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

“Officers, you’ve come three times already! Our company’s vehicles are all operating legally and there are no problems whatsoever. If this investigation continues, we won’t be able to do business!” Wang Shuai patiently explained, “Manager Chen, this case is serious in nature, and we are only trying to solve it as soon as possible to restore peace to the community. Please rest assured, we will try our best not to affect the company’s normal operations.” However, Manager Chen remained uncooperative, and the information he provided was perfunctory.

“Team Leader Wang, this can’t go on.” Team member Xiao Zhang rubbed his throbbing temples. “Some companies simply won’t cooperate, and the data they provide is incomplete. And even if we check all the vehicles, what if the murderer used a car with a fake license plate or a vehicle that wasn’t even from the freight company? Wouldn’t we have wasted our time?” Wang Shuai was silent for a moment, then his eyes hardened: “Even if there’s only a one in ten thousand chance, we have to investigate to the end. Let’s hang in there a little longer, let’s try a different approach, start with the vehicle maintenance records and refueling records, maybe we can find something unusual.”

So, they started shuttling between various auto repair shops and gas stations again. In a shop called "Hongda Auto Repair," the owner pulled out a thick ledger of repair records, muttering, "So many years of records, it's not easy to find them." Wang Shuai and his team members immediately started helping. The yellowed pages turned in their fingers, the smell of ink mixed with engine oil making them nauseous. "Found it!" Xiao Wang suddenly shouted, "On July 10th, a black SUV came in to change its tires, and the tire model matches the tire tracks on the scene!" Everyone was overjoyed, but upon closer inspection of the owner's information, it was just an ordinary office worker. After verification, he was indeed out of town on a business trip that day, providing a perfect alibi. Hope was dashed again, and everyone's spirits plummeted.

Night fell, and the city lights flickered in the rain. Wang Shuai stood by the office window, looking at the bustling streets below, lost in thought. Suddenly, the phone on his desk rang. It was Lu Chuan calling: "Wang Shuai, Zhang Hui has a new lead at the tattoo shop. You guys need to speed things up too. Remember, any detail could be a breakthrough." "Yes, sir!" Wang Shuai hung up, turned to his still-busy team members, and shouted, "Brothers, stay focused! We've made progress with Zhang Hui; we can't fall behind. Go through all the leads again, starting with the freight company employees, investigating their private vehicles and social connections—don't overlook any clues!"

A new round of investigation began. They visited employees of freight companies one by one, asking them about their whereabouts during the time of the incident and checking their private vehicles. At an inconspicuous small freight station, they encountered a driver whose eyes were darting around. "Where were you on the night of July 10th? What were you doing?" Wang Shuai looked him directly in the eye. The driver's Adam's apple bobbed, and he stammered, "I...I was resting at home." "At home? Who can prove that?" "My wife." However, when they contacted his wife, her answer was vague. This unusual behavior aroused Wang Shuai's high alert, and he immediately launched an in-depth investigation into the driver.

As the investigation deepened, more and more suspicious points surfaced. Although the driver's private vehicle wasn't registered with the freight company, it matched some characteristics of the crime scene. His call records showed frequent contact with a mysterious number in the days leading up to the incident, and this number, upon tracing, turned out to be a disposable SIM card. Wang Shuai knew they had finally found a crucial breakthrough, and the truth might soon be revealed. But he also understood that the investigation would be even more difficult; they had to proceed cautiously, collecting sufficient evidence to bring the murderer to justice. This race against time was far from over.

On the sixth day after the discovery, autumn rain pattered against the windows of the rented room. When Wang Shuai pushed open the door, a rusty, musty smell wafted out. Li Baoquan's name was circled on the attendance sheet. The station chief rubbed his hands and said, "That guy is a hard worker, but he doesn't like to talk. He didn't show up after sweeping the streets last Wednesday. I even went to his rented place and knocked on the door. The lights were off. I thought he had gone back to his hometown."

Technician Xiao Zhang found half a box of antihypertensive medication on the bedside table, with three white pills remaining on the aluminum foil tray. "The production date is last year, and the expiration date is next year." He carefully put it away in an evidence bag. "This means he has been taking the medication regularly, and suddenly stopping it is illogical." Wang Shuai's gaze fell on the old wooden box in the corner. The brass lock was rusted, and half a matchstick was stuffed in the keyhole.

The moment the lock was pried open, several bundles of neatly tied newspapers rolled out. On top was a 2018 copy of the *Haizhou Evening News*, its social section reporting on the illegal landfilling in the suburbs, with the words "behind-the-scenes cover-up" written in red ink by Li Baoquan next to the headline. Turning to the third page, a yellowed pay slip was tucked inside; the employer was "Hongda Waste Disposal Company," the monthly salary was 3200 yuan, and the signature was crooked and illegible.

"There are work pants in the washing machine!" Xiao Zhang suddenly shouted. The inner wall of the drum was stained with brown dirt, which shimmered under the investigation light. Wang Shuai put on gloves, lifted the trouser legs, and found worn holes at the knees. The patches were made of a different colored fabric, and the stitches were crooked, as if sewn by hand. "Extract DNA samples and compare them with the body parts found in the ditch," he said, staring at the reflective strip on the waistband. "These are exactly the same as the work pants issued by the sanitation station."

In the kitchen cupboard, three instant noodle bowls were stacked together, with brownish broth still remaining at the bottom of the bottom bowl. Wang Shuai used a cotton swab to collect the residue: "Check the purchase records to see when he last bought anything." The refrigerator was empty except for a half-full bottle of tap water frozen solid, with a convenience store label on the bottle, dated seven days ago—the very day he disappeared.

At 3 PM, Zhang Kai called, the background noise of a centrifuge whirring: "The DNA matched! Li Baoquan, male, 47 years old, registered residence in Qinghe County, a neighboring province." He paused, his voice turning serious, "More importantly, the skin tissue under his fingernails isn't his own; it's another man's DNA, very likely the murderer's."

Wang Shuai immediately checked Li Baoquan's household registration information. The family member page showed he was married, with his wife listed as "Zhao Xiulian," and his registered address in Wangjiazhuang, Qinghe County. When he called the village committee, the village secretary was feeding pigs, and the squealing of pigs could be heard in the background: "Baoquan hasn't been back to the village for three years. His wife remarried two years ago, saying she's working in Haizhou, but I don't know exactly what she does."

In the closet of the rented room hung a faded blue cotton shirt, with a crumpled remittance slip tucked into the pocket. The recipient was "Li Mengmeng," the amount was 500 yuan, and the remittance note read "for stationery." Wang Shuai zoomed in on the scanned document and found that the remittance address was Qinghe County Experimental Primary School, and the recipient's grade was listed as "third grade." (End of Chapter)