The Forensic Trace Examiner: Silent Clues

Chapter 4 The Legacy of Uncle Seventeenth

Neither Jiang Yuan nor Wu Jun betrayed the slightest change in their expressions. Wu Jun cast a cursory glance at the floor, ensuring that the vomit of the family member had not sullied its surface, and then registered his satisfaction with a subtle nod. Meanwhile, Jiang Yuan methodically pried open the chest cavity, his movements deliberate and unhurried. He then gently turned over the abdomen, baring the intestines of the deceased... His actions were slow yet meticulously ordered. What he had acquired within the hallowed halls of academia was now put to the test in the real world. This, Jiang Yuan's inaugural foray into an actual case, felt every bit like a high - stakes examination.

Wu Jun synchronised his actions with Jiang Yuan's, diligently jotting down notes as he did so. His primary focus, however, lay in observing Jiang Yuan's every move. At his age, the physical toll of dissection had become a formidable challenge. Thus, having a new colleague shoulder the most arduous aspects of the task was nothing short of a godsend. Nevertheless, he was acutely aware of the need to ensure a seamless handover of work, with the overarching goal of not impeding the progress of the case. Sensing Jiang Yuan's proficiency, Wu Jun gestured for him to continue.

Jiang Yuan proceeded to conduct a painstaking inspection of the organs within the deceased's body. After examining each organ, he deftly removed it, weighed it with precision, and then carefully extracted tissue samples for subsequent laboratory analysis. Once all the organs had been removed, both men exhaled in unison, a collective sigh of relief escaping their lips.

"I'm about to cut the stomach," Jiang Yuan announced softly. He then reached for the stomach of his seventeenth uncle, a solemn expression on his face. With a steady hand, he sliced it open. In an instant, a deluge of food spilled forth, releasing a pungent, sour - putrid stench that permeated the air, intensifying the unpleasant odour. The uncle - in - law, who had just managed to regain a modicum of composure, took one look and promptly rushed back to clutch the trash can, his retching adding to the already - fetid atmosphere.

Yet, when compared to the stench of his vomit, the odour emanating from the corpse remained decidedly more overpowering. To put it in perspective, vomiting was merely a living person expelling a fraction of the contents of their stomach, while an autopsy entailed unearthing all the contents of a deceased person's stomach. The two were scarcely comparable in magnitude.

Wu Jun pivoted and retrieved a flask, his movements fluid and practiced. He readied it to collect the stomach contents. These substances held the potential not only to pinpoint the time of the deceased's passing but also to shed light on the location of death and other crucial details. Jiang Yuan gently swirled the rather hefty stomach bag. At that moment, a glistening object surfaced, resembling a luminous steamed bun. Jiang Yuan, driven by an involuntary impulse, extended his hand to touch it. In an instant, a line of text materialised in his mind: Obtain the inheritance from the seventeenth uncle: Egg Fried Rice Making (LV3) - This was Jiang Jianfeng's pièce de résistance. Through years of contemplation and refinement, Jiang Jianfeng had mastered the art of crafting a bowl of fragrant egg fried rice using a precise ratio of one - third oil, one - third vegetables, and one - third eggs. The cost of its ingredients was significantly lower than the market average, yet its taste remained unrivalled. It was a paragon of health and environmental friendliness, winning over the hearts of numerous patrons. The shimmering orb twinkled twice and then vanished into thin air, as if it had never been there.

"Did you see that?" Jiang Yuan blurted out, his voice tinged with a mix of surprise and curiosity. Wu Jun, caught off - guard, furrowed his brow in confusion. "What?" he queried. Realising that the glowing object was visible only to him, Jiang Yuan smoothly transitioned to another topic. "There appears to be an abundance of stomach contents, and the digestion seems rather incomplete," he remarked.

"Indeed," Wu Jun concurred, nodding sagely. "I'll take over from here," he added. At this juncture, it was inconceivable for Wu Jun to entrust an entire murder case's forensic work to a novice. Especially when it came to determining the cause and time of death, his faith in Jiang Yuan was yet to be fully established.

Jiang Yuan relinquished his position with a hint of reluctance. After all, the body on the table belonged to his seventeenth uncle, and he felt a personal obligation to handle the task with the utmost care... In contrast, Wu Jun's actions were a study in efficiency. He deftly executed several sutures, his hands moving with practised ease. He then procured a body block and positioned it beneath the deceased's neck, commencing his examination of the cervical region.

Before long, the wound on the cervical vertebra came into view, laid bare for all to see. Wu Jun leaned in, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinised the injury. "Hangman's fracture," he pronounced gravely. "Take some photographs, from multiple angles. This is the fatal injury." Jiang Yuan, without removing his gloves, quickly rinsed his hands and then picked up the camera resting on the table. The shutter clicked rhythmically, capturing the details of the wound from various perspectives. In this moment, it seemed that the seventeenth uncle, in his final repose, was beyond concern for matters of infection.

Once the photography was complete, Jiang Yuan turned his attention back to the cervical vertebra. Hangman's fracture, in essence, referred to the fracture of the axis, the second cervical vertebra. Its name derived from its historical association with hangings. However, it was a well - known fact that this type of fracture was not exclusive to hangings. The delicate structure of the human body rendered it vulnerable to a wide range of traumas, any of which could potentially result in an axis fracture. In the present case, it was a fruit knife that had pierced the neck, causing the axis to snap.

"A small silver lining in the midst of this tragedy," Wu Jun mused, his voice tinged with a touch of melancholy. Hangman's fracture was one of the swiftest paths to death. In most instances, the fractured axis would pierce the brainstem, bringing about instantaneous death, sparing the victim from the clutches of fear. From this vantage point, there seemed to be a glimmer of mercy.

Finally, Wu Jun carefully removed the deceased's brain tissue for examination. He then retrieved the autopsy report and proffered it to the little uncle - in - law. "It's concluded. Sign here, and you may depart," he said gently. The little uncle - in - law, having emptied the contents of his stomach, was now a pale and shaken figure. the autopsy scene, he lowered his head and posed a few questions in a tremulous voice. Then, with a trembling hand, he scrawled his signature and bolted from the autopsy room.

Wu Jun, no stranger to such scenes, offered a wan smile. He then beckoned to Jiang Yuan, and together, they set about tidying up. With a sense of solemnity, they placed the sewn - up body back into the ice coffin, its final resting place for now.