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

The investigation of the west warehouse also yielded no progress. The warehouse was filled with discarded cardboard boxes and plastic film, and the smell of mold in the air was even stronger. Team member Xiao Li found a yellow plastic rope next to the pile of cardboard boxes. The material was similar to the "plastic rope used to bind Chen Gang" found during the on-site investigation. He excitedly shouted, "Team Leader Yang, there's a rope here!" Yang Lin immediately rushed over, but found that the rope had a clean break, obvious signs of aging at the edges, and a production date label from 2023 on the rope: "It was left over before the warehouse was abandoned. It's not the one used to bind Chen Gang. You see, the break was cut with scissors, not pulled apart."

The three teams also encountered a problem in the abandoned equipment area in a corner of the factory. Several large, rusty machines were placed in the area, their surfaces covered with a thick layer of dust, matching the "red anti-rust paint" characteristic mentioned in the autopsy. Team member Xiao Wang used a brush to clean the dust off the machine's surface, revealing a dark red paint layer: "Team Leader Yang, the composition of the anti-rust paint on this machine should be consistent with the paint fragments found under Chen Gang's fingernails!" The technicians immediately extracted paint samples, but on the ground around the machines, besides dust and scattered parts, no signs of a struggle, bloodstains, or Chen Gang's personal belongings (cell phone, car keys) were found.

“If Chen Gang was attacked here, it’s impossible that there wouldn’t be any trace left,” Yang Lin said, squatting beside the machinery with a furrowed brow. “Either the suspect cleaned up too thoroughly, or we’ve found the wrong crime scene.” He ordered his team to expand the search area, even checking the grove and drainage ditches outside the factory, but apart from a few stray cat footprints, there were no clues related to the case.

At noon, the investigation temporarily came to a halt. The team members sat on the open ground of the factory area eating their boxed lunches, and everyone's face showed exhaustion. "We searched all morning, and apart from a few irrelevant ropes and paint samples, we didn't find anything," Xiao Li said, picking at his rice, his tone filled with disappointment. "Could the suspect have cleaned up all the traces? Not even a fingerprint or DNA was left."

Xiaolin sighed as well: "The factory has been abandoned for too long, and the flow of people in and out has been complicated. All the traces from the early stages have been destroyed. We're like trying to find a thread in a tangled mess. It's too difficult." She flipped through the investigation records. "Chen Gang's last job was here, but was he attacked inside or outside the factory? If it was outside, then our investigation is going in the wrong direction."

Yang Lin put down his lunchbox and took out Chen Gang's Didi ride-hailing route map: "The navigation shows that Chen Gang accepted the ride at 5:10 and arrived at the factory at around 5:50, but his phone lost signal at 5:40." He pointed to a turning point on the route map, "From Heping Road to the factory, there is a 3-kilometer rural road with no surveillance cameras. Perhaps he was attacked on this road, then the suspect drove him to the factory, and then transferred him to a transfer station to dispose of his body?"

This conjecture revitalized the team. At 1 p.m., Yang Lin adjusted the investigation plan and led the team to the country road. The road was about 4 meters wide, flanked by farmland and woods, and the ground was covered with gravel, making it difficult to preserve complete footprints. The team sprayed luminol reagent on the road surface, but only found a pale blue fluorescent trace in a low-lying area. After testing, it was determined to be animal blood and unrelated to Chen Gang.

In the woods halfway down the path, team member Xiao Wang found a cigarette butt that matched the "Double Happiness" cigarette butt found during the crime scene investigation. He immediately extracted it, saying, "Team Leader Yang, this cigarette butt might have been left by the suspect!" However, after examination by technicians, it was found that the saliva stains on the cigarette butt had been washed away by rainwater, making it impossible to extract DNA. Furthermore, the cigarette butt's production date was January 2024, which was too long after the crime scene to determine whether it was related to the case.

At 6 p.m., Yang Lin returned to the Criminal Investigation Detachment with his team. Their investigation report contained only "red anti-rust paint sample," "unrelated yellow plastic rope," and "old cigarette butt," offering no crucial clues. He entered the meeting room and reported to Lu Chuan and the other team members who were waiting for the summary: "The abandoned factory and surrounding area in the suburbs have been thoroughly investigated. No signs of a struggle, bloodstains, murder weapons, or Chen Gang's personal belongings were found. Only an anti-rust paint sample matching the composition of paint fragments from Chen Gang's fingernails was extracted, but this cannot prove that Chen Gang had ever touched the machinery. No traces related to the case were found on the country roads either. It is speculated that the suspect may have attacked Chen Gang in another location or thoroughly cleaned up any traces."

The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly became heavy. Wang Shuai frowned: "We haven't even found any clues at the factory, so were we going in the wrong direction? Was Chen Gang's last order really to the factory? Could it be that the suspect changed the navigation route?" Zhang Hui added: "If the first crime scene wasn't the factory, then the clues of the 5 yuan transfer and the man in the black jacket will be even harder to connect."

Lu Chuan paused for a moment, but did not deny the previous direction: "The fact that the factory investigation did not find any clues does not mean we were wrong. The suspect has strong counter-surveillance awareness and may have cleaned up traces." He looked at the paint sample report submitted by Yang Lin, "At least we have confirmed the source of the paint components. Next, the technical department should expedite the investigation of the manufacturer and sales channels of this red anti-rust paint to see which units or individuals have recently purchased it; at the same time, Yang Lin, you should lead the team to investigate the abandoned warehouses and vacant houses around the factory to expand the search area of ​​the primary crime scene."

Yang Lin nodded. Although the investigation had yielded no results, he did not give up: "I will go to check the warehouses around the factory first thing tomorrow morning. No matter how thoroughly the suspect cleaned up, there will definitely be some clues left." He looked at the sky gradually darkening outside the window and knew that solving the case was like a protracted war. Occasional setbacks were nothing. As long as he persisted, he would eventually find a breakthrough.

At 8 PM, the technical department reported that the manufacturer of the red anti-rust paint was the "Dongfeng Paint Factory" in the city. A total of 12 units and individuals had recently purchased this model of anti-rust paint, including 3 scrap metal recycling stations and 2 individual repairmen. Yang Lin immediately took the list, preparing to visit them one by one the next day—perhaps, the buyers of the anti-rust paint could provide clues related to the suspect.

Meanwhile, the lights in the Criminal Investigation Division remained bright. Although the second investigation of the abandoned factory had yielded no crucial clues, new leads were quietly emerging. Yang Lin sat at his desk, organizing tomorrow's interview plan. He knew that as long as he didn't give up and followed every lead, he would eventually uncover the truth behind Chen Gang's death and give the deceased and his family closure. (End of Chapter)