Chapter 353: Let

The killer may have left footprints in the yard, but from the photos, the yard's traces were too chaotic; later-arriving villagers and officials largely destroyed the crime scene. If analysis is to be done, we must return to the scene to see if any useful evidence can be extracted.

There were no signs of forced entry on doors or windows, but a final judgment requires an on-site inspection; however, based on the struggle scene between the killer and the male victim in the living room, the killer most likely entered through the main door.

The killer entered, threatened, the male victim resisted, was beaten, then dragged downstairs to the elderly person's room—the entire process was likely swift, as evidenced by the blood droplets on the floor.

From the victim's own blood footprints, after his head was smashed, he staggered, trying to escape and possibly to scream, but was immediately struck again—the second blow was likely from a blunt instrument, a hammer. The speed was fast; blood splattered on the walls suggests the killer was tall, over 1. meters, heavy-built, and highly skilled with the hammer.

From the strike locations, apart from the male victim downstairs, the killer targeted heads almost exclusively—this was a decisive killing, not an impulsive act, likely premeditated. The surviving infant was probably spared because the killer deemed it no threat.

But from the subsequent searching of drawers and other actions, theft appears to have been the ultimate goal.

No valuable fingerprints were found at the scene; DNA from defensive wounds failed to match; footprints left were minimal and highly fragmented, indicating the killer was experienced.

Jiang Yuan instantly delivered a string of details; beside him, Tang Jia, without being told, quickly took notes.

Jiang Yuan systematically reviewed the evidence using bloodstain analysis, footprint examination, and crime scene investigation skills; Liu Jinghui's thinking gradually became clear.

After Jiang Yuan finished speaking, Liu Jinghui stood up and began from the start: "The victim's outer gate may have been left unlocked, allowing the killer direct entry. Perhaps even the villa's interior doors weren't properly closed, so the two met in the center of the living room."

"The male homeowner likely didn't anticipate being killed at first, suggesting the killer wasn't a deeply entrenched enemy or creditor."

"The elderly woman upstairs, the eldest son, and the female victim probably didn't hear the sounds downstairs—at least not the struggle—because all were killed in their daily routines by the sudden intruder."

"This suggests they may not have originally intended to kill; the male victim resisted, and in the conflict, he was accidentally killed, so the killer went on to murder the entire family? Or perhaps the killer always intended to kill, but didn't act immediately upon entering?"

Liu Jinghui methodically built his deductions, working with Jiang Yuan to reconstruct the crime scene. But purely from photos, analysis had essentially reached its limit.

Tang Jia quickly filled several pages of notes.

"Let me take a look," Liu Jinghui reached out, reviewed it again, then circled the passage Jiang Yuan had stated: "The killer was tall, over 1. meters, heavy-built, and highly skilled with the hammer."

Liu Jinghui smiled and said: "Let's send this section to Chi Yong City—they'll definitely take interest."

"Yes, fine." Jiang Yuan's analysis was based on Level 5 bloodstain analysis combined with Level 3 footprint science; the resulting report, even if sent to ministry-level experts, would be hard to surpass, and likely unattainable.

Experts who understand bloodstain analysis and possess practical experience are exceedingly rare; even maintaining professional standards is difficult. Occasionally, one or two such experts exist, but Chi Yong City probably couldn't borrow them.

"I think we should begin reconstructing the crime scene now, then continue once we arrive on-site," Liu Jinghui said. Though he was a deduction enthusiast, he still required evidence or clues to support his reasoning—and he adored Jiang Yuan's crime scene reconstruction techniques.

Deductionists loved nothing more than restoring the original state of the case.

Chi Yong City.

In the crowded office, only the begonia on the windowsill

stubbornly emitted a vital aura. Dozens of cigarette butts piled inside the begonia's pot, like stars surrounding the moon.

Yuan Ben had faxed the case file, sent the photos, and helped Wang Chuanxing and others with procedures before finally pausing, standing beside the begonia, lighting a cigarette, and smoking silently.

Since confirming Jiang Yuan's identity, Yuan Ben had become more eager and more exhausted.

Only those in criminal investigation truly appreciated how rare experts were—especially technical experts who could genuinely assist in solving cases—always an absolute scarcity.

The number of experts in each province was limited; those who gained fame within a province numbered only a few; across the entire nation, they were even scarcer.

Though the case in Chi Yong seemed important, truthfully, which criminal case wasn't? And an expert focused on one case might sink into it for weeks or months, while cases across the country kept arising endlessly.

Recently, Yuan Ben had been extremely courteous when contacting provincial technical experts, let alone those from other provinces. Knock knock.

Wang Chuanxing knocked on the door of the main office and entered, smiling: "Everyone's here." The officers inside nodded to him and pointed to Yuan Ben's position.

Wang Chuanxing saw him himself and hurried over, pulling out a cigarette and offering it to Yuan Ben: "Thanks for your help—we've nearly finished our procedures."

"As long as the paperwork is done, that's fine," Yuan Ben smiled.

"Thanks to you, we'd have been delayed much longer. Just don't let it interfere with your case."

"I'm just a junior officer. The mass murder is the whole team's job; today wasn't even my shift. The director personally flagged it, the deputy chief is commanding directly—I'm just following orders," Yuan Ben waved his hand.

In truth, one of his duties was to locate and contact various experts; if he could connect Wang Chuanxing's team to Jiang Yuan, he was already delighted.

Thinking this, Yuan Ben whispered: "Honestly, the case has made zero progress so far. Even if we want to assign people to investigate leads, it's useless—there simply are no leads."

Yuan Ben spread his hands: "We've interviewed all neighbors and walked every village—still nothing."

Wang Chuanxing listened, feeling nostalgic yet understanding, and smiled: "I get it. We've had this before." "Before?"

"Ever since we followed Jiang's team, this situation became rare," Wang Chuanxing smiled. "Jiang's team always filters leads first before sending people out—we rarely resort to manpower sweeps."

Yuan Ben chuckled twice, believing only three-tenths of what Wang Chuanxing said. Occasionally, one or two cases might be easier, but most cases—especially cold cases and homicides—were never easy.

As they spoke, Wang Chuanxing's phone rang.

Wang Chuanxing answered, already smiling: "Jiang's team sent an analysis. Sent via text—wait a moment." "What analysis?" Yuan Ben's curiosity deepened.

Wang Chuanxing then showed him the text message.

On the screen, a single line read: Based on bloodstain analysis and footprint assessment, one of the perpetrators has the characteristics of being 1. meters tall, heavy-built, and highly skilled with a hammer.

These few details made Yuan Ben swallow hard.

Though still a broad range, this was the most useful lead since the mass murder. "Is this Jiang Yuan's suspect profile?" Yuan Ben asked.

Wang Chuanxing shook his head: "Not exactly a profile. Look—Jiang's team specified it's from bloodstains on the walls and such."

"Yes, our technicians had similar analyses, but none were confident," Yuan Ben slightly shook his head.

One of the problems the Chi Yong task force faced was the overwhelming, chaotic volume of information, making it hard to extract clear leads.

Looking at Wang Chuanxing, Yuan Ben hesitated, then said: "If this is confirmed as Jiang's judgment, I'll report it."

"It's Jiang's work—go ahead and report it," Wang Chuanxing replied.

Yuan Ben nodded and turned to make the call.

In a moment, Yuan Ben returned excitedly and told Wang Chuanxing: "Our deputy chief wants to speak with your Jiang's team."

"Here's Director Huang's number—you can start talking now," Wang Chuanxing said, having just received authorization.