Leo Chen's Arc

Chapter 3 of 3

Leo pulled into the university parking lot and checked the address on his phone. The Forensic Science Department ran a training program that taught law enforcement teams how to use advanced lab equipment. He needed more than catalogs and observation now. He needed hands-on instruction from people who actually ran crime labs every day. Inside the main building, he found the registration office and signed up for the next available workshop. The clerk handed him a schedule showing classes on DNA extraction, trace evidence analysis, and digital forensics. Leo folded the paper and slipped it into his vest pocket. This place would teach him what he couldn't learn alone. When he walked back to his truck, he felt the weight of the catalog under his arm differently now. Soon he would know exactly how to use everything inside it. The next morning, Leo drove downtown to meet with veteran rangers at the Manhattan Precinct Office. The blue-glass facade caught the sunlight as he approached. Inside, officers and rangers sat around tables drinking coffee and talking about their cases. Leo listened as they described crime scenes that had gone wrong because evidence wasn't collected properly. One ranger mentioned contaminated samples that ruined an entire investigation. Another talked about fingerprints that got smudged during transport. Leo took notes on everything they said. These mistakes would never happen in his lab. After the meeting, Leo walked through the city center and stopped at a statue in the town square. The Victorian Clockwork Justice Statue stood tall, all gray stone and intricate gears. A plaque at the base honored a scientist who had changed forensic investigation decades ago. Leo read how the scientist had developed new methods for analyzing blood evidence. Courts started using science instead of just witness statements. Cases that seemed impossible to solve became clear. Leo stepped back and looked up at the statue. This was exactly what his lab would do for ranger teams. By evening, Leo returned to the warehouse with a new piece for the entrance. He set up the Detective Evidence Display Case just inside the door where visiting teams would see it first. Inside the sleek case, he arranged sample evidence bags, analysis reports, and photographs showing how proper forensics worked. Each item told a story about careful collection and precise testing. When ranger teams came to learn, they would see this display and understand what real investigation looked like. Leo locked the case and stepped back. The training would give him knowledge. The rangers' mistakes would teach him what to avoid. The statue reminded him why it all mattered. His lab was taking shape, one piece at a time.