Chapter 70 Merge: The Second Round of Operations Begins!
Lei Xiao couldn't wait any longer.
Over the past three days, he, Jiang Ling, and Luo Yunchen have worked together to accomplish many things.
Every time he tried to report to Qin Tieshan, Captain Qin would wave his hand and say, "Go ahead and do it. You are in full charge. I won't interfere."
Qin Tieshan's reaction made Lei Xiao feel somewhat uncertain.
What's wrong with Captain Qin? He used to love listening to his subordinates' reports. Captain Qin was experienced and had a sharp eye, always able to point out problems and adjust the pace in a timely manner. Now that he's suddenly completely relinquished control, Lei Xiao is honestly a little apprehensive and can't help but overthink things.
Could it be that Captain Qin was so angered by Jiang Ling that he became disheartened?
In the past, Captain Qin was a workaholic who was decisive, kept his word, and never rested until a major case was solved.
Lei Xiao was not used to this sudden letting go, this calm and indifferent demeanor.
Lei Xiao finally got to attend the meeting.
When you give a report at the meeting, Captain Qin will surely listen attentively, right?
Lei Xiao cleared his throat, picked up the documents he had prepared beforehand, looked around, and was beaming with excitement.
He first showed the picture of a lone figure walking alone in the rain, drawn by Luo Yunchen: "This is a picture of the suspect's back drawn by our criminal investigation sketch team based on the description of eyewitness Wang Guixiang. Please look at the big screen."
With a "snap!", Zhuang Jianbai turned on the projector, and a beam of light was projected onto the white wall.
The portrait is enlarged.
Everyone can see it clearly.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.
Wow!
This is the first time since its establishment that the Yanshi Public Security Bureau has witnessed the methods of criminal investigation profiling so clearly.
That's amazing!
It was as if everyone had traveled back to that rainy night and witnessed the murderer pushing a bicycle, walking briskly through the wind and rain.
The man was of medium height and slender build, but the muscles in his arms, which were pushing the bicycle, were taut and looked very strong. The brim of his black raincoat covered his face, revealing only a slightly square chin.
The details are also handled very well. The blue edge peeking out from the raincoat cuff, the reflective part at the front of the rain boots, and the sponge-covered cloth pad on the back of the bicycle all tell everyone that this is a person, an ordinary person living among us.
Lei Xiao walked to the front of the beam of light, raised his hand and pointed at the portrait. The shadow of his hand was stretched long by the light from the projector.
"This drawing is based entirely on the eyewitness's description and has received Wang Guixiang's high approval. It can be used as important evidence. As you can see, based on this drawing, we can narrow down our investigation scope even further."
As soon as Lei Xiao finished speaking, Fan Wei stood up excitedly: "A bicycle! This bicycle is a 28-inch model with a sponge pad on the back seat. We can further screen the 400 key individuals by checking for bicycles with this characteristic."
Fan Wei's fellow detective also got excited: "Look, everyone! Based on this proportion, the suspect should be around 170cm tall and slim. That means we can screen these 400 people again."
With a new clue finally emerging, the group's eyes lit up.
"This painting is a real lifesaver."
“After narrowing down the list through cross-screening, we can then observe the figures from behind, which will allow us to limit the number of suspects to less than 50 people.”
"Yes, yes, yes! Having a direction is good, at least we won't wander around like blind people."
Lei Xiao looked at Qin Tieshan.
Qin Tieshan's face was hidden behind the smoke, making it impossible to discern his emotions. However, he remained silent, which implied that he was tacitly allowing himself to continue speaking.
Lei Xiao picked up the list provided by Jiang Ling again: "This is a list of suspicious persons' behavioral characteristics issued by the psychological profiling team. Our observation team consists of 12 people. We set up three observation points at the crime scene, Kang Le Clinic, and the girls' dormitory of Yan City Medical College. We work in pairs and take turns observing. We have found a total of 15 suspicious persons, and all of them have been photographed and saved."
Lei Xiao placed a stack of photos of suspicious individuals in front of Qin Tieshan.
Qin Tieshan nodded slightly and made a "hmm" sound through his nose.
Encouraged, Lei Xiao became increasingly excited, his movements becoming quite exaggerated. He picked up a portrait to show everyone, while images were also displayed on the projector.
A portrait was thus presented to everyone.
