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

Chapter 1063 The identity of the deceased cannot be determined

The pale yellow of the subcutaneous fat layer and the pale red of the muscle tissue were exposed to the cold air, and a strong smell of blood instantly filled the chest cavity.

"Prepare the rib shears," Zhang Lin gestured to his assistant. With a series of sharp, metallic snips, the first seven ribs were severed. The moment the sternum was removed, dark red blood, like a burst dam, gushed from the ruptured lung, carrying air bubbles, forming a small pool on the stainless steel dissection table. "Watch the amount of bleeding," Zhang Lin said, using a suction device to clear the blood. "This massive blood loss in such a short time is enough to indicate the severity of the fatal injury."

He carefully lifted the right lung with hemostats. The ruptured lung lobe resembled a soaked sponge, the tissue at the wound irregularly everted, with fine traces of torn fibrous tissue remaining at the edges. "The first cut entered obliquely between the 4th and 5th ribs, at an angle of approximately 45 degrees," Zhang Lin probed along the wound's trajectory with a probe. "The blade directly pierced the main pulmonary artery, causing blood to gush out in a spurt." He gestured to his assistant to observe: "Look at the distribution of this spurt of blood, it indicates that the victim's heart was still beating when he was stabbed, and the blood was sprayed onto the inner wall of the chest cavity due to arterial pressure."

Switching to X-ray mode, the 3D image of the rib fracture was clearly displayed on the projection screen. The broken ends of the 4th and 5th ribs resembled two sharp daggers, with sharp bone fragments deeply piercing the lung tissue: "The fracture is a typical depressed fracture, caused by direct external force," Zhang Lin pointed to the image with a laser pointer. "The broken ends pierced the chest cavity in the opposite direction, causing not only secondary trauma but also accelerating the internal bleeding. More seriously, the fracture fragments may damage surrounding vital organs such as the heart and major blood vessels."

To examine the wound more closely, Zhang Lin pointed the microscope at the ruptured lung lobe. Under high magnification, the ruptured blood vessel wall appeared jagged, and red blood cells were constantly seeping from the torn intima: "The three-layered structure of the arterial wall is completely broken, and the smooth muscle fibers of the media are twisted and deformed. This is damage caused by high-speed, forceful penetration." He switched the view to another perspective, "Look here again, the alveolar tissue is severely damaged and filled with spilled blood. The deceased would lose respiratory function in a very short time."

During the autopsy, Zhang Lin discovered a crucial detail: a ring of grayish-white burn marks around the ruptured pulmonary artery. "This was caused by the high temperature generated by the friction between the metal and the tissue at the moment the blade pierced the skin," he explained, picking up a small tissue sample with tweezers. "This type of burn weakens the elasticity of the blood vessel walls, further accelerating blood loss. Combined with the previously discovered myocardial damage, the perpetrator likely first paralyzed the victim with an electric shock device before delivering the fatal blow with a knife."

As the thoracic autopsy neared its end, Zhang Lin arranged the removed lung lobes, heart, and other organs on a tray. Pointing to the horrifying wound on his right lung, he said to his assistant, "Each injury has its unique morphological characteristics. These details can not only reconstruct the formation process of the fatal wound, but also deduce the type of weapon used and the method of force applied by the perpetrator. And these are all important pieces of the puzzle to unravel the truth of the case."

A pelvic examination revealed the deceased's occupational secrets. Zhang Lin used calipers to measure the distance between the ischial tuberosities: "The ischial tuberosity width was 11.8 cm, significantly wider than the average person, indicating bone hyperplasia caused by long-term weight-bearing." Combined with the abnormally developed leg muscles, "the deceased was likely engaged in portering or mountain guiding work." Even more surprisingly, in addition to dirt and bloodstains, pine resin and gunpowder residue were found under the deceased's fingernails. "These two substances would not coexist naturally, indicating that the deceased had been in contact with firearms and was active in coniferous forest areas before death."

The autopsy lasted five hours. When the last rib was stitched back in place, Zhang Lin removed his protective mask; sweat had soaked through his surgical gown. He gazed at the deceased on the autopsy table. The clues extracted from the bones, teeth, and internal organs were piecing together a vivid outline of a life—a man around 42 years old, who had long been engaged in manual labor, possibly skilled in mountaineering, and perhaps even connected to firearms. This information would become a crucial key to solving the mystery of the murder.

Meanwhile, people were also busy at the Criminal Investigation Detachment's data center.

The air conditioner in the room emitted a low hum, which mingled with the incessant clatter of keyboards, creating a somber nocturne. Xiao Zhou stared at the dual monitors in front of him, the blue light making his eyes bloodshot. More than twenty police officers were scattered among their workstations, each with thick stacks of printed materials in front of them, as if they were in a maze made of A4 paper.

"This is the third time this week I've stayed up all night sifting through data." New officer Xiao Chen rubbed his aching wrists, refreshing the missing persons system interface for the fifth time. The loading progress bar moved like a snail. "23786 records from the past five years across the city—just looking at the photos would blind me." His complaint drew a wry smile from Old Zhou, the detective sitting next to him. The gray-haired detective pushed up his glasses, which had slipped down to the tip of his nose, and shook the yellowed paper files in his hand: "Be content. The files before 2010 are all handwritten; some of the characters would even make Cangjie, the inventor of Chinese characters, shake his head."

Xiao Zhou got up to refill everyone's cold coffee, the thermos making a hollow clanging sound—this was the third one tonight. "Focus on verifying missing male cases from the past three months, height 175-180cm, age 35-45." His voice echoed in the empty server room, "especially those with outdoor experience or who do manual labor." Before he finished speaking, technician Da Liu suddenly slammed his fist on the table: "The system crashed again! All the screening records from the past three hours are gone!" He frantically typed on the keyboard, but the screen only displayed glaring error codes, eliciting groans from those around him.

At two in the morning, the oppressive atmosphere reached its peak. The beeping of the printer jamming, the muffled sound of crumpled paper being thrown into the trash can, and the incessant yawning fragmented the already deathly silence. Officer Xiaolin stared at a blurry surveillance screenshot on the screen, almost pressing her face against the pixels: "This photo is more abstract than a ghost video. The system insists on facial recognition; isn't this forcing a blind person to find their way?" She irritably ripped off her hair tie, letting her hair fall to cover her red-rimmed eyes.

Old Zhou's craving for a cigarette erupted as he drowsily slipped into the stairwell, the flame of his lighter illuminating the no-smoking signs covering the walls. When he returned, his coat reeked of smoke, and Little Zhou frowned, reminding him: "Open the window a crack, or the smoke alarm will go off again, and the logistics department will give us a piece of their mind." Old Zhou chuckled sheepishly and opened the window. A cold wind, carrying a drizzle, rushed in, but it couldn't dispel the palpable anxiety in the air.