dhibooks Chapter 440 The Cause of Evelyn's Death
Chapter 440 The Cause of Evelyn's Death
Chapter 440 The Cause of Evelyn's Death
It was already past midnight, and a bright moon cast a cool and sacred halo over this deep pool that had once swallowed life.
Evelyn's body was carefully transported ashore and immediately transferred to a temporary forensic tent that had already been set up.
The tent was brightly lit, with a solemn and respectful atmosphere, and the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant.
The Chinese team was already prepared, with Director Chen from the Foreign Affairs Office accompanying several top domestic forensic experts who had rushed from Nanning overnight.
On the other side were two equally serious Western faces.
One of them was a consular official from the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou who drove overnight from Guangzhou as quickly as possible after receiving the news.
He represented the highest level of concern from the U.S. government. The other was lawyer Arthur, who arrived from New York on the fastest flight; his suit even showed slight wrinkles from the journey.
Arthur's presence represents the highest will of the Rockefeller Estate Trust. He will act as the trustee's representative, witnessing and overseeing this crucial handover process.
Under everyone's gaze, Lin Yu'an stepped forward and personally unzipped the orange body bag.
"hiss""
The zipper broke the silence, and the air inside the tent instantly froze. Everyone instinctively leaned forward.
Evelyn Rockefeller was still completely encased in her professional drysuit. The black wetsuit appeared slightly bulging due to the slight expansion of the putrid gases inside.
But it was this loyal "armor" that continued to protect her even after its owner's death, shielding her from all possible carrion-eating creatures in the water.
She was covered in a variety of complex equipment—a sophisticated JJ-CCR closed-circuit respirator on her chest and a spare air cylinder at her waist.
The underwater computer on my wrist, its screen now off—it all seemed like a time capsule sealed in the abyss for three years, silently recording that silent disaster.
The chief forensic expert put on sterile gloves, stepped forward, and his gaze fell on Evelyn's head.
She was still wearing the neoprene hood that came with her dry clothes, which tightly wrapped around her head and neck, and the strap of her diving mask was still firmly fixed to the back of her head.
"Let me do it." Lin Yu'an stepped forward. As the person who knew these equipment best, he knew how to remove them.
With the consent of the forensic doctor and the U.S. consul, Lin Yu-an and Rui-wen began this solemn armor removal ceremony together.
They carefully untied the strap of the mask and gently removed the "window" that had been with Evelyn for three years.
Then, with extremely gentle movements, he carefully and patiently rolled up the dry-clothes hood that was clinging to his scalp, starting from the chin—
When the hood was finally completely removed, and Evelyn's face was fully exposed to the air for the first time, everyone present couldn't help but gasp.
It was a face that looked like an ancient Greek wax figure, as if it had been asleep for a thousand years.
Her facial features were intact, even her eyebrows were clearly visible, but her lips were slightly parted due to the pressure of the deep water, and her expression was forever frozen in the last moment of her life.
But her skin was no longer a vibrant color; instead, it had taken on a lifeless, peculiar hue, somewhere between grayish-white and pale yellow.
That wasn't skin, but a layer of waxy substance that appeared somewhat slippery when soaked in water, yet had an unusually tough and dense texture—corpse amber.
"My God—" The American consul subconsciously took off his glasses and wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.
The forensic doctor, in a tone full of awe, explained in a low voice to the crowd who were equally shocked by the scene before them: "This is the saponification phenomenon. In the extremely cold, oxygen-deficient, and high-pressure environment at the bottom of the Nine-Ton Skylight, time seems to have been slowed down."
"The conventional putrefaction process is completely suppressed, and the body's adipose tissue undergoes a special chemical change, eventually forming this waxy substance that can preserve the body's shape for a long time."
"So she didn't decay, but was transformed by nature into an eternal monument in this way."
The officer in charge, who was standing to the side and dressed in a police uniform, stepped forward, whispered a few words to the chief forensic doctor, and showed him a document.
The forensic doctor said solemnly, "Gentlemen, although the body is well preserved, according to the regulations for handling criminal cases..."
"For any unnatural deaths discovered within the territory, especially those with unclear causes of death and involving foreign nationals, the relevant departments must intervene in accordance with the law."
"We need to conduct a systematic forensic autopsy and comprehensive toxicological tests to thoroughly rule out the possibility of homicide, poisoning, or deliberate sabotage of equipment with conclusive evidence."
The forensic doctor's voice echoed in the quiet tent: "Until criminal suspicion is completely ruled out and a death certificate is issued, this body is currently considered key evidence in the case from a legal perspective."
