The Forensic Doctor Better Than a Detective

At 6 o’clock in the evening, Mr. Chen and Mr. Qin returned to the bureau from outside, one after the other.

Just as they reached the office door of the captain, they saw Director Hou, Jiang An, and several others sitting around the meeting table, intently flipping through the thick case materials.

Seeing this, Mr. Chen quickly quickened his steps into the room, with an apologetic smile on his face, said: ”Thank you for your hard work, leaders! You’ve come a long way, and upon arriving in Guangling, you immediately started working. Mr. Qin and I had an urgent matter earlier, and we couldn’t accompany you. We truly apologize for that.”

Upon hearing this, Director Hou slowly closed the case files in his hand but did not immediately respond.

His gaze sank slightly, wondering to himself: Did they truly have urgent matters to leave, or did they deliberately avoid it and leave us to face those family members alone?

In the current situation, it seems that the working rhythm and trust between the sides have been affected.

After a moment of silence, he finally raised his head, his tone calm yet carrying a hint of seriousness: ”No problem.”

After a pause, Director Hou slowly spoke again, his tone carrying a hint of suggestion: ”However, we really didn’t expect it just now - the entrance to your Guangling City Public Security Bureau was somewhat ’hard to enter’. ”

Mr. Chen and Mr. Qin exchanged glances, their expressions simultaneously tensed.

Mr. Chen immediately stepped forward half a step, concernedly asking: ”What’s going on? Did the security at the entrance offend you?”

”The security didn’t make it difficult,”

Director Hou shook his head, his gaze turned to the window, ”How could the deceased’s family members directly come to the city bureau? Generally, in cases like this, they first go to the petition bureau for docking, don’t they?”

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Jiang An and several other young colleagues sitting quietly beside him. Jiang An understood and nodded gently.

Director Hou then continued to narrate, his voice gradually gaining weight: ”Just as we arrived, their car was surrounded by several family members.”

”They were emotionally agitated, asking us if we were just here for ’formality’.”

”We could only assure them on the spot that regardless of the past conclusion, the case will be thoroughly re-examined this time and the truth will be completely uncovered.”

He spoke every word clearly and forcefully, like nails driven into the air: ”No matter to what extent the previous investigation reached, this case must be restarted.”

”On one hand, we need to thoroughly review and scrutinize all prior work; on the other hand, the bureau must put in full effort, both manpower and resources must not be discounted.”

After hearing these words, the expressions of Mr. Chen and Mr. Qin almost simultaneously sank.

Both of them were veterans of criminal investigation for many years, and from Director Hou’s tone and attitude, they had detected obvious emotions and foresaw that the upcoming investigation would not be easy.

This not only implied a heavy workload but could also involve past neglect, resistance, or even deeper issues.

Subsequently, Mr. Chen promptly stepped up, with an agreeable smile on his face, explaining: ”Oh, Director Hou, indeed it was our inadequate arrangements and lack of consideration this time.”

”If it weren’t for someone needing urgent medical treatment earlier, I wouldn’t have temporarily left, delaying your time and causing inconvenience to the special investigation team. I’m really sorry!”

He paused briefly, his tone more earnest: ”Rest assured, we will improve the subsequent reception process.”

”I have already specifically instructed the security department, next time when you come, you will be directly escorted to the quiet small meeting room next door to rest. No one will disturb you, and the environment is more suitable for discussing work.”

Seeing Director Hou’s expression unchanged, Mr. Chen stepped forward again with a warm continuation: ”You see, it’s almost dinner time.”

”We have already arranged a simple meal at a local restaurant with some local dishes, how about joining us for a meal?”

”It’s both a welcome gesture as well as a way for us to fulfill our host duties. Everyone can sit down and get to know each other.”

Upon hearing the word ”meal,” Director Hou’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a hint of displeasure swept across his face.

He waved his hand, sternly refusing: ”Mr. Chen’s kind intention is appreciated, but there’s really no need to bother. We have strict discipline requirements, and everything must be simplified during the case handling period.”

”A simple working meal at the unit canteen will suffice.”

He pointed to the pile of case materials beside him and added: ”You see, so many materials are still waiting for us to sort and evaluate, time is extremely tight.”

”If tomorrow we need to hear preliminary opinions, our current progress is already under great pressure, indeed not daring to waste any more time unnecessarily.”

Mr. Chen still wanted to persuade, his smile undiminished: ”Director Hou, you and your colleagues are rare visitors to Guangling.”

”It’s just a simple home-cooked meal, nothing complicated, mainly using this opportunity to exchange and communicate to enhance understanding.”

”With good relations, subsequent collaboration will be smoother, besides, many colleagues here are meeting for the first time...”

In this special investigation team, Mr. Qin had a deep personal friendship with Jiang An, the local deputy captain, who once offered great support during cross-regional collaboration last time.

Precisely because of this connection, Mr. Chen wanted to take the opportunity to show friendliness.

However, Director Hou, as the leader appointed by the higher authorities, was obviously extremely principled.

Sure enough, Director Hou’s expression was stern, and his words were even more determined: ”Mr. Chen, really there’s no need.”

”As the person in charge of this special investigation team, I must lead by example in adhering to discipline.”

”Before departure, Commander Wang repeatedly emphasized that during case handling, drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited, and participation in any gatherings, entertainment, or other unrelated activities that could affect official duties is forbidden.”

”We will later have a working meal with the investigating officers at the canteen, which saves time and complies with the regulations.”