Chapter 1040 - 533: A Battle of Expertise!

After returning from the police station, Qin Feng felt particularly heavy-hearted.

He originally planned to drop by with some barbecue tonight and invite Director Hou and Jiang An to sit for a while. One reason was to ease the rather awkward atmosphere, and the other was to lay a smooth foundation for the work in the coming days.

Who would have thought that things would veer completely off course? This not only failed to count as a good start but even became a terrible beginning.

He lay back on the bed, tossing and turning, completely sleepless.

Where exactly is the problem?

He repeatedly asked himself but remained unable to understand.

Since Jiang An explicitly raised doubts, it means there indeed is an issue, and it might not be minor.

However, in the end, it was just Jiang An’s side of the story—Professor Zhang from Guangling District Medical University officially issued the identification report back then.

Black and white, with the official seal, and the procedures regulated, it should not have any issues.

Moreover, they had invited them to conduct the corpse inspection, which involved using connections and spending quite a sum.

Qin Feng clearly remembered that it cost around eighteen thousand in total.

Now the result is being questioned, no matter what, he has to ask that professor clearly.

Even if the original conclusion cannot be overturned in the end, at least there should be an explanation procedurally and attitude-wise; otherwise, if Mr. Chen asks, the responsibility might fall on his shoulders alone.

Thinking of this, Qin Feng no longer hopes the conclusion can remain as it is.

He is very familiar with Jiang An’s business capabilities—that person is always meticulous and wouldn’t speak easily without confidence.

But why is there such a contradiction?

He introspects and finds no oversight in the investigation process; could the issue be in the forensic examination?

Could there have been some unnoticed deviation during the identification process, or were some minor aspects overlooked?

He lay in the darkness with his eyes open, allowing questions to circle repeatedly in his mind until the sky outside gradually lightened.

At seven thirty in the morning the next day, Qin Feng picked up the phone and dialed Professor Zhang Kai at Guangling District Forensic College.

"Hello, Professor Zhang."

"Ah, Mr. Qin, hello; calling this early, do you have a new case requiring an autopsy?"

Professor Zhang hardly made any small talk, directly asking straightforward questions that left Qin Feng momentarily dazed.

He subconsciously thought: Is the professional habit of a forensic expert so direct?

Or, in Professor Zhang’s eyes, an early morning call only means one thing—a body is waiting to be processed, potentially accompanied by the considerable autopsy allowance?

Qin Feng glanced at the phone screen; the time was just past seven.

At this hour, most people likely have not left their homes, let alone started their day’s work.

He could not help but chuckle softly over the phone, explained: "I didn’t make it clear just now, causing you to misunderstand."

"This time, I’m not calling to request a new autopsy; I wish to discuss... arranging a re-examination of a previous corpse."

The other end paused noticeably, then Professor Zhang’s voice revealed a few traces of puzzlement and emphasis: "Re-examination? Mr. Qin, within Guangling City, our institute’s forensic conclusions are considered the most authoritative."

"Among the four forensic identification agencies in Guangling, whenever faced with complex or disputed situations, they eventually submit to our medical university’s forensic center for further verification and assessment."

Professor Zhang’s pace quickened and he spoke a lot in one go, reiterating his institution’s professional standing and ultimate authority, subtly displaying perplexity and even a slight dissatisfaction bordering mistrust towards the "re-examination" proposal.

Qin Feng patiently listened through, maintaining a smile, but his tone was calm and clear: "Professor Zhang, don’t misunderstand; it’s not that other local agencies have doubts about your results."

"The proposal for a re-examination is actually a suggestion from the provincial experts group."

"They have raised questions about some details in our identification report and would like us to verify once more."

"Provincial expert group? Was it mentioned in yesterday’s meeting..."

Professor Zhang’s words suddenly halted, like he remembered something.

Those stranger faces from the province during yesterday’s meeting, especially one remarkably young expert, left quite an impression on him.

"Yes," Qin Feng continued, "it’s them."

"The expert group reviewed all case materials overnight and noted that the portion involving the corpse examination may have some specific details that need clarification—they emphasize ’defects,’ not overturning the original conclusion, nor involve any substantial errors."

"This re-examination is primarily to ensure smoother continuity of subsequent work and avoid unnecessary misunderstandings in the future."

Upon hearing this, Professor Zhang’s expression immediately turned solemn, briefly flashed a hint of displeasure beneath his brows.

He murmured under his breath, radiating disdain and impatience: "A young punk, probably still immature, dares to question my conclusion?"

"When I started in forensic practice, he was probably still crawling around in split pants."

"Just tell them directly, the conclusion stands, no need for re-examination, it’s pure waste of time."

On this side of the call, Qin Feng calmly listened, paused slightly, and slowly opened: "Professor Zhang, your and your team’s professional authority has always been held in high regard by us."

"Precisely for this reason, the office has frequently sent important case materials to you over these years."

"But you also know, our work in criminal investigation faces its own difficulties, especially this case, which is influential and heavily scrutinized."