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

At five o'clock in the afternoon, the sun began to set, and golden sunlight streamed through the dormitory windows, casting long shadows on the ground. The body was carefully lifted onto a stretcher, covered with a white sheet, and sent to the Criminal Investigation Division. The onlookers gradually dispersed, but the discussions in the factory area did not cease. Lu Chuan stood at the door of the attic, watching his team members busily working. He knew that the key to this case of hiding a body was likely hidden inside the fertilizer plant—the person with the key, the missing worker, the logistics director who suddenly wanted to change the locks—each suspicious point was like a thread, and what he needed to do was to unravel these threads one by one and find the main rope that connected the truth.

Lu Chuan's gaze fell upon the distant production workshop. The deafening roar of the machines could not conceal the crimes hidden within this old dormitory building. "Pass the word down: have people stake out the dormitory building tonight, closely monitoring Zhang Jianguo and Li Dahai's movements. Also, retrieve the fertilizer plant's surveillance footage from the past month, focusing on the area near the dormitory entrance and the attic. We must find any suspicious clues."

As the sun set, police lights flashed again, illuminating the gates of the Shengli Fertilizer Plant. The investigation into this case of a body hidden in the attic had only just begun, and the cigarette butts, fibers, and cracked glass scattered at the scene would eventually become the keys to uncovering the truth, leaving the murderer hiding behind the fertilizer dust nowhere to hide.

At noon, Wang Shuai and his teammate Xiao Li arrived at Room 402 of Building 3—Li Dahai's residence. The door was locked, and Wang Shuai knocked for a long time, but no one answered. Hearing the noise, the neighbor poked his head out: "Are you looking for Li Dahai? He hasn't been back for several days. A few days ago, two fierce-looking men came and banged on the door, saying they were here to collect a debt."

"When was the last time you saw Li Dahai? Did he say where he was going?" Wang Shuai asked.

"About a week ago, I came home from get off work one evening and saw him walking away hurriedly with a bag on his back. I greeted him, but he ignored me. Later, I heard from the owner of the convenience store downstairs that he owed money to loan sharks, and they gave him three days to pay it back or they would break his arm." The resident lowered his voice, his tone tinged with fear.

Wang Shuai asked Xiao Li to contact a locksmith to open Li Dahai's door. The room was a mess; clothes were scattered all over the floor, several empty beer bottles sat on the table, and a pile of debt collection notices lay in the corner. The top one read, "You have three days to pay off your debt of 50,000 yuan, or you will bear the consequences," signed "Brother Long." Wang Shuai rummaged through the drawers and found several of Li Dahai's bank cards and ID card, as well as a notebook filled with densely packed debt figures. The last page read, "Go south and hide for a while, then come back when things calm down," the handwriting messy, as if hastily written.

"It seems Li Dahai went to hide from loan sharks, not that he's dead," Xiao Li said, looking at his notebook.

Wang Shuai, however, did not relax: "Don't rush to conclusions. Let's ask the shop owner and 'Brother Long' who lent him money at high interest rates to see if we can find his whereabouts and confirm his safety."

The owner of the small shop at the factory gate was a woman in her fifties. Speaking of Li Dahai, she shook her head: "That kid is too impulsive. Last year he lost money gambling and borrowed money from loan sharks. The interest kept piling up. Last Wednesday night, he came to my shop and bought two cases of instant noodles and a few bottles of water. He said he was going on a long trip. I asked him where he was going, and he said, 'To Guangzhou, to see my fellow townsman.' Not long after, two men came and asked him where he was. I didn't dare to tell them."

"Do you know who 'Brother Long' is? Where can I find him?" Wang Shuai asked.

"'Brother Long' seems to run a casino in town, but I don't know his exact name. I heard he's very fierce," the woman said in a low voice. "Don't tell anyone I told you that."

At 2 PM, Wang Shuai and Xiao Li arrived at the "Xinglong Chess and Card Room" in town—supposedly "Brother Long's" hideout. The room was filled with smoke, and several men were playing cards around a table. Seeing Wang Shuai and his group enter in plainclothes, a bald man looked up, his eyes wary: "Who are you looking for?"

“We’re looking for ‘Brother Long.’ We’re Li Dahai’s friends, and we’re here to talk to him about repayment,” Wang Shuai said.

The bald man sized Wang Shuai up and down, then called out into the inner room, "Brother Long, someone's looking for you." A man in his forties emerged from the inner room, wearing a black T-shirt and a gold chain around his neck, exactly the build of the "man in the black jacket" Xiao Zhang had described. "I'm Brother Long. What's your relationship to Li Dahai? When is he going to pay me back the money he owes me?" Brother Long's voice was hoarse and impatient.

Wang Shuai showed his badge: "We're from the Criminal Investigation Division. We need to know about Li Dahai. He owes you money. Have you sent anyone to look for him? Or threatened him?"

Brother Long's expression changed, and he quickly waved his hands: "Officer, I'm just a mahjong parlor owner, and my loan sharking is small-time stuff. How could I dare to threaten him? I only sent my underlings to his place to collect the debt, but I didn't lay a hand on him, really! He owes me 5 yuan. Last Wednesday, I sent my underlings to collect it, but he had already run away. I'm still looking for him!"

"Last Wednesday night, did you go to Building No. 3 of Shengli Fertilizer Plant?" Wang Shuai stared into Brother Long's eyes.

"Yes, I heard he might go back to get something, so I drove over to check, but I couldn't find him, so I left." Brother Long confessed honestly, "My car was an old Jetta, black, just like you said, but I really didn't harm him, he just hid!"

Wang Shuai instructed Xiao Li to verify Long Ge's whereabouts, confirming that he had indeed only gone to Li Dahai's residence to look for someone last Wednesday night and had not entered the attic of Building 3. "If you have any news about Li Dahai, contact us immediately. Do not contact him privately, or you will be treated as a criminal for harboring a criminal," Wang Shuai warned.

Leaving the card room, Xiao Li breathed a sigh of relief: "It seems Li Dahai really is hiding and has nothing to do with the murder case. Could the deceased be Zhang Jianguo?"

“It’s very likely. Let’s go to Jianguo Village to find Zhang Jianguo now.” Wang Shuai started the car and drove towards Jianguo Village.

Jianguo Village is located just west of the fertilizer plant, and it consists entirely of low, single-story houses. Following the address provided by Zhou Guanglin, Wang Shuai found Zhang Jianguo's house. The gate was ajar. Wang Shuai pushed it open; the yard was overgrown with weeds, and several damp clothes hung on the clothesline, looking like they hadn't been cleaned for days. "Is anyone home? Is Zhang Jianguo home?" Wang Shuai called out twice, but there was no answer.

Hearing the noise, Aunt Zhang from next door came over: "Are you looking for Jianguo? He's sick and lying at home. He hasn't left the house for several days. I even brought him a bowl of porridge yesterday."

"What's wrong with him? What's his illness?" Wang Shuai asked hurriedly.

“He had an asthma attack and a fever. Last Thursday night, I heard him coughing badly. I knocked on his door but he didn't respond. Later, I called a locksmith to open the door and found him lying unconscious on the bed. I quickly called an ambulance and took him to the hospital. He was only discharged yesterday and came home.” Aunt Zhang said, pointing towards the main room. “He should be sleeping inside now; he's very weak.” (End of Chapter)