National Forensic Doctor
Chapter 715 - 658: Key

Chapter 715: Chapter 658: Key

The next day.

Tao Lu joined Jiang Yuan and the others for breakfast in the temporary office.

The long conference table, once laid out with food, was surprisingly convenient. Tofu pudding, soy milk, fried dough sticks, oil cakes, sticky rice dumplings, soup noodles, and noodles—some of which were purchased and some were prepared by the chef from Shan Nan.

Beyond that, the most popular was the braised beef. Different from the boiled beef from yesterday, the braised beef had a darker color and a slightly spicy taste. Chewing it revealed the complexity of its flavors, and the sense of satisfaction from eating it alone was very strong, and paired with noodles or rice noodles, it was unbeatable.

Especially in a place like this office, any kind of noodles or rice noodles topped with a layer of braised beef would instantly elevate the dish by three grades. It was not only about feeling an increase in the quality of life but also about feeling alive like a person.

Tao Lu chose a bowl of beef soup noodles and was too lazy to talk. He topped it with a thick layer of beef and ate respectfully.

So-called beef soup noodles were simply noodles boiled and then put into the broth from yesterday’s beef. The broth was steaming hot, and just with a handful of noodles and a dash of salt and pepper, the aroma filled the room.

Because it was breakfast, the portion of noodles wasn’t large. Tao Lu slurped them down quickly, leaving behind a bowl full of soup. After drinking a few sips and not feeling quite satisfied, he ordered a meat-stuffed bun.

Today’s bun was a steamed bun filled with braised beef.

The steamed buns had just been made, covered in cloth in the cafeteria, and promptly brought over while still steaming.

Choosing a somewhat fattier piece of the cool meat with a gelatinous texture and sandwiching it inside the steaming hot bun, the fat on the beef gently melted from the heat. Biting into it, the light saltiness of the beef, the subtle wheat flavor of the bun, and the faint taste of fat all mixed together, provoking an involuntary smile and vigorous chewing.

And just when that bite of bun was about to be swallowed, having a sip of the mildly salty beef soup brought a feeling of bliss that simply exploded.

For those who knew how to appreciate food, adding a sip of slightly sweet soy milk was the cherry on top, bringing together carbohydrates, sugar, salt, and fat. Your taste buds would instantly take off!

Tears of joy were almost streaming down Tao Lu’s face as he couldn’t help but exclaim, "Your meals here are just too good!"

Despite being the head of his department, wearing a shirt as clean as if it were brand new, and even though Jiang Yuan and the others’ meal expenses were approved with his signature. But Tao Lu’s wife worked too, so unless their daughter came home for a visit, he had no breakfast to eat. Of course, there was no lunch either, and whether he could even scrape together dinner depended on whether the criminals were cooperative or not.

If he could have something hot like this in the office—it did have a canteen, but eating there often made even the steaming meals tasteless. Sometimes, he even thought the scent of a steaming pile would be more appetizing.

"This is too comfortable," sighed Tao Lu, patting his belly and looking at the table with lingering fondness.

"Want some tofu pudding soup or spicy soup?" asked Jiang Yuan.

"In Beijing, we usually mix spicy soup with tofu pudding," said Tao Lu, waving his hand, "I dare not eat any more, or I won’t be able to walk later."

Jiang Yuan just smiled and didn’t insist. He himself wrapped the meat in a pancake and ate it with spicy soup. The spicy soup was also based on beef, and since Jiang Fuzhen bought the ranch, he had been very focused on collecting recipes that were good for cooking beef dishes, as well as chefs.

"That is the one whom my thoughts entwine, whom my deep love embraces ..."

Tao Lu’s phone began to ring.

The group of people, who had been busy eating and drinking, unconsciously stopped in their tracks.

Jiang Yuan also placed his second wrapped pancake back onto his plate as a sign of respect.

"Hello, it’s me... Yes, yes, alright, alright!" Tao Lu quickly ended the call, set down his phone, and looked at Jiang Yuan and the others with a serious expression. However, he then smiled and said, "The crime scene identification went smoothly, the suspect accurately pointed out the location, the entry and exit points. Now we’re going back to verify the surveillance footage."

Everyone once again revealed collective smiles.

Crime scene identification is an important part of a criminal case; going through this process doesn’t necessarily mean a rock-solid case has been made, but it certainly firms up the very foundation of the case.

Even with a simplistic view, "If it wasn’t you, how would you know how the victim died!" this statement is generally hard to dispute.

On the other hand, what Tao Lu mentioned—the last step of verifying surveillance footage—belongs to the category of indirect evidence.

Of course, the more evidence there is, the smoother the case judgment tends to be. In fact, if the evidence is sufficient, the sentencing might be harsher, or to put it another way, judges might be bold enough to impose the death penalty, instead of handing down a suspended death sentence as a precaution.

"So, is this case considered closed?" The speaker this time was Wei Zhenguo, who had been brought along by Huang Qiangmin due to the complex situation in Beijing, and left at Jiang Yuan’s side to assist.

Wei Zhenguo’s own understanding was to do some thankless tasks, to say what can and cannot be said.

Like now, Wei Zhenguo confirming the case closure, meaning the KPI goes up by one.

As for the case itself, there’s a long process ahead, including post-investigation checks and possibly additional detective work; the suspect won’t be formally sentenced for at least another half a year. Jiang Yuan’s Cold Case Squad naturally can’t linger here.

Tao Lu nodded decisively and said, "For us, this case is considered closed."

Then, with a smile and half-jokingly, Tao Lu asked, "According to our discussion with Commissioner Huang, this counts as resolving a dubious corpse case. What case do you plan to pick next, Captain Jiang?"

"The triple homicide in Fang Xia Village," Jiang Yuan used the computer provided by Zhengguang Bureau, where all the case information was accessible; it was just that many specific details, especially evidence, needed to be retrieved.

Tao Lu’s mouth twitched slightly and he said, "I figured as much, it’s doable. We will cooperate fully. I’ve been following this case closely too. Fang Xia Village is remote and hardly ever has any issues. With this triple homicide, the whole family of three died, and it’s been over two years without a solve. The local populace is fuming."

"This case does indeed have many suspicious points," Jiang Yuan finished the last bit of his cookie, then drank all his soup.

Tao Lu: "I’m eager to hear the details."

Jiang Yuan reached out to Wang Chuanxing for his notebook, flipped through the pages and began, "From what we can see at the scene, the whole house was ransacked. It’s very likely the perpetrator had financial motives. Considering the circumstances of Fang Xia Village, someone going to such a remote place to kill, then spending a significant amount of time looking for valuables, points to a premeditated murder."

Tao Lu nodded.

"Moreover, based on Fang Xia Village, where the area is remote and there are few outsiders, and strangers stand out, the possibility of the crime being committed by someone familiar is higher."

Tao Lu continued nodding.

"But..." Jiang Yuan spat out the word but, "when reviewing the evidence at the scene, I found that the most important piece of evidence obtained by the police was a palm print. As a result, they did comparisons with everyone in the village, with no match..."

"Hmm?"

"Solely based on leaving behind a palm print, although it happens, I feel it doesn’t fit the character of this case." Jiang Yuan wasn’t actually able to deduce anything specific from a single palm print, but rather, his overall reading of the case gave him that impression.

Although Tao Lu couldn’t understand, he said simply, "You proceed as you see fit, without needing to consider us."