The Forensic Doctor Better Than a Detective

Chapter 506: Chapter 289: There’s Still One Box Left Unopened!

Soon, Captain Li Jian, Jiang An, and their team quickly rushed over.

The sound of footsteps was exceptionally clear in the quiet forest, and each person’s face was filled with tension and focus.

”Stay alert, watch your step.”

At this moment, a dozen flashlight beams simultaneously illuminated the seemingly inconspicuous thatched cottage, piercing the surrounding darkness.

In the interwoven light, the silhouette of the thatched cottage gradually came into focus.

Jiang An noticed that some of the beams were slightly trembling — a sign of nervousness among the young officers.

Jiang An squinted his eyes, carefully surveying the surroundings.

Only then did he truly see the full view of this hidden place — if not for the systematic search, it would have been nearly impossible for an ordinary person to discover the existence of this cottage.

It was cleverly concealed in a gap surrounded by four towering trees, with dense foliage nearly completely obscuring it.

Jiang An couldn’t help but silently admire, ”Those officers earlier were really attentive to notice such a place. If it were someone else...”

”Captain!”

A young officer’s voice interrupted Jiang An’s thoughts.

Li Jian walked briskly towards the officer who first discovered the thatched cottage, Wang Hao.

After sizing him up and down, he then raised his hand and heavily patted the young officer’s shoulder, the force causing him to wobble somewhat involuntarily.

”Good work, lad! Nicely done!”

Li Jian’s voice was sonorous and powerful, standing out conspicuously in the night.

”This time, if it weren’t for your keen eye, we might have suffered a major setback. I’ll make sure to credit you when we return!”

Wang Hao awkwardly scratched his head, unable to hide the pride on his face.

”Captain, you’re too kind. I often catch thieves and am particularly sensitive to hidden things. It’s no big deal...”

”Hahaha!”

Li Jian’s hearty laughter echoed through the forest, ”Well said! Our Jiangcheng Police Team needs young men like you.”

”With you all, our team has more energy!”

But quickly, Li Jian restrained his laughter and, when turning to Jiang An, his gaze regained the sharpness of a professional detective.

”Mr. Jiang!”

Li Jian’s voice lowered, ”Let’s begin.”

The atmosphere at the scene changed immediately.

Everyone held their breath as if about to uncover a significant secret.

The creaking of the slowly pushed wooden door sounded especially harsh in the silent night.

Li Jian and Jiang An were at the forefront with their flashlights, and as the beams shone inside the cottage, both of them drew in a sharp breath simultaneously.

What appeared before them was a space starkly different from the exterior.

Neatly arranged wooden bookshelves, a meticulously dusted desk, and a single bed with tidy bedding...

This was not some shabby thatched cottage?

If not seen with one’s own eyes, anyone would think this was a scholar’s study.

”My God...”

Zhang Yean exclaimed softly from behind, ”This is practically a luxury woodland villa.”

Standing at the doorway, Jiang An’s flashlight slowly swept across every corner.

Apart from the delicate furniture, his attention was quickly drawn to the densely taped newspapers on the wall — all exclusively from the Jiangcheng Daily and Jiangcheng Evening News, each issue bearing information from the public security system.

”This...”

Li Jian’s voice carried disbelief, ”This isn’t a thatched cottage, it’s practically a well-decorated apartment!”

Other officers entered one after another, each with a face full of shock.

Outside was overgrown with weeds, yet inside was remarkably tidy, creating a chilling contrast.

Jiang An put away his flashlight, moved closer to the bookshelf, and carefully examined.

Suddenly, his fingers paused on several professional books: ”Forensic Scene Investigation,” ”Thirteen Types of Homicide Cases,” ”Criminal Investigation Studies,” ”Criminal Law”...

These professional works, even ordinary detectives might not have read, were now neatly organized on this remote wilderness shelf.

A chilling thought flashed through Jiang An’s mind—if Li Lei had really studied these... his criminal methods and professional skills might already rival an experienced detective.

His gaze moved towards the pile of newspapers beside the bed.

Each issue was perfectly preserved, and what was highlighted were details about police case-solving and investigation methods.

”He’s researching us.”

Jiang An said softly, ”Just like we research criminals.”

Five minutes later, Li Jian finally broke the silence, ”We can now be 90% sure that Li Lei is the person we’re looking for.”

His voice sounded somewhat dry, ”Such an intentional and calculated degree... It’s even scarier than Gou Jian living in bitterness and planning revenge.”

”Captain,” Wan suddenly interjected, his voice containing the keen sense typical of young people.

”Have you noticed? The furnishings here obviously couldn’t have been completed in a day or two. If he came weekly...”

At this moment, Jiang An was carefully inspecting every detail inside.

Though everything was in perfect order, his professional intuition made him feel something was missing.

He turned to Li Jian, ”Mr. Li, have you noticed? There are no toolkits for making furniture. Such finely crafted furniture couldn’t be completed bare-handed...”

Li Jian’s eyes instantly lit up, ”That’s right! Saying out loud, this is indeed a problem.”

”The seams on these furniture pieces have been meticulously polished, surely needing professional tools.”

”That’s exactly what I find puzzling.”

Jiang An nodded in agreement, ”And look at the material of these bookshelves, they’re premium mahogany, requiring professional equipment for transportation and processing.”

Standing by, Zhang Yean couldn’t help but ask, ”Does the captain mean... there’s another secret room here?”

”We can’t exclude that possibility.”

Li Jian rubbed the short stubble on his chin, ”Don’t you find it a bit oddly clean here? There’s not even a single wood chip.”