SFTD -Chapter 374 White Spots Reappear (Part 15)

Dr. Nan suddenly became interested and quickly opened the images on the computer. From the shape of the handwriting, the two sets of writing were quite different.

Zhou Hai felt uncertain, but he didn’t want to miss any detail. After all, instinctive judgments could sometimes be misleading.

Dr. Nan didn’t speak immediately. After a careful comparison and reviewing the earlier analysis, he thought for a long time and circled several parts of the handwriting in red.

“The handwriting you brought back was written with the left hand. You can tell from the stroke dynamics.

However, even if it’s left-handed writing, there are still similarities in habitual writing patterns compared to the right hand. That’s not something that can be deliberately changed just by intention.

Sometimes, two handwriting samples may look completely different, yet experts might still conclude they were written by the same person.

Look at this hook in the horizontal stroke—it doesn’t lift upward. The vertical hook also drops straight down without that upward flick.

Also, there’s a pause-like rhythm every three or four characters. Even where there are no ink pauses, that rhythm is still present.

Here, the pressure of the first three characters changes midway. The thickness of the strokes differs, which indicates a pause—this wasn’t written in one continuous motion.

From this point of view, the handwriting you brought back and the one on the blueprint share similar habits.

You can send it to that old demon head for further comparison, but the handwriting on the blueprint is written with the right hand. This analysis will take some time.”

Zhou Hai was slightly surprised. “Right hand writing?”

Dr. Nan found his reaction odd. In general, forgery techniques often involve left-hand writing, so Zhou Hai’s confusion about right-hand writing suggested there was something he didn’t know.

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

“This person’s right hand was burned by sulfuric acid over twenty years ago. The right hand has almost no muscle tissue left, and the ring finger and little finger are missing. It’s severely atrophied and extremely restricted in movement. With that kind of hand, even basic self-care would be difficult. There’s no way he could write, right?”

Dr. Nan waved his hand.

“Let’s look at it first. Don’t you have no better lead anyway? Besides, human adaptability is extremely strong. People without arms can still write with their mouths or toes, so don’t dismiss it purely from a medical perspective.”

Zhou Hai understood Dr. Nan was trying to reassure him, and what he said also made sense. Comparing it wouldn’t hurt, so he nodded.

“Alright, we’ll do it your way.”

Nan Wudao rubbed his chin.

“Don’t tell Captain Lu Zhengfei about this case. He looks rough, but his mental resilience isn’t great. We can tell him after we solve the case; if we can’t solve it, at least he won’t get his hopes up for nothing.”

Zhou Hai nodded again. He hadn’t planned to tell Lu Zhengfei anyway—he would bear this pressure alone.

Dr. Nan patted Zhou Hai’s shoulder twice with a look of mild annoyance.

“Alright, I’m not good at comforting people. Go do your job. I’m starting the comparison. And aren’t you supposed to contact that old demon head? You’re just getting in the way here!”

Zhou Hai gave a wry smile.

“Alright, I’ll go then. I won’t be polite with you. I’ll go downstairs and check how their surveillance investigation is going.”

Dr. Nan waved him off. Zhou Hai didn’t linger and went downstairs to the room where Da Liu and Xiao Liang were working.

Everyone had already eaten and cleaned up the room. The stench from earlier was gone, but their red eyes made it obvious they had not achieved anything meaningful overnight.

Seeing Zhou Hai enter, Xu Biao quickly walked over.

“There’s nothing here. However, Da Liu and the others are still extracting images. After that, we’ll have to check each vehicle one by one. This will take at least two to three days.”

Before Zhou Hai could respond, his phone rang. It was Huang Zhongsheng.

Zhou Hai quickly answered.

“Any findings?”

Huang Zhongsheng couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hai Zi, you’re even better at chasing results than I am! I answer calls with that exact opening too. I should probably change it, or people will think I’m your ‘Huang Shiren’.”

Zhou Hai’s face darkened.

Before he could react, Huang Zhongsheng continued:

“Didn’t you ask Xu Biao yesterday to have me request cooperation from Jinzhou police? We’ve found them. Have Da Liu go with you—he’s dealt with them before and is familiar with them.”

Zhou Hai didn’t refuse. Leaving Xiao Liang and the others behind was also reassuring.

“Alright, it’s settled.”

He walked over to Da Liu and held the phone to his ear. Da Liu looked confused but took it anyway.

“Hello, who is this?”

“Who the hell is it? How’s the work going? Not even one suspicious vehicle found?”

Da Liu immediately recognized his captain’s voice and deflated a little.

“None. We monitored the whole night. We found fifteen passing vehicles, but they all stopped at the dormitory of the cotton mill across the street. We’re preparing to check them one by one.”

“Forget it. Leave it to Wang Ping and the others. You go with Zhou Hai to Jinzhou. Two transferred doctors have to be found there. The local police have already contacted them—they’re waiting at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. You’re familiar with the area, so go along.”

“Uh… alright.”

“Be careful with your words on the way. You know what this case means to Zhou Hai, right?”

Da Liu looked innocent.

“Yeah, got it, Captain.”

Huang Zhongsheng sighed on the other end.

“I don’t trust you, but there’s no one else available right now. Hurry up and go.”

He hung up.

Zhou Hai hadn’t heard their conversation clearly, but he could tell Huang Zhongsheng had been scolding Da Liu the whole time. After quickly explaining work arrangements, Da Liu followed Zhou Hai and the others into the car, heading to Jinzhou.

An hour and a half later, they arrived at Jinzhou City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

Before they even entered the outpatient building, Da Liu’s phone rang again. It was Wang Bin, a local criminal police captain they had already contacted on the way.

Da Liu answered and looked around. Just as he said “hello,” several uniformed officers approached. Wang Bin came forward and hugged him tightly, the sound of their slaps echoing loudly.

Zhou Hai instinctively moved closer to Xu Biao. That sound alone made his back hurt—someone like him would probably cough blood after two slaps.

Wang Bin seemed very familiar with Da Liu. After exchanging a few words, Da Liu introduced them:

“This is Zhou Hai, Deputy Director of the city forensic center, and Xu Henjian. The two people we’re looking for are in this hospital.”

Wang Bin nodded at Zhou Hai and Xu Biao, immediately becoming serious as soon as work was mentioned.

“They’re both here. We received the information last night. We sent a female officer in disguise to investigate the two departments. That Pang Chunmei doesn’t go to outpatient clinics—she arrives at the obstetrics department every day at 7:30, does her rounds personally. As for Zhang Yu, he seems to have gone to Beijing for further training a while ago and just returned. He’s apparently competing for deputy director.”

Zhou Hai nodded. Good—they were both here.

Da Liu rolled up his sleeves and tilted his chin toward Zhou Hai.

“Deputy Director Zhou, give the order. Are we going to storm in and take them down directly?”