"Han Bin, you've been crouching and staring at those footprints for a while. Got something on your mind?" Li Hui chuckled.
The two had been classmates at the police academy and were long-time friends with a solid relationship.
Han Bin knew Li Hui had a sharp tongue and simply ignored him. "These footprints were likely left by the suspect."
"Oh? Let's hear your thoughts," said Zeng Ping.
"These footprints haven't been covered up, so they must be fairly recent. They lead straight to the wall. Especially right at the base of the wall—there are deep impressions from where someone probably jumped down after climbing over."
Zeng Ping nodded. "The rest of the ground is paved with bricks and stones, so landing there would help cushion the jump."
Han Bin pointed at the shoeprints and continued:
"Size 42, rubber-soled Liberation-style shoes. Zigzag tread pattern, symmetrical design, with ventilation holes in the heel."
"These shoes are durable and dirt-resistant. Many laborers wear them. It's hard to track someone down just by the shoes," Li Hui added.
"Shoeprints can tell us a lot more than that," Han Bin stood up.
"Like what?" Li Hui asked curiously.
"I'd guess the suspect is male, around forty years old, about 1.74 meters tall, and slightly hunched," Han Bin explained confidently.
"How can you know that?" Tian Li asked, puzzled.
Han Bin pointed at the prints again.
"Just from a few footprints, you can tell all that?" Li Hui was skeptical.
"Han Bin, you know how to analyze footprints?" Zeng Ping asked.
"A bit," Han Bin nodded. "There's a proportional relationship between foot length and height. If you know the length of the footprint, you can roughly estimate the person's height."
"What about the age? Can you really tell that from a footprint too?" Tian Li pressed.
"Age is trickier. It involves analyzing foot structure, stride patterns, gait characteristics—things like foot angle, step width, step length, weight distribution, pressure marks, lift-off marks, push-off marks, landing marks, drag marks, etc." Han Bin rattled it all off like it was second nature.
"Han Bin, you're throwing out so many terms my head's spinning. Can you simplify it a bit?" Li Hui was lost.
"The simplest and most common method is analyzing the pressure marks. These relate closely to gender, age, height, and posture. Younger people tend to apply pressure toward the front of the foot. As people age, the pressure point shifts backward and outward," Han Bin said, squatting again:
"Look at this footprint—the pressure shifted outward and back. The imprint is lighter in the front and heavier in the heel, especially on the outside. This usually leaves signs like dragging or scuffing. Based on my experience, I'd estimate the suspect is around forty."
"How did you know he's hunched?" Tian Li asked.
"That's about body posture. When viewed from the side, a normal spine curves slightly, and the head and neck sit straight over the shoulders. But if that curve increases, it's a hunchback. That affects walking posture and how weight is distributed on the feet," Han Bin explained.
"So how do you see that in a footprint?"
"You analyze the relationship between the virtual point-line intersection (the back point) and the centerline of the footprint. If the back point is on the centerline, the posture is normal. If it shifts inward, the person likely walks upright. If it shifts outward, the person likely has a hunchback. The farther outward, the more hunched they are," Han Bin concluded like a top student giving a lecture.
"What's a 'virtual point-line intersection' again?" Li Hui was still lost.
"Han Bin, this is way too advanced. Where did you learn all this?" Tian Li asked. She couldn't recall learning anything this deep at the academy.
Whether it was true or not, just hearing these technical terms made it sound impressive.
"I recently read some materials on footprint analysis and picked up a few things," Han Bin said casually.
Zeng Ping shook his head slightly. Footprint analysis was a highly complex skill. There weren't even proper textbooks on it yet—it required tons of observation, data, and experience. If it were that easy, he'd have mastered it already.
Even within their entire provincial department, there were probably only a few who really understood it.
"You're just a rookie and say you've 'picked up a few things' from some reading? Come on."
"Captain Zeng, Han Bin's just a kid. Don't take him too seriously," Li Hui chimed in with a laugh, half-jokingly defending him.
Providing false or misleading information in an investigation could lead to consequences.
"For now, Han Bin's analysis—suspect's height, age, and posture—won't be treated as formal leads, but we'll keep it as a reference. If we find someone fitting the description, we'll question them," Zeng Ping said.
Ahem. Han Bin cleared his throat. This was his first time using the future police badge's skill, and even he wasn't sure it was legit.
Just then, a middle-aged man came rushing over. "Captain Zeng, I'm Wu Mingyong, the director of Qindao Brewery."
"Mr. Wu, I was just about to ask you a few questions."
Wu handed over a cigarette. "Whatever you need."
"No smoking—we don't want to contaminate the scene."
"Right, of course."
"Mr. Wu, how much was stolen exactly?" Zeng Ping asked.
"A check for 800,000 yuan, and over 300,000 yuan in cash."
"How many employees are at your factory?"
"A bit over 200." Wu paused, confused. "Why do you ask?"
"Our current leads suggest the suspect is very familiar with the brewery layout. We suspect it could be a current or former employee," Zeng Ping explained.
"Does your factory have a high turnover rate?" Han Bin followed up.
"Quite a bit. This year alone we've had a dozen or so temp workers leave."
"With over 200 current staff and more who left, this is going to be tough to investigate," Tian Li sighed.
Zeng Ping frowned. If this dragged on, the suspect might get rid of the stolen money, tools, and shoes—making it impossible to connect the evidence and build a case.
"Mr. Wu, do you have any employees with a hunchback?" Han Bin asked, hopeful.
Wu answered without hesitation: "Yes."
"You remember that clearly?"
"I do. Just last week, a male employee with a noticeable hunch quit."
"How old is he?"
"Looks like he's in his early 40s."
"How tall?"
"About the same as me—around 1.74 meters." Wu gestured.
Everything fell silent.
Male, hunchbacked, around 40 years old, 1.74 meters tall—exactly the profile Han Bin had deduced from the footprints.
Zeng Ping, Tian Li, and Li Hui were stunned.
This was incredible.
"Captain Zeng, I recommend putting this man at the top of our list," Han Bin said confidently.
"Agreed," Zeng Ping nodded. "Mr. Wu, do you remember his name and address?"
"Uh… not really. I'll have to check with HR."
"I need all his records—the more detailed, the better."
"I'll get right on it." Wu hurried off.
"Nice work, Han Bin. Once we catch the suspect, you'll get the first merit," Zeng Ping clapped him on the shoulder.
"This was a team effort," Han Bin replied with a smile.
"You're something else, man. Deducing a suspect's build just from footprints? Who needs surveillance cameras when we've got you?" Li Hui joked.
He was still confused though—how had Han Bin gotten so good in such a short time?
Han Bin himself was feeling excited. The knowledge from the future police badge was real. He'd just hit the jackpot.
[Ding!]
[First time using the Footprint Analysis Skill during a case. Skill Proficiency +1. Merit Points +2.]
"Merit points? What are those?" Han Bin was puzzled.
[Merit Points can be used to unlock new skills!]
(End of Chapter)