Lei Xiao's voice suddenly rose, filled with immense joy and delight: "Comrades, I have something unbelievable to tell you! Three days ago, based on the detailed description of the criminals' psychological characteristics by Jiang Ling's group, Luo Yunchen tried to draw a portrait and asked me to find the person based on it. I originally thought it was just for fun, but it turns out there really is such a person! The household registration police recognized him; his name is Geng Lihua, and he's on our list of 15 suspicious individuals!"
After saying that, Lei Xiao gestured to Liu Haoran to show the photos of Geng Lihua at the scene.
The photos clearly show that Geng Lihua appeared at the crime scene multiple times, casually pushing his bicycle past as if nothing had happened. He also appeared at the entrance of the girls' dormitory at Yanshi Medical College; although he only passed by briefly, it was clear that his gaze swept over the girls.
When Geng Lihua's image and photos were displayed simultaneously, the venue immediately became lively.
At first, there was a buzzing of discussion, but later the voices grew louder and louder, filled with exclamations.
"No way, is it really that amazing?"
"Jiang Ling and Luo Yunchen actually found the suspect three days ago by working together?"
"Impossible, that's just bragging."
A detective stood up and shouted, "Old Lei, you drew this portrait three days ago, and you already had a suspect. What about all the work we've done these past three days?!"
The group's discontent was instantly ignited, and they all started making a fuss.
"Yes, we were running around under the scorching sun in temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius, our legs were about to give out, and you're telling me that the suspect's sketch was ready three days ago?"
"What the hell is this all about! Isn't this just making things difficult for people?"
"Old Lei, you're such a bad guy, you've been hiding it pretty well."
"Bang!"
Qin Tieshan slammed his hand on the conference table, making a dull thud.
All sound stopped instantly.
The room was completely silent.
The criminal police officers who had previously stood up and denounced Lei Xiao all sat down obediently.
Qin Tieshan, his face fierce, shouted sternly, "What's all the noise about? It was my idea to split into two groups and act separately. What are you doing? Trying to rebel?"
Everyone's eyebrows and eyes drooped.
Fan Wei muttered, "But we're in a hurry to solve the case."
His subordinates chimed in, "Yeah, we're working in pairs, visiting over 50 households a day, but we're still clueless. We're getting anxious too."
Qin Tieshan's sharp gaze swept across the entire room.
The soft murmurs also disappeared.
After successfully silencing the room, Qin Tieshan looked at Lei Xiao and said, "You may continue."
Lei Xiao raised his hand to signal Jiang Ling to stand up: "Next, I would like Jiang Ling to tell everyone about our investigation strategy and final results."
Qin Tieshan didn't speak, but lowered his head and started lighting a cigarette.
But the lighter wouldn't light for a long time. After three clicks, Qin Tieshan got annoyed, put the lighter on the table, and didn't bother smoking anymore.
Qin Tieshan leaned back in his chair and looked at Jiang Ling, who was slowly standing up: "Alright, Jiang Ling, you speak."
With Qin's approval, Jiang Ling stood up straight, looked around, and spoke at a steady pace.
"First, I want to explain why we didn't identify the suspect immediately after the portrait was drawn. Luo Yunchen's portrait was drawn based on the criminal's psychological characteristics. It was based entirely on his personal experience and could only provide a reference for our investigation, not direct evidence. To truly solve the case, we still need to do what our colleagues did: go deep into the community, conduct extensive investigations, and base our work on facts."
These words made the group members feel much better.
They exchanged glances, and everything was understood without being spoken.
—Yes, I love hearing what Teacher Jiang said.
That's right, no matter how well a drawing is done, it can't be used as evidence to directly arrest someone.
—Yes, if a suspect could be identified based on a drawing made out of thin air, then there would be wrongful convictions everywhere.
Lei Xiao raised an eyebrow.
Jiang Ling is very perceptive. I gave her some advice last time, and she immediately applied it to other situations, realizing that she had recognized the efforts of her colleagues at the meeting—she has the makings of a leader.
Qin Tieshan looked at Jiang Ling with some surprise.
After three days apart, the girl seems to have softened her thorns considerably.
You've made rapid progress.
Jiang Ling hadn't actually thought that much about it.
She was telling the truth.
She wasn't intentionally praising a group of colleagues; she genuinely felt they worked very hard and achieved remarkable results. Reaching over three thousand people and identifying four hundred in just three days was truly impressive.
She wasn't intentionally trying to hide her sharp edges; today was a day for reporting results and exchanging ideas, so everyone should be frank. Like last time, when Qin Tieshan was making a unilateral decision at a crucial moment in determining the direction of the investigation, she naturally had to firmly oppose it.
