Chapter 833: Chapter 440: Breakthrough Progress at This Stage
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yean didn’t respond immediately but instead frowned slightly, sinking into brief contemplation.
A few seconds later, she looked up at Jiang An, "Mr. Jiang, are you suggesting...this female victim is very likely to be a sex worker?"
Jiang An nodded, appearing serious: "Based on the clues we currently have, I believe this possibility is indeed very high."
He then reached out and pushed a few photos on the table forward, pointing gently at one.
"Sister, look, although the body was already highly skeletalized when discovered, with most surface tissue gone, careful observation still reveals some characteristics different from typical unidentified bodies."
He paused slightly, moving one of the hand close-up photos in front of Zhang Yean: "Look at her fingernails, not only are they trimmed neatly, but they also have intricate nail art — even though the flesh has decayed, the remaining paint and decorations on the nails are still visible."
"Simply trimming nails might not mean much, but such detailed nail art, coupled with her trendy outfit — although the fabric seems cheap, the style is distinct — these details together align with the outer characteristics of women working in certain places."
Although Zhang Yean’s experience in criminal investigation isn’t as extensive as Jiang An’s, she has been involved in scene investigations for many years.
As she listened to Jiang An’s analysis, she leaned closer to examine the photos carefully, her gaze shifting between the victim’s remaining clothing, hair, and nails.
A moment later, she nodded gently, her tone becoming more affirmative: "What you’ve said makes a lot of sense."
"From a woman’s perspective, these details indeed speak volumes."
"Look at her hair, not only dyed but highlighted in yellow and green, with a rather exaggerated style, even reminiscent of the past ’shamate’ look."
"Such a hairstyle is generally not something ordinary women would attempt. Considering her clothing style and nail art, I think the direction of your speculation is likely accurate."
Zhang Yean immediately inquired further: "Mr. Jiang, has Wan and his team already started a thorough investigation at Li Shan’s workplace as planned?"
"If we follow your analysis, could Li Shan and the victim from the case five years ago share some common traits that we have yet to fully grasp?"
Jiang An looked at Zhang Yean with approval and steadily replied: "Judging from the current clues, these common traits are indeed becoming more apparent."
"The most direct point is, both have highly similar occupational natures."
"Think about it, a skeletal case occurred five years ago, and a similarly executed case emerges five years later, attributing this to coincidence is challenging."
"I suspect there may be an undiscovered link between these two cases."
Moments later, he stood up and approached the whiteboard, drawing a connecting line between the two cases.
"This is precisely why I’ve been insisting on investigating these two cases together."
"Now, I’ve arranged for colleagues in the field team to focus on investigating the red-light district area where Li Shan once worked."
"If we can confirm that both victims worked in similar industry venues, it would be a major breakthrough for our ongoing investigation."
At 9 PM, Jiang An’s phone rang.
Though Wan’s voice was deliberately lowered, his excitement was unmistakable.
"Mr. Jiang, we’ve made significant progress in our investigation this time!"
"After thorough verification from various sources, we have essentially mapped out Li Shan’s recent employment trajectory."
"She initially worked at a salon called Liangyuan, but for a relatively short time before moving to Jinsheng Foot Massage Shop, where she worked for nearly a year."
"Is the information reliable?"
Jiang An immediately inquired, unconsciously leaning forward.
"Totally reliable!"
Wan nodded affirmatively, "We’ve verified it repeatedly."
"Jinsheng Foot Massage Shop currently has five employees, and through individual questioning, they all confirmed that Li Shan indeed worked there."
"The most crucial point is, they all mentioned that Li Shan suddenly disappeared half a year ago, and this has been corroborated by many."
Jiang An frowned slightly: "Did the people at the shop have any particular impressions of Li Shan?"
Wan flipped open a notebook and reported methodically: "According to the shop’s staff, Li Shan was relatively young, not very talkative, but worked rather diligently."
"Regarding her sudden disappearance, everyone at the shop found it quite surprising, but given the nature of this industry, it wasn’t taken to heart."
"They didn’t report it to the police at the time?"
Jiang An asked.
Wan sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness.
"Indeed, they didn’t."
"From what we’ve understood, this industry is characterized by high employee turnover, with practitioners coming and going as a norm."
"Unlike formal employers, the bosses and employees in these places mostly don’t sign official labor contracts, with income mainly relying on commissions, settled on a per-task basis."
"So, situations where employees leave suddenly have become commonplace for the bosses and colleagues."
"Some staff mentioned that similar cases had occurred before, so although they found it sudden, they didn’t pay special attention, let alone think about reporting it."
Upon hearing this, Jiang An nodded thoughtfully, "This information is vital, as it confirms our speculation about the similar professional backgrounds of the two victims and explains why Li Shan’s disappearance went unnoticed for six months."
"It seems we’re on the right path with our investigation direction."
