He paused, his gaze sweeping over each team member, "Conversely, if no brake marks are found, it likely means the driver didn't brake at all, and the vehicle was very likely to hit roadside obstacles in such a scenario."

"So we must pay close attention to both aspects."

"Understood!"

The team members responded in unison, their voices particularly clear on the quiet mountain road.

The investigation proceeded at a snail's pace.

Everyone was bent over, their eyes almost glued to the ground, not missing any suspicious trace.

Sometimes, to confirm a blurry mark, the team members would measure, photograph, and discuss repeatedly.

Just like that, a full hour passed before they had advanced about 150 meters.

When the sun began to dip westward, the team finally completed the investigation of this road section.

Jiang An and Chen Biao stood at the end of the road, turning around in unison to look back on the path they came.

The two exchanged a glance, reading the same conclusion in each other's eyes.

"Looks like this section can be ruled out,"

Jiang An spoke first, a hint of fatigue in his voice, "At least from the site traces, it's unlikely that a traffic accident occurred here."

Chen Biao nodded in agreement and added, "This section inherently has slow traffic, and it's mainly for pedestrian passage."

"Except for pedestrians, the likelihood of other vehicles having a severe collision here is quite small."

Jiang An took out a notebook, making detailed notes on it, then looked up and said, "So let's move to the next two roads to check."

"Time waits for no one, we must hurry."

With that, he took the lead, stepping forward and leading the team to the next investigation site.

Immediately, the group quickly got into their vehicles and sped along the winding mountain road.

When the vehicles passed the last mountain bend, the view opened up — National Highway 745 stretched like a gray-white ribbon winding through the mountains.

Jiang An signaled for the cars to stop at the highway entrance, and everyone swiftly got out.

Standing by the roadside, Jiang An squinted his eyes, observing the busy highway.

Vehicles passed by like a torrent, the roar of heavy trucks was incessant, and the dust they stirred formed golden halos in the sunlight.

His gaze followed the speeding trucks while Wang Yang's clues from the phone call echoed in his mind.

"The suspect's vehicle indeed passed through here on May 18th, and the front had noticeable collision marks."

"That suggests we can basically pinpoint him as the hit-and-run driver."

Chen Biao suddenly clapped his thigh in realization, excitement in his voice.

But Jiang An shook his head, cautiously saying, "It's still too early to say conclusively. We need more definitive evidence chains."

"First, where is the exact location of the death scene?"

"Second, although the vehicle has collision marks, the suspect's statement is equally crucial."

"If it collided with a heavy truck, is the impact force enough to leave traces in the surrounding environment?"

He spoke while pointing to the roadside bushes, "All these details need to be verified one by one."

Chen Biao heard this and fell into deep thought, frowning, "It's quite tricky! This section of the highway doesn't have surveillance coverage nor eyewitnesses."

He looked around and sighed, "Even the most basic physical evidence is hard to obtain."

At this moment, young officer Wan stepped forward quickly with a suggestion, "How about we publish a bounty notice?"

"Nowadays, many vehicles are equipped with dashcams. We might be able to collect image evidence from the accident time."

Jiang An nodded appreciatively, "That's indeed a feasible plan."

"If other investigative avenues are all blocked, this is worth a try."

In the following hour, the investigation team carried out a thorough search.

They bent down to inspect every suspicious trace, occasionally using cameras to record potentially relevant evidence.

"Biao, let's check the last road one more time."

Jiang An stood by the car, looking towards the direction of National Highway 778.

"If there's still no result, we'll call it a day."

Chen Biao patted Jiang An's shoulder, "Alright, everyone hold on a bit longer."

He turned to the other team members, "Be careful, the vehicles on Highway 778 are faster, stay alert."

Twenty minutes later, the vehicle came to a steady stop beside National Highway 778.

Compared to National Highway 745, the road here was wider and smoother, and the speeds of passing vehicles were noticeably faster.

Jiang An put on his police sunglasses, carefully instructed, "Focus on checking the guardrails and vegetation on both sides of the road for possible impact marks."

Fortunately, there were few vehicles on the highway at this moment, providing convenience for their investigation.

The group lined up, combing through every inch of suspicious areas like a comb.

Jiang An was at the front when suddenly, his steps came to a halt.

"Wait!"

He squatted down, his voice slightly trembling with excitement, "Something's unusual here!"

He pointed to a row of bushes by the roadside, "Look at this, the break surfaces of these branches are fresh, and..."

His finger moved down along the trunk, "The bark near the ground has clear scratch marks, and the color has started to oxidize and darken."

Chen Biao rushed over in a stride, squatting beside Jiang An.

The two exchanged a knowing glance.

In the direction Jiang An pointed, a bed of crushed grass could be clearly seen, forming a conspicuous path, at the end of which were several small tree trunks with impact marks of varying depths.

"Fantastic!"

Chen Biao excitedly pulled out his camera, "These marks perfectly align with the characteristics of a traffic accident!"

Jiang An had already donned rubber gloves, carefully parted the grass, "Judging from the direction and extent of the vegetation collapse..."