Attending ex-girlfriend's wedding, arresting the groom's officer on the spot

Li Pengcheng replied, "I love challenging the unknown. No matter what secrets there are, I want to find out." Wang Shuai immediately wrote down this online name. He felt that this mysterious "mountain explorer" might be the key to solving the mystery.

Wang Shuai sat at his desk piled high with documents, rubbing his bloodshot eyes. His open notebook was filled with detailed records of his investigation into Li Pengcheng's interpersonal relationships, but crucial clues had vanished without a trace. He took a deep breath, picked up his phone, and dialed Zhao Yu, Li Pengcheng's college classmate.

"Hello, is this Zhao Yu? This is Wang Shuai, the detective in charge of Li Pengcheng's case. There are some details I need you to explain in more detail." Wang Shuai tried to make his voice sound gentle and patient.

On the other end of the phone, Zhao Yu's voice carried a hint of fatigue and helplessness: "Officer Wang, I've already said everything I can say. Pengcheng is really a sunny, cheerful guy who loves outdoor sports. Back in college, whenever he had a holiday, he would pack his bag and go hiking and trail running. Our dorm room walls were covered with photos of him exploring the outdoors in various places."

As Wang Shuai listened, he quickly took notes in his notebook. "During his university years, did he have any conflicts with anyone, or was there anything particularly memorable for you?"

Zhao Yu paused for a moment, then thought for a moment and said, "There's really no conflict. He has a good personality, lots of friends, and everyone likes him. Oh, right, once the school organized an outdoor cross-country race. Pengcheng was a favorite to win, but the day before the race, someone tampered with his cross-country gear, damaging key parts, and he had to withdraw from the race. Everyone was furious at the time, thinking that someone must be jealous of him, but no matter how much they investigated, they couldn't find out who did it. Pengcheng didn't seem to care much, saying, 'It's all about participation in a competition,' and quickly threw himself into preparing for new outdoor activities afterward."

After hanging up with Zhao Yu, Wang Shuai immediately contacted Lin Xiao, Li Pengcheng's former colleague. Lin Xiao sighed on the phone and said, "Li Pengcheng is known for his warm heart in the company. He patiently guides us newcomers when we encounter difficulties in evaluating outdoor equipment. His love for outdoor sports runs deep in his bones. To test a new hiking boot, he can go alone into the deep mountains and hike for several days in various complex terrains, and then come back to share his thrilling and interesting experiences with us. At work, he gets along well with everyone, and I've never seen him argue with anyone."

"Outside of work, has he mentioned any recent troubles to you, or anyone that makes him feel something is off?" Wang Shuai pressed.

Lin Xiao thought for a moment, "I haven't heard him mention any of that. But in the last few months, he seems to have been particularly busy. Besides his regular work, he's been investigating something in private. He hasn't told us what it is. Once when I asked him, he said, 'I'll tell everyone when things are looking up,' and then he changed the subject."

After ending the call, Wang Shuai leaned back in his chair, his brow furrowed. Li Pengcheng's image gradually became clearer in his mind: a young man who loved life, loved outdoor sports, and was extremely popular—what could have driven him to such a tragic end? Wang Shuai decided to expand his investigation, contacting Li Pengcheng's friends in the outdoor sports circle. Through Li Pengcheng's social media accounts, he found several fellow hikers who frequently participated in activities with him and immediately began his interviews and investigations.

Meanwhile, Zhang Hui's investigation into the 5 yuan remittance was also proceeding intensively. He sat in the bank's monitoring room, his eyes glued to the constantly scrolling transaction records on the screen. Lines of data seemed to leap before his eyes, yet he couldn't find any crucial clues. "Go back three months of records, carefully examine every transaction related to Li Pengcheng's account," Zhang Hui told the bank staff, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

After hours of searching, Zhang Hui finally found a clue to the 5 yuan remittance. The remitter was a man named Chen Feng, and the transaction took place at a small savings bank on the other side of the city. Zhang Hui immediately led his team to the savings bank to retrieve the surveillance footage. In the video, a man wearing a hat and mask entered the savings bank, operated the ATM briefly, and then hurriedly left, being very cautious throughout the process and barely showing his face. "Expand the surveillance area and check the surveillance footage of the streets around the savings bank. We must find this person's whereabouts," Zhang Hui instructed his team while carefully observing the man's clothing and physical characteristics in the video. After two days and two nights of arduous investigation, the team finally caught the man again on a surveillance camera at an intersection. He got into a taxi and drove towards an old residential area in the south of the city.

Zhang Hui and his group quickly arrived at the residential complex and went door-to-door asking if anyone knew Chen Feng. When they knocked on one door, an elderly man with gray hair said, "Chen Feng? He lives in this building, but he usually leaves early and comes home late, and rarely interacts with anyone. What do you need him for?"

“We’re investigating something and need to get some information from him. Do you know if he’s home right now?” Zhang Hui asked politely.

The old man shook his head. "I'm not sure. You can ask the security guards in the community; they might know his whereabouts."

Zhang Hui rushed to the community security office and, after some questioning, learned that Chen Feng worked at a small advertising company. Zhang Hui and his team immediately went to the advertising company and found Chen Feng in the company office.

When Chen Feng saw the police arrive, a look of nervousness appeared on his face. "Officers, what do you need me for?" His voice trembled slightly.

Zhang Hui sized up Chen Feng and said, "We are investigating Li Pengcheng's case and found that you transferred 5 yuan to him. Can you tell us what happened?"

After hearing this, Chen Feng breathed a sigh of relief. "So that's what happened. Li Pengcheng was my college classmate. Three years ago, my family had an emergency, and I borrowed 5 yuan from him. Recently, I've had some extra money, so I thought I'd pay him back. This is just a normal repayment, and it has nothing to do with his death."

To verify Chen Feng's statement, Zhang Hui contacted Li Pengcheng's other classmates and some friends who knew about the matter at the time. After verifying with multiple parties, it was finally confirmed that what Chen Feng said was true. The remittance of 5 yuan was indeed just a simple debt repayment and had nothing to do with the case. (End of this chapter)