Chapter 392: The Tibetan Mastiff Breeding Site (2/2)

”I'll take care of it!”

I didn't visit any experts with the evidence. Instead, I headed to a nearby flower and bird market and inquired about it at the dog stalls. Most vendors couldn’t tell what breed it was but an old man looked at it through a magnifying glass for a long time and said, ”See this color? The top part is dark and the bottom is brighter. This is relatively rare. It’s commonly known as iron-clad gold, or the Tibetan Mastiff.”

Though a little surprised, the old man’s answer was close to my guess. It seemed the murderers were wealthy men so keeping such expensive dogs wasn't unusual at all.

”Is there a Tibetan Mastiff breeder in Nanjiang City?” I asked.

When the old man said no, a middle-aged man leaned in and reminded, ”Dad, didn't someone start one last year? But the dogs were too expensive and no one could afford it, so it closed down.”

”Where is it?” I asked.

The middle-aged man reported the location and curiously asked, ”Are you thinking of keeping one?”

Since I preferred to keep my identity under wraps, I made up an excuse. ”I’m asking for a friend. Thanks for everything!”

After leaving the flower and bird market, I immediately phoned Xiaotao and informed her of my findings.

”That’s fast!” she exclaimed. “Which expert did you consult?”

”An expert among the common folk,” I laughed. “I asked a dog seller.”

”That’s great! I'll be right there!”

Xiaotao came to pick me up before heading to the outskirts. The breeding site was a lone compound secured with rusted locks, as if no one had been here for a long time.

I noticed scratches on the wall next to me as well as areas where the moss on the wall had been scraped off.

”Someone climbed in from here,” I said.

”Shall we go through the front door or over the wall?” asked Xiaotao.

”The locks are rusty so I can't open them. If we break them by force, we might arouse suspicion,” I explained. “Let’s go over the wall!”

I lifted Xiaotao so she could climb the wall and waited for her to pull me up. The compound was quite spacious. Next to it were rows of small compartments made of cement, probably used for keeping dogs. I noticed the same hairs in one compartment as the evidence we found in the victim’s pocket.

”We’ve got the right place,” I said, examining the dog hairs.

This was most likely the place where the victim was held. I thought about the reason there was dog hair in the victim’s pocket and the most likely answer was that the victim had placed them there himself. Imprisoned here at the time, he knew death was certain so he grabbed something to lead police to the compound.

Fortunately, we lived up to his expectations!

There was a two-story building on the west side of the kennels. The first floor was empty with some iron rings on the wall used to chain the dogs. Combined with the overpowering smell of dogs, I suspected this floor was used to train dogs.

We went up to the second floor and found several accommodations meant for staff. Upon entering the first room, we saw a mattress on the ground.

I sprinkled some seaweed ash on the door but shook my head. ”The murderers are very careful. They left no fingerprints.”

Squatting down, I examined the mattress and noticed some sticky secretions. ”They raped the victim here!” I cried.

On the dusty ground were marks left by some chairs and shoe prints, allowing me to deduce the scene at the time. While one man was raping the victim, the other three stood or sat down nearby to enjoy the live “performance.”