Chapter 731: Chapter 394: We Have Confidence!

At this moment, Mr. Chen hurried over quickly.

However, when he saw Detective Captain Jiang An and several technical officers gathered in a narrow corner discussing in low voices, a strong sense of unease swept through his heart.

He quickened his steps, almost stumbling as he pushed through the crowd, bending down to look under the low bed.

In that instant, his breath halted.

Under the bed, there were two bodies tightly embraced.

Mr. Chen suddenly staggered backward, taking two steps back, his heel hitting broken bricks, nearly causing him to fall.

Fortunately, a quick-witted officer behind him grabbed him, preventing him from collapsing onto the ground covered in ashes and sewage.

To be honest, after 25 years in the police force and 10 years as a station chief, Mr. Chen had never faced four dead bodies at once.

This wasn’t a regular police matter, not a neighborhood dispute, not petty theft—this was about four human lives.

The mere number itself was enough to bring unprecedented pressure.

He felt his heartbeat suddenly accelerate, his chest tightening, and a heavy sense of responsibility pressed down like an avalanche.

As the station chief, he bore the primary responsibility for the security of the entire jurisdiction.

Especially in criminal cases involving human lives, it not only involved truth and justice but also directly affected evaluations of community safety, social stability, and public trust...

All of this ultimately weighed on his shoulders.

Unknowingly, beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his palms under his gloves were drenched.

He stood still for a moment, took several deep breaths, trying hard to calm his emotions.

Two minutes later, he walked towards Jiang An, who was conducting a preliminary examination beside the bed, crouched down, and asked in a low voice:

"Mr. Jiang, can the gender of these two be determined?"

Jiang An did not lift his head, remaining focused on examining the bodies, nodding after a moment: "Based on clothing and household personnel configuration on site, it is likely the female owner and her child, about seven years old."

"The degree of carbonization on both is not severe, only parts of the hair were singed by the fire, and their clothes were merely partially burnt, with most being relatively intact."

Mr. Chen pursed his lips tightly and continued to ask: "Then... Can the cause of death be determined?"

"Why would they be hiding here?"

"The other two are located in the living room and bedroom..."

A series of questions poured out uncontrollably.

Though he had dealt with grassroots police work for years, handling homicide investigations, especially at a multi-body scene, was worlds apart from the daily police matters he was familiar with.

At this moment, he truly understood the phrase "different fields are separated by a mountain."

Jiang An finally turned his face, speaking calmly and clearly: "At present, these two under the bed were probably not burned to death."

"The preliminary judgment matches the characteristics of carbon monoxide poisoning."

He gently lifted the deceased’s stiff hand, "Look, their fingernails are bright red, which is indicative of carbon monoxide poisoning."

"Due to the mother’s embracing posture, most of the livor mortis is distributed on the left side abdomen, also bright red, likewise a sign of carbon monoxide poisoning."

"Furthermore, petechial hemorrhages can be seen in the conjunctiva, indicating cellular asphyxia."

He paused briefly to allow Mr. Chen to process this information, then continued to explain: "During a fire, especially in an enclosed space with incomplete combustion, large amounts of toxic gases are produced, among which carbon monoxide can easily lead to fatal poisoning."

"Based on these symptoms, the cause of death seems relatively clear."

"As for the other two... The situation is more complicated, further autopsy is necessary."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Chen nodded silently, his gaze still fixed firmly on the mother and child.

This case is extraordinary.

He knew it wasn’t just him—perhaps in the entire history of county public security, they rarely encountered a death incident this severe.

Jiang An turned his head, looking steadily at Mr. Chen, a reassuring strength emanating from his gaze.

He nodded slightly, speaking with a firm yet calm tone: "Mr. Chen, don’t worry."

"When soldiers come, we repel them; when water arrives, we deal with it. Isn’t dealing with these hard matters exactly why we’re in this profession?"

"No matter how complex the case, as long as we proceed step by step and maintain a solid chain of evidence, there’s no case we can’t solve."

With that said, he turned his head towards Zhang Yean, who was meticulously examining on the side.

He habitually addressed her as "sister," although she might not be much older than him, her professional experience and composure earned his genuine respect.

"Sister," Jiang An’s voice softened a bit, sounding more earnest.

"Please focus on thoroughly recording and fixing the body positions, mutual positioning, especially the distribution patterns and specific colors of the livor mortis, and the subtle features of the fingernails and lips for the two victims under the bed."

"These trace evidence are crucial to our subsequent judgment of the death method, time, and whether it matches the characteristics of carbon monoxide poisoning."

Zhang Yean nodded immediately, her hands never pausing: "Understood, Mr. Jiang. I’ll take multiple sets of angled and detailed shots to ensure nothing is overlooked."

She signaled to her assistant to adjust the survey light more precisely, the cold white light enveloping the unfortunate corner, the camera shutter clicking crisply in the silent ruins.

After briefing the scene, Jiang An straightened up, taking a deep breath of the chilly air still mingled with a burnt odor, slowly removing his gloves stained with grime.

He stepped out from the oppressive rubble, coming to a relatively open area in the yard, taking out his phone from the inner pocket of his uniform, finding the number he had just saved which was about to be contacted frequently—Deputy Director Li Jian.

As the dial tone sounded, Jiang An’s brows furrowed unconsciously, organizing the words for the report he would soon give.