My Life with Narration-Chapter 299 - 296: The Forensic Expert’s Self-Doubt

Chapter 299: Chapter 296: The Forensic Expert’s Self-Doubt

Since yesterday, he genuinely didn’t want to deal with the forensic profession anymore; mainly, he didn’t want to see any weird stuff.

Under Li Zijun’s tyranny, he chickened out, and then the two of them went to the first floor, passed through the back door on the first floor to the rear building of the police station, next to the logistics department building where Zhu Lili was located, and there was this separate small building, next to which was the place where Da Huang usually suffered his five-kilometer runs.

And at the entrance of this small building, a sign for the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau Criminal Investigation Science and Technology Center was hanging alone, not the forensic department as he thought.

Seeing his confusion, Li Zijun spoke up directly beside him, "Strictly speaking, forensic science belongs to our criminal investigation department. Inside, there’s not only autopsies but also forensic clinical science based on injury identification, forensic evidence inspection, forensic toxicology analysis, etc. And only in a county-level or above public security’s criminal investigation department can there be forensic experts, and there can’t be fewer than three. Since we’re at the city level, and we have space, we arranged a small building. Understand?"

In response, Su Qing shook his head like a rattle drum; he was an outsider and couldn’t understand the professional terms and only understood that forensic experts only existed in public security organs above the county level and should be quite impressive.

Simply put, such a forensic department doesn’t exist in a typical street police station. At the very least, it has to be a public security sub-bureau to have one; of course, this was only his guess, as he still didn’t understand the internal system of the police station.

Seeing this, Li Zijun couldn’t help but sigh. She and Du Qiang and the others were graduates of a proper police school, so this was common sense for them, but not for Su Qing. Not only did he switch careers, but he also lacked any sense of common knowledge. It would be too hard to train him to take the lead.

"To put it simply, autopsies, evidence analysis, poison analysis, and so on all have experts to do it; it’s not like what you see in TV shows, where one person can do everything.

Of course, Zhou Ning, whom you saw yesterday, his position should be close to the kind you see in TV shows, called a coroner in ancient times, now called a forensic. Naturally, someone who can find clues in a corpse knows a bit about everything."

"So, he’s a versatile talent?" Su Qing tilted his head and asked.

Hearing this, Li Zijun twisted his head back: "Sort of!"

Saying that, the two entered the small building dedicated to forensics.

As soon as he entered, Su Qing was stunned, not because it was strange, but because it was too normal, clean and tidy, without odor, at most slightly smelling of disinfectant.

Additionally, the lighting in this small building was exceptionally bright, with no dark feeling at all. The air conditioning inside was quite good; once inside, he couldn’t feel a trace of heat.

Soon, the two arrived at a door labeled with Forensics Office on the second floor. Li Zijun opened it without thinking, while Su Qing seemed to have roots in his feet, standing at the door, afraid to see any weird things inside, as he hadn’t fully recovered.

"Zhou Ning, Captain Zhao asked us to check if you have any updates here!" Li Zijun shouted directly through the door.

The office was not small, even larger than their criminal investigation department’s big conference room, but inside were mostly instruments, bottles, and jars, with only a tiny office desk. Zhou Ning was sitting at the desk, hair messy like a bird’s nest, behind which were rows of metal cabinets, all locked.

At this moment, Zhou Ning had a face full of seriousness, even some self-doubt, looking absent-minded. Upon hearing the voice, he looked up, revealing a slight smile.

"Zijun, what did you just say? I didn’t hear it clearly."

"Captain Zhao asked us to check if you have any updates," Li Zijun repeated what she said earlier and then looked at his expression and couldn’t help but ask: "What’s wrong? Are you okay?"

Zhou Ning shook his head: "Nothing, right, you said you? Where are you all?"

Hearing this, Li Zijun turned around and saw nothing behind her; Su Qing, who was just behind her, had disappeared on the spot.

Seeing this, she couldn’t help but sigh, turned around, and dragged the hidden Su Qing from behind the door.

"Sister Jun, sister, sister! Don’t, it’s not okay there!"

"What are you shouting for? Are you not ashamed to be afraid like this as a grown man? Look for yourself, what’s there to fear!" Li Zijun pointed at his head, saying loudly.

