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

At the case summary meeting, Lu Chuan highly praised the entire investigation: "This case was very difficult to solve. The victim's identity was unknown, the suspect had strong counter-investigation awareness, and there were very few clues left at the scene. But everyone persevered. Through meticulous scene investigation, comprehensive interviews and investigations, and in-depth technical analysis, we gradually identified the suspect and finally solved the case. This fully demonstrates the excellent work style of our criminal investigation team—not afraid of difficulties and fighting continuously. I hope everyone will continue to maintain this spirit and contribute to maintaining social security and stability in our city."

The team members expressed their determination to use the successful resolution of this case as an opportunity to learn from their experience, improve their shortcomings, and work more diligently and responsibly in the future to solve more cases and protect the lives and property of the people. Sunlight streamed through the conference room windows, illuminating the resolute smiles on everyone's faces. They knew that as long as they held fast to their commitment to justice, they could overcome any difficulty. This case would become an unforgettable experience in their criminal investigation career, inspiring them to continue moving forward.

Less than half a month after Zhou Ming's case was closed, the Criminal Investigation Detachment received another report.

At 6:40 a.m., the alarm of the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment shattered the tranquility of the city. The operator received a call from Qin Jianzhong, a security guard at the Dongfang Logistics Park, reporting the discovery of an unidentified body in an abandoned factory building on the west side of the park, emitting a strong stench. Upon receiving the report, Detachment Captain Lu Chuan immediately led the investigation team, forensic team, and detectives to the scene, while also notifying the technical department to bring specialized forensic equipment.

The Dongfang Logistics Park is located in the northeast of the city, covering a vast area. The park is divided into warehousing, loading and unloading, office, and idle factory areas. The idle factory area on the west side, due to its age and remote location, is unused year-round and only serves as a temporary storage area for abandoned equipment. At 7:15 AM, the survey convoy arrived at the logistics park gate. Security guard Qin Jianzhong was already waiting at the entrance, looking flustered and constantly rubbing his hands. Upon seeing Lu Chuan and the others, he quickly stepped forward to lead the way: "Captain Lu, it's in the innermost factory building. When I patrolled there, I smelled a stench, went in, and found it…it's terrifying!"

Lu Chuan reassured Qin Jianzhong for a moment, then deployed the work at the scene: "Yang Lin and Yang Sen, you lead the investigation team to conduct the on-site investigation. Strictly follow the principles of 'from far to near, from outside to inside, and from static to dynamic,' conduct a comprehensive and meticulous investigation, focusing on extracting physical evidence such as footprints, fingerprints, and fibers, leaving no blind spots. The forensic team will immediately conduct a preliminary examination of the body to determine the cause of death, time of death, and basic characteristics of the deceased. Other team members will cordon off the scene, prohibiting unauthorized personnel from entering, and at the same time conduct door-to-door inquiries and investigations of people around and within the logistics park."

"Understood!" Yang Lin and Yang Sen responded in unison. Both were key members of the detachment's investigation section. Yang Lin was meticulous and skilled in evidence extraction and scene reconstruction, while Yang Sen was experienced and had unique insights into footprint and trace analysis. Upon receiving the order, the two quickly donned their investigation suits, shoe covers, gloves, masks, and other protective gear. They then took the investigation kit, footprint light, brush, tweezers, evidence bags, and other equipment handed to them by the technical section and headed towards the idle factory area on the west side.

From the logistics park gate to the idle factory area on the west side, one must pass through a spacious loading and unloading area and a row of abandoned warehouses. Yang Lin and Yang Sen walked along, observing their surroundings. The loading and unloading area was made of cement, covered with a thin layer of dust due to long-term disuse, and scattered with some discarded wooden boards, wires, and cardboard boxes. "Yang Sen, pay attention to the ground along the way, look for any suspicious footprints, vehicle tracks, or drag marks," Yang Lin reminded them, while taking out his camera to photograph the surrounding environment.

Yang Sen nodded, turned on the footprint light, and bent down to carefully search both sides of the road. The bright light moved across the ground, revealing many messy footprints on the dust-covered cement. However, most of them were left by security guards and previous park staff; the footprint patterns were blurry and scattered, making it impossible to determine their relevance to the case at this time. "Currently, no obvious fresh footprints or drag marks have been found along the way. It's highly likely that the perpetrator entered the factory directly or cleaned up the traces along the way," Yang Sen said as he searched.

The two walked along the road for about two hundred meters and arrived at the abandoned factory area on the west side. This area consisted of five interconnected factory buildings, all single-story brick-and-mortar structures with mottled walls, mostly broken windows with shards of glass scattered everywhere, and factory doors either missing or ajar. The most foul-smelling building was the fifth one on the northernmost side; its door hung askew on the hinges, the door panel covered in rust and dust, and there were a few withered weeds and pebbles on the ground in front of it.

"Let's survey the outside of the factory first, then go inside," Yang Lin said, stopping in his tracks. The two first conducted a thorough survey of the area within a ten-meter radius of the factory. To the west of the factory was a wasteland overgrown with waist-high weeds. The ground was soil, and because it had rained lightly a couple of days ago, the soil was quite moist, making it easy to leave footprints. Yang Sen, holding a footprint lamp, carefully parted the weeds and examined the ground closely: "Yang Lin, look here."

Hearing the sound, Yang Lin walked over and looked in the direction Yang Sen was pointing. He saw two relatively clear footprints in the weeds. The footprints were from men's leather shoes, with a checkered pattern on the soles. The shoe size was approximately 42. The edges of the footprints were relatively intact, and the depth was even, indicating they were fresh footprints, formed no more than 24 hours ago. "Extract them and mark the locations," Yang Lin said, then took out an evidence label and marked the footprints. He also took photos of the footprints from different angles. Yang Sen then took out plaster powder and a footprint extraction box, carefully sprinkling the plaster powder onto the footprints, spreading it evenly. After the plaster solidified, he completely extracted the footprint model and placed it in an evidence bag.

After retrieving the footprints from the weeds, the two then examined the outer areas to the north, east, and south of the factory. The north side, near the wall, had scattered scrap steel bars and cement blocks, but no suspicious footprints or traces were found. The east side, adjacent to the fourth factory building, had a narrow gap between the two buildings, only wide enough for one person to pass through, filled with dust and debris; similarly, no valuable clues were found. The south side had a cement floor connected to the loading and unloading area; the footprints on the ground were messy but consistent with those found along the way, with no fresh footprints or unusual traces. (End of Chapter)