Chapter 137: Solving the Mystery
A team of people arrived quickly, a man and a woman, who were not wearing police uniforms as Zhou Yi requested on the phone.
After Zhou Yi explained the situation to them, he drove the car they brought and took Ding Chunmei back to the bureau.
"Officer Zhou, can I ask a few questions?" On the road, Ding Chunmei, who was sitting in the passenger seat, said, holding up a camera.
"Sure, ask."
"First, why would the kidnappers leave a note to pass on information? Wouldn't a phone call be faster and more convenient? We see this in many kidnapping scenes in TV dramas."
Zhou Yi drove the car, his eyes fixed on the road as he spoke, "In most kidnapping cases, ransom demands are indeed conveyed over the phone, just like in TV dramas. But you have to understand that kidnapping is very different from theft, robbery, or even murder. In most cases, it's mainly gang-related crimes."
This was also the Qingshan Branch’s initial conventional judgment approach.
"Kidnapping isn't a spur-of-the-moment crime; it's a premeditated one. Even after selecting a target, there's still the need to understand their daily movements, when to carry out the kidnapping, how to control the hostages, how to escape, how to demand a ransom, and how to evade police capture—all of which require advance planning. Therefore, in most cases, kidnappers prioritize efficiency and simply make a phone call. The primary goal of a kidnapping is to obtain the ransom as quickly as possible."
Ding Chunmei nodded in understanding: "Then this time the kidnapper, did he commit the crime alone?"
"Whether the kidnapper acted alone or in a group, we'll hear from our criminal police colleagues later on about the investigation. We also need to investigate further whether the kidnapper is connected to Mr. Qian's driver, Xiao Liu."
"However, since he didn't call and instead used a note to demand the ransom, I'm more inclined to believe it was a solo act. The note itself suggests he has a strong desire to protect himself and is trying to reduce the risk of self-exposure."
Ding Chunmei said, "Thank you, Officer Zhou, for your answer. My second question is, what do you think the chances are of Qian Lailai being rescued? We all know that kidnapped children have a harder time controlling their emotions than adults. Constant crying and making a fuss can easily provoke the kidnappers into taking drastic action."
Based on the case files from his previous life, Zhou Yi felt confident about this issue.
"Typically, the golden rescue window for kidnapping cases is 24 hours, so we need to quickly identify and identify the most likely suspects and conduct a manhunt. However, every case is different. Take this one, for example. As I mentioned earlier, the kidnapper's use of a note demanding a ransom is a form of psychological self-preservation. This means he won't be aggressive, and the likelihood of the hostage's safety remains high until the ransom is paid."
"Also, although children have difficulty controlling their emotions and may cry out of fear, they are relatively easy to control due to their size and strength. Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that the kidnappers used chemical agents such as ether during the kidnapping process."
Zhou Yi glanced at the camera and said, "I'd also like to remind the public: if you are unfortunate enough to encounter extreme crimes such as kidnapping or hostage-taking, please try to remain calm and not provoke the criminals. You should try to maintain your strength, ensure your own safety, and wait for police rescue."
He naturally remembered what Ding Chunmei's mission was.
"Thank you, Officer Zhou. But... you haven't answered me yet. What do you think the chances are of Qian Lailai being rescued?"
"Reporter Ding, from an ordinary person's perspective, I believe you share my hope that the hostages can be rescued. As a police officer, I believe we will do our utmost to rescue the hostages and apprehend the kidnappers. But the objective reality is that the probability of rescuing the hostages is either 100% or zero."
Zhou Yi said calmly: "There is no middle."
Ding Chunmei was stunned for a moment and quickly said, "Officer Zhou, you're right. Let's all hope that this result is 100% certain."
The car then drove into the Municipal Bureau. Zhou Yi got out and took Ding Chunmei directly to the office of the Third Brigade.
Just then, Wu Yongcheng and Jiang Biao came back and saw a female reporter holding a camera following Zhou Yi, so they knew she was from the TV station.
Zhou Yi solemnly introduced Wu Yongcheng to Ding Chunmei in front of the camera.
"This is the deputy captain of our city bureau's Criminal Investigation Division, the captain of our Serious Crime Unit 3, and the most experienced and powerful veteran detective in the city bureau!"
Zhou Yi's series of praises surprised Ding Chunmei.
Facing the camera, Wu Yongcheng could only pretend to be a sophisticated leader, and then asked Chen Yan to immediately notify everyone to go to the conference room to hold a case analysis meeting.
He turned his head and glared at Zhou Yi when the camera couldn't capture him.
…
In the conference room, everyone sat on both sides of the long table, and Ding Chunmei stood in the corner, facing the camera at everyone.
Wu Yongcheng, who was sitting in the front row, coughed and whispered, "We're facing the camera, so pay attention."
Just as Wu Yongcheng was about to speak, the door of the conference room suddenly opened. Everyone looked up and saw that it was Shi Tao, the captain of the second team.
