Chapter 127 - 127 124 The Limit

Words : 1815 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

127: Chapter 124: The Limit 127: Chapter 124: The Limit Image Investigation is a criminal science specialty with a very high ceiling and a very low floor. Speaking of the ceiling, the technology for image denoising alone has already spawned countless noise and sharp image models, with more being added all the time. Different noise models and sharp image models, combined with different solving methods, have resulted in a wide variety of denoising algorithms. There are hundreds of them. For instance, the well-known BM3D noise reduction, DCT noise reduction, PCA noise reduction, K-SVD noise reduction, non-local means noise reduction, WNNM noise reduction, and so on... But writing algorithms and building models isn’t the highest level of expertise in Image Investigation. To effectively process the images and videos faced in Image Investigation, one needs not only a mastery of various algorithmic models but also considerable experience in procedures and methods, as well as a significant grasp of related technologies. Of course, such high standards are hard to meet, not just within the province, but nationwide. In places like Ningtai County, most of the time, the existence of an Image Office is only to satisfy the bare minimum requirement—finding surveillance videos and keeping tabs on people. Occasionally losing track is no big deal. Zhuang Wei and the others were originally working just to meet the bare minimum requirement. Now, Jiang Yuan had shown them the existence of something close to the upper limit. And leaping over this chasm would inevitably be very painful. Seeing it but not being able to touch it was truly frustrating. Jiang Yuan took out another set of videos, glanced at the third generation of Image men, thought for a moment, and said simply, “Different graphics and images require different methods. With current technology, there isn’t a universal algorithm that can work with all graphics. Of course, one could try a few common modules, but the effects definitely won’t be that good.” As he spoke, Jiang Yuan took out a vastly different wavelet transform and started setting the parameters. The core of Image Enhancement is the algorithm, and using different software is essentially choosing different algorithms. For users, after selecting an algorithm, the most important task is setting a multitude of parameters. The recordings from cases are all different, and the required targets have different processing flows, all of which are easily addressed by human intervention but difficult for programs to resolve. Just like the video Jiang Yuan was watching now, which was a long-distance surveillance video against the light. The two people who were the targets appeared in the lower left corner of the video, so they were somewhat distorted. These were aspects that the algorithms might not take into account well, and Jiang Yuan needed to set parameters and define ranges and intervals for them. This process sometimes required assistance from other programs for judgment, or it was up to the user to make an experienced judgment. Jiang Yuan toggled on and off multiple software programs, entered a large number of figures before running the programs again. The third generation of Image men watched the process clearly, slowly sinking into despair. “You didn’t seem to enter so much last time,” the first generation Image man Zhuang Wei politely asked Jiang Yuan. Jiang Yuan gave a grunt and said, “The video condition is a bit worse this time. Also, the algorithm used is a bit different; some software requires entering more parameters.” Last time, Jiang Yuan worked on the computer in the Image Office, where the software had fewer algorithms to choose from and fewer parameters to set. The software installed on Jiang Yuan’s computer, naturally, was better suited for him. And it was more complex. Zhuang Wei and the two others looked at each other, not quite knowing what to say. Wei Zhenguo didn’t bother with such things, just sat next to Wu Jun and calmly smoked two cigarettes as he listened to the printer whirring to life. “I’ll get it,” Wei Zhenguo jumped up and swiftly pulled over four prints from the second video like a seasoned young thief. This time, Jiang Yuan chose four frames to process together. This was also one of the reasons for the multitude of parameters, as video processing was more complex, and extracting more images made it easier to get results. After looking at the spread-out pictures for a while, Wei Zhenguo could only shake his head, take pictures, and say, “I’ll show it to my colleagues. Maybe it’s one of the new recruits.” Wei Zhenguo found two groups and sent out the photos. Jiang Yuan started packing his things and handed over items like the copy USB to Zhuang Wei. The computer’s roar had just quieted down when Wei Zhenguo’s cell phone rang. “Where did you get this picture from?” As soon as the call was answered, a voice immediately asked. Wei Zhenguo said with a laugh, “Can’t say that, the case is still under investigation. Did you recognize the person in it? Do you know the name?” After hesitating for a few seconds, the person on the other end said, “It looks familiar; I’m not sure if it’s him. Check for Zhang Wanjie in the database and see if it’s him.” “Is it your current case?” “It’s an old one, we’ve listed him for