Jiang Ling said, "Therefore, after we drew the portrait three days ago, we did not identify him as a suspect, but instead focused on collecting more favorable evidence. Based on the three-pronged approach to investigation, we believe that the murderer committed a premeditated retaliatory killing. He may have hated nurses because of medical disputes, and because he had been in contact with Ke Xiaoyu, he developed the evil intention to kill. He is vengeful, has an extreme personality, is of ordinary appearance but has a twisted mind, and will return to the crime scene to observe the police's reaction."
In fact, Jiang Ling had already said these things at the last meeting, but the atmosphere was noisy and unpleasant at the time, and many people did not listen.
Listening to her speak eloquently today, everyone started to think. No wonder the investigation seemed so difficult before; it turned out that the scope was lacking.
Male, wearing blue overalls, riding a bicycle, and whose whereabouts were unknown at the time of the incident—relying on only these three points for screening is too broad, not only inefficient but also prone to missing some important suspects.
The three-step investigation method involves first determining the nature of the crime, then the scope, and finally the specific characteristics of the case.
By following these three methods, you can avoid many detours.
Even Qin Tieshan remained silent at this moment.
He hastily classified the crime as a crime of passion, targeting fugitives, local psychopaths, and vagrants, almost making the mistake of relying on past experience.
Jiang Ling observed Qin Tieshan's expression and found that although he had a tense face, his eyes were distant and he did not seem angry, so she continued to speak.
"Based on the perpetrator's criminal psychology, we drafted a list of behaviors and observed based on the list, selecting 23 suspicious individuals who repeatedly appeared at the scene and whose behavior was suspicious. Because we were worried about alerting the suspect, we did not verify the names and identities of the individuals, but based on the three points mentioned by the eyewitnesses—dark blue overalls, bicycles, and slender builds—we finally narrowed it down to 15 people."
At this point, Jiang Ling looked at Qin Tieshan: "Reporting to Captain Qin, our second team, through criminal psychological profiling and forensic profiling techniques, has clarified the direction of our investigation, narrowed down the scope of our investigation, and ultimately identified fifteen suspects. Because medical malpractice involves too many aspects, we plan to investigate the suspects' pasts after narrowing down the suspects, focusing on those who have experienced medical malpractice or disputes."
Qin Tieshan remained silent.
400:15.
Although it's still unclear whether the murderer is among these fifteen people, at least based on the current situation...
Group Two wins decisively!
Jiang Ling has become more shrewd now, at least she knows how to give Qin Tieshan face on the surface.
She smiled slightly: "Captain Qin, what do you think? Shouldn't the next step be for Groups One and Two to work together to screen that list of 400 key individuals?"
Lei Xiao chimed in, "That's right, Captain Qin. Although our second group only identified 15 people, we lack direct evidence; while the first group identified 400 people, we have ample evidence. Why don't we team up and assist the first group in screening those 400 people?"
Fan Wei rubbed his hands excitedly and immediately stood up: "Captain Qin, please give the order quickly! With the assistance of the second group, I am confident that we can find the suspect from those 400 people very soon."
At this moment, Qin Tieshan had to admit that he was getting old.
Old age makes people unwilling to accept new things.
He is old-fashioned, stuck in his ways, and refuses to learn new criminal investigation theories.
Jiang Ling's "three-fixed investigation method" is indeed very useful. At the very least, it can guide the direction of investigation, narrow the scope of investigation, and save a lot of manpower and resources.
Qin Tieshan stood up, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces, finally settling on Jiang Ling's still somewhat immature face.
To everyone's horror, Old Qin smiled!
Old Qin, whose face had been frozen for a thousand years, actually smiled!
This has left everyone completely bewildered.
Could it be that Captain Qin was too provoked and lost his mind?
Amidst the horrified stares of the crowd, Qin Tieshan laughed heartily: "Very good! This meeting went very well. Fan Wei!"
Fan Wei stood at attention and answered loudly, "Here!"
Qin Tieshan walked out from behind the conference table, raised his hand and patted him heavily on the shoulder: "Your team mobilized 80 police officers, visited an area of six square kilometers around the crime scene, contacted more than 3,000 people, carefully inquired about their whereabouts at the time of the crime, and finally screened out a key list of 400 people. You have worked hard."
