Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 394 Qian Wei's Hatred
"Ow!"

Seeing that Nie Guoqiang was standing still, Lin Ge quickly urged him to hurry up.

No matter what, Qian Wei is now a member of the Zhanghe Police Station, and we can't ignore his situation!

"Well."

Nie Guoqiang was startled awake by Lin Ge, and only after a moment of confusion did he calm down.

Turning to look at the police officers around him, he calmly said, "Everyone, get ready and await orders to be dispatched at any time! Zhu Jun suspects that the old man is related to the robbery and murder case at Qian Wei's house years ago. Once the clues are confirmed, arrest him immediately!"

"Hey?"

"what?"

The police officers were stunned, momentarily confused as to how the situation had shifted from the monkeys to Qian Wei. But seeing Nie Guoqiang calling Zheng Mingxing again, instructing him to control and appease Qian Wei, the officers quickly stopped hesitating and hurriedly made preparations.

After contacting Zheng Mingxing, Nie Guoqiang fell silent again.

Looking down at Lin Ge, who was staring at him, Nie Guoqiang said softly, "Mimi, this is difficult! Back then, the police had no leads on that murder case, and they didn't find much of value at the scene. The only thing they're certain of now is that Qian Wei heard the robber's voice! He was on the phone with his wife at the time, so he practically heard her being killed. The perpetrator's accent is the only clue the police have. But accents can't be used as evidence! And Qian Wei didn't record it, so only he can judge the perpetrator's accent. So many years have passed..."

Lin Ge fell silent.

Qian Wei's wife was murdered many years ago, and the killer has not yet been found.

Back then, due to limitations in criminal investigation techniques, police capabilities, and surveillance coverage, coupled with the fact that the perpetrators were indeed efficient and left no clues, the police were unable to solve the case.

Lin Ge could imagine the helplessness and terror Qian Wei must have felt when he heard his wife's screams on his phone. And the utter devastation and despair he must have felt when he rushed home and saw the scene of blood on her body.

Qian Wei's dedication to catching thieves and burglars over the years may well stem from his hope of encountering the murderer again and avenging his wife.

Why is he so determined to catch thieves and robbers at the scene of every crime? Because he is the only one who has heard the voice of the perpetrator from back then, because that voice is the only thing that can be confirmed with 100% certainty, and because only he can recognize the suspect.

"Was no DNA of the suspect left at the scene?"

Feng Yi had been in high spirits these past few days, and the fake liquor case had earned him numerous praises at the station. Now, being ordered to take action, he glanced at Hu Lijun, whose expression was grim, while driving.

"Of course, there was some DNA left at the scene, and there was even a puddle of saliva on the ground at the entrance. But apart from these, not a single complete fingerprint was left at the scene. Moreover, DNA is not omnipotent; at least it cannot help us identify suspects remotely. Unless we collect the DNA of everyone in the country and make it into a database, DNA alone can only allow us to compare it after arresting many suspects to determine which one is the real murderer, and that's all."

Hu Lijun was in low spirits, but he still gave a brief explanation.

When Qian Wei's wife's case came to light, he was already a police officer at the Zhanghe Police Station. That case caused quite a stir in the Zhangzhou police system at the time, and although he wasn't deeply involved, he did have some understanding of it.

The suspect's cruelty, efficiency, and unbelievable audacity in attacking police officers' families were all rare at that time.

Unfortunately, while DNA testing was becoming increasingly common at the time, surveillance, micro-trace evidence, and various modern forensic techniques were still in their infancy, limiting the police's options. Furthermore, unlike revenge killings, burglaries don't involve tracing the victim's social network. Like random killings, these cases are extremely difficult to solve. If the perpetrator is cautious and uses sophisticated methods, the police have to either search house to house in a vast population or wait for the perpetrator to slip up.

Some cases that seem trivial now were huge headaches for the police back then. Like Qian Wei's wife's case, even after more than a year of arduous investigation by the Zhangzhou police, the case remained unsolved. There were no witnesses, no concrete evidence, and the robbery itself was extremely short. Although Qian Wei insisted on continuing the investigation, he could only watch as the case became a cold case and was relegated to the archives.

Hu Lijun glanced at Feng Yi, but there were still some things he wanted to say but didn't.

