Chapter 178 - 178 170 Swift and Decisive

Words : 1533 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

178: Chapter 170: Swift and Decisive 178: Chapter 170: Swift and Decisive “That’s it for today,” Jiang Yuan glanced at the time and announced, smiling as he stood up. Clap clap clap. With someone leading, the few dozen people in the audience all began to clap vigorously. Training sessions are commonplace, especially within the civil service system, where the number has increased over the years. However, sessions that truly leave an impression, even those that are enjoyed, are rare. The participants are all adults who can judge for themselves whether the trainer has substance and whether they are teaching with dedication. The training conducted by Jiang Yuan is in stark contrast to the “guaranteed to learn” concept, but the impression it left was more profound than that. On the other hand, it also left a considerable impression on everyone about Jiang Yuan. Chen Wenming hesitated for a moment, unsure whether or not to chat with Jiang Yuan about the philosophy of fingerprint trails, when he saw Cao Keyang eagerly rushing over. “Jiang, let me help you with your things,” Cao Keyang offered proactively, helping Jiang Yuan gather up his notebook computer and other items. “Thank you for that,” Jiang Yuan replied, accepting the help without ceremony since he did indeed have a lot to carry and it would be cumbersome on his own. “Are we going to wander around the bureau or take a break?” Cao Keyang followed Jiang Yuan’s footsteps, looking every bit the overgrown sidekick. Even though Cao Keyang didn’t quite understand Jiang Yuan’s fingerprinting work, that didn’t stop him from thinking it was cool. If the fingerprinting was that cool, the man himself seemed to shine even brighter. This was the first time Jiang Yuan had conducted training for such a large group, and now that the tension had passed, he felt much more relaxed. He smiled and said, “If it’s okay, I’d like to put my things down first...” “Sure thing,” Cao Keyang replied immediately, accompanying Jiang Yuan along the way. Finding conversation topics among detectives is supremely easy; if you’re at a loss for words, just start with some case. If discussing your own cases feels awkward, then talk about a well-known case. If you want to make it personal, detectives from different areas can talk about their compensation and income. This topic typically elicits dissatisfaction and lament. If that’s still not enough, then the conversation can turn to overwork and workload, guaranteeing a full spectrum of bitter-sweet commiseration. ... Evening. Cao Keyang extended another dinner invitation to Jiang Yuan. According to Qinghe Bureau’s arrangement, someone like Jiang Yuan, who just came to conduct a single training session, could head back in the afternoon. Dinner and lodging expenses could be saved, a way to cut down on all forms of official expenditure. Cao Keyang and a few trace examiners from other regions wanted to keep Jiang Yuan around for a while longer, training aside. Everyone mostly wanted to get closer to an expert like Jiang Yuan, who could match fingerprints at a crime scene. Jiang Yuan was quite willing and brought along a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes for the occasion. Working at the county bureau meant frequent interactions with the city bureau, especially for forensic doctors who often received support from city officials in homicide cases. Some city bureaus even require county forensic doctors to provide assistance with homicides that occur within city jurisdiction. Although Qinghe Bureau hadn’t reached that point due to lack of manpower and funds, the trend was heading in that direction. Before departing, not only did Wu Jun and Wei Zhenguo give Jiang Yuan various reminders, but Jiang Fuzhen also stuffed several packs of Zhonghua into Jiang Yuan’s car. When Jiang Yuan arrived at the small restaurant agreed upon by the group, he opened three packs of the Zhonghua he’d brought and placed them on the table, saying, “Help yourselves.” “You’re too polite, Jiang Yuan,” Cao Keyang said, somewhat embarrassed since he was the one who had invited everyone. “It’s from Jiang Village,” Jiang Yuan explained adequately. That made everyone relax immediately. “You should have said so earlier...” “Jiang Village People still need to work.” “Smoking Zhonghua does seem a bit wasteful.” Talking as they were, the group finally settled down at the table. The dishes came one after another. Cao Keyang brought up, “We have a case... We would like to ask Doctor Jiang for assistance.” “A current case?” Jiang Yuan