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

The most recent large-scale overhaul was two years ago, triggered by a serious collapse that killed three miners.

"Before Li Pengcheng's accident, he frequently visited Luoying Valley, and Hongda Mining's mine is located nearby. Could there be any connection between the two?" Wang Shuai frowned, tapping back and forth between the locations of Luoying Valley and Hongda Mining on the map. "Also, the simple sketch of the pickaxe in his notebook is exactly the same as the tools used in the mine, and the date 17234 matches the time of the mine collapse accident. This is definitely not a coincidence."

After discussion, everyone decided to split into several groups to conduct an in-depth investigation into Hongda Mining's operations, its potential connection with Li Pengcheng, and whether there were any hidden circumstances behind the accident. Wang Shuai led one group to Hongda Mining's headquarters, intending to make direct contact with the company's senior management; another group was responsible for visiting residents around the mine to understand the recent unusual activities at the mine; the technical team stayed at the branch office to delve into Hongda Mining's financial statements, transaction records, and other electronic data.

Wang Shuai and his group arrived at the headquarters building of Hongda Mining. This imposing building stood in the city center, a stark contrast to the remote mountain mines. After identifying themselves and stating their purpose at the reception desk, they were led to a conference room to wait. Half an hour later, Li Ming, the company's public relations manager, rushed in, a professional smile on his face, but a hint of wariness in his eyes.

"Officer Wang, our company has always abided by the law and actively cooperated with the government's work. May I ask what brings the police here today?" Li Ming handed over his business card, speaking politely.

Wang Shuai didn't beat around the bush and directly took out Li Pengcheng's photo: "Do you recognize this person? He had an accident near Luoying Valley. Our investigation found that your company's mine is very close to the accident site, and it seems that he was investigating some things related to the mine before he died."

Li Ming took the photo, examined it carefully for a while, and shook his head: "I don't recognize it. Our company has a wide range of businesses, and we come into contact with too many people every day. As for the mining farm, it has always been operating in compliance with regulations and undergoes regular inspections. There are no problems whatsoever."

"What about the collapse two years ago?" Wang Shuai stared intently into Li Ming's eyes. "After that accident, has the mine undergone a thorough overhaul? Have there been any disputes or conflicts recently?"

Li Ming paused for a moment, then quickly regained his composure: "The landslide was an accident. We have already provided proper compensation to the families of the victims and completed the rectification as required. As for disputes and conflicts, there are none at all. We value our relationship with the surrounding residents and frequently organize public welfare activities. We all get along very well."

Over the next few hours, Wang Shuai questioned Li Ming in detail, covering all aspects of the mine's personnel management, material transportation, and safety supervision. Li Ming's answers were impeccable, revealing no flaws. Meanwhile, the group that had been visiting residents around the mine reported that everything was normal at the mine recently; they hadn't seen any strangers entering or leaving, nor had they observed any unusual activity.

Meanwhile, the technical team made a new discovery in their analysis of Hongda Mining's financial data. Over the past six months, several large sums of money had gone unaccounted for, with the recipients being several shell companies registered in remote areas. Upon learning this, Wang Shuai immediately instructed the technical team to delve deeper into the flow of funds, attempting to uncover the underlying connections.

However, as the investigation deepened, one clue after another was overturned. Verification revealed that the large sums of money were normal business expansion expenses for acquiring new mineral resources, completely unrelated to Li Pengcheng's case. Furthermore, no information related to Li Pengcheng was found among the residents around the mine; he seemed to have never been there. Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Wang Shuai and his team had bloodshot eyes from exhaustion, and the meeting room was piled high with various documents and files. They sat around the conference table again, the atmosphere oppressive and suffocating.

"After three days of investigation, all the questions pointing to Hongda Mining have been eliminated one by one." Wang Shuai sighed and leaned back wearily in his chair. "The financial data is fine, there is nothing suspicious about the company's senior management and employees, and the residents around the mine know nothing about it. It seems that Li Pengcheng's death has no direct connection with Hongda Mining."

The team members exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes revealing disappointment and confusion. They had thought they had found a key breakthrough, but instead, they had walked into another dead end.

“However, we didn’t come away empty-handed.” Wang Shuai sat up straight, his gaze becoming firm again. “Although we’ve ruled out Hongda Mining as a suspect, this has given us a clearer understanding of the case. The things Li Pengcheng is investigating may be more complex and involve a wider range than we imagined. Next, we’ll re-examine the clues, starting with Li Pengcheng’s social media accounts and communication records. There must be some details that we’ve overlooked.”

After the meeting, Wang Shuai looked out the window at the darkening sky and secretly vowed to get justice for Li Pengcheng, even if the truth was shrouded in mystery.

Ten days after Li Pengcheng's body was discovered, Wang Shuai sat in the Criminal Investigation Division office, rubbing his aching temples. The case files in front of him were piled high, each page bearing the weight of countless fruitless investigations. Suddenly, his phone vibrated. It was Li Pengcheng's mother calling, her voice trembling with tears and hesitation: "Officer Wang, I was just sorting through Pengcheng's belongings and found some things. I don't know if they're related to his case. Six months ago, he had a fierce argument with someone, and he was really angry. I told him not to take it to heart, and then I got busy and didn't mention it again. I just saw his diary, and it brought it all back to mind..."

Wang Shuai sat up straight immediately. "Auntie, please tell me slowly. Any detail could be crucial."

On the other end of the phone, Li Pengcheng's mother took a deep breath and slowly said, "Pengcheng's ex-girlfriend, Zhang Rui, cheated on him with a man named Zheng Bin. When Pengcheng found out, he was devastated, and he even got into a fight with Zheng Bin. I remember those days, he came home with bruises on his face. When I asked him what happened, he told me about it. Later, he tried his best to get over it and gradually returned to normal. I really didn't expect that this would..."

After hanging up the phone, Wang Shuai immediately gathered his team members and wrote down the names "Zhang Rui" and "Zheng Bin" on the whiteboard, circling them in red. "Listen up, everyone. We must do our best to investigate the whereabouts and backgrounds of these two people, especially their movements before and after the incident. We can't overlook any detail."

Wang Shuai's first stop was Zhang Rui's residence. It was an apartment in an old neighborhood, the hallway filled with a damp smell. (End of Chapter)