Passing the Torch (2)
Eighteen years later.
“Eventually, the young forensic doctor became a capable and independent chief forensic doctor. The teacher with the surname Duan who had introduced her to the profession also became an authority in the industry, and the master of her master, the renowned and unconventional beautiful forensic doctor, began to have white hair at her temples. Through the joint efforts of two generations, the Technical Investigation Division of the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau transformed from a small office with only a few people into an outstanding team with dozens of elite members and top-tier national DNA labs, standardized chemical labs, and video investigation labs. In today’s era of highly advanced technology and ever-evolving criminal methods, they have become a sword that cuts through the darkness.”
“Speaking of which, we must mention Director Song. During her more than twenty years in office, every homicide case in Jiangcheng City was solved, with not a single unsolved case or wrongful conviction.”
“Today is the day they are retiring.”
The newsstand owner, wearing glasses and engrossed in a thick book, was suddenly approached by several young girls, chattering excitedly.
“Boss, boss, do you have the book 《Chief Female Forensic Doctor》?”
The owner quickly put down his book and brought out a new copy from the newsstand: “Yes, yes, it just arrived yesterday, the final volume, the grand finale.”
“I want one, I want one!”
“Me too, boss, give me two copies.”
With colorful bills handed over, the owner couldn’t stop smiling as he collected the money and handed the books to them in plastic bags.
“Let’s go, let’s go, the signing is about to start, we’ll miss the seats if we’re late.”
The girls took the books, hugged them, and eagerly jumped onto the arriving bus.
In the early summer morning, the central park was full of life. Young people jogging with earphones passed by the fountain, the mist forming a seven-colored rainbow.
Elderly people practicing Tai Chi, middle-aged women dancing in the square, children running and playing, vendors selling hydrogen balloons, students practicing singing, and various ordinary people, all together creating a bustling scene.
At the stroke of eight, the square’s LED screen lit up.
“The morning news broadcast is over, thank you for listening. Next, it’s entertainment time. The popular literary work 《Chief Female Forensic Doctor》, serialized on several major domestic websites for six years, announced its conclusion last month and published its final volume. As a popular IP, 《Chief Female Forensic Doctor》 has not only been translated into multiple languages and sold overseas, but its film and television rights were also sold for millions. We believe that in the near future, Officer Song and Forensic Doctor Lin will appear before the audience in another form. Today is also the first time in six years that the author, Jie Lanzhou, will appear at a book signing event. Let’s follow our cameras to the event…”
The scene shifted to the long queue outside Xinhua Bookstore, crowded with people.
As the green light turned red, a BMW approached and slowly stopped by the roadside, a slender white hand reaching out from the window.
“Boss, give me two copies of today’s newspaper.”
“Sure.” The owner collected the money and handed over the newspapers. The woman closed the window, and he only had a glimpse of her beautiful side profile.
The light soon turned green again. Song Yuhang shifted gears and glanced at the passenger seat beside her.
Lin Yan was flipping through the newspaper. In the lower right corner of the Legal Daily, a brief news item was published: “This newspaper has learned that the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau will hold the 2030 annual police retirement and new police induction ceremony today at 2 PM at the Jiangcheng City Police Martyrs’ Cemetery.”
She folded that page and sighed softly.
Song Yuhang freed a hand to pat her on the back of her hand: “Last day of work, feeling strange?”
Lin Yan snorted at her words. Decades had flown by in the blink of an eye. Although the woman had fine lines at the corners of her eyes, she still looked well-maintained and graceful.
“Ha, what’s there to get used to? No more early mornings for work, I’ll be waking up with a smile even in my dreams.”
As she spoke, her voice lowered with a hint of regret: “It’s just that I don’t know if Song Yan and Lin Xi will…”
Early in the morning, one said they had something to do and would be back at night, the other said they were meeting classmates and wouldn’t be back.
Although they were their children, because both parents were busy with work, Song Yan and Lin Xi spent more time with their grandmother than with them, and were even closer to Ji Jingxing than to them.
This had always been a sore spot for Lin Yan, especially with Lin Xi, who had a temperament very similar to hers. She didn’t want their parent-child relationship to end up like hers with Lin Youyuan.
As they talked, the Municipal Public Security Bureau was already in sight.
Song Yuhang parked the car by the roadside, took advantage of the surroundings being empty, unbuckled her seatbelt, leaned over, and kissed her on the forehead.
“Don’t think too much. The kids are grown up, they have their own ideas and plans, let them be.”
“Hey, did you read the latest chapter of 《Forensic》? After six years, the corpse hiding case in the building was finally solved.”
“Of course, I read it. Wuwuwu, there’s a signing today, I really want to go.”
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“I heard this is the author’s first public appearance. Wonder if it’s a man or a woman, if they’re handsome. If it’s a handsome guy…” A female officer holding the book pretended to be infatuated, her eyes sparkling.