As soon as he finished speaking, the American consular official stepped forward and said in fluent Chinese, "We fully understand and respect China's legal procedures. However, we have also brought special legal documents from the deceased's family, which we hope you will consider."
Upon hearing this, lawyer Arthur immediately opened his briefcase and took out a document with the highest legal force, witnessed by several top international law firms.
"Gentlemen," Arthur's voice was steady and powerful, "according to the Special Instructions for the Handling of the Remains signed by Mr. Hunter Rockefeller before his death and notarized in multiple countries."
"It is explicitly stated that once Miss Evelyn Rockefeller's remains are found, any invasive forensic autopsy that could compromise their integrity is prohibited."
"Mr. Hunter's only wish was for his daughter to return to the land she loved in her most complete form and be buried in the family cemetery."
"As for identity verification," Arthur added, "it can be done through the dive computer serial number, the CCR regulator, and her custom-made wetsuit."
"We have detailed records of the serial numbers of all devices, which can be verified with the manufacturers."
The scene instantly fell into a delicate stalemate. On one side was China's legal sovereignty and procedural justice, and on the other side were the legitimate wishes of the deceased's family and the diplomatic requests from the United States.
The air seemed to freeze, and everyone's eyes were focused on Director Chen.
Director Chen frowned deeply. He knew that if this matter wasn't handled properly, it could easily escalate from a humanitarian aid operation into a minor diplomatic dispute.
The police's core demand is to conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death and rule out homicide. The family's core demand, however, is to preserve the body intact.
Just then, Lin Yu'an, who had been silent all along, spoke up.
"Director Chen, as the executor of this commission, while respecting Chinese law, I also have an obligation to fulfill Mr. Hunter's last wishes."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and offered a constructive solution: "I suggest we conduct a non-invasive joint investigation. We can have all of Miss Evelyn's equipment handed over to Chinese and American experts for joint data analysis and equipment inspection."
"Based on this, I believe the information in the black box is sufficient to draw a rigorous scientific conclusion regarding the cause of the accident."
"As for identity verification, non-invasive dental X-ray comparison can be used. Miss Evelyn has complete dental records, which is a legally valid method of identity verification internationally."
This solution upholds the right to seek the truth while preserving the integrity of the remains to the greatest extent possible. It respects the family's wishes and is a solution acceptable to both sides.
Director Chen discussed the matter in hushed tones for a few minutes, exchanged views with the head of the Diving Sports Management Center, and finally nodded in agreement.
"Okay." Director Chen made the final decision, a hint of approval on his face. "This plan is very professional and thoughtful."
"However, the inspection must be conducted under our supervision and result in a joint investigation report signed by all three parties."
"The body cannot leave our sight until the report is officially issued."
"We completely agree." Arthur and the US consul expressed their opinions simultaneously, thus resolving a potential diplomatic impasse. "In that case, we must immediately carry out professional preservation of the remains." Seeing that a consensus had been reached, the chief forensic expert immediately resumed his work. He said in a deep voice, "The state of adipocere is very unstable. Once exposed to an aerobic and normal temperature environment for a long time, the decomposition process will immediately restart and accelerate."
"We must create an artificial hibernation pod for her, similar to a deep-sea environment, in the shortest possible time."
Under the guidance of the forensic expert, the staff at the scene acted swiftly.
Instead of transferring Evelyn's body to the morgue, they placed it, along with the sterile drape beneath her, into a cryogenic hibernation chamber that had been waiting for them for international transport of remains.
This silver metal capsule, resembling a prop from a science fiction movie, can be filled with inert gas to isolate it from oxygen.
The temperature is precisely controlled at 2 degrees Celsius, close to the freezing point, to slow down all chemical changes to the greatest extent possible.
Then, the hatch slowly closed and locked.
Subsequently, Director Chen, the diplomatic representative, and Arthur, representing the Rockefeller Estate Trust, jointly pressed their fingerprints and signed the electronic seal.
On the LCD screen outside the cabin, a green indicator light lit up, signifying that the internal environment was stable.
"This way, Miss Evelyn will remain as we just saw her," the forensic expert explained.
Lin Yu'an looked at the hibernation pod flashing green, and understood. This salvage operation could now be considered a true milestone.
"Mr. Lin," the U.S. consul said to him, "I have coordinated with the domestic authorities, and a Gulfstream G550 medical charter flight from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is already on standby at Nanning Airport."
"Once the joint investigation report is completed, we will escort Miss Evelyn back to Wyoming as quickly as possible."