Fan Wei was initially somewhat frustrated, feeling that while the second group had worked tirelessly and exhausted themselves, they had comfortably stayed at the observation point. In the end, the second group had identified 400 people, while the third group had only accurately identified 15. The results were simply too poor in comparison.
Unexpectedly, the leader affirmed them with such a warm attitude, and Fan Wei almost burst into tears: "It's our duty, we're not working hard!"
Qin Tieshan walked up to Lei Xiao and patted him on the arm: "You did a good job using criminal psychology and observation to identify 15 suspects."
Lei Xiao straightened his back proudly and grinned.
Qin Tieshan then looked at Jiang Ling and Luo Yunchen: "Young people, you have a bright future."
Jiang Ling and Luo Yunchen exchanged a glance, unsure how to react.
Is this affirmation, praise, encouragement, or expectation?
Regardless of its meaning, it was a positive evaluation from the leader. The two men stood at attention with serious expressions and saluted.
Looking at the two men's outstanding appearance and spirited demeanor, Qin Tieshan couldn't help but feel a mix of joy and slight bitterness.
The good news is that the younger generation is constantly surpassing the older generation, ensuring that the criminal investigation team has a steady stream of successors.
What's ironic is that it's so good to be young.
Looking at those two youthful, almost radiant faces, Qin Tieshan truly felt old.
However, he quickly adjusted his emotions.
He originally planned to retire after finishing this case, so why worry about whether he's old or not?
As long as new people continue to be willing to dedicate themselves to the field of criminal investigation, the legacy will never be broken.
Mentoring newcomers and giving them opportunities to grow—isn't that the very value and meaning of his existence?
Thinking of this, Qin Tieshan raised his hand and put it on Luo Yunchen's shoulder, then turned to look at everyone: "In this operation, the two new technologies, criminal psychological profiling and criminal investigation profiling, effectively guided the direction of the investigation and narrowed the scope of the investigation. Jiang Ling and Luo Yunchen performed well and deserve recognition!"
After saying that, he withdrew his hand, quickly returned to his seat, and began issuing orders.
"Group One and Group Two will be combined and led by Lei Xiao."
Lei Xiao: "Yes!"
"Next step: cross-screen the list of 400 people. In addition to the three clues of dark blue work clothes, bicycles, and missing whereabouts during the period of the incident, we will add new clues such as back view comparison, bicycle back seat pads, and medical malpractice. I need to get the list of suspects the day after tomorrow. Can I do it?"
Everyone stood up quickly and answered loudly, "We guarantee to complete the mission!"
With so many new leads, the two teams combined, and nearly a hundred police officers were deployed to this round of screening. Everyone was confident that they would be able to complete the task within two days.
A criminal profiling team led by Jiang Ling;
A criminal investigation sketch team led by Luo Yunchen;
An investigation team led by Fan Wei;
And all the members of the First Brigade, led by Lei Xiao.
At this moment, everyone is united in purpose and eager to get involved in the investigation of the suspicious persons.
The second phase of operations begins!
Jiang Ling hadn't been home for several days. As soon as she returned to her office after the meeting, she received a call from her mother, Xiao Wenjuan.
"Lingling?"
"mom."
"Have you been very busy these past few days?"
"Yes, there's a new case. The higher-ups have given us a deadline to solve it, so the pressure is immense."
Hearing her daughter say she was under a lot of pressure, Xiao Wenjuan felt a pang of sympathy: "Mom knows work is important. But you also need to take care of yourself. Come home for dinner tonight. I've already tidied up the new house. Why don't you bring your colleagues over to get acquainted with the place and warm up the kitchen?"
Jiang Ling thought for a moment and said, "Okay."
Her mother stayed in Yanshi for her sake, but she hadn't been home to see her for three days, which she did feel a little guilty about. It was perfect timing to go home today, take a shower, change clothes, and rest before getting back to work.
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Ling looked at her team members and said, "Come to my house for dinner tonight, my mom is treating."
Li Zhenliang raised his eyebrows excitedly: "Ahhh, finally I can have a hot meal!" For the past few days, he and Zhuang Jianbai have been working together to observe pedestrians near the Kang Le Clinic, eating instant noodles every day, and they are really sick of them.
Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei were keeping an eye on the crime scene, so they could only eat a few bites of food. When they heard that they could have dinner at Jiang Ling's new house tonight, they were quite happy: "Okay, okay."
Luo Yunchen pushed open the office door and looked at Jiang Ling with a somewhat aggrieved expression: "You didn't invite me to dinner?"
