[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-nation-s-forensic-medical-examiner":3,"chapter-the-nation-s-forensic-medical-examiner-the-nation-s-forensic-medical-examiner-chapter-174":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Nation's Forensic Medical Examiner",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2326869,4551,"Chapter 174: House Collapses, Roof Falls","the-nation-s-forensic-medical-examiner-chapter-174",174,"\u003Cp>After speaking with Team Leader Lei Xin and finishing most of a pack of cigarettes, the forensic technicians redonned their gear and resumed the autopsy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Xin had originally intended to help, but seeing no room to move, he stepped aside, found a stool to stand on, and continued watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Keyang now had company, and they worked together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Autopsies on bodies burned by fire are not like standard postmortems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a normal autopsy, if only part of the body is examined, two or three hours are usually enough; for slightly more complex cases, four or five hours may be needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with a body burned by fire, the information obtainable is extremely limited, so a much more meticulous dissection is required.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Xin had come here specifically for this reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The physical evidence left at the scene was nearly nonexistent—there might truly be nothing usable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the corpse was charred beyond recognition, it still retained at least some traces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Xin now hoped the cause of death was poisoning; if the poison could be identified, it would be an excellent lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan once again stepped back to a secondary position, but still searched diligently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Niu Dong, the district bureau’s forensic doctor, was especially thorough, examining the abdominal and pelvic cavities, then meticulously inspecting every inch of the limbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone knew that now, the only hope lay in some small discovery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan’s tall frame soon bent until his back ached; when he straightened up to stretch, he saw a glittering speck slide out from the corpse’s chest cavity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan glanced around, then reached out and picked up the speck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ying’s legacy—Fashion Sense (LV2):\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dazzling, chaotic energy of the big city, with its ever-changing trends, struck Zhang Ying—a girl from a small town—with intense force. Beautiful clothes, representing personality, culture, and art, repeatedly tempted her and held her captive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These stylish garments gave Zhang Ying unprecedented confidence; for a time, she even caught the tail end of pop culture and gained a few admirers who appreciated her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though, back in her small city, Zhang Ying had gradually lost her fashion sensitivity, in Qinghe City, she remained the top trendsetter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>LV2 meant a high-level professional in a city; Zhang Ying’s legacy appeared to be among the higher tiers of LV2.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what use could a skill like Fashion Sense possibly serve?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To judge a person’s identity and background from their clothing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan turned his gaze back to the corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The charred, curled body had been naked before the fire—heartbreaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At dawn, the autopsy was finally complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Niu Dong still had to write the autopsy report; Wang Lan, Jiang Yuan, Cao Keyang, and Lei Xin got in the car and left first, each to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More accurately, the first three rested; Team Leader Lei Xin continued to other locations to boost morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day at noon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan woke from a deep sleep, guessed all the reports were ready, packed up, and headed to the Criminal Investigation Unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had changed into a brand-new set of clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crisp, gleaming police uniform still looked sharp and dignified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had gained a new skill, Jiang Yuan had no desire to change much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he entered the gate, he felt a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like smoked cured pork—you smell it and know exactly what you’re eating today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expressions and gestures of the officers around him conveyed one message: the case remained unsolved, the mystery persisted, the leads were dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the office, the atmosphere was unchanged. Several officers, their faces like smoked pork, huddled together whispering—surely not discussing trivial matters like scallions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dr. Wang, Dr. Niu.” Jiang Yuan approached a corner desk—this flexible workstation was meant for officers like Wang Lan, who were on temporary assignment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Yuan.” Wang Lan nodded. Her gaze remained sharp, though slightly weary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At forty-something, working consecutive all-nighters was clearly taking its toll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But all police officers were like this—especially detectives. Once involved in major cases, stomach and intestinal meds became essential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan asked: “Have the toxicology results come out? Any findings?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No common poisons,” Niu Dong replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toxicology tests were done by substance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually, you tested for arsenic, or for rat poison, or for cyanide—there was no machine that could dump in one sample and spit out results with a click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simpler tests, like for cyanide, used picric acid paper—practically a high school chemistry lab experiment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solid-phase extraction, liquid-phase extraction—each had its own complexity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, no toxicology results didn’t mean the victim wasn’t poisoned—only that common poisons tested negative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The famous Fudan poisoning case required a separate test for dimethylnitrosamine; only a positive result confirmed the poison. And there are likely 600,000 other chemicals equally deadly to humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan nodded slightly. “Then we’re back to interpersonal relationships?