In the autopsy room, the air was filled with a strange smell, making it difficult to breathe.

Liu Jinghui found it easy to say, but he himself felt troubled.

The special task force was also in a state of panic.

The murder cases of six bodies had never stopped receiving inquiries and pressure from superiors.

If it weren't for the two white-shirted officers from Qinghe City personally calling the provincial capital, the order to solve the case within a limited time might have been issued.

By that time, no one in the city bureau would be able to sleep.

Their wives could only stay alone in empty rooms.

The liver was right.

But no matter how much you play around, you still have to solve the case, right? Just wandering around outside won't do anything.

Normal life cannot be lived like in a movie.

If in the first two days, the task force was still familiarizing themselves with the case and searching for clues, then by the fourth or fifth day, if there were no positive updates, any leader with some knowledge of criminal investigation would know what was going on...

They couldn't get it up!

And it was very likely a big problem that even medication couldn't solve.

Otherwise, they would have spoken or at least called for a pulse.

So, on the fifth day after the crime, the director also sat in the task force's office.

For a moment, the expressions of everyone in the task force were twisted.

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Comrade Shen Feihong, the captain of the Criminal Police Brigade in Qinghe City, finally remembered Liu Jinghui. After finally sending away the director, he immediately invited Liu Jinghui to the meeting.

In the smoke-filled conference room, everyone showed sincere and awkward smiles.

Shen Feihong took the initiative to pass a cigarette to Liu Jinghui and said, "Liu, we're stuck now. We need your advice."

Liu Jinghui thought to himself, I did give you advice before, but you didn't listen.

Of course, it turned out that the advice he gave before was useless. But when it comes to solving a case, it's like moving forward in the dark. If you don't search until the early hours of the morning, how can you possibly find the milk you're looking for?

Liu Jinghui had been solving cases outside for many years and had long been accustomed to the different styles of police work in various places. There were many police leaders with ideas, and they all had strong control desires. Some could solve cases, while others couldn't.

Shen Feihong wasn't the worst kind, and he had the ability to solve cases, but the cases he encountered were too complicated.

If it were a smaller, more recent murder case, he might have solved it himself.

Speaking of which, for smaller, more recent murder cases, Liu Jinghui wouldn't have seen them either.

"We can start by investigating the reservoir. We should have information about the hydrology of the reservoir, the water levels over the years." Liu Jinghui said calmly without intending to argue.

Captain Shi of the Serious Crime Unit, who was about the same age as him, also lit a cigarette and exhaled, saying, "We invited a hydrology expert. According to him, the water level of the reservoir has never been this low... There isn't much research data on the internal water flow. In summary, if the killer knows how to use the water flow of the reservoir, it's not just a local person, but someone who is familiar with water and lives near the water."

"But we don't know if the killer knows this." Liu Jinghui understood.

Captain Shi nodded, "Indeed, we have no way to prove it, but I think the possibility of the killer living and working around the reservoir is very high."

"Oh?"

"We interviewed witnesses, especially those who like fishing around the area. We asked more than 300 people." Captain Shi emphasized the number, saying, "Not a single person saw anything, no rumors, no news."

Searching for witnesses is something that can be done in every case, and the effect of this case should have been even better.

With such a large body bag thrown into the reservoir, there would have been some commotion. If it was too conspicuous during the day, it's possible that someone would have seen the body being thrown at night.

And the killer didn't just throw the body once.

Captain Shi had raised similar questions at the previous meeting, and now he was emphasizing it even more, saying, "As the saying goes, if you walk the night road often, you will eventually encounter ghosts. With so many fishing enthusiasts, not a single person heard any sound from the reservoir. This means that the killer chose a location that is absolutely good, not a location that can be chosen just by looking with your eyes."

"It's possible that it was just luck. The first time they threw it there, it wasn't discovered, so they continued to throw there." Another old criminal investigator from Qinghe Bureau, who was against the search and investigation centered around the reservoir, spoke up.

This was a typical dispute in the field of criminal investigation. Liu Jinghui had experienced it once before and still couldn't make a judgment.

Both of them made valid points, especially the latter old criminal investigator. His words sounded like he was arguing, but in reality, that's how serial killers operated.

It's the same as starting a business. Everyone is betting on something very important. So, beforehand, there must have been what they believed to be a comprehensive investigation and research, which they put into practice.

And the final result is sometimes related to their abilities, and sometimes it's just luck.

Is it possible for someone to choose the wrong location with the wrong understanding and open a wrong store, but still make money because of various coincidences?

It's very possible.

Is it possible for a killer to choose the wrong location to dispose of a body due to a wrong understanding, and not be discovered?

It's also very possible.At this time, the old detective added, "This reservoir is the main water source for nearby residents' daily life, drinking, and irrigation. There are many residents familiar with it, so it's not easy to investigate. Moreover, people who have lived here for generations would not dispose of bodies in it. When we solve cases in rural areas, no one throws bodies into their own wells."

"1234 and 56 were found in two different areas, indicating that the killer chose two locations, both of which were not discovered. Moreover, the second location was even more concealed than the first, which means it wasn't a lucky find or accidental dumping site," Captain Shi insisted on his viewpoint.

