The group split into two groups, and by the time they reunited in the afternoon, they had almost reached a conclusion.

When they gathered together to discuss again, Su He spoke first: "It has been confirmed that Li Jingjing wears a size 36 shoe. As for that shoe, Li's parents have also seen it. It is the same style as Li Jingjing's, but it is not certain whether it is hers. All we know is that she bought the shoe three months ago."

Qi Yang also said, "We checked the sales volume of Warrior shoes at the department store in the past six months. The quantity is not small. Last month alone, there were several hundred pairs, and there were also quite a few size 36 shoes, about several dozen pairs. But this is only for last month."

We can't be sure when the pair in the river were bought. Maybe they were bought a few years ago, but they haven't been worn much, which is why they're still in such good condition.

I asked them, and they said these shoes are a basic style that has been around for several years, so they can't confirm when I can buy them.

Even if it's confirmed, the sales clerk doesn't remember who bought it, so there's no way to check.

Su He sighed after hearing this, "It seems I was just being presumptuous."

So now the investigation has stalled again.

"So what do we do now?"

After a long day of running around, Zhou Yan was a bit tired, and since he hadn't gained much, he was feeling rather listless.

"Is there any news from the masses?" Qi Yang asked.

Wang Aiguo shook his head. "Many people called, and some recognized Li Jingjing, but they all called before she disappeared. They didn't see her after she disappeared, including on the day she disappeared."

It seems we'll have to wait for this method to work out in the near future.

"How about we try to retrieve it from the river?" Su He asked hesitantly.

She always felt there was something wrong with that river.

From the moment she saw the shoes, she had a gut feeling that they belonged to Li Jingjing.

I originally wanted to confirm things before bringing it up, but now that I can't confirm it and there's no other way, I might as well try salvaging it.

The others hesitated after hearing this.

"Will the higher-ups agree?" Zhou Yan asked. After all, the salvage operation would require a professional salvage team from above, who would have not only boats but also salvage equipment. It would definitely be impossible for them to do it on their own.

Qi Yang hesitated for a moment. He knew Su He's personality. If she brought it up, it meant she had suspicions, but they didn't really have any evidence right now.

"When applying to higher authorities, we need to write an application report and provide concrete evidence, but we currently lack sufficient evidence."

Su He thought for a moment, "Should I go ask Captain Chen?"

He then walked toward Captain Chen's office.

After listening to her words, Captain Chen thought about it carefully and nodded, "Okay, you write the application first, and I'll talk to the higher-ups for you."

Su He was surprised that he agreed so readily and was stunned for a moment before she realized what he meant.

"This...this is all? Aren't you afraid we'll go through all that trouble and end up with nothing?"

Captain Chen smiled and said, "It's alright. That's how we police handle cases. If we have any doubts, we have to verify them and not let any suspicious point go unnoticed. Even if we're wrong, it's better than leaving regrets."

Sometimes, if we make dozens of mistakes and get one right, that's already pretty good for us and for the victims.

Any correct path requires countless trials and errors, and for us police officers, solving cases is even more difficult, so don't be afraid of making mistakes.

Besides, the salvage teams up there have been quite idle these past few years, so it would be good to find them some work.

Su He chuckled upon hearing this, "Okay, I understand."

Team Leader Chen acted quickly; Su He's report was approved the very next day after it was submitted.

Then, they officially began the salvage operation by taking the salvage team into the river.

As for the location of the retrieval, since the shoes were found in the river near Su He's house, the retrieval started from there and proceeded upstream.