Chapter 66 Qin Tieshan: Solving cases isn't like writing a novel!
Jiang Ling and Luo Yunchen exchanged a glance, stopped simultaneously, and said loudly, "Yes!"
Director Zhong was right. The case was difficult, but it was precisely because it was difficult that new people and new methods were needed.
This is both a challenge and an opportunity.
The two had just been transferred to new positions and needed such an opportunity.
Seeing the two energetic and bright-eyed young criminal police officers in front of him, Director Zhong smiled and instructed them: "Learn more from the veteran comrades, be humble and cautious. But don't have any worries, just go for it and do your job well."
"yes."
Jiang Ling understood what Director Zhong meant.
We should respect our veteran comrades, but we shouldn't be bound by traditional ideas. We should just keep moving forward and remember that Director Zhong will take care of everything.
Luo Yunchen was bold; no matter how high-ranking the leader was, he said what he meant: "This case has no eyewitnesses, no need for sketches, so what do you need our team to do?"
Director Zhong glared at him: "Just because there are no eyewitnesses now doesn't mean there never will be. Besides, can't your master create accurate profiles based on criminal psychological characteristics? You can also cooperate with Jiang Ling. She creates criminal psychological profiles, and you can create accurate profiles based on her results."
Luo Yunchen felt a heavy weight on his shoulders.
His master, Lin Weidong, does indeed have this skill, but he is an apprentice, an apprentice who has only been with him for four years!
Master's skills are built upon exceptional artistic cultivation, rich experience in judging people, and profound understanding of human nature. Looking across the entire capital, no, it can be said that in all of China, currently only Lin Weidong possesses this ability.
No one else could do it.
Anyway, Luo Yunchen isn't ready yet.
Thinking of this, Luo Yunchen felt his face burning and hesitated before saying, "I..."
Jiang Ling interrupted him, looking into his eyes: "Senior brother, give it a try."
Since Father trusts Luo Yunchen so much and has offered a new approach combining psychological and criminal profiling, why not give it a try? At this crucial moment, Senior Brother can't let us down.
Meeting Jiang Ling's gaze, Luo Yunchen suddenly seemed to be injected with boundless energy, and his whole body perked up: "Okay, then I'll give it a try!"
—My junior sister is encouraging me!
—Has she finally accepted me?
—Great, we can now play together happily.
Director Zhong nodded with satisfaction: "That's more like it. Don't be afraid, be bold, and dare to innovate."
He then turned to Qin Tieshan and said, "Old Qin, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you again. Mentor the younger generation and pass on your criminal investigation experience."
Qin Tieshan agreed without hesitation: "Of course! As long as the young man is willing to learn, I will teach him everything I know."
After making his statement, he stared intently at Lei Xiao: "Xiao Lei, you are now the captain of the first brigade. You need to put more effort into this case and try to find new clues and lock down the suspect within a week."
As everyone knows, in cases like this, where there are very few clues, murders committed on rainy nights must be solved quickly.
Find eyewitnesses as soon as possible;
Clarify the deceased's social relationships as soon as possible and identify any suspicious points;
Identify the suspect as soon as possible.
If we don't act quickly, eyewitness memories will fade; suspicious social relationships will be covered up; and the murderer will escape and never be heard from again.
Lei Xiao knew the gravity of the situation, so he immediately straightened his back, raised his head, and said in a loud and clear voice, "Yes!"
The phone on Director Zhong's desk rang. While answering the call, he waved his hand and said, "Alright, you can all go out now. Get to the meeting and draft a plan for me."
Everyone left Director Zhong's office.
Qin Tieshan glanced at his watch: "Xiao Lei, you draw men from the First and Second Battalions. Xiao Jiang, Xiao Luo, all of you in your groups, meet in conference room number 3 in half an hour."
"yes."
After Jiang Ling and Luo Yunchen gave their prompt responses, they left together.
Because of the time constraint, the two walked quickly, their footsteps echoing softly as they passed through the quiet corridor.
As they walked, Luo Yunchen asked in a low voice, "Do you have any clue?"
Jiang Ling: "Mm."
Luo Yunchen gritted his teeth: "Junior sister, I beg you, can you please stop saying 'uh-huh' all the time? Can you say a few more words?"
