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

Chapter 974 Tattoo Investigation Confirms Corpse Identity

The tooth mark model showed that the perpetrator's canine teeth were significantly damaged. When he pried open the victim's left hand, the black substance between the fingers revealed leather fibers and engine oil components in a chemical reagent. "The victim had engaged in a violent struggle before death and had been in contact with machinery or vehicles."

The autopsy continued until 3 a.m. Zhang Lin removed his protective mask, revealing deep pressure marks on his forehead. On the autopsy table, the deceased's organs were neatly arranged on a metal tray: the liver showed signs of toxic liver disease resembling areca nut, the kidneys had needle marks from long-term injections, and early atherosclerotic plaques were found in the coronary arteries. "This person's life was terrible," he said into the recording, "a long-term alcohol abuser, drug addict, and a victim of violence in multiple parts of his body."

The final test was an analysis of the pubic symphysis. Zhang Lin placed the bone sample into the scanner, and the 3D model showed that the deceased was between 28 and 32 years old and had a history of long-term heavy labor. When he summarized all the test results, his gaze fell again on the fatal wound on the neck—the burn mark seemed to silently tell of the killer's cruelty and calmness.

"Prepare to suture." Zhang Lin put down the scalpel, watching his assistant thread green sutures through the corpse's skin. Outside the window, the first rays of dawn pierced the night, while inside the autopsy room, the secrets of the deceased were gradually piecing together a complete picture as the test reports were completed. Those old scars, peculiar tattoos, and bizarre manner of death would all become crucial clues for the criminal investigation team to track down the true culprit.

Because the case was discovered close to night, the identification of the deceased could not continue yesterday. Today, with the results of the on-site investigation and the autopsy, Xiao Wang and Zhang Hui began to follow these clues to confirm the deceased's identity.

First, regarding the missing persons investigation, Xiao Wang and his team had already checked the missing persons records for Dongchuan City in recent years, but none of them matched the deceased. A match was found, but the deceased's identity information could not be confirmed. This was not good news for solving the case, as the person might not even be from Dongchuan City. Regardless of where the person was from, based on the forensic report, Xiao Wang and his team still went out to investigate.

The torrential rain blurred the view of Dongchuan City. Xiao Wang, clutching a soaked file folder, rushed into the lobby of the third hospital—Renji Hospital. The smell of disinfectant mixed with the dampness of the rain hit him. He wiped the rain from his face and hurried towards the archives room.

The door to the archives was ajar. Xiao Wang knocked, and a voice from inside said, "Come in." Pushing the door open, he saw an elderly administrator with gray hair and round-framed glasses, hunched over his desk organizing documents. "Hello, I'm Xiao Wang from the Criminal Investigation Division. I'd like to ask you to help me look up some medical records," Xiao Wang said hurriedly, pulling out his police ID.

The elderly administrator adjusted his glasses, a look of doubt in his eyes: "Checking medical records? That requires the necessary procedures."

"It's urgent," Xiao Wang explained. "We're investigating a case and need to find records of patients who had appendicitis surgeries three years ago using an arc-shaped incision. We haven't found anything at the first two hospitals, so we hope you can provide some leads." He then handed the administrator the records from the first two hospitals.

The old administrator took the record, looked through it carefully for a while, and sighed: "These young people nowadays, they're so dedicated to solving cases. Alright, let me check." He turned and walked towards the rows of tall filing cabinets, put on his reading glasses, and began to move among the shelves.

Xiao Wang stood to the side, his gaze following the old administrator's every move. The archives were so quiet that only the rustling of files being turned over and the sound of rain outside the window could be heard. As time ticked by, his heart clenched tighter and tighter.

Finally, the old administrator pulled a thick register from deep within the filing cabinet, placed it on the table, and opened it: "All the patients who had appendicitis surgeries every year are here, the ones with the curved incision... Let me find it." His fingers traced lines on the yellowed paper, his brow furrowing and relaxing intermittently.

"Found it!" The old administrator suddenly looked up. "There were three cases where the arc-shaped incision was used back then, but..." His tone became somewhat regretful. "The other two patients are still alive, and there were no photos or detailed identification information for them in their medical records."

Xiao Wang took a closer look. On the yellowed paper, next to the diagnosis record of "Appendicitis surgery, July 15, 2018," the attending physician's signature was already blurred. The hastily written signature on the surgical consent form—"Zhang Moumou"—was smudged by water stains and was difficult to read.

"Are you sure there are no other clues?" Xiao Wang pressed, unwilling to give up. "Like, the hospital billing records, or information about the accompanying persons?"

The old administrator shook his head: "The records back then weren't as detailed as they are now. This is all the information we could find."

Xiao Wang sighed in disappointment and took out his phone to take a picture to record the information. Just then, his gaze swept over the incomplete numbers in the patient's contact information section, and a thought suddenly struck him. The shape of those numbers was strangely similar to the shape of the glass shards extracted from the deceased's stomach.

"Thank you, sir." Xiao Wang put away his phone and thanked the elderly administrator. "This information is very important to us."

The old administrator waved his hand: "I hope this helps. Young man, investigating cases isn't easy, take care of yourself."

Xiao Wang nodded and turned to leave the archives. The rain was still falling, but his steps became lighter. Perhaps this seemingly insignificant discovery was the key to unlocking the mystery of the deceased's identity.

Meanwhile, Zhang Hui was busy on Dongchuan City's busiest tattoo street. He pushed open the door of "Ink Trace Tattoo," and the doorbell rang. The shop reeked of pungent paint, and the walls were covered with brightly colored tattoo designs. "Have you ever seen tattoos with chains and flames like this?" He pushed a blurred photo of the tattoo in front of the shop owner. The young owner, with his purple hair, squinted, then suddenly slapped his thigh: "This looks familiar! A delivery guy came here last summer, saying he wanted to cover up an old tattoo."

Zhang Hui's heart tightened: "Do you remember his name?" The boss scratched his head, turned around and flipped through the ledger: "His name... Zhang something-li?" He was wearing a "Food Delivery" uniform at the time, saying he had fallen while delivering orders and wanted to cover a scar on his arm. His finger slid across the ledger, "Found it! Zhang Chunli, his contact information is..." Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Hui had already dialed Xiao Wang's number.

When the two met at the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Evidence Section, it was still raining heavily. Xiao Wang laid out the hospital medical records and the test report on the glass fragments in the stomach on the table: "The glass composition is completely consistent with the lining of the 'Shisuda' takeout box, and the time of the surgery coincides with the timeline of the deceased's rib fracture."