Novice Forensic Doctor

Chapter 109: Chapter 108: Reporting for Duty [Third Update]_1

April 29, 2011

Zhou Ning had just arrived at the office and had not yet closed the door when his phone rang, displaying Xu Dayuan’s number. Zhou Ning hurriedly answered, knowing that an early morning call likely meant trouble.

"Xu Da!"

"Are you at the office?"

"Yeah, I’ve just gotten in. Is there a case?"

"Spit it out, can’t you speak properly? Who said that me calling you means there’s a case? What kind of logic is that? Mr. Zhao’s transfer order is with you, isn’t it?"

"I received it yesterday."

"Come over here. The new forensic doctor, Zhang Haohao, who’s been transferred from our sub-bureau, is here. Take him over to hand over the work."

Zhou Ning relaxed, having long known about the transfer, but anxious because the person taking over had not shown up yet.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Ning turned to leave, only to find Zhao Xinli slipping in first, holding a folded piece of paper similar in size to the one given by Mr. Zhao the day before.

"Just got here and you’re about to leave. Guess what this is?"

"Xu Da called me. The new forensic doctor has arrived; I’m going to receive him and then hand over the work. Stop messing around."

Zhao Xinli hissed and closed the door, blocking it with the paper, a clear indication that he wouldn’t budge until Zhou Ning guessed what it was.

Zhou Ning shook his head; no one could stop Zhao Xinli when he was in a playful mood. The guy wasn’t stupid either, as reflected by his passing the exam. Now, he was in a hurry to reveal what he had before welcoming the new forensic doctor, even though Zhou Ning had already guessed, knowing the guy had connections at home.

"Transfer order!"

Mr. Zhao’s eyes bulged in shock, frozen in place. He glanced between the transfer order in his hands and Zhou Ning.

"Are you too smart or did you already know about this?"

"I had no idea. Move aside; I have to go receive someone."

Mr. Zhao opened the door, and Zhou Ning quickly stepped out and knocked on Xu Dayuan’s office door. A voice from inside said to enter, and as the door opened, a short-haired man in his thirties was already standing and looking at Zhou Ning.

"Hello, my name is Zhang Haohao, transferred from Rizhao. I’m pleased to meet you. I heard that the red dress serial murder case was handled by you guys. That’s impressive."

This over-the-top conversation took Zhou Ning aback, and he shook hands politely, gesturing towards the door.

"It was just luck. Let’s go, I’ll take you to the forensic office, and we can hand over the work."

Zhang Haohao nodded at Xu Dayuan and followed Zhou Ning to the forensic office, where he was given a handover list.

"These are all the various pieces of equipment that need to be transferred. The equipment in the adjacent room belongs to Qindao University’s laboratory research post and not our forensic office. As for the autopsy room, we’ve always borrowed from Hospital Eight. For cases, Mr. He and Liu Yong will take you there.

You can only perform autopsies and X-rays there. Ordinary blood tests can be done at Hospital Eight for analysis, but other tests will need to be sent to city bureau for examination. There’s nothing else particularly to explain. There aren’t many backlog cases, just a couple from over twenty years ago without much solid evidence remaining. Is there anything else I need to explain?"

Zhang Haohao seemed serious, checking the list and asking a few questions about work procedures, to which Zhou Ning promptly answered. After all, it’s their duty to assist with their own work attitude.

"Okay, then I don’t have any other questions. Can you follow me for a few days?"

Before Zhou Ning could reply, Mr. Zhao came over.

"The holiday starts tomorrow. Doctor Zhou will report for duty on May 4th."

Zhang Haohao was taken aback.

"I thought that conditions would be better in a district under Qindao. I didn’t expect the hardware would still be beyond my expectations. And from the next working day, I will be the only one running the whole show, doing all kinds of work?"

Zhou Ning smiled, remembering his own similar reaction when he first came, though he dared not voice it.

"When I first arrived, my mentor was injured in a car accident, and I had to run the whole show by myself. But the team is good, and if you need anything, just ask. Liu Yong is quite clever and can help. However, getting additional staff for fingerprint analysis might not happen soon.

As for the hardware, don’t worry. In another month, the sub-bureau will move into a new office building with a dedicated forensic autopsy room and laboratory. The equipment will definitely be first-rate."

Zhang Haohao sighed in relief, having seen the worst. Knowing this seemed to ease his mind a bit.

Mr. Zhao approached with a curious expression.

"Doctor Zhang, seeing your age, you’re not a recent graduate. What made you think of coming to Qidong Sub-bureau?"

Doctor Zhang smiled handsomely.

"My wife was transferred to work at Qidong District’s Education Bureau. We couldn’t possibly live apart, so naturally, I followed her here."

"Military spouse, eh?"

Doctor Zhang nodded.

"My wife is too pretty; I don’t feel at ease leaving her here alone, so she’s coming with me. I actually would like to work in the city, but my abilities are average at best—I’d rather not embarrass myself."

Mr. Zhao curled his lip.

"Just as we’re about to leave Qidong, we get fed a mouthful of dog food. Not only do you have a wife, but you also have a beautiful one. How are us singles supposed to feel?"

Zhang Haohao waved his hand dismissively.

"We’re different; we’ve been childhood sweethearts and set our hearts on each other since high school. We stuck together despite the pressure. The only issue we haven’t resolved is the housing; the prices here are not just a little higher than in Rizhao."

