Chapter 51 Chu Xinyan: I have a younger brother, he's very pitiful.
The arrest operation concluded that evening.
Zhang Yuanqiang and all members of his gang have been apprehended.
The remaining task was to organize personnel to clean up the Phantom Disco, eliminate traces, restore order, and register, seize, and properly store the items involved in the case.
At the same time, the arrested suspects must be interrogated to secure their testimonies and further investigate key information such as the source of the drugs, transportation routes, and distribution networks.
The city bureau mobilized all its resources and worked through the night.
Jiang Ling received the news early in the morning and was somewhat stunned: "Chen Zhigang was shot?"
Lei Xiao was also somewhat surprised: "Yes, he was shot in the chest at close range by Zhang Yuanqiang, but fortunately it didn't hit his heart, and he is out of danger."
Jiang Ling frowned: "You agreed to lure Zhang Yuanqiang out of Phantom before you made your move, what happened..."
Although Chen Zhigang made a mistake, he did not commit any illegal or criminal acts. Logically, the special police team should have ensured his personal safety before the operation, so how did he get shot and injured?
Lei Xiao said, "Everything was going according to plan, but for some reason, Chen Mu suddenly advised Zhang Yuanqiang to stop, which aroused his vigilance."
Jiang Ling couldn't help but curse, "Damn it!"
Chen Mu has really gone mad.
It was he who lured Zhang Yuanqiang out, and it was he who brought his father there. Suddenly telling Zhang Yuanqiang to stop is completely illogical; it's clearly courting death.
He'd rather die than suffer any more; after all, his heart died after Zhang Yuansheng drowned.
Unfortunately, the person who was shot was not him, but his father who loved him deeply.
Despite his many faults, Chen Zhigang's love for his son is genuine.
Lei Xiao was also very frustrated.
It was originally a victorious battle.
As a result of Chen Zhigang's injury, he had to write a self-criticism and a report.
The police prioritized the safety of the people, yet right under their noses, Chen Zhigang, a member of the public who voluntarily stepped forward to act as bait, was shot.
Lei Xiao gritted his teeth and said, "Chen Mu said that given the amount of drugs Zhang Yuanqiang trafficked, he would almost certainly face the death penalty, which would wipe out the entire Zhang family. He felt guilty towards Zhang Yuansheng when he led the police to arrest Zhang Yuanqiang. He said he didn't know why, but suddenly he didn't want to live anymore and thought that Zhang Yuanqiang should just shoot him dead."
After a pause, Lei Xiao's voice lowered: "Chen Zhigang risked his life to protect his son, walking right into the line of fire. It was too dark then, alas! It's my fault, I didn't make a thorough plan. Fortunately, he didn't die, I hope he recovers soon."
Chen Mu was determined to die, while Chen Zhigang desperately tried to protect him.
I guess Chen Zhigang was prepared to die and rushed over to shield his son from the bullets.
I wonder what Chen Mu's mindset is when he sees his father in the hospital bed. Will he feel any guilt or self-blame?
Jiang Ling couldn't offer any words of comfort, so she could only remain silent.
Lei Xiao roused himself and said, "The case will probably take another week to wrap up. Use these few days to prepare. Lao Jiang and I would like to invite you to come and give us a report on the 'Three-Fixed Investigation Method.' Through this case, we've realized that we can't just rely on experience; we need some theoretical support. If you come and talk to us, we can all learn and improve."
Jiang Ling did not refuse: "Okay."
Lei Xiao: "Take this time to get to know the people in our brigade. I've already spoken to Director Zhong and we'd like to transfer you to the First Brigade."
Is job transfer so casual? They don't even give a heads-up.
Jiang Ling did not readily agree, but instead presented Lei Xiao with a difficult problem: "I have a team, and we will advance and retreat together."
There was a moment of silence on Lei Xiao's end.
He wanted to transfer Jiang Ling over, but he didn't expect it would involve three people.
Transferring one person to the municipal bureau is easy, but transferring four people from one police station at the same time is a bit tricky. This is because it means four positions will be vacant at the Jinwu Road Police Station, and where will they find four people to assign to them in a short time?
