Chapter 1038 - 532: How Did the Victim Die?

Upon hearing this, Qin Feng was momentarily stunned, as if struck by a silent bolt of lightning.

One should know, he originally held a full confidence in this case.

It’s not only that the case has been under investigation for quite a long time, but in terms of the nature of the case itself—accidental fatalities at a construction site—he has handled eight to ten similar incidents each year, and is quite accustomed to them.

Having worked in criminal investigation for nearly a decade, he has handled countless cases, whether simple or complex, and has always managed to clarify them and close them properly.

But how could it be that this time, an unexpected twist seems to have appeared?

In the brief minute he was lost in thought, his mind replayed all the details of the case like fast-forwarding images.

From the initial on-site survey after receiving the report, to the subsequent series of field investigations, evidence collection, and even the handling and submission processes of the body, he felt he had controlled every step rigorously and meticulously, and in full compliance with the logic and procedure of case handling.

It shouldn’t be... How could it be?

This question echoed repeatedly in his heart, yet he couldn’t find a single flaw.

After a long time, he shook his head helplessly and his gaze eventually fell on Jiang An beside him.

"Have we covered this deeply enough... Is there really an issue with this case?"

Qin Feng’s voice carried a subtle tone of hesitation.

Hearing his query, Jiang An slowly lifted his gaze, steady and resolute, looking directly at Qin Feng.

He was silent for a few seconds, as though considering how to begin, and finally said clearly, "Mr. Qin, based on what I’ve seen thus far, I do believe there are indeed doubts."

"Although we only conducted a preliminary look at the site this afternoon and heard a briefing, the deceased’s body hasn’t fully thawed for a detailed autopsy yet—"

He paused for a moment, his tone intensifying, "Just based on the current site photos and report materials, I feel there are critical areas that you haven’t entirely figured out."

"It’s possible that the sections overlooked or not deeply explored are precisely the most crucial elements in this case."

As these words settled, Qin Feng’s heart tightened suddenly, as though gripped by something invisible.

He was more than familiar with Jiang An—not just as colleagues, but also as someone he secretly admired.

Though Jiang An was younger, in terms of professional ability, he had long surpassed him significantly.

Last year at the National Criminal Investigation Summit Forum, Jiang An, as the sole young expert invited, delivered a keynote speech on "The Challenges and Prospects of Contemporary Criminal Investigation Work," with clarity of thought and profound insights that inspired many seasoned detectives present, Qin Feng included.

In his heart, Jiang An had long been someone who was both teacher and friend.

Now, this person he quietly regarded as a "mentor" had pointed out a flaw in his case handling directly, yet he himself was entirely oblivious to it.

At that moment, Qin Feng felt his face flush with heat, his heartbeat involuntarily quickening, as if a drum pounded heavily in his chest.

He then furrowed his brows slightly and continued to ask: "Mr. Jiang, where exactly is the issue with this case? I still haven’t completely unraveled the threads."

Jiang An remained silent for a while before speaking in a deep voice: "I suspect there was a deviation in the basic information from the very beginning—there might be inconsistencies between the materials you collected early on and the situation provided by the informant."

"But the information was directly sent from the workmate’s group. At the time, the person said clearly: he just went to the restroom, and upon returning, discovered the deceased lying on the ground, already unconscious."

"What about before he went to the restroom?" Jiang An pursued.

"According to his account, the two were walking outdoors and smoking together. Midway, the workmate said he needed to relieve himself, leaving the deceased waiting there. A few minutes later upon returning, the person was already collapsed on the ground and unresponsive."

At this point, Jiang An pointed out calmly but directly: "These are merely the informant’s unilateral claims."

"At that time, outdoors, there were only he and the deceased."

"If his words aren’t factual, how can we verify on the spot?"

This sentence struck Qin Feng like an alarm bell, suddenly ringing in his mind.

He suddenly realized that in his initial judgment of the case, he had unknowingly fallen into the trap of preconceived notions—too readily trusting the informant’s description while overlooking cross-verification of the information itself.

He bowed his head, pondered for a moment, still feeling a bit stuck: "So you’re suggesting... the informant may have lied about key information?"

Jiang An replied: "We can’t rule out this possibility."

Yet Qin Feng suddenly recalled a detail, his tone becoming urgent again: "But we surveyed the site! Roughly ten meters away from where they were, in a hidden spot, there was indeed a fresh puddle of urine, the formation time coinciding with the incident."

"This indicates he did go to the restroom, this point shouldn’t be false."

Jiang An didn’t directly refute, but instead led the question deeper: "Going to the restroom is true, but is it true that ’the two were only walking and smoking’? In those few minutes, was there nothing else that happened?"

This question completely stumped Qin Feng.

He stood there, rapidly replaying relevant records and conversations in his mind, muttering to himself: "This point... I haven’t truly delved deeper into thinking this through."

Then, clearly surfacing in his mind were all the recorded conditions on the deceased’s body during the corpse examination.

"This doesn’t seem right... From the detailed examination carried out by the forensic professor at Guangling Medical University, it was confirmed there were indeed no apparent external injuries on the deceased’s body."