Chapter 149 - 149 145 The Suspect Outside of View

Words : 1757 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

149: Chapter 145: The Suspect Outside of View 149: Chapter 145: The Suspect Outside of View Wang Zhong felt a surge of energy coursing through his body. He never expected that Jiang Yuan would really deduce something from the footprints. Although his trace evidence skills were less than LV1, he had been a police officer for several years and understood clearly that if it were truly a suspect who was 193 centimeters tall, it would be rather easy to locate him. In other words, there was now a real possibility of cracking this long-unsolved murder case. The very thought of this possibility excited Wang Zhong immensely. In past years, Ningtai County would set aside one or two months to focus on clearing up a batch of backlogged cases, with the most critical unresolved murder cases often having just one target, and not necessarily being solved. And what Jiang Yuan had just done was merely to stand by his side for a few minutes. Although the case had not yet been officially solved, and it was even uncertain whether Wu Junhao could provide a list of suspects, Wang Zhong wholeheartedly believed in the analysis conducted by Jiang Yuan. In Wang Zhong’s eyes, Jiang Yuan now represented the epitome of authority. “Shall we continue?” Wang Zhong looked at Jiang Yuan eagerly, full of anticipation. “Let’s wait for Captain Wu,” Jiang Yuan shook his head. If Wu Junhao came back with a suitable suspect, the entire cold case would undoubtedly be promptly activated. With the resources of Ningtai County, when facing a cold murder case, a dedicated team would inevitably be formed. During the initial stage of a dedicated team’s work, naturally, you wouldn’t be able to take care of other matters. Therefore, if Jiang Yuan were to review other cases or open other cold cases now, it would not save time; on the contrary, it could potentially hinder his colleagues. Cases must be broken down one by one. Especially for those that require reports, evidence collection, arrests, and interrogations, no matter how simple, they will keep you busy. To solve a cold murder case means that at least one suspect must be punished. With the modern judicial system, deciding to execute or jail a member of the community until death is not a decision that can be made lightly. Jiang Yuan returned to the office, turned on his computer, and found several old cases with footprints, silently studying and pondering them. And indeed, although these cases were solved through other means, the footprints used as evidence for comparison in the later stages could actually reveal many issues. It should be said that many real-life cases can be solved from multiple angles. The majority of criminals, even if they possess a certain awareness of counter-surveillance, are only instinctively capable of countering LV1 or LV2 levels; faced with LV3 forensic technology, any tiny clue they leave can be dangerous. From the perspective of footprint analysis: If you’re too tall, don’t commit a crime; if you’re too short, don’t commit a crime; if you’re too fat, best not to commit a crime; if you’re too skinny... being skinny is still manageable; if you have a disability, best not to commit a crime... All these can be determined from the footprints. ... “Bang! Bang bang!” The office door was knocked on heavily. Jiang Yuan and Wu Jun both looked over, seeing the burly figure of Captain Wu Junhao. Flanking him were two stout men; the three of them stood together, with Wu Junhao using his body to block the doorway, while the other two stuck out their heads from over his shoulders, making it seem at first glance as though it was a creature with three heads. Like a three-headed ogre. “Captain Wu,” Jiang Yuan stood up and asked, “Have you thought of a suitable suspect?” “I have,” Wu Junhao responded gravely. To any police officer, solving a cold murder case holds an almost sacred significance. Wu Jun also looked over curiously, as he was not aware of what Jiang Yuan had just been doing. Someone has died so soon? Wu Junhao spoke with a heavy tone: “In my notebook, I had recorded a criminal suspect, a resident of Ningtai County, a high school student at the time from the County Third Middle School, a member of the basketball team, who had a conflict with the victim’s son two days before the incident.” “I was inquiring about any recent unpleasant encounters the victim’s son had had, and he provided this information.” “But when we contacted the other party on the phone, we specifically asked about his height, which was said to be 188 centimeters. His father brought him over for questioning, and he did appear to be about that height.” As Wu Junhao said this, his expression grew even more solemn. This suspect, who was 188 centimeters tall, had a father who was an official in the county’s finance bureau, acquainted with numerous police personnel. When the father and son came that day for questioning, the father was articulate and genial, and his height was beyond the 178–185 cm range set by Chen Wenming; they returned home quickly together. Thinking