Chapter 1353: Gathered Together

"Team Zhu, if you smoke, I'll arrange for you to be in this meeting room? This is the smoking area. Team Jiang also sits in this meeting room." The auxiliary police officer handling meeting affairs was already very familiar with this task, bringing over the fingerprint expert Zhu Huan'guang from Shannan, and then gave a rapid-fire introduction: "Accommodation has been arranged for you at our family compound, a five-minute walk away; you're staying in the section chief's house."

"This... staying at the section chief's house, isn't that inappropriate?" Zhu Huan'guang saw Jiang Yuan inside from the doorway; during the fingerprint showdown in Shannan, the two had been evenly matched rivals who respected each other, and later they had also worked together on trace evidence tasks for the Changyang Municipal Criminal Police Detachment. This time, besides Zhu Huan'guang enjoying the atmosphere of the fingerprint showdown, he also came in response to Jiang Yuan's call.

Auxiliary police: "The rooms have all been prepared to guesthouse standards; after the showdown ends, we have dedicated personnel to organize them before returning them, so you don't need to worry..."

"I want to sit behind Jiang Yuan." Zhu Huan'guang interrupted the auxiliary police officer, slightly adjusting his collar.

The auxiliary police officer wasn't surprised at all; in his brief reception history, this was a common request, as if it were some feng shui treasure spot.

The auxiliary police asked: "The last two rows are full; can we count the third row from the back? We've staggered the desks, ensuring everyone can see Jiang Yuan's computer screen."

Zhu Huan'guang didn't expect his little thought to be exposed instantly, he froze for two seconds, then asked: "Does Jiang Yuan not mind his screen being seen?"

"Jiang Yuan said it doesn't matter." The auxiliary police just answered what he had heard.

"Alright then." This time Zhu Huan'guang came because he had been deeply researching fingerprint analysis for the past two years, feeling he had made new progress, so he wanted to meet Jiang Yuan again.

Back then, Zhu Huan'guang's fingerprint identification skill was roughly at the level of LV3 great completion. In some minor specialties, he had reached entry-level LV4. These two years, Zhu Huan'guang has maintained a practice of at least three days a week, examining 6,000 fingerprints daily; on other days when he had to attend meetings and write reports, he still examined at least 2,000 to 3,000.

With such accumulation, and occasionally exchanging ideas with Jiang Yuan in the trace evidence group, Zhu Huan'guang recently felt he should have broken through.

Such technical matters, even after a breakthrough, cannot be directly stated, and even to leaders who don't understand, like Yu Wenshu, he would only grandly talk about the popularity of computers before fingerprint experts sought to verify fingerprints, thus boasting of his "photographic memory" ability.

Zhu Huan'guang had long been a full deputy section chief; how could he tolerate such treatment? He trained hard to boast about his fingerprint skills to others, so, feeling his fingerprint identification ability had improved, he could only demonstrate it in actual work.

Jiang Yuan's call for the fingerprint showdown was precisely the best platform for display.

Zhu Huan'guang followed the auxiliary police, weaving through layers of office desks, chairs, computers, and experts, like a student entering a classroom.

Jiang Yuan intently stared at his own screen, not noticing Zhu Huan'guang.

Zhu Huan'guang also didn't rush to greet him; after sitting down, he first listened to the auxiliary police officer's basic briefing, while simultaneously familiarizing himself with the computer assigned to him.

The auxiliary police first explained the basics, then finally said: "Our situation this time is somewhat special; the cases involving fingerprints are not necessarily major cases, and there are also some minor cases, decided by each locality themselves which cases to report and organize. The fingerprint involvement situations, we have also attached relevant materials nearby."

Fingerprint showdowns are usually for major cases, and inherently meant to balance technical differences across regions; it can be said that homicide cases are the starting point.

For such cases, fingerprints are naturally carefully studied by all localities; if not fully understood, they are sent up again, and then the fingerprint experts of each locality exhaust their minds to think of solutions...