Seeing that he was getting annoyed, Jiang Ling had to express herself more clearly: "I have some ideas, but it's not appropriate to say them now. Let's talk about them after the meeting."
Upon hearing this, Luo Yunchen's eyes immediately lit up: "Tell me about it first."
He was completely confused and had no clue what to do. He never expected that his junior sister would have such an idea just from what Lei Xiao said.
Luo Yunchen only has one word to give Jiang Ling right now: Awesome!
Jiang Ling glanced at him and stopped.
Luo Yunchen pricked up his ears, ready to listen attentively.
Jiang Ling pointed to the side of him: "Your office, we're here."
After saying that, she strode into her office, pushed open the door, and shut the door out to Luo Yunchen, who was full of questions.
As soon as they entered the room, Li Zhenliang and the others surrounded them: "How is it? What happened?"
Jiang Ling sat down at the conference table: "A murder case on a rainy night, a 21-year-old female college student was murdered, and there are very few clues at present."
Having just started their job, they encountered a murder case. The three of them immediately became serious, grabbed their notebooks and pens, and sat down at the table, ready to take notes: "Tell me, tell me in detail."
Jiang Ling relayed Lei Xiao's words.
Li Zhenliang's eyebrows furrowed: "Captain Qin is right. The motive for the murder is unclear, the physical evidence is limited, and there are no witnesses. This case will be very difficult to solve."
Zhou Wei was also a little nervous: "We've come straight into a case that even Captain Qin said is difficult. This... feels like a hellish start. Will we ruin our reputation right away?"
Liu Haoran asked, "What do we need to prepare beforehand for the meeting with the task force?"
Jiang Ling: "Bring paper and pen to take notes, and listen more and talk less."
Zhou Wei smiled wryly: "With just one glare from Captain Qin, who in the Criminal Investigation Division wouldn't be afraid? We're new recruits, how dare we say a word?"
Jiang Ling glanced at him: "When it's our turn to speak, we shouldn't be timid either. Director Zhong said we should dare to take risks, be proactive, and be innovative."
All three men focused their attention on Jiang Ling's face: "Team leader, tell us what to do, we'll listen to you."
Jiang Ling tapped the table with her hand: "The three-pronged investigation method: define the nature, define the scope, define the characteristics. Let's quickly sort out our thoughts."
Li Zhenliang and others fell into thought.
A brief moment of tranquility descended upon the brand-new office.
Jiang Ling quickly searched through the criminal files she had seen in her previous life.
In his previous life, this case ultimately remained unsolved; otherwise, hearing the name Ke Xiaoyu in Director Zhong's office would have triggered Jiang Ling's memories of the criminal files.
Jiang Ling can confirm that during the time she was alive, there was no file on the murderer in the archives of Yan City Ninth Prison.
But Jiang Ling remembers this as a serial murder case.
The murder case in Yanshi on a rainy night in June 1994 shocked the entire city. Female medical students were all terrified and dared not go out alone at night. Especially on rainy nights, if anyone in the dormitory made even a slightly loud noise, it would trigger terrifying screams from the others.
The police came up empty-handed back then, drawing a barrage of criticism. Captain Qin resigned with regret, still thinking about the case until his death.
What's most infuriating is that a year and two years later, when the case was slowly forgotten, two more night shift nurses were murdered near a clinic in an old community in the northern district. It was still a rainy night, with rain-soaked book pages and a broken watch. This time, no biological traces were left under the fingernails of the murdered nurses.
The old case was reopened, and the Yan City police mobilized a large number of officers to investigate, but still failed to catch the murderer.
The unsolved murders of three female nurses on rainy nights severely damaged the morale of the First Criminal Investigation Brigade, leaving them feeling down for a long time.
A face flashed through Jiang Ling's mind.
That was in his previous life, in December 2024, Geng Weihua, a new inmate at the Ninth Prison in Hunan Province.
Geng Weihua was imprisoned for intentional injury. A month later, a fellow inmate reported that he kept shouting in his sleep: "I'll kill you! I've already killed three nurses, I'm not afraid of one more."
This sleep-talking alerted the prison guards, who checked Geng Weihua's file and discovered that he had lived in Yanshi before September 1996. They immediately connected it to the three female nurses who were murdered in Yanshi.