of this, Wu Junhao said in a low voice, “At first, the case investigation started with the victim’s social network; during the later stages, the focus shifted from burglary or robbery to homicide. But we never considered the victim’s son’s connections...” One could say the teenager with the 188 cm height had just flashed before the investigators’ eyes without truly coming into their view. Wu Junhao looked at Jiang Yuan and asked, “Does a height of 188 cm match with your judgment?” Unexpectedly, Jiang Yuan shook his head: “It doesn’t match.” An anxious police officer behind Wu Junhao blurted out, “It’s not your responsibility, we will definitely bring him in for questioning... even if he’s not 193 cm tall now.” “I am more inclined to believe that the suspect falsified his height,” Jiang Yuan calmly interrupted, “His actual height is 193 cm, but he reported it as 188 cm. We can measure it on the spot. While he could claim he grew taller later, if it indeed turns out to be 188 cm, it would actually reduce his suspicion.” “Makes sense,” Wu Junhao nodded and said, “Let’s do this, we’ll go check him out now. If his height meets the standard, I’ll bring him back.” “Good,” Jiang Yuan gave a firm reply. Without further ado, Wu Junhao turned and left, saying as he went, “Gather everyone; let’s go measure that kid.” Three robust men walked down the corridor, their combined presence feeling like that of thirteen men. Wang Zhong also peeked out from his office. Once the men left, he quietly asked Jiang Yuan, “Did you confirm the person?” “We’ll know once we bring him in.” Jiang Yuan returned to his office, then called Captain Huang Qiangmin. Not unexpectedly, Huang Qiangmin had also received a report from Wu Junhao. “Let Old Wu measure the suspect. You come with me to report to the director,” Huang Qiangmin was always quick to act. Jiang Yuan felt a bit surprised and asked, “Shouldn’t we wait until we bring the person in and then report?” “The kid’s dad works for the government, and he’s been promoted in recent years; it’s best to give Director Guan Xi a heads-up,” Huang Qiangmin’s lips pursed into a 180-degree angle, a fierce expression on his face. The magnitude of a murder case is completely different; it involves human life, and no amount of attention is too much. Hence, Jiang Yuan quickly made the necessary preparations before meeting with a leader: drinking water, urinating, and straightening out his clothes. Finally, Jiang Yuan, dressed neatly, first went to Captain Huang’s office, and then together they headed to the director’s office. In not too large an office, the director was examining the case file in silence for two or three minutes. “We should be able to see a resolution soon, right?” the director put down the file and spoke with a serious look on his face. Huang Qiangmin hummed in agreement, glanced at Jiang Yuan with the director, and said, “If the suspect’s height indeed turns out to be 193 cm, we should re-examine his situation and determine there’s a significant suspicion of his involvement.” “It doesn’t have to be as strict as 193; even 190 is more than what he claimed to be, 188.” Sitting in his chair with a calm face, the director continued, “The key still remains the case! The suspect’s father, as well as his family relationships, do not need to be dwelt upon too much.” “Alright, understood!” Huang Qiangmin knew this would be the outcome, yet hearing the director personally affirm it settled his nerves. “Then let’s wait together. You can have a seat on the sofa for a while, Wu Junhao should be arriving soon,” Director Guan Xi’s demeanor went from serious to calm and then kindly, gesturing for the two men to sit down while he opened a file, reading it carefully again. Jiang Yuan and Huang Qiangmin exchanged glances; then Captain Huang gestured at Jiang Yuan with a 33.3-degree angle of his mouth, reassuring him. So, Jiang Yuan comfortably leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes and rested. Huang Qiangmin breathed another sigh of relief; he was worried that the young ones these days were too casual, and it would have been awkward if they started watching videos on their phones right then. Suddenly, Huang Qiangmin’s mobile phone rang. He stood up and immediately answered it, turning on the speakerphone, “Captain Wu, I’m in the director’s office, report directly to us.” “Yes,” Wu Junhao acknowledged, then carefully chose his words, “I’ve measured the suspect’s height, exactly 193 centimeters.” “Bring the person in, collect evidence on the spot; I’ll call the prosecutor’s office,” Huang Qiangmin’s face was full of elation! At least up to this point, the murder investigation was going smoothly. Finding the perpetrator for the victim and clearing the false accusation is the duty of the police. Another point, nailing a murder case could mean an explosive achievement for the year! The director also sat up straight, nodding in satisfaction toward Jiang Yuan and said to Huang Qiangmin, “Immediately establish a special case team and solidify the investigation.”

Chapter 149 - 149 145 The Suspect Outside of View

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