freenovelworld Chapter 1024 Grassroots Investigation
Chapter 1024 Grassroots Investigation
Zhang Lin added, "The deceased's stomach contents showed that his last meal was home-cooked food, but we detected capsaicin, a substance commonly found in fast-food restaurants, in his mouth. This means that on the night of the incident, he may have met two groups of people, first having dinner at home and then going out to meet them."
Li Ming drew three circles on the map with his red pen: "Focus on the crime scene and investigate fast food restaurants within a three-kilometer radius, with a focus on surveillance footage. Xiao Wang, continue to dig deeper into everyone the deceased couple had contact with in the past six months, especially the occasions where the two appeared together; Xiao Zhou, track the movements of suspicious individuals and clarify the two-hour gap; Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun, reanalyze the traces at the scene, starting with trace evidence such as fibers and soil." He closed his notebook, his gaze sweeping over the tired but determined faces of the group. "The murderer seemed cautious, but left too many contradictions at the scene: wearing gloves yet leaving fingerprints, carefully cleaning up bloodstains yet overlooking climbing marks. These flaws are our breakthrough point to uncover the truth."
By the time the meeting ended, the sun had bathed the entire city in sunlight. The criminal investigation team members hurried out of the meeting room, the sound of their shoes hitting the tiles like the prelude to the death knell of the murderer.
Rubbing his sore eyes, Xiao Zhou spread a map of the area around Qinghuai Community on the table and circled the area with a red pen, with a radius of three kilometers centered on Li Baocun's house. The densely packed restaurant markings were like scattered stars. He took a deep breath and turned to his team members, saying, "Divide into five groups, starting with the breakfast shops, go through them one by one, and watch the surveillance footage frame by frame. We can't miss any details."
The streets were damp with early autumn air as Xiao Zhou led his team into "Old Chen's Noodle Shop" near the entrance of the residential area. The proprietress was wiping the tables; upon seeing the police, flour dripped from her apron. "The night of the 9th? I close at 10 pm here," she recalled. "Old Li is a regular customer, but he didn't come that day. CCTV footage? Yes! But it doesn't last long, just the last week's footage." Xiao Zhou stared intently at the screen, watching customers rush in and out, until 2 am when the noodle shop closed, but Li Cunbao's image was nowhere to be seen.
The situation was similar at the "Chuanxiang Malatang" restaurant next door. The owner scratched the back of his head: "It's so busy here at night, people are coming and going, I really didn't notice." Xiao Zhou and his team squeezed into the narrow kitchen, staring at the blurry surveillance footage, scrutinizing it frame by frame. The pungent smell of cooking oil made them cough, and sweat streamed down their faces, spreading into small watermarks on the screen. After watching for three hours straight, their eyes were so sore they could barely keep them open, but they still found nothing.
Over three days, they visited 73 restaurants. Some owners cooperated and proactively provided surveillance footage; others were impatient and complained about the impact on their business. At "Jixiang Dumpling Restaurant," the owner even questioned, "Why are you checking so closely? We're just running a business honestly, what does that have to do with a murder case?" Xiao Zhou patiently explained, and only after much persuasion was he allowed to view the surveillance footage. However, the footage only showed noisy diners and busy staff.
When they traced the clues to "Weimei Fast Food Restaurant," a glimmer of hope finally appeared. Employee Xiao Wang hesitated, then said, "I think I saw an older man that night, wearing a dark coat, sitting alone in a corner. But I was busy delivering food and didn't notice what he looked like." Xiao Zhou immediately checked the security footage. There was indeed a figure with his back to the camera, his face obscured. He excitedly zoomed in, reviewing frame by frame, but even after the man got up and left, he couldn't capture a clear view of his face. Tracking the footage outside the restaurant, they discovered that after turning into an alley, he disappeared into a blind spot.
"Keep searching! Pull up every surveillance camera you can find in the area!" Xiao Zhou shouted, his eyes red with tears. The team members then tirelessly rushed between various units and shops, begging and pleading to retrieve surveillance footage. Some cameras had poor angles, only capturing half a body; others were so blurry that faces were impossible to discern. They squatted by the roadside, under the scorching sun and in the rain, repeatedly reviewing each video clip, their eyes bloodshot and their throats parched.
During the visits, Xiao Zhou kept asking the surrounding residents. At the newsstand at the entrance of the community, an old man recalled, "That night I saw someone hurrying by, it looked like they were carrying a bag, but it was too dark to see clearly." Such ambiguous clues ignited their hope, only to quickly plunge them into despair.
Three days passed, and Xiao Zhou's notebook was filled with all sorts of trivial information: which stores closed at what time, who were their regular customers, and even the arguments between shop assistants were recorded. But the crucial clues had vanished without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea. Back at the police station, he slumped into a chair, looking out at the myriad lights of the city, utterly exhausted and frustrated. His team members were also dejected; their efforts over the past few days seemed to have been in vain.
But Xiao Zhou knew that criminal investigation work was like that—full of unknowns and hardships. Even with only a one in ten thousand chance, he couldn't give up. He rallied his spirits, reorganized his thoughts, and prepared for the next, even more difficult, round of investigation. Somewhere in this city, the truth might be lurking in the shadows, waiting to be discovered.
While Anhui was focusing its investigation, Xiao Wang was also pushing forward the investigation into the deceased's interpersonal relationships as requested by Li Ming.
Morning light pierced through the oil-stained glass windows of the machine shop, casting dappled shadows on Xiao Wang's notebook. Holding the recorder, he stepped aside from the roaring machine tools and approached the veteran worker, Master Chen, who was adjusting the equipment. Sparks flew from the metal cutting, highlighting the deep wrinkles on Master Chen's face.
“Old Li, he was a really good guy in the factory.” Master Chen pulled off his oil-stained gloves. “Last month, my elderly relative was hospitalized and I was in a hurry to raise money for the surgery. He lent me 20,000 yuan without saying a word.” He pointed to the workbench in the corner of the workshop. “Look, his workstation is still the same as it was. The wrenches in his toolbox are neatly arranged according to size. Everyone is sad to see him go.”
Xiao Wang flipped through the work log, and Li Bao's attendance records for the past three months were all perfect: "Has there been anything unusual about his work lately? For example, has he had a conflict with a client, or taken on any special projects?" Master Chen scratched his gray hair, oil stains smearing on his forehead: "I haven't heard anything. But about half a month ago, he did mention that he wanted to save money to buy a wedding house for his son, and he also said that he had taken on a part-time job—but he didn't go into details about what it was."
At Li Baocun's class reunion, class monitor Zhou Qiang pushed a beer bottle aside, revealing a small mountain of greasy crayfish shells piled on the table. "We've known each other since junior high. He's a really honest guy," Zhou Qiang said, picking up a bowl of cold noodles, the noodles wobbling on his chopsticks. "Last year at the reunion, Lao Wu got drunk and broke a glass, and Lao Li quietly paid for it. He's definitely not an enemy." Other classmates chimed in, and someone pulled out a group photo on their phone. In the photo, Li Baocun was wearing a faded plaid shirt, standing in a corner, smiling shyly.