[{"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-96":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},2326791,4551,"Chapter 96","the-nation-s-forensic-medical-examiner-chapter-96",96,"\u003Cp>After a ceremony-heavy meal, fingerprint experts from all over gradually left the venue, returning to their dorms, some even heading straight home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Experts who solved the murder cases, and those like Zhu Huan with top-ranked fingerprint matches, were specifically kept behind for photos and interviews.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some might earn commendations, but no one was actually discussing it yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan continued passionately studying Level 5 bloodstain analysis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bloodstain analysis was useful, but Level 5 offered stronger stimulation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Think of Da Zhuang’s obsession with dog food—you could easily imagine how spattered blood would connect to the killer in some form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Expert Jiang, could you come over here?” Another reporter appeared, grabbing Jiang Yuan and snapping photos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reporter then asked the same series of questions as before, and asked Jiang Yuan to change into various borrowed police uniforms for a series of photos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zemin seized the chance to hug Jiang Yuan and took many photos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, you’re leaving already? This fingerprint battle ended way too fast,” Li Zemin said, smoking a Zhonghua, patting Jiang Yuan’s shoulder with a worried expression, then giving the reporters behind them a backward V-sign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind them stood a large printed ranking board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the left: “Murder Case Accumulation Ranking.” Jiang Yuan ranked first with 10 cases solved; Li Zemin ranked 35th with 0.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the right: “Case Resolution Ranking.” Jiang Yuan ranked first with 18 cases solved; Li Zemin ranked 35th with 0.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both looked delighted, taking many more photos in front of the board. Li Zemin said he’d take them home to show his colleagues—he’d come out to the fingerprint battle alongside the number-one expert and crushed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His own rank and case count didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan felt deeply moved, patting Li Zemin back. The fourteen days of the fingerprint battle had been pure, joyful days—he just did fingerprints, occasionally went out for air, chatted, and slept soundly at night, never thinking about how many killers might die because of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black and white of the world appeared clearly before Jiang Yuan, and he had influenced it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, he didn’t have to worry, as he did at school, that some half-grown boy would suddenly rush out and grab his arm to drag him off to play. Nor did he have to, as he did at home, either wander aimlessly with boring trust-fund kids or be cornered by strange people pushing odd investment schemes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zemin was also a great companion—he wasn’t obsessed with fingerprints like Jiang Yuan, could be summoned anytime, walked alongside you while smoking a pack, and had a relaxed, easygoing personality, one of the few young-minded experts among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beautiful romance\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come visit Liyuan City when you have time—we’re near Pingzhou, with big mountains and grasslands, and the meat is truly delicious…” Li Zemin enthusiastically invited Jiang Yuan, bidding him a reluctant farewell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no case results, so naturally there were no interviews or commendations. On the other hand, though being away from home for half a month was fun, he still missed family and friends by now. His clothes stank, the food in Changyang had grown tiresome, and the cigarettes he’d brought… he needed to find somewhere to hide them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan saw Li Zemin off, pretending to be tough as he shoved two packs of 300-series Zhonghua into his hands, then watched the ride-hailing car drive away, feeling a faint pang of sadness. The bustling energy of the fingerprint battle felt entirely different from the celebratory noise now filling the streets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Yuan. Congratulations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Jiang Yuan felt a bit down, Liu Jinghui appeared behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director Liu?” Jiang Yuan was surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be blunt, Jiang Yuan didn’t like Liu Jinghui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially his habit of exploiting evidence without trusting it—something rare even in today’s police force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet seeing Liu Jinghui, a familiar face, at this moment felt deeply comforting, almost perfectly timed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I brought you a gift,” Liu Jinghui smiled, handing Jiang Yuan a bag. “Congratulations on ranking first in case results. This time, you’re definitely getting a Second-Class Merit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed to the “Murder Case Accumulation Ranking.” “In past fingerprint battles, experts who matched four or five murder cases got Second-Class Merits outright. You’ve done ten—look at how happy the leaders are. The criminal investigation teams across the country are buzzing. By person-hours, thousands must’ve pulled all-nighters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did they all catch the suspects?” Jiang Yuan asked involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pretty much. Unless they had other cases on them, they all found the culprits,” Liu Jinghui said, sounding very familiar with such cases. “Old cases are hard to solve, but arrests aren’t the issue. Over time, with cases unsolved, many killers settle into ordinary lives—buying