Chapter 362 - 362 329 The Way

Words : 1923 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

362: Chapter 329 The Way 362: Chapter 329 The Way The sun had just set, and the temperature started to drop. Officers in the office who were supposed to get off work did so, and those who had just gathered for a meal had their meal, not waiting for any new thoughts, new orders, or new meetings from above, leaving in dribs and drabs. Those remaining were notified by Yu Wenshu not to leave yet and to continue working overtime as usual. Shen Yaoguo quietly came to the Changyang City Criminal Police Detachment, found Yu Wenshu and Jiang Yuan upon entering, and without minding what they were discussing, asked first, “Has there been any progress in the case?” “Yes,” Jiang Yuan nodded. “What’s the specific situation? Did you catch anyone?” Shen Yaoguo asked in a low voice. “You don’t know?” Yu Wenshu’s eyes glanced outside. Shen Yaoguo laughed twice and said, “I couldn’t possibly betray my own brother. I’ve always said I wouldn’t rely on him to give me updates on the case. I asked someone else.” Yu Wenshu nodded half believingly, not caring who he had asked, and then began to recount the case details they had just learned, summarizing in a few sentences for Shen Yaoguo. Shen Yaoguo listened attentively, and upon hearing about Zhang Xiang, said with a bit of surprise, “The security guard from Jianyuan’s parking lot? Jianyuan Pharmaceutical is really going a bit too far.” Jiang Yuan countered, “What do they need this kind of parking lot security for?” “To resolve conflicts, or to create them. And to conveniently clear themselves of any blame,” Shen Yaoguo recalled, “A few years ago, when Jianyuan Pharmaceutical was expanding, there was land requisition, and conflicts were rather pronounced. They learned to employ some people; these days, they mainly use these individuals for logistics and transport.” After speaking, Shen Yaoguo added, “You guys haven’t eaten yet, have you? I ordered some dishes; let’s eat together and talk over the meal.” It was actually just dinner time now. Shen Yaoguo took out a large stack of boxes, opened them, and they turned out to be beautifully prepared Japanese-style meal boxes. “There’s eel rice, beef rice, cooked items including grilled eel, roast beef, grilled vegetables, and grilled fish, plus several types of sashimi with sauces. Choose whatever you like,” Shen Yaoguo said while taking a portion of eel rice for himself, adding, “I recommend the eel rice. Freshly killed eels, two per bowl of rice.” “Quite fancy,” Yu Wenshu unceremoniously took a beef rice box, opened it, and started eating, not waiting for anyone else. He had already finished eating by the time Shen Yaoguo had just completed the distribution of food for everyone. Yu Wenshu looked at Yu Wenshu helplessly and said, “You just don’t want to eat with me, do you?” “You in the public security sure have a lot of tricks.” Yu Wenshu wiped his mouth and said, “Actually, we’re just waiting to catch Zhang Xiang now. If we catch him, all will be well, but if not, the case will be at a stalemate again.” Yu Wenshu spoke the last sentence with a look towards Shen Yaoguo. The “again” he mentioned was similar to the kind previously mentioned by Shen Yaoguo. The reason this case became a cold case was that it landed in Shen Yaoguo’s hands and, at the very end, when they were just one step away from apprehending someone, the most important suspect escaped, leaving a threat behind. However, unlike last time, this time it was Jiang Yuan who brought the case to this point. If there were any problems in the future, it would be Jiang Yuan’s responsibility, not Shen Yaoguo’s. It was akin to a transfer of hidden dangers. Moreover, it seemed that leaving one case with a loose end wasn’t a big deal for Jiang Yuan. Over the year, he had solved seven or eight cold cases, including an even greater number of current cases. So what if there’s a problem with one case? But in another 8 years, things could change. By then, Jiang Yuan might face the same distress. Of course, this was assuming that he too had miscalculated the direction of the investigation. Miscalculating the direction of an investigation isn’t unusual; what matters is correcting it in time. It’s quite normal to change investigative directions during the process of solving a case. But if a case is left unresolved with escapees on the loose and the claim is made that the case is already solved, then the direction of the investigation warrants additional scrutiny. Consequently, Yu Wenshu wasn’t too pleased and tossed the beef rice box aside, saying, “If this case is solved, then it’s solved. If not, Chief Shen, you’ll have to compensate our Jiang Yuan.” The hidden dangers could very well be an issue several years down the line, and Yu Wenshu usually wouldn’t be so concerned about Jiang Yuan, whom they had borrowed. But sooner or later Huang Qiangmin would find out, and he would naturally explain it to Jiang Yuan. Yu Wenshu feared that Jiang Yuan might become discontented, either quitting or insisting on using the detachment’s resources to relentlessly pursue the case. Whichever option Jiang Yuan chose, in the end, it would still be Yu Wenshu footing the bill. With this thought, Yu Wenshu’s displeasure surged a few levels. Shen Yaoguo laughed a few times and immediately agreed. After all, his hidden danger was basically averted, and he didn’t care much about losing a bit of blood over it. The group ate and waited for news. It didn’t take long for news to arrive. “Zhang Xiang’s social security is still being paid by