Reborn in 1995, Criminal Investigation Records

Zhong Tao's body was found on the evening of July 11 in a ditch near the urban-rural fringe in Chengdong Street.

The ditch was filled with a thick layer of excrement, and Zhong Tao lay in the still-dry excrement, almost completely buried.

根据王振海的判断，死亡时间是在昨天，也就是10号下午14:00-16:00之间。

Upon receiving the news, Zhou Yang rushed back to the bureau immediately.

"The moment we found the body, we compared it to Zhong Tao's name, and it really was him!" Liu Chengyu sighed and looked at Zhou Yang: "Tell me about it!"

As early as when Zhou Yang learned that Zhong Tao might have taken some items to Xijing for DNA testing, Zhou Yang called the bureau and asked Liu Chengyu to coordinate with local police to expand the search area. He also instructed them to protect the scene immediately if Zhong Tao was found dead, especially his belongings.

But to my surprise, it was still too late.

"At first I only suspected it, but now I'm almost certain!" Zhou Yang looked at his colleagues in the room: "The person who committed the crime against Zhong Yue back then, and the person who murdered Gong Xiaojun and Zhong Tao, is the same person!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the room.

"Zhong Tao is seriously ill and his life is on the countdown. He wants to find the murderer who harmed his sister back then and take revenge himself without going through legal channels. Therefore, the case of Gong Xiaojun being buried alive at the end of last month was committed by him!" He did not mention Yao Fengshou, trying to keep his language concise.

"But when he wanted to understand Gong Xiaojun, he didn't know what the other party said or what evidence he produced that proved he was not the murderer in that case, and he also revealed DNA technology. Zhong Tao took it to heart and thought about going to Xijing to check the perpetrator from back then!"

After this incident, Gong Xiaojun's personality changed drastically. He repented for the people he had harmed in the past. In the process, he came into contact with the murderer and learned the truth, but the murderer noticed and killed him.

Meanwhile, the murderer, having learned of Zhong Tao's intentions, waited patiently and silenced him once more. Thus, both men who knew the truth were dead!

"But why would Zhong Tao target Gong Xiaojun?" Xiao Jiale asked, puzzled. Zhou Yang's initial focus was on Zhong Yue's case, so he had also investigated it. But this matter had nothing to do with Gong Xiaojun.

"Gong Hongxing said that!" Liu Chengyu continued, "For a period of time, Gong Xiaojun, for the sake of face or for other reasons, told his friends that he was the one who committed this case!"

Xiao Jiale nodded. If that's the case, then it makes sense.

Given the common perception that when such a case occurs, most people would be too busy trying to avoid or distance themselves from it, let alone take the blame upon themselves, it is understandable that Zhong Tao would turn his attention to Gong Xiaojun.

"Thinking more deeply, and combining that with your judgment, Gong Xiaojun might be an eyewitness or have evidence!" Xiao Jiale's eyes flashed as he stated his assessment.

Zhou Yang nodded. Indeed, this explained why Zhong Tao held back in the end, and why Gong Xiaojun was killed. If it was just talk and there was no evidence, killing someone at will would be disastrous, especially considering that Gong Xiaojun's family was not ordinary.

......

A soft knocking sounded on the door.

It was the technical team who brought Zhong Tao's personal belongings and the autopsy report. Because the body was contaminated and was still being cleaned, they only gave a rough estimate, and further autopsy results would have to wait.

Zhou Yang hurriedly stood up and searched through the bags one by one. Apart from some loose change and the clothes he was wearing at the time, he did not find any other items.

The deceased died from central respiratory and circulatory failure due to severe traumatic brain injury; in other words, death was caused by a blunt force trauma to the head.

After examining the items, Liu Chengyu's eyes darkened: "They've probably already been taken by the murderer!"

Wang Chao looked at the two of them, confused, and fiddled with the things a couple of times as well: "What was taken away?"

"Items for DNA testing!" Xiao Jiale replied, his eyes sweeping across the table.