Lei Xiao could only say with a hint of regret, "Then, let's wait until July to talk about it."
Let's wait until the police academy graduation season. It will be easier to send people to Jinwu Road after the police academy students come to report for duty.
Jiang Ling replied with a single word into the microphone: "Okay."
When she was first reborn, the place she most wanted to go was the First Brigade of the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment, because the First Brigade handled most of the cases that were highly dangerous and had a great social impact, and she could play a greater role there.
But now, Jiang Ling has a new idea.
She wanted to form a criminal profiling team, independent of the various squads.
This is equivalent to off-site technical guidance.
In this way, she can get involved in any difficult case.
Secondly, she can be freed from the tasks of investigation, research, arrest, search, preparation of case materials, and pre-trial, thereby improving her work efficiency.
Jiang Ling knows her strengths and weaknesses.
With the aid of her past life's records, she can accurately pinpoint criminals, quickly determine the scope of investigation, point out the direction of investigation, avoid detours, and improve the efficiency of solving cases.
In addition, she has a solid foundation in criminal psychology, is familiar with criminal investigation lie detection techniques, is good at analyzing criminal psychology, and is quite adept at interrogating prisoners to obtain confessions.
However, she lacked practical combat experience and had only average fighting skills. She was not good at tasks such as arresting, surveillance, and forensic identification.
In cases like the human trafficking case in Qingshi Town, she was able to quickly create a criminal psychological profile and focus the investigation on Shen Tianyao in Qingshi Town. However, the subsequent time-consuming investigation work, such as wiretapping, surveillance, evidence gathering, and arrest, was all carried out by Yuan Yi's team, and she did not get involved.
In cases like the April 26th drug case, she only adjusted the direction of the investigation at a meeting and conducted polygraph interrogations on Chen Mu and Chen Zhigang. The rest of the actual operations were carried out by Lei Xiao and Jiang Chenzhou leading the team.
Therefore, Jiang Ling was not excited by Lei Xiao's offer.
Rather than joining a large unit and starting from the most basic reconnaissance practice, it's better to start from scratch and do what you're good at.
The excited person was Li Zhenliang.
The phone call was right there in the case team's office, and Li Zhenliang heard it all clearly. As soon as Jiang Ling hung up, he immediately leaned over: "Captain Lei wants to transfer you to the First Brigade?"
Jiang Ling hummed in agreement.
Li Zhenliang asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why didn't you agree?"
Liu Haoran shoved him from the side: "Are you stupid? Didn't Xiao Jiang just say that she has a group that will stand together through thick and thin? That group obviously refers to the three of us."
Zhou Wei had just finished a round of boxing in the backyard and was wiping the sweat off his body with a towel. He had also overheard the phone call earlier: "Xiao Jiang, we're actually fine. Your future is more important."
Jiang Ling's grandmother had previously mentioned wanting to transfer her to Kyoto, but Jiang Ling refused, saying that Yan City was her home.
Now that Captain Lei wants to transfer her to the Municipal Bureau, Jiang Ling politely declined, saying that she already has a team.
To be honest, Zhou Wei was very touched.
He felt he hadn't contributed much to the team; Jiang Ling was basically the one pushing him forward. But Jiang Ling valued the team more than her future prospects, and she refused to go even when Team Leader Lei asked her to.
Jiang Ling's attitude was very serious: "I refused because I was considering my future."
Zhou Wei and the other two looked at Jiang Ling with some confusion.
Jiang Ling didn't explain much: "In short, just do as I ask. We are a team, we help each other and trust each other, and together we will solve major cases and make great contributions."
Li Zhenliang was the first to jump up, excitedly spinning around the office: "Great, great, great! Solving a major case, making a great contribution!"
Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei exchanged a glance, both seeing the eager excitement in each other's eyes.
Liu Haoran asked, "Then, what should we do?"
Zhou Wei also asked, "Yeah, we can't just have you leading the charge all by yourself while we can't do anything about it, can we?"
Jiang Ling didn't stand on ceremony: "Liangzi, you are my assistant, so you need to strengthen your behavioral science research."