rice, cooking oil, salt. From what I’ve seen, the more serious the suspect, the more they crave this mundane, everyday life. When officers arrive, their anger… it’s like their dream life collapsed. They rarely resist…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jinghui took a deep, satisfied breath and grinned cruelly. “I love watching them cry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan listened, entranced—he thought he’d probably enjoy watching too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, Jiang Yuan realized he was still holding the bag. He picked it up and asked, “You gave me a gift? What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A blackout eye mask. Makes sleeping more comfortable. A small token, nothing much.” Liu Jinghui smiled sincerely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan opened it—it was indeed a blackout eye mask, not expensive-looking. After hesitating a moment, he accepted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet he felt a strange unease—he’d been struggling to sleep well in the dorm, always thinking he should get an eye mask, forgetting during work, remembering again at bedtime…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet he’d just casually given him one?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a Level Four Senior Police Officer from the provincial bureau—just the gesture itself was worth more than the eye mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are your plans next?” Liu Jinghui asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll wait for higher-ups’ orders,” Jiang Yuan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then you’ll probably take more photos, get featured in newspapers for days, attend meetings, receive awards, maybe even give speeches at various units. The worst part? You’ll likely be assigned to some ultra-complex case,” Liu Jinghui said, noting Jiang Yuan’s calm expression. “I don’t mean complex in terms of case details—I mean complex in terms of interest distribution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan paused. “What case?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You should ask why it’s you,” Liu Jinghui said, giving Jiang Yuan a moment to think, then added: “Remember the Wu Long Wild Man case? You said you’d take it up after the fingerprint battle. Well, the fingerprint battle is over now…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director Liu, I never agreed,” Jiang Yuan laughed, shaking his head. Sure, murder cases sounded prestigious, but Ningtai County had plenty of them—why should he trail after the unlikable Liu Jinghui?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jinghui gave Jiang Yuan a long look, as if reading his thoughts, and said coolly: “The Wu Long Wild Man case is fairly well-known in our province—far more interesting than your Ningtai County murders. And how many resources does a county bureau have? In the end, you’ll have to attend every meeting you’re called to, and you won’t even know where you’ll be borrowed to…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan had to admit: Liu Jinghui wasn’t just good at deduction—he was also good at persuasion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, I’ll make preparations. I’ll handle your county bureau. We’ll go to Wu Long Mountain, come back, and by then, we’ll have time to award you your medal—comfortably.” Liu Jinghui said, then turned and walked off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sleeping comfortably with the blackout eye mask, Jiang Yuan found Liu Jinghui waiting for him at the dorm entrance the next morning, beside a Great Wall Pao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blue Great Wall Pao had a battered rear cargo box, dirty paint, torn tires, and looked thoroughly weathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan had called his master Wu Jun the night before and decided to follow Liu Jinghui to Wu Long Mountain. But seeing the truck’s battered state, he now doubted Liu’s claims of ample resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The bureau’s like this—if it still works, they won’t replace it with something better or new,” Liu Jinghui said, gesturing for Jiang Yuan to get in, then driving off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just the two of us?” Jiang Yuan asked helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jinghui stared ahead. “If we find something, we call for help. If we don’t, we won’t look too foolish, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Yuan… I believe you, my ass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Jiang Yuan traveled with Liu Jinghui toward Wu Long Mountain, police from multiple regions—even experts from outside the province—flocked to Changyang City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lake fingerprints weren’t unique to Shannan Province. A 14-day fingerprint battle that solved ten murders shocked the police world and attracted many experts eager to imitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But due to well-known reasons, fingerprint experts usually weren’t familiar with image-enhancement techniques—like Fourier transforms: non-periodic continuous signal Fourier transform, periodic continuous signal Fourier series, non-periodic discrete signal discrete-time Fourier transform, periodic discrete signal discrete Fourier transform, etc.—and few mastered them well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after trying for a few days, everyone rushed to Changyang City, hoping to learn from Jiang Yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most experts assumed Jiang Yuan had discovered a simpler technique to easily transform Lake fingerprints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The detectives and their leaders who stormed in had even more direct ideas: ask Jiang Yuan to run a few fingerprint comparisons or help process fingerprints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no one expected that right after the fingerprint battle ended, where was Jiang Yuan? Where was he?\u003C\u002Fp>",1550,"2026-06-20T18:55:00.150Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","fde4207b4555775b62f48611308d6fb56dbc36456f969d6bc48cf9c1895a2d68","the-nation-s-forensic-medical-examiner-chapter-97","the-nation-s-forensic-medical-examiner-chapter-95",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-nation-s-forensic-medical-examiner-cover.jpg"]