Also because of this, in fingerprint showdowns, having a shaved head is normal; truly those who can complete multiple fingerprint comparisons are strong individuals, like Zhu Huan'guang's previous participation, where he earned a third-class merit.

Whereas Jiang Yuan and others this time organized the Anwan fingerprint showdown, the level was inherently not high, preparations from all sides were insufficient, and it couldn't be like a normal showdown accumulating and preparing large numbers of related fingerprints—not just taking any fingerprints involved in cases to participate, but needing to be critical fingerprints; once matched, they could break a case, at least providing strong leads, only then allowed to be used in the showdown.

This sorting work itself also consumes police manpower.

On the other hand, Jiang Yuan also wanted to handle more cases from Pingzhou, just to eliminate future worries.

Zhu Huan'guang thus saw ordinary-level fingerprints in the back rows—viewed from his LV3 great completion realm, some fingerprints looked at didn't seem too difficult.

Zhu Huan'guang couldn't help but smirk slightly, casually opened a fingerprint, and began marking feature points.

He also didn't pursue overly large or difficult cases; this time he came mainly out of respect for Jiang Yuan's face; in this situation, it was actually better to pick up a few small cases, as quantity would first make people happy.

Holding this thought, Zhu Huan'guang's fingerprint comparisons became relaxed and leisurely; to outsiders, he actually seemed to have somewhat of a master's demeanor.

Zhu Huan'guang quickly completed marking three fingerprints, then successfully matched one; although it was only a petty theft case, Zhu Huan'guang also couldn't help but feel elated.

In the prior offenders' database, a matched fingerprint would necessarily lead to actual imprisonment, likely resulting in a sentence of three years or more.

Zhu Huan'guang satisfiedly lifted his head, and naturally looked toward Jiang Yuan's screen.

He had always been curious about Jiang Yuan's fingerprint identification. In fact, curious people were not just Zhu Huan'guang alone; many people sitting behind Jiang Yuan were there to spy on his screen the whole time.

Jiang Yuan seemed unaffected, leaning back in his chair, one hand operating the mouse, one hand operating the keyboard, movements not fast, yet never stopping.

Zhu Huan'guang understood: this was just like when he had just marked feature points; the local criminals of Pingzhou indeed left more traces, so fingerprint marking wasn't challenging.

Zhu Huan'guang adjusted his glasses slightly to see more clearly.

Then, Zhu Huan'guang clearly discovered that Jiang Yuan had marked a partial fingerprint.

Still somewhat blurred partial fingerprint.

Zhu Huan'guang instantly recalled the previous fingerprint showdown; last time, Jiang Yuan had also marked a blurred partial fingerprint, but... even then, Jiang Yuan was nowhere near as adept as today.

"Did he also have an epiphany?" Zhu Huan'guang was very familiar with this kind of improvement; the former Jiang Yuan absolutely did not have such ease, at least in matching blurred partial fingerprints, unable to reach such an exaggerated degree.

Zhu Huan'guang couldn't help but stand up, walk past the adjacent desk, and approach Jiang Yuan's computer to see more clearly.

When he did this, several people in the room also stood up and walked over.

Several people looked at each other, all being acquainted fingerprint experts, so they tacitly stepped back and began observing on their own.

Jiang Yuan marked feature points, submitted them to the system for comparison, then rechecked in the candidate fingerprints...

After a series of operations, a name was spat out.

Jiang Yuan slightly organized it, sent an email to Liu Zhuangshi, and then opened a new fingerprint.

The people behind looked for a while, then silently dispersed.

Not long after, another new expert was arranged to come in; after some hesitation, he also stood behind Jiang Yuan, and in the time of silently watching for thirty minutes or less, the newcomer always became humble.

A somewhat harmonious yet strange atmosphere lasted until dinner time.

Zhang Limin from the provincial department personally brought a large basin to comfort the troops, and deliberately showed Jiang Yuan: "I specially had someone buy you the beef eyes you like; fresh beef eyes are not easy to find, try my dish!"