Li Zhenliang, head held high and chest out, answered loudly with a great sense of accomplishment: "Yes!"
Jiang Ling looked at Liu Haoran: "Haoran, you are good at dealing with people, so I'll leave the information collection and organization, as well as external liaison activities, to you."
Liu Haoran was secretly pleased: "Yes!"
Zhou Wei stared nervously at Jiang Ling, afraid of being left out.
Jiang Ling turned her gaze to him, her eyes full of encouragement: "You have good physical fitness, strong endurance, and are calm and composed. From now on, you will be responsible for the team's safety and field work. In addition, the work of coordinating the identification of physical evidence will also be assigned to you."
Zhou Wei grinned and said, "Okay."
Li Zhenliang patted him on the shoulder: "From now on, you'll be everyone's bodyguard."
Zhou Wei didn't think there was anything wrong with being a bodyguard. He had practiced martial arts in his hometown and served as a reconnaissance soldier in the army, which were his strengths. As long as he could make good use of his strengths and be a useful member of the team, that was enough.
After the group's roles were determined, everyone was incredibly enthusiastic.
“Little Jiang, wait, no! From now on, we can’t call you Little Jiang, we have to call you Captain Jiang.”
"Captain Jiang sounds impressive, but what if we run into Captain Lei and Captain Jiang? After all, they're the captains, that's their job title. We're a four-person team, and our captain is..."
"Then, what should it be called?"
The three people turned their gazes to Jiang Ling.
Without a second thought, Jiang Ling said, "Let's call her Jiang Ling."
Does it matter what you're called? To be honest, Jiang Ling quite likes her name.
Li Zhenliang shook his head: "Oh dear, calling me by my name sounds too formal."
Liu Haoran chimed in, "Yeah, that's too formal. It makes it seem like we don't know each other."
Zhou Wei said, "That kid Jiu Shan calls you Sister Ling..."
Li Zhenliang exclaimed, "That won't do, Jiang Ling is much younger than me."
Liu Haoran also firmly objected: "No, no, calling me 'sister' is really not okay."
Calling me Xiao Jiang is no good, calling me Xiao Ling is even worse, and calling me Lingling is just too cheesy...
Jiang Ling could only say, "Just call me Jiang Jiang."
This nickname was used by my female roommate when I was studying at the police academy; it was intimate without being cheesy.
Li Zhenliang and the other two unanimously agreed: "Okay, let's call her Jiang Jiang."
After clarifying the division of labor within the group and agreeing on how to address Jiang Ling, everyone turned their attention to the lecture on the "Three-Fixed Investigation Method" mentioned by Lei Xiao.
Li Zhenliang volunteered: "Jiang Jiang, I'll be your assistant for that lecture."
Liu Haoran: "If needed, I will prepare the slides."
Zhou Wei: "Should I still take notes?"
Jiang Ling said, "Haoran, Dawei, you two go to the First and Second Brigades and see if they have any unsolved cases. Theory must be combined with practice. Since we're going to give lectures, we need to show some real skills."
Zhou Wei and Liu Haoran's eyes lit up immediately: "Jiang Jiang, are you going to solve the case on the spot?"
Jiang Ling nodded: "Yes."
Seeing Jiang Ling nod confidently, Liu Haoran and the others were all extremely excited.
"Jiang Jiang is really amazing! She actually dared to solve the case on the spot."
"I'm really looking forward to it."
"Yes, I want to see the incredulous expressions on Captain Lei's and Captain Jiang's faces."
"Ha ha ha ha……"
In a joyful atmosphere, Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei set off.
Li Zhenliang stayed home and prepared his lessons diligently, helping Jiang Ling create PowerPoint presentations.
Two hours later, Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei returned carrying a box of case files.
Zhou Wei placed a thick stack of case files on his desk: "As soon as Captain Lei heard that you wanted to combine theory with practice, he immediately recommended this case."
Liu Haoran explained, "Three people died in this case. The Municipal Bureau attached great importance to it and set a deadline for solving the case. The First Brigade has been working on it for two months but still hasn't caught the murderer. The pressure is immense."
