The Forensic Doctor Better Than a Detective

Chapter 503: Chapter 287: Pinpointing the Climbing Location_2

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In this way, two samples were extracted from four angles of each mountain, each sample clearly labeled with its information.

Although the journey was exhausting, the three had conversations filled with laughter, making it a sort of outdoor hiking trip.

At 5 p.m., the three drove back to the Jiangcheng City District.

Immediately after, they hurriedly delivered nearly 30 soil samples extracted to the Jiangcheng Forensic Identification Center.

Mr Xu at the Forensic Identification Center took the soil, surprised: ”Are you suddenly sending so much soil for component testing?”

Wan nodded and smiled: ”Yes, it’s a bit many, thanks for your hard work, Mr Xu.”

As he spoke, he quickly took out a packet of ”Hua Zi” cigarettes from his pants pocket.

He took one out and passed it over.

With a ”click”, the lighter was ignited.

Mr Xu held the soil evidence bag in one hand and smoked with the other.

After two puffs, he nodded: ”We’ll get the results as soon as possible!”

Meanwhile, Wan held a pair of black sports shoes and said: ”Teacher, we want to conduct a component comparison.”

”Oh, a component comparison?”

”Is this possible? In my long tenure at the Forensic Identification Center, this is the first time I’ve encountered you using traces from shoe bottoms for material matching.”

”Your idea is really ahead of its time!”

Wan smiled confidently and turned to look at Jiang An.

”Mr Xu, because we have the great Jiang An, this is nothing surprising.”

At this moment, Mr Xu on the other side gave an embarrassed smile.

”Haha, you young people really have active minds.”

Then, he lifted the soil and turned to enter the laboratory.

Watching the figure walking inside, Zhang Yean raised a hand to pat Wan’s shoulder.

”Senior, you’re really something, carrying ’Hua Zi’ with you?”

”Haha, I’m not as good at solving cases as you all, but this bit of street-smarts can still assist in cracking cases.”

Jiang An smiled, giving a thumbs-up.

”Senior, I commend you. ’Hua Zi’ brand cigarettes really work.”

”Haha, no need to worry.”

”If it weren’t for us paying, would they really do this for us?”

”However, that cigarette just now could be icing on the cake!”

Zhang Yean chuckled: ”Well, that makes sense.”

”We’ve collaborated more than once, but today is the first time we’ve delivered soil samples.”

At this moment, Jiang An did not participate in their discussion.

He turned to look at the laboratory introduction on the wall.

On the panel on the wall, the laboratory’s personnel composition, business scope, and equipment list were introduced.

However, Jiang An focused on the equipment introduction; the laboratory contained imported ion analyzers, gas chromatographs, and liquid chromatographs.

It must be known that these are crucial devices for trace evidence inspection.

In terms of evaluation of the inspection results, it has reached a national standard.

Under such circumstances, it is entirely possible to meet the standard of recognition and comparison.

Thinking of this, Jiang An was filled with confidence about the upcoming comparison results from the laboratory.

After comparison, it can be determined which mountain the soil adhered to the shoe comes from.

After leaving the Forensic Identification Center, they drove back to the Jiangcheng City Bureau.

The hands of the clock pointed to 6:30 in the evening; the entire city gradually shrouded in dusk.

The lights in the office building extinguished one by one, ending the workday as people hurriedly merged into the evening traffic.

However, on the floor of the Criminal Investigation Unit at the City Public Security Bureau, the glaring incandescent lights remained brightly lit, seeming to resist the night— for detectives, there was no such thing as ”off-duty time” here.

Overtime was their norm; going home on time became a luxury.

Cases don’t wait, clues don’t wait, and the grievances of the victims don’t wait.

At this moment, the meeting room was filled with smoke, the choking smoke almost becoming tangible—it was the detectives’ way to combat fatigue and pressure.

One cigarette after another was lit, the ashtray piled high with cigarette butts, and the faces of everyone were etched with solemnity.

”Is everyone here?” Captain Li Jian’s voice broke the silence.

