Chapter 203 - 203 195 Within Seven Steps

Words : 1870 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

203: Chapter 195 Within Seven Steps 203: Chapter 195 Within Seven Steps Liu Jinghui was full of vigor, taking command and setting out the investigation plan, pointing out the direction of the investigation. It wasn’t until he stepped down that Brigade Commander Shen Feihong took the stage, emphasizing and arranging specific tasks. Jiang Yuan quietly handed the map he had drawn to Liu Jinghui. Liu Jinghui was a bit surprised and opened the map, which left him dumbfounded. Feeling the high level of attention on him, Liu Jinghui quickly took out his phone and sent a message to Jiang Yuan, asking, “Is this an analysis of the suspect’s location? How did you do it?” He could guess some of it but still needed to analyze. Therefore, Jiang Yuan typed a brief explanation and concluded, “There’s no definitive physical evidence, but Zhangshan Town and Lichang Town should be seriously considered.” “Indeed,” Liu Jinghui agreed, as this was the type of analysis he was both skilled at and accustomed to. However, Liu Jinghui didn’t interrupt Shen Feihong, instead pulling out another map and studying it carefully. By the time he was finished, Shen Feihong was almost done speaking as well. Shen Feihong politely said, “If no one has anything else to add, then today’s meeting...” “I have a few words to add,” Liu Jinghui stood up. The attendees, who were about to stand up and leave, reluctantly sat back down. “Forensic Expert Jiang Yuan just gave me this map, and I find it quite instructive,” Liu Jinghui attached Jiang Yuan’s map to the front. The map was small, and people in the back row couldn’t see it very clearly. So, Liu Jinghui had it passed to the back. While the map was being passed around, Liu Jinghui said, “Dumping a body outside of one’s living and working areas is standard practice. Similarly, committing crimes outside of these areas is the subconscious behavior of such individuals...” Actually, he didn’t need to explain; there was no one in the room who didn’t understand what he was talking about. Someone directly asked, “Should we adjust the arrangements then?” “Let’s make some adjustments. What do you think, Commander Shen?” Liu Jinghui courteously deferred to Shen Feihong. Commander Shen grunted a muffled “hmm” in response to Liu Jinghui, but smiled at Jiang Yuan, saying, “Doctor Jiang’s technical skills are really good, with a variety of methods... We owe you a lot for the source identification of the corpses this time...” He showered Jiang Yuan with praise, a bit awkward but clearly meant well, and everyone joined in with laughter. If you can solve a case, you are a god. For the sake of solving a case, the tough guys here can go without sleep for days and nights on end, staring at the road surface for ten or twenty days in clothes reeking of staleness. Graduates in white lab coats can also sieve through 38 truckloads of sewage with an iron mesh, then take the solid matter back for testing. Compared to all that, what’s a little bit of awkward praise? What does it matter if the praise is forced? Shen Feihong is the Commander of Qinghe City’s Criminal Police Detachment, and Jiang Yuan is a forensic doctor from Ningtai County Criminal Police Detachment. Shen Feihong will need Jiang Yuan’s support in many areas in the future. This dismemberment case is tough, but it’s not the toughest; who knows if a more difficult one might emerge in a few days. And yet, Jiang Yuan’s abilities are constantly evolving. The 12 forensic doctors who arrived represent almost all of Qinghe City’s forensic workforce. Relatively speaking, Jiang Yuan manifested the strength of 11 out of the 12. Some say, can the collective power of 11 forensic doctors truly not match that of one? Is this not the case for an entire city? Such is modern technology. It’s not just that a city’s forensic doctors lack the expertise in forensic anthropology compared to one doctor; even if a whole province’s forensic doctors fall short of one person, there’s nothing to fuss about. When a bunch of students come together to solve a math Olympiad paper, can they guarantee a silver medal? Give them three years! It hasn’t been long since the era when a city couldn’t find a single university graduate. There were times when no one in the city knew English, accounting, surgery, radio, computers, CAD, or Photoshop—it’s only been the span of three generations. Pretending everyone is the same, that all university students are the same, that all graduates from prestigious universities are the same, that all students from the same university are the same—it’s all from those who have not encountered real challenges. Solving cases is a curious affair, some of which can be solved individually, while others can only be cracked by a select few. In recent days, Shen Feihong had been arranging for police officers from various teams to continuously strike out and had also been continually focusing on the work of Jiang Yuan and the forensic team. Looking at Jiang Yuan now, the corners of his mouth were brimming with tears of emotion. The strongest forensic doctor in Qinghe City was Wang Lan, a distinguished graduate in forensic science from a legitimate medical university, with nearly twenty years of experience and hundreds to thousands of autopsies under her belt. However, forensic anthropology was a rarity nationwide, and the experience of forensic experts across the country was just average. In situations where the numbers don’t add up, there’s no choice but to compare talent. Of course, talent