Chapter 24

Lin Peixin nodded. “That’s right. Determining the cause of death is extremely important for defining a case. If the judgment is wrong, it will waste a huge amount of time in the investigation and may even cause serious consequences.”

After speaking, Lin Peixin signaled him to continue.

“In homicide cases, once the victim’s identity is confirmed, the next step is to investigate their social relationships. Based on the situation at the crime scene, possible motives for murder are considered, and suspects are screened.”

Jiang Xuzhou met Lin Peixin’s gaze. “Evidence from the scene—physical objects, traces, and the murder weapon—must form a complete chain of evidence together with the forensic doctor’s report.”

Lin Peixin became more interested and deliberately asked back, “If the situation is unclear and criminal psychology needs to be applied, what should be done?”

Jiang Xuzhou smiled. “Based on the characteristics of the corpse and analysis of the scene traces, we infer the suspect’s gender, age, and psychological condition.”

“Taking our current case as an example, we now know there are four victims. Based on the bones and body parts found, aside from Yan Zhan whose identity is confirmed, one victim is aged 16–18 with a height of 179–183 cm. A third victim is aged 16–18 with a height of 171–179 cm. The fourth victim’s situation is still unclear.”

Lin Peixin paused. “From your perspective, how would you analyze the case?”

Jiang Xuzhou had already reviewed the basic information yesterday and indeed had his own thoughts.

“At present, there are four victims, three unidentified and one confirmed. With bones found, DNA can be extracted, but since the country does not yet have a large‑scale DNA database, identifying the source of the bodies is hindered. Examination of soft tissue surfaces should check for tattoos or birthmarks as clues. A missing persons coordination notice should be issued to seek leads from the public.”

Jiang Xuzhou said, “Since one victim’s identity has been confirmed, we can begin investigating the victim’s social relationships and those of their family.”

Lin Peixin nodded. That was indeed what they were currently doing.

“After investigation, Yan Zhan’s social relationships are simple. The possibilities of a crime of passion or revenge killing are relatively small. Attention can appropriately shift toward the social connections of his relatives.”

Yan Zhan’s father, Yan Xin, is a police officer, and moreover a frontline criminal investigator. It cannot be ruled out that work‑related conflicts may exist.

“The autopsy results show multiple fracture lines, indicating the victim was violently beaten before death. The possibility of revenge cannot be excluded.”

Lin Peixin immediately seized on the key information. “So you lean toward revenge as the motive?”

“No, it can only be considered a stronger possibility,” Jiang Xuzhou replied.

“From the perspective of criminal psychology, there does not necessarily have to be a clear motive. Perhaps the victim accidentally witnessed something they should not have seen, and in a moment of impulse the crime was committed.”

Lin Peixin frowned. “Something they should not have seen—why do you think that?”

Even from the perspective of criminal psychology, analysis must be based on the crime scene or the condition of the body, not on wild guesses.

“On Qingping Road, the trash bin where body parts were found was about a hundred meters away. If I remember correctly, Ruan Mingxi mentioned in the meeting that there were splattered bloodstains on the white wall of the dead‑end alley.”

Lin Peixin’s eyes widened instantly. These past two days had been too fast and sudden, with too many temporary tests added. The DNA laboratory also had its own priorities, and he had forgotten to ask about the results.

Seeing his surprise, Jiang Xuzhou said, “The DNA lab has already informed Ruan Mingxi. The bloodstains on the white wall belonged to Yan Zhan.”

So, on the morning of the 18th, Yan Zhan must have had some kind of encounter with someone.

Perhaps there really was no conflict at all. He might simply have appeared there by accident, suddenly witnessing something he should not have seen, and was ultimately killed to silence him.

Yet the specific circumstances remain unknown. For now, they could only draft a tentative outline in their minds. The actual situation would depend on the results of Ruan Mingxi’s hospital investigations before further analysis could proceed.

“Wen Yang’s appearance, given the current state of the case, feels abrupt,” Lin Peixin said.

While eating his instant noodles, he had been thinking: why has the investigation gone on for so many days without much progress? Could it be that some step in their process had gone wrong?

That was why he chose to have this exchange with Jiang Xuzhou today, in the form of a discussion.

First, he genuinely wanted to know what they might have overlooked. Second, he wanted to see whether Jiang Xuzhou truly had the ability to serve as a consultant.

Yet from what Jiang had just said, Lin Peixin detected nothing unusual. Everything followed the normal investigative process.

Tracing the line of reasoning, Wen Yang’s presence seemed like an extra clue in the chain of evidence, constantly diverting their attention.

“His presence isn’t abrupt. It’s just that we haven’t yet found the clue that connects him to the case,” Jiang Xuzhou said. “That includes Zhou Canran and the account that posted the clue—everyone involved so far.”

Lin Peixin furrowed his brows. At present, the cases seemed to have little direct connection, yet if not linked, there were still countless subtle ties.

It gave the impression of something “tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard”*—a very frustrating situation.

(*食之無味，棄之可惜 is an idiom - describe something that is not particularly valuable or enjoyable, yet it cannot be easily abandoned because discarding it would feel wasteful or regrettable)

—

After visiting several hospitals, Ruan Mingxi and his team finally found stent registration information at Jinghai Medical University Affiliated Hospital.

Gao Hai, 18 years old, had undergone a heart stent surgery at the hospital two years ago.

After obtaining the patient’s information, Ruan Mingxi also spoke with Gao Hai’s attending physician to learn more.

The attending physician, Liang Sheng, had just finished a coronary bypass surgery. After maintaining a high level of concentration for a long time, he came out of the operating room visibly exhausted.

“The surgery was very successful. The patient will be out soon,” Liang Sheng said, assuming Ruan Mingxi and his team were family members of the patient.

“Dr. Liang, we’re from the Municipal Public Security Bureau,” Ruan Mingxi introduced himself directly.

Liang Sheng froze for a moment, thinking he had misheard.

Only after seeing their credentials did he realize what was happening, “What do you need from me?”

Since the operating room entrance was not a suitable place to talk, Liang Sheng pointed them toward his office and went to change clothes first.

Once the two entered the office, they began to look around the environment.

After a while, Liang Sheng returned, now changed, “Officers, what can I do for you?”

“It’s like this. Do you remember Gao Hai, who had a heart stent surgery here last year?” Ruan Mingxi asked directly.

When Liang Sheng heard the name, a blank look appeared on his face, as if he had no idea who it was.

Ruan Mingxi’s eyes shifted slightly, continuing to observe his expression.

At the right moment, he handed over the medical record just obtained from the hospital leadership. “This is his medical record. You performed his surgery last year.”

Liang Sheng took the record, and after reading its contents, his expression showed recognition. “I remember. That surgery was one I did early last year. If I’m not mistaken, that boy was a second‑year high school student, a special art student. His drawings were quite good.”

“I’m really sorry. Work has been too busy, and I’ve seen too many patients. Suddenly hearing a patient’s name, I couldn’t recall who it was right away.”

Liang Sheng looked apologetic. Compared to remembering patients’ names, doctors often remember symptoms much more clearly.