Life in North America, you call this an autopsy officer?!
Chapter 117 - 104: I’m Going to Kiss, No Time to Listen to Your Nonsense (Extra - 2 for Alliance Leader ’Pretty Sister’)

Chapter 117: Chapter 104: I’m Going to Kiss, No Time to Listen to Your Nonsense (Extra Chapter 2 for Alliance Leader ’Pretty Sister’)

Knock, knock, knock~

After knocking on the door as a courtesy, Brian pushed the door open and entered.

Susan was teasing Shi San with beef jerky. Seeing Brian push the door open and walk in, she glared at him, "Brian, staff member, mind your status!"

"Of course, I know I’m a man. No need for a reminder, team leader," Brian chuckled, pulling out a folded movie poster from his pocket. "While I was out playing, I found this limited-edition signed Western cowboy poster at a shop. Took some sweet-talking, but I managed to buy it."

Susan’s eyes lit up when she saw the poster, and she snatched it away: "It’s a signed limited edition movie poster from ’Death Duel’! I couldn’t get it even with tens of thousands of US dollars. How did you find it?"

Brian shook his head, "Not clear, maybe it was divine guidance, thinking it should end up in your hands. By the way, the case you asked me about before, is it another case besides the poisoning case?"

Susan nodded:

"Yes, a maniac, roaming at night, wearing a clown mask and wielding a large sledgehammer, appearing at any secluded place, waiting for his prey to come to him.

There have been four victims already.

One surveillance captured a blurry image of the assailant, but it’s not much help. The assailant acts quickly and indiscriminately, kills and then leaves, the next appearance is random.

The iconic mask and sledgehammer are also common Halloween costume styles.

You know.

Halloween is coming up soon.

This has made our investigation very difficult."

Brian looked into her eyes, "But the poisoning case, it involves your future here."

Susan shrugged, "It doesn’t matter. I came here on a bet with my father, and the former A1 team leader who had me bet is already dead. I can go be a Bounty Hunter any time, which is my dream."

"Tsk tsk," Brian said, full of disappointment. "You really don’t feel any remorse for leaving me and Shi San behind. You’re truly heartless!"

"Woof~"

Shi San, who was vigorously munching beef jerky and had no idea what ’heartless’ meant, still barked in solidarity.

Slam!

Susan slammed the table and stood up, "What’s the use of being remorseful! If you’re capable, solve the case within three days!"

Whoosh~

Almost the instant Susan’s palm hit the office desk, Shi San had already jumped down from the table with the beef jerky and hid to one side.

Susan, originally serious, was amused by Shi San’s reaction: "Like owner, like dog. Alright, Brian, people come and go in life. You’re the highest-ranked in team B6; when the time comes, I’ll recommend you as the new team leader."

"No, no, no," Brian said, extending a finger to refuse:

"B6 team can’t be without you, just like the West can’t be without Jerusalem!

Susan, without you to take the blame, I don’t want to keep messing around at NW. Let’s make a bet. One day, I’ll solve the poisoning case within one day!"

Susan was somewhat embarrassed by Brian’s words.

Was she really that important in Brian’s heart?

She looked down, fidgeting with the revolver on her waist: "What’s the bet?"

"If I win, you let me kiss you!"

Susan looked up, eyes filled with danger: "And if you lose?"

Brian shrugged, "I’ll take a loss and let you kiss me twice."

"Get lost!"

Susan immediately drew her revolver.

A man calling his dog, the dog with its beef jerky, and the pair skedaddled in disarray.

...

After leaving.

Brian was about to discuss today’s important task with Shi San.

A text message popped up on his phone: "How much for the limited edition signed photo? -Susan."

Brian replied instantly: "Ten brand new US dollars, a bit more for the aged look, fifteen US dollars. I bought you the most expensive one from a legit general store, the receipt is checkable."

Having conveyed his sincerity.

To avoid letting a woman affect his case-solving efficiency, Brian pocketed his phone, smiling while patting Shi San’s head: "Shi San, you’re not getting any younger. Want to try something for grownups?"

Shi San looked at Brian innocently: "Woof?"

Brian took out a small bag of powder: "Here, have a sniff. We need to find the place where this scent is strongest tonight!"

Poor Shi San, encouraged by his well-meaning but misguided owner, began his first misstep.

Actually, NW considered using well-trained police dogs to track down this batch of special illicit drugs, but it was a no-go.

The police dogs couldn’t tell the difference between the special and regular illicit drugs, nor could they understand overly complicated commands.

Brian and Shi San were different; they had the ability to think for themselves, analyze, and detect unique components in the special illicit drugs. They were like Transcendent version police dogs.

After a session of pheromone communication.

Brian started cruising the poor neighborhoods of Los Angeles in his newly purchased, beat-up secondhand car.

...

Elsewhere.

After Susan got home, she sat down next to her scantily clad best friend, still in a daze.

Her friend, who was watching a soap opera, noticed Susan’s state, with a wrinkled poster still in hand, as if witnessing the eruption of a volcano in Yellowstone National Park: "Oh my God, which witch has cursed you, Susan? This is the first time I’ve seen signs of you being in heat!"