But Geng Weihua was a deep thinker, and upon waking, he resolutely denied ever saying such things in his sleep. When pressed further, he smiled at the prison guard: "You know it was sleep talking, sleep talking, it's just random things you say in your sleep."
The prison guards remained vigilant and immediately contacted the Yan City police.
Unfortunately, Jiang Ling was reborn in 2025, but she did not live to see the results of the investigation into this case.
Is the murderer Geng Weihua?
Jiang Ling looked out the window.
Yesterday's torrential rain washed the entire city clean, and the trees and leaves along the roadside were lush and vibrant green.
Who could have imagined that such a beautiful city harbored a shameless and cruel murderer? He repeatedly challenged the police and moral boundaries, personally taking away three young lives.
He must be brought to justice!
Regardless of whether it was Geng Weihua or not, Jiang Ling knew more details than anyone else.
She knew the other party would commit another crime.
She knew the other party had come prepared.
She knew the perpetrator's modus operandi included the following basic elements: a woman, a nurse's uniform, a rainy night, wet book pages, and a watch frozen at midnight...
This was a clue given to Jiang Ling by fate.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling's eyes cleared.
He glanced at his watch; fifteen minutes remained. "Everyone, let's hurry and say a few words."
Li Zhenliang was the first to speak: "The motive for the murder is unclear, so let's make an assumption. With such heavy rain the night before last, who would go out in the rain? I don't think it was a crime of passion. It was probably premeditated, targeting someone and waiting for the right moment to strike."
Zhou Wei shook his head: "Running out in the pouring rain just to kill someone? Not for money, not for sex, and that girl probably didn't have any enemies, so why would the murderer do this? I can't figure it out."
Liu Haoran was also puzzled: "Yes, I think the key is the word 'motive.' Our three-pronged investigation method first requires determining the nature of the crime. If the motive for murder is unclear, we can't proceed to the next two steps."
Jiang Ling nodded: "Everyone's analysis is correct. Let's hear what Captain Qin has to say later."
The three people answered in unison: "Yes!"
There was a knock at the door.
Li Zhenliang got up and opened the door, where Luo Yunchen, Su Xinwan, and Zhuang Jianbai were standing.
Luo Yunchen waved the notebook in his hand: "Let's go."
Jiang Ling stood up: "Let's go."
For your first meeting after joining the company, try to arrive early.
Conference Room No. 3 has been converted into the case team's command center.
The huge whiteboard was covered with photos from the scene.
—A young woman's body lying face down in the floodwaters in a muddy alley;
—A close-up of a white nurse's uniform stained with mud and water;
—Bloodstained stones scattered around the corpse;
—A close-up of the wristwatch worn by the victim, Ke Xiaoyu, which was deliberately set to "12:00".
The air was thick with the smell of smoke.
Jiang Ling frowned.
She has a very sensitive nose and can't stand the smell of smoke.
But since Qin Tieshan was the one who started smoking, Jiang Ling naturally couldn't say anything and could only endure it.
Luo Yunchen noticed Jiang Ling's reaction, turned the ceiling fan to its highest setting, strode to the window, and flung it wide open. The ceiling fan whirred, dispelling the heavy smell of smoke, and the indoor air finally felt a bit fresher.
Qin Tieshan coughed and stubbed out his cigarette.
However, he muttered to himself: "This guy from Kyoto is so fussy, he can't stand even the slightest smell of smoke."
Lei Xiao brought six people from the First Brigade.
Jiang Ling's group consists of four people.
Luo Yunchen's group consists of three people.
Including the team leader and deputy team leader, the core members of this task force totaled fifteen people.
The entire task force sat around a long conference table, the atmosphere somewhat tense.
Team leader Qin Tieshan sat in the main seat, his sturdy build resembling a weathered rock. His brows were furrowed, and his sharp eyes swept over everyone present, finally settling on the thick stack of interview records and forensic reports spread out in front of him.
His voice was hoarse but carried an undeniable authority: "Alright, since you're here, let's all speak. Lei Xiao, you go first and give everyone a basic overview."
