National Forensic Doctor
Chapter 706 - 649 Provocation?

Chapter 706: Chapter 649 Provocation?

Huirong Building.

This was an office building constructed at the beginning of the 2000s. By the standards of that time, it was quite high, but it’s somewhat outdated by today’s standards.

In terms of appearance, its curtain wall isn’t as sleek as an all-glass structure, nor can it compare with the new materials office buildings that follow the environmental protection route and are more expensive.

Upon entering the building, the property management was obviously lacking, whether in terms of cleanliness or the maintenance of equipment such as elevators, all exuding an outdated vibe, reminiscent of a boys’ dormitory.

"Such office buildings shouldn’t be sold, right? Everyone is just renting?" Liu Cheng observed his surroundings with a slightly worried look.

If the property had been purchased, Liu Cheng believed it would be quite difficult for the killer to sell the house and handle the transfer in such a short time. But if it was rented, wouldn’t the killer be able to easily abandon the place and leave?

Jiang Yuan knew what Liu Cheng was worried about and reassured him, "At least as long as the plants are there, it’s fine if we can ascertain the identity."

Liu Cheng thought about it and nodded, "Even if he used a fake ID card, we should be able to track him down."

Renting such office spaces usually required at least providing an ID card.

From the perspective of the police, for most murder cases, it’s considered a partial failure if they end up in a manhunt. But this case was a headless case, where solving it was evidently more difficult, so it wouldn’t be a loss even if it turned into a manhunt. Given the current domestic environment, unless the killer hid deep in the mountains and forests to live by hunting and fishing, completely abandoning cell phones, not contacting the outside world, and completely cutting off from society, it would be very difficult to escape.

Just in terms of police strength, having two or three people responsible for the manhunt would be more than enough.

With this mindset prepared, Liu Cheng stopped talking. He focused on the elevator until they reached the 22nd floor. Once he stepped out, he already wore the demeanor of a serious criminal detective.

The entirety of the 22nd floor was rented by a home furnishing enterprise. Liu Cheng first had someone block off the elevators and staircases before revealing his identity, and then he entered the premises with Jiang Yuan and the others.

The employees, who were in the middle of their work, looked at Liu Cheng and the others with the eyes of the sleep-deprived. Like donkeys of a production team suddenly encountering folks from another village, their blurry eyes lit up as if they were anticipating something exciting to happen.

Liu Cheng and the camera following him captured the expressions and movements of everyone without missing a thing.

If Jiang Yuan could confirm the species of the plants, then all these video records could be used as clues.

The person in charge of the office was hurriedly dealing with Liu Cheng and the others. A medium-sized enterprise from Beijing, quite ordinary, still felt somewhat apprehensive in the face of criminal cases and detectives.

Jiang Yuan didn’t need to deal with these matters, and together with Mu Zhiyang, he moved down the corridor.

Wang Chuanxing followed behind, taking photos, with continuous video recording as evidence.

The coverage of the law enforcement recorders on the officer’s chest was limited after all, and for a murder case, capturing more evidence could never hurt.

In the office area of this enterprise, there were quite a number of green plants. Each employee had a pot of pothos on the side of the aisle near them, and some plants were specifically placed in the window area; most of them overlapped with the list, such as daffodils, moth orchids, red and white anthuriums, kaffir lilies...

Jiang Yuan found more than thirty types of pollen on the bloody garment, with nearly thirty types being abundant. Most of them were common indoor plants, so some repetition was normal. However, the overlap rate at this company was already above average.

Jiang Yuan’s brows involuntarily furrowed.

In terms of pollen spectrum concept, this was a status of mismatch.

As for the suggestion that someone first got pollen from certain plants at the company and then got pollen from other plants at home, the layers of overlap in the pollen would be different. That is to say, even if the pollen from two distant places made up the same types of species, they wouldn’t belong to the same group of pollen spectra due to differences in quantity, position, and other reasons.

Jiang Yuan went on to check a few smaller offices and meeting rooms, then returned to Liu Cheng’s side, speaking in a low voice, "There are some flowers I haven’t seen, but those I have seen are mostly on the list, with a very high repetition rate. We need to ask if there are other plants near here and where these plants come from."

