Medical Examiner Dr. Qin Episode 4 Recap
> Medical Examiner Dr. Qin Recap
Lin Tao pursued Hei Ba, eventually discovering him hiding in a dilapidated chimney. After Lin Tao threatened to light a fire with gasoline, Hei Ba reluctantly surrendered. Meanwhile, Da Bao and Qin Ming had been up all night. Da Bao, feeling hungry, bought two pancakes, but Qin Ming refused, stating he didn't consume such items. He remained engrossed in his microscope, observing that the anesthetic levels were unusual.
He explained that since the body had been in the lake for so long, the anesthetics would have diluted. If the current concentration was still within a normal range, it indicated that a large initial dose, at least 500 micrograms per kilogram of Etomidoline and Fentanyl, must have been administered. Da Bao found this puzzling, noting that such a high dose would complicate an organ transplant unless the killer intended revenge rather than organ harvesting.
Qin Ming countered that the body showed no signs of abuse, making revenge unlikely. He suggested that the increased dosage was likely to minimize the victim's suffering, implying a very close relationship between the victim and the perpetrator. In the interrogation room, Lin Tao questioned Hei Ba about Guo Liqiang’s missing finger. Hei Ba claimed Guo Liqiang had chopped it off himself as a pledge to quit gambling, presenting it to Hei Ba as a form of payment.
He also asserted that numerous witnesses could corroborate his story. Lin Tao pressed him, asking how he could let Guo Liqiang off the hook, given his substantial debt. Hei Ba explained that Guo Lifu, Guo Liqiang's wealthy and influential older brother, made Guo Liqiang untouchable, stating he was afraid to defy such a powerful figure. Da Bao and Qin Ming then focused on Guo Lifu. Records showed Guo Lifu had a history of congenital heart disease, requiring multiple hospitalizations.
However, there were no recent hospital entries for him. Videos from three months prior showed Guo Lifu looking frail and using a crutch, but recent footage showed a significant improvement in his health. Qin Ming pointed out that while climbing a step, Guo Lifu failed to put weight on his crutch at the moment it was most needed, suggesting he was faking his limp.
He further deduced that the key difference between the two videos was Guo Lifu's heart, implying a heart transplant. Since heart transplant surgeries must be completed within six hours, Qin Ming concluded that Guo Lifu must have undergone the surgery around the time of Guo Liqiang's death. He instructed Lin Tao to apprehend Guo Lifu while he prepared the necessary evidence. Lin Tao found Guo Lifu at his mother’s hospital bedside, feeding her soup.
Upon seeing Lin Tao, Guo Lifu, realizing his secret was out, hastily told his mother that Lin Tao was a business partner and they had an urgent business trip, preventing him from visiting for a while. His mother, unsuspecting, simply advised him to wear warm clothes. As Guo Lifu left with Lin Tao, he cast a reluctant glance back at his mother.
Forensic analysis of Guo Lifu's blood revealed two distinct DNA profiles: his own and his younger brother's, confirming he had undergone a heart transplant using Guo Liqiang’s heart. In the interrogation room, Guo Lifu spoke of his extensive charity work, building elementary schools and contributing to public welfare, and how he had supported his brother financially. He lamented his own struggle to survive despite having saved so many lives.
Lin Tao confronted him, questioning his right to decide another person's fate. Guo Lifu argued that if he died, his "unfilial son" (Guo Liqiang) would only cause their mother distress, potentially sending her to the hospital. Lin Tao then asked if he dared to tell his mother what he had done, reminding him that she had lost two sons at once. Guo Lifu fell silent.
Qin Ming entered the room, asking if Guo Lifu had his own private doctor, given his long absence from hospitals. Guo Lifu admitted he knew that a blood transfusion at a hospital would expose his heart transplant. Qin Ming then revealed that Guo Liqiang had chopped off his own finger in front of his creditors to commit to quitting gambling. This detail visibly affected Guo Lifu, who pleaded with Qin Ming not to tell his mother.
Later, Qin Ming, Da Bao, and Lin Tao met for dinner. Da Bao excitedly praised the food and asked Qin Ming how he discovered the restaurant. Qin Ming, focused on eating, remained silent. Da Bao expressed her frustration, noting that while she understood Qin Ming’s quiet nature, it was awkward when he invited her to eat and still said nothing. Qin Ming explained that silence during meals, besides being an old custom, also showed respect for the digestive system.
Lin Tao arrived, remarking to Da Bao that Qin Ming bringing her to this particular restaurant meant he considered her "one of them." Da Bao, joking, said he probably just wanted her to pay the bill and expressed relief that Lin Tao was there to talk to. Lin Tao chuckled, observing that "Lao Qin's perverseness" must have been tormenting her. Da Bao, in turn, quipped that she just treated him like a "Buddha statue to be worshipped."
Lin Tao then shared a new detail about the case: Guo Lifu chose to dispose of Guo Liqiang's body by the lake because it held special childhood memories for the brothers. He recounted a time when they were fishing, and Guo Liqiang, as a child, promised to earn a lot of money to cure his older brother's illness. The lake, Lin Tao concluded, represented their most cherished memories.