Deputy team leader Lei Xiao stood up in response, walked to the whiteboard, picked up a marker, and spoke quickly and clearly:
"Yes, Captain Qin. The victim, Ke Xiaoyu, was 21 years old, a third-year nursing student at Yanshi Medical College. She had extremely simple social relationships. Her parents lived in a neighboring province, and she had no complicated romantic entanglements or debt disputes. On the night of the incident, she finished her internship at the 'Kang Le Community Clinic' around 11:00 PM and walked back to her dormitory alone. Her route was fixed, about 1.8 kilometers in total. The final location of the murder was in the middle of an unnamed alley between the back gate of the medical college and the Xiangyangli residential area, less than 500 meters from her dormitory building."
"Regarding the on-site investigation: The preliminary autopsy confirmed the cause of death as mechanical asphyxiation. The murder weapon was not found, but based on the ligature marks, it is speculated to be a tough rope or electrical wire. There were blunt force trauma to the head, caused by a stone left at the scene. There was blood on the stone, but it was severely washed away by rain, making fingerprint extraction difficult. The victim's belongings were not missing; the pager, wallet, and student ID were all present, and the watch was stopped at exactly 12 o'clock. A trace amount of dark blue synthetic fiber was extracted from under the fingernails and has been sent for testing and comparison."
Lei Xiao paused, then pointed to the map on the whiteboard: "We conducted preliminary investigations around the crime scene, the clinic, and the medical school dormitory. There were few pedestrians on this rainy night, and eyewitness accounts were scarce. Currently, we only have two vague clues: First, the owner of the small shop at the entrance of Xiangyangli Alley said that around the time of the incident, he vaguely heard short 'mmm' sounds in the alley, like someone covering their mouth, but the rain was too loud to be sure; second, a female worker finishing her night shift said that around 12:20 AM, she saw a man wearing a black raincoat over a dark blue shirt, pushing a bicycle, hurrying away at the alley entrance. He had his head down, his hat pulled low, so she couldn't see his face, and he almost bumped into her. He was heading east, where there are several factory areas and a slated demolition area of single-story houses."
Lei Xiao summarized: "Currently, the plan is to focus on the following investigations: First, using fibers as a starting point, investigate male employees in dark blue overalls at factories, workplaces, and construction sites around the crime scene, especially those working night shifts or living alone; second, around clinics and medical schools, investigate all male staff, temporary workers, and maintenance workers who could have come into contact with Ke Xiaoyu or nurses' uniforms; third, continue to search for witnesses during the time of the incident, especially the man in the dark blue shirt pushing the bicycle. The area of single-story houses to the east has a large transient population and is a key focus."
Qin Tieshan nodded, acknowledging Lei Xiao's efficiency. He then took over the conversation, his voice deep and powerful, carrying the unwavering certainty and confidence honed by countless cases—a quality unique to veteran criminal investigators.
“Lei Xiao has sorted things out very clearly. What we currently have are these hard objects: fibers, stones, watches, and fragments of eyewitness accounts. The case is heinous in nature and has a very bad social impact. We are under great pressure from above to solve the case within a limited time, but the more this is the case, the more we must remain calm and absolutely not lose our composure.”
"The situation at the scene was very unfavorable. It rained all night, and the muddy ground at the core site was almost washed away. The forensic team stayed up all night but only found a few blurry trampling marks and mud transfer traces. They were unable to extract complete shoe sole patterns to make a model."
"Right now, our strongest cards are the dark blue synthetic fiber found under the victim's fingernails and the watch that the murderer broke and stopped. The bloodstained stone is still undergoing further examination, but it's been soaked in rain, so the chances of finding anything are slim."
"We must be careful not to lose our way in the investigation. The fiber is the key. The technical team, concentrate your efforts on figuring out what this fiber is as soon as possible, and which factories and workers are most likely to wear it. Lei Xiao, you take your men and focus on screening the area around the crime scene, especially the area of bungalows to the east and the factories that have dark blue work clothes. We can't let any man wearing work clothes of this color and material slip by, especially those who work night shifts, live alone, or have a withdrawn personality slip by. Also, bicycles are a clue. We need to visit repair shops and thoroughly check suspicious vehicles."
Qin Tieshan stood up, walked to the whiteboard, and pointed heavily at the fiber sample bag with his finger.