He stood in front of the projector, his gaze sweeping over every comrade present, his voice low yet steady: ”Cases don’t wait, let’s review the clues again, brainstorm, maybe we’ll spark something new.”

As his words fell, the sound of pages flipping rose and fell throughout the meeting room.

The detectives extinguished the cigarettes in their hands, forcing themselves to stay alert—another sleepless night had begun.

”Last night, we formulated today’s visit and investigation plan.”

”Today, all three groups are investigating, and today’s harvest is quite substantial.”

”I will first talk about our group’s situation.”

”We retrieved Li Lei’s medical record from 15 years ago, and that medical record is quite detailed.”

”From the medical record, it shows that Li Lei indeed had psychological problems at that time, and they were relatively serious.”

”The attending physician recommended follow-up examinations every three months, but he probably didn’t check subsequently.”

”This agrees with what his wife reported.”

”According to the psychological assessment from the hospital, it shows this person is very calm and good at judgment, but has a relatively strong tendency toward violence.”

”Considering this serial murder case, I believe this matches the suspect’s psychology very well.”

”Currently, based on the comprehensive psychological analysis, I think Li Lei is highly suspicious.”

Then, he turned to look at Mr. Fu: ”Mr. Fu, how is your group’s situation?”

Mr. Fu took over the conversation: ”Our group investigated within the electronics factory and discovered that Wang Shuang’s wife indeed went missing more than a decade ago.”

”According to Wang Shuang’s recollection, his wife Du Yao’s disappearance was very abrupt.”

”Back then, after her disappearance, Wang Shuang searched everywhere with police officers from the precinct and close relatives and friends, but didn’t find her or a body, leaving it as a question mark to this day.”

”Once, Wang Shuang believed she had been trafficked by kidnappers, and there’s still no news.”

”However, if she indeed encountered harm, there’s a good chance the initial scene is in that mountain.”

”Unfortunately, time has passed, and the area has been flattened and developed.”

”Currently, we don’t have many clues.”

”Today, we extracted the blood of Du Yao’s biological parents, which is being tested for comparison in the laboratory.”

”If the comparison is successful, then the identity of the dead body can be confirmed.”

Captain Li Jian nodded: ”This is very important.”

”If we can identify the White Bone’s identity, it will further increase Li Lei’s crime suspicion.”

”After all, the initial investigation shows Li Lei had been publicly humiliated by him.”

”Under such circumstances, it further explains his strong criminal motive.”

Captain Li Jian’s sharp gaze turned to Jiang An, asking solemnly: ”Jiang An, how is your group’s progress?”

Jiang An nodded slightly, his voice steady and clear: ”Before the meeting started, the Forensic Identification Center sent a preliminary report.”

He lightly tapped the desk with his fingertip and continued: ”Through the laboratory’s precise comparison, the soil samples from Dongzi Mountain’s east side show high similarity with the mud residue on the shoe’s sole involved in the case.”

”However—” he paused slightly, a touch of rigor revealed in his brows, ”due to instrument error, no absolute conclusion has been reached; the identification center is urgently reviewing the data.”

”Once confirmed, they will immediately sync the results.”

Captain Li Jian’s eyes sharpened: ”Dongzi Mountain is within reach; if the result is confirmed, we will take action immediately.”

Before his words finished, Jiang An’s phone vibrated suddenly. On the screen, a series of landline numbers flashed coldly.

”Hello, please speak.” He pressed the answer key, his voice calm.

On the other side of the phone, the technician’s voice carried a definite tone: ”Mr. Jiang, the re-inspection is complete—the soil on the shoe’s sole and the sample from Dongzi Mountain’s east side have matching mineral composition and organic matter content, with an error rate below 0.1%.”

”East side of Dongzi Mountain...” Jiang An repeated softly, his pupils constricting suddenly.

The images from his memory surged like a tide—the hillside swallowed by wild grass, the tangled dead branches clawing at the sky like ghostly fingers, with only the wind’s wail in the silence.

Indeed, it is a desolate place scarcely visited by humans.