Jiang An's voice slowed down, as if giving a lecture to students, "If the impact occurred before death and caused the fracture, the jagged bone would pierce these blood vessels like a knife, and the blood would seep into the fracture lines."

"The hemoglobin in the blood gradually oxidizes, and over time, it forms the dark brown we see now."

"This is similar to dropping a drop of red ink on white paper, even after ten or eight years, the stain wouldn't completely disappear, just become deeper in color."

This metaphor was easy to understand, and even Chen Biao, who had no knowledge of forensic science, suddenly realized and nodded involuntarily.

"Makes sense!"

"It really makes sense!"

He stood behind Jiang An, looking at the dark brown trace, suddenly feeling that the profound knowledge of forensic science was explained thoroughly and clearly by Jiang An in just a few words.

Chen Biao couldn't help raising his hand to pat Jiang An on the shoulder, "Mr. Jiang, I admire you!"

"Today I've witnessed what is meant by 'the great way is simple.'"

"So, does this fracture lead to the cause of death?"

Jiang An did not nod immediately; instead, he placed the skull back on the operating table, gently rubbing his fingertips along the edge of the bone seam.

"We can't be completely certain yet."

"This fracture is located at the back of the head. Whether it was caused by someone striking it or by accidentally hitting something hard is currently insufficiently determined, and it's temporarily impossible to judge."

"Furthermore, whether this fracture caused intracranial hemorrhage or damaged brain tissue, we don't know either."

He paused, then changed his tone: "However, from the force characteristics, both striking and hitting are possible, provided the object applied force must be a flat surface."

"If a sharp object strikes the head, it's more likely to cause punctured fractures, like poking a balloon with a nail."

"And this crack is more like an egg falling on a table, with a large and even force area, which is why it formed this radial fracture."

"Well said!"

Wang Yang couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes sparkling with admiration.

"With the analogy of an egg and a nail, I understand immediately!"

Even the usually serious Mr. Li showed a rare look of approval.

"Indeed, it's very clearly explained."

"Looking at it this way, the skull issue has an established conclusion - pre-death fracture."

"As for whether it's caused by strike or impact, further investigation is needed."

Mr Li looked at Jiang An and asked, "Mr. Jiang, is my summary alright?"

"You're completely correct; there's no issue with the logic."

Jiang An nodded in response.

Mr Li sighed gently, his tone carrying a hint of heaviness, "If that's the case, then the case becomes more complex."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang An suddenly turned to glance at the clock on the wall.

"It's about time! The facial reconstruction model should be mostly formed."

Chen Biao smiled and said, "Mr. Jiang, I've only seen skull restoration technology in documentaries."

"It's not that complex."

For a moment, everyone held their breath, their eyes glued to the red plastic bucket about to be unveiled as if drawn by magnets.

"Let's witness it together."

Jiang An's voice carried a subtle hint of excitement as he carefully uncovered the plastic wrap, gently lifting the model out.

When he placed the model facing everyone on the operating table.

A chorus of gasps filled the laboratory.

"It's so lifelike! Even more realistic than a sculpture!"

Wang Yang couldn't help but exclaim.

The model showed a girl with delicate features, a standard oval face, slightly raised brow bones, deep eye sockets, a straight nose bridge, and natural downturn in the lip curve.

While everyone was marveling at the model's realism, Jiang An picked up the utility knife beside him, carefully trimming away the slight residue around the neck and ears.

His actions were precise and gentle, as if carving a rare piece of art.

Ten minutes later, Jiang An put down the utility knife, straightened his back, and said, "Mr Li, Mr. Wang, this should be the closest resemblance to the deceased's appearance in life."

The two exchanged a glance and praised in unison, "Excellent! Truly excellent!"

They couldn't help but applaud.

"Today's skull restoration technique has really broadened my vision!"

"Incredible, truly incredible!"

Mr. Li circled the model twice, his eyes full of amazement.

