Chapter 30: You Finally Look Like a Human

"I was just saying that; you actually took it seriously." Yu Dazhang smiled.

"If solving cases relied solely on guessing, what would the forensic department be for?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Cheng's expression returned to normal.

That makes sense; determining the composition of an object ultimately depends on test results.

"I'll go right now. As soon as the test report comes out, I'll bring it to you immediately."

After Qian Cheng finished speaking, he quickly left the conference room.

At this moment, the vast conference room contained only Yu Dazhang.

When tasks were assigned just now, he had already noticed that everyone in the task force, including his master, did not understand his approach.

He had Lu Zhongxin interrogate in the direction of innocence, while sending others to investigate the social backgrounds of both parties in the case.

These two points alone showed that Yu Dazhang had already determined that Kong Lingjie was not the true murderer.

No one knew where his confidence came from.

Yu Dazhang felt helpless too; he also wanted to explain the matter, but some things could not be spoken aloud.

In his past life, Kong Lingjie's alibi was definitely real; this was the most critical evidence allowing him to escape guilt.

And that big lawyer must have been hired for Kong Lingjie by someone else who paid.

From these two points, it could be inferred that Kong Lingjie was merely a puppet pushed to the forefront.

Alas, Yu Dazhang could not speak of events that had not yet happened.

His current situation was: he understood in his heart but could not say it.

Even if he said he was a reborn person, someone would have to believe him.

Near noon, Qian Cheng returned, holding a test report in his hand.

"The report is out. Guess what that particle is?"

Qian Cheng looked very excited; whenever it involved his profession, he became abnormally high-strung.

"Carbon." Yu Dazhang answered directly without thinking.

"To be precise, it is activated carbon."

Qian Cheng:!!!!!

You slipped up! You let it slip!

Just now you said cases couldn't be solved by guessing alone, yet you guessed so accurately.

Can this thing be distinguished by the naked eye?

Are your eyes connected to a measuring instrument?

What exactly have you transformed into!

Seeing Qian Cheng with his mouth open, speechless and staring straight at him, Yu Dazhang said with a smile:

"No need to be so surprised."

"The investigation report shows the body was placed face-up on the bed, with the head located at the foot of the bed."

"And that particle was found at the foot of the bed; the only logical explanation is... the particle fell from the deceased's hair."

"This is also the only hypothesis that can establish a connection with the deceased."

"Combined with the current state of the rental room, it is easy to infer the function of that particle."

What function... Qian Cheng wore an expression of "seeing a ghost."

Big brother, keep talking!

If I could guess it, I wouldn't be in the forensic department!

Seeing Qian Cheng's expression of wanting to speak but holding back, Yu Dazhang also felt a bit confused.

I've hinted so obviously, and you still don't know?

Helpless, he could only continue speaking:

"That day when the two of us went to the scene, didn't you notice anything unusual in the room?"

Qian Cheng thought for a moment, then helplessly shook his head:

"Nothing special. When we went, the scene had already been investigated."

The fact that Yu Dazhang could find two new clues already surprised him; he really couldn't think of what else could be unusual.

"The smell!" Yu Dazhang wore an expression of frustration, as if disappointed in iron that wouldn't become steel:

"Under normal temperatures, twenty-four hours after death, a body will emit an odor; exceeding forty-eight hours, it becomes so foul it's hard to approach."

"But when Zhang Yan's body was found, she had been dead for four days. Given Shonghai's current temperature, how foul would it have become?"

"Even if the body was moved, the lingering smell would take at least a week to dissipate. But when the two of us were in the rental room, there was an odd smell, yet it was very faint; unless you smelled carefully, you wouldn't notice it at all."

"You said at the scene that the principle of scene preservation is to maintain the original state."

"Then surely no one would have deodorized the scene."

"Therefore, the murderer must have used some method to preserve the body..."

As Yu Dazhang spoke up to this point, Qian Cheng's eyes lit up, and he immediately raised his hand to interrupt:

"I, I, I know! The murderer utilized the strong adsorption properties of activated carbon to deodorize and preserve the body."

He thought of it, but only under the premise that Yu Dazhang was about to reveal the answer.

Looking at this probationary rookie before him, Qian Cheng began to doubt his own intelligence.

They went to the scene together; how could the other person discover so many unusual things?

Whereas I truly just had a one-day tour of the scene.

Please... collect... 6... 9... Book... Ba...!

At this moment, he felt his train of thought opened up, and his mind became lively again.

"The killer must have read books on forensic medicine, and it's even possible they specialized in this field."

Qian Cheng spoke while pondering:

"Preserving a body with freezing methods would definitely be discovered during the autopsy; that's a technique only an amateur would use."

"Only someone who has studied forensic medicine would think of using activated charcoal to treat it."

"Doing so not only masks the odor but also effectively slows the rate of decomposition."

"In other words, the victim's actual time of death must be pushed further back!"

You finally seem like a human... Yu Dazhang nodded in satisfaction.

He had previously suspected Qian Cheng was just filling a seat, after all, it was rare for someone from the technical division to join the task force.

But after spending time together a few times, Yu Dazhang discovered that Qian Cheng's professional knowledge had reached a level of mastery.

Someone like that didn't need him to analyze the case; he just needed to provide professional opinions quickly whenever doubts were raised.

Just like now.

Yu Dazhang could think of the killer using activated charcoal to preserve the body, but he didn't know that activated charcoal could also slow the rate of decomposition.

This was the gap between him and a professional.

"And another thing." Qian Cheng spoke more smoothly and began correcting Yu Dazhang's errors:

"What you just said about it becoming particularly foul-smelling after forty-eight hours is not rigorous."

"The body actually begins to soften after forty-two hours, and urine and feces are expelled from the body due to muscle relaxation..."

"Enough, enough." Yu Dazhang hurriedly interrupted:

"No need to give me a lecture; I just need to know the general idea."

It's almost lunchtime; I think you're deliberately killing my appetite... Yu Dazhang understood these tech nerds.

As soon as they talk about their specialty, they get excited and can't wait to say everything they've learned.

But thanks to Qian Cheng.

Without his professional knowledge, Yu Dazhang wouldn't have known that the time of death could be altered.

If the time of death is pushed back, then Kong Lingjie's alibi won't hold up.

"Brother Qian, you'll have to make another trip to the forensic center." Yu Dazhang said quickly:

"Explain the new situation to the medical examiner, apply for a re-autopsy, and determine the time of death as soon as possible."

Yu Dazhang knew this was important because the time of death was also a form of evidence.

Moreover, just talking about it wouldn't work; a real and valid autopsy report was required.

"I'll go right now." As Qian Cheng spoke, he handed the granular analysis report in his hand to Yu Dazhang.

The inaccuracy of the time of death was something he had deduced using his professional knowledge.

This meant that in this case, he had also played a role in advancing the investigation.

Precisely because of this, Qian Cheng was now full of energy.

Yu Dazhang went to the room next to the interrogation room and picked up the microphone on the desk:

"Master, take a break for the intermission; the case has changed."

(End of this chapter)