Fingerprints for trace examination are like aged wine to a drunkard, or the top hostess at a club to an old lecher.

Once you've tasted fine wine, you won't forget it. Once you've rolled in the sheets, you won't forget it. Once you've seen a fingerprint, you won't forget it.

For those who deal with trace examination, who hasn't had a cold case, or a fingerprint that failed to match?

When faced with a case and the fingerprint comparison can't be done immediately, some trace examiners wish they could tuck it in their pockets, and while others are scrolling through their phones in the restroom, they are scanning fingerprints.

Each fingerprint is like an identity marker with its own unique characteristics.

It's like a person's physique; some have fingerprints that are relatively flat, like a runway, while others are broad and expansive, like undulating mountains.

Some fingerprints have ridges as delicate as a willow leaf waist, while others are robust, like a water barrel.

To the average person, fingerprints are just a jumble of coarse lines, but in the eyes of the trace examiner, each fingerprint that is studied and analyzed has its own life.

In front of the autopsy table, Lu Chuan changes his position, carefully observing the partial fingerprint extracted from the tape residue on the victim's ankle.

"Found anything?"

Shen Yan was pleased that Lu Chuan found this fingerprint since forensic doctors don't usually study this much during an autopsy.

Whether it's forensic pathology or forensic anthropology, they either study how the body died or who the body is, but that's all from examining the body itself.

Extracting fingerprints from a body, to be honest, suggests a multi-skilled talent.

Ordinary forensic doctors won't do it, and ordinary trace examiners won't do it either.

"I feel this fingerprint is somewhat familiar... but I can't recall where I've seen it. I'll check the system back at the office after we're done here."

The fingerprints Lu Chuan works with have all been compared in the system, whether matched or not, there is a record.

By retrieving these fingerprints and comparing them, discoveries can potentially be made.

"Let's first collect trace evidence, then send it to the provincial department once we're done."

This time, the progress in trace evidence examination was relatively fast, and the findings were quite similar to the previous body.

In addition to the evidence collected from hidden areas like the nails and mouth, similar hair was found on the second body.

"This appears to be animal hair, probably from a dog or cat, but it might not necessarily be from those animals."

Lu Chuan agreed with Shen Yan's assessment: "Multiple parts of both bodies have this kind of hair, indicating that the victim likely had frequent contact with such hair during their lifetime."

"Could it be possible that the hair remained on something used to wrap the body when the perpetrator disposed of it?"

"That's a possibility too. The perpetrator couldn't have just disposed of the body like that; they must have used something to wrap it. But the specifics depend on the lab results."

Regarding the guesses about the hair, there are evidently many possibilities.

But whatever the case, we need to wait for the test results.

"You should rest first; you've just finished the autopsy and helped with the trace evidence testing. I'll submit the materials first and then look at the fingerprint."

Beside the autopsy table, the two had been through multiple rounds, and Shen Yan was indeed exhausted.

Beads of sweat were forming on her forehead, sticking to strands of her hair.

"Alright, you go ahead; I'll head back to the office for a break."

The two parted ways, and Lu Chuan quickly returned to the crime scene investigation office.

"Master, here are the trace evidence samples from the second body."

Handing the evidence box to Liu Guodong, Lu Chuan immediately sat in front of the computer, clacking away at the keyboard.

Just about to send the evidence, Liu Guodong looked at the busy Lu Chuan: "Take a break first; this case isn't progressing much. It's likely another protracted investigation."

Lu Chuan, however, shook his head: "No, master. I just discovered that the wrists and ankles of this body also had tape residue from bindings during the trace evidence collection."

Liu Guodong nodded; the adhesive material from these traces had already been collected, and once analyzed, it would help determine what kind of tape the perpetrator used, which could be valuable.

"Besides this, we also found a partial fingerprint in the tape residue on the left ankle of the body."

Hmm?

"A partial fingerprint?"

Lu Chuan's words surprised Liu Guodong quite a bit. Finding a fingerprint on a body likely meant it was left by the perpetrator.

Yang Sen and Old Bai gathered around: "A fingerprint was found on the body?"

"That's a big discovery; it could very well have been left by the perpetrator."

As Lu Chuan operated the computer, retrieving previously seen fingerprints, he spoke: "The fingerprint was found on the inner side of the left ankle's tape binding marks on the body."

"It's very likely left by the perpetrator when removing the tape."

"And this partial fingerprint feels somewhat familiar to me; I feel like I've seen it somewhere before..."

Slam!

The sound of Lu Chuan's keyboard stopped, and on the screen appeared a fingerprint identification analysis record from half a month ago.

A slightly distorted but highly defined fingerprint appeared on the screen.

"This is it!"

Half a month ago, during the investigation of Song Kun's murder case, Lu Chuan had taken some time to perform an identification analysis on fingerprints submitted by the local police station and the Criminal Investigation Team.

At that time, there were twelve sets of fingerprints in total; nine were successfully identified, but three did not match anyone in the system and thus were not successfully identified.

Afterwards, the issue of these three sets of fingerprints was put aside, but Lu Chuan, having meticulously processed them, still had a reasonably deep impression.

"This is it!"

Lu Chuan pointed to one of the unsuccessful fingerprints among the three sets: "This is the fingerprint!"

"Try matching it; let's see if it works!"

Liu Guodong's tone was excited, as this was definitely a crucial clue.

Although the fingerprint itself hadn't matched anyone, the case related to it could be retrieved.

Following the trail might lead to new discoveries.

As Liu Guodong spoke, Lu Chuan was already preprocessing the fingerprint collected from the body.

Being familiar with it on his own was one thing, but running it through the system for a match was another.

The fingerprint on the body was only a partial one, with many ridge minutiae, making the identification analysis quite challenging.

At least, it was likely beyond the capabilities of Liu Guodong, Yang Sen, and Old Bai.

But with Lu Chuan's advanced fingerprint identification and analysis skills, this somewhat blurry partial fingerprint was like an undressed dancer.

Entirely exposed, without any secrets.

In just over ten minutes, the minutiae were marked, and the related data were calculated.

Ding!

The system promptly emitted a familiar sound indicating a complete successful match.

"It's done!"

"It really worked!"

Yang Sen and Old Bai shouted excitedly.

Liu Guodong, still holding the trace evidence box handed to him by Lu Chuan, looked at the match success report on the computer screen, his mouth wide open: "I'll go report the good news to Captain Qin. Lu, you've made another contribution this time!"

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