Dark Light Chaser.

Chapter 21 Entering the palace three times

At six o'clock in the morning, the sky was already bright. Ai Liang opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, which was his own biological clock.

Having taken a long leave, he didn't need to get up to go to school, so Ai Liang closed his eyes again, intending to take a nap.

Buzz, buzz.

The phone vibrated; it wasn't an alarm, it was a call.

Ai Liang couldn't understand who would call him so early in the morning.

Ai Liang answered the phone: "Hello?"

"I'm Shi Feng from the Criminal Investigation Team, you should still remember me, right?"

A steady voice, tinged with weariness, came from the other end of the phone.

"What's the matter?"

Ai Liang sat up in bed and used her telekinesis to levitate her phone to her ear, then quietly put on her clothes.

The head of the criminal investigation team called personally, so I guess I'll have to go there again soon.

"According to the funeral home staff, you saw Wang Zi's father at the funeral home yesterday. When he had a conflict with Gao Fuye, you were the one who separated the two of them, right?"

"Any questions."

After getting dressed, Ai Liang went to the bathroom to wash up.

"Wang Qiang is dead."

Upon hearing this, Ai Liang stopped applying toothpaste.

What happened? Did I not be able to resist the urge to do evil yesterday and accidentally crush him in my sleep?
Ai Liang became a little nervous at the thought that her abilities might be exposed.

Ai Liang immediately released his mental energy to sense all the creatures nearby, but the armored vehicle riot squad he had imagined did not appear.

The voice on the other end of the phone continued: "We need to know the specific details of the conflict between Gao Fuye and Wang Qiang yesterday, as well as your conversation with him at the bus stop. If you don't mind, could you come to the criminal investigation team?"

It probably wasn't done by him.

Ai Liang breathed a slight sigh of relief: "Okay."

"I'll have someone pick you up later."

After saying that, the other end of the phone hung up.

As for the home address, it had already been given before.

After putting down her phone, Ai Liang had only one thought in her mind about Wang Qiang: I haven't even done anything yet, how come you're gone?
But this is good too; the trouble disappears directly from the source, and I don't have to bother to find out about the car accident three years ago.

All we need to do is hint to Shi Feng and the others to explain the content of Gao Fuye and Wang Qiang's conversation yesterday, and they will naturally find out everything.

It would take the criminal investigation team some time to get to the apartment, so Ai Liang went to the kitchen and fried herself two eggs.

Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong.

I had just finished eating the fried egg and was about to wash the dishes when the doorbell started ringing incessantly, like a death knell.

On the display screen, Gao Bin was holding his phone, looking at the house number and confirming it repeatedly.

"Didn't Captain Shi say he was already up? Why is he still sleeping in?"

Hearing the sound from the smart doorbell, Ai Liang withdrew her hand from the door and changed her shoes before opening the security door.

Gao Bin and Ai Liang exchanged a glance and greeted each other, and then Ai Liang nodded in acknowledgment.

'This kid will definitely be a qualified leader in the future.'

Seeing that Ai Liang didn't seem inclined to say anything, Gao Bin couldn't help but mentally complain.

Gao Bin, who hadn't slept all night while accompanying Shi Feng on the investigation, kept yawning as he drove Ai Liang to the criminal investigation team.

Practice makes perfect, and this was Ai Liang's third visit to the palace.

Throughout the journey, Gao Bin kept secretly observing Ai Liang, recalling that the recent cases seemed to be related to him.

Damn it, is this guy some kind of jinx?! Wherever he goes, someone dies. The girl confessed her feelings to him that night, and the next morning she was hanging outside his classroom; Wang Qiang said two words to him yesterday, and that very night he died in the park.

The more Gao Bin thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed. He couldn't help but put a little distance between himself and Ai Liang, not even realizing that Ai Liang was leading him.

Inside the interrogation room, Shi Feng was already sitting on the sofa waiting for him. When Ai Liang pushed open the door, he was taking a nap with his eyes closed.

Shi Feng opened his eyes and, seeing that Ai Liang had arrived, immediately sent Gao Bin away: "Gao Bin, go up and urge the technical department."

"Team Leader Shi, can't you let me rest for a bit? I haven't even warmed my seat yet."

Gao Bin yawned and complained to Shi Feng, "I was the one who set up this room."

Shi Feng waved wearily, making a shooing gesture: "Go back and rest as soon as the technical department's report comes out. Don't lie in the interrogation room all day. This isn't a place to sleep."

"Then all my hard work in applying for funding to buy a sofa was for nothing?"

Gao Bin muttered to himself, but his body obediently headed towards the second-floor staircase.

There's no way around it; a higher official rank can be incredibly powerful.

Gao Bin glanced back at the interrogation room with a sense of nostalgia. Because the Criminal Investigation Detachment was not allowed to have rooms for entertainment and relaxation, he proposed improving the environment of the interrogation room during the meeting.