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With virtually no physical evidence, only the old detective methods remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the veteran detectives looked both grim and excited as they discussed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Lan merely murmured, “Ideally, it’s a crime of passion triggered by romantic entanglements. If so, the challenge lies in interrogation—whether the suspect confesses without physical evidence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly,” Jiang Yuan and Niu Dong both nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it’s a burglary or robbery that turned into murder, it gets complicated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were straightforward deductions—no difficulty in logic, just conclusions hard to accept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan asked: “Are there no surveillance cameras nearby? Even at distant intersections?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This urban village is complicated—cameras exist, but most are broken,” Wang Lan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan understood. He had no intention of blaming another city’s policing; urban villages were a common problem—he resolved to install more cameras back in Jiang Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Random crimes are always hard to solve. Theft and robbery are difficult to crack precisely because of their randomness—anyone could be targeted, so investigative options are severely limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhang Ying case was the same—if this was a random attack, the next step must be linking it to other cases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it can’t be linked to other cases, the evidence from this one alone won’t be enough to convict—or even solve it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The low pressure in the office was due to this very reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When a case becomes completely uncontrollable, the detectives’ morale plummets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The veteran detectives finished talking and left the office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, Lei Xin entered the main office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After greetings, he walked over to the corner where the three forensic doctors sat, greeted them, and updated them:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The victim Zhang Ying had a complicated social circle—knew many people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Lan asked: “Did she have a boyfriend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Xin didn’t delay: “Her hometown arranged an engagement; 188,000 yuan in bride price was paid. This year, he came to Qinghe City to work. They reportedly had conflicts—Zhang Ying disliked him. He came to the mall several times looking for her. He’s suspect number one—we’ve already sent people to find him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Suspect number two is Zhang Ying’s supervisor. Their relationship was ambiguous, but he’s married. He’s been brought in—he doesn’t seem likely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That relationship doesn’t seem enough… Any others?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Lan fixed Lei Xin with a stare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang Ying was strikingly good-looking, well-dressed, and assertive. She didn’t get along well with coworkers and had arguments with customers, but nothing serious. She also had a dispute with a deliveryman over a package—he paid her several hundred yuan in compensation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Xin was overwhelmed—these were all ordinary social interactions, nothing unusual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Jiang Yuan, who never came up empty. With a patient tone, he said: “Dr. Jiang, could you take a look at the scene?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hoped even a small clue might be found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan agreed immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His desired autopsy was done, but the case wasn’t over—he still had to help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Xin quickly thanked him and hurried off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan then called for Dr. Wang Lan and a detective, and they headed to the crime scene together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After personally experiencing the killer returning to the crime scene, Jiang Yuan dared not be careless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with two technicians, he didn’t feel safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During scene examination, technicians focused entirely on the ground or objects—they never noticed someone approaching from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two technicians working together still carried low safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But having one non-technical officer was much better—even if he was scrolling short videos at the door, he was more reliable than an extra technician.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The burned-down self-built house was filthy and black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The roof beams lay collapsed in the center, the walls shattered—like a battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The person most wanting to kill right now is probably the landlord,” said the detective who joined them—he stopped at the courtyard gate and refused to enter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“House collapsed, roof fallen”—after the fire, the self-built house offered no place to step from the front door inward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few idle onlookers peered in through the doorway; even after being shooed twice, they wouldn’t leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when the detective pulled out his notebook to record their ID numbers did they hurry away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan and Wang Lan put on masks and special shoe covers, then carefully entered to examine the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two hours later, Jiang Yuan essentially gave up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No fingerprints, no bloodstains, no footprints—there was nothing to find. It wasn’t that the scene investigators hadn’t tried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even trace evidence couldn’t survive in this environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only biological samples degraded, but common fibers and other materials vanished. Even metals might have oxidized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can only hope the evidence collected from the point of origin yields something,” Jiang Yuan said, gathering samples—but without much confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he stepped outside and was removing his gloves, a police officer rushed in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Slow down, slow down—you’re kicking up dust!” Wang Lan called out, then asked: “Any new updates?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are leads from Zhang Ying’s hometown.” The police officer replied, also sounding somewhat energized: “Turns out her family arranged another marriage for her, demanding 288,000 yuan in bride price. Before they could return the previous engagement gift, we arrived just as the three families were arguing over it.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1654,"2026-06-20T18:55:00.150Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1080ef9426fd69509d0331c17cd2c805e83d72b04d34427cc39083b5c8b631b6","the-nation-s-forensic-medical-examiner-chapter-175","the-nation-s-forensic-medical-examiner-chapter-173",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-nation-s-forensic-medical-examiner-cover.jpg"]