That means that after so many years, with today's technology, the crime scene investigation back then would certainly have been crude and rudimentary. Even if all the evidence and records could be preserved, it would still be difficult to convict the murderer under the current prosecution standards.

Meanwhile, Nie Guoqiang, Zheng Mingxing, and Lin Ge finally found Qian Wei at a long-distance bus station far from the scenic area.

When they found him, he was driving through cars like a madman, grabbing people by the collar and staring at them. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like a complete lunatic. His police uniform was loose and baggy, showing none of the bearing of a policeman. Everyone who saw him was terrified by this seemingly insane man and dared not utter a word. Several hot-tempered individuals who wanted to cause trouble were also intimidated by Qian Siqi, who was standing behind him, exuding a similarly menacing aura and wielding a steel pipe.

"Qian Wei, what do you want to do!"

Nie Guoqiang pulled Qian Wei off a long-distance bus that was about to depart but which Qian Wei had stopped.

"Find someone!"

Qian Wei glanced back at Nie Guoqiang but didn't struggle. He clenched his fist, pursed his lips, and remained silent for a moment before saying, "That old man's ID card has expired, so he can't take the train or other means of transportation. Given his financial situation, he probably doesn't have a private car. In this case, long-distance bus is his best option to leave Zhangzhou. The management here isn't strict; he can buy a ticket on the bus without needing to verify his identity."

"Are you sure he's the person you're looking for?"

Zheng Mingxing was somewhat surprised by Qian Wei's clear thinking, but still said in a deep voice, "Qian Wei, let me put it bluntly! After all these years, can you guarantee that the voice in your memory hasn't changed or that you've remembered it wrong?"

Nie Guoqiang remained silent, which is also the most important key issue right now.

It's just a sound; even if it stays in your mind, who can guarantee that it won't secretly change?

To put it bluntly, Qian Wei might recall the events of that year a few times in his dreams, and his memory could very well be altered by those dreams.

For example, refusing to acknowledge reality, or making dreams more grotesque due to anger and despair, means that after repeated dreams, the voices in his memory are very likely to be completely different from reality.

"I won't be wrong! Never!"

Qian Wei suddenly raised his head and glared fiercely at Zheng Mingxing, saying, "That's the person who killed my wife. How could I forget or misremember? That scene replays in my mind every day! It reminds me every moment, urging me on. How could I be wrong? Zheng Mingxing, don't go too far! You can misunderstand me, criticize me, and look down on me! But you have no right to question this matter!"

"Qian Wei!"

Seeing that Qian Wei was suppressing his anger and seemed about to attack Zheng Mingxing, Nie Guoqiang quickly shouted to stop him.

Lin Ge also rushed in front of Qian Siqi, stopping the kid who seemed unable to hold back. This kid had somehow gotten hold of a steel bar, and with his physique and strength, this thing could definitely crack Zheng Mingxing's skull open.

"call……"

Qian Wei finally remembered his identity as a police officer. He tried his best to take a deep breath, and the bloodshot in his eyes slowly began to fade.

“I understand! I will wait for the procedures to be followed. But Director Nie, now that we have found new leads, can this cold case be reopened? I want to get involved no matter what, don’t tell me it doesn’t meet the conditions for reopening!”

As he finished speaking, Qian Wei's eyes reddened again, and he stared intently at Nie Guoqiang through gritted teeth.

As his colleagues gradually arrived, they all looked at Qian Wei, feeling sorry for him as well. They wanted to comfort him, but didn't know what to say at this moment.

The murder of a loved one is one of the most painful things in the world.

Moreover, as a police officer, Qian Wei also had the responsibility and pressure to solve cases. As time passed, the case went from being an open case to a backlog; over the years, Qian Wei has suffered triple torment from personal, familial, and professional issues, and it is a testament to his strong will that he has not gone insane.

“You are an excellent police officer! Your judgment cannot be ignored. Now that clues have been found again, reopening cold cases is inevitable. So don’t worry, I will contact the colleague in charge of this case at the municipal bureau to restart the case.”

Nie Guoqiang spoke calmly and slowly. But his words and reply finally brought a smile to Qian Wei's face.

Qian Siqi, who was standing next to him, wanted to say something, but Jiang Yiyi hugged him and covered his mouth, gently stroking his head.

