The team leader left.
The eight criminal investigators in the hall looked at the young woman before them with strange expressions.
"Hello, seniors, I'm Tina Shen," Tina Shen smiled, standing tall and confident. "I hope to be guided by you in the future."
Politeness never hurts, and people like a sweet-talker.
Addressing them as "seniors" lowered her stance. After all, they wouldn't want to make things difficult for a junior, right?
Sure enough, a few of them showed smiles on their faces.
Others were watching her with a smirk, a mix of amusement and curiosity.
"Wait… Tina Shen?"
A middle-aged investigator exclaimed, staring at Tina Shen in surprise. "Are you the one who cracked the warehouse murder case a few days ago?"
Once one person mentioned it, others' expressions subtly changed.
B City wasn't that big, and when something significant happened within the system, news traveled fast.
Gossip wasn't just a woman's hobby; men were just as fond of it.
They remembered just yesterday, they were joking about the criminal investigation unit being so disappointing. Was there no one else, that they had to rely on an intern to solve the case?
And now, this same intern was here…
"Just luck," Tina Shen smiled and shook her head. "I couldn't have done it alone. It was a team effort from our unit."
"Not bad, the young lady knows how to speak well and doesn't take credit," another older investigator nodded with a smile, his gaze on Tina Shen softening.
In the police force, the worst thing is taking credit prematurely.
Those who take credit aren't team players, and those who act too rashly are impulsive!
"We're short on time, let's focus on the case," a first-level police supervisor spoke. He was the leader of the special task force and the captain of the criminal investigation unit, Eric Niu.
Most of the team were from the first division, with three from the city bureau's criminal investigation department.
"New discovery!"
Eric Niu had just received "new information"—there were fresh leads in the case.
The one providing the lead was Tina Shen.
Before he could speak to the team about it, Tina Shen had already arrived.
Once the issue of "the suspect's timeline not matching up" was raised, everyone looked at Tina Shen with different eyes. The earlier dismissive attitude had completely vanished.
This girl had some skills. No wonder she was directly sent by the higher-ups to join the special task force.
"Tina Shen, what's your opinion on this case?"
Since she was a team member, Eric Niu started to solicit her views.
"Many heads are better than one," after all, the foundation of a task force is collaboration and pooling ideas.
"I've just returned from leave today and only reviewed the case files," Tina Shen smiled. "I'd like to visit the scene first."
"No problem."
Eric Niu nodded. "Old Five, take Tina Shen to the site."
"Got it." A senior investigator stood up.
Twenty-five minutes later.
The investigator, nicknamed "Old Five," led Tina Shen to a residential area.
The crime scene was on the sixth floor of one of the buildings, a duplex apartment.
A duplex was essentially an attic-style top floor, usually cheaper and more spacious.
Though it was affordable, it came with its drawbacks.
The higher the floor, the more problems you face, and this sixth-floor duplex had no elevator.
The attic was uneven, with poor waterproofing on the roof, leading to leaks...
As they entered the crime scene, a nauseating stench hit them immediately.
Tina Shen frowned and walked in, under Old Five's surprised gaze.
Though the body had been "processed," the scene still felt like hell.
Especially the wall in the main hall, where a horrific image had formed after blood and bone powder dried up—a grotesque painting.
The Gate to Hell!
The stench inside was due to the windows being kept shut to preserve the scene. Opening them could have disturbed evidence, as the circulating air would bring in dust and potentially cover up crucial clues.
"Kid, pretty impressive,"
Old Five chuckled as they walked into the main hall. "You're a rookie from the police academy, aren't you? A scene like this, most people would have a hard time handling it, right?"
This wasn't an exaggeration.
Usually, it's the seasoned detectives or those specialized in handling corpses who can withstand such a gruesome scene.
Tina Shen, in her previous life, had once dealt with a case where she had her first encounter with a body.
She almost threw up at that time.
The victim had been dismembered by the murderer and cooked in a large pot. The smell was unlike anything she'd ever experienced.
That case still haunted her to this day.
But while the current scene was terrifying, it was merely that—terrifying.
Tina Shen felt nothing inside.
Because Old Five's words almost made her want to laugh.
"Old Five, when I was at the police academy, I specialized in forensic pathology," Tina Shen explained. "I've seen my fair share of bodies."
The academy did indeed teach forensic pathology, but that involved internships at medical schools and forensic departments...
"Impressive!"
Old Five gave her a thumbs up. "My name's Qian Wu, the Wu from martial arts. Everyone calls me Old Five."
"Mm."
Tina Shen smiled. "Let's check the scene first."
She didn't revisit the "Gate to Hell" on the wall. The case files already contained detailed annotations and photos.
Now at the crime scene, it was time for an actual investigation.
What's the process of solving a case?
Observe the scene, gather clues, hypothesize boldly, and verify cautiously.
Unravel the mystery piece by piece and get to the truth of the case.
Then, summarize the gathered information, create a plan, and carefully evaluate the feasibility of the plan...
Tina Shen had already made her hypothesis: the primary suspect wasn't the actual murderer.
Once that hypothesis was established, the most troublesome part arrived.
The real murderer—how had they entered the house and committed the murder without leaving any traces?
Could it be a ghost, coming and going without a trace?
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]