Chapter 6 Preliminary Identification of the True Murderer

Jifeng was awakened by the chirping of birds outside his window. Drowsily, he realized he was in his office. He glanced at the quartz clock on the wall. It was already six in the morning. He had no idea when he'd fallen asleep on the office sofa. He rubbed his neck and muttered to himself, "This sofa isn't even as comfortable as my hard bed."

After a quick wash, I would go running on the beach as usual.

After running, Xin Xiao also arrived at the office.

"Captain Ji, did you stay out last night?" Xin Xiao joked.

Ji Feng then realized that the sofa was rather messy, and while tidying it up he said, "I'm different from you. No one loves me, no one cares for me, haha."

"Alas, every day I get up early to send my child to school, and go home at night to help with homework. Many times, I arrive home and she and her mother are still working on their homework under the lamp. My wife is almost depressed. Sometimes I envy you."

"You're being so Versailles. Speaking of depression, you should pay more attention to the mental health of your wife and children."

Xin Xiao nodded in agreement: "Nowadays, both parents and children are under great psychological pressure, and the number of people suffering from depression has increased several times compared to before."

Ji Feng was thoughtful. "You remind me, do you think Lin Wantang might have some psychological problems?"

"It's hard to say, considering the high incidence of mental illnesses these days. A few days ago, while researching related information online, it occurred to me that you were very good at criminal psychology back in school. You could definitely use your expertise when solving cases."

"Compared to logical reasoning, my criminal psychology is a little behind, but your suggestion is very good. I can really put more effort into this area."

"I only have a superficial understanding of it. I barely passed this course in school. I only regret not having learned enough when I need it." Xin Xiao sighed.

"I remember a classmate named Lu Chenzhou. He had a very solid foundation in criminal psychology. Before he even graduated, the criminal police team asked him to help solve a case. But I haven't been in touch with him since graduation, and I don't know where he is now."

"I know it's at the Modao Criminal Police Detachment. Although it's not far away, we don't have much contact."

"Oh, then find some time to contact each other and invite classmates who live nearby to get together. I'll treat you." Ji Feng suggested.

"How can I let you treat me? When we get to Lan Valley, you are the guest and I am the host. It doesn't make sense for a guest to treat me. I have to treat you." Xin Xiao said hurriedly.

"You have to support the family. If I eat alone, the whole family will not be hungry. So let me do it." Ji Feng insisted.

"Then I'd better obey your command, haha." Xin Xiao said with a smile.

After restoring the office to its original state, Ji Feng wandered towards the cafeteria. When he pushed open the door, he saw Jiang Bo eating breakfast while looking at his phone, not noticing anyone coming in. Ji Feng finished his meal and sat down opposite Jiang Bo, "Captain Jiang, you're looking so intently."

"Oh, Captain Ji, you are watching the powerful country news. I'm used to it. I watch it while eating breakfast in the cafeteria every day, haha." Jiang Bo raised his head and said politely.

Ji Feng pulled up a chair and sat down, gently placing the plate on the table. The steaming food exuded an alluring aroma. "Hey, Captain Jiang, you're really jumping up and down at the first sign of trouble."

Jiang Bo ignored Ji Feng's teasing and said seriously, "Captain Ji, you've come just in time. I was just thinking of looking for you later. Do you have time after work? We need to hold a case discussion meeting and sort this case out carefully."

"Okay, Captain Jiang." Ji Feng knew in his heart that Jiang Bo was implying that he did not take the initiative to report the case.

The two of them ate and chatted, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

The conference room was filled with smoke, and several people were puffing away. Ji Feng walked in with an e-cigarette in his mouth, glanced around, and said, "The investigation in the past few days mainly focused on analyzing Lin Wantang's motives, reviewing case files, and visiting Shen Zhaoran's interpersonal relationships. The purpose was to determine whether it was a revenge killing, a killing of passion, or a murder for money. However, because the two key figures in the case have passed away, there are not many other people involved in this case, so there are few valuable clues." Ji Feng said word by word.

Jiang Bo listened carefully and nodded slightly.

"While investigating the limited clues, we combined criminal psychology with our understanding. From a psychological perspective, we believe that whoever benefits the most from this case will be the most suspicious. At present, the biggest beneficiary is the Lan family." Ji Feng paused, looked around, and continued, "After years of continuous auctions, the Lan family's ordinary collections have been basically cleared out. The remaining ones are non-saleable items with huge appreciation potential. Shen Zhaoran's role in their lives is no longer as important as before, and this marriage based on business cooperation is almost collapsing. After Shen Zhaoran's death, Lan Ruojin, as the only first-line heir, will inherit all of his property and shares in the auction house, as well as a huge insurance payout. After all, Shen Zhaoran has no other relatives, and this is a huge fortune."

Having said this, Ji Feng paused again, looked at Jiang Bo's thoughtful expression, and continued, "So, we intend to investigate the Lan family as a key suspect. To be cautious, I would like to hear the opinions of the leaders and colleagues."

"If the Lan family has set their sights on this huge fortune, it is indeed worth the risk. The benefits involved are too great." Jiang Bo spoke first.

"That's too scary. Being plotted against by your own family is hard to guard against. I don't think we can rule out this possibility." Xin Xiao said.

"But murder is a serious crime after all. The Lan family should first think of other options. Based on my understanding of the Lan family, they will definitely weigh the pros and cons." Jiang Bo continued.

"If I were a member of the Lan family, the first thing I would think of is divorce," someone said.

"According to the property division rule of 50% for each party in a divorce, combined with the financial comparison between the Lan family and Shen Zhaoran, Shen Zhaoran is the beneficiary of the divorce, not the Lan family. Because they don't want to 'suffer a loss', divorce may not be the best option for the Lan family." Ji Feng analyzed.

"But 50% is not a must, and the two parties can negotiate. As long as both parties reach an agreement, various division ratios are possible." Xin Xiao followed.

"That depends on the outcome of the game between the two sides."

"There is another possibility. Given the Lan family's strength, it is not difficult for them to find a suitable country for investment immigration. If the Lan family can escape legal sanctions after immigration, it is not ruled out that they will take risks." Jiang Bo said.

"Especially those countries that have no extradition agreement with our country," Xin Xiao added.

Jiang Bo nodded in agreement. "Captain Ji, your recent work has been somewhat fruitful, but I need to remind you that as someone directly connected to Shen Zhaoran, the Lan family was undoubtedly the primary suspect when the case first occurred. However, we didn't find any valuable clues at the time. I hope you can utilize your expertise this time and strive for a breakthrough."