Some cases may involve minors, and in order to provide children with a good environment and avoid them from becoming overly stressed, it is essential to add sofas and chairs to the room.

It's perfectly reasonable for someone to occasionally spend half an hour coming in to clean up and maintain the image of the brigade, right?

There is no rest room in the criminal investigation team. This room is just a better interrogation room. When someone comes in, it's just to clean up. That's called political correctness.

Gao Bin's proposal not only met the requirements but also created a loophole for him to slack off within the regulations. His ability to exploit loopholes and cheat was admired by everyone in the detachment.

So far, Shi Feng has not approved his application to transfer from the field team to the technical department, which is a sad story.

Shi Feng poured some mineral water onto a tissue and wiped his face, forcing himself to cheer up.

"We really can't spare any manpower here, so we can only trouble you to come over."

Ai Liang didn't answer, she just glanced at him, so I'll just assume that's how it is.

Shi Feng turned on the voice recorder, placed his hand on the writing board, and asked, "According to the funeral home staff, Wang Qiang and Gao Fuye had a physical altercation in the mourning hall yesterday. You were the one who separated them, right?"

This time, Shi Feng didn't stare into Ai Liang's eyes like he did last time because he had to take the statement himself.

"Yes, Gao Fuye struck first, and Wang Qiang did not resist at all."

Ai Liang recounted the events in detail, emphasizing the tone of their voices and the keywords "fight to the death" and "three years ago." Shi Feng looked thoughtfully at the sentences in the notebook. This Wang Qiang had done his fair share of favoritism and corruption when he was in the traffic police team, and three years ago he was dismissed from the team for serious dereliction of duty.

Is it
Shi Feng's suspicions about Gao Fuye rose sharply. His daughter had died at the hands of Wang Qiang's son, and Wang Qiang had leverage over him. This was enough to make him want to kill Gao Fuye to cover it up. He already had a motive for the crime.

Ai Liang looked at Shi Feng, who seemed to be deep in thought. She had achieved her goal perfectly, and now she could leave the rest to them.

Shi Feng put aside his reasoning for the time being, because it involved matters from other departments three years ago, and the specific reasons would have to be investigated before they could be clarified.

So Shi Feng continued to ask, "What did Wang Qiang talk about with you at the bus stop?"

He threatened me to change my testimony.

Ai Liang didn't bother to recall the conversation; she simply took out her phone and played the recording.

"Your reason for recording this."

Before she could finish speaking, Ai Liang made no attempt to hide her disgust for Wang Qiang: "In the mourning hall, Wang Qiang immediately tried to appeal to Gao Fuye's emotions, but when he found that it didn't work, he immediately changed his tune. It's always good to be cautious with this kind of person."

Shi Feng smiled approvingly at Ai Liang's earnest and sincere answer, his weariness tinged with a hint of relief.

Ai Liang felt a chill run down her spine at that look. Was this guy planning to make me call the police?
Having said everything she needed to say, Ai Liang got up to say goodbye when the door was pushed open.

A detective from the technical department on the second floor, carrying a folder, stood blocking the doorway as if he had timed it perfectly. He paused for a moment when he saw Ai Liang.

"Then I'll go back first."

Ai Liang politely bowed slightly, avoiding the detective; he needed to make a quick getaway.

Shi Feng wasn't about to let her go so easily, so he made up some excuse to detain Ai Liang: "Wait a minute, the test results are just coming out. Listen to them before you leave and see if you can recall any details."

Details? I've told you everything that needs to be said and can be said. Do you want me to just hack into Wang Qiang's brain and tell you everything about the murderer's facial features, body shape, clothing style, etc.?
Even though Ai Liang was inwardly grumbling, she outwardly put on a respectful and attentive demeanor and obediently sat down on the sofa.

The criminal investigator from the technical department looked at Shi Feng and then at Ai Liang. After hesitating for a while, he finally slowly revealed the test results under Shi Feng's urging gaze.

"The wooden box that the deceased was holding yesterday was a custom-made industrial product. It had no trademarks, factory marks, or brand logos. It was most likely a semi-finished product that was purchased in bulk from the factory and then further processed by the perpetrator. Based on the carving techniques and patterns, the word 'Pandora' on the box was probably carved by the murderer himself."

“We searched all the manufacturers of souvenir wooden boxes in Nevada, and there were about a hundred, not to mention many more unregistered small workshops. Moreover, there are countless online sales channels, which basically ruled out the possibility of finding information about the murderer through the box.”

"No fingerprints were left on the box. The murderer wore gloves throughout the crime. Based on the absence of fabric on the serrated edges of the wooden box, it can be inferred that the murderer was wearing leather gloves."

"In addition, the source of the flyer in the box was also found. It was the third anniversary flyer of the deceased's own supermarket. The flyer had a faint fragrance on its surface, which means it was wiped with a wet wipe. There were no traces left. Another speculation is that the murderer may have some kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder and does not allow other people's fingerprints to be left on his tools."

