milk, which reduced the explosion's effect."
Upon hearing Zhao Simeng's words, Professor Huo suddenly said, "So it was the milk!"
"Yes, Professor Huo, what's your take on this case?" Zhao Simeng asked, looking at him.
"Given the current situation, it can only mean one thing—other places are also developing explosive pills."
"Does that mean we need to investigate where these victims recently bought their medications?" I wondered.
There were still many complicated connections to look into, but I noticed something was off about Professor Huo. From the train station until now, I had already noticed him saying some strange things. Could the professor have something to do with this case?