Director Chen stepped forward and said, "Xiao Lin, I have already contacted the Forensic Identification Center of Guangxi Medical University. They have the most advanced mobile X-ray scanning equipment."
"Now, please come with us to Nanning to complete the final identity verification and data analysis."
"No problem, Director Chen, it's what we should do." Lin Yu'an nodded.
Following official orders, the frontline base, which had been stationed on the shore of Jiuduntianchuang for nearly two weeks, began to evacuate in an efficient and orderly manner.
The silver hibernation pod, flashing a green light, was carefully lifted onto a special vehicle. It would be the first to return to Nanning as quickly as possible.
Lin Yu-an, Rui-wen, and Han stayed behind to handle the exploration equipment.
Equipment that has undergone extreme deep-sea diving is now in its most vulnerable state and requires extremely professional cleaning and maintenance.
Han's assistants, wearing gloves, were rinsing each CCR respirator and propeller with fresh water and a special cleaning agent, removing sludge and minerals.
Lin Yu'an and Ruiwen worked together to depressurize and seal all the gas mixing equipment and high-pressure gas cylinders.
The black Perricone hard cases were opened again, revealing custom-made foam recesses inside, awaiting the return of their weapons.
Han sat alone to one side, carefully wiping his diving computer with a piece of deerskin cloth.
His gaze kept drifting to the now calm, emerald-green water, his expression complex, and no one knew what he was thinking.
As they loaded the last Palicane hard case onto the gray Shanhai Cannon pickup truck, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
"Let's go," Lin Yu'an said to Ruiwen and Han Ting.
Han nodded and got into the back seat of the pickup truck. As the Chinese side's chief technical advisor, he had to personally participate in the upcoming black box analysis.
As the car wound its way along the mountain road, Raven glanced back at Han, who remained silent in the back seat, then at Lin Yu'an, who was focused on driving, and asked softly, "Lin, we—we really made history, didn't we?"
"No." Lin Yu'an shook his head and looked into the distance. "We are merely witnesses to history. The real history was created by Evelyn Rockefeller first."
Han, sitting in the back seat, heard this and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes.
He knew that the young man before him not only possessed a godlike physique, but also the humble soul of a true explorer.
Inside a special laboratory at the NN City Forensic Identification Center, the lights were on.
The silver cryogenic hibernation chamber was placed smoothly in the center of the laboratory. With representatives from both China and the United States present, the seals were removed, and the chamber door slowly opened again.
Instead of moving the body, the forensic team pushed a large mobile digital X-ray machine next to the hibernation pod.
"We will perform multi-angle scans of the deceased's maxilla and mandible, and then compare them with the dental records provided by the U.S. side," the chief forensic expert explained.
The X-ray scanning arm moved slowly, and a few minutes later, a set of clear images of tooth roots and jawbones appeared on the main screen.
Arthur then opened his encrypted laptop and pulled up a panoramic X-ray taken during Evelyn Rockefeller's last dental checkup in the United States.
When two images are placed side by side by the software, the result is self-evident.
"The root canal treatment scars of the upper right first molar match perfectly — the lower left wisdom tooth is horizontally impacted, with consistent characteristics — the degree of enamel wear is consistent with age characteristics —"
The Chinese forensic experts made comparisons while explaining the findings using professional terminology.
Finally, he raised his head and announced the conclusion to everyone present: "Based on the comparison of dental records, we can confirm with 100% certainty that the remains are those of Miss Evelyn Rockefeller."
With their identities confirmed, the focus then shifted to the "black boxes" that Han and Ruiwen treasured.
In another data analysis room, Han Ting and Ruiwen sat at the main control panel, with Lin Yu'an, Director Chen, Arthur, and technical experts from both China and the United States standing behind them.
Han carefully connected Evelyn's severely damaged diving computer to the reading device through a special interface.
"This is a Sherwater Petre I computer, which is extremely resilient. Although the screen is cracked, I hope it can still power on and connect." Han's voice was a little nervous.
He pressed the read button, and everyone held their breath.
A few seconds later, a green message popped up on the screen: "[Data read successful]".
Han breathed a sigh of relief and immediately pulled up his last dive log.
A set of cold, yet incredibly tragic, data was presented to everyone:
Maximum depth: 310.2 meters
[Total diving time: 2 hours and 47 minutes]
Water temperature: 13.8 degrees Celsius
Han's expression grew increasingly serious as he pointed to the latter half of the log, which showed Evelyn's rising chart.
"Look here," he pointed to a steep, almost vertical curve, "after reaching 310 meters, it barely paused before beginning a rapid ascent. But—"
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