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

This news shattered Wang Shuai's newly ignited hope. He then contacted the local police station to retrieve surveillance footage from the main roads surrounding the unfinished building. The result was that only one main road around the unfinished building had surveillance cameras, but the cameras could only capture the center of the main road and could not capture the entrance to the small road leading to the unfinished building, nor could they identify the license plate numbers of passing vehicles, let alone the faces of the people inside the vehicles.

At 9 p.m., it was completely dark when Wang Shuai led his team back to the Criminal Investigation Detachment. Rubbing his aching shoulders, he reported to Lu Chuan, holding the visit log: “Team Leader Lu, we visited the small shops, villages, rental properties, and real estate agencies around the unfinished building. So far, we've only obtained two scattered leads: First, a scavenger confirmed that there was indeed a 40-50 year old scavenger wearing a gray coat who appeared at the unfinished building the day before yesterday morning, but hasn't been seen since. We don't know his identity or address. Second, the surrounding villagers and shop owners haven't seen the man in the black hoodie or the suspicious old black car. The surveillance cameras on the north side of the community are broken, and the main road cameras can't capture any useful information.”

"Is the deceased still unidentified? Have you found any scavengers who might know him?" Lu Chuan asked, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. Wang Shuai shook his head, a hint of helplessness in his voice: "Scavengers are too mobile; most don't know each other, nor do they know each other's names or addresses. Even if they've seen the deceased, they can't provide any more information. We've sent the deceased's features and photograph (a sketch drawn based on the investigation description) to the surrounding police stations and shelters for their help in identification, but there's been no feedback yet."

"What about the clues about the 'man in the black hoodie' and the 'old black sedan'? No progress at all?" Lu Chuan pressed. Wang Shuai sighed, "No. There are no surveillance cameras around the alley east of the unfinished building, and the villagers haven't seen any suspicious people; the features of the old black sedan are too vague—no license plate number or model—making it impossible to investigate. The suspect seems to have deliberately chosen blind spots in the surveillance and sparsely populated routes; he has a strong counter-surveillance awareness."

Lu Chuan paused for a moment, looking at the visit records on the table, and said, "Although there are no major clues, we have at least confirmed that the deceased may have been a scavenger who frequented unfinished buildings, which narrows down the scope of the identity investigation. Next, you will continue to lead the team to visit the surrounding shelters, scrap metal recycling stations, and more scavenger gathering places, especially those scavengers who frequent the Huijia Garden area. We must find someone who knows the deceased. At the same time, contact the transportation department to see if we can find a vehicle matching the characteristics of the 'black old sedan' through traffic surveillance in the surrounding area, even if it's just a vague clue."

“Okay, Captain Lu, we’ll go to the rescue station and the scrap metal recycling station to investigate first thing tomorrow morning.” Wang Shuai nodded. Although he was a little anxious, he understood that investigations required patience, especially when dealing with a highly mobile group like scavengers with scattered information. He needed to proceed step by step.

Leaving Lu Chuan's office, Wang Shuai looked out at the night sky and made a silent resolution—no matter how difficult, he had to find someone who knew the deceased and ascertain his identity. Only in this way could he follow the deceased's social connections to find his killer. He took out his phone and sent a message to his team: "Meet at 7 a.m. tomorrow. First, we'll go to the East City Rescue Station, then to the nearby scrap metal recycling stations. Everyone, get some rest and be well-rested."

Soon, the team members replied, "Received." Wang Shuai put down his phone, rubbed his eyes, and although the day's visits hadn't uncovered any major clues, he knew that every visit was accumulating information for the case. As long as they didn't give up, they would eventually find a breakthrough and expose the murderer hiding in the shadows. Meanwhile, at the foot of Building 3 in the unfinished Huijia Garden complex, the police tape still fluttered in the wind, as if silently awaiting the truth.

Meanwhile, at the scene, at 7 p.m., it was completely dark in the Huijiayuan unfinished building area. Temporary searchlights illuminated the area around Building 3 as if it were daytime, the light filtering through the empty windows and casting dappled shadows on the dusty walls. Lu Chuan stood outside the cordon, watching the direction Wang Shuai's team was searching in the distance, his brow furrowed. So far, the searches had yielded no breakthroughs, making the on-site investigation crucial to solving the case. He picked up the walkie-talkie and dialed Yang Lin's channel: "Yang Lin, Wang Shuai's search hasn't found any major leads yet. You and Yang Sen shouldn't limit your search to the location where the body was found on the third floor of Building 3. Expand the search to the entire unfinished building complex, especially the stairwells and open spaces of Buildings 1-5, as well as the surrounding temporary construction roads. Carefully check for tire tracks, leftover fibers, scattered items, and other traces. Be meticulous; don't overlook any details."

Yang Lin responded clearly from the other end of the walkie-talkie: "Received, Captain Lu! We'll expand the search area now with the equipment, focusing on tire tracks and traces. We'll report any findings immediately."

After hanging up the walkie-talkie, Yang Lin and Yang Sen reorganized their investigation equipment—a high-intensity investigation light, a footprint measuring ruler, an electrostatic adsorber, a fiber extraction clip, and a sealed bag for physical evidence. The two put on new gloves and shoe covers, took their searchlights, and set off from Building No. 3, proceeding to investigate each building along the temporary construction road in the unfinished building complex.

“Let’s start with Building 1 and check clockwise. We need to check every stairwell and every empty room on every floor, especially the ground and corners. Look for any marks covered in dust,” Yang Lin said to Yang Sen as they walked. The beam of the searchlight moved slowly across the ground, illuminating the scattered bricks and steel bars. “We only checked three floors of Building 3 before, which was too small. If the suspect transported the body by car, he would definitely have left tire tracks in the community; if he dragged the body, he might have left fibers or hair. Expanding the search area might lead to new discoveries.”

Yang Sen nodded, slowly moving the electrostatic adsorber close to the ground in his hand: "I agree. The ground in the unfinished building complex is full of gravel and dust, and tire tracks are easily covered up. But if the suspect has been here, the tire treads will definitely leave traces in the dust. If you look carefully, you should be able to find them. Moreover, the gray coat the deceased was wearing looks to be made of cotton. This type of material is prone to shedding fibers. If the suspect has been in contact with the body, he may have left fiber traces at the scene."

The two entered Building 1. The corridor was pitch black, illuminated only by the beam of a searchlight. The stairs were not fully completed, with exposed rebar in some areas. Yang Lin, supporting himself against the wall, climbed the stairs step by step. The searchlight beam swept across the ground: "Look here, there are a few blurry footprints on the ground, like sneakers, but the patterns are too shallow and heavily covered by dust, making it impossible to extract any features. They were probably left by a scavenger and are of little value." (End of Chapter)