“What if it’s a beautiful woman?” a colleague teased.
“A beautiful woman? That’d be great too. Just look at our Director Song and Forensic Doctor Lin. Especially our Sister Lin, her skin, I wouldn’t believe she’s over thirty.”
A few colleagues were chatting, a lively male officer sitting on the desk.
“Hey, speaking of them, don’t you think the prototypes of the forensic doctor and the detective in this book resemble them…”
Several people exchanged glances, their eyes lighting up simultaneously. The male officer licked his lips, about to start a wild tale.
Duan Cheng walked past the door, carrying a notebook under his arm and a cup of coffee: “What are you doing, don’t gather around, tidy up, and get ready for the meeting.”
The male officer slid off the desk, stood up straight, and gave a slightly sloppy salute with a grin.
“Got it, coming right up!”
When Song Yuhang came out of the locker room after changing her clothes, Lin Yan was already approaching with her team.
The woman was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt issued to senior officers, with the disciplinary button still undone, revealing her slender collarbone and a hint of allure. The short skirt hugged her waist tightly, her legs were straight and long, and she walked with confidence in her high heels.
As they brushed past each other, Lin Yan, as usual, tossed a file folder onto her chest.
“For the last time, a pleasure working with you.”
Song Yuhang’s lips curved into a smile. As usual, she gently lifted her elbow and let her go.
“Pleasure working with you, Forensic Doctor Lin.”
That day, Lin Yan, as usual, attended a meeting, listening to her subordinates’ case reports. Her last case was concluded, and at the invitation of the new forensic doctor, she gave them her final anatomy lesson.
Facing the body donor, she, as always, placed the scalpel vertically in front of her chest and closed her eyes slightly in silent tribute.
Someone turned on the camera.
After a long time, Lin Yan still hadn’t opened her eyes.
“Teacher Lin…” someone called softly.
In that moment when she closed her eyes, Lin Yan felt a hint of reluctance and a secret pain in her heart.
Is it time to say goodbye to the autopsy table?
Lin Yan opened her eyes and looked at the eager eyes in front of her, a faint smile appearing on her lips.
But it was okay. She believed that someone would carry on this work, just as she had done back then.
“You can stand closer to observe. Don’t rush to make incisions; observing the external state of the corpse is also a crucial part of forensic science.”
“After carefully recording the body temperature, livor mortis, rigor mortis, and the degree of decomposition, observe the condition of the body’s surface. Generally, the examination requires checking from head to toe, front to back, and left to right: the condition of the scalp and hair (checking for hematomas, lumps, and bald patches); whether the pupils on both sides are dilated; whether the conjunctiva is congested (hemorrhaging); any discharge from the nasal cavity and external auditory canal; whether any teeth are missing; any bedsores on the back and sacral areas; whether the inguinal lymph nodes are enlarged; any injuries or scars on the limbs; any deformities on the body surface, all of which could be crucial clues for solving the case.”
“None of these examination steps can be skipped. In fact, in actual practice, we do even more. After you examine the external state, if there are any doubts or if the cause of death cannot be determined just by the external state, you can apply to higher authorities for an autopsy.”
“In the autopsy process, I have explained the methods countless times. Today, I will only emphasize the most important point—”
She suddenly raised her head, her gaze sharp and intense under the safety goggles, making everyone feel a jolt.
“Respect the deceased.”
“The person lying before you is not a cold, lifeless body donor, but a once-living being. Like you, they had parents, a spouse, children, siblings, friends, and they once lived with hope just like you.”
“When you first see a corpse at a crime scene, you may experience physiological discomfort, nausea, vomiting, cold hands and feet, a pale face, and sweating all over. This is normal. As you perform more autopsies, these feelings will lessen, but I hope that no matter how many scenes you attend, how many bodies you dissect, you will never, ever become numb.”
“Always remember the nervousness, fear, worry, and dread you felt when you first saw a deceased person. Remember this feeling, and then seek the truth for them.”
As Lin Yan spoke, she demonstrated swiftly. After completing the demonstration, she removed her gloves and, as usual, walked to the whiteboard and picked up a pen to write.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for her conclusion, but she wrote eight large characters:
For the rights of the living, speak for the dead.
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A student was moved: “Teacher Lin…”
“Teacher Lin, don’t go, stay with us.”
“Yes, even after retirement, you can still come back.”
“Sister Lin, we’ve been together for so long, we can’t do without you.”
Some had tears in their eyes.
She turned around, looking at the faces that were either young or mature, a smile appearing in her eyes. She gently put down the pen, turned, and waved as she walked away.
“Goodbye.”
The future of forensic science is now in your hands.
By the time she arranged her work and completed the handover with Xue Rui, it was already afternoon. A few rays of sunlight filtered through the blinds onto the desk.
Song Yuhang remained nestled in her office chair, unmoving.