like Jiang Yuan’s was a bit outrageous. Shen Feihong was merely a brigade commander, and advancing further, he wouldn’t set his sights on criminal investigation any longer, otherwise, he would have done everything in his power to keep Jiang Yuan. With everyone’s respect in consideration, Shen Feihong spoke a few kind words to Jiang Yuan before adopting a serious expression, saying, “Then let’s adjust the plan. Zhangshan Town and Lichang Town must be the focal points. Additionally, the unmarked areas surrounding these two towns can’t be taken lightly. Every surveyed area must be clearly marked, and there absolutely cannot be any omissions.” Liu Jinghui made an acknowledging sound and cooperated, saying, “Given the length of time the murderer has been active, there must be a stable location for dismembering bodies, but this amount of time is also enough for him to adequately conceal the site. Isolated cellars, hidden equipment, all are possibilities. Moreover, with the reservoir having dried up a week ago, those with information channels might have received news. All in all, the search has to be meticulous...” At this time, Shen Feihong also backed up Liu Jinghui, equally emphasizing, “The biggest worry in a search is missing something. As the old saying goes, you can be diligent 99 times, but relax once and you fail. This time we must convey the message clearly to all the officers. We need to invest 100% of our energy...” The people in the meeting room were all listening. The principle itself was understood by all, but how much of it could be executed was a test of the combat strength of each team. The words Shen Feihong said were both a reminder and a unifier of thought. As the meeting progressed through its various layers, so too consensus solidified layer by layer. The next day, when the time for action arrived, Jiang Yuan and the other forensic doctors also changed into police uniforms and took action together. The Qinghe Bureau’s police officers were certainly not enough, and as the city bureau that did not engage in operations, not only were the Qinghe Bureau’s staffing levels and the combat effectiveness of its officers questionable— When it came to publicity, the Qinghe Bureau’s strength was decent, but if the Qinghe Bureau were to lead the investigation, it would be akin to sending puppets to catch mice. It’s not that mice couldn’t be caught, but could they really be caught? The fear was that when encountering a mouse, cat owners and cats alike would scream in unison. Police officers from the nearby counties had been called over during the night. Shen Feihong had also requested a team of armed police. Nowadays, calling on the armed police was not so easy, and Shen Feihong’s main concern was avoiding mishaps. Beyond that, the local police stations of both towns also assembled a full force in coordination with the operation. Criminal cases, unlike public security cases, rarely involved leaking information, but specifics of the task were only communicated in the morning. Zhangshan Town and Lichang Town took action simultaneously. This was when the importance of administrative divisions became evident. Fortunately, Qinghe City and Jianjiang City were both part of Shan Nan Province, because coordinating efforts across provinces would have been troublesome. Jiang Yuan opted to proceed to Zhangshan Town within his city. The police officers reinforced from Ningtai County were all assigned to Zhangshan Town. Learning from his previous experiences, Jiang Yuan decided to team up with Mu Zhiyang. The brutality of the perpetrator in this case was definitely not inferior to those in the “Wu Long Mountain Wild Man case.” Whether or not guns were involved was also difficult to say. Although gun-related cases seem to be on the decline, there still remains a considerable number of firearms in civilian hands. Indeed, whether any of the several victims in this case were shot to death remains unclear. Currently, only one body has been determined to have been stabbed to death due to knife marks on the ribcage, while the causes of death for the others remain uncertain. Since Victims No. 2 and No. 3 were both in the prime of their lives, manual laborers, tackling them single-handedly would have been challenging. It’s not necessarily that they couldn’t have been overpowered, but the law of the jungle is the same for humans as it is for animals. Predators typically prefer a hunting method that ensures they don’t get injured—if there’s even a slight risk of injury, their desire to hunt greatly diminishes. Mu Zhiyang looked much healthier, moving his arms and legs freely. He was a legitimate criminal detective, and this time he was even equipped with a gun—after all, being an officer who had participated in actual combat, fired guns, shot at people, been injured, and received commendations, all counted as experience. Standing alongside Jiang Yuan, Mu Zhiyang rested his hand on his gun and exuded confidence, saying, “Rest assured this time. I’ve been assigned a 92, 9mm with double magazines. Add an armored car, and we can take on anything.” “Is it that exaggerated?” Jiang Yuan looked at Mu Zhiyang, thinking to himself that indeed, the harder the gun, the tougher the man. Mu Zhiyang, previously armed with a smaller gun, had obviously been much less bold. “Before I set out this time, I fired 100 rounds,” Mu Zhiyang’s fingers caressed the holster as he quoted a verse, “Beyond seven paces, the gun is fast; within seven paces, the gun is both accurate and fast!”

Chapter 203 - 203 195 Within Seven Steps

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