The crackdown on organized crime began with the arrest of the mother-in-law.

Chapter 922 Discoveries from Autopsies

Some clues from the on-site investigation need to be analyzed and judged by instruments at the Criminal Investigation Detachment, and some things found at the scene also need to be corroborated. After Qin Chuan finished making arrangements, he returned to the Municipal Bureau, while Li Ming's work was divided into two parts: first, the body was transported back to the Criminal Investigation Detachment for autopsy, and second, the interpersonal relationships of the deceased Guo Jianfeng were investigated.

11:05 PM, Forensic Autopsy Room, Criminal Investigation Detachment, Dongchuan City Public Security Bureau.

The operating lights cast a bluish glow on the stainless steel autopsy table. Zhang Lin, wearing double-layered latex gloves, carefully wiped the chest and abdomen of the deceased, Guo Jianfeng, with alcohol swabs. The skin where his fingertips pressed showed obvious signs of post-mortem pallor. He glanced at the digital clock on the wall and said to his assistant, Xiao Chen, "Record it, autopsy begins, time 23:05."

For Zhang Lin, an experienced surgeon, documenting autopsies is routine. She approaches each task with utmost seriousness.

Zhang Lin, a forensic pathologist at the Dongchuan City Public Security Bureau, is undoubtedly one of the best. Even within the entire province, he ranks among the top forensic doctors. This is because Dongchuan City has a relatively high number of cases, and as the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Zhang Lin is forced to dissect a corpse every few days. This level of expertise is rare even in the entire province, resulting in a wealth of experience.

The moment the scalpel cut open the chest and abdominal cavity, a faint smell of decay wafted out. Zhang Lin used a suction device to clear the abdominal fluid, his gaze first falling on the deceased's stomach: "The stomach contents were about 200ml, with undigested pieces of steak, broccoli stem fibers, and coffee grounds visible." He picked up a piece of food residue with tweezers, "The steak was cooked to about medium-rare, with clean fiber breaks, consistent with the characteristics of Western restaurant cooking."

Xiao Chen wrote rapidly in the notebook, while Zhang Lin removed the stomach and placed it on a tray: "Based on the degree of gastric emptying, combined with corneal opacity and liver temperature measurement, the time of death can be accurately determined to be between 13:30 and 14:30." He pointed to the livor mortis on the deceased's arm, "purplish-blue, slightly fading when pressed, consistent with the characteristics of 4-6 hours after death, which is consistent with previous speculation."

Using dissecting scissors to cut open the deceased's mouth, Zhang Lin used a cotton swab to collect oral secretions: "A small amount of white powder residue can be seen on the mucosal surface, which appears as irregular crystals under a microscope. It is preliminarily identified as a benzodiazepine sedative." He turned to the toxicology examiner: "Take stomach contents, liver tissue, and blood samples, focusing on testing for diazepam and clonazepam."

When the autopsy reached the neck, Zhang Lin used a probe to separate the skin at the ligature mark: "The ligature mark is a horizontal ring, 0.8 cm wide, with obvious subcutaneous bleeding and a transverse rupture of the carotid intima." He used calipers to measure the depth of the ligature mark: "The dermis shows the pattern of the wire sheath, which matches the black wire retrieved from the scene. The patient showed significant signs of life, confirming that the strangulation occurred before death."

At 1 a.m., the toxicology test results came back. Zhang Lin stared at the analyzer screen: "The concentration of diazepam in the blood was 0.3 mg/ml, far exceeding the therapeutic dose. The same component was detected in the stomach contents, suggesting that the deceased had taken orally or injected the drug 1-2 hours before the incident." He pointed to the syringe residue on the autopsy table, "The needle mark was located on the inside of the right arm, and there were traces of drug infiltration in the subcutaneous tissue, indicating that the murderer forced the injection."

Xiao Chen lifted the deceased's right hand, and under the magnifying glass, the bruises on the wrist revealed pinhole-like injuries: "There are resistance injuries here, and subcutaneous bleeding around the needle holes, indicating that the deceased was conscious and struggling when the injection was administered."

“But once the drug takes effect, it will quickly suppress the central nervous system,” Zhang Lin frowned. “Diazepam has a half-life of about 20-50 hours. Combined with the injection time, the deceased had already shown symptoms of muscle relaxation and confusion around 13:00, which explains why there were no obvious signs of struggle—he probably didn’t even have the strength to raise his hand to resist at that time.”

解剖结束时，窗外已泛起鱼肚白。张林摘下满是雾气的护目镜，在解剖记录单上签下名字，逐条核对检测数据：“死亡原因：地西泮镇静状态下遭电线勒颈导致机械性窒息。死亡时间：3月12日13:30-14:30。胃内容物反映死者末次进食为案发当日11:30-12:30，食物种类指向高端西餐厅，建议排查金山大厦周边牛排馆监控。”

At seven o'clock in the morning, when Li Ming pushed open the door to the forensic doctor's office, Zhang Lin was washing his tired face with cold water. "Tell me," Li Ming pulled up a chair, "What were the results of last night's toxicology tests?"

“The deceased was drugged,” Zhang Lin pushed the report in front of him. “Diazepam, commonly known as Valium. The murderer first injected him to render him incapacitated, then dragged him to the rooftop and strangled him.” He pointed to the autopsy photos. “Look at this needle mark, on the inside of the right arm, which matches the angle of injection for others. In the case of suicide, the left hand, which is usually easier to use, would be chosen.”

Li Ming stared at the words "forced injection" on the report, his brows furrowed: "In other words, this was a premeditated murder. The murderer first approached Guo Jianfeng, drugged him, and then lured or forced him to the rooftop after he became disoriented."

“Judging from the stomach contents,” Zhang Lin continued, “the deceased’s last meal consisted of steak and coffee. The ‘Cloud Restaurant’ on the 37th floor of the Jinshan Building specializes in medium-rare filet mignon and offers takeout service. I suggest checking his order records for the day of the incident. The murderer may have mixed drugs into his food or drinks.”

"What about that diamond earring?" Li Ming thought of the earring in the evidence bag. "The drug dealer's report said it belonged to a woman, ABO blood type B. Could it be the same person who injected the sedative?"

Zhang Lin nodded: "Judging from the location and force of the scratches, the victim may have resisted when the murderer was injecting the drug. The scratches on her right cheek were left at that time. The earring fell off near the victim's right hand, indicating that the victim grabbed the murderer's ear during the struggle. This requires close physical contact, so the murderer is most likely a woman."

“But there were also male fingerprints and shoe prints at the scene,” Li Ming stroked his chin. “Could there have been an accomplice?”

“It can’t be ruled out.” Zhang Lin pulled up the footprint analysis report. “The pressure point of the size 42 work shoes indicates that the soles of the shoes have borne a weight of about 80 kg, while Guo Jianfeng weighs 75 kg. If the murderer is a woman, dragging the body alone might have required the assistance of tools or others.” He pointed to the cart tracks next to the autopsy table. “There are rubber wheel drag marks on the rooftop, which match the tire treads of the flatbed carts in the building’s freight elevator. The murderer may have used a flatbed cart to transport the deceased to the rooftop.”

Li Ming suddenly remembered something, took out his phone and dialed the technical department: "Check the security footage of the freight elevator in Jinshan Building, from 13:00 to 15:00 on March 12th. Pay special attention to whether there were any flatbed carts entering or leaving, and the clothing characteristics of the person pushing the cart." He turned to look at Zhang Lin, "If the murderer is a woman, wearing a red dress and sunglasses, and has a male accomplice, then the fingerprints and shoe prints at the scene will make sense."