chapter 9
We called the police.
The police arrived quickly.
Homicide cases are usually major incidents, so a lot of officers came.
There were forensic experts, trace examiners, and crime scene investigators.
They also brought some specialized tools, dismantled the wardrobe, and even tore down the wall.
We were all present at the scene, witnessing the entire process of the wall being taken apart, and saw the owner of that ‘human-shaped’ figure.
It was a woman. No one knew how long she had been dead, but it must have been a long time, because the body had already turned into a skeleton. Thanks to the long hair, dry as straw, it was possible to tell the gender.
When the mummified corpse was carried out, a foul, putrid stench instantly filled the entire room.
I had never smelled anything so disgusting before; I could hardly describe it.
And perhaps because of the cement, the clothes on the corpse were remarkably well-preserved.
When we saw the clothes on the mummified body, both Meng Yifan and I collapsed to the ground in shock.
A black long dress, red high heels…
Wasn’t this exactly what the girl who knocked on the door was wearing?
“Ugh-”
The four of us rushed to the bathroom and vomited violently.
The only bathroom was occupied by all four of us, each taking turns to throw up.
Meng Yifan and I vomited the hardest, not just because of the sight of the mummified corpse or the unbearable smell.
More importantly, the owner of that corpse had been dead for so many years, yet we might have seen her just last night…
A female corpse was excavated at the scene. Mr. Hu was both shocked and furious, erupting in anger and cursing us, saying we had no conscience for selling him such a Stigmatized Property.
He cursed so viciously that he insulted our ancestors for eighteen generations, and even the police couldn’t calm him down.
But to be honest, we were innocent in this matter.
We had no idea anything had happened in this house, let alone that a corpse was hidden inside.
As agents, we were only responsible for connecting sellers and buyers. Although we had a duty to inform, that was only if we knew something had happened in the house.
In the end, Mr. Hu made such a scene that even the neighbors came out to see what was happening. The police couldn’t take our statements on the spot and had to take us back to the station.
…
That day, Meng Yifan and I didn’t get a moment’s rest.
First, we went to the police station and cooperated with the officers to finish our statements.
Originally, we could have left after the statements, but Mr. Hu refused to let us go.
He had two demands: first, he wanted us to cancel the sale; second, he wanted us to compensate him for twenty thousand yuan in damages.
The twenty thousand included renovation costs for the house and mental distress for him and his wife.
Canceling the sale was a given; both emotionally and logically, the seller had to refund him because it was a Stigmatized Property.
As the agents, we also had to refund the agency fee.
But Meng Yifan refused to pay the twenty thousand in damages, since it was no small sum.
The police had already completed the first round of investigation and preliminarily ruled out suspicion for all of us, including Mr. Hu, so we were no longer involved in the Corpse Hiding Case.
As for the dispute between Mr. Hu and our agency, that was a civil matter, so the police referred it to the local precinct for handling.
So, just as we stepped out of the police station, we found ourselves entering the local police substation again.
The substation spent the whole day mediating for us, but even by nightfall, nothing was resolved.
That seller has now been summoned by the police. If the seller turns out to be connected to the Corpse Hiding Case, it’s almost certain that the buyer’s request to return the house will become a real headache.
After we left the substation, Mr. Hu and his wife were still cursing at us.
“You unscrupulous agents, just you wait!”
“I swear I’ll sue you!”
“Tomorrow I’m going to the court to file a lawsuit against you!”
Watching them drive away, Meng Yifan’s face was as dark as it could get, chain-smoking one cigarette after another.
Actually, the house return doesn’t mean much of a loss for us. Even if we have to pay compensation of ten or twenty thousand, it’s just a small sum.
But what we’re really afraid of is getting dragged into a lawsuit. For people in business, a lawsuit means damage to reputation, and that’s fatal. If things go badly, it could ruin our future business.
“My grandfather used to tell me that our family isn’t cut out for business, that something would definitely go wrong if we tried. I never believed him before, but now I do.”
Meng Yifan’s expression was as grim as ever. He sighed, “If this lawsuit really happens, I might even have to close one of my stores.”
I didn’t know how to comfort him, so I just said we’d take things one step at a time.
After a whole exhausting day, both of us were worn out. We didn’t plan to go back to the office; we just wanted to go home and get some rest.
As for the Corpse Hiding Case, it had nothing to do with us anymore. The strange things Meng Yifan and I experienced in that house-we’d just treat them as a nightmare.
What we had to face next was the lawsuit, and that was the most important thing.
When I got home, I felt like that corpse stench was still clinging to me. It was disgusting, so I went to take a shower.
After showering, I collapsed into bed and fell asleep immediately.
Sleeping in my own bed was so much more comfortable. I didn’t have to worry about something knocking on the door in the middle of the night.
That house-I’d never go back there for the rest of my life. Whatever was inside had nothing to do with me anymore.
But things didn’t turn out to be as simple as I thought.
Even though I was clearly sleeping at home, in the middle of the night, that knocking sound started up again.
After two nights of bizarre events, I didn’t stay in bed like before. Instead, I shot up like a startled bird, sitting bolt upright in terror.
Because I woke up so suddenly, my mind hadn’t caught up yet. For a moment, I almost thought I was still in the master bedroom of that house.
But when I saw the layout of my own room, I realized I was at home.
That didn’t make me feel any better. In fact, I was even more terrified. I quickly grabbed my phone from beside my pillow.
Midnight…
It was midnight again!
The knocking outside continued, as if it would never stop unless I opened the door.
I froze in bed, barely daring to breathe.
What on earth was going on?
I was clearly home, so why was someone knocking on my door?
Clutching my phone, I crept out of bed, opened the bedroom door, and walked into the living room.
By now, the knocking was getting louder and clearer, but I didn’t dare go any closer to the door.
Summoning my courage, I shouted, “Who is it?”
From outside the door, a faint voice drifted in.
“I’m looking for Li Xiumei. Is Li Xiumei home?”