Chapter 4: The Disguised Scene

The room faced south, and at nine o'clock in the morning, sunlight spilled into the living room, casting a somewhat eerie glow on the pale face of the deceased.

"Xiao Lu, you need to wear three layers of gloves."

Lu Chuan nodded. He understood this detail; wearing extra layers wasn't to protect the crime scene, but to protect himself.

Any crime scene, especially a homicide, often involves blood spatter, and you never know what might be lurking in the blood at the scene.

There had been precedents of crime scene investigators contracting highly fatal immune system diseases from blood at homicide scenes.

Lu Chuan put on his shoe covers, mask, and gloves. He first crouched down to look at the floor along the direction of the sunlight before tiptoeing to the northwest corner of the balcony.

He casually took a red millimeter ruler from the investigation kit and placed it on the edge of the sofa. Lu Chuan raised his camera, focused in the corner, and began taking panoramic shots of the entire scene.

Although Liu Guodong had already begun his own work, he kept a close eye on Lu Chuan’s performance.

In Liu Guodong’s eyes, although Lu Chuan was professionally trained, quick and nimble, and had even caught a wanted criminal half a month ago, this was, after all, his first time at a crime scene.

He wasn't worried about Lu Chuan failing to take good photos; he was mainly afraid that Lu Chuan might accidentally disturb the scene.

What a crime scene investigator needs most isn't necessarily a meticulous mind or a sharp brain, but caution and prudence.

It’s not a failure to find clues at the scene; the real failure is destroying the traces left behind.

And some traces, once destroyed, can never be recovered.

But the three details Lu Chuan had just displayed made Liu Guodong’s eyes light up.

First was the way Lu Chuan crouched down to look at the floor against the sunlight—a trick only veteran investigators mastered.

Under strong light, traces on the ground, especially footprints, are easily spotted. Observing this way beforehand prevents the investigator from destroying footprints or other minute traces while working.

In dimly lit crime scenes, investigators would even use high-intensity flashlights to illuminate the floor to determine their path of movement.

This technique, while simple, was extremely practical and passed down by word of mouth; police academies didn't teach such things. Where did Lu Chuan learn it?

If that first detail could be dismissed as something Lu Chuan had simply picked up somewhere, the second detail moved Liu Guodong.

Positioning!

The spot Lu Chuan chose to take photos from was the southwest corner of the balcony.

Crime scene photography is generally divided into three levels: panoramic, key areas, and close-ups.

First are the panoramic photos of the scene, which must capture as much of the view as possible—which is why the photography protocol requires cameras to be equipped with wide-angle lenses.

Taking panoramic photos isn't just about picking any random spot; one must consider the terrain, lighting, and other factors.

The position Lu Chuan chose was ingenious. Given the way the sunlight hit the room, any other spot on the balcony would have been backlit, but the southwest corner faced the body directly, allowing for the best possible representation of the situation.

In homicide scene photography, the body is, of course, the main subject.

The fact that Lu Chuan could identify the optimal spot for a panoramic shot after just one look wasn't just technique—it was ability.

The third detail was the red millimeter ruler Lu Chuan had taken from the kit.

Crime scene photography requires a reference object, and using a millimeter ruler is standard procedure. However, the issue was that Liu Guodong had prepared three colors in the kit: transparent, multicolored, and red.

Given the current light intensity, using the red ruler provided the clearest marking with the strongest color contrast.

Choosing the right color ruler for the lighting conditions wasn't a technique or a standard protocol—it was experience.

Did Lu Chuan... just get lucky with that ruler?

No!

If not for the first two details, Liu Guodong would have certainly thought it was a coincidence.

Taking a closer look at Lu Chuan, who was setting up his tripod, Liu Guodong looked away, thinking to himself that he had struck gold this time.

Crime scene work is tedious and meticulous, and the workload is heavy.

Liu Guodong and Lu Chuan had to label and photograph all the physical evidence at the scene, and then perform macro photography on specific details.

Lu Chuan’s fundamentals were very solid; his labeling, recording, and photography were orderly, and Liu Guodong’s initial worries gradually faded.