It's important to understand that solving cases also requires speed and efficiency.
The longer the case drags on, the deeper the perpetrators hide, the less time-sensitive the physical evidence becomes, the fewer clues can be obtained, and the harder the case becomes to solve.
Two months have passed since the incident, and the hope of solving the case is getting slimmer and slimmer. No wonder Lei Xiao took the initiative to hand over the case.
Jiang Ling picked up the case file: "Okay, let's take a good look at it then."
This is a case that's giving even the largest team a headache; it's been piling up for a while now. If it's not solved soon, it'll probably just gather dust in the archives.
This is a serial murder case.
There were three dead.
The first victim was a 28-year-old independent clothing store owner who was well-known in the area and had a successful business.
The body was found in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. According to the forensic examination, the time of death was between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., and the victim was strangled. The murder weapon was a rough hemp rope.
Upon examining the scene, it was discovered that the victim was wearing an expensive dress sold in the store, with her hands bound behind her back. Next to the body was a large circle drawn in chalk, with some strange scratches inside. Nearby was an old-fashioned enamel mug with the word "Friendship" inscribed on it.
The second victim was a 32-year-old restaurant waitress who was sweet-looking and very popular with customers.
The body was found under a bridge in a suburban area. The time of death was between midnight and 2 a.m., and the victim was strangled. The murder weapon was also a rough hemp rope.
The victim's hair was disheveled, and there were scratches on his body. There was an old-fashioned work ID next to him, which seemed to have been deliberately left by the killer; the ID had a blurry photo on it. There was a circle drawn in chalk on the ground, smaller than the circle at the scene of the first victim.
The third victim was a 35-year-old male high school teacher, a kind-hearted man. He died in a grove of trees behind the school, between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The cause of death was the same as above: strangulation, the murder weapon being a rope.
The scene revealed that the victim's glasses were broken, there was a small chalk circle next to the body, and a bloodstained piece of clothing, which appeared to have been left by the perpetrator during the struggle.
Upon seeing the photos of the three deceased, Jiang Ling's team members all wore serious expressions, their throats feeling as if something was stuck in them, and they were in great discomfort.
In the cases we've dealt with so far, thanks to Jiang Ling's foresight and the emphasis on prevention, no deaths have occurred.
The first time I faced a murder scene, seeing innocent lives being cruelly taken away, the visual impact was too great, and I felt both angry and terrified.
With trembling hands, Liu Haoran picked up the photo of the second victim: "I've seen this person before; I ate at that restaurant."
When Li Zhenliang saw that the third victim was a teacher, he became increasingly frightened, feeling a chill run down his spine: "My wife is also a teacher..."
Zhou Wei sighed and looked at the first victim, saying, "So young and already able to open a shop and do business, he was a smart and hardworking person. How could he have died?"
Jiang Ling tapped her knuckles on the table. "In the future, we may face even more ruthless killers. We must not let our emotions control us; we must remain calm!"
Li Zhenliang took a deep breath and rubbed his arms: "Yes, yes, I'm not afraid."
We cannot panic just because the deceased was a teacher. Our top priority now is to help the team find the murderer.
Zhou Wei nodded emphatically: "Yes! Stay calm, let's work together to solve the case as soon as possible."
Liu Haoran stood up and jumped up and down, trying to dispel the frustration in his heart. Hearing Zhou Wei's words, he also shouted, "Yes! Catch the murderer as soon as possible, we can't let him harm others anymore!"
After shouting, Liu Haoran felt a little better, picked up the case file, analyzed the materials, and read them aloud.
"The perpetrator strangled the victims in all cases, using the same type of hemp rope as the murder weapon. Each crime scene had circles of varying sizes drawn with chalk, which seemed to be some kind of marking. The perpetrator chose relatively secluded locations to commit the crimes, suggesting that he had some knowledge of the victims' daily activities. Based on the modus operandi and the characteristics of the crime scenes, it can be determined that these are serial murders and should be investigated together."
Zhou Wei also joined in, examining the photos as he said, "There is still physical evidence. This old-fashioned enamel mug and work ID may have come from the murderer or someone connected to him. The hemp rope is a common construction rope found on construction sites, so it's easy to obtain. There's also a bloodstained piece of clothing; we should be able to find out the murderer's blood type."
