The Forensic Doctor Better Than a Detective

”Today I’ve brought two leaders, could you help us find a quieter seat?”

”Sure! There’s a small private room inside that’s just available, does that work for you?”

”Yes, that will do.”

Director Hou was a bit surprised: ”Private room just for porridge?”

Qin Feng lowered his voice to explain: ”Many regulars here are from the system. Sometimes they come together for a meeting, wanting some peace and convenience for conversation.”

The group followed the waiter to the second floor and entered a room named ”Qingming.”

Just as they sat down, the lady boss came over with a menu: ”What porridge would you like today?”

Director Hou spoke first: ”I’ll have a bowl of millet porridge.”

Jiang An followed: ”I’ll take the purple rice porridge.”

Qin Feng smiled: ”I’ll stick with the usual, century egg and lean pork porridge.”

”Alright! How many side dishes would you like? We have newly pickled garlic cloves, pickles, and local specialties like shredded kelp and small dried fish.”

”A little of each, let’s have a taste.”

Soon, the lady boss came back with a tray, the bowls of hot porridge steaming with aroma, and several small plates of enticing side dishes.

Director Hou scooped a spoonful of millet porridge into his mouth, and his eyes lit up as he couldn’t help but praise: ”This porridge is so sticky and sweet, smooth in the mouth, and full of rice aroma! This is the first time I’m having such an authentic millet porridge.”

He turned to Jiang An and asked: ”Mr. Jiang, how do you find the taste?”

Jiang An tasted a few more sips, nodded, and smiled: ”Indeed it’s not bad, the cooking is just right, and the sweetness is perfect. After finishing this bowl, I may want another one.”

Qin Feng laughed and said: ”Alright, let’s each add another bowl of purple rice porridge and a bowl of millet porridge, let’s make sure to have a comfortable breakfast this morning.”

Forty minutes later, the three finished breakfast and returned together to the Criminal Investigation office.

Entering the captain’s office, Director Hou and Jiang An had just sat down on the sofa when Mr. Qin took out an exquisite tea box from his briefcase and enthusiastically said while opening it: ”Come, take a look at this — it’s tea my brother brought back from Xichuan last year, of excellent quality. I’ve been saving it and waiting to entertain esteemed guests today.”

Director Hou couldn’t help but laugh: ”You’ve been driving a BMW to pick us up, inviting us to porridge, and now you’re even taking out your treasured tea, Jiang An and I both feel a bit embarrassed, haha.”

”There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Mr. Qin waved his hand sincerely, ”You’ve been on this long trip, and all the tasks should have been finished. It’s really because of the friendship between brother units that you stayed to help us with this case.

As the captain of the Criminal Investigation Team, I couldn’t be more grateful, and I truly feel apologetic.

To be honest, we at Guangling Criminal Investigation indeed haven’t done a perfect job on this case. If our preliminary work had been more solid, perhaps we wouldn’t have alarmed the provincial headquarters again and again.”

Director Hou took up the teacup, gently blew off the tea froth, and replied: ”Oh, don’t say that, we’re all here for work.

Some cases are complicated by nature, not because of where they occur.

I reckon they’d be difficult anywhere else, too.

This case in Guangling, even if handed over to other brother units in the province, might not be easy to solve.”

Mr. Qin couldn’t help but chuckle at these words, turning to look at Jiang An: ”Maybe other places might not handle it, but with Mr. Jiang here, there’s definitely no problem! We’re all well aware of Mr. Jiang’s abilities!”

Jiang An quickly waved his hand smiling: ”Mr. Qin, don’t flatter me too much, I woke up this morning feeling a heavy burden on my shoulders, quite a bit of pressure.”

”It’s the pressure that gives us motivation,”

Director Hou interjected with a smile, ”Never mind that, let’s enjoy this warm porridge and fragrant tea first and then calmly discuss how to tackle this pressure head-on.”

As they were savoring the tea, a member of the criminal investigation team, Wan, knocked and entered, holding a somewhat bulky case file: ”Mr. Qin, the old case file you asked for is here.”

”Good, just put it on the coffee table.” Mr. Qin nodded in acknowledgment.

Wan carefully placed the file on the glass coffee table and left the office.

Mr. Qin gently tapped the cover of the file, his tone becoming solemn: ”This is all the material from that dismemberment case fifteen years ago.”

Both Director Hou and Jiang An’s eyes focused on the file simultaneously.

The file was evidently aged—its cover edges frayed, paper yellowed, some places even missing small corners, revealing handwriting inside.

Just from its appearance, one could sense it had been many times consulted, carried back and forth.

Jiang An gazed at the file, unable to help but feel a stir in his heart.

It seemed he could see through these mottled pages the colleagues who tirelessly worked day and night on the investigation years ago, the hardships of inspections, visits, analysis repeated time and again.

This case evidently carried the determination and efforts of many criminal police officers.

He took a deep breath, making a silent vow: If there is any breakthrough in this case, he will do everything to assist in its investigation and bring closure to this fifteen-year-old cold case.