Liu Jinghui interjected, "Wasn't 56 rushed to? Did you ask the hydrology expert about it?"

Captain Shi replied, "I asked, and it wasn't rushed to. It was dumped elsewhere."

Liu Jinghui agreed, but before Captain Shi could show a pleased expression, he continued, "But it doesn't mean the killer is someone from the reservoir area. The killer should have knowledge about the reservoir, and we all agree on this. I think we should consider both of your ideas. The killer is not from the reservoir area, but there are definitely people who have knowledge about the reservoir."

Captain Shi fell silent for a moment and said, "That would be too coincidental."

The old detective also remained silent, clearly not fully agreeing with Liu Jinghui's conclusion. From his perspective, it was not feasible to investigate by asking each person individually, "Are you familiar with the Baichuan Reservoir in Qinghe?"

Liu Jinghui sighed inwardly. This was the problem with reasoning. Everyone could base their deductions on certain facts, but in the process of deduction, the most probable event is not necessarily the truth.

At this point, more evidence was needed to assist.

Alternatively, they could change their thinking and see if there was any intersection between the two.

"How is the investigation of transportation going?" Liu Jinghui asked.

"We have checked the reservoir's vehicles, the staff's vehicles, and the vehicles that frequently deliver goods," Captain Chen replied.

"What about the tire tracks and parking locations near the reservoir?" This was an idea Liu Jinghui had proposed earlier. The killer had dumped bodies at the reservoir multiple times, so they should have a fixed route and parking spot.

It was similar to a family going camping. Even someone with a little planning would consider the route and parking spot.

A person disposing of bodies should have more planning than someone going out with their family. Otherwise, if you randomly parked by the roadside, someone passing by might offer help, or worse, the police or reservoir staff might come.

Captain Chen, who had been tanned by the sun, responded with a grunt, "There are parking spots along that stretch. The land is scattered, with cornfields, sunflower fields, reeds, and trees. In some places, during the dry season, off-road vehicles can drive over the reed fields. There are also people who come specifically to play."

"Are these the off-road vehicle enthusiasts?"

"We asked, but they don't seem to be. Most of them are from out of town, like from the provincial capital. They shouldn't be familiar with the reservoir. Moreover, most people come a few times and then move on to other places. It's rare to see someone who came to play eight years ago and still came three years ago." Captain Chen's line of thinking was clear, immediately ruling out the off-road enthusiasts.

"What about considering the victims' life trajectories? No. 1 came for a business trip, so her route to Qinghe City can be traced. No. 5 is a student. Where do their paths intersect?" Liu Jinghui continued questioning.

"It's Qinghe," Captain Chen replied.

"What about the specific routes?"

"It's unclear now."

"What about No. 3? Can't we narrow down the source of the bodies?"

"We can only know after narrowing it down. There are quite a few jobs that require squatting..."

The truth wouldn't just jump out on its own. It was now the time for the special task force to brainstorm.

In other words, it was a time to search aimlessly for leads.

...

Jiang Yuan walked back and forth between No. 2 and No. 4 for a while.

A total of six bodies, with the sources of No. 1 and No. 5 already determined. Although No. 3 was not yet confirmed, there was a direction to search.

Among the remaining 2, 4, and 6, No. 6 only had the upper half of the skeleton and was the work of the killer in the later stage, lacking usable clues.

In terms of bone traces, there was a scarcity in both No. 2 and No. 4.

To put it bluntly, both of them should have taken X-rays.

Because No. 2 had a fractured humerus, and No. 4 had undergone teeth correction, both of them would definitely need X-rays.

In theory, Jiang Yuan could take another X-ray of the bones and compare it with the X-rays stored in the hospital to determine the identity of the deceased.

However, there was a troublesome aspect to this. It would be difficult to request X-rays in large quantities from hospitals. Bringing them back would be even more problematic.

If they knew which hospital it was, it would be fine. But considering the situation in China, it would be reasonable for people from Qinghe City to seek medical treatment in Changyang City.

If they encountered another victim like No. 1, who was either on a business trip or a wanderer, and if they happened to be from another province, how could they compare?

Fortunately, both a fractured humerus and teeth correction tended to be treated locally.

Teeth correction required multiple visits over the years, and it would be burdensome and troublesome to seek treatment elsewhere.

A fractured humerus was an acute condition. If an ordinary person broke their arm, they would definitely seek treatment nearby—unless they broke it in another city...After repeatedly verifying and finding no other points of identification, Jiang Yuan finally sought out Wang Lan.

Wang Lan could also see these two points of identification, but similar to Jiang Yuan's concerns, it was feasible to compare the teeth of the fourth corpse, but it was uncertain whether the hospital could provide the X-ray of the fractured humerus.

"Is there no other way?" Wang Lan asked, seeing that Jiang Yuan had brought it up, he no longer harbored any illusions.

Jiang Yuan nodded, saying, "This is all I can think of."

"Can you finish examining the X-ray of the humerus? I can handle the teeth, but I can't do the humerus."

"I can." Jiang Yuan could only persist.