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

Wang Shuai immediately arranged for his team to take action. One team followed Pang Yun's delivery route—the only way from the machinery factory to the suburban hardware market—checking shops, surveillance cameras, and residents along the way to find witnesses. The second team investigated Zhao Weiguo's bank statements and call records to verify his whereabouts five nights ago. The third team continued to visit Pang Yun's colleagues and neighbors to uncover more clues about interpersonal relationships.

In the evening, a team of officers discovered a crucial clue in the surveillance footage of a convenience store next to their delivery route: five days earlier at 2 p.m., Pang Yun drove a forklift to the convenience store, stopped in front of it, got out and bought a bottle of water. At the time, he was accompanied by a man wearing a black hoodie. The two stood at the convenience store entrance and chatted for a few words. The man was wearing a mask and hat, so his face could not be seen, but his height and build matched the previously speculated characteristics of the suspect—around 170 centimeters tall and of medium build.

"This man in the black hoodie is very suspicious!" Wang Shuai looked at the surveillance screenshot. "Why would Pang Yun bring a stranger along on his delivery? What is their relationship? This man could very well be Pang Yun's murderer!"

The team immediately expanded their surveillance coverage to try and track the two men's movements after they left the convenience store. However, the latter part of the delivery route consisted mostly of suburban roads without surveillance coverage, and the trail went cold. Nevertheless, the convenience store owner provided crucial information: "The man in the hoodie seemed to be coughing very badly, his voice was hoarse, and he told Pang Yun, 'Meet me at the usual place tonight, let's talk about wages.' Pang Yun's expression turned sour after hearing this; he seemed reluctant to go."

"Meet at the usual place, let's talk about wages?" Wang Shuai's eyes lit up. "This could very well be the murderer's excuse to meet Pang Yun! Considering Pang Yun's previous argument with Zhao Weiguo about wages, could this 'usual place' be the meeting place Zhao Weiguo and Pang Yun had agreed to meet before? Or perhaps a place Pang Yun frequents?"

He immediately arranged for his team to investigate Pang Yun's whereabouts and search for his usual haunts. At the same time, he interrogated Zhao Weiguo again, asking if he had arranged to meet Pang Yun five days prior to discuss wages. Faced with surveillance footage and the convenience store owner's testimony, Zhao Weiguo finally confessed: "I did arrange to meet Pang Yun at 8 PM five days ago in an open area near the abandoned fertilizer plant in the southern suburbs to discuss wages, but when I arrived I didn't see him. I waited for half an hour and then he left. I thought he hadn't come..."

An open space near the abandoned fertilizer plant! Wang Shuai immediately led his team there, the very spot where they had previously discovered the "source of the brown soil." The team carefully searched the area and quickly found a size 42 work shoe print in a patch of grass. The print had a diamond pattern, perfectly matching the shoe print found in the warehouse of the South Suburb Logistics Park! Furthermore, they found a "Hongtashan" cigarette butt in the grass, the teeth marks on the filter matching the characteristics of the cigarette butts found in the warehouse.

"This is very likely the primary crime scene!" Wang Shuai said excitedly. "Pang Yun came here to meet Zhao Weiguo as agreed, but encountered the murderer and was strangled to death. Afterward, the murderer used a handcart to move the body to the logistics park warehouse! Now we need to confirm whether Zhao Weiguo is the man in the black hoodie, or whether he knows the murderer's identity!"

The team members immediately retrieved surveillance footage from the vicinity of the abandoned fertilizer plant. Although they did not directly capture Zhao Weiguo, at 7:5 p.m. five days earlier, the surveillance footage showed a black sedan driving from the direction of the fertilizer plant toward the logistics park. The license plate was obscured, but the car model was highly similar to Zhao Weiguo's black Volkswagen sedan.

"Zhao Weiguo is becoming increasingly suspicious!" Wang Shuai immediately reported to Lu Chuan. "We now have evidence such as surveillance screenshots, shoe prints, and cigarette butts. Although we cannot directly prove that Zhao Weiguo is the murderer, he is a prime suspect. We suggest that we immediately conduct further questioning of him and search his residence and vehicle!"

On the other end of the phone, Lu Chuan decisively ordered: "Immediately take coercive measures against Zhao Weiguo, search his residence and vehicle, and make sure to find more evidence! At the same time, speed up the DNA testing of cigarette butts to see if they match Zhao Weiguo!"

Night fell again, and Wang Shuai led his team to Zhao Weiguo's residence, summoning him to the Criminal Investigation Division in accordance with the law. In the interrogation room, Zhao Weiguo, facing mounting evidence, was pale and his eyes darted around; an interrogation was about to begin. Meanwhile, in the technical department, DNA testing of cigarette butts was underway, everyone awaiting the emergence of crucial evidence, hoping to uncover the truth behind Pang Yun's death and bring the murderer to justice as soon as possible.

Standing outside the interrogation room, Wang Shuai looked at Zhao Weiguo inside. He knew that although they had gathered many clues, more evidence was needed to thoroughly investigate the case. However, with the confirmation of the deceased's identity and the gradual unraveling of interpersonal relationships, the case was seeing a glimmer of hope. He firmly believed that as long as they continued to follow the clues, the truth would eventually come to light, giving Pang Yun's family a just explanation.

The interrogation room of the Criminal Investigation Detachment was brightly lit, casting a stark white light that made the walls appear as cold as iron. Zhao Weiguo sat in the interrogation chair, his hands folded on his knees. His dark blue suit jacket was still slightly dusty—he had hastily put it on when he was summoned from home. He kept his head slightly lowered, his gaze fixed on the grout lines in the floor tiles, but he would occasionally steal glances at Wang Shuai and the recorder, Xiao Li, from the corner of his eye, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.

Wang Shuai pushed a glass of warm water towards Zhao Weiguo. The bottom of the glass made a soft "tap" as it hit the table, a sound that was particularly clear in the silent interrogation room. "Mr. Zhao, we've called you here today to find out what happened to you five days ago at 8 PM in the open area near the abandoned fertilizer plant in the southern suburbs." Wang Shuai's voice was calm but carried an undeniable force. "You said you went to the open area but didn't see Pang Yun, and left after waiting for half an hour. Is that true?"

Zhao Weiguo picked up his water glass, his fingers trembling slightly, the water rippling in the glass. He took a sip, trying to hide his panic: "Yes...yes, I arrived there on time, waited for ages but didn't see anyone, so I thought Pang Yun was playing a trick on me and came back. Officer, I really didn't lie, Pang Yun's death has nothing to do with me!" His voice rose a few decibels, but he avoided Wang Shuai's gaze, instead turning to the camera in the corner of the interrogation room, as if seeking non-existent protection.

"You're not lying?" Wang Shuai picked up the surveillance screenshot on the table and pushed it in front of Zhao Weiguo—the screenshot showed that five days ago at 7:5 pm, a black Volkswagen sedan was driving from the abandoned fertilizer plant towards the logistics park. The license plate was covered by black tape, and the car model was exactly the same as Zhao Weiguo's. "This car is yours, isn't it? We checked the vehicle registration records; it's within 3 kilometers of the South Suburb Logistics Park." (End of Chapter)