Chapter 254: The Wedding Photo on the Master Bedroom Wall, Clues Burned to Ashes

As soon as the door was pulled open, the stench of something scorched hit them.

Unsurprisingly, the expressions of everyone at the doorway turned grim.

Clearly, this was a bad sign. It was likely that Ghost had already taken the chance to burn all the evidence.

And worse still…

If K had realized that the vulnerabilities in the entire Drug trafficking organization couldn’t be patched, he might have sent someone to silence Ghost.

To shut up the one who knew more than even Qiang Wei—who held countless secrets and intel—once and for all.

Though everyone had a sinking feeling, they didn’t hesitate. As soon as the front door opened, they strode into the house without delay.

The moment they stepped inside, Su Ming immediately noticed a small, freestanding camera placed near the entrance by the slippers. It looked like a Tmall Genie.

Without a doubt, this was a surveillance device set up by Ghost or K to monitor the police’s current actions.

Before Su Ming could even speak, Chen Sheng, already prepared, stepped forward and unplugged the Tmall Genie, rendering the surveillance useless.

Next, instead of immediately searching for clues, the team began tracking down the source of the acrid burnt smell. The most urgent task now was to identify exactly what had caused it.

With his experience, Su Ming could tell that the stench in the house was purely of something scorched—no trace of burning flesh or blood.

He immediately headed for the bathroom.

Because if Ghost had wanted to destroy certain evidence, the enclosed bathroom would have been the ideal place.

The small space, with fewer flammable materials, reduced the risk of a fire spreading.

As he pushed open the bathroom door, an even more pungent and choking burnt odor rushed out.

And in his line of sight, Su Ming clearly saw that the ceramic bathtub in the corner was nearly filled with various charred ashes.

Just as Su Ming had suspected.

If someone wanted to burn things at home but didn’t have something like a brazier, the bathroom—especially one with a ceramic tub—would be the best option. The ceramic could contain the flames, and the tub could hold the ashes.

He flipped the light switch beside the bathroom door.

Su Ming slowly approached the bathtub, the stench growing stronger with every step. Judging by the intensity of the smell, he could roughly determine…

Ghost hadn’t left the house just this morning. It was highly likely that after learning yesterday that Butcher had been captured, he realized the police would soon come for him. So he burned the evidence, disguised himself, and fled the old house under a new identity.

Standing in front of the tub, Su Ming forced himself to endure the stench and began carefully examining the ashes.

He reached out and gently touched the black ash along the rim. It crumbled easily under his fingers. Then he tapped a drop of blackened residue stuck to the edge of the tub.

He found… it was slightly sticky and clung tightly to the ceramic. When he scraped it off, the cross-section underneath was smooth, with a texture similar to dried glue.

Within the ashes, he also spotted dark gold metal fragments, exploded capacitors, and various electronic components—clearly parts of a phone or tablet.

From the mix of ashes, it was obvious…

Ghost had burned paper documents, clothing, and electronic devices in the tub.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such distinct remnants.

Moreover, the ashes showed signs of having been stirred through—likely Ghost, worried something might have survived the fire, had sifted through them before fleeing.

At that moment, Chen Sheng, having finished checking the kitchen and living room, entered the bathroom. Seeing Su Ming crouched by the tub, he immediately asked,

“Team Leader Su, did you find anything?”

“The bottom of the tub is almost full. Looks like he had a lot to get rid of.”

Su Ming didn’t answer right away. He wiped his fingers clean, stood up, and turned to reply.

“He burned everything thoroughly.”

“And the ashes have clearly been searched through. I’d bet Ghost went over them one last time before he left, just to make sure nothing was left behind.”

“From what I can tell, he burned paper, clothes, and electronics—probably anything that could expose his identity in the short term.”

Hearing this, Chen Sheng couldn’t help but sigh. He clenched his fists slightly and said with frustration,

“He’s really cautious.”

“If he even burned the clothes he usually wore, that just proves how meticulous he is.”

“Even while fleeing, he didn’t forget to destroy anything that carried his scent. And despite the bathroom having an exhaust fan, he didn’t turn it on—leaving the whole house reeking of burnt residue.”

“Probably to prevent us from using scent traces on the sofa, chairs, or dining table to track him with police dogs.”

Su Ming gave a slight nod. There was no disappointment or regret on his face as he spoke with conviction.

“Don’t worry, Chen Ju.”

“Ghost lived in this house for at least half a year.”

“Under normal circumstances, the habits and traces left behind in that time go far beyond what we can imagine.”

“Even if he cleaned up in advance, he’s still human, not a machine. No one can be that flawless.”

“Besides, judging by how fresh the ashes are, he probably only burned everything yesterday. That means he didn’t have much time to double-check everything carefully.”

“Keep looking. We’ll definitely find something.”

With that, Su Ming no longer spared the bathtub a second glance. In his judgment, even if the contents had once held vital clues capable of bringing down the entire Drug trafficking organization, they were now reduced to useless ash.

…

After leaving the bathroom, Su Ming headed straight for the bedroom. From a criminal investigation standpoint, whenever a house is searched, the bedroom is always a key area.

Fingerprints, DNA—these are far more likely to be found in the bedroom than anywhere else.

But now… Ghost’s identity had already been confirmed. He had even served time in prison, so his fingerprints and DNA were already in the police database.

That kind of evidence was worthless at this point. What they needed now were clues that could reveal internal intel about the Drug trafficking organization, or possible leads on Ghost’s current location.

As he entered the bedroom, the first thing Su Ming saw was a large wedding photo tossed on the bed in the master bedroom.

In the picture, Ghost and the wife he had murdered were both staring straight at the bedroom door…