Liu Cheng was first pleased, then his brows furrowed too.

The most annoying thing for a criminal detective was such a near miss.

Being slightly off meant not being able to convict, and lots of effort would be for nothing...

"So, is it here?" Liu Cheng couldn’t help but ask again.

This was a complex question. Jiang Yuan replied, "Let’s ask first."

Consequently, Liu Cheng got the office’s person in charge into a meeting room. The individual was faced with a row of police officers, a situation akin to a tribunal.

A manager of modest renown had never seen such a sight and said carefully, "We are just a furniture enterprise..."

"Answer only what you’re asked," Liu Cheng cut off the other person with a single sentence, then added, "Who takes care of these plants in your office?"

"Plants?" The person in charge racked their brain but couldn’t fathom what this was all about.

Liu Cheng hummed an acknowledgment.

After blinking and thinking it over more carefully, the person in charge said, "If you’re referring to the office plants, we rent them all from a specialized company for greenery."

"Rented?" This answer was indeed beyond Liu Cheng’s expectations and equally surprising for Jiang Yuan.

Seeing an avenue of explanation, the in charge hurriedly said, "Yes, a plant maintenance or flower company—it’s them. They bring over a catalog from which we can choose plants, and they offer packages too. After we make our selection, they deliver the plants and also handle all the upkeep. We don’t have to worry about anything. This includes replacing any dead plants; they take them away and bring in new ones."

Liu Cheng and Jiang Yuan exchanged glances, their expressions shifting.

If the company operated in such a fashion, then it meant their clients included more than just this one company.

Liu Cheng promptly said, "Give me the name and contact information of the company, as well as the contract you have with them."

"Okay, okay," the other party quickly agreed.

"And another thing," Liu Cheng stopped them, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Has anyone from your company gone missing recently or not shown up for several days?"

"No."

"Everyone’s accounted for?"

"Yes, our company rewards full attendance," the in charge answered.

Liu Cheng hummed in response and then said, "Go find the contract."

Fearing deceit, he had already arranged for a police officer to follow along.

Shortly after, the information Liu Cheng requested was laid out on the table.

Reading the company’s address and noting it was in the suburbs, Liu Cheng hesitated briefly but then decided, "Let’s go there directly."

In a serious case like this, they couldn’t possibly handle things over the phone. Being mistaken for scammers was the least of their worries; what they feared was tipping off the criminal, who might then slip away.

Without a word, Jiang Yuan followed Liu Cheng.

While the outskirts of Beijing were quite distant, the Ningtai County Bureau often had to travel to townships, where distances might not be greater, but travel time certainly was.

Everyone hurried into the elevator, leaving only two officers behind to continue registering information and taking statements.

This was now a link in the chain of evidence. Besides, given the company’s location within a two-kilometer radius, suspicion still lingered.

On the way there, Liu Cheng’s mood was relatively good; this was, after all, some form of progress compared to the previous dead ends.

Jiang Yuan spent the entire trip with closed eyes, deep in thought.

The case was being investigated based on forensic botany; but considering the current composition of the special investigation team, Jiang Yuan was the only one who fully grasped the concept. In other words, Jiang Yuan was the sole provider of information and had to take responsibility for it.

Jiang Yuan was now reflecting on all the tests done in the lab, careful not to miss anything.

"We’re here," the driver said, following the navigation to the green plant company’s location.

"This is a fine place for a murder," Liu Cheng noted as he got out of the car and surveyed the surroundings: large fields of crops stretched to the foothills, and white, black, and blue low-lying greenhouses cluttered in patches.

Stretching, Liu Cheng remarked, "No emperor in sight, no surveillance, near the roadside with water pipes and ditches, and the ground is earthy. Killing someone here, you could just rinse the blood into the ditch with water—convenient."

"If you killed someone here, you could bury bloody clothes right in the ground. There’d be no need to go all the way to the city center to dispose of them," a detective joked.

Mu Zhiyang said, "A taunt to the police?"

"This... that’s impossible. Those are just plots from TV shows; nobody risks their own life to get into trouble like that," Liu Cheng said, although his expression became serious. If such was the case, the Zhengguang Sub-bureau would really lose face.