Later, when Yang Sen and Bai Wenhai from the investigation office arrived, things became even easier.

Fingerprint lifting, footprint casting, and the collection of minute evidence like hair, blood, and skin flakes were all carried out methodically.

"Xiao Lu, you can't just put the cotton swab directly into the evidence bag when collecting blood."

As Liu Guodong organized his own work, he took the opportunity to pass on some experience to Lu Chuan: "You need to fold absorbent paper into a funnel shape to wrap the swab before putting it into the evidence bag."

Lu Chuan, who was in charge of photography, nodded repeatedly. No one had taught him these field details at the police academy, and the system had only provided a basic crime scene photography skill; all other experience had to be learned and accumulated by Lu Chuan himself.

While the four of them were conducting the scene investigation, other criminal police officers had already confirmed the identity of the deceased, and interviews with the surrounding residents were underway.

In a homicide case, the most important thing is to confirm the identity of the victim, as this involves investigating their social background, mapping out their network of relationships, and screening suspects.

The entire scene was bustling. The four of them were conducting the investigation, while two forensic doctors were performing a preliminary external examination of the body.

Lu Chuan’s photography had reached its final stage: macro shots of all the details.

"How is the situation?"

At 9:28 AM, the head of the Haizhou Public Safety Bureau and the official in charge arrived at the scene, and Qin Yong began his briefing.

Except for large-scale meetings, grassroots police officers only encounter high-level officials from the Haizhou Public Safety Bureau at major crime scenes.

"Director Song, Director Wang, the victim's identity has been preliminarily confirmed."

"The victim is Zhang Wen, male, 63, a resident of Haizhou. The time of death is estimated to be 3:00 AM this morning. The cause of death is preliminarily determined to be a sharp object piercing the heart."

"The person who reported the crime is the victim's son. Judging from the scene, the victim is holding the knife handle in his right hand, lying on his back on the sofa. It is suspected to be a suicide."

The two directors didn't relax upon hearing "suicide." Both were former frontline officers and veteran investigators; they had seen plenty of staged scenes.

"Good. If it is confirmed to be suicide, proceed according to protocol."

Song Jianguo didn't say what to do if it wasn't suicide, and Qin Yong, knowing his place, didn't ask.

*Click.*

Lu Chuan took the final vertical shot of the body. His work was done.

"Basic task: Conduct an excellent crime scene photography mission completed."

Crime scene photography follows a specific flow, from far to near, from panoramic to detailed. As Lu Chuan pressed the shutter for the last time, the system’s task completion notification sounded.

2:28 PM.

The body had been removed for further autopsy to definitively determine the cause of death.

The investigation work by Lu Chuan and his team was also complete.

Haizhou is a key city in the province with a population of over five million and a relatively developed economy, so the strength of the Haizhou Public Safety Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Detachment is among the best in the province.

Their equipment cannot be called top-tier, but it is considered standard.

They had their own professional investigation vehicle and four professional crime scene investigators. Don't underestimate these few people; in most criminal investigation detachments, there are no dedicated positions for crime scene investigators.

Usually, it’s frontline detectives working part-time, and naturally, when it’s a part-time job, the quality of work cannot be held to such strict standards.

"Xiao Lu, pack up the gear and get ready to head back to the detachment."

Liu Guodong was nearly fifty, and his stamina was no longer at its peak. After working at the scene for over five hours, his back ached, and he looked exhausted.

Yang Sen and Bai Wenhai were the same; anyone would be tired after crouching in a cramped space all morning.

Lu Chuan, however, was still in high spirits, partly because it was his first time at a scene and partly because he had been able to put the system-rewarded photography skill into practice.

On the way back to the detachment, Lu Chuan, who was driving, asked, "Master, can we confirm it's a suicide?"

They had found very few clues at the scene: no footprints, no fingerprints, and they had only filled less than twenty evidence bags with skin flakes and hair.

Liu Guodong, who had been pressing his temples, paused slightly and opened his eyes, looking somewhat weary. "It’s unlikely to be suicide. The scene was likely meticulously staged."