A brief silence fell over the room; the investigation seemed to have reached another impasse.

"We still have this money!" Wang Chao muttered, not understanding their conversation.

Xiao Jiale gave him an annoyed look: "These banknotes have passed through many hands, so they're not worth verifying at all..."

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence: "That's not right!"

All eyes were drawn to him. He tapped two fingers on the table and looked at everyone: "How much is a train ticket from Ning'an to Xijing?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Duo, who was sitting in a corner, stood up, picked up one of the evidence bags, and rummaged through the money inside: "There's a total of thirteen yuan and fifty cents in here. Not enough for the bus fare!"

Zhou Yang clenched his fist, his eyes filled with joy as he looked at Xiao Jiale, speaking rapidly: "Zhong Tao may have sensed danger, or he may be deliberately testing us. He either didn't intend to go to Xi'an or intentionally lured the murderer out!"

"That means he probably, no, he definitely didn't have the DNA evidence with him!" Dai Yan stood up, his eyes bright.

"But what if we have enough money, and the killer takes it all along with that guy you mentioned, A?" Wang Chao retorted, feeling that the others might be too optimistic.

"No way!" Fang Duo interrupted him directly: "Look at his clothes, there's only one place to put money. The report also says that only this one pocket was found inside and outside his clothes!"

Wang Chao nodded. That's right. The murderer doesn't need to take out the money and then pick out another ten or so yuan to put in.

"Zhong Tao is quite clever!" Wang Chao remarked with a sigh.

No one present responded to his words.

Was he clever? Perhaps, even brave. Knowing he might be ambushed, he still dared to do it. But he was also foolish. He could have easily informed the police of these clues, but he didn't. He simply used his death to confirm one thing.

Never underestimate anyone's intelligence!

The deceased is gone, and Zhou Yang doesn't want to make too many judgments, but what the living do must continue.

"Search all the places where Zhong Tao might have hidden that item immediately. We must get there before the murderer does, and if things go well, we might even run into the murderer!" Liu Chengyu said, then got up and left.

He also needs to coordinate some things. If the item is found, it should be sent to Xijing for testing, because the provincial department does not have the technology for this.

He didn't have much hope of encountering the murderer.

Actually, the best thing for the killer to do at this point is to do nothing.

If Zhong Tao is dead, then no one will know what it is. The police can't possibly test everything they see. Most importantly, they don't even know what to compare it to.

"I'm going to find Forensic Doctor Wang!" Zhou Yang called out and jogged over to the technical team.

"I knew you'd come!" Wang Zhenhai, with one hand in his pocket and his right hand fiddling with something, handed Zhou Yang a report as soon as he saw him.

"Knowing you're short on time, I found some good stuff in the borrowed energy dispersive spectrometer!"

Seeing that Zhou Yang had no intention of responding, Wang Zhenhai felt a bit bored.

"Just as you guessed, we can now confirm that the murder weapon was a padlock. There were also some small pieces of metal found; we initially suspect they fell out of the keyhole during a heavy impact!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yang picked up the report and flipped through it, then asked, "Can you tell what it's on?"

Wang Zhenhai shook his head: "Do you really think we're gods? There are too many of these kinds of people. Homemade wire probes, screwdrivers, punches, drills, etc., are all possible, unless you can find that lock!"

"Can we infer the approximate time of destruction by examining the oxidation and corrosion of these debris surfaces, or the condition of their edges?" Zhou Yang continued to press.

"You brat, where did you get all this information from? Do you know how much effort that takes, and there's still no certainty..." Wang Zhenhai felt like he was about to explode.

"Before, we gave you whatever you needed, and you used it. But ever since you came, you've not only been directing Liu Chengyu, but now you're even encroaching on our technical team's territory. You might as well just come and take my place..."

Ignoring Wang Zhenhai's spittle-flecked speech, Zhou Yang smiled and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Teacher Wang!"

"Get lost!"

"Okay!"