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

He was cautious and unwilling to talk much. His height and build matched the suspect's description, but because the man covered his face, his appearance could not be seen clearly, and he did not leave any contact information, making it impossible to further verify his identity. "He was just selling ordinary scrap metal, nothing special. I didn't pay much attention at the time, but now that I think about it, it is indeed a bit strange," the person in charge recalled.

Wang Shuai immediately conducted an on-site investigation of the scrap metal recycling station, collecting fingerprints and traces from items such as the weighing equipment and counters that the man might have touched. These were handed over to the technical department for comparison. However, the technical department reported that because the items had been handled by multiple people, the fingerprints and traces were messy and could not be used to extract valid suspicious samples, making it impossible to compare them with the fingerprints of the suspect collected at the scene. This only suspected lead was ultimately cut off.

By the end of the investigation, Wang Shuai and his team had visited 5 villages, 213 households, and 47 businesses and shops. They retrieved 36 surveillance videos totaling over 200 hours, identified 58 eligible male villagers and employees, and collected 12 leads from the public. Ultimately, they only confirmed the suspect's general clothing and walking style, as well as a black car without license plates that appeared to be related. They found no clues about the missing persons, could not identify the suspect or determine his hiding place, and did not obtain any key leads that could advance the case investigation.

At 7 p.m., Wang Shuai led his team back to the Criminal Investigation Detachment and reported the investigation results to Lu Chuan. He said sincerely, "Captain Lu, after two days of comprehensive investigation, no one is missing in the five villages surrounding the logistics park, nor are there any missing persons matching the deceased's physical characteristics or occupation. After reviewing the surveillance footage, we only confirmed some characteristics of the suspect and a black sedan that was suspected to be related, but due to the blurry footage and lack of license plates, we cannot track the suspect or the vehicle's trajectory. The interviews with the public and the search of shops have also not made any breakthroughs. We only found a strange man who resembles the suspect at the scrap metal recycling station, but we cannot verify his identity."

Wang Shuai further added, "Based on the current investigation, it is unlikely that people from the surrounding villages committed the crime. The suspect is most likely not a local villager, but an outsider who is familiar with the logistics park and its surroundings. He may have worked in the area before, or he may have scouted the location and planned his route in advance. Because the suspect has strong counter-surveillance awareness, covering his face, using an unlicensed vehicle, choosing an area without surveillance cameras, and leaving no clear identification information, it will be extremely difficult to further identify the suspect through surveillance and interviews in the surrounding area. The effectiveness of subsequent investigations may be limited."

After listening to the report, Lu Chuan's expression turned serious. He nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Commander Wang. I know you have done your best. Although the investigation in the surrounding area has not made any breakthroughs, it has ruled out the possibility of people from the surrounding villages committing the crime, narrowed the scope of the investigation, and provided a basis for subsequent work." He then convened an emergency investigation meeting with Yang Lin, Yang Sen, Zhang Kai, and the heads of each group to summarize all the work progress and adjust the investigation strategy.

At the meeting, each group reported on their work: the on-site investigation group is still conducting in-depth analysis of the collected physical evidence and has not found any new clues; the forensic group has completed toxicology testing and histopathological examination, ruling out the possibility of death by poisoning and disease, and further confirmed the time of death and the method of the crime, but still cannot determine the identity of the deceased; the technical department's fingerprint and DNA comparison still has no results, and the fiber and button samples cannot be pinpointed to their specific sources; Wang Shuai's group's investigation and review of the surrounding area and surveillance footage have only improved some of the suspect's characteristics and have not made any substantial breakthroughs.

"The investigation is currently at a bottleneck. The victim's identity is unknown, the suspect's whereabouts are difficult to trace, and the existing clues cannot form a complete chain," Lu Chuan summarized, his tone heavy. "But we cannot give up. We need to adjust the direction of the investigation: First, expand the scope of the missing persons search from surrounding villages to all men aged 34 to 36 working in the heavy metal industry throughout the city. We must compare dental characteristics and DNA samples one by one to determine the victim's identity as soon as possible. Second, focus on tracking the unlicensed black sedan, checking used car markets, repair shops, and parking lots throughout the city to find the vehicle. Third, increase nighttime patrols in and around the logistics park, checking abandoned factories, warehouses, and other hidden places to find tools used in the crime and items left behind by the suspect. Fourth, continue to mobilize the public to provide clues, issue notices for assistance through the media, publish the victim's physical characteristics and the suspect's information, and use social forces to advance the case's resolution."

"Understood!" the investigators responded in unison. Despite the numerous difficulties they faced, each of them had a determined look in their eyes. Wang Shuai also made up his mind that although the surrounding area search had not yielded any major breakthroughs, he would adjust his mindset as soon as possible and devote himself to the subsequent expanded search for missing persons, leaving no possible clue unchecked.

As night deepened, the Criminal Investigation Detachment's office building remained brightly lit. Wang Shuai sat at his desk, organizing all the data from the surrounding area investigation, meticulously checking the information of the people and vehicles investigated to ensure nothing was missed or incorrect. He repeatedly reviewed the surveillance footage of the suspect and screenshots of the black sedan, trying to find overlooked details, but the images remained blurry, offering no further useful information.

“The suspect is so cautious; he clearly came prepared. Locating him quickly will be very difficult,” said Xiao Li, a team member sitting nearby, his voice tinged with frustration. Wang Shuai patted him on the shoulder and said, “The more difficult it is, the more we must persevere. Although the surrounding area investigation has limited effect, we have ruled out some possibilities and grasped some of the suspect's characteristics. As long as we continue to expand our scope and refine our work, we will definitely find a breakthrough. The deceased's identity is still unknown; we must find out the truth as soon as possible and comfort his soul in heaven.”

Subsequently, Wang Shuai began to formulate a city-wide investigation plan for missing persons in heavy metal-related industries. He meticulously compiled a list of companies and their employees in the metallurgy, electroplating, and waste recycling industries, clarifying the division of labor and key areas of investigation for each team member. The plan was to launch a comprehensive investigation early the following morning. He knew that this was the core direction of the investigation and the only way to quickly identify the deceased and advance the case.

Meanwhile, Yang Lin and Yang Sen continued in-depth analysis of the fiber and button samples collected at the scene, attempting to pinpoint the source of the items through more precise component testing and process analysis; Zhang Kai awaited further comparison results from the missing persons database, hoping to find the deceased's identity information among the three suspected individuals; Lu Chuan, on the other hand, was contacting the media, preparing to issue a notice for assistance in the investigation, and seeking clues with the help of the public. (End of Chapter)