Late that night, a drunk man stumbled into a cemetery, where he discovered a woman kneeling, her hair covering her face, tied to a tombstone. When he lifted her hair, he saw her eyes staring directly, glowing eerily, causing him to flee in terror, convinced she was a ghost. The police arrived at the scene. Qin Ming and Da Bao approached the body, noting that rigor mortis had already set in. Lin Tao discovered a small, distinct shoe print nearby.
Based on its pattern and the impression that was deeper at the front and shallower at the back, he concluded it belonged to a man wearing hidden heels, indicating insecurity about his height. Qin Ming examined the female victim, Qi Jingjing, and discovered a missing molar tooth—the third such instance in as many months. He confirmed the tooth was removed post-mortem, strongly suggesting a serial murder case.
Back in the autopsy room, the medical examiner determined the time of death to be around 3 AM, over 17 hours prior, with livor mortis covering the entire body. Qi Jingjing’s clothes were intact, though slightly disheveled. Slight bleeding and skin abrasions at the binding points indicated she was tied while still alive. There were no signs of a heavy blow to her head or any struggle, which was puzzling.
Da Bao questioned if she might have been drugged, and Qin Ming confirmed blood samples were being tested. Her hymen was intact, ruling out sexual assault, and her valuables were present, eliminating robbery. Qin Ming noted a deep ligature mark on her neck, which had become leathery due to sun exposure. Her eyes were covered with blood clots, her heart blood was unclotted, and her toenails were blue, all indicating mechanical asphyxiation.
He ruled out sexual asphyxia due to the immense force used. Da Bao added that the minimal resistance suggested her limbs were bound before strangulation. Analyzing her small intestine contents, Qin Ming determined Qi Jingjing had not eaten dinner. Her last meal, consisting of seafood and tomatoes, was between 1 and 2 PM the previous day, likely consumed with the murderer. Da Bao, humorously, pointed out she wasn't a police dog when asked to smell for clues.
Qin Ming highlighted the most significant detail: her right hand bore heavy shoe marks. The team visited Qi Jingjing's apartment. She was a 26-year-old sales promoter for an interior design company, known for her wide social circle and average income, yet she spent lavishly. Lin Tao observed her expensive cosmetics, remarking that a woman like her probably focused more on men than work. Da Bao opened her wardrobe to find a collection of sexy lingerie.
Lin Tao commented that she was a "flirtatious virgin." Da Bao retorted, asking if wearing sexy lingerie made one flirtatious, then questioned if Qin Ming, who always wore suits, was also "flirtatious." Lin Tao agreed that Qin Ming was "a little bit," just as Qin Ming appeared at the doorway. Da Bao then discovered a meticulously wrapped, empty ring box inscribed with "Forever Love" in the wardrobe. The ring on Qi Jingjing's finger had been repeatedly stomped on.
While the ring itself was crudely made, the skin underneath it was significantly lighter than the surrounding area, indicating long-term wear. These details suggested a crime of passion. Qin Ming's analysis of the shoe print indicated the perpetrator was about 1. 7 meters tall. Furthermore, the autopsy showed no signs of poisoning or sedative use, meaning Qi Jingjing was brought to the scene, likely by an acquaintance. Police records showed Qi Jingjing's last phone call was to Cao Zhe.
Lin Tao was assigned to investigate Cao Zhe, while Qin Ming and Da Bao focused on the ring. Qin Ming was visibly surprised by Da Bao's mini Jeep, begrudgingly getting in due to traffic. Da Bao explained it was a gift for her father, who found it "ugly," so she used it to avoid waste. Qin Ming drily remarked that her father had better taste. There were three custom ring shops in Longfan City.
One had closed, and another specialized in high-end designs. Qin Ming and Da Bao visited the remaining shop. Upon entering, they were mistaken for customers making rings. Qin Ming quickly identified himself as a police officer, and Da Bao showed the owner a photo of Qi Jingjing. The owner remembered the girl and her boyfriend, who wore glasses, though she couldn't recall specific facial features.
She explained that couples could engrave names for free, but this couple had argued in the shop because Qi Jingjing wanted to engrave the ring, but her boyfriend refused, even breaking a mirror in the process. Meanwhile, Lin Tao's investigation revealed that Cao Zhe was Qi Jingjing's college classmate, standing 1. 7 meters tall. He had ordered scrambled eggs with tomatoes and a braised seafood pot when he met Qi Jingjing, matching the food found in the victim's stomach.
This suggested Qi Jingjing might have gone missing after dining with Cao Zhe. However, CCTV footage from Cao Zhe’s residential complex showed him returning home after dinner and not leaving again. Further investigation of Qi Jingjing's phone records identified her mysterious boyfriend as Sun Kai, an IT elite who was 1. 83 meters tall and came from a wealthy family. Sun Kai was subsequently found dead in his home.
The air conditioning was inexplicably on, despite it not being the season for it. A ring box identical to Qi Jingjing's was also discovered. The police learned that Sun Kai and Qi Jingjing had lived together for a period, then broke up, but their contact had become frequent again in the past month. Lin Tao added that many of Qi Jingjing's fingerprints were found throughout Sun Kai's apartment.