"Don't rush or get agitated. Leave this to us, to the police officers. You're still a child, and the most important thing for you right now is to study. I believe that even if this case is solved, your mother in heaven won't be happy to see you neglecting yourself for her sake."

Qian Siqi remained silent for a long while before nodding slightly. On the other side, Zhu Jun was also filled with regret.

Seeing Qian Wei's distressed expression, he stamped his feet repeatedly and said, "It's all my fault! I could tell that the old man was suspicious, but I didn't think to take him back to the police station first yesterday! If I had taken him back yesterday, none of this would have happened! Damn it! I don't know why I was so careless back then, it's all my fault!"

"It has nothing to do with you! We're a police station, not a criminal investigation agency. Our work is to resolve issues concerning the elderly on the spot, without causing them trouble or unnecessary travel. You didn't do anything wrong yesterday; your mistake was not expecting the murderer to be so audacious as to dare return to Zhang City after so many years. That's all!"

Nie Guoqiang waved his hand to stop Zhu Jun from continuing to overthink, and Qian Wei, who was standing next to him, smiled reassuringly at Zhu Jun, not blaming Zhu Jun for the murderer escaping again.

Although he was angry, he hadn't lost his temper. His only mistake was hastily calling Qian Siqi out of school, which affected the child's studies—that was all.

"Let's go back now!"

Nie Guoqiang was relieved to find Qian Wei. Seeing that the staff and passengers at the bus station were looking at them curiously and whispering among themselves, he ordered everyone not to linger there and cause a disturbance.

As for the old man whose name on his ID card is 'Ma', since he chose to leave at four in the morning, it's impossible for him to still be at the long-distance bus station. If he really had something to hide, he would have either already escaped or gone into hiding by now.

Based on Nie Guoqiang's experience, hiding is more likely. Experienced criminals like him know very well that blindly fleeing will only expose their weaknesses and allow the police to accurately track them down.

Therefore, they often hide and wait for the situation to calm down. The best time for them to escape is when the police have lost their attention due to time.

Knowing that Qian Wei was extremely anxious, Nie Guoqiang did not take him back to the police station, but went straight to the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Detachment and found Zhai Xiaojun directly.

"You mean, there are new leads on the July 7.25th case from ten years ago?"

Zhai Xiaojun was stunned, not expecting that Nie Guoqiang's visit was for this matter. Or rather, he didn't expect that Qian Wei's case, which almost everyone had given up on, would see a new turning point.

"Yes! Qian Wei heard that person's voice again! And it was exactly the same as it was back then, heard through a cell phone. For him, it was like a reenactment of the case."

Nie Guoqiang nodded, then turned to look at Qian Wei, who was looking down with a face full of resentment. He knew that Qian Wei was still brooding over the city bureau's decision to shut down the case and treat him like a plague.

But as I said before, a case is a case, and an individual is an individual. Qian Wei became paranoid because of the case from years ago, even to the point of giving up entirely at the Municipal Public Security Bureau, which was originally his own problem. The fact that the Municipal Public Security Bureau has tolerated him for so many years and hasn't fired him but only reassigned him to another position is already quite good to him.

"Xiao Xie, bring me the file for case 725."

Zhai Xiaojun did not refuse to reopen the case; in fact, no police officer would not want to solve all the cold cases. Therefore, after confirming with Nie Guoqiang that the cold case had regained clues, he did not hesitate to call the archives.

In addition to the files, he also called the old police officer who was in charge of solving the case back then and is still responsible for solving this cold case today.

"Captain Zhai, you wanted to see me?"

A middle-aged policeman with dark skin and a receding hairline knocked on the door and entered, looking somewhat nervous.

He paused for a moment when he saw several people standing in the office, and even the famous cat. But thankfully, he hadn't become a seasoned veteran. While pondering whether he had done something wrong recently, he walked to the desk and stood properly.

However, when Xu Huafeng glanced at Qian Wei, who was also standing upright beside him, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Zhangzhou is such a large city, and over the years, quite a few cold cases have accumulated. Most of the police officers in the Criminal Investigation Detachment are basically handling one or two cold cases. They study them when they have free time, and put them aside when they don't. If they're lucky, the criminal might be arrested for something else one day, and maybe they'll confess, which would be like winning the lottery.

Apart from that, especially for some very difficult unsolved cases, there's really not much the police can do.

