The autopsy was scheduled at Riverside City General Hospital's forensic center. Even though Captain Lane had done everything possible to keep it quiet and minimize attention, word still spread like wildfire.
Outside the task force itself, almost every forensic pathologist in Riverside showed up. Some had even driven in from other cities, timing their arrival precisely—they weren't about to miss seeing the legendary former state advisor in action.
"Detective Song retired, didn't he? Captain Lane must have some serious pull to bring him back."
"Yeah, exactly. Is it really this Lolita case that dragged him out?"
"Listen to yourself—you're clearly new. Song's seen every kind of bizarre murder there is. You think this one's special enough to make him break retirement?"
"But I heard his weak spot is his wife. Maybe former Chief Huang pulled some strings?"
One of the pathologists nearby quickly shut down the gossip: "Stop speculating. He's only here to fulfill Lily's last wish—performing her autopsy himself."
"Less chatter, more focus. Take good notes. This is a once-in-a-lifetime master class."
There was no way to hide Alex Song's appearance, so to keep things low-profile and avoid putting him in the spotlight, Lane had officially listed him as a "guest lecturer."
And so, the man known as a living legend stepped into the room and delivered one of the most gripping anatomy demonstrations anyone there had ever witnessed.
"Oh my God—he's examining both bodies at the same time?"
The speaker was a familiar face: Luo Weiwei, chief forensic pathologist from Wucheng City.
Standing beside her was Bai Yidao—the same guy who'd once tried to sabotage Alex during the Lucky Cat case.
Years had passed. The two were now married and respected elites in their department, specially seconded to Task Force 150 for this investigation.
Gone was their old arrogance and resentment. What remained was deep, genuine respect for the man before them.
Other members of the task force were also present—people Alex remembered well: tracking expert Li Jin and interrogation specialist Gu Xiangrui.
Every pair of eyes locked onto Alex. The low murmurs that had filled the hall died instantly the moment he entered. The room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone was waiting—eager for the performance, especially for the long-absent Song family techniques.
On the consent form for autopsy, Captain Lane signed the family section with solemn care.
"I know Lily would have wanted this. All her life, the one thing she dreamed of most was finding the truth."
The hall was deathly still. Even the usually proud Luo Weiwei moved with unusual care, quietly presenting her earlier autopsy report with both hands.
Alex accepted it, gave a small nod.
"You've improved a lot. Still—I need to verify everything myself."
The Lolita girl, Chen Ting.
The fallen officer, Lily Hopper.
The two bodies lay side by side on the steel tables, like two wilted flowers giving off the cold, sweet stench of early decay.
Alex put on his mask and latex gloves and began with Lily's body.
He knew this was her lifelong wish—to watch her idol conduct a full forensic lecture.
This was the closest they would ever be.
"Lily, I'm here. Tell me everything you can."
Just one week ago she had been a bright, laughing girl, gushing and calling him "Brother Alex."
Now she was a cold, pale shell.
If he had known it would end like this, would he have made different choices back then?
He didn't know. He didn't dare think about it.
Alex closed his eyes, forcing away the emotions that had no place here, and began what would be his first—and only—conversation with Lily's corpse.
To fit the "lecture" format, he started with the formal basics:
"Remember: throughout the entire postmortem, a forensic examiner must instruct their assistant to document everything and photograph every significant finding."
"Always wear mask and gloves. Observe the body's exterior carefully—pay special attention to abrasions, needle marks, defensive wounds. Injuries on the arms and hands often indicate resistance against the attacker. Fingernails are one of the best places to recover the perpetrator's skin cells and DNA."
...
Next, he produced a wooden rod.
"This is my old friend, the bone-listening rod—made from cypress. Cypress is dense; it transmits sound beautifully."
Alex pressed the rod against the chest, abdomen, and back, then tapped each limb and listened. The time of death matched Luo Weiwei's report exactly: three days prior.
"Moisture in the mouth, dilated pupils, conjunctival hemorrhage, ruptured eardrums from pressure. Lily Hopper's findings are consistent with drowning. Trace water residue in the airways indicates she was placed in water during the agonal phase—near death."
"Before death, she endured extreme cruelty. There's blunt-force trauma to the skull, hidden beneath the hair."
Then he repeated the process on the second body.
"Chen Ting died approximately one week ago. Cause of death: exsanguination. Fingernails pulled out at the root, eyes enucleated, hair redyed. No foreign biological fluids detected. Limbs show dislocation and fracture at joints, with suture marks—she was fashioned into a doll."
All of this aligned with Luo Weiwei's report. After his examination, Alex gave a single verdict:
"Completely accurate."
Luo Weiwei looked almost flattered, but then Alex added:
"But there are things you missed."
He produced an angle gauge and bent over Chen Ting's body, measuring something at the elbow.
"Detective Song… what are you doing?" Luo Weiwei hesitated, then asked.