Zhang Haohao was a chatterbox. He could strike up a conversation about anything and everything, effectively easing a lot of the awkwardness. Mr. Zhao drove him to the dissection room for a visit, and by the end of the day, he had become quite familiar with the team members, especially He Chunyang.

Seeing Zhang Haohao like this made Zhou Ning somewhat anxious. After all, he had to report to the city police department himself, and he knew he couldn’t learn that kind of sociability. He wondered what his own experience would be like when the time came.

However, his grandfather and second uncle were extremely happy about the transfer. For them, it was a totally different scenario, as if transforming from puppet troops into regular forces.

... fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

May 4, 2011

Early in the morning, Zhao Xinli drove Zhou Ning to the city bureau.

The meeting was attended by Liu Yongxin. It was Zhou Ning’s first visit there. Their department was called the Technical Division of the Criminal Police Brigade. This Technical Division occupied the northernmost building of the city bureau’s annex, connected to the main building by a corridor bridge and had a separate yard and side door.

Clearly, this setup was for the convenience of transporting bodies. On the first floor to the west were a row of dissection rooms, to the east was a conversation room, and there was also a cold storage facility. The second floor housed the inspection center, with rooms for trace evidence, pathology, laboratory tests, and toxicology analysis, among others. Half of the third floor was the technical center, and the other half housed various department offices. The fourth floor contained the teaching and research room, meeting room, and the office of the head of the Technical Division.

The hardware conditions were impeccable, all brand new. Zhou Ning hung up the phone and patiently waited with Zhao Xinli. Soon, footsteps were heard from the staircase.

"Doctor Zhou, welcome!"

Zhou Ning turned around and saw a balding little old man approaching, extending his hands toward him.

Describing him as balding wasn’t quite accurate; on the left side of his head, about a dozen remaining strands of hair were stubbornly crossing the smooth dome to the right side.

Mr. Pang’s face was full of deep smile lines, a sincere smile not just a matter of courtesy. The warmth and strength from his handshake strongly conveyed his happiness.

"Hello Mr. Pang, you can call me Zhou Ning or Little Zhou. I’ll be one of your soldiers from now on. If there are any mistakes or omissions in my work, I’ll need your guidance and correction."

"Hello Mr. Pang, I am the trace examiner, Zhao Xinli."

Mr. Pang’s already cheerful expression brightened with a touch of relief as the reply was entirely appropriate. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

After all, with a high caseload and not many staff members, everyone in the forensic department was complaining. As an acting director, having new members on the team who were this easy to talk to was absolutely a boost for his work, Mr. Pang clearly realized that.

"What are you talking about? Once you’re here, we’re all family. Just give me your transfer orders, and I’ll have someone process it for you. Will you be living in the city or commuting daily from Qidong?"

This question caught Zhou Ning by surprise; it seemed as if there might be arrangements for accommodation. If there was a place to stay, it would indeed be convenient, especially during busy times, but he swallowed that thought.

"We live in Qidong District; commuting back and forth won’t be an issue."

Mr. Pang waved his hand with an aunty’s smile and pulled out two ID cards with magnetic strips from his pocket, handing them to Zhou Ning and Zhao Xinli.

"Don’t mention it. These are your work IDs. You’ll need to swipe them to enter the dissection room, laboratory, evidence room, and even the canteen. It’s inconvenient without them. I’ll have someone arrange a dormitory for you later, over on the west side of the city bureau. The conditions are basic."

Zhou Ning replied with a smile while shaking his head.

"As long as there’s a place to rest, we’re not picky."

Mr. Pang was even more delighted by Zhou Ning’s good nature. Indeed, there were many rumors, especially around the resolution of the Red Clothing serial murder case and the departure of Cui Haibin. It was impossible not to link their departure with the young man before him. Whether he had high-level connections was another matter, but his capabilities definitely deserved recognition.

After showing Zhou Ning around and introducing him to the team members from various sections—though they were all rather busy—Mr. Pang also went over the work arrangements, and the three of them exchanged phone numbers.

"There are five forensic doctors in the forensic room. We handle cases in groups based on our expertise. My team handles traffic cases. Team two used to be led by Mr. Cui, handling criminal cases; but now that he’s gone, the only member left is an intern, Mr. Sun. I hope you’ll join Mr. Zhao and take over team two.

Cao Xuanming from team three and I both specialize in traffic cases. Teams four and five, led by Zhu Zuozhang and Feng Zhijian respectively, handle criminal cases. Recently, traffic cases have had the heaviest workload, so they’ve also been helping me out. Your team two’s office is in room 302."

Zhou Ning understood. He was coming over to take over team two with Zhao Xinli, which was responsible for criminal cases. He didn’t mind that, especially since he had limited experience with traffic cases, something he didn’t deal with much while in Qidong.

"I guess I’ll head to team two then. Mr. Pang, is there any work that needs to be handed over on your side?"

Zhou Ning politely inquired, as he had already done a handover with Zhang Haohao. However, since Cui Haibin had left abruptly, there wasn’t a formal handover, and he wasn’t sure whether there were any unfinished cases left behind.

Mr. Pang laughed, with a hint of embarrassment.

"Actually, there is a case. But Mr. Cui left in a hurry, and he only gave me a brief rundown. As criminal cases aren’t my strength, the situation has been stagnant. The detective team hasn’t been pushing for it, so..."

Zhou Ning was somewhat speechless, but he quickly asked:

"What case?"