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

He sighed and continued, "The area around the unfinished building is mostly farmland and undeveloped areas, with extremely low surveillance coverage. The only surveillance cameras on the main roads cannot capture the interior of the unfinished building and the surrounding side streets, making it impossible to track the black car's route. Furthermore, the scavengers and villagers are highly mobile and have vague memories, so the clues they provide are scattered and cannot form an effective breakthrough for the time being."

After the report, a brief silence fell over the meeting room as everyone sorted through the information at their disposal, trying to piece together fragmented clues into a complete case outline. Lu Chuan's fingers tapped the table more rapidly. After a moment, he looked up, his gaze sweeping over everyone: "The core clue to the case is now clear—the deceased, Tian Zheng, a pork vendor, was murdered on Tuesday night after going out to 'meet a friend.' The suspect drove an old black sedan and dumped his body at the unfinished Huijia Garden building. The cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation. The suspect and Tian Zheng may have known each other and had some conflict or interest. Based on the information you all have, let's discuss where the investigation should focus next."

Yang Lin spoke first: "I think we should prioritize comparing the vehicle models based on the tire tracks. Once the vehicle model is determined, we can narrow down the search for the old black sedan. We can also check Tian Zheng's social connections to see if any of his friends, colleagues, or creditors own that model. At the same time, we should expedite the tracing of the source of the black polyester fiber to determine the type of clothing that corresponds to the fiber, and further pinpoint the suspect's identity."

Zhang Kai nodded in agreement: "I agree with Yang Lin's point of view. In addition, we can check Tian Zheng's mobile phone call records and financial transactions, focusing on the callers and financial transactions around Tuesday night, to see if there are any unusual contacts or transfer records. Perhaps we can find clues about the 'friend' he wants to meet. At the same time, we can search Tian Zheng's residence to see if there are any letters, diaries or other items left behind, to understand his recent interpersonal relationships and potential conflicts."

Zhang Hui focused on investigating social relationships: "I suggest we split into two groups. One group should go deep into the Chengdong vegetable market to investigate in detail the competitive conflicts between Tian Zheng and his peers, especially those vendors who have had intense conflicts recently. At the same time, we should verify Zhao Lei's repayment status and whereabouts on Tuesday night to confirm whether he is a suspect. The other group should investigate the 'friend he met on Tuesday night,' visiting Tian Zheng's family, neighbors, and regular customers to collect clues about this 'friend,' such as gender, age, occupation, and whether he has business dealings with Tian Zheng."

Wang Shuai added, "We can expand the scope of our surveillance investigation and retrieve surveillance footage from all main roads and intersections within a 3-kilometer radius of the Huijiayuan unfinished building from 6 p.m. on Tuesday to 2 a.m. on Wednesday. We should focus on finding the black old sedan, tracking its driving route, and determining where the suspect got in and out of the car. This might lead us to clues about the first crime scene. At the same time, we can revisit the scavengers and villagers around the unfinished building and, in conjunction with Tian Zheng's photo, see if anyone saw him near the unfinished building on Tuesday night or with other people."

Everyone shared their opinions, and the discussion in the meeting room grew increasingly heated. The initially scattered clues gradually coalesced into a clear direction for the investigation. Lu Chuan listened attentively to everyone's suggestions, occasionally jotting down key information in his notebook. After everyone had finished speaking, he stood up and summarized firmly: "Based on everyone's suggestions, the next phase of the investigation will proceed in four directions: First, the technical department will expedite the comparison of tire tracks and vehicle models, and trace the source of the black polyester fiber; results must be available within 24 hours. Second, Zhang Hui will lead a team to investigate social relationships, focusing on Zhao Lei and the 'mysterious friend,' while also verifying Tian Zheng's phone calls and financial transactions. Third, Wang Shuai will lead a team to expand the scope of surveillance investigation, track the trajectory of the old black sedan, and revisit nearby individuals. Fourth, Yang Lin and Zhang Kai will cooperate with each group, providing technical support for crime scene investigation and autopsy, and resolving any technical issues that arise during the investigation."

He paused, his gaze sharpening further: "Tian Zheng's case is heinous, and the suspect is highly adept at counter-surveillance. We must race against time to find the suspect as soon as possible and give the victim's family and society an explanation. All teams must cooperate closely, share information, and report any progress immediately. No omissions or delays are allowed!"

"Yes!" everyone responded in unison, their voices firm and strong, their tired faces instantly filled with energy.

After the meeting, each group immediately sprang into action—Zhang Hui led his team straight to the Chengdong vegetable market, Wang Shuai went to the technical department to retrieve surveillance data, and Yang Lin and Zhang Kai stayed at the branch office, ready to provide technical support at any time. On the large screen in the conference room, Tian Zheng's photo and case clues were still clearly visible, as if silently urging everyone to uncover the truth as soon as possible and bring justice. Sunlight streamed into the conference room through the windows, dispelling the fatigue of the night and illuminating the path forward in the case investigation. Everyone firmly believed that with their joint efforts, the murderer hiding in the darkness would soon be exposed.

At 10 a.m. on Thursday, Wang Shuai and two team members sat in the monitoring and analysis room of the technical department. Multiple screens in front of them simultaneously displayed surveillance footage of the main roads within a 3-kilometer radius of the unfinished Huijiayuan building. Following the direction determined at the case analysis meeting, they needed to find the old black sedan whose tire tracks matched those at the unfinished building site from the massive amount of surveillance data collected between 6 p.m. Tuesday and 2 a.m. Wednesday, and trace its driving route.

"Everyone, keep a close eye on black cars, especially those that are older and resemble small cars or SUVs. Once you spot a suspicious vehicle, immediately mark the time and location and link them to the surrounding surveillance footage," Wang Shuai said to his team while watching the screen. His fingers flew across the keyboard, playing the surveillance footage at double speed, but his eyes remained glued to the camera—every black car that passed by could be a crucial clue.

Time ticked by, and the traffic on the screen kept flowing by. The team members kept their eyes glued to the screen, afraid of missing their target. Then, at 12:30 pm, team member Xiao Chen suddenly pointed to one of the screens and exclaimed, "Hey! Look at this car! It was on Tuesday evening at 7:15 pm, heading from the direction of the Chengdong vegetable market towards the Huijiayuan unfinished building. It's black, looks a bit old, and the model looks like an older Volkswagen Lavida, which matches the 'small sedan' type predicted from the tire tracks!"

Wang Shuai immediately leaned over, paused and zoomed in on the surveillance footage: "That's right! The car's body lines and wheel style do match the characteristics of the older Volkswagen Lavida, and there are several obvious scratches on the body, which matches the description of 'used car.' Quickly check the car's license plate number!" (End of this chapter)