Susan glanced at her friend and sighed, "Well, I think I really feel differently about Brian."

At this, her friend’s eyes sparkled, "Did he come back early?"

"He’s back."

"Did you do what I told you to?" Her friend looked around while speaking but realized she had already finished her fries, feeling a bit dry without more gossip.

Susan nodded and shared Brian’s reaction afterwards.

Hearing this, her friend scoffed: "Susan, I can smell the douchebag on him through your mouth. This guy..."

"Caroline!" Susan stood up abruptly, looking at her only good friend, her confidant, with disappointment. "Stop it! You just don’t understand him!"

Having said her piece, she returned to her bedroom and slammed the door loudly.

Caroline rolled her eyes and flicked a flying razor blade from her finger: "Interesting, my man’s about to be stolen..."

...

At past four in the morning.

A man and his dog mechanically stuck their heads out of the window, desperately inhaling the outside air as if it were a lifeline.

Suddenly.

Shi San’s listless eyes lit up, "Woof! (Big dog, there’s a scent here!)"

"Oh."

Brian got out of the car, taking Shi San with him toward the direction of the scent.

There was no other way.

After a prolonged search.

They had already found similar scents over a hundred times.

But every time they followed the trail to where the scent vanished, they found either a hideout or residence of drug addicts, or they were left clueless by buildings, chairs, or even telephone poles.

It made no sense at all.

It was as if those special contraband goods had fallen from the sky.

After so many times.

Brian had become numb to it.

Shi San’s thoughts were much simpler; each failed attempt just made it more spirited, like playing a game more vigorously...

..

Following the scent.

They passed through an alley, then a residential area, finally arriving in front of a desolate building.

Only a dim streetlight was on nearby.

A few bare trees were scattered in disarray, festooned with pairs of glowing eyes.

"There are so many crows?"

Brian squinted his eyes.

He recognized at a glance that these sizeable North American crows were not common here; adults could reach forty to fifty centimeters in length, usually living in the wilderness, though some also liked to live in cities, catching mice and small insects to survive.

The key was, these creatures usually moved in small groups, three to five together. But looking at the number of eyes, there were at least thirty to forty pairs—something was not right!

"Shi San, go!"

Feeling the thick scent around him and noticing that those crows kept staring in this direction, Brian quietly said to Shi San.

"Whine~"

Shi San responded with a whine and slipped into the building ahead.

Brian meanwhile continued to wander around the building.

Only when he saw the sign did he realize that this place was actually a small, private Crematorium.

Crematorium, crows...

Brian clenched his fist tightly.

Damn it!

Finally found you!

...

These small Crematoriums are usually family private businesses, sole proprietorships with no small maintenance costs but not many business operations to rely on, primarily earning money through cremation and selling coffins and other services.

Also, part of this cost had to be shared with the funeral parlor employees.

Hence, the staff were usually family members, or even just one person.

Seeing that Shi San hadn’t returned yet, Brian glanced at those crows, took out a large bottle of colorless isoflurane liquid from his pocket, found a position upwind of the crows, and chugged down the entire container of anesthetic liquid.

Before these liquids had any effect, under the influence of Brian’s body, they were isolated and decomposed into the gas, which then emitted through his pores, mingled with the air, and became volatile isoflurane anesthetic gas clusters.

After just over a minute.

Crows began plummeting from the branches.

After stomping a few to death, Brian leaped straight onto the top of the Crematorium’s surrounding wall and followed Shi San’s scent in pursuit.

The Crematorium wasn’t large.

Three to four minutes later, Brian followed the scent to a storeroom where coffins and funeral items were kept.

That silly dog Shi San was foolishly guarding in front of a drainage pipe.

Seeing Brian approach.

It wagged its tail happily, "Woof~ (Found it~)"

"Silly dog.", Brian guided it like an old father, pointing out the marks it had left while sneaking in, and then, following the drainpipe, they found the entrance to the underground.

Brian had worked at the Forensic Bureau, following some older forensic doctors on fieldwork to some old-style Crematoriums.

These old-style Crematoriums often had an underground space where furnaces were periodically inspected, and diesel was added.

Seeing the surveillance camera over the underground entrance.

Brian couldn’t be bothered to sneak anymore.

He pulled out a gun, told Shi San to move aside, then shot three times at the door lock from around a corner.

After the three shots.

Brian kicked powerfully.

With a muffled thud, the thick wooden door was kicked open, revealing a dark passage leading underground.

Brian took a deep breath, his state fully activated, and charged into the passage.

Such places didn’t span large spaces.

In just three or five large strides.

Brian arrived in a cramped space that had been modified and filled with stacked organs and refining equipment.

A man in his thirties, wearing a gas mask, looked up somewhat sluggishly. Seeing the gun-wielding Brian, those dull eyes only moved slightly before he reached to remove the gas mask, trying to say something.

Bang, bang, bang, bang~

Four consecutive gunshots rang out.

Brian looked at the man whose limbs had been crippled and said with a smirk, "Sorry, I’ve got to go smooch, no time to listen to your bullshit..."