On a calm morning, the pet cemetery on the outskirts of the city appeared especially peaceful. Countless beloved pets were buried here, each gravestone engraved with their names. The cemetery's caretaker, Li Yang, was tending to the flowers and plants around the graves, just as he did every day. However, his routine was soon disrupted by an unexpected event—he was found dead in his office cabin, his body lying quietly in front of his desk, pale-faced, with what appeared to be slight needle marks on his neck.
Upon receiving the alarm, Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing quickly arrived at the scene. Li Yang's cause of death seemed normal at first, with no obvious external injuries or signs of violence, but Su Wanqing conducted a meticulous examination of the body. She discovered a tiny needle mark on the victim's neck, which seemed ordinary at first glance but raised suspicion. Further testing revealed unusual substances in his blood—a rare animal drug, typically used to sedate and paralyze pets but rarely used on humans.
"This is not a natural death," Su Wanqing said coldly as she removed her gloves. "He was injected with this veterinary drug. If used on animals, it can put them into a coma very quickly, and though it works similarly on humans, the dosage needs to be precise."
Lu Chenzhou closely examined the scene, his brow furrowing. "This clue warrants further investigation. A pet cemetery caretaker shouldn't be the target of violent crime. Could his death be related to some other business at the cemetery?"
"Don't jump to conclusions yet. The victim had no significant external injuries, which suggests he may not have realized he was being targeted. We need to look into whether he was involved in something hidden," Su Wanqing quickly assessed, beginning to trace Li Yang's work history.
A few days later, Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing discovered that Li Yang had been in frequent contact with staff from various pet hospitals, some of which appeared to be involved in illicit transactions. By reviewing surveillance footage, Lu Chenzhou found that Li Yang had met multiple times with a certain Wang Tao, the director of a pet hospital. On the surface, Wang Tao's pet hospital seemed like a legitimate business, but after further investigation, they uncovered the dark side of the pet industry.
It turned out that Li Yang had uncovered a massive conspiracy in the pet burial industry—some illegal pet hospitals were colluding with organ trafficking gangs, secretly extracting organs from deceased pets and selling them to research units or the black market. These hospitals would deliberately select healthy pets, administer drugs to put them into a coma, and then extract their organs for sale to high-paying buyers. As the caretaker of the cemetery, Li Yang had discovered this secret and had started collecting evidence anonymously, intending to expose these illegal activities.
"Li Yang must have uncovered something that made him a target," Su Wanqing concluded. "He must have unknowingly touched someone's sensitive interests. Wang Tao, as the head of a pet hospital, is certainly involved."
Lu Chenzhou quickly investigated Wang Tao's background and discovered a dark past. He was not only the owner of a well-known local pet hospital, but he had also previously been suspected of involvement in the illegal organ extraction of pets following a case of pet deaths, though he was never held accountable due to lack of evidence. As the investigation deepened, Lu Chenzhou uncovered an undeniable truth—Li Yang's death was closely connected to Wang Tao's pet hospital, and Wang Tao was likely the mastermind behind the murder.
One day, Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing decided to make a move through Wang Tao's pet hospital. They infiltrated the hospital and secretly gathered evidence, and in one of the cold storage rooms, they found a large number of pet organ preservation bags along with transaction records related to the black market. This evidence was enough to link Wang Tao to Li Yang's death.
"We have enough evidence now," Lu Chenzhou said seriously. "Wang Tao not only illegally obtained pet organs through his pet hospital, but he also orchestrated Li Yang's death. Li Yang had started to provide evidence to the police, and it's clear he realized the danger of the information he had—so Wang Tao struck first."
Just as they were preparing to act, Wang Tao sensed something was wrong. He attempted to cover up his crimes by contacting his colleagues but was cornered by Su Wanqing and the team in the hospital's backyard. Wang Tao's face turned pale upon seeing them. He knew that if the police confirmed the evidence, his pet hospital would be destroyed.
"You don't have all the evidence," Wang Tao sneered, his eyes cold and confident. "What can you prove? These are just pet corpses. How could I have committed a crime?"
"You think we're only investigating organ trafficking?" Su Wanqing responded coldly. "The reason you killed Li Yang was to cover up your crimes. What we found is not just pet organs; your actions have crossed the legal line."
Lu Chenzhou watched him silently, his voice full of judgment: "Wang Tao, you didn't just participate in illegal transactions, you controlled everything behind the scenes. Li Yang discovered the truth, but you killed him to silence him. We have enough evidence to prove your guilt."
In the end, Wang Tao was arrested, and the pet hospital was shut down. All those involved in the illegal organ trade were prosecuted. Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou stood at the entrance of the pet cemetery, looking at the quiet graveyard with heavy hearts.
"In this world, many people treat their pets as part of their family," Su Wanqing said softly, her eyes filled with anger and confusion, "But they never expected that the lives of their pets would be exploited by some people as mere tools for profit."
Lu Chenzhou nodded solemnly, his voice low: "Yes, but at least these criminals have been brought to justice. Li Yang didn't die in vain. He uncovered a terrifying secret in this city, and we've avenged him."
In this seemingly peaceful pet cemetery, the darkest side of human nature was hidden. This case once again reminded them that even the smallest lives could become victims of cold-hearted trade, but justice, though delayed, will ultimately prevail.