As for talk of support from higher authorities or experts, that's just a pipe dream for ordinary cases. Unless it's a particularly serious case, there are only a handful of experts nationwide. Where would they find the time to spare to help you solve a long-standing case that's practically impossible without any leads?
"Captain Zhai, is it...?"

Hua Guofeng had some suspicions in his mind and cautiously probed.

"Captain, we've brought 725's file."

Before he could finish speaking, the policewoman in the archives pushed open the door and brought over a thick brown paper file bag.

"Holy crap! It really is that case!"

Hua Guofeng shouted in his heart again, unsure whether he should accept his bad luck or be overjoyed.

If you're lucky enough to solve a long-standing case, you'll receive all the rewards and honors you deserve. But the worst-case scenario is that after all the hard work and effort, you still end up with nothing, just like before. When all your hard work goes down the drain, who can you complain to about your frustration?
"Old Hua, do you still remember the 725 case?"

Zhai Xiaojun quickly glanced through the case file, comparing his memory with the records. After confirming everything was correct, he looked up and said, "You know Qian Wei, and you're familiar with what happened back then. Heh... after all, he caused some trouble at the Municipal Public Security Bureau. In short, Qian Wei has rediscovered clues about the suspect in the 725 case and confirmed that he was still in Zhangzhou City even in the early hours of this morning! So now things are simple: the 725 case must be reopened, and it must be solved quickly!"

"The suspect has appeared?"

Hua Guofeng's eyes lit up; this was great news!
For police officers, the thing they fear least is making arrests! What they fear most is not knowing who to arrest! What gives them the biggest headache is not knowing where to go to arrest which person!
Now that the suspect has appeared, and in his own territory no less, what else is there to say?

Just fuck them!
"Yes! You were in charge of the case back then, and I think only you and Qian Weicai really know the details of this cold case. So, I'll put you in charge of this case! Just tell me how many people and resources you need. I only have one request: that person must be caught!"

Zhai Xiaojun did not disappoint, decisively reopening the case.

Nie Guoqiang added from the side, "The Zhanghe Police Station will also cooperate in making up all the newly discovered clues, as well as the suspect's identity characteristics and facial sketches. In addition, Officer Hua can ask for our help if needed! Qian Wei is our colleague, and the Zhanghe Police Station will do everything in its power to contribute to this case."

"Captain Nie!"

Qian Wei's eyes reddened with emotion once again.

"Let's put everything else aside for now and solve the case and arrest the person first. Zhu Jun has already gone to the information center; he's seen the suspect, so he'll definitely be able to find that person in the Skynet system. Once we have a concrete face, finding the person will be much easier."

Nie Guoqiang offered Qian Wei a brief reassurance, which also helped everyone understand the current difficulty of the case.

Especially for Hua Guofeng, according to Nie Guoqiang, solving this case has become a piece of cake. These days, once you identify a face, arresting someone is a breeze. Under the Skynet system, how many people can hide?
"Even though his ID card has expired, we can still find some information about him, right?"

Lin Ge looked at Nie Guoqiang curiously, not understanding why he would ignore this crucial clue.

"Unfortunately, Ma has a first-generation ID card, which is not included in the resident information network. Otherwise, with just an ID card, we could have investigated all his movements over the years!"

Zhai Xiaojun sighed regretfully.

"And the same goes for phone numbers. There were so many oversights back then. Who could have imagined that this thing would develop so quickly? When mobile phones first came out, there was no such thing as real-name registration, so much so that we still haven't been able to complete the real-name registration system for phone numbers. Anyway, now we just need to see if the technical investigation team can bring us more good news through the phone numbers. If they can find out who he has been in contact with recently, it will be much easier to solve this case."

Hua Guofeng was somewhat greedy, even hoping that this case would uncover more clues. If the arrested suspects had even more criminal records, the amount of money involved in this case would be surprisingly high.

"Let's catch them first!"

Zhai Xiaojun sighed and gestured for Hua Guofeng to get back to work. He was certain that Hua Guofeng would get a share of the final profits from the case.

"Don't let his slickness fool you, he has no choice! His daughter is in college, which is a time when money is tight. Four thousand yuan a month for living expenses has basically drained his salary. On top of that, there are tuition fees and other miscellaneous expenses, it's really a headache."

Zhai Xiaojun rarely gives Nie Guoqiang an explanation.

(End of this chapter)