"Why are you here? We are having a meeting here." Wu Yongcheng said.
Shi Tao said with a smile: "I came to support you, because I'm afraid you don't have enough manpower."
After saying that, he actually walked towards Ding Chunmei in the corner.
"Is this a reporter from the TV station? Hello, I'm the captain of the Second Brigade of the Municipal Bureau's Criminal Investigation Detachment. My name is Shi Tao, hehe."
Everyone then realized that the drunkard's real intention was not to drink.
Ding Chunmei didn't understand what was going on, so she could only shake hands with the other party and keep the camera focused on Shi Tao for a while.
"Captain Shi, if you like filming so much, why don't you ask Director Xie to give you an interview as well?" Wu Yongcheng shouted unhappily.
"I'm here to help. Look how petty you are." Shi Tao found a seat facing the camera and said to Ding Chunmei with a smile, "That's just how Old Wu is."
Wu Yongcheng didn't bother to pay attention to him and started directly.
"I won't go into the basic details of this case, as everyone knows them. Time is of the essence, so I'll focus on the key points later. Let me first describe our investigation at Sun Kun's home."
"According to Sun Kun's family, Sun Kun left for work this morning and hasn't returned since. However, since he often stays out all night playing mahjong, his family didn't take it seriously."
"The school said that Sun Kun didn't have classes this afternoon, so no one noticed where he went. The school's auxiliary teachers are usually quite free."
"We searched several card rooms he frequented, but couldn't find him. However, we got some valuable clues through several of his regular card-playing buddies."
Wu Yongcheng pointed at Jiang Biao and said, "Biaozi, tell us all about it in detail."
"Okay, Captain Wu."
Jiang Biao said: "We learned from Sun Kun's poker friends that just yesterday, Sun Kun borrowed a van from a man named Xie Gang. Xie Gang is also one of his poker friends. He usually runs a seafood business and has a van specifically for transporting goods."
"We found this Xie Gang. He said that Sun Kun asked to borrow his car because he wanted to pick up some things from a cousin in the countryside. Sun Kun also promised to give him a 500 yuan reward afterward."
"Country cousin?" Zhou Yi's heart skipped a beat.
Jiang Biao continued, "We have already sent the license plate number of Xie Gang's car and the model characteristics of the van to all traffic police teams and toll booths at various highway intersections."
Wu Yongcheng said, "His whereabouts are unknown, he borrowed a car in advance, and he has a gambling habit. This Sun Kun is indeed a strong suspect. Chen Yan has also distributed Sun Kun's photo to all branches and police stations, asking public security officers across the city to assist in the investigation of this person."
Chen Yan raised his hand and added, "I've also sent out joint investigation notices to neighboring Taicheng and Kangcheng. Taicheng, in particular, is closer to Qingshan District where the hostages are being held, and transportation is more convenient."
"Very good, well thought out." Wu Yongcheng nodded with satisfaction.
"In addition, we found a large number of videotapes of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas crime films in Sun Kun's home. According to his family, Sun Kun was very fond of watching such films, which suggests that he had developed certain anti-reconnaissance skills."
"So the search and arrest work cannot be relaxed and must be carried out overnight. Biaozi, you are experienced in this area, so you should be in charge."
Jiang Biao nodded. Besides his exceptional martial prowess, Jiang Biao was also quite skilled at large-scale manhunts. In the Xu Jiaguang case, the all-night search for Zhang Hui's discarded remains had been overseen by Jiang Biao. He had done an excellent job mobilizing personnel, arranging the search, and mobilizing morale.
"clear!"
"Well..." Wu Yongcheng suddenly pointed at Shi Tao, "Captain Shi, didn't you say you wanted to help? How about this, your second team will be under Jiang Biao's command for the time being?"
Shi Tao's mouth twitched, but since he was facing the camera, he could only force out a smile and said, "No problem, I'll listen to you. Our second team will definitely cooperate with you."
Wu Yongcheng looked at Zhou Yi: "Zhou Yi, do you have any new clues to add?"
Zhou Yi nodded: "Yes, I just made a few discoveries and want to report them to everyone."
Everyone perked up and listened to him.
"Let me start with my first discovery. The kidnappers left a note in Qian Lailai's shoes. I mentioned this on the phone before. But after I followed Qian Hongxing back to his home, I found a few more words on the back of the note, directing Qian Hongxing to the Guandi Temple on Jinxiu Street."
Zhou Yi briefly described the process of going to Guandi Temple and discovering the second note.
"The second note requires Qian Hongxing to go to the agreed location at six o'clock tomorrow morning to pay the ransom."
"Six o'clock tomorrow morning?" Everyone was shocked.
Wu Yongcheng immediately asked Chen Yan to arrange the control.
But Zhou Yi stopped him and said, "Captain Wu, don't rush to deploy the defense."
Wu Yongcheng didn't ask why, knowing that he must have a reason for what he said.
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