Chapter 255: Full of Flaws

The next day.

Shunling Township.

Perhaps due to its remote location on the outskirts of Changyang City, perhaps because of higher average income, or perhaps because of better natural surroundings, driving through the slightly chaotic township boundary, the core area of Shunling Township was unexpectedly serene and beautiful.

The slightly turbid Manshui River flowed through the town from upstream, bringing abundant moisture and wind.

The arch bridge spanning the river included both imitation ancient stone bridges and concrete bridges capable of carrying heavy vehicles, splitting Shunling Township into two parts.

One part was the continuous, quiet, and elegant rural life; the other, the intense, noisy, chaotic logistics park and industrial zone.

Young people mostly moved around the factory areas, occasionally wandering over to the old town, mostly couples—male-female, male-male, or female-female.

Slightly deeper into the township's fabric—residential and living areas—numerous buildings from the last century came into view.

Shunling Township did not carry out large-scale demolition; instead, it adopted a model of building new districts. Now, even further expansion of the new districts uses the same "new-new district" model. Time in the old town seemed frozen.

The government had put considerable effort into urban aesthetics; from an outsider's perspective, one could see attractive exterior walls and streets, attracting some leisure visitors, though numbers remained low and the average age was relatively high.

Wang Chuanxing, sensitive to Jiang Yuan's scrutiny of the outsiders, explained: "Three years ago, there weren't nearly this many tourists. Basically, there were no tourists at all—foreigners were all merchants, drivers, or factory workers. The rural homestays here only started in the past two years, and even those are mostly for people going to nearby fishing parks…"

"Did the victim have any connection to these?" Wei Zhenguo asked. "Such as demolition plans, renting or selling houses, renovating homestays? Checked?"

This was asking about economic factors.

In Wei Zhenguo's understanding, the victim's situation resembled a black society pattern. But to reach the level of murder, either the profit must have been enormous, or the killer extremely brazen—both seemed somewhat inconsistent.

Wang Chuanxing understood Wei Zhenguo's implication and said: "We asked people around. No economic disputes. No rumors of any either. The logistics park has some petty theft and robbery gangs, but nothing more than small groups."

Wan Baoming spoke more directly: "Because of this case, every group here has been screened—several ended up in prison, and the investigations were very thorough. No leads at all."

"Let's go straight to the scene," Jiang Yuan said, urging slightly after hearing this.

After yesterday's review and reflection, he already had some ideas and felt he understood the work of Wang Chuanxing's task force well enough.

One advantage of cases in the provincial capital is that personnel at every level handling the case have higher competence. For example, photography: in Ningtai County, it's done by part-time crime scene investigators, but in Changyang City, dedicated criminal photographers capture both overall scenes and details with great precision.

This laid an excellent foundation for case consultation.

Now, if Jiang Yuan wanted to analyze bloodstains or footprints, his main reliance would be these photos.

If the photos were well-taken and the scene fully documented, Jiang Yuan's confidence would grow stronger.

He came to the scene to compare it with the photos.

Wang Chuanxing and Wan Baoming had no objection—they were here today purely as companions.

…

The car stopped at the street entrance; the group entered an alley and walked about ten minutes to the crime scene.

The small courtyard where the victim once lived had been completely abandoned.

A large padlock hung on the door; grass grew on the walls, untouched and neglected.

The neighboring houses were much the same. Mu Zhiyang went to find someone to ask—they had all moved away shortly after the incident.

None of them found it strange.

Neighbors adjacent to the crime scene refusing to stay in their old homes was not unusual. In big cities, many have no choice—not just living next to a haunted house, but even paying tens of thousands to live in one to save money.

Township houses are cheap; buying a new one often costs only a few or tens of thousands. Some could even move in with their children.

Wang Chuanxing directly used hydraulic clippers to cut the lock open and swung the door wide.

The door opened, and several sheets of yellow paper fluttered out, blown high by the wind.

Mu Zhiyang instinctively hugged his shoulders.

Mu Zhiyang instinctively hugged his own shoulders.

The old door swayed unsteadily.

The gray-black wooden door had chipped paint and slight warping, but no bloodstains remained.