After a moment's thought, Jiang Ling had already made up her mind.
She knew about this case.
With three people dead in quick succession, the Yanshi Public Security Bureau is under immense pressure and is demanding that the case be solved within a limited time. However, the case has stalled due to a lack of evidence.
A large number of police officers were dispatched to investigate the victims' social relationships. The conclusion was that all three people were married, had good marital relationships, had no lovers, no property disputes, and no suspicious enemies.
The possibilities of crimes of passion, revenge killings, and murder for money have been ruled out.
In the end, only one possibility remains—a crime of passion.
That makes it difficult to investigate.
Anyone who works in criminal investigation knows that the most difficult homicide cases to solve are those involving crimes of passion.
Indiscriminate killing, random selection, escape after the murder, leaving no clues—how can it be investigated?
This case had been sitting in the archives for a year.
It wasn't until the summer of June 1995 that the killer struck again. The victim was a physical education student with amazing strength. She fought bravely, escaped successfully, and called the police, which led to the killer's arrest.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling said, "There are clues to follow in this series of cases, so let's go with this one."
The perpetrator is currently in a dormant phase and is unlikely to commit further bloodshed, allowing for a more relaxed approach.
Liu Haoran was a little unsure: "When we brought up this case, Officer Su said they had investigated for two months, deploying hundreds of police officers, but they hadn't made a single clue. He advised us to switch to a simpler case. Jiang Jiang, are we really going to bring up this case at the meeting?"
Jiang Ling did not answer his question: "The Officer Su you mentioned, is it Su Xinwan?"
Liu Haoran nodded: "Yes."
Jiang Ling: "She doesn't seem very bold, but I didn't expect her to dare to go against Captain Lei."
Liu Haoran also found it a bit strange: "Officer Su is in charge of document and file management in the First Brigade. She seems quite shy. When I dealt with her before, I felt that she was just a tool. She was only responsible for taking files and writing materials and never spoke on her own initiative. I didn't expect her to be so friendly this time."
Li Zhenliang guessed from the side, "I guess it's because Jiang Jiang took the initiative to greet her, and Officer Su has a good impression of us?"
Li Zhenliang remembered Su Xinwan. When Jiang Ling left, she made a point of checking on her twice in the brigade office, which made him nervous, thinking that some case was about to occur. Fortunately, Jiang Ling didn't say anything, which put his mind at ease.
He wasn't afraid of anything else, but he was afraid that Officer Su would become a victim.
Li Zhenliang believed he knew Jiang Ling quite well. Whenever she suddenly started paying attention to a stranger, they were either a criminal suspect or a victim.
Qian Darong, Liang Qiqiao, Shen Xiaowei (Xu Qingyao), Chen Anping, Chen Mu... have never made a mistake.
Li Zhenliang was right; Jiang Ling did indeed unconsciously pay some attention to Su Xinwan.
Perhaps it was because we were both women, or perhaps it was because of her shyness and introversion.
With downcast eyes, thick bangs, and a reluctance to interact with others—these traits are somewhat similar to Jiang Ling's past life. She must have faced difficulties, perhaps experiencing an unhappy childhood.
Today, Su Xinwan, who was trying to "hide" herself, took the initiative to remind Liu Haoran that the case was complicated and difficult to judge. Jiang Ling keenly sensed the goodwill that Su Xinwan was quietly offering.
Perhaps I can contact Su Xinwan more often in the future.
Helping her is helping your past self.
After making up her mind, Jiang Ling said to Liu Haoran, "Su Xinwan is very nice. Remember to thank her next time you visit."
Liu Haoran replied blankly with a single word: "Oh."
Jiang Ling focused her attention on the case: "This case is quite good. The more difficult it is to solve, the more it demonstrates the effectiveness of the three-pronged investigation method."
Liu Haoran and the others immediately gained confidence, their eyes shining: "Great!"
In the following period, Jiang Ling led her team to analyze the case, closely liaise with the investigators of the First Brigade, and carefully understand the details of the investigation.