"What do we rely on to solve cases? We rely on these solid physical evidences, and on our own tireless efforts to sift through every suspicious person and place, inch by inch! Fibers are 'skin flakes' that fell from the murderer's clothes. If we find matching work clothes, and combine that with the time, place, and motive, the murderer won't be able to escape. This is an old method that has been proven over decades, and it works!"
His gaze swept across the young faces present, lingering for a moment on Jiang Ling and Luo Yunchen, with a scrutinizing look and a hint of subtle, natural aloofness towards the "academics."
“I know there are some new terms now, like criminal psychology and behavioral analysis,” Qin Tieshan said with a hint of disdain. “They sound fancy, but they’re too abstract. They’re not as concrete as a stone or a footprint. The murderer was just a deranged fugitive, or some local psychopath or vagrant who committed a crime randomly on a rainy night, targeting women who were alone. Ke Xiaoyu was just unlucky enough to run into one.”
He slammed his hand on the table, emphasizing, "The task force's next steps are threefold: First, use evidence to find people. The technical team must thoroughly investigate the fiber, quickly pinpointing the possible source factories and workers. Second, employ a massive manpower campaign. Lei Xiao, you personally lead the team to thoroughly search that area of bungalows in the east, and meticulously examine every factory around Xiangyangli. Don't miss a single one of those wearing dark blue overalls. Third, delve deeper into relationships. Investigate Ke Xiaoyu's connections at the clinic and the school, looking for any hidden conflicts. Especially at the clinic, check if any patients or temporary workers have ulterior motives towards her. Act quickly! Be thorough!"
Qin Tieshan acted swiftly and decisively, waving his hand to end the meeting. Most of the criminal police officers present were used to his style and rose to prepare to get back to work.
Just then, a clear yet exceptionally firm voice rang out, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
"Captain Qin, I have a different opinion!"
It was Jiang Ling who spoke. She sat in the corner, her face somewhat youthful, but her eyes were strikingly bright.
Standing next to her, Luo Yunchen was surprised that she would speak up at this moment and looked at her with some astonishment.
The conference room fell silent instantly. Even Qin Tieshan stopped and turned to look at Jiang Ling, his thick eyebrows furrowed, his voice filled with obvious displeasure: "Comrade Jiang, what are your thoughts?"
Jiang Ling took a deep breath and stood up, bracing herself against Qin Tieshan's extremely oppressive gaze.
Details of this case from my past life flashed through my mind.
Ke Xiaoyu's murder was just the beginning. If the killer isn't caught this time, he will commit another crime! She can't wait any longer; she can't let the wrong direction waste precious time and allow another victim to appear.
"Captain Qin, Captain Lei, seniors," Jiang Ling's voice was clear and steady as he tried to control his inner turmoil, "I acknowledge the importance of physical evidence and extensive manpower screening; these are the foundation of criminal investigation. However, I believe that our current investigative approach may have overlooked the most unique piece of evidence in this case—the watch."
She walked to the whiteboard and pointed to a close-up photo of a watch with a shattered dial and the hands stopped at 12 o'clock.
“The watch stopped precisely at twelve o’clock, on the hour, with the minute and hour hands overlapping perfectly. This wasn’t something the murderer accidentally broke.” Jiang Ling’s tone was very serious. “This was something the murderer did intentionally, a ritual, or a kind of memorial.”
A buzzing discussion filled the conference room, and Qin Tieshan's face grew even darker.
Based on his experience, he had just pointed out that the murderer was acting randomly, possibly a deranged fugitive, a psychopath, or a homeless person. But Jiang Ling, a young man who had just been transferred from the police station to the technical team, actually challenged him directly!
"A ceremony? A memorial? Comrade Jiang Ling, solving a case isn't like writing a novel!" Qin Tieshan's voice was clearly laced with hostility. "A madman who commits a random crime on a rainy night, does he really have the mind to bother with all this fancy stuff?"
“It is precisely because it was a rainy night and the environment was harsh that the murderer still insisted on completing this action, which further illustrates its importance.” Jiang Ling did not back down and met Qin Tieshan’s gaze. “This is definitely not a simple random crime; the murderer’s target was specific.”
This was not a random crime!
The buzzing in the conference room suddenly stopped.
Everyone held their breath, their eyes cautiously shifting between Jiang Ling and Qin Tieshan, with only one thought in their minds.
—This Jiang Ling is just too brave!
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