Xue Rui hesitated: “Director Song—”
She seemed to snap back to reality: “Oh, I trust you with the work. In the past, when leaders from other places came to poach people, I didn’t let them take anyone because I knew I could only retire at ease if you took over.”
Xue Rui looked troubled: “It’s not really my place to say this, but the brothers below, everyone is reluctant to see you leave. You still have a few more years…”
Song Yuhang waved her hand to stop him: “I’ve made up my mind. You can go now and close the door behind you.”
Xue Rui had no choice but to salute and leave after putting on his wide-brimmed hat.
After he left, Song Yuhang watched the light spot on the desk shrink smaller and smaller, lost in thought.
Perhaps it was due to her age, but she increasingly found herself reminiscing about the past.
Those days at the police academy, the times she drank and had fun at Zhao Junfeng’s house, the early days of her career filled with struggles, and the life-and-death experiences with Lin Yan.
Time flowed slowly. The photos on her desk changed from one person to two, then to a family of four.
Those thrilling days as a detective had turned into medals in the drawer and certificates on the wall.
Song Yuhang’s gaze moved over them one by one: commendations from the Ministry of Public Security for cracking the “Fenyang Wharf Dismemberment Case,” the “Most Outstanding Police Officer” title from the Binhai Provincial Public Security Department, and banners from the public.
One banner read: “Upright and Unyielding, Law Enforcement as Steady as a Mountain; Guardian of Justice, Conscience of Society.”
The note said it was presented to Director Song Yuhang of the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau and all its officers by the family of a certain case.
Such banners came every year.
Song Yuhang carefully took it down from the wall and rolled it up, placing it into a cardboard box.
Lin Yan had actually been standing there for a while, having heard her conversation with Xue Rui. Through the gap in the door, she saw Song Yuhang bathed in sunlight, bending over to pack her things, the few strands of white hair at her temples particularly striking.
It’s truly a wondrous thing that two people who once opposed each other so fiercely, as if locked in a life-or-death struggle, have walked such a long journey together and even ending up falling in love.
Lin Yan thought this, her eyes growing hot as she pushed the door open and entered: “I think Xue Rui is right. If you don’t want to retire, you totally don’t have to…”
Only she would enter her office without knocking or reporting.
Song Yuhang straightened up and looked at her lover.
No matter how decisive and unsmiling she was outside, no matter how the name Song Yuhang was enough to strike fear into criminals, in front of her, she always revealed the softest side of the beast.
Song Yuhang put down what she was holding, a slight curve appearing at the corners of her lips, as she walked over, opened her arms, and embraced Lin Yan, resting her chin on her shoulder.
Even after so many years together, being held by her still gave Lin Yan a sense of peace and solidity.
Her occasional hugs and kisses were enough to move this woman who was getting on in years.
Lin Yan was momentarily stunned, then slowly returned the hug, burying her head in Song Yuhang’s shoulder, her voice somewhat muffled: “Yuhang…”
Song Yuhang gently patted the back of her head: “It’s okay. I just want to spend more time with you and the kids. Once summer is over, they’ll be leaving home too.”
Those little rascals hadn’t made it easy for her from childhood to adulthood.
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Lin Yan sniffed: “It’s good when they’re gone, then it’ll just be you and me at home, peaceful.”
Song Yuhang cupped her face, forehead against forehead, encircling her waist, teasing: “Then why are you crying?”
“I’m not, I’m not crying…” Lin Yan stubbornly argued, but her reddened eyes completely exposed her vulnerability. As she spoke, she choked up.
“It’s just… it’s just… the kids have grown so much, and they don’t even come to their own mother’s retirement ceremony. And it’s my birthday today too. Lin Xi and Ji Jingxing are closer to each other than to me, wuwuwu.”
Song Yuhang couldn’t help but laugh, pulling some tissues from the desk to give to her, holding her and soothing her: “Lin Xi was naughty when she was little, and we had never raised kids before. My sister-in-law helped a lot. Besides, we’re all family. What are you getting jealous about?”
Lin Yan: “I don’t care, I just feel uncomfortable, it’s killing me. Why are those little brats so disobedient? If I had known, I wouldn’t have had them back then. It’s all your fault…”
It seems that the problem of getting nostalgic and grumbling as one ages wasn’t hers alone.
Song Yuhang, at a loss whether to laugh or cry, wiped her tears while coaxing and persuading: “Alright, alright, we still have to attend the retirement ceremony later, your makeup is all messed up.”
Alarm bells immediately rang in Lin Yan’s mind, and she shot up: “Where? Is it obvious?”
Song Yuhang pulled her to the window, lifting her chin gently into the sunlight, carefully examining: “Your lip color is a bit faint, but it’s okay, I’ll fix it for you.”
“You? Where did you get lipstick…”
Before Lin Yan could finish, her eyes widened in surprise, her pupils focusing on Song Yuhang’s face coming closer and closer, until it finally covered her lips.
So that’s… how she’d fix it.