pursuit.” “Ha, let me take a look, thanks a lot, I’ll treat you to a smoke later,” Wei Zhenguo said as he hung up the phone. Jiang Yuan didn’t need to be told; he had just finished working on the thundering computer and opened the “National Wanted Fugitive Information System,” entering the name “Zhang Wanjie.” “Robbery, snatching, burglary, theft... An infamous bandit without a doubt,” Wei Zhenguo said, his lips curling up with a smirk. His mood was like finding a beauty in a KTV during a random check to be a man, and a fugitive at that... “It’s a B-level warrant from the ministry,” Zhuang Wei sighed, “We just caught a B-level.” Warrants from the ministry are divided into two levels: A-level, which are the names listed by the ministry as key fugitives for capture, and B-level, which are the names listed at the request of provincial departments, with rewards and coordination all left to the provinces. However, for grassroots police officers, catching a B-level fugitive was already a very rare occasion. For the Image Investigation Brigade, tracking down fugitives was actually routine work. Like the Image Reconnaissance Brigade of Changyang City, there were always officers looking for fugitives year-round, and their work was much like searching a database for fingerprints. Given the current state of surveillance resources in the country, anyone had the capability to become the main character in a video; it all depended on who had the knack to spot them. Of course, that task was certainly not easy, especially for those on the ministry’s wanted list—who couldn’t be found by county bureaus, city bureaus, and were then reported to provincial offices before reaching the ministry. In this process, not every step might involve a desperate attempt, but various comparisons were unavoidable. Catching a fugitive without breaking a sweat was like getting a third-class merit as easily as pie. Essentially, there was a touch of Versailles in it. Wei Zhenguo was only a step away from a fugitive and clenched his teeth saying, “It only counts if we catch him; just having a lead is a waste.” “Should we track using surveillance?” Zhuang Wei eagerly joined in. Wei Zhenguo involuntarily looked at Jiang Yuan. “They have an easier time looking than I do,” Jiang Yuan said practically. His main expertise was in Image Enhancement, and he wasn’t sure how it worked with following surveillance footage. Wei Zhenguo then gave Zhuang Wei a smile: “It’d be great if we could find this guy’s hideout.” He didn’t know how Stupid Guo became acquainted with Zhang Wanjie, but since Zhang was on the wanted list, he was likely very cautious. It was very possible that he wouldn’t even tell Stupid Guo his hideout. Zhuang Wei enthusiastically invited Wei Zhenguo back to his office. In a place like Ningtai County, it was rare to come across a fugitive in several years, so he was very proactive—although it was also possible that Zhuang Wei and the others did not have the capability to unearth fugitives before, but just following the surveillance, Zhuang Wei was up to the task. Wei Zhenguo was making a phone call as he entered the imaging office. The interrogation of Stupid Guo certainly needed to be intensified; Wei even had certain expectations for him. How could such a foolish thief be showing up at the bus station to meet a fugitive out of camaraderie? Wei Zhenguo didn’t believe it one bit. From the improvement in Stupid Guo’s living conditions and the opportunity to express his artistic flair, as theft had become a daily hobby for him, it was clear that Stupid Guo must have found a new way to make a living, yet still remained as foolish as ever. Wei Zhenguo hoped to leverage Stupid Guo to pull more threads from this tangle. “Let’s see, we’ll start looking along the route from the bus station,” Zhuang Wei sifted through more surveillance footage from the cloud and began sifting through it bit by bit. Wei Zhenguo watched alongside, occasionally helping to analyze the routes. While watching, Zhuang Wei clicked his tongue twice and said, “Jiang Yuan’s luck seems really good, always managing to get onto these big cases.” Wei Zhenguo’s eyes were fixed on the screen, and he chuckled without thinking, “Maybe it’s because the technology he uses is far above the normal level.” Zhuang Wei was taken aback and, after giving it some thought, realized it was indeed the case. If the bus station video had been given to them, it would have been like a stone sinking into water without a trace; naturally, pursuit would be out of the question. As far as Zhuang Wei understood Image Investigation, unless the case went directly to the provincial brigade, the level of expertise at the Qinghe City Bureau was just average. But without solid evidence, how could the video possibly reach the provincial Image Reconnaissance Brigade? Zhang Wanjie might not know the details of the police system, but his long experience on the run could probably tell him where the safe boundaries lay. Jiang Yuan, however, had precisely broken down this boundary and easily dragged him out into the open. With this understanding, Zhuang Wei’s sense of loss deepened. It was a very high standard to clearly surpass colleagues and exceed the industry’s average. Having come to this realization, Zhuang Wei’s tensed muscles relaxed once more. Let it be. I’m tired.

Chapter 127 - 127 124 The Limit

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