After exiting the elevator, there was a temporary passage paved with planks.

After making three or four turns, they finally saw a corpse lying on the steel frame.

The body was curled up, as if having cramps.

Three workers, wearing yellow safety helmets, were watching from a few meters away, but didn’t dare to approach.

Lu Chuan wore three layers of white gloves and crouched in front of the body: "Did any worker touch the body?"

The person in charge who came up with them looked at the three workers: "Did any of you touch the body?"

One of the workers, who was about 40 years old, stepped forward, his eyes a little evasive, and his voice somewhat trembling: "When he was alive... we... we indeed touched him... but after he was dead... the doctor came... and we... didn’t touch him..."

Lu Chuan looked up at the man: "Do you know the deceased?"

The man nodded: "We are... from the same team... all are rebar workers... been working on this site for... over a year... so we all know him."

Lu Chuan nodded. Based on the current situation, the cause of death seemed to be food poisoning, but typical food poisoning causes symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, and dizziness.

However, it usually doesn’t lead to severe fatal consequences, or at least not so quickly.

There are many possibilities for food poisoning, usually divided into three categories: pesticide residues on food causing poisoning, toxic plants or animals being consumed, or food being consumed in a moldy condition causing poisoning.

"Did you have breakfast together this morning?"

The man shook his head: "No, he had breakfast at the site canteen, we ate at home before coming in."

Breakfast at the canteen?

Lu Chuan looked at the person in charge: "Did those who showed poisoning symptoms all eat at the site canteen?"

"Not entirely sure, but the two who died both ate at the canteen."

He felt somewhat relieved, as he usually also had breakfast at the site, but yesterday he drank too much with a client and stayed at a hotel, so he had breakfast at the hotel this morning.

Otherwise, he might have been one of those lying on the ground now.

Lu Chuan roughly understood the situation and began examining the body.

"The body is heavily curled, tense muscle spasms, esophagus... is blocked, face cyanotic... death by asphyxiation."

Liu Guodong was on one side of Lu Chuan, also examining: "Looks like an epileptic seizure triggered vomiting, which blocked the esophagus and caused asphyxiation death."

Lu Chuan nodded: "It’s highly likely... but poisoning is unlikely to present this way."

Typically, food poisoning causes gastrointestinal discomfort in the consumer, leading to vomiting, foaming at the mouth, etc.

But this deceased clearly appears to have died from asphyxiation due to an epileptic seizure blocking the esophagus.

Compared to food poisoning leading to death, this seems to be more like death caused by an epileptic seizure.

"Where’s the other body?"

"Ahead, not far, people are watching there too."

The group with Lu Chuan stood up, turned past two precast slabs, and saw the other body.

Unlike the first body curled on the ground, this one was lying flat on the rebar binding platform, face turned to one side, body stretched out.

There were two others around, also workers in yellow hard hats.

This time, without Lu Chuan asking, the person in charge began to explain the situation.

"This person is Zhang San, also one of their crew, a rebar worker who lived on the site and also had breakfast at the canteen this morning, just like the one who died just now."

"Do all your workers live on site?"

"Only a small part live on site, others rent apartments in the city."

"Those living on site are usually single, from rural areas here for work, including both long-term and short-term workers, whereas those living in the city have generally settled there and come for jobs as they arise."

Lu Chuan crouched before the body, opened its eyes for closer inspection.

Because it had just died, the body had not yet cooled, and rigor mortis was beginning.

"No symptoms of gastric poisoning reaction, but eyes are congested and bulging, bearing some features of a cerebral hemorrhage death."

Yang Sen was a bit perplexed: "The previous corpse suspected to have died from epileptic-induced asphyxiation, while this one died from cerebral hemorrhage—quite odd."

Indeed, it’s quite unusual; if these deaths resulted from food poisoning, it would likely be due to the same toxin.

Generally, a single toxin brings about similar symptoms, such as nausea, dizziness, hallucinations, and so on.

Yet these two bodies—one died from epileptic-induced asphyxiation, the other from cerebral hemorrhage.

Compared to poisoning, these seem likelier attributed to sudden epileptic or cerebral hemorrhage episodes.

"What symptoms did the others sent to the hospital exhibit?"

"There’s a variety: some experienced dizziness, others vomiting, some seizures, and even hallucinations appeared—none alike."

So many symptoms?

Could it be that they weren’t poisoned by the same toxin?

"Alright, let’s first transport the bodies for forensic autopsy to conduct toxicological analysis."

"Okay, let’s do that first."

With poisoning as the cause, site inspection work becomes straightforward.

The bodies were left to the Forensic Doctor for toxicological analysis, which might yield some results.

"Old Liu! Old Liu! Dispatch someone to the site canteen."

While they were preoccupied, Qin Yong’s voice came through the walkie-talkie.

"Lu, you better go check it out."

"Alright, I’m heading there now."

Riding the drafty construction elevator, Lu Chuan reached the site canteen twenty minutes later.

Qin Yong, Sun Jun, and Zhang Hui were all present.

"Lu, over here."

While Lu Chuan and others were examining the bodies above, the field team had gained some leads during their investigation.

"Zhang Hui, brief Lu on the situation."

"Sure thing!"

Zhang Hui picked up a small notebook: "Based on the results from the preliminary investigation, we can basically confirm that the source of the food poisoning originated in the site canteen."

This assessment more or less aligns with Lu Chuan’s observations.

"The hospital admitted over thirty individuals, with symptoms pronounced in about ten, and two have died due to unsuccessful resuscitation."

Two people?

"Two more died at the hospital?"

Zhang Hui nodded: "Yes, two were confirmed dead when the doctors arrived at the site, and after being transported to the hospital, two more died due to acute respiratory failure."

Lu Chuan furrowed his brows; counting this way meant there were four deaths!

"And how are the dozen or so severely symptomatic individuals now?"

With four dead, this was already a major case, not to mention the many critically ill.

If further complications arose...

Lu Chuan dared not imagine what might unfold next.