Although she is a woman, whether at police school or after graduation working, she was the best among her peers; how did her brother become so timid, it’s a bit embarrassing, if it wasn’t because of their connection, if it were a newcomer she didn’t know, they would be gone by now.

If you’re so scared, why be a policeman, why a criminal investigator?

Of course, her logic didn’t apply to Su Qing; he didn’t go to a police school, was a special hire, and it was her master who asked him to come. Most importantly, they were acquaintances, so she could only be angry.

And in Li Zijun’s tugging, Su Qing carefully opened his eyes, finding not only were there no scattered body parts as he imagined, but the room was sunny, clean, and bright, even the floor was spotless with curtains gently swaying with the breeze.

For those who know, they’d think it’s a forensic office; for those who don’t, they might think it’s a high school classroom.

Looking around, the only thing remotely related to corpses might just be a small skeleton model on the testing bench.

Seeing him enter, Zhou Ning was stunned for a moment, then got up and said with a smile: "Oh my, you’re here, young brother!"

A heavy Northeast accent came, dissipating the last bit of his fear of forensics, as the accent had a comedic effect, bridging the gap.

"Brother Zhou!" Su Qing greeted him.

Then Zhou Ning walked up to him, started sizing him up and down, seemingly trying to figure something out; his eyes seemed intense even to the point that Li Zijun, who was beside them, couldn’t bear it and said: "Hey hey hey, get to the point, what are you looking at?"

"What, are you scared of me looking like a big girl?" Zhou Ning replied, then turned to Su Qing and asked:

"Young brother, have you studied forensics? I heard from Captain Lin that you studied psychology?"

Su Qing: ???

"My master said he has research in psychology, who said he studied psychology?" Li Zijun rolled her eyes at Zhou Ning.

"Hmm? Then what’s yours..."

A round of explanations left Zhou Ning completely baffled. Yesterday, when they first met, he thought Su Qing was also from a forensic background. But then he heard from Captain Lin that he focused on psychology, but now hearing Li Zijun speak, he wasn’t studying psychology at all, then what did he study?

"Uh, actually, I’m from Jiangcheng City Science and Technology University, my major was in computer science," Su Qing scratched his head, slightly embarrassed.

Originally, he was just an ordinary second-tier, where computer science sounded prestigious at the time but was actually useless. Anyway, in college, he just spent four years cultivating himself, dated a teacher, and did nothing else. The stuff he learned was long returned to the professors... no wait, he hadn’t learned anything at all.

Even editing videos was something he taught himself, nothing to do with school.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ning was stunned, waving repeatedly: "No way, absolutely impossible. I don’t believe it!"

"What’s wrong with you?" Li Zijun asked.

Hearing this, Zhou Ning turned around, opened a metal cabinet, took out a document, and handed it over.

Li Zijun took it, and then she froze.

"According to other colleagues’ test results last night, this corpse is about thirty years old, female. Based on the decay and examination, this body had been dead for about 90 days. The most critical point is, the marks on the bones, after comparison, are indeed from ax chops. I, a professional, didn’t dare to conclude at the scene yesterday. Now, you’re telling me a computer science guy took a look and was more accurate than me?" Zhou Ning was visibly shaken with profound self-doubt.

Who am I, where am I? Am I the forensic expert, or is he? Did I major in forensics? Is this guy here to challenge us? Should I just leave?

[Zhou Ning, who does not think he has a heavy Northeast accent, at this moment doubted his professionalism, believing that his years of learning and experience in the forensic field had gone to the dogs, plunging into a spiral of spiritual self-exhaustion]

Listening to the narration in his head and looking at Zhou Ning’s dazed expression, Su Qing decided he ought to do something to break the spell.

But before he could speak, Zhou Ning snapped back to himself: "Young brother, will you teach me?"

"Teach what?"

"Teach me how you determined the time of death and could identify ax marks with one glance!"

"Isn’t it just using your eyes, take a glance, and then make a wild guess? Honestly, I’m actually good at fortune telling, solving cases purely through divination, interested in learning that?"

Zhou Ning: ...

"Don’t joke around, one’s science, the other’s metaphysics, how can they be the same? We’re both men, I’ll take care of you tonight, make sure you’re well looked after, how about it?"

"Drinking’s a no-go, I’m a lightweight!"

"It’s okay, I can drink. So, this is a yes, right? Okay, it’s settled then!"

Su Qing: ???

...