Processing a fingerprint is like performing surgery.

Accurately targeting the problem is just the first step; exceptional surgical skills are still needed.

Meticulously peeling away layers, like stitching a wound, step-by-step, without any negligence.

As expected, after processing the fingerprint, Lu Chuan did not obtain a complete print.

It's about less than 20% of a normal fingerprint size, less than a fifth, but more than a tenth.

Expanding from the center of the fingerprint outward, the edges become more blurred.

This was already much better than Lu Chuan initially anticipated.

However, it still hadn't reached the ideal state; if it could exceed 20%, Lu Chuan would be confident in marking enough characteristic points, making the fingerprint with judicial validity once identified and analyzed.

Currently, with the size of this fingerprint, Lu Chuan was only able to mark nine characteristic points.

The amount is substantial, but insufficient to constitute evidence to pinpoint a suspect.

However, this does not mean that it is useless.

Lu Chuan can still utilize this incomplete fingerprint to identify the suspect by comparing it in the fingerprint comparison system.

Then further confirm whether the counterpart is the murderer through investigation and interrogation, supplementing the evidence.

Dragging the fingerprint into the fingerprint database, Lu Chuan waits somewhat expectantly for the result.

Ping!

A dialog box with the system comparison result pops up.

"Comparison failed!"

Failed?

Lu Chuan frowned slightly.

Is it because the system doesn't have a target sample, or is there an issue with his fingerprint preprocessing?

Verifying this issue is not difficult.

If Lu Chuan changes the preprocessing method for the fingerprint and compares it with the original preprocessing result...

If both succeed in matching, it's likely that the system lacks a target sample.

Otherwise, there's an issue with Lu Chuan's processing.

Checking the time, the afternoon was almost over.

At this moment, thanks to Lu Chuan matching fingerprints in two murder cases, the experts quickly entered the zone.

Subsequently, many had results.

Director Tian Rong of the Provincial Department's Technical Identification Center even matched four cases.

Although there were no unsolved murder cases, they were still considered major cases, accumulating eighteen points.

Just two points short of Lu Chuan's total score of twenty.

Two points, equivalent to a robbery or intentional injury case.

With Tian Rong's ability, if Lu Chuan didn't gain anything further, he could catch up by tomorrow.

Or perhaps, by working overtime today, he might surpass him.

Following Tian Rong, someone matched two cases, placing third.

The rest either matched one case or, more commonly, didn't match any.

Beside Lu Chuan, Zhao Zhigao finished processing a fingerprint, unsurprisingly failing.

"Let's go, have a smoke, refresh ourselves, and fight again!"

Lu Chuan noticed that many people went out for a breather, so he nodded and followed.

"Teacher Lu is here."

"Teacher Lu."

As Lu Chuan came out, many greeted him.

Even Tian Rong approached actively: "Teacher Yuanchao mentioned you to me several times, saying your Skeleton Identification Analysis is impressive."

"Didn't expect you to be so adept with fingerprints too."

Tian Rong wasn't the Director of the Technical Identification Center; instead, he was an expert enjoying director-level benefits.

At the Provincial Department, there were a number of such individuals, or one might say a group of experts who held no real power but enjoyed substantial benefits.

"Director Tian, you flatter me, it's just a bit of luck."

Lu Chuan responded politely, offering a Chunghwa cigarette, then handing one to each person around.

Gradually, everyone gathered around.

On the one hand, Tian Rong had always been the most technically skilled among all experts and a key figure at the Provincial Department's Technical Identification Center.

He was naturally a core presence in conversations during smoke breaks.

Following Lu Chuan's two murder case breakthroughs in one day, he certainly became a prominent figure among this group.

"Ha! This isn't just luck. Murder case fingerprints that make it to the Provincial Department's fingerprint match campaign aren't simple."

Tian Rong took a cigarette, and the others agreed.

"Indeed, I checked that high school student's case fingerprint a year ago, spending two days with no leads at all."

"Teacher Lu, don't be modest. So accomplished at such a young age."

"By the way, Brother Zhao, how's it going over there in Tianzhou City?"

As they chatted, Wang Huiyou walked over: "The taxi serial murder case started more than ten years ago, right?"

"In the Provincial Department's fingerprint match campaign database, it's been sitting there for over a decade. Have they caught the person?"

Zhao Zhigao nodded heavily, exhaling his last puff of cigarette smoke.

"They've caught him. He's in Tianzhou City. After Teacher Lu's identification analysis report was sent, the squad carried out the arrest."

"He can't escape. Even if he doesn't confess to the other cases, leaving a fingerprint at that scene seals his fate."

The experts chatting all nodded. They'd all heard of the taxi driver murder case in Tianzhou City.

Some of them even studied the case's fingerprints back then, though without results.

However, everyone knew a case this old was challenging to solve, especially as the perpetrator didn't leave any traces at other crime scenes.

If the suspect refused to admit it, it would indeed be tough to handle.

"Well, everything will fall into place eventually. We should also step up our efforts!"

Clearly, Tian Rong was familiar with the ins and outs of this case.

"Teacher Lu has already cracked two murder cases; we can't fall too far behind, haha."

"We can't compare to that; Teacher Lu cracked two murder cases, but Director Tian matched four cases; that's two more than Teacher Lu."

"Those were minor cases, not worth mentioning. Practiced today, hope to tackle a murder case tomorrow."

Tian Rong's words weren't empty boasting.

During past fingerprint campaigns, he wouldn't always crack murder cases, but succeeding once every two years wasn't unusual.

His peak moment was six years ago, the year he was transferred to the Provincial Department's Technical Identification Center.

In that year's fingerprint campaign, he matched four murder cases.

He set a record for the most murder cases matched in a single campaign statewide.

That year, he won a personal first-class merit, gained a transfer to the Provincial Department, and earned the Provincial Department expert allowance.

To say he became famous overnight wouldn't be an exaggeration.

In the meeting room, after smoking several cigarettes, the experts seemed reinvigorated.

Everyone plunged into a new round of battle.

There would be no dinner at the cafeteria; Sun Bing sought everyone's opinion and had the kitchen deliver the meals directly.

The meeting center now had quite an interesting aroma.

There was the fragrance of braised pork, the scent of some unknown expert's sweaty feet, and the remains of cigarette smoke.

In this messy mix of smells, a dozen experts hunched over their computer screens, their eyes red with focus.

Over by Lu Chuan, he no longer struck the keyboard, bending over the computer screen too, dividing the narrow original fingerprint into four pieces.

Then he analyzed and enlarged each piece individually, finally recombining them.

At last, after more than four hours, nearing nine at night, the fingerprint was fully processed.

"Let's see how it turns out this time!"

He dragged the new fingerprint into the comparison system.

Within minutes, a ping sound was heard.

The words "Comparison succeeded" appeared onscreen, reflecting on Lu Chuan's weary face.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.