inquired. “Yes, fingerprints from a current case. We haven’t consulted any other experts yet,” Cao Keyang clarified, understanding what Jiang Yuan meant and relayed all necessary information. What they were engaging in now was similar to what Huang Qiangmin and others had done before, which was to seek experts when in doubt. Compared to seeking help through the official channels such as the provincial fingerprint department, using personal connections to approach experts simplifies the process significantly. Moreover, it allows for choosing better experts. Experts like Jiang Yuan, who had made a name for themselves in the provincial fingerprint campaign, were undoubtedly the best choice. For experts, factors such as being the first choice and whether it’s a current case are also important considerations. The difficulty of being the first choice for a current case is usually lower, and it’s also easier to agree to assist. After all, fingerprints that the Qinghe Bureau’s trace examiners couldn’t solve would surely be of a lesser degree of difficulty compared to those encountered during the fingerprint campaign. Jiang Yuan didn’t have any “expert baggage” and simply stated, “I can take a look, but whether I can make a match, I cannot guarantee.” “Of course, of course,” Cao Keyang immediately agreed and then hesitantly glanced at the cigarettes on the table, adding, “Actually, it should have been us hosting...” “Aren’t you already hosting?” Jiang Yuan smiled and offered cigarettes to Cao Keyang and the others. “Wow, people from Jiang Village really are too kind.” “Jiang Village produces talents, indeed.” The atmosphere at the table became exceedingly harmonious for a while. Having secured an expert, Cao Keyang and the others felt as if a weight had been lifted from their chests. The conversation then shifted to lighter topics: “There was a murder and arson case today, it seems quite challenging...” Jiang Yuan’s ears perked up at once. Murder cases, for a forensic doctor in a small county town, didn’t occur more than twice a year. The frequency of occurrences in Qinghe City was definitely higher, but murder accompanied by arson was still assumed to be rare. “Was it murder first, then arson?” Jiang Yuan asked with curiosity. “It seems to be the case. The crime scene was severely damaged. Since it was a self-built house, even the beams had collapsed from the fire, and the bloodstains, footprints were greatly compromised,” Cao Keyang, seeing Jiang Yuan’s interest, elaborated a bit without going into specifics. Jiang Yuan nodded slowly. In modern criminal investigation, there are numerous methods, from footprints and fingerprints to DNA, as well as trace evidence, etc., making it so that premeditated murders are often easier to solve than crimes of passion. However, arson generally increases the difficulty of the investigation. As Cao Keyang had just described, arson results in the destruction of abundant evidence at the scene, creating complications for both crime scene analysis and forensic medicine. Of course, arson also leaves behind new evidence, though it’s not always usable. “In our department, it’s Forensic Doctor Wang Lan, right?” Jiang Yuan asked. “Yes. Doctor Wang is our department’s forensic doctor. The case should be handled by the district bureau. Doctor Wang might also provide support there,” Cao Keyang, interpreting Jiang Yuan’s intent, replied with a smile, “Do you want to participate, or just take a look?” “If I can participate, that would be best,” Jiang Yuan said with a smile. “My profession is as a forensic doctor, after all; it’s not often that I come across a case like this.” “Alright then, I’ll make a call; there shouldn’t be any problem. Forensic doctors are in such short supply these days.” Cao Keyang said and stepped out of the private room with his phone. Shortly after, Cao Keyang came back, smiling: “Medical Examiner Wang Lan agreed immediately upon hearing it’s you. When do you plan to go?” “Since we’ve agreed, let’s go now,” Jiang Yuan stood up straight away and asked, “Is the body still at the scene, or has it been taken back?” “The body is at the morgue,” Cao Keyang replied. “Doctor Wang and the others were getting ready for the autopsy; shall I ask them to wait for you?” “That might not be appropriate,” Jiang Yuan hesitated. “Getting the family’s consent will take a while anyway, so why don’t we head to the car first, and I can call Doctor Wang en route. It’ll take less than half an hour to get there.” Cao Keyang was swift to act, picking up his phone and jacket to leave.

Chapter 178 - 178 170 Swift and Decisive

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