"The scene was cleaned?" Wei Zhenguo looked around.

Wang Chuanxing grunted. "We told them to preserve the scene as much as possible, but it's been too long."

The task force's work had largely stopped; the family likely sensed it too.

Jiang Yuan pulled out his tablet, pulled up the photos, and cross-referenced them with the surrounding environment.

After circling the area, Jiang Yuan returned to the door, pulled up a photo of the corpse, glanced left and right, and said: "I need someone to pose."

"Little Mu, you're up," Wei Zhenguo ordered his apprentice without hesitation.

Mu Zhiyang sighed: "I just washed my police pants last week."

As he spoke, Mu Zhiyang glanced at the photo's position and quickly lay down.

Jiang Yuan adjusted his posture, matching it to the photo.

Mu Zhiyang wriggled on the ground like a worm.

Once positioned, Jiang Yuan stood and took a photo, then said: "Curl up a bit—you're taller than the victim."

Mu Zhiyang curled up slightly.

Jiang Yuan turned to Wei Zhenguo: "Wei Captain, stand here, bend over, and reach out—see where you can touch Mu Zhiyang."

Wei Zhenguo saw the spot Jiang Yuan pointed to—it was where the half-blood footprint had been left—and, suppressing curiosity, complied.

Wei Zhenguo stood just over 1. meters tall, average height; from the side, bending and reaching, his hand just touched Mu Zhiyang's chin.

"What's your point?" Wei Zhenguo asked, standing up.

Wang Chuanxing and Wan Baoming looked over curiously.

Jiang Yuan studied Mu Zhiyang and Wei Zhenguo's positions for a moment, then turned to Wan Baoming: "I believe this case was not random."

"I can tell you've already been thinking about this—is there something wrong with the footprints?" Wan Baoming anticipated this. He had leaned toward a random crime himself, but now simply waited for Jiang Yuan's explanation.

Jiang Yuan nodded: "From the bloodstains, this footprint was the most unnecessary."

Jiang Yuan circled the positions of Mu Zhiyang and Wei Zhenguo: "Blood pools take time to form. If the killer didn't stab the victim in the chest, then immediately pull the blade out and leave, he wouldn't have stepped in blood. That's point one."

"Maybe he was searching for valuables," Wang Chuanxing said—he'd likely discussed similar ideas in the task force.

"Valuables carried by a lone elderly man?" Wei Zhenguo immediately countered.

"Maybe keys, a watch, necklace, or pocket watch," Wang Chuanxing replied—he had a fixed answer, and it was reasonable.

Jiang Yuan silently shook his head.

As he'd originally thought, Changyang City's criminal investigation team's bloodstain analysis and footprint identification skills were roughly at the 400–500 point level: capable of basic analysis, but unable to solve complex cases.

Meanwhile, LV5 bloodstain analysis + LV3 footprint identification in this era equated to an 800-point performance—purely dominant.

If given a current crime scene, Jiang Yuan had a high probability of solving the case quickly, just as criminal investigation experts did decades ago.

Bloodstains + footprints were the standard toolkit of forensic experts forty years ago.

Now, it's crime scene investigation + image analysis + fingerprints + DNA. Of course, modern investigators are more efficient and powerful overall, but different cases demand different approaches.

For cases with ample clues, any expert can find a breakthrough—it's the norm for most cases.

But some cases require a specific fit.

For this case, another potential breakthrough should be the forensic report. But Jiang Yuan had already reviewed it—no useful clues either.

At this moment, Jiang Yuan felt like a student who'd just scored 800 on a test—he swept his hand across the air and said:

"About the killer stepping into the blood pool and bending over—I have another hypothesis."

"I believe he was checking for breath or a carotid pulse to confirm the victim's death."

"Stepping into the blood pool means the killer waited on-site for some time—I believe at least one minute. For a killer, that time must have been extremely valuable."

"Searching for valuables doesn't fit. Not only could the killer have used the knife to threaten and take items, but even if he killed first, then stole, there's no need to wait. Even if the victim had slight resistance after being stabbed, it's irrelevant—he was a frail elderly man. After one stab, there's no need to wait for him to die before searching his body. If two people were involved, it'd be even easier."

