Chapter 1074 - 550: Hard Work Pays Off

Soon, Director Hou and Jiang An walked out of the office together.

As they reached the garage, Jiang An suddenly stopped and turned around, saying, "Let’s wait a bit longer."

"Are we expecting someone?"

Director Hou appeared slightly surprised and instinctively glanced at his watch.

"Yes," Jiang An nodded, "Before we set off, I called the tech department and asked them to bring some Luminol Reagent over."

"Luminol Reagent!"

The two young officers beside them almost blurted out simultaneously, "I know that—it’s used to reveal hidden bloodstains!"

"Could there really be bloodstains in the cockpit?"

This question caused Director Hou to pause as well.

Indeed, this was also the doubt lingering in his mind. It’s crucial to know that the cockpit had already been meticulously examined twice, especially by Mr. Li, the trace expert, who spent nearly half an hour working alone inside.

If there really were bloodstains, given Mr. Li’s professional ability, how could he possibly not notice?

But Director Hou didn’t speak immediately.

He understood well that in investigative work, different technical methods have their own emphasis, and perhaps Jiang An had his considerations.

Jiang An was always meticulous and unconventional, so his suggestion to use Luminol must have its reasoning.

In the moment of Director Hou’s silent contemplation, a series of hurried footsteps approached from afar.

Everyone looked up to see a young officer carrying a silver, small investigation box hastily running down the corridor.

"Mr. Jiang, Director Hou, sorry, sorry!"

The young officer stopped in front of them, slightly panting, "I spent a bit extra time preparing the reagents in the lab just now—this is the Luminol Reagent you requested."

Jiang An reached out to take the sealed reagent box, opened the lid, and carefully examined the reagent bottles and spray cans inside.

The people around naturally gathered around, focusing their gaze on the items in his hand.

After confirming that the packaging was intact, the labels were clear, and especially that the production and expiration dates were up to standard, Jiang An gently closed the lid, "No problem, they are all within the shelf life."

"What sensitivity can this achieve? Would it be affected by environmental interference at the actual scene?"

The young officer immediately responded, "Very high, even with bloodstains diluted a thousand times, it can still capture extremely faint fluorescence signals."

"To clearly capture those subtle fluorescence reactions, we need to use these specially made goggles. With the naked eye, it’s hard to distinguish under complex lighting."

Jiang An followed his direction to look and then nodded to show understanding: "Got it, thanks for the reminder."

After securely storing the equipment, he was about to turn and leave, when the young officer, who had been standing by wearing glasses, suddenly stepped half a pace forward, "Director Hou, Mr. Jiang... I have an impolite request, could I make it?"

"We’re all on the same team, no need for formalities. Whatever thoughts you have, just say them, we’ll support you as much as we can."

The young officer took a deep breath, as if mustering courage, "I... I’d like to join you at the scene to learn and observe, is there... an opportunity for that?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Director Hou patted him on the shoulder and readily replied, "That’s no problem at all! We need manpower on the scene anyway, more hands make light work. Come along!"

Hearing the affirmative response, the young officer’s eyes immediately lit up, and his heart almost leaped with joy.

To him, this was akin to winning the lottery.

It’s important to know that in the hearts of all the officers, especially the younger generation at the bureau, Jiang An had long become a legendary figure.

Although they hadn’t had the chance to be transferred to Jiangcheng and see Jiang An handle a case firsthand, his case-solving skills and professional expertise were already renowned across the provincial system.

To now accompany Mr. Jiang to the scene, even if it’s just to observe closely and assist with some basic tasks, was an extremely valuable learning opportunity, enough to be incredibly beneficial.

This feeling might be like fans who, knowing that the live concert audio might not be better than a recording, still choose to attend in person—just to be in that atmosphere, even catching a glimpse from afar, and to gain a certain spiritual satisfaction and encouragement.

For them, experiencing a real case inspection beside Jiang An is a rare glimmer in their career growth.

Meanwhile, another line of investigation was unfolding simultaneously—Qin Feng was heading to the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine with two officers.

Li at the wheel spoke, "Mr. Qin, do you think this Li Xu... will find another excuse this time to avoid us?"

Qin Feng leaned back in his seat, slightly squinting his eyes, "Whether he’ll stand us up, we’ll find out when we get there. But—"

He paused, his voice deepening, "If he pulls a disappearing act again this time, it won’t be easy to explain when we get back."

This case initially seemed like an ordinary natural death, then turned into a hanging, later identified as an accident, and now signs of foul play are gradually surfacing.

Such a series of twists and turns is rare even for an experienced investigative chief like Qin Feng.

Re-adjusting the investigation direction and sorting through clues over several days had nearly exhausted the team, with each step forward accompanied by mounting pressure.

"Mr. Qin, if everything we’ve uncovered is true, does it mean that Li Xu wasn’t lying about the timing of his injury?

If this can be verified, does his suspicion get somewhat absolved?

But then, this becomes trickier—even if he told the truth on this matter, where do we direct our investigation next?"

After finishing, he curiously asked, "What does Mr. Jiang think?"