The crackdown on organized crime began with the arrest of the mother-in-law.

Chapter 1466 Apprehending the Suspect

At a small machinery factory, they discovered a suspicious individual. This man, named Zhang Qiang, was 35 years old, 178 cm tall, and weighed 68 kg, matching the physical characteristics of the perpetrator. He worked in machinery repair and frequently handled industrial paint and cutting tools. Furthermore, the sneakers Zhang Qiang was wearing had a sole pattern that matched the footprints found at the crime scene—a diamond-patterned grid—and were also size 42.

Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun immediately questioned Zhang Qiang. "Where were you between 10 pm and 2 am last night? What were you doing?" Xiao Sun asked.

Zhang Qiang's eyes flickered, and he said nervously, "I...I went home after get off work last night and slept at home. I didn't go out."

"Who can prove it?" Xiao Yang pressed.

“I live alone, and there’s no one else who can vouch for me.” Zhang Qiang’s voice trembled slightly. “Why…why are you asking these questions? I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Xiao Sun noticed a fresh wound on Zhang Qiang's finger, still faintly bleeding. "How did you hurt your hand?"

Zhang Qiang instinctively covered his finger and said, "I accidentally cut myself with a cutting tool while working yesterday, it's nothing serious."

Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun exchanged a glance, both seeing the suspicion in each other's eyes. "We need to collect your fingerprints and DNA for comparison. Please cooperate," Xiao Yang said.

Zhang Qiang was pale. After hesitating for a moment, he finally nodded. The staff immediately collected Zhang Qiang's fingerprints and DNA samples and sent them to the technical department for comparison. Meanwhile, Xiao Sun ordered a search of Zhang Qiang's residence to see if any thin wires, items with industrial paint, or related cutting tools were found.

While waiting for the comparison results, Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun continued to question Zhang Qiang. "Do you know this person?" Xiao Yang took out a photo of the deceased and handed it to Zhang Qiang.

Zhang Qiang took the photo, glanced at it, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes, and immediately shook his head: "I don't know him, I've never seen this person before."

"Have you bought any thin iron wire recently?" Xiao Sun asked.

“I have bought them before. I often need to use thin wire to tie parts together at work. I usually get them from the factory warehouse, and sometimes I buy them from nearby hardware stores,” Zhang Qiang replied.

"Which hardware store did you buy it from? When did you buy it?"

“It’s from that hardware store at the entrance of the urban village. I bought it about three days ago. I bought a small roll, and I still have some left at home,” Zhang Qiang said.

Xiao Sun immediately contacted the police officer in charge of investigating the hardware store to verify Zhang Qiang's statement. After verification, it was confirmed that Zhang Qiang had indeed purchased thin iron wire from that hardware store three days prior, and the specifications matched those found at the crime scene.

At this time, the technical department reported the comparison results. Zhang Qiang's fingerprints did not completely match the incomplete fingerprints extracted from the crime scene, but some features were similar, which may be due to errors caused by the incomplete fingerprints; the DNA sample did not match the DNA extracted from the wire either, but the staff found that Zhang Qiang's DNA had a weak correlation with the DNA in the residue at the scratch, which may be because Zhang Qiang had come into contact with items containing residue.

Meanwhile, police officers who searched Zhang Qiang's residence reported finding a roll of thin wire, identical in size to that found at the crime scene, and a cutting tool with traces of industrial paint. The metal fragments on the tool matched the material and texture of the metal fragments recovered from the crime scene. Furthermore, police found a dark-colored coat in Zhang Qiang's wardrobe, with a small amount of dirt on it; preliminary testing showed the dirt composition was similar to that found at the crime scene.

All the evidence pointed to Zhang Qiang, making him the prime suspect. Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun immediately conducted a surprise interrogation of Zhang Qiang. Faced with irrefutable evidence, Zhang Qiang's defenses completely crumbled, and he finally confessed to his crime.

All the evidence seemed to point to Zhang Qiang, and Li Ming immediately issued an arrest warrant. Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun lawfully brought Zhang Qiang back to the interrogation room of the Criminal Investigation Detachment. The interrogation room lights were harsh and glaring, shining directly on Zhang Qiang's face, making his panic and resistance indistinct. Xiao Yang sat at the head of the interrogation table, with all the physical evidence photos and investigation records laid out in front of him. His tone was calm but carried an undeniable sense of pressure: "Zhang Qiang, you can't explain the thin iron wire, cutting tool fragments, tools with the same paint residue found at the scene, or your jacket that is similar in composition to the soil at the crime scene. The deceased was in a heated argument with someone before the incident, and you had ample motive and time to commit the crime. Now you'd better confess to the entire process of killing the deceased."

Zhang Qiang clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. His throat bobbed a few times, and his voice trembled with a deliberate attempt to suppress it: "I didn't kill anyone! Those thin wires were for factory work, and the cutting tools were things I routinely repair; it's normal for them to have paint on them. The mud on my coat was probably from when I walked through the alley. I really didn't see the deceased, much less kill him." His eyes darted around, but he remained firm in his story, repeatedly emphasizing that he had been sleeping alone at home the night of the incident, but he couldn't provide any witnesses.

Seeing this, Xiao Sun pushed the surveillance screenshot in front of Zhang Qiang, pointing to the blurry figure: "At 11:20 last night, someone saw someone with your physical characteristics and wearing the same sneakers as you walking out of the alley at the crime scene. Is that you?" Zhang Qiang glanced at the screenshot and immediately shook his head: "It's not me! I never go into those kinds of alleys at night. This screenshot is so blurry, it's impossible to be sure it's me." The interrogation reached a stalemate. Zhang Qiang was adamant and refused to admit any crime. No matter how Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun presented evidence or pressed him with questions, he only repeated that he did not kill anyone.

To break the deadlock, the technical department expedited the comparison of Zhang Qiang's footprints with the footprints extracted from the scene. Previously, it was only a preliminary judgment that the pattern and size were consistent. This time, 3D footprint scanning technology was used to precisely compare the footprints left by Zhang Qiang wearing the same model of sneakers with the plaster model at the scene. The staff used professional software to analyze details such as the pressure distribution, stride characteristics, and arch marks of the footprints, and discovered key differences.

"Xiao Yang, Xiao Sun, the footprint comparison results are in. Zhang Qiang can be ruled out as a suspect." The technical staff hurriedly entered the observation room outside the interrogation room with the comparison report. "The forefoot pressure of the footprints at the scene was evenly distributed, and the imprint at the arch was shallower. However, Zhang Qiang's footprints showed significantly heavier pressure on the inner side of the forefoot, and the imprint at the arch was deeper. This is determined by individual physiological structure and cannot be faked. Moreover, the stride distance of the footprints at the scene was about 78 centimeters, while Zhang Qiang's stride at the same walking speed was 72 centimeters. The difference is significant and they were definitely not left by the same person."