Diary of a Criminal Investigator-Chapter 357: Cheng Zihao’s Shock

In the Crime Scene Investigation laboratory, after two days of hard work, Lu Chuan’s footprint separation task was nearing its end.

Out of thirty-something sets of footprints, only four more needed to be completed for the separation of the overlapping prints.

This means that within a day at most, it might be possible to uncover new clues.

Solving a case is like playing a puzzle game, where each clue is a path leading to success.

Of course, there is more than one path to success; some are easy, some are hard.

But no matter which path it is, the process of overcoming it is filled with the joy of progress.

Until the path is clear, or a dead-end is encountered.

Lu Chuan wasn’t sure whether the path he chose was a straight road to the end or a dead-end leading nowhere.

However, by taking a path each day, you can’t see the end just by looking; only by walking it yourself will you know where the end lies.

Just like Cheng Zihao far away in Huangzhou.

Wang Jian’s home had only an old mother, over seventy, trembling as she walked.

"Sister-in-law, it’s me, Huang Jun, do you remember me?"

Wang Jian’s mother sat in the open yard in front of the house, nodding as she fanned herself: "You’re Old Huang from the station, I remember."

"When Old Wang was around, we often drank together. We knew each other pretty well."

At this, Huang Jun thought for a moment and continued: "How confident are you?"

Cheng Zihao knew Huang Jun meant how confident he was about Wang Jian’s crime, or whether he had any evidence.

Evidence, Cheng Zihao indeed had none.

He came to investigate to find evidence.

"Brother Huang, it’s hard to say right now, just a bit of a clue; maybe there is, maybe there isn’t."

"Come in and sit."

Wang Jian’s mother invited Huang Jun and Cheng Zihao inside.

The house was a newly built two-story building.

"Wang Jian is filial. All these years, the money he earned from working went into building this house for me. It’s just that the boy hasn’t married yet... sigh..."

Without waiting for Cheng Zihao to ask more, Wang Jian’s mother started talking about Wang Jian.

While Huang Jun chatted with her, Cheng Zihao just listened.

Afterward, a map on the wall caught Cheng Zihao’s attention.

It was a map of the whole country, with many lines connecting various cities.

Seeing Cheng Zihao looking at the map, Wang Jian’s mother smiled: "I drew this. Every time my son went to work in a place, I would draw a line..."

Cheng Zihao nodded, suddenly recalling the saying that "a child traveling a thousand miles makes the mother worry, while a mother traveling a thousand miles leaves the child at ease."

Then he secretly used his phone to take a picture of the map.

In less than an hour, the two left.

"How about it?"

On the way, Huang Jun casually asked Cheng Zihao, who shook his head: "Not much use, we still need to look at other situations, we have a few places to check out this time."

"That’s how it is with casework; you field guys run outside every day, unlike me, I’ve done desk work my whole life, never left Huangzhou."

Old Huang was quite talkative, which was perhaps due to his line of work. In community work, if you’re not talkative and don’t mix with the community, how do you do the job?

Throughout the walk, almost every shop they passed, someone greeted Huang Jun.

He not only knew Wang Jian’s parents but was also very familiar with others, especially the older people.

"Brother Huang, can I borrow a computer to check some information?"

"No problem, I’m not good with computers, haven’t set one up, but we can use someone else’s, I’ll arrange it."

Plainly, Huang Jun was well-liked at the station, as he brought Cheng Zihao inside, everyone kept greeting them.

"Use this one; it’s newly set up today, I hear it’s fast."

Police are like a family, and having handled many cases outside over the years, Cheng Zihao felt this deeply.

In the past, when he was with the Liangzhou Criminal Investigation Team, he also encountered colleagues from other provinces and cities coming to handle cases.

Whatever they needed, they were given the best to use.

"Brother Huang, you go ahead with your work, this might take me a while."

"Alright, I’ll call you when it’s time for lunch."

Huang Jun even poured water for Cheng Zihao before leaving.

After thanking him, Cheng Zihao took out his phone and opened the photo he had just taken at Wang Jian’s house.

"Seven years ago, Yanzhou..."

This was the first place Wang Jian worked back then.

Cheng Zihao opened the police system and began searching for unsolved cases from seven years ago in Yanzhou.

"The headless corpse case..."

Seven years ago, a headless body was found in a reservoir in Yanzhou, a case that remains unsolved to this day.

"Zhangzhou..."

Cheng Zihao opened another city to continue the search.

"Dismemberment case..."

Six years ago, there was a dismemberment case in Zhangzhou, where a travel bag containing parts of a body was found in a garbage pile, another unsolved case.

"Five years ago, Baozhou..."

"Four years ago, Yanzhou..."

The more he looked, the grimmer Cheng Zihao’s face became.

On the map, Wang Jian’s mother not only marked where Wang Jian had worked each year but also noted the times.

Following these times and places, Cheng Zihao searched for unsolved murder cases, and was shocked to find that apart from the first headless corpse case in Yanzhou that remains unsolved, other places had unsolved dismemberment cases.

Moreover, these cases bore a shocking resemblance to the dismemberment case in Liangzhou City.

All involved the discovery of body parts but not the whole body, with the victim’s identity largely unknown.

Seven years, and every time Wang Jian went to a place, there was an unresolved murder case. Coincidence?

Furthermore, Wang Jian never stayed in one place for work for over a year; he always moved from one city to another within a year.

Coincidence?

Is it a coincidence?

Cheng Zihao noted the cases he found, then shut down the computer.

Over the years, Cheng Zihao has dealt with hundreds of cases.

Murder, robbery, arson, assault, every type of case he’s handled.

He’s met all sorts of suspects.

People who seem honest and kind aren’t always good, and those with sly faces aren’t always bad.

In this world, there aren’t many coincidences, especially in cases—if there is a coincidence, it’s definitely an issue.

At first, Cheng Zihao only had some suspicions about Wang Jian, thinking it was a lead.

But for some reason, after seeing the cities Wang Jian had traveled to over the years and the cases that occurred there, Cheng Zihao was certain the Liangzhou dismemberment case was Wang Jian’s doing.

But solving a case can’t rely on intuition; it needs evidence.

Where’s the evidence of Wang Jian’s crime?

The Liangzhou dismemberment case is unsolved, as are those in other cities, and the perpetrator left no clues.

Trying to start with the other cases may be even more challenging.

"Brother Cheng, it’s noon already, let’s go have lunch at our canteen."

Old Huang’s words interrupted Cheng Zihao’s thoughts.

Looking at the time, sure enough, it was already noon.

Hmm?

Seeing Old Huang, Cheng Zihao suddenly remembered something: "Brother Huang, did you mention this morning... Wang Jian’s house caught fire?"