Before the window was a pot of devil's ivy, its leaves plump and vibrant.
In front of the lush plant, two old office desks were pushed together. Stacks of books cluttered the middle, next to an antiqued desktop computer adorned with a Haier Brothers sticker on its case.
In the corner of the desk was a balding broom and a dustpan cracked along one side.
In the morning, the sunlight was brilliant, making the devil's ivy appear even more verdant.
Jiang Yuan arrived in the office, pulled out a chair, sat down, started the computer, and while waiting for it to boot, poured himself some water and also watered the devil's ivy.
He dusted off the desk, and by the time he finished, the computer had started up.
He cleared his throat twice out of habit and opened up a page with a novel. He had left off at Chapter 403 yesterday and could continue today.
Jiang Yuan was the new forensic doctor in Ningtai County.
He was tall and clean-cut.
And had slightly too much free time on his hands.
He had imagined a forensic scientist always donning a white coat, rushing to the scene of major cases, present wherever there was a case to be solved.
The reality, however...
A half-month since his report to duty, Jiang Yuan had read over ten novels but only assisted in three or four cases without ever seeing a single corpse.
He proceeded to read his novel. In the forensic office, it was just him and his mentor, who was close to retirement and often arrived at work just on time, paying little attention to what he did. After all, without a corpse, a forensic doctor was nothing more than basic labor.
...
"Bang!" The door swung open violently.
The person who entered looked at the prim and proper Jiang Yuan in front of the computer and then strained to look harder: "Old Wu hasn't arrived?"
"Captain Liu. My mentor should be on his way," Jiang Yuan raised his head and responded.
Captain Liu was the head of the Criminal Police's Second Squadron. He glanced around the modest office and, while pulling out his phone to make a call, he said, "Then you come with me first. There's a corpse!"
Jiang Yuan stood up, both excited and horrified.
It had started, the beginning of his professional career.
Indeed, at that moment, a notification popped up on his screen:
"Detecting that the host will soon encounter the first corpse. Mission issued: Conduct a comprehensive autopsy and assist in solving the case."
Jiang Yuan followed Captain Liu out the door, feigning composure.
Yes, he possessed a Forensic Medicine System. Since graduating from The Great Learning and passing the civil service examination to return to his hometown in Ningtai County, he had been introduced to the system.
However, after half a month at work, the system had remained quiet, declaring it would wait for a corpse, which was truly frustrating.
If it wasn't for the fact that Jiang Yuan was a law-abiding citizen, he might have been tempted to create a corpse himself.
At Ningtai's No. 1 Middle School, fifty meters east from the main gate down an alley.
The police officers who had arrived earlier had already set up the caution tape, and a tent was pitched in the middle, shielding the scene from the eyes of onlookers. It all looked very official.
"Xiao Jiang, start with some peripheral work; your mentor will be here in about fifteen minutes," Captain Liu was still not entirely confident in Jiang Yuan and cautioned him.
Jiang Yuan acknowledged and set his investigation kit and a white cloth in the corner, taking a couple of deep breaths.
Then he looked inside the tent.
Lying there was a portly man with a fleshy belly, wearing a pair of Red Dragonfly shoes. Several buttons on his plaid shirt had been ripped off, exposing his white belly.
No wounds could be seen on his body, yet he had died – indeed, a mysterious case.
Jiang Yuan took another step closer and only then noticed the victim's twisted neck revealing a gaping, flesh-torn hole and, alarmingly, a very familiar face...
Jiang Yuan couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Uncle Seventeen?"