"Forensic pathologist Sang, in the 2009 case, the conviction was based on an appraisal report signed by your teacher."
"I've read it. The data checks out."
"Page twelve, calcium content. It's forty percent higher than the other samples from the same batch."
"...That note is in my teacher's handwriting. 'Sample 12 has abnormal data. Recommend retesting.'"
"But the abnormality was removed from the report."
"Qi Lin collected the sample. Deputy Director Yong Tingchuan recommended him for the job. The 2015 review upheld the original verdict. Six months after the review, Yong Tingchuan retired."
"Sang Zhi, are you going to investigate your teacher?"
"I trust the data. Data doesn't lie."
"You're doing the right thing," Chu Shen said, setting a key on the table, "but I can't be happy for you."
This is a story about a forensic pathologist using data to speak for the dead, and about two women making their choices in the face of the truth.
Theme: The core principle of forensic appraisal is that an appraiser answers only to the facts. When data is tampered with, it affects not only the outcome of one case but the credibility of the entire appraisal system. This story asks what someone should do upon discovering that their mentor, colleagues, or even the entire system has made mistakes. Is the cost of correcting those mistakes worth paying? And when confronted with the truth, everyone has to make a choice.
