After two hours of bumpy driving, Wan finally reached the mist-shrouded foot of the mountain, guided by the navigation address sent by Chen Biao.

It was dusk by now, the sunset casting a golden glow over the mountains.

In the distance, a white police car flashing lights stood out prominently, with two familiar figures standing nearby.

Chen Biao was leaning against the car door smoking, while Wu Bin was looking down at the notes in his hand.

As soon as the vehicle came to a stop, Jiang An pushed open the car door and stepped out briskly.

The cool mountain breeze, mixed with the fragrance of vegetation, swept over him, prompting him to take a deep breath.

Seeing this, Chen Biao immediately extinguished his cigarette and stepped forward with an apologetic smile, "Mr. Jiang, it's been hard on you."

"For this case, you've been rushing around these past few days without even being able to rest on the weekend."

Jiang An patted the dusty sleeve of his uniform and smiled warmly, "All part of the job."

"As long as we can solve the case early and bring justice to the victim, all the effort is worth it."

His gaze swept past Chen Biao's shoulder, looking at the rolling mountains in the distance, his brow unconsciously furrowing.

Following Jiang An's gaze, Chen Biao looked back, his expression turning serious.

He turned and took an investigation report from Wu Bin, pointing to a page and saying, "According to our investigation today, the deceased, Luo Xuan, was very likely to have come to this mountain on May 18."

"Look here..." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

His fingers tapped the paper gently, producing a dull sound.

At this moment, Wan, who had been silent, suddenly interjected, "Mr. Chen, how do we know for certain that she came to this mountain?"

Chen Biao closed the folder and patiently explained, "This girl is very introverted and hardly involved in social activities."

"Her roommate reported that even living under the same roof, they rarely communicated."

"Now is the postgraduate phase, and everyone is busy with their research topics."

He opened another page of records, "The crucial point is that when she took leave on May 17, her leave slip only had the words 'personal leave' without specifying her destination. At the time, the advisor was too busy to inquire further."

Wu Bin timely added, "However, we interviewed her classmates and mentor and found out she often mentioned this Cloud Mist Mountain during chats."

"Look at that mountain," he pointed to the majestic peaks in the distance.

"Although the terrain is primitive, that's why it attracts many outdoor sports enthusiasts."

"We checked the hiking forums; this is indeed a recommended local hiking route."

Upon hearing this, Jiang An carefully surveyed the surroundings.

Steep cliffs dotted with jagged rocks, and several barely visible paths winding upwards.

He reached out to take the mineral water Chen Biao handed him, drank a sip, and asked, "How many entrances are there for climbing this mountain?"

This seemingly simple question momentarily left Chen Biao at a loss for words.

He turned to Wu Bin, who immediately took out a topographic map from his backpack, spreading it across the police car hood.

"We've studied the map, the entrances to this mountain are quite uniquely distributed."

His fingers moved across the map, "There are two winding mountain roads on the west and south sides, but the main entrances suitable for climbing are concentrated on the east side."

"Because the terrain there is relatively flat and there's parking available, most visitors choose to start climbing from there."

"The other entrances are either too hidden or the road conditions too dangerous, so very few people use them."

Jiang An leaned over to carefully examine the map, drawing a circle around the east entrance with his fingertip.

Jiang An furrowed his brow, folding his arms as he stood by the roadside, deep in thought for a long time.

He scanned the area, his eyes scrutinizing every detail as if trying to imprint this area onto his mind.

Finally, he said solemnly, "Alright, let's first conduct a thorough and detailed investigation of this section, ensuring we don't miss any clues."

"Once this inspection is complete, we'll split up to check the conditions of the other two sections."

Chen Biao nodded upon hearing this, habitually stroking the stubble on his chin.

"No problem."

"Based on the existing clues, we can basically confirm the deceased died on the day of the climb."

"But to transport the corpse up the mountain for burial..."

He paused, his eyes turning sharp, "It definitely requires the help of a vehicle, an ordinary person couldn't independently accomplish such a complicated disposal process."

Saying this, he grinned slightly, showing a thoughtful expression.

"From this perspective, the possibility of a traffic accident leading to an accidental death and then a long-distance corpse disposal is indeed very high."

Jiang An did not immediately respond, only nodding slightly to indicate agreement.

He turned to his colleagues and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, let's get energized and start working!"

With his command, the whole team immediately sprang into action.

Someone took out a professional camera from a backpack, carefully inspecting the lens and memory card.

Someone deftly put on rubber gloves to ensure no contamination during fingerprint collection.

Someone else took out a scale and evidence bag, preparing to mark and collect potential evidence anytime.

Seven police officers lined up in a row, advancing slowly and orderly like a comb.

Jiang An closely examined the ground while emphasizing the investigation focus to the team: "Everyone needs to pay special attention to looking for brake marks and also keep an eye on the roadsides for any signs of impact."

"If a traffic accident occurred and the driver applied the brakes, there would definitely be friction marks between the tires and the ground."