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

He looked at the autopsy report and the specimen bottles on the table. Every piece of data had been repeatedly checked, and every conclusion had clear pathological basis. "Send these specimens to the technical department immediately. Prioritize testing for metal fragments, fibers, and dust, as well as the skin tissue at the neck indentation, to see if we can extract the suspect's DNA," Zhang Kai instructed Xiao Lin. "Also, synchronize the time of death and cause of death information with Team Leader Lu so they can adjust their investigation direction, focusing on the white van from the early morning of seven days ago and the personnel related to the construction site."

Xiao Lin quickly left the autopsy room with the evidence and report, while Zhang Kai remained, lost in thought, staring at the crime scene photos beside the autopsy table. The black plastic bag, metal buttons, and cigarette butts in the photos, along with the neck pressure marks, metal fragments, and fibers found during the autopsy, were gradually forming a chain of clues. Although the victim's identity was not yet clear, the precise determination of the time and cause of death had provided a clear direction for solving the case. He firmly believed that as long as the technical department could find relevant evidence from the evidence, combined with the investigators' screening, they would eventually identify the suspect and bring the truth of this garbage dump corpse case to light.

At this moment, in the conference room of the Criminal Investigation Detachment, Lu Chuan had received Zhang Kai's preliminary autopsy report. Looking at the key information on the report—"mechanical asphyxiation," "strangulation with a cord," and "death seven days ago in the early morning"—he tapped his fingers lightly on the table, then dialed Wang Shuai's number: "Immediately adjust the scope of the surveillance investigation, focusing on white vans that appeared around the garbage dump between 2 AM and 4 AM seven days ago, especially those with a broken left headlight and abnormal engine noise; also, investigate men with recent construction site work experience, height 175-180cm, and combine this with the characteristics of metal jewelry to find individuals who meet the criteria."

As night deepened, the lights in the autopsy room remained bright. Zhang Kai organized the autopsy records, compiled a list of all the samples' testing requirements, and sent it to the technical department. He knew that this autopsy, a race against time, was only the first step in solving the case; subsequent evidence comparison and investigation would be key to uncovering the truth. But he was confident that, with precise autopsy findings and meticulous clue analysis, this crime hidden in the garbage dump would ultimately be illuminated by the sunlight of justice.

As soon as forensic pathologist Zhang Kai's autopsy report arrived at the Criminal Investigation Division, Zhang Hui, along with his team members Xiao Chen and Xiao Zhao, set off. According to the autopsy findings, the deceased was a male aged 35-45, approximately 173cm tall, who died in the early morning of seven days prior. He may have been wearing jewelry with silver metal fragments and may have recently been in contact with a construction site. These characteristics became the core basis for Zhang Hui's investigation, and the shops, residential areas, and construction sites surrounding the landfill naturally became the key areas of focus.

At 9 a.m., Zhang Hui and his group first arrived at "Old Wang's Grocery Store" on the east side of the garbage dump. The store owner, Wang Jianguo, was sitting at the entrance organizing goods. Seeing the three men in plainclothes, he greeted them warmly: "What would you like to buy? Cigarettes or drinks?" Zhang Hui showed his identification and said with a smile, "Mr. Wang, we're from the Criminal Investigation Division. We'd like to ask you something. Have you seen a man between 35 and 45 years old, about 1.7 meters tall, who frequently hangs around this area recently?"

Wang Jianguo put down the goods in his hand, frowned and recalled: "A middle-aged man about 1.7 meters tall... There are a lot of people coming and going around here, so I can't say for sure. But a while ago, a car mechanic often came to my place to buy cigarettes. He was about forty years old, about your height, and always bought Hongtashan cigarettes. Could he be the person you're looking for?"

"What's his name? Where does he get his car repaired?" Zhang Hui's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked. Wang Jianguo scratched his head: "I don't know his specific name, I only hear people call him 'Brother Hao.' His repair shop is in that alley to the west, called 'Brother Hao Auto Repair.' I haven't seen him for about a week."

Zhang Hui asked Xiao Chen to write down the location of "Brother Hao's Auto Repair" and continued, "Do you remember any of his characteristics? For example, what clothes he wore, or if he wore any jewelry?" Wang Jianguo thought for a moment and said, "He usually wore a blue work uniform, the sleeves of which were covered in grease. He wore a silver bracelet on his left wrist, and there seemed to be a small tag on it, but I couldn't see it clearly. Oh, and he stuttered a little. He was always in a hurry when he bought cigarettes, as if he was always rushing back to repair his car."

The blue overalls, silver bracelet, and disappearance a week prior—these characteristics closely matched the autopsy findings. Zhang Hui thanked Wang Jianguo and immediately led his team to the alley to the west. "Brother Hao's Auto Repair" was located in the middle of the alley. The storefront was small, the roller shutter door was tightly closed, and a yellowed "Repair Phone Number" note was pasted on the door. A thin layer of dust had accumulated on the glass door, indicating that it had indeed been closed for some time.

Zhang Hui tried dialing the phone on the door, but it was switched off. He knocked on the door of the shop next door, and Li Mei, the owner of "Sister Li's Noodle Shop," poked her head out: "Are you looking for Brother Hao? He hasn't been here for several days. I heard something happened to him?"

"Do you know what happened to him? Has anyone come looking for him recently?" Zhang Hui asked. Li Mei sighed, "I don't know the specifics. Last Wednesday night, I saw him repairing cars at the shop. A man in a black coat came in, said a few words to him at the door, and seemed unhappy. Then Hao-ge closed the door and left with him. I haven't seen him since."

"What are the characteristics of a man wearing a black coat? Do you remember?" Xiao Zhao quickly took notes. Li Mei shook her head: "It was dark so I couldn't see his face clearly, but I know he was quite tall, about 1.8 meters, and he walked very fast. It seemed like he was driving a white van, which was parked at the entrance of the alley. The van looked quite old."

A white minivan! Zhang Hui's heart tightened; this perfectly matched the description of the "white minivan" given by Li Baoku, the person who reported the incident at the garbage dump. "Who does Brother Hao usually associate with? Has he offended anyone?" Zhang Hui continued to press. Li Mei thought for a moment: "He's a pretty honest guy, but he's a bit stubborn. I think he had an argument with a construction boss a while ago, something about car repair fees. The boss accused him of overcharging and even threatened him."

"What's the name of the construction boss? Do you know?" Zhang Hui pressed. Li Mei shook her head: "I don't know his name. I've only seen him a few times. He always drives a black sedan to get his car repaired. He looks pretty fierce. I heard he works on a construction site to the east."

Leaving the noodle shop, Zhang Hui led his team to the construction site to the east. Inside the security room at the site entrance, Old Zhang, the security guard, was reading a newspaper. After Zhang Hui explained their purpose, Old Zhang put down his newspaper: "I know 'Brother Hao,' you mentioned. He often comes to the site to repair our construction vehicles. He's quite skilled, but his fees are a bit high. A while ago, our site's boss, Mr. Wang, did have a fight with him. Mr. Wang said he charged over a thousand yuan for repairs, which was ripping people off, and the two almost came to blows." (End of Chapter)