National Forensic Doctor

In just a few months, there have already been quite a few bodies appearing in the Tai River Basin.

It is exactly summer time, and bodies from accidental falls into the water, swimming mishaps, drowning suicides, and those killed and dumped in the water could all converge here.

Specifically determining whether a given body is the result of murder is often not immediately identifiable.

If there are obvious knife marks, bullet wounds, or signs of blunt force trauma before death, then you might consider the possibility of murder. Otherwise, you look to see if the identity of the body can be confirmed.

Once the identity is confirmed, if the body has strong contacts, you begin to consider whether it might be a murder or an accident–for example, a man or woman who has a happy family and a flourishing career is likely to have suicide ruled out. Analyzing their daily routine and lifestyle could help determine whether it was an accident.

Conversely, bodies without strong contacts are like the social outcasts of the past, such as scavengers, homeless people, or even a solitary otaku. In countries like Japan, without clear evidence of murder, they may not open a case. Of course, it’s not only Japanese police who might do this to avoid lowering their case resolution rate; U.S. police might also choose to avoid cases involving gang members’ bodies, drug users’ bodies, or any case without an aggrieved party when possible.

So, there’s no end to police cases, especially in just the drowning cases on the Tai River. If resources were dedicated to identifying all unidentified bodies, doubling the manpower of the Ningtai County Bureau would still be insufficient.

Jiang Yuan timed it as he dipped beef into the hotpot, lifting it out after only seven or eight seconds, swirling it in the garlic sandy sauce before chewing it vigorously, his eyes staring blankly at the pad.

"If you’re having a hard time choosing, pick Changyang City’s," Huang Qiangmin noticed Jiang Yuan’s expression and immediately suggested this thoughtfully.

The majority of Jiang Yuan’s Accumulated Case Team were temporarily assigned from the Changyang City Criminal Police Detachment, so in return, it’s natural to give them VIP treatment.

Jiang Yuan let out an "Oh", swiped the image on the PAD twice forward, and said: "Then let’s pick Changyang City’s. I just saw a case in Changyang where the nose of the drowning body was fractured while alive, highly likely to be homicide since the autopsy report couldn’t reveal it. I’ll check if the body is still there later?"

"Sure, sure." Huang Qiangmin nodded repeatedly, acknowledging Jiang Yuan’s response, showing resolution to any matter at hand and finding a responsible solution.