Breaking the Case at Dawn: A Criminal Investigation System Log

In June in Jiangcheng, police academy top student Lin Chen arrives at the Chengdong police station brimming with enthusiasm. On his very first day, he runs into a theft at the Xiangyangli residential complex: an elderly person living alone has lost their pension and a family heirloom jade pendant. The only evidence at the scene is a faint mark from a crowbar. There are no cameras or witnesses, and what seems like an ordinary burglary hides suspicious details.

At a critical moment, the “Criminal Investigation Master System” unexpectedly awakens. Its pale blue evidence markers help Lin Chen spot a thread-thin black suit fiber by the windowsill and half of a size 42 shoeprint with a rippled sole outside. Its witness analysis feature helps him confirm that the “plumber with a scar on his face” described by the elderly victim is no ordinary passerby. With the System’s assistance and the knowledge he gained at the police academy, Lin Chen tracks the suspect through surveillance footage from nearby shops. Working with Su Qingyue, a forensic pathologist from the city bureau, he further narrows down the search through fiber analysis, gradually unmasking the “suit thief.”