Chapter 54 - 54 53 Cracking the Case_2

Words : 1224 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

54: Chapter 53: Cracking the Case_2 54: Chapter 53: Cracking the Case_2 Liu Jinghui swept his keen gaze around and said slowly, “The most unreasonable part here is that Tan Yong brought Ding Lan back to Changyang City. There are toll stations and random inspections on the way from Ningtai to Changyang City. Taking such a huge risk just to bring Ding Lan back to his own vacant house for murder and burial doesn’t make sense. During his confession, Tan Yong must have hidden something crucial.” Liu Jinghui looked at the reactions of the surrounding criminal detectives and continued, “Tan Yong is in construction. He knows how to use engineering vehicles and is familiar with construction sites, so he had many options for disposing of the body. He claimed that he dug the basement to bury the body, but because of Ding Lan’s pleading and voluntary service, he decided to switch from burial to excavation... Is that more difficult and risky than burying a body in the wild or on a construction site? Is it necessary? Especially since the excavation of the basement required machinery that Tan Yong had to bring in, which was not easy.” “Additionally, Tan Yong has committed at least four crimes, including the female corpse we dug out from the basement, who was also a prostitute. The following three cases of kidnapping prostitutes left very little evidence, showing his thoroughness in thinking. Why then did he leave fingerprints on Ding Lan’s bicycle?” At this point, Liu Jinghui’s gaze turned towards Jiang Yuan. Jiang Yuan curiously watched Liu Jinghui. This was his first time being involved in a special case team. “What’s Director Liu’s deduction?” Yu Wenshu knew Liu Jinghui liked to reason and had also proven his capabilities in the criminal investigation bureau through multiple deductions, so he didn’t challenge his “authority.” Liu Jinghui looked around and, seeing no response, felt somewhat disappointed. He slightly lifted his chin and said, “I’m inclined to believe that Tan Yong told part of the truth.” “You may speak,” Yu Wenshu prompted. Liu Jinghui nodded with satisfaction and continued, “First, the fingerprints suggest that Tan Yong’s kidnapping of Ding Lan was indeed impulsive, but not random. Choosing Ding Lan as the kidnapping target wasn’t as convenient as taking a prostitute. He could have easily chosen his victims at random within the provincial capital to commit his crime.” Liu Jinghui paused briefly then added, “Also, as the first woman imprisoned in the basement, Ding Lan’s uniqueness could explain why he went from planning to bury her to deciding on excavation and imprisonment.” Some people nodded in agreement, but most remained calm. Liu Jinghui had so far only made ordinary inferences, which many present could do—only most were not bold enough to state them confidently. Liu Jinghui enjoyed squinting his eyes with pleasure. What he liked most about reasoning was the explosive power it could unleash from calmness. After briefly describing the case, Liu Jinghui finally voiced the word he had been holding back: “But! All these answers still don’t explain why Tan Yong would return to Changyang City!” Liu Jinghui’s suddenly raised voice drew everyone’s attention. Several detectives also frowned in thought. “Indeed, he could have disposed of the body locally, gone to a construction site he was familiar with, or even to other counties, but going back to Changyang was the least advisable,” a detective from the Changyang City Criminal Police Detachment said thoughtfully. “He travels frequently and must have seen the road checks in the provincial capital.” “Correct. Tan Yong’s company is a subsidiary of the Luqiao Group and is involved in construction projects all over the province, including highways, national roads, toll stations, and checkpoints... So, his choice to go to Changyang City must be underpinned by a solid reason,” Liu Jinghui stated, sharing his logic. “I believe Tan Yong had a proven, reliable method of disposing of bodies.” The detective who had previously spoken asked, “Maybe he just happened to think of a construction site in Changyang City that was suitable at the time, like one where they were digging a hole?” “To take the risk of being caught en route, driving over 100 kilometers?” Liu Jinghui shook his head firmly. “Merely a hypothesis or guess wouldn’t be enough to make a cautious engineer make such a decision. If it weren’t for a verified disposal method, and if he hadn’t found it effective before, Tan Yong’s best option would have been a construction site in Ningtai County. There, he was in charge of sites, and it would have been more convenient and less exposed than going to a site in Changyang City managed by others.” This was a very persuasive argument, and the questioning detective had no choice but to nod. “The only certainty is that only with a verified disposal method would Tan Yong be so determined to risk being discovered on the road and return directly to Changyang City after the crime occurred. I suggest we re-interrogate Tan Yong immediately, using Ding Lan as a breakthrough to find out his disposal method,” Liu Jinghui said decisively, full of confidence. Everyone could only listen quietly. At that moment, Yu Wenshu said, “Then let’s proceed as Director Liu has arranged and interrogate Tan Yong again. Make him believe he has been charged with murder; it will make him more willing to talk. Director Liu, is that what you mean?” Liu Jinghui replied, “Exactly. Another point, I think we should also ask what Tan Yong did specifically after kidnapping Ding Lan. Since he decided to escalate his crime, why didn’t he go back and take care of the bicycle? Did he forget, or did something else happen? I suspect he was delayed by something.” “Okay, let’s do that,” the squad leader made the final decision, setting the course of action. The provincial headquarters also played a significant role. Liu Jinghui smiled modestly at everyone, waiting for the squad leader to wrap up before being the first to leave the meeting room. Jiang Yuan watched the shiny bald head disappear, then left the meeting room. Once he was in a quieter place, he couldn’t help but turn to Wei Zhenguo and ask, “Is that really okay?” Wei Zhenguo smiled as expected and said, “Does it feel very powerful?” Jiang Yuan whispered, “He has no evidence at all!” Yes, based on Jiang Yuan’s “many years” of forensic experience, the first thing he noticed was that throughout the meeting, Liu Jinghui talked about reasoning, speculation, and deduction, but not once mentioned evidence. Looking around, Wei Zhenguo said, “That’s why Director Liu is most famous for his deductive style. He doesn’t care about the evidence; he always relies on reasoning to solve cases, then lets other officers chase down the evidence.” Jiang Yuan, whose entire academic and professional life had revolved around evidence, was at a loss for words upon hearing Wei Zhenguo’s description of Liu Jinghui. He simply repeated, “Is that really okay?” Wei Zhenguo, pulling Jiang Yuan away, emphasized, “The senior detective of the provincial police department decides how to solve a case however they please. The key is, they can solve the case.”

Chapter 54 - 54 53 Cracking the Case_2

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