The junior policeman shook his head slightly and led Jiangli and Fu Shiyan up the stairs through the nearby fire escape.
They bypassed the crowd downstairs and arrived at the forensic department on the fourth floor.
"Please wait here for a moment, our director and the chief will be up shortly," the policeman said as he stopped them at the door of the autopsy room.
Jiangli murmured a word of thanks.
He gave a shy smile, standing to one side, waiting together with them.
Fu Shiyan glanced at him, his face expressionless.
The junior policeman inexplicably felt a chill breeze, making the back of his neck cold.
He hissed softly, touching his neck, and looked fearfully toward the autopsy room.
This was the first time their police station had faced such a large case and seen so many bodies.
Naturally, the junior policeman, who had not long started his job, felt a sense of unease.
He touched the back of his neck and silently moved a bit farther away.
Fu Shiyan relaxed his raised eyebrows.
The junior policeman, now further away, felt much more comfortable.
Indeed, one should not stay too close to the autopsy room.
While everyone was waiting, the elevator arrived and stopped on their floor.
The moment the elevator doors opened, Jiangli, Fu Shiyan, and the others looked over.
They saw Chief Xu and Xun Tianhai supporting Liao Qianqian’s parents as they staggered out of the elevator with difficulty.
Liao Qianqian’s parents, stepping out of the elevator, saw the autopsy room in front of them and could barely move, their legs weak. Liao’s mother even collapsed to the ground with a grief-stricken wail.
Liao’s father’s face was drained of color as he mustered his last bit of strength, relying on Xun Tianhai’s support to keep from falling.
Seeing his wife on the ground, he struggled over, lifting Liao’s mother, and heavily patted the back of her hand, his voice hoarse but firm, "We have to see for ourselves, if it’s Qianqian... we need to take her home; she must be longing for it..."
Liao Qianqian, standing next to Jiangli, instinctively wanted to rush over when she saw her mother fall.
Seeing her father go over, she stopped.
Then hearing her father’s words, Liao Qianqian nearly collapsed.
Jiangli grabbed her, preventing her from lunging forward.
Liao Qianqian looked towards Jiangli involuntarily.
Jiangli’s expression was indifferent, not even looking at Liao Qianqian.
Liao Qianqian pressed her lips together, holding back tears.
Liao’s mother was helped up by Liao’s father, looking at her husband. The elderly couple supported each other and walked towards the autopsy room without relying on help from Chief Xu or Xun Tianhai, moving slowly.
Chief Xu sighed silently.
Xun Tianhai stepped forward to knock on the door of the autopsy room.
Soon, someone opened the door from the inside, dressed in autopsy attire and wearing a mask.
Only when she saw the people at the door did she pull down her mask to reveal a chillingly sober face.
It was a woman, with a pretty face.
But expressionless, extraordinarily aloof.
"Hongyao, how is everything inside? Is it convenient to let the family in?" Xun Tianhai asked, standing at the door.
Meng Hongyao’s voice was devoid of any inflection, icy as if spoken by a machine, "We’ve barely finished the reconstruction drawings, and the bones have been collected. Let them in."
Hearing the word "bones," Liao’s father and mother trembled.
Xun Tianhai nodded gravely and, with a softer tone, addressed Liao’s parents, "Shall we go in and have a look?"
Liao’s father, summoning his energy with red, swollen eyes, nodded, supporting Liao’s mother as they slowly entered the autopsy room.
Meng Hongyao led the way.
Xun Tianhai watched Liao’s parents follow Meng Hongyao inside, then swept his gaze to Jiangli and Fu Shiyan nearby, "Abbot and Mr. Fu, would you like to come in?"
Jiangli nodded without hesitation.
Xun Tianhai made a silent gesture of invitation.
The group then entered the autopsy room together.