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

"What's Mr. Wang's name? Is he at the construction site now?" Zhang Hui asked. Old Zhang pointed to the office building at the construction site: "His name is Wang Hu. He should be in his office now. But he hasn't come to the construction site since last Thursday. I heard he went out of town."

Zhang Hui told Xiao Chen to stay at the construction site entrance and keep watch, while he and Xiao Zhao went to the office building to find Wang Hu. The office building was empty. The site manager told them, "Wang Hu said he had an emergency at home last Thursday morning and left. We haven't been able to contact him since, and his phone is switched off."

After leaving the construction site, Zhang Hui led his team back to "Brother Hao's Auto Repair" and contacted a locksmith to open the roller shutter door. The repair shop was in a mess, with tools and oil stains scattered on the floor. There was a half-empty bottle of mineral water on the workbench, and next to it was an ID card with the name "Zhang Hao," gender male, date of birth March 1985, and address in the residential area behind the auto repair shop. The person in the photo was wearing blue overalls, and sure enough, he was wearing a silver bracelet on his left wrist.

"It must be him!" Xiao Zhao said excitedly. "The information on the ID card matches exactly what we know about 'Brother Hao'." Zhang Hui picked up the ID card and looked at it carefully. The ID card was valid until 2030, so it seemed to be a document that had been in use recently. He rummaged through the drawer of the workbench and found an account book that recorded recent car repair records. The last entry was last Wednesday, with the customer column listed as "Wang Hu," the amount as 1200 yuan, and the note "unpaid."

Zhang Hui, carrying his ID card and ledger, went to the residential area behind the auto repair shop and found Zhang Hao's residence. The landlord, Grandpa Liu, opened the door, saw Zhang Hao's ID card, and sighed, "Haozi has had such a hard life. His parents passed away early, and he makes a living repairing cars. He's usually very filial, paying rent on time every month. Last Wednesday night, he told me he was going to collect a repair fee, and I haven't seen him since."

"Do you know whose car repair fee he went to collect? Did he say when he would be back?" Zhang Hui asked. Grandpa Liu thought for a moment and said, "It seems he went to collect money from a boss surnamed Wang. He also said that after collecting the money, he would come back to pack his things and go out of town. He didn't say when he would be back."

Zhang Hui asked Xiao Zhao to retrieve Zhang Hao's household registration information, confirming that he was 173cm tall and 38 years old, completely consistent with the autopsy findings. He then contacted Zhang Hao's only relative, his cousin Zhou Lan, who lived in a neighboring county. Zhou Lan rushed over immediately after receiving the call. Upon seeing Zhang Hao's ID card and account books, she couldn't help but cry: "I called him last Thursday, wanting him to come over for dinner, but his phone was off. I thought he was busy, but I never expected..."

"Do you know about his conflict with Wang Hu? Why won't Wang Hu pay for his car repairs?" Zhang Hui handed him a tissue and asked softly. Zhou Lan wiped away her tears: "Yes, I know. He told me that Wang Hu owes him repair fees several times, totaling almost five thousand yuan. Every time he asks for it back, Wang Hu refuses and threatens to make it impossible for him to get his car repaired if he asks again. Haozi has no choice but to keep putting it off. Last Wednesday, he told me that he absolutely has to get the money back, otherwise the shop will almost go out of business."

Combining all the clues—Wang Hu owing repair fees, threatening Zhang Hao, leaving with Zhang Hao, and then disappearing—and given the presence of a white van and Wang Hu's height of approximately 180cm, suspicion immediately rose. Zhang Hui immediately reported the situation to Lu Chuan: "Captain Lu, the deceased's identity has been confirmed. He is Zhang Hao, a 38-year-old auto mechanic, 173cm tall. He disappeared seven days ago after leaving with Wang Hu, a construction boss who owed him wages. Wang Hu is a prime suspect and is currently missing. His characteristics highly match those of the suspect."

Lu Chuan instructed over the phone: "Immediately launch a full investigation into Wang Hu, retrieve his call records and bank statements, search for his white van, and at the same time investigate his social connections to see if he has any other hideouts. We must find him as soon as possible!"

Zhang Hui hung up the phone, looking at the ID card in his hand. He knew that confirming the deceased's identity was only the first step; finding Wang Hu was the key to uncovering the truth behind Zhang Hao's death. He and his team returned to "Brother Hao's Auto Repair Shop" to carefully examine the scene, hoping to find more clues related to Wang Hu. In a corner of the repair shop, Xiao Chen found a cigarette butt, branded "Hongtashan," matching the brand of the cigarette butts found at the landfill.

“Send it to the technical department for testing to see if we can extract DNA,” Zhang Hui said, putting the cigarette butt into the evidence bag. “If it matches Wang Hu’s DNA, we can further confirm his connection to the case.”

As the sun set, Zhang Hui led his team back to the Criminal Investigation Division. Although Wang Hu had not yet been found, the confirmation of the deceased's identity gave the case a clear direction for investigation. Looking at the gradually darkening streets outside the window, he firmly believed that as long as they followed the lead of Wang Hu, they would eventually find the murderer who killed Zhang Hao and give the deceased and his family a just explanation.

Upon returning to the branch, Zhang Hui immediately compiled a report on Zhang Hao's identity information and Wang Hu's suspected involvement, simultaneously distributing it to the technical department, the surveillance investigation team, and the interview team. A comprehensive investigation into Wang Hu thus began. He knew that the work ahead would be even more arduous, but as long as he didn't give up, he would eventually expose the crimes hidden behind the garbage dump.

The next morning at 8 a.m., as soon as the door to the Criminal Investigation Division's conference room opened, the rich aroma of coffee mingled with the rustling of papers. On the long conference table, the case files for Zhang Hao were stacked according to categories such as "Autopsy Report," "Crime Scene Investigation," and "Identity Verification," each document with a colorful sticky note marking key information. Lu Chuan sat at the head of the table, his eyes bloodshot from staying up all night. His fingertips lightly tapped the table. Confirming the victim's identity was only the beginning; finding the missing Wang Hu and reconstructing the entire crime was the most fundamental explanation to the victim and his family.

"Everyone's here. Report in turn according to your assigned roles, starting with Zhang Kai. Explain the core findings of the autopsy thoroughly, especially the details that point to the modus operandi and the suspect." Lu Chuan's voice broke the silence. His gaze swept over Zhang Kai, Yang Lin, Zhang Hui, and the others present. Each of them had their notebooks open, pens poised to doodle.

Zhang Kai stood up and projected the autopsy report onto the screen. The red dot of the laser pointer landed on key data as he spoke: "The deceased, Zhang Hao, male, 38 years old, 173cm tall. Time of death determined through three dimensions is between 2 AM and 4 AM seven days ago. The first basis is the characteristics of decomposition: dark green skin all over the body, early signs of gigantism, a dendritic network of putrefied veins in the chest and abdomen, and the greenish tinge spreading from the lower right abdomen to the waist. Combined with the daytime temperature of 18°C ​​and the nighttime temperature of the landfill, it is estimated that the decomposition process has lasted for 6-8 days." (End of Chapter)