"This difference is the key basis for us to judge whether drowning occurred before or after death."

Upon hearing this insightful explanation, several technicians present showed expressions of sudden realization and nodded in praise.

"Indeed! This inspection method is truly scientific and rigorous, and so helpful for solving cases involving bodies found in water."

Wan was even more diligent in taking notes, afraid to miss any professional detail.

As they spoke, the group slowly moved to the window side of the lab.

Zhou Yong quickly walked to the corner storage room, and the metal door made a soft "click" sound.

Skillfully, he took a few brand new white protective suits and matching gloves from the shelf, distributing them as he walked.

"Although these remains have weathered, with no muscle tissue left, it's still prudent to take protective measures to keep the site clean and prevent bone debris from getting on clothing."

"That's certainly the right approach."

The team donned their gear in unison, wearing latex gloves and disposable masks, double-checking each other. Only after confirming everything was correct did they push open the glass door to the evidence lab.

The temperature inside the lab was noticeably lower than outside, with the air conditioning vent emitting a soft hum.

The remains taken from the refrigerated cabinet were placed centrally on the lab table.

When the shroud was lifted, a complete white skeleton was revealed to everyone.

Zhou Yong glanced at his two assistants beside him, and the two young men immediately understood, skillfully arranging the bones according to anatomical positions.

They coordinated smoothly, with one responsible for the upper body and the other focused on the lower body.

Soon, a complete human skeletal map was formed on the tabletop.

The bones made a crisp "crack" sound as they contacted the surface, particularly clear in the quiet lab.

Fifteen minutes later, Jiang An leaned on the edge of the lab table and carefully observed the neatly arranged bones.

His gaze roamed over each bone, suddenly raising his head to ask: "Mr. Zhou, when collecting the remains initially, apart from fragments of clothing, were all the bones gathered? Is there any missing part?"

Zhou Yong adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"Strangely enough, we searched the site thoroughly but couldn't find the hyoid bone."

"Theoretically, since the hyoid bone is U-shaped, even if it breaks, fragments should be found. But at the time, we sifted through all the soil beneath the body, yet no trace was seen."

"The hyoid bone..."

Jiang An softly repeated, furrowing his brow involuntarily. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He knew that this small bone in the neck area is often critical in forensic identification.

Especially valuable for determining the cause of death. But now, this key piece of evidence mysteriously disappeared.

"Let's proceed with this for now."

Jiang An straightened his torso, stretching his slightly stiff neck.

"We'll examine the existing bones in sequence from head to foot and discuss the hyoid bone issue later."

Zhou Yong and the assistant coroners nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, Jiang An seemed to remember something and turned to ask: "Mr. Zhou, is there a magnifying glass here? Ideally one with a light source."

"Yes!"

Zhou Yong quickly walked to the storage cabinet by the wall and retrieved a delicate black instrument from it.

"This is the professional-grade magnifying glass with lighting we recently purchased, equipped with LED ring lighting, specially designed for examining fine traces on bones."

"Excellent!"

Jiang An took the instrument, pressed the switch, and a ring of soft white light illuminated around the lens immediately.

Starting the examination from the skull, even though a preliminary check had been done before, Jiang An habitually used the magnifying glass to confirm once more.

He then handled the seven cervical vertebrae, carefully picking each one up, observing repeatedly under the light.

Scapula, sternum, twelve pairs of ribs, five lumbar vertebrae...

His movements were both gentle and precise, akin to treating a precious piece of art.

The lab was silent enough to hear each other's breaths, everyone watching Jiang An's every move as if witnessing a precise surgical procedure.

The electronic clock on the wall quietly ticked numbers away, time slipping by second by second.

Two hours later, Jiang An's inspection progressed to the lower limb area.

When he picked up the right tibia, he suddenly discovered an extremely unusual detail under the magnifying glass—a tiny bone fragment hidden at the junction of the tibia and fibula.

This fragment was no larger than a grain of rice, diagonally embedded in the bone seam.

If not for the magnifying glass's assistance, it would be almost impossible to detect.

Noticing Jiang An's sudden pause, Zhou Yong immediately approached: "Mr. Jiang, what have you found?"

His voice slightly elevated due to tension.

Jiang An didn't answer immediately but adjusted the magnifying glass angle to better illuminate that critical spot.

"Mr. Zhou, look here!"

He pointed at the tiny fragment, "This bone shard is missing a part, with the fracture showing distinct oblique characteristics."

Under the magnifying glass, the fragment's details were vividly clear.

The fracture edge was sharp, with fine radiating cracks on the surface, presenting typical features of external force.

Zhou Yong's face turned serious: "What issue does this type of fracture indicate?"

"Could it be caused by animal gnawing or natural weathering?"

Jiang An wasn't quick to conclude but took photos from multiple angles.

"Let's just document it," he cautiously said.

"However, this fracture's linear characteristics are quite peculiar, not likely naturally formed."