"I've long been interested in this skull restoration technique, but never had the chance to see it in person."

"Although I didn't see the whole process, the results are very satisfying!"

"With such a three-dimensional image, finding the source of the body shouldn't be difficult."

Jiang An smiled and waved his hand, "This is just a partial restoration based on the skull's features; the muscle lines and skin texture may have some deviation, but the overall contour won't be wrong."

"Quickly take pictures, then add some coloring; afterwards, you can post the collaboration announcement."

The technician beside had long been holding the DSLR camera ready, and upon hearing, pressed the shutter immediately.

The sound of "click" and "click" was exceptionally clear in the quiet laboratory.

After taking two photos, he imported them into the computer, and Jiang An moved closer, finely adjusting the parameters with the mouse.

Quickly, the girl on the screen gained skin color, with long black hair smoothly draped over her shoulders, instantly transforming from a cold model into a living young woman.

"This girl looks very young, not like she's been in society for long."

Wang Yang stared at the screen and murmured.

"I also agree, at most in her early twenties." Chen Biao nodded in agreement.

Mr. Li suddenly raised his hand, "Mr. Wang, import this image into the portrait comparison system, see if it matches any identity information."

Hearing this, Wang Yang immediately got to work, his fingers flying across the keyboard, "Mr. Li, this system is still in trial operation, and the database sample size is limited, it might not successfully match."

"It's worth a try."

Mr. Li said, his gaze returning to the restoration model.

Five minutes later, the system interface displayed the words "comparing" and the progress bar climbed slowly.

Everyone closely watched the screen, feeling that even blinking was a waste of time.

Just as the progress bar reached 90%, a crisp "ding-dong" sounded, and a green dialog box popped up on the screen - "Comparison successful, match rate 99.7%."

"It's done!"

On the screen was Luo Xi's ID photo, and looking at the nearby reconstructed model, the two were almost identical.

Wang Yang suddenly sprang up from his chair, his voice filled with excitement, "Mr. Li, the comparison is successful!"

Everyone instantly crowded around, Mr. Li holding his shoulder, "Is the identity of the deceased confirmed?"

"Confirmed!"

Wang Yang pointed at the information that popped up on the screen, "The deceased is named Luo Xi, 28 years old, her registration address and workplace are in the neighboring province, Qingzhou City!"

"Neighboring province?" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Mr. Li raised his eyebrows, "That's interesting, how did a person from Qingzhou end up dead in our deep mountains?"

"Looks like we'll need to send someone over to Qingzhou."

Mr. Li took out his phone and quickly dialed the office number, "Zhang, contact the Qingzhou police immediately, for a cooperative investigation on a woman named Luo Xi, 28 years old."

He hung up the phone and exhaled deeply, looking at Jiang An with gratitude in his eyes, "Mr. Jiang, thank you for today."

"First, you confirmed the pre-death fracture, then restored the appearance; these two steps were crucial."

Jiang An shook his head, his gaze returning to the skull, "This is just the beginning."

"Luo Xi's cause of death hasn't been fully determined, why did she come from Qingzhou to our place, and who did this to her, all need to be investigated step by step."

Mr. Li said, "Mr. Wang, take two people and go to Qingzhou tomorrow morning, make sure you understand Luo Xi's situation thoroughly."

"Chen Cheng, you are responsible for contacting the technology department, send Luo Xi's photo and the cooperation announcement, see if anyone saw her before or after her disappearance."

"Yes!"

Mr. Wang and Chen Cheng answered in unison, finally revealing a long-lost relief on their faces.

The atmosphere in the laboratory completely changed, the previous heaviness replaced by a sense of excitement at finding a breakthrough.

The extractor fan continued to hum, but at this moment, it sounded like it was playing a triumphant anthem for them.

"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Jiang."

Finally, Mr. Li patted his shoulder, his tone filled with contentment, "With you here, I'm much more assured about this case."