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

Chapter 942 Forensic Identification, Identity of the Remains

He and his partner, Xiao Li, had been searching through the archives filled with cardboard boxes for three whole hours. Their knees were covered in cobwebs, and their fingertips were stained brown by the yellowed paper.

Just now, because a photo of an employee surnamed Wang was found near the remains, Li Ming arranged for a group of people to go to the archives of the old textile factory to look up some information about the workers from back then. However, it was difficult to find the information because the textile factory had been closed for many years.

The workers from back then have all been laid off. There weren't many left in the area to begin with, and so many years have passed. Finding even one of those employees, especially one who might be missing, is like looking for a needle in a haystack. There's no other way but to search through these cardboard boxes for old files and documents.

"Found it!" Xiao Li suddenly poked his head out from the pile of cardboard boxes, clutching a stack of employee registration forms held together by rusty iron clips. The edges of the papers were brittle, and crumbs fell as he turned them; the names printed with ink had become blurred with age. Xiao Wang leaned closer, his flashlight beam sweeping across the top of the forms—"Zhenjiang Textile Factory Employee Files"—the words were barely legible.

Old Zhang, the old gatekeeper at the post station, wearing reading glasses, leaned closer, his cloudy eyes fixed on the list: "These are all people from the old factory; not many are still alive." His calloused fingers traced the paper, suddenly stopping at a certain name. "This Wang Jianjun, I remember him! He used to be the warehouse manager, always sorting goods in the basement."

Xiao Wang immediately perked up: "Do you remember when he left the factory?"

Old Zhang frowned, his forehead wrinkles furrowing: "It's been years... I think it was one winter when he suddenly stopped coming to work. Communication wasn't as advanced back then, so everyone assumed he'd gone back to his hometown." He suddenly slapped his thigh, "That's right! His wife even came to the factory and made a scene, saying he'd been acting very strangely in the days before he disappeared, always coming to the factory in the middle of the night."

Following this lead, the police officers found Chen Shufen, the elderly accountant who lived in the suburbs. The old woman shakily opened a tin box and pulled out a shiny black-and-white photograph: "This is a group photo from the factory in 1998. Jianjun is standing in the second row, third from the left." The man in the photo, wearing blue overalls, had a kind smile and wore a "Model Worker" badge on his chest.

"He was an honest man," Chen Shufen wiped away her tears, "but he was too stubborn. That year, the factory underwent restructuring, and a batch of imported dye went missing from the warehouse. The higher-ups insisted he take the blame. He spent every day in the basement searching for evidence, claiming someone had stolen it..." The old woman's voice suddenly lowered, "Later, he disappeared. I went to ask Zhou Dehai, the head of security at the time, but he wouldn't even look me in the eye."

When the police knocked on Zhou Dehai's door, a middle-aged man opened it while wiping his fishing rod. Upon hearing the name "Wang Jianjun," his grip on the towel tightened visibly: "How would I know where he went? It's been so many years." But when Xiao Wang showed him the rusty work badge found in the basement, Zhou Dehai's face turned deathly pale, and veins bulged on his forehead.

The investigation continued late into the night, with officers' notebooks filled with various clues: Wang Jianjun's numerous arguments with Zhou Dehai before his disappearance, the valuable goods missing from the warehouse, the hesitant expressions of the veteran employees...

On the other side, Li Ming was also going through these old files. The paper had become brittle and thin due to its age, making a rustling sound with the slightest touch. "Keep investigating. Interview the old employees in the factory and ask them if they remember anyone who suddenly disappeared." His gaze fell on a group photo. In the photo, workers in blue overalls stood in front of the textile factory gate, their faces bearing simple smiles. "Focus on finding those who worked in the basement and see if they have any recollection of this place."

As dusk fell, the investigation drew to a close. The remains were carefully placed into body bags, ready to be sent to the forensic center for further examination. Li Ming stood at the basement door, looking back at this secretive space. Although no direct clues pointing to the killer had been found yet, he knew that the results of the extracted samples, the information gathered from interviews, and the forensic examination of the remains—every detail could be key to solving the mystery.

Back at the Criminal Investigation Division, the laboratory lights stayed on all night. Technicians placed the black substance extracted from the surface of the remains into a gas chromatograph, waiting for the instrument to analyze its components. Meanwhile, the officers responsible for conducting interviews were busy visiting the homes of former textile factory employees.

What Li Ming was most concerned about was the forensic analysis results of the remains. Li Ming had already given Qin Chuan a brief report on the case, but the specifics were still unclear as the deceased's identity had not yet been fully confirmed.

There are naturally no other clues, but the forensic examination and analysis of the remains can yield some data-driven results. Furthermore, the forensic team must provide conclusive evidence to determine the identity of the deceased, including the time and cause of death. The final conclusions will be drawn from the analysis of the remains.

Inside the forensic autopsy room, the operating lights illuminated the workbench as bright as day. Zhang Lin, dressed in an airtight protective suit, goggles, and three layers of latex gloves, slowly lifted the white sheet covering the skeleton. A stench of earth and decay assaulted his nostrils; even with a professional gas mask, the nauseating stench was still palpable.

“Begin the examination, case number 2025-0415,” Zhang Lin said in a low voice into the recording equipment. He then picked up calipers and began measuring various parts of the skeleton. “First, estimate the height using the femur length formula.” He carefully placed the femur flat on the measuring table. “The femur length is 43.2 cm. Considering the different regression equations for Caucasians and Asians, and taking into account the characteristics of the local population, we substitute the formula for calculating the height of Asian males: Height (cm) = 90.42 x Femur length (cm) + 64.38. The preliminary calculation is approximately 178 cm.”

After measuring the femur, Zhang Lin then measured and compared the long bones such as the humerus and tibia, repeatedly verifying the data. "The measurement results of each long bone corroborate each other, and the height is in the range of 176-180cm, which matches the calculated result." While recording the data, he gently cleaned the soil and humus attached to the bones with tweezers.

Next came the gender determination. Zhang Lin focused his attention on the pelvis. "Observing the morphology of the pubic symphysis, the angle of the pubic arch is less than 90°, the ischial tuberosity is clearly prominent, and the greater ischial notch is narrow and deep, U-shaped. These are all typical male pelvic features." He carefully probed the pubic symphysis surface with a probe. "Then look at the sacral promontory, which is quite prominent, further confirming that the deceased was male."