Jianyuan Pharmaceutical. He’s at the Changyang City branch office, now the deputy manager of the storage department,” reported Wang Chuanxing, surprising everyone in the office. “He’s still with Jianyuan Pharmaceutical,” mused Shen Yaoguo. “Jianyuan Pharmaceutical really has something going for it, to keep a person on for so long.” “Can parking fees really keep someone so well-fed?” Yu Wenshu remarked. “I’ll have a good look into them later,” Shen Yaoguo huffed, having plenty of tactics for dealing with such large corporations. Yu Wenshu became silent then and instructed, “Be careful when making arrests; make sure the arrangements are strict, and don’t let anyone escape. Is Ma Jiyang around?” “Present.” “Give him the phone, I want to say a couple of words to him.” Yu Wenshu had nearly dispatched the entire Criminal Police Detachment, it just so happened that the team nearby was led by Ma Jiyang. For the Criminal Police Detachment, deploying dozens of officers to catch one person wasn’t considered a waste. When it came to searching the mountains, teams of thousands, even tens of thousands, could be mobilized at a moment’s notice. In this regard, the Criminal Police Detachment never discussed the cost-effectiveness. Office is quiet again as the criminal police at the front are likely beginning to set up tactics and arrange positions. There’s nothing Jiang Yuan and his colleagues can do. It was then that Jiang Yuan suddenly understood why leaders liked to hear reports from subordinates so much. Leaders can’t see the front-line combat; especially in critical cases, they don’t know if the team has won or lost. At such times, if someone could update them on the situation, how happy they would be. And if the report is of a victory, how delighted they would be. As for those who dislike reporting, and complain that their talents aren’t recognized, they probably never caught the leader’s attention. Luckily, Jiang Yuan and his team didn’t have to wait too long. Wang Chuanxing was the first to report the progress: “Captain Jiang, we’ve caught the suspect. There was resistance, and his three minions have also been arrested. We’re on our way back now.” Everyone in the office breathed a sigh of relief. After just over a minute, Ma Jiyang called Yu Wenshu with his report, which was timely and included more detail and instructions, but it seemed less attentive after Wang Chuanxing’s report. “This Wang Chuanxing of yours has some potential,” Shen Yaoguo commented, taking the opportunity to send a WeChat message to his cousin. Shen Yaowei replied with an emoji. The atmosphere in Jiang Yuan’s Accumulated Case Team grew even more tense as they were about to solve another cold case. In the tradition of the Changyang City Criminal Police Detachment: One unsolved murder case meant one opportunity to gain merit, and everyone wanted to seize such chances. Looking back, if they left Jiang Yuan Murder Case Special Team or Jiang Yuan left Changyang City, it might take years to find a similar opportunity. “Tell Wang Chuanxing to search thoroughly, pack up all the knives, screwdrivers, and the like, and also take photos to send to me directly,” Jiang Yuan only now finished his sashimi, wiped his mouth, and joined in. Shen Yaowei was close by, and he quickly responded, immediately calling Wang Chuanxing. Shen Yaoguo was puzzled and asked, “Are you looking for the murder weapon?” After eight years, Shen Yaoguo doubted that the murderer would still keep the weapon close by. In fact, the fact that the killer remained in Changyang City had already aroused his considerable curiosity about these parking lot security guards. Jiang Yuan shook his head slightly, saying, “When I went to the warehouse, someone used a knife to stab my tire.” “Then... no, can you tell which knife did it?” Shen Yaoguo was somewhat puzzled. Jiang Yuan felt he could tell, but he didn’t say it so confidently, only saying, “I’ll have a look first, maybe.” “Knife marks on a rubber tire and on a body shouldn’t be the same thing,” Shen Yaoguo said, and then stopped. If the other wanted to look, let him look; it didn’t concern him anyway. Soon, Wang Chuanxing’s phone call came back. Shen Yaowei answered, turned on the speakerphone, and immediately said, “I’ve got you on speakerphone, okay...” Wang Chuanxing responded “Oh,” and then said, “I’m sending pictures of the knife marks to the backend; there are quite a lot of knives here.” “What do you mean?” Jiang Yuan was a bit confused. “This guy seems to like collecting cold weapons, with everything from axes to halberds, there must be twenty or thirty knives, should we bring them all back?” Wang Chuanxing was frowning on scene, as the quantity was so large it would make identification even more difficult. Jiang Yuan didn’t mind: “Bring them all back, and send photos when you have time.” Wang Chuanxing quickly agreed and hung up to swiftly organize the photos. Shen Yaoguo couldn’t help but smile; identifying each of the thirty-plus knife marks thoroughly could take all night, leaving no time for normal duties. Fifteen minutes later, Jiang Yuan looked up and declared, “It’s this one.” Shen Yaoguo was startled: “You identified the knife mark? Don’t you usually need to make cuts, stab a gel or something to test first?” “Yes, you can also look at the blade...” Jiang Yuan gave Shen Yaoguo a puzzled look. He had just wanted to compare a tire mark; he still remembered the mark vividly, so it was natural for him to easily identify the correct knife among the thirty-odd ones.

Chapter 362 - 362 329 The Way

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