A week later, the work on the April 26 drug case was completed, and the lecture on the "Three-Fixed Investigation Method" led by Lei Xiao was held as scheduled.
Jiang Ling was well-prepared and led her team to the Municipal Public Security Bureau.
As soon as she stepped into the lobby on the first floor of the office building, someone greeted her.
"Officer Jiang, hello."
"Xiao Jiang, are you here to give a lecture? We're all waiting for you."
"I heard you've made another great contribution. Congratulations!"
Those who came to say hello included people I had met at the April 26 meeting, as well as members of the anti-trafficking brigade and the technical brigade.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Ling is so popular.
After the person who greeted them left, a slender figure walked over and said in a soft voice, "Jiang Ling, I'll take you to the conference room."
Jiang Ling looked closely and saw that the person who came was Su Xinwan.
Her thick bangs still covered her eyebrows, and her eyes looked somewhat timid.
Jiang Ling knew that she must have mustered up a lot of courage to come today, so she smiled and nodded: "Okay."
Su Xinwan's eyes lit up, she smiled gently with her lips pursed, and walked ahead with her head down.
Team Leader Lei took this lecture very seriously and prepared to send someone to welcome Jiang Ling. Su Xinwan volunteered, which surprised Zheng Yu, who usually talked to her the most, but was also very happy.
Zheng Yu, with her cheerful personality, patted Su Xinwan on the shoulder and said, "Perfect timing, Jiang Ling, you're the most suitable person to pick her up."
There are far more men than women in the municipal bureau, making it difficult for women to get ahead.
It's rare to find someone like Jiang Ling; she's truly a role model for policewomen. Now that Su Xinwan is willing to take on the task of welcoming them, Zheng Yu wholeheartedly agrees.
Su Xinwan is too introverted; she should spend more time with Jiang Ling, who might be able to make her more lively.
Upon arriving at the conference room door, Jiang Ling and the others thanked Su Xinwan.
Su Xinwan blushed slightly and waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "You're welcome, you're welcome."
Lei Xiao walked over, his voice so loud it made the corridor lights flicker: "Teacher Jiang is here! Come in quickly!"
Lei Xiao was very excited.
It's said that Jiang Ling and his team have a new approach to that difficult case. Just thinking about how Jiang Ling not only explains the "three-fixed investigation method" to the criminal police officers of the first and second brigades, but also analyzes the rope murder case on-site makes Lei Xiao restless.
The rope murder case has been sitting in Lei Xiao's hands for over two months without being solved; it's truly shameful.
But now, Jiang Ling and his team have made a new breakthrough!
Jiang Ling took a half step back: "Captain Lei, calm down."
Lei Xiao laughed: "I can't stay calm, I can't stay calm at all. I wish you would just tell me about the case."
Jiang Ling said, "Don't worry, it won't interfere with your business."
Lei Xiao's eyes lit up: "You mean?"
Jiang Ling: "I can only give you ideas; if you really want to solve the case, you'll need a whole team."
Lei Xiao's smile grew even warmer, and he gave Jiang Ling a thumbs-up. Smart, capable, and not arrogant—who wouldn't like such a good comrade?
Su Xinwan opened her mouth, but said nothing.
She consciously stepped back, hiding her figure in the shadows of the corridor.
Jiang Ling noticed her subtle movements, walked up to her, looked into her eyes, and said softly, "Are you having some trouble? Do you need my help?"
The unexpected care and warmth brought tears to Su Xinwan's eyes.
She quickly tilted her head back, forcibly suppressing her tears.
Jiang Ling looked at her quietly, her eyes filled with pity.
Su Xinwan did not directly respond to Jiang Ling's words: "If, if I could be as brave as you..."
Jiang Ling interrupted her: "Asking for help is also a form of courage."
Su Xinwan's eyes lit up: "I... I have a younger brother. He's very pitiful. I want to help him, but I don't know how."
Jiang Ling asked, "What's his name?"
Su Xinwan: "Chu Xinyan."
Jiang Ling remembered!
No wonder Su Xinwan looked so familiar.
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