The crackdown on organized crime began with the arrest of the mother-in-law.

Chapter 1052 Identity Unconfirmed

Next, he placed the heart on an electronic scale and weighed it. "350 grams, slightly larger than the normal range. The deceased may have had some degree of myocardial hypertrophy before his death."

During the examination of the abdominal cavity, Zhang Lin discovered an abnormality. The deceased's stomach was empty, containing only a small amount of pale yellow liquid, while the intestinal lining had been largely emptied. "Based on the stomach emptying, the deceased's last meal should have been about 6-8 hours before death," he said. He extracted some stomach contents and intestinal tissue, "to send for toxicology testing and food composition analysis to see if any useful clues can be found."

Finally, there was a meticulous examination of the dismemberment wounds. Zhang Lin used a magnifying glass to examine each cut surface. "The wounds caused by the chainsaw have clean edges and obvious serrated marks." He measured the depth and width of the wounds. "When dismembering the body, the murderer probably started with the limbs and then dealt with the torso. Although the method wasn't professional, it was very efficient. I speculate that a high-powered industrial chainsaw was used." At the tattoo remnants on the victim's waist, he extracted skin tissue and pigment particles. "Analyzing the composition and age of the tattoo ink might provide clues to the victim's identity."

The autopsy lasted nearly five hours, and Zhang Lin's back was already soaked with sweat. When he finished the last record and placed the autopsy tools into the sterilization container, looking at the now intact but lifeless corpse on the autopsy table, a complex emotion welled up inside him. He knew that these rigorous autopsies and detailed records would become important evidence to uncover the truth of the case, and he was the one who would speak for the dead and bring the truth to light.

In the electronic archives room of the Criminal Investigation Division, the irritating hum of the air conditioner's outdoor unit mingled with the incessant clatter of keyboards, creating a somber symphony. Xiao Zhou stood before the whiteboard, circling the deceased's characteristics heavily in red: male, 45-50 years old, right-handed, flame tattoo on his waist, amalgam dental fillings, approximately 175cm tall. "Tonight we must sift through the missing persons system to find someone who matches these criteria," his voice resolute and unwavering. "Everyone, stay alert; any detail could be a breakthrough."

The team members took their positions, and twenty computer screens lit up simultaneously, the cold blue and white light illuminating their tired faces. Intern Xiaolin stared at the densely packed spreadsheets in front of her and couldn't help but complain: "There are over 1800 missing persons records in the city in the last six months alone. How long will it take to find them all?" Her fingers mechanically slid across the keyboard, enduring a ten-second system freeze with each page refresh.

Veteran detective Zhou pushed up his reading glasses, his bloodshot eyes straining to get closer to the screen: "Don't just look at the electronic files; we still need to go through the paper files for records before 2020." He opened a filing cabinet; the yellowed documents emitted a musty, musty smell. "These handwritten registrations are riddled with spelling errors; some even have the birth dates mixed up." He carefully unfolded a crumpled registration form; the handwriting on it was illegible, almost impossible to decipher.

"Focus on men who do manual labor," Xiao Zhou paced back and forth in the corridor. "The calluses on the deceased's right hand indicate long-term use of tools. And this," he pointed to the enlarged dental X-ray on the projection screen, "Amalgam fillings are very rare nowadays; you'd need to find someone with dental treatment records from ten years ago."

Technician Liu suddenly cursed, "This damn system crashed again! All 200 suspected records we just screened are gone!" He frantically typed on the keyboard, error messages popping up on the screen, veins bulging on his forehead from anxiety. "I should have upgraded the server sooner," he wiped his sweat, "It always fails me at crucial moments."

Xiaolin stared at a blurry ID photo, practically pressing her face against the screen: "You can't even make out the facial features in this photo, and the system still requires facial comparison? Isn't this just making things difficult?" She tried adjusting the image clarity, but the noise only got worse. Old Zhou leaned over for a look and shook his head helplessly: "These scans from before 2015 are lucky if you can even get a rough outline."

Time ticked by, and at two in the morning, the atmosphere in the office grew increasingly oppressive. The coffee pot was long gone, instant noodle containers were piled high, and the air was thick with the smells of smoke, sweat, and the bitterness of instant coffee. The team members' eyelids grew heavier, and their typing became increasingly sluggish.

"What do you think?" Xiaolin suddenly broke the silence, "The murderer dismembered and disposed of the body so cruelly, could it be that they were trying to hide the victim's identity? Maybe this person never even reported being missing." Her words plunged everyone into a brief silence, with only the sound of the air conditioner vents echoing in the empty room.

Old Zhou flipped through his thick notebook, then suddenly stopped: "This one looks a bit like him, a 48-year-old truck driver who went missing three months ago." He turned the screen to Xiao Zhou, "But the records don't mention tattoos, and the dental records are incomplete." Xiao Zhou carefully examined the information, then shook his head: "The height doesn't match, and he's left-handed. Keep searching."

After much effort, Da Liu restored the system and began screening again. "After filtering by the new criteria, there are still 537 entries left," he said wearily, "but most of them lack complete descriptions of physical characteristics." He randomly clicked on a record; the page only displayed a few simple lines: "Male, approximately 50 years old, missing from XX vegetable market, wearing a dark coat."

"How can we compare?" Xiao Lin collapsed onto the table in despair. "They don't even have height and weight figures." Xiao Zhou patted her on the shoulder: "Don't be discouraged. List these as candidates to be verified and contact the police station tomorrow to get more information." He glanced at the clock on the wall; the hands were already pointing to 3 a.m. "Everyone, hang in there a little longer. Let's finish the first round of screening before dawn."

As the morning light gradually painted the windowpanes red, the team members had been working continuously for ten hours. The whiteboard was covered with sticky notes, marking 37 suspected records, all of which were eventually crossed out due to various discrepancies. Looking at the exhausted team, Xiao Zhou's voice carried a hint of helplessness: "Let's rest first. We'll continue checking the missing persons databases of surrounding cities this afternoon. Remember, the truth often lies hidden in these tedious comparisons."

The office door opened, letting in the morning sunlight, but it couldn't dispel the pervasive sense of frustration. Xiaolin was tidying up the documents on her desk when she accidentally knocked over a water glass, the water spilling over the pages filled with notes. Staring blankly at the gradually blurring handwriting, she suddenly felt that this battle against massive amounts of data, like the water-blurred words, made it difficult to see the direction, yet one had to persevere.

The blinds in the conference room cut the morning light into sharp strips, casting it obliquely onto the whiteboard covered with fingerprints.