Chapter 267 - 267 251 Persuasion

Words : 2023 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

267: Chapter 251 Persuasion 267: Chapter 251 Persuasion Jiang Yuan couldn’t stand anymore in the autopsy room. Despite spending so much time looking at bones and barely finding any clues, they still had not been of any use. Now that he thought about it, since the investigation of this case had started till now, the team had discovered quite a few clues, but they were still a long way from identifying a suspect. This indicated, on one hand, that the suspect had strong anti-investigation capabilities, which in turn suggested that he might have committed more crimes. On the other hand, it inevitably caused the investigating officers to feel dejected. Jiang Yuan’s sense of dejection might have been stronger. This case was one he was extremely eager to solve—for reasons that go without saying. Liu Jinghui was still missing, and the longer he remained missing, the slimmer the chances of finding him became. This was something nobody wanted to think about in detail. In previous cases, Jiang Yuan often felt like he could do no wrong. His skills were well beyond the provincial level, so even the most daunting of cold cases would have a chance of being solved once they landed in his hands. However, there was no room for maneuver in this current case. It needed to be solved, and it had to be solved quickly. Yet it was firmly stuck in place. Jiang Yuan didn’t want to look at bones anymore. Subconsciously, he felt even the “king of evidence” did not provide sufficient evidence. Glancing at a few colleagues who were still busy in the autopsy room, Jiang Yuan approached Wang Lan and whispered, “Mrs. Wang, I’m thinking of taking a trip to Fangjin Township.” “Has Captain Huang called for you?” Wang Lan naturally assumed. “No, I’m just feeling a bit stifled and wanted to get out for a bit,” Jiang Yuan replied quite frankly, now that his status within the police force had risen and he no longer needed to tread as carefully as he did when he was younger. Since Wang Lan wasn’t Jiang Yuan’s direct supervisor and saw that he really wanted to go, she smiled and said, “It seems you don’t love staying here after the smell of the boiled bones is gone. Alright, it’s good to go out for some fresh air. Just mention it in the group chat.” “Okay. Call me next time you’re boiling bones,” Jiang Yuan said playfully, then typed in the “Ningtai Zifeng Police Group” chat: Jiang Yuan: “[@Huang Qiangmin, Captain Huang, I’m heading to Fangjin Township now].” Huang Qiangmin: “[If you want to come and have a look, that’s fine. How are you getting here? The new car is already with me].” Jiang Yuan: “[I’ll find a car and come over].” Qinghe City was Jiang Yongxin’s main battleground, and his car rental company had plenty of good cars to choose from. Jiang Yuan sent a message and figured that by the time the car arrived, he would have changed his clothes. Going back to the group chat, he saw Huang Qiangmin had posted: “[Okay. If you can’t find a ride, take a taxi, and remember to keep the receipt for reimbursement].” As soon as these words dropped, countless people popped up in the group: Liu Wenkai: “[Captain Huang, I want reimbursement too!]” Wei Zhenguo: “[Captain Huang, I also want reimbursement!]” Wu Junhao: “[Captain Huang~]” “[Wu Junhao has been removed from the group chat].” Huang Qiangmin: “[Who added people not in Zifeng to the group? Anyone else who wants reimbursement, come to me directly, and I’ll reimburse you].” The “Ningtai Zifeng Police Group” fell silent as if nothing had happened. Jiang Yuan quietly closed his phone, smiled at Wang Lan, then went to the shower room for a wash and changed into new clothes. Clothes that have been contaminated with the smell of decay are better left to air out for a day before washing, to help get rid of the odor. When storing new clothes in the locker, it’s best to separate them with plastic bags. This was also because the facilities in Qinghe City’s autopsy room were average. In higher-level forensic autopsy rooms, there are usually independent bathing and changing facilities that don’t make the autopsy results any clearer but do make the forensic doctor more comfortable. As he stepped outside, a Land Rover Range Rover arrived just in time. The driver had locked the car doors tightly and looked around warily. Thud thud. Jiang Yuan knocked on the window. The driver jolted, and his body appeared to go limp. Jiang Yuan silently watched him go limp then stiffen again before knocking on the window once more. The driver trembled slightly and then opened the car door. “Bro, the place where you work is really something,” the driver looked in the rearview mirror. “You seem a bit faint-hearted,” Jiang Yuan said as he got comfortable in the back seat, smiling, “Actually, the funeral home is quite safe, no need to be scared.” “I’m not afraid of people, just a bit afraid of ghosts,” the driver admitted with an embarrassed smile as he started the car. Jiang Yuan nodded and explained, “Think of it this way, ghosts are just people who have died. And in the funeral home, most people who have died were either unwell or had diseases, or were the elderly. You shouldn’t be afraid of such ghosts.” The driver felt a bit more at ease and chuckled, “But there are also homicide victims and accidental deaths.” “Oh, so those who turn into ghosts from such deaths are called fierce ghosts,” Jiang Yuan noted, describing the appearance of fierce ghosts. As a forensic doctor, he was quite familiar with these concepts. The driver silently turned on the vehicle’s interior light, occasionally giving the headlights a flash. The Range Rover arrived at Fangjin Township smoothly. It was a town that looked even poorer than Zi Feng Town, with sparsely scattered two-story buildings lining the streets, most of them with their rolling shutters down — it was hard to tell if there was