Shi Feng flipped through the report in his hand and asked, "Never mind, what about the surveillance?"

The detective whispered, "We investigated all the surveillance footage within a kilometer radius of the park, but we didn't find any suspicious individuals. Almost everyone who appeared on the footage has a corresponding alibi."

Shi Feng sighed in disappointment. This time, the killer was swift and decisive, with extremely strong counter-surveillance capabilities, and was very likely a professional assassin.

Because it's impossible for an average person to perfectly avoid all surveillance cameras, kill someone in the park, and then leave unscathed.

This requires not only knowing the location of each monitor, but also being familiar with the size of the monitoring angle.

Another point is that, according to Wang Qiang's call records, he went to the park to meet someone on his own initiative.

After much thought, the most likely explanation is that Gao Fuye hired an assassin to kill Wang Qiang.

According to the investigation, only Gao Fuye has been found to meet this requirement and also harbor hatred towards Wang Qiang.

Thinking about this gave Shi Feng a headache. With Gao Fuye's methods, he would definitely do it very discreetly and would not leave any clues about hiring someone to kill.

"Today, I took all the field staff to conduct door-to-door investigations in the neighborhoods near the park. If we didn't have enough manpower, we called on the police officers from the nearby police station to help. I refuse to believe that none of them have seen the murderer."

Since there were no leads in terms of technology, we could only resort to the cumbersome method of conducting door-to-door inquiries. Even at nine o'clock at night, there were still quite a few people wandering around outside.

"Have you notified Gao Fuye to come to the team?"

Shi Feng carefully read through the report about Wang Qiang, word by word.

The technical police officer immediately said, "We've notified him; he's willing to cooperate with the investigation."

Shi Feng nodded and then turned the conversation to Ai Liang: "What are your thoughts?"

During the investigation two days ago, Shi Feng sensed Ai Liang's sense of justice from the fact that he had stayed for more than ten hours to catch Wang Zi's secret, and began to pay attention to this fifteen-year-old boy.

Shi Feng looked at Ai Liang with expectant eyes. After saying so much, Ai Liang should already have her own guesses. He was looking forward to her next remarks.

How could a criminal investigation team leader like you take a fancy to a fifteen-year-old kid like me?
Ai Liang said somewhat helplessly, "I have no opinion."

Shi Feng did not show any disappointment and continued to read the report.

Because he couldn't glean anything suspicious from those few words.

Shi Feng quickly noticed the suspicious points in the report after observing it word by word.

"Wang Qiang owns the supermarket? His wife is a teacher, and he was just punished, dismissed, and fined. He's lucky if he doesn't have a mountain of debt. How could he possibly have spare money to buy a commercial shop and open a supermarket?"

The shop has a great location, right across from a residential area, and nearby are office buildings and schools.

As long as there are no obvious product quality problems, you can definitely make a lot of money.

The detective from the technical department hesitated for a moment before slowly explaining, "This storefront belongs to Gao Fuye. Wang Qiang bought it from him for 100,000 yuan."

For a hen that lays golden eggs like this, 100,000 yuan wouldn't even buy the entire storefront, let alone a single warehouse inside.

Gao Fuye would have to be insane to do business like this.

Upon hearing this, Shi Feng slammed the document on the table and began cursing: "Are the discipline inspection commissioners just sitting around doing nothing? They check our branch every day for no reason. Why don't they check the traffic police branch when it's so obvious?"

It would have been better if they hadn't listened, because once they did, they got angry. Their criminal investigation team worked themselves to the bone every day, investigating cases day and night, but they weren't even allowed to have a rest room. They had to rely on Gao Bin to compromise and renovate the juvenile interrogation room.

Seeing the captain's outburst, the reporting detective quickly advised, "Wang Qiang had already resigned by then, and his punishment had ended some time ago before the low-price acquisition, so there's no procedural problem."

The criminal police officer who came up to persuade him was immediately shaken off by Shi Feng.

Ai Liang moved to the side to avoid being accidentally injured by their movements.

Shi Feng immediately called Gao Bin and told him to go get the car: "Gao Bin? Don't rest yet, come with me to the traffic police station to check the case files. This case is very likely related to a car accident three years ago."

After saying that, he looked at the criminal police officers in the technical department and said, "When Gao Fuye arrives, bring him here first. If we are not back by noon, have Wang Xun help with the interrogation."

Shi Feng quickly issued a series of instructions.

Whether it's Ai Liang's retelling of the conflict between the two yesterday, or the supermarket flyer in Wang Qiang's box, everything points back to three years ago.

Wang Qiang's death had nothing to do with Gao Fuye; Shi Feng would never believe it, not even if you beat him to death.

He had no choice but to make a trip to the traffic police station.

(End of this chapter)