His voice trembled slightly with excitement, "The primary death scene might very well be at the foot of that mountain!"

Jiang An listened to the roaring engine and hurried conversations over the phone, unconsciously clenching his fists.

The outline of the case was gradually becoming clear before their eyes, and perhaps the truth was hidden in that May afternoon bathed in the sunset glow.

Jiang An gripped his phone tightly, his knuckles turning slightly pale from the pressure.

He took a deep breath and spoke into the microphone, "Biao, this discovery is very important."

"According to the latest forensic examination report, if the victim indeed disappeared on May 18th, we have every reason to suspect that the day of disappearance is the day of death."

His voice was slightly trembling with excitement, as this timing could be the key to breaking the case.

On the other end of the phone, Jiang An was standing by the office window, clouds thickly gathered outside, as if foreshadowing the complexity of the case.

He nodded thoughtfully, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, "Indeed. Based on our preliminary investigation, the last known location of the deceased was at the foot of that mountain."

"Now that the time of death has been determined, I believe we should immediately organize personnel to conduct a detailed site investigation."

As he spoke, his tone became firm, "Although so much time has passed, we might still find some overlooked clues."

"Biao, I think so too."

Jiang An's voice came through the phone, barely concealing his excitement.

"If we can pin down the crime scene based on the time of death, many mysteries might unravel."

"I've already asked the technical department to prepare the investigation equipment, ready to head out at any time."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Biao's mood remained unsettled for a long time.

As a seasoned detective with twenty years in the field, he understood the significance of the primary scene.

Not only does it relate to the integrity of the evidence chain, but it may also hide the key clues to solving the case.

He picked up the case files on the table and once again reviewed those familiar photos and reports, his brows furrowed tightly.

Meanwhile, Jiang An was already dialing Wang Yang's number.

At this moment, Wang Yang and Zhou Yong were walking side by side out of the interrogation room, their faces filled with fatigue and frustration.

Three hours of continuous interrogation had exhausted all their strategies.

Even when they presented solid evidence in front of the suspect, the person remained as silent as an impenetrable wall, maintaining an infuriating silence.

"How did it go?"

Zhou Yong handed Wang Yang a bottle of mineral water, his voice hoarse as he asked.

Wang Yang shook his head, just about to respond when the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.

Seeing the caller ID, he immediately answered, "Hello, Jiang An."

"Wang Yang, the estimated time of death has been determined."

Jiang An's voice came through clearly from the receiver.

"So soon?"

Wang Yang looked at his watch in surprise; the hour hand was pointing to four o'clock in the afternoon.

He gestured for Zhou Yong to come closer and pressed the speakerphone button.

"After a detailed examination of the bones and considering the climate data from Chuan City over the past few months, it's estimated that the time of death was between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on May 18th."

Jiang An's voice carried a tone of professional certainty.

"The afternoon of May 18th?"

"Are you sure?"

Wang Yang's voice suddenly rose, attracting the curious glances of colleagues passing by in the hallway.

Standing opposite Zhou Yong, upon hearing the date, his pupils contracted sharply.

He quickly sifted through related information in his mind, suddenly recalling something, he walked briskly to the desk, pulling out a set of traffic checkpoint records from the mound of files.

His fingers trembled slightly, flipping through the pages rapidly until he stopped at a particular one.

Sure enough, the records showed that Wang Ming's truck passed the checkpoint at the foot of that mountain at 4:20 p.m. on May 18th.

"Found it!"

Zhou Yong gasped softly, handing the document to Wang Yang.

The two exchanged glances, both seeing the shock and anger in each other's eyes.

The match in timelines was no coincidence; the suspicion that Wang Ming had committed a hit-and-run skyrocketed.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

Wang Yang hung up the phone and immediately called back, "Jiang An, we have new findings here."

"The scene investigation team has found Wang Ming's truck, and there is a noticeable dent on the front. Now add your time of death estimation and the checkpoint records..."

His voice was slightly rushed due to excitement, "Wang Ming is most likely the person we are looking for."

Jiang An, on the other end, listened quietly before saying in a deep voice, "I just talked to Mr. Chen over the phone, and we both believe the primary crime scene is very likely at the foot of that mountain."

"I'm preparing to take a team there for a detailed investigation, hoping to find more direct evidence."

After a moment of contemplation, Wang Yang's fingers tapped unconsciously on the table.

"Alright, then I wish you all the best."

"If this case goes to court in the future, the physical evidence from the primary scene will be crucial."

He paused for a moment, his voice becoming serious, "Make sure to search thoroughly and don't overlook any suspicious traces."

After hanging up the phone, the office fell into brief silence.

Wang Yang and Zhou Yong both gazed out the window, where the distant mountains loomed faintly in the dusk.

They knew a crucial evidence search was about to unfold there, and it could be the decisive turning point in solving this mysterious case.

"Okay, we'll work together."

Wang Yang gripped the walkie-talkie in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure.

"Zhou Yong and I will work on getting Wang Ming to talk, and your team will focus on evidence search at the scene."

"Remember, do not overlook any clues."

He paused, lowering his voice a few notches, "Pay special attention to the vehicle chassis and tire treads; they need thorough examination."

After hanging up, Wang Yang took a deep breath, the corridor lights casting uneven shadows on his sharply defined face.

He turned and patted Zhou Yong on the shoulder, clearly feeling the taut muscles beneath the police uniform.

"Old Zhou, this time, we are determined to succeed."

His gaze scanned the photos of the scene he had just received.

"Look at the curvature of this collision mark, and Jiang An's assessment of the time of death..."

Zhou Yong took the photos, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

The twisted metal in the photo gleamed coldly in the sunlight, with a starkly prominent V-shaped dent.

"It really is too much of a coincidence."

He stroked the emerging stubble on his chin.

"But by procedure, shouldn't we verify what he said about the yak first..."

"There's no need."

Wang Yang abruptly interrupted, heavily pointing to a spot in the photo.

Meanwhile, in the laboratory, Jiang An was slowly removing his gloves.

The slight snapping sound of the latex gloves separating from the skin was particularly clear in the quiet dissecting room.

"Brothers and sisters!"

He turned to the two who were organizing tools, the fluorescent lights reflecting a cold glow on his glasses, "We need to go back to the scene."

Zhang Yean immediately put down the bone saw in her hand upon hearing this, the metal clinking sharply against the stainless steel surface.

"Do you suspect..."

"That's right!"

At that moment, the two intern forensic doctors who had been standing in the corner nudged each other forward.

Among them, a young man wearing glasses nervously adjusted his frames.

"Mr. Jiang..."

His voice grew smaller, his fingers twisting the corner of his white coat unconsciously.

As Jiang An turned, the hem of his lab coat cut a neat line, "Li? Is there something?"

"Can we... follow along... for field investigation?"

Li's Adam's apple bobbed, "to learn from the investigation?"

After saying that, he immediately looked down, as if afraid of being rejected.

Jiang An laughed and patted the young man's tense shoulder.

"Of course! The more eyes, the more discoveries."

Five minutes later, a black business car rolled over the still damp rain patches in front of the police station.

Wan's fingers tapped lightly on the leather steering wheel cover, and in the rearview mirror, Jiang An's tightly furrowed brow was reflected.

"Mr. Jiang, after all this time, won't the traces be..."

"Of course!"

Jiang An adjusted his seatbelt, the buckle making a crisp "click" sound. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Even if it was a site washed by torrential rain..."

He suddenly pointed to the signpost flashing past the window, "I believe the long arm of the law will not miss any details."