anything worth stealing inside. However, beyond the main road, the area extended quite far, with many self-built houses and yards sprinkled throughout. Jiang Yuan got out of the car ahead of time and found Huang Qiangmin, smiling, “Captain Huang, I’ve come to help.” “Hmm, I was thinking of letting you rest first... You’ll be with Wei’s team again.” Huang Qiangmin called Wei Zhenguo over. Wei Zhenguo greeted Jiang Yuan with a smile. When it came to solving cases, he really liked having Jiang Yuan around — it saved time, effort, and felt satisfying. In comparison, working with Huang Qiangmin could be a bit... draining. “Still checking motorcycles?” Jiang Yuan approached Wei Zhenguo and asked in a low voice. “Checking,” Wei Zhenguo replied, saying, “We’ve found all the motorcycles we could, but it has been two or three years since the murderer last struck, right? If he sold the motorcycle during this period, or moved away, then it’s not clear.” “Then I suggest we check them all,” Jiang Yuan gave a very affirmative answer. Huang Qiangmin, who had been typing on his phone, looked up and asked, “You’re that certain?” Jiang Yuan had been thinking throughout the car ride and immediately said, “I feel that we must be certain about one thing: the murderer definitely lives around Zifeng Mountain. Otherwise, the disappearance of Director Liu and his team couldn’t be explained.” Huang Qiangmin uttered a noncommittal “Hmm.” “So, the murderer’s last crime wasn’t two or three years ago, but 9 days ago. The time before that was a month ago. If the murderer’s behavior pattern hasn’t changed, this means he used the motorcycle at least twice within a month,” Jiang Yuan explained, counting on his fingers. Wei Zhenguo nodded involuntarily. Zifeng Mountain, somewhere everyone had already climbed. If one were to travel by foot without using any vehicle, it would be exhaustingly tiring. “Director Liu’s team’s pickup truck also disappeared, and the murderer must have driven it somewhere and hidden it. But this at least suggests one thing, the murderer can drive, and likely has a driver’s license.” Xu Taining had specifically arranged a team to look for the vehicle and updated all the teams daily with the latest requirements and news. The fact that the vehicle hadn’t been found yet only proved the murderer’s deep familiarity with Zifeng Mountain. The reason for this belief stemmed from the image investigation team’s inability to find Liu Jinghui and his team’s vehicle at various checkpoints — after watching 9 days’ worth of surveillance footage, it was virtually certain they wouldn’t find it. Jiang Yuan then explained the two types of saw blade marks he had found on the fourth victim and emphasized, “I think the murderer switches them very casually. It’s not that he changes it only when a saw blade breaks. Moreover, after changing the saw blade, the sawed parts are quite meticulous... From my understanding, if it was not necessary, he wouldn’t have needed to cut the body parts into such small pieces.” “We have so many clues, yet we can’t find the person,” Huang Qiangmin actually felt a bit frustrated. Participating in more searches reveals that this method is indeed very effective. Generally speaking, when you’re closing in on a suspect, you can usually detect something through various means. It’s not only about stumbling onto evidence; sometimes detectives can detect the “criminal scent” just by standing opposite a suspect. During wartime, even spies trained specifically for espionage could hardly escape such thorough searches. Although today’s social atmosphere is somewhat more relaxed, criminal suspects are far less trained. With this many clues and this many people involved, the failure to find a suspect is discomforting for police officers, especially those skilled in criminal investigation. Liu Jinghui might have had similar thoughts on the day of his disappearance. Perhaps he already had some leads by then. “And there’s another thing we talked about before...” Jiang Yuan looked at Huang Qiangmin and said, “The murderer might very well be mingling among those helping with the search...” This was also why Jiang Yuan insisted on coming in person. There are some topics that are uncomfortable to discuss over the phone. Huang Qiangmin sighed, “Director Xu has already sent people to investigate, and I’ve been aware of it here in Fangjin Township.” He sighed again, “At least from aspects like household registration, nothing has been found.” “If we have a list of suspects, compare it with the ones here in Fangjin Township, as well as those who ride motorcycles and have driving licenses...” “Someone is already doing that,” said Huang Qiangmin. “Then let’s focus on the motorcycles, I think we need to do more detailed inquiries. Especially within Fangjin Township.” “Hmm...” Huang Qiangmin hesitated slightly. In the investigation of a murder, especially one with backlogged cases, the clues are never-ending. The issue is which clue is more likely to lead to the murderer. Just like the clue about the saw blades Jiang Yuan had just provided; to Huang Qiangmin, it still seemed insufficient. There’s too little tangible evidence and too much subjective speculation. Should the search for motorcycles expand to include the area within several kilometers of Fangjin Township and be thoroughly re-examined? Huang Qiangmin couldn’t make a decision at the moment. Jiang Yuan’s attitude became extremely serious, emphasizing, “Captain Huang, now is the time to leave no stone unturned to find that motorcycle. If we’re short on people, I can join the search.” “Then go with Wei and investigate,” Huang Qiangmin decided with some reluctance, a testament to the high level of trust he had in Jiang Yuan. This renewed investigation would surely mean doubling the efforts in persuasion — for both the police and the public.

Chapter 267 - 267 251 Persuasion

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