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

As Wang Shuai stepped out of the office, dawn was breaking. Standing in the courtyard of the Criminal Investigation Detachment, watching the first light of day in the east, he knew that although no suspicious vehicle had been found yet, each elimination was narrowing down the suspect pool. He took out his phone and sent a message to his team: "Meet at the grassland at 8 a.m. tomorrow to check blind spots in the surveillance cameras and try to find new clues."

The light from his phone screen reflected his determined gaze. He knew that as long as he persevered, he would eventually find the suspect's vehicle and uncover the truth of the case. And at that moment, the wind still blew across the meadow, as if awaiting the arrival of justice.

While forensic pathologist Zhang Kai was busy in the autopsy room, the lights in the missing persons verification office on the second floor of the Criminal Investigation Detachment were also glaringly bright. Zhang Hui and his five team members were working on a computer screen in front of them, where the entries of the missing persons information system were densely arranged. The sounds of mouse clicks and keyboard taps rose and fell in the quiet room, occasionally interspersed with the suppressed sighs of the team members.

"We've checked over 800 entries, but still haven't found anyone who matches our criteria," team member Xiao Chen said, rubbing his sore eyes and staring at the information entries on the screen, his voice full of exhaustion. "The deceased's characteristics are too common—male, 35-45 years old, 178cm tall, wearing dark blue overalls and a gray short-sleeved shirt. There are tons of missing persons like that. How are we supposed to screen them?"

The coffee in Zhang Hui's hand had gone cold. He took a sip, and the bitter taste spread: "There's no other way but to look at them one by one, focusing on those who recently went missing and whose last activity location was around the grassland. Zhang Kai's autopsy report said that the deceased's last meal was between 5 and 6 pm on August 15th. Maybe we can find a connection between the time of disappearance and the activity trajectory."

Team member Xiao Li leaned back in his chair, stretched, and his bones cracked. "This system is so outdated. It doesn't even have a precise filtering function. Every time, I have to scroll through by age and gender bit by bit. My eyes are getting tired. My cervical spine feels like it's going to break any second." He rubbed his neck, looking at the scrolling information on the screen. "How come the deceased didn't even have an ID card or a phone? The suspect is too ruthless, leaving no clues at all."

"They're not just ruthless, they're also very good at counter-surveillance," team member Xiao Wang chimed in. "They emptied the victim's pockets and might have even taken the shoes, just in case we tried to identify him through the items. Now, we're like searching for a needle in a haystack, blindly looking through more than 1000 pieces of information. If we keep searching like this, my eyes will become cross-eyed." As he spoke, he blinked hard, and red veins appeared at the corners of his eyes.

Seeing his team members' exhausted appearance, Zhang Hui felt bad too. Seven hours had passed since they received the mission at 3 PM. Aside from a quick boxed lunch, the team had been sitting in front of their computers the entire time, barely having time to drink water. "Hang in there, everyone. The closer we get to the time of death on the 15th, the easier it is for clues to disappear. We must confirm the victim's identity as soon as possible to buy time for the subsequent investigation." He stood up and refilled their cups with hot water. "If you're really tired, stand up and move around for a couple of minutes. Don't push yourself too hard."

Team member Xiao Zhao stood up, walked to the window to stretch, and looked at the dark night sky outside: "It's almost 11 o'clock, and there's not a sound outside. We're still here. My wife just texted me, saying that the kids are asleep and asking when I'm going home." His tone was filled with guilt, "If we can't find them soon, I'll feel terrible for my family."

“Who isn’t?” Xiao Chen said with a wry smile. “It’s my mom’s birthday today. I had promised to come home for dinner, but then I got a phone call and I have to stay here in front of the computer. I called her just now, and she said, ‘Work is important, take care of yourself.’ I really feel bad about it.”

Despite the complaints, the team members quickly returned to their seats and continued their search. The sound of mouse clicks rang out again, and the room returned to its previous silence, broken only by occasional sighs. Time ticked by, the clock on the wall pointed to 1 a.m., and the missing persons information on the screen had reached over 1200 entries, yet there was still no result.

"I can't take it anymore, my eyes are almost blind," Xiao Li rubbed his eyes, his voice thick with a nasal tone. "Looking at these lines one by one is like reading a book in a foreign language, my brain feels like it's going to freeze. Captain Zhang, how about we rest for a while and continue looking tomorrow?"

Looking at the few hundred messages remaining on the screen, Zhang Hui hesitated, but he knew they couldn't stop now: "Check the last 30. If we still can't find them, we'll take a half-hour break. Everyone, be more careful and pay attention to details like 'occupation' and 'last contact.' Maybe we can find some overlooked clues."

Just then, team member Xiao Wang suddenly shouted, "Team Leader Zhang, come and look at this!" He pointed to a message on the screen: "Missing person Zhang Tao, male, 42 years old, veterinarian, 177cm tall, went missing after leaving home on the afternoon of August 15. His last known location was Xiangyang Village near the grassland, where he was wearing dark blue overalls and a gray short-sleeved shirt, which closely matches the characteristics of the deceased!"

Everyone instantly perked up and crowded around Xiao Wang's computer. Zhang Hui leaned closer to the screen and carefully examined the information: "Zhang Tao, 42 years old, veterinarian of Xiangyang Village, said he was going to treat a herder's sheep near the pasture around 4 pm on August 15th, and then there was no further news. His family reported him missing to the police on the morning of August 16th. The contact person is his wife, Liu Fang, phone number 138XXXX5678."

"Are there any other similar clues?" Zhang Hui asked. Xiao Wang continued searching and found six more suspicious clues: "Of these six, three are men aged 35-45, between 175-180cm tall, and disappeared around August 15th, but their last known location was far from the grassland, and their clothing was not entirely consistent; the other three either don't match the age or have too much of a height difference, but they are all somewhat suspicious and need further verification."

"Immediately contact the contacts for these seven leads and focus on verifying Zhang Tao's situation!" Zhang Hui made a decisive decision. "Xiao Li, contact Zhang Tao's wife, Liu Fang, and ask her about Zhang Tao's specific clothing and belongings when he went out on August 15th, whether he was barefoot, or if his shoes had any special markings; Xiao Chen, contact the contacts for the other six leads and confirm the detailed information of their missing family members to rule them out as suspects; the rest of you, continue to organize Zhang Tao's relevant information and see if there is any other related information."

Xiao Li immediately dialed Liu Fang's number. The phone rang for a long time before being answered. Liu Fang's voice was sleepy and anxious: "Hello? Who is this?"

"Hello, we're from the Municipal Criminal Investigation Division. We'd like to inquire about your husband, Zhang Tao," Xiao Li said, trying to soften her tone. "When he left home on the afternoon of August 15th, was he wearing dark blue overalls and a gray short-sleeved shirt? Did he carry anything with him?" (End of Chapter)