Wang Chuanxing stared wide-eyed. Though not an extraordinary theory, Jiang Yuan deducing this much from a single glance still surprised him.

Jiang Yuan couldn't help thinking of Liu Jinghui. He based his deductions on bloodstain analysis, but he wondered how Liu Jinghui would reason with a 400-point evidence report.

"Let's pause the purpose-based speculation. Now, about the footprint itself," Jiang Yuan scrolled through his phone. "I see you consulted several footprint experts—judgments ranged from age 40 to 65…"

Jiang Yuan paused. "The footprint is chaotic, with only half a blood print—analysis has many variables. I lean toward an older age: 55 to 65, possibly even wider."

Before Wang Chuanxing could respond, Jiang Yuan continued: "Now, bloodstains—this part I consider more important."

Jiang Yuan quickly pulled up several photos, then squatted by the door. "Ignore the rest for now. From the photos, the key point is this: the spatter pattern has a blank area…"

Jiang Yuan circled the door crack. He stepped forward slightly. "Combined with the forensic autopsy report, I believe the killer stood right where I am now—and his waist and legs were splattered with blood, creating a streak. That's why there's a small blank space at the door crack."

Wang Chuanxing strained to examine Jiang Yuan's phone photos and the door crack—nothing stood out.

This was the difficulty level of the third sub-question of the second-to-last major problem—400–500 points could attempt it, but usually only 600-point experts could solve it.

This case was unusual; Changyang City's criminal investigation brigade likely never assembled the optimal team, so poor bloodstain analysis was understandable.

Nowadays, few in the police force specialize in bloodstain analysis.

Moreover, the blood volume here was low—many crime scene investigators probably didn't even consider this angle.

Wan Baoming, focused and quiet, asked: "If the killer stood exactly there, that means the victim opened the door, and the killer stepped two steps inside. That's an uncomfortably close social distance."

Jiang Yuan nodded slowly: "So the killer was likely someone familiar. And given his clothes and shoes were covered in blood, using public transport would be inconvenient. He probably lived nearby."

A breeze blew from behind, sending chills through all of them.

Wang Chuanxing suddenly shuddered: "What about the electricity meter reader's voice? If he's a local resident, wouldn't someone recognize him immediately?"

"Other households weren't visited by meter readers—meaning the victim was likely the first one called. So the killer probably shouted only a few times," Jiang Yuan paused. "I can't explain the witness statements yet, but I believe we should first follow the bloodstain and footprint leads."

Wan Baoming said: "We can set witness statements aside for now. Everyone here is neighbors. Before police arrived, crowds had gathered at the scene for a long time—mutual influence and suggestion are common. Especially since the witnesses here are elderly, and the crime happened during nap time…"

"Other households weren't visited for meter readings, which suggests the victim was likely the first one called to the door. That means the killer probably shouted only a few times about meter readings." Jiang Yuandun paused, then said, "I can't explain the witness testimony yet, but I believe we should first follow the trail of blood and footprints."

Jiang Yuan said: "Forget all that for now. I suggest compiling a list of nearby residents, then identifying those who weren't at the scene when police arrived—we'll visit them."

Wan Baoming nodded: "The killer had to return home to change and dispose of bloodied clothes and weapons, maybe even bathe—he couldn't have returned to the scene quickly."

Jiang Yuan said: "Forget about that for now; I suggest we start with."

the list of nearby residents, then identify those who were not at the scene after the police arrived, and visit them."

Wan Baoming nodded unconsciously: "The murderer must return home to change and dispose of the bloodstained clothes and weapon, and might even need to bathe—he can't possibly reach the scene in a short time."

"I saw the list of people who gave statements yesterday—I'll look it up." Wang Zhong finally found something he could do, pulling out his notebook and starting to work.

Wang Chuanxing watched the others' movements, feeling deeply uncomfortable, and asked softly: "What if we actually find the murderer?"

"Then we arrest him," Wei Zhenguo nodded to his team.

To be honest, six people chasing one murderer was a bit few—but four strong young men in their twenties, plus two middle-aged men, seemed more than enough to pin down an elderly man likely over sixty.