Jiang Ling thought for a second: "The three of you in your group, come along too."
For the past three days, Jiang Ling and Su Xinwan teamed up to observe the girls' dormitory at Yan City Medical College. They usually ate at the school's first canteen. To be honest, the food at the medical school canteen was really not good; it was completely devoid of oil and too bland.
And so, the two groups, totaling seven people, went straight to Ping'anli Community across the street from the Municipal Bureau as soon as they got off work, after obtaining Lei Xiao's consent.
Pinganli Community was originally a residential compound for the families of employees of the Yan City Public Security Bureau, Court, Procuratorate, and other political and legal system units, designed to solve the housing problems of government officials and ordinary police officers. Over time, some long-time residents moved out, retired, or had their children move out, leading to a change in ownership of the housing. Some non-political and legal system units, such as former subsidiaries of the Commerce Bureau and small local state-owned enterprises, also acquired some housing units through exchanges or allocations, accommodating their employees. The community was no longer purely a political and legal compound.
Lin Weidong and Xiao Wenjuan bought a new home for their eldest daughter, Jiang Ling, in this old neighborhood.
Pinganli residential area has a well-organized layout. Near the road are rows of four-story brick-concrete buildings with red brick walls and red roofs, known as "red houses." They are generally small, but fully equipped with kitchens and bathrooms. Behind them are two-story buildings with small courtyards, which are the cadre housing.
The roads are straight and level, with plane trees planted on both sides. In this old neighborhood, the roadside trees are all very lush, and the plane trees have formed a canopy that blocks out the sun. As soon as you walk in, you can feel the coolness of summer.
Walking along the straight political and legal road, Li Zhenliang and his two companions looked around and kept expressing their feelings.
"Team leader, your parents are so good to you. I heard that the houses in this neighborhood are not cheap because it's right across from the police station."
"Although the neighborhood is a bit old, these trees are growing really well, and it's so cool in the summer."
"Oh, I love the atmosphere of old neighborhoods, it's lively and harmonious."
Indeed, this community is full of life and vibrancy.
Across the street is the Yan City Public Security Bureau, and a few minutes' walk away are the court and the procuratorate, forming a political and legal triangle with the Public Security Bureau.
Heading north from the main gate, you'll find a long-established state-owned department store; heading south, you'll find a large vegetable market. Along the way, there's a post office, a primary school, and a kindergarten. Within the residential area, there are also grocery stores, tailor shops, and breakfast shops run by residents on the ground floor, making life very convenient.
Lin Weidong and his wife also used some connections to find out that there was a house here that was for sale.
The original owner was a retired police officer. Because his children all worked in Shanghai, he and his wife went to Shanghai to reunite with them, leaving the house vacant.
Upon learning of this situation, Lin Weidong immediately contacted the original homeowner.
It just so happened that the original homeowner had worked with Lin Weidong for a period of time, and upon hearing that he wanted to buy the house for his daughter, he immediately agreed to sell it. Since it was an internal employee transaction, the paperwork was completed quickly.
Xiao Wenjuan stayed here to clean and tidy up the old house, and to buy new curtains, sofas, bedding, and so on.
Finally, after renovating the old house, Xiao Wenjuan bought a lot of ingredients, preparing to cook a delicious meal for her daughter and her daughter's colleagues.
Everyone enjoyed the meal.
Everyone was happy for Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling has a new home.
In this house, there is a room that belongs only to her. In the room, there is a new bed, new pillows, new quilts, a brand-new dressing table, wardrobe, and desk. The south-facing wooden window is painted a light green, and under the light green curtain box hang two beautiful layers of curtains, one layer of white gauze and the other of light green floral patterns. When the wind blows, it is like a dream in a fairy tale.
There is a guest room in this house, where my parents, sister, and grandmother may come to stay at any time.
This home has a not-so-spacious living room, a small kitchen, and a clean toilet.
As soon as the kitchen starts cooking, the aroma of the food wafts into the living room.
This home is filled with Jiang Ling's past dreams.
It fulfilled all her expectations.
After finishing dinner and seeing her colleagues off, Jiang Ling had an uncontrollable smile on her face.
After closing the door, Jiang Ling opened her arms and hugged Xiao Wenjuan, who was covered in cooking fumes, and whispered, "Mom, thank you."
Xiao Wenjuan's eyes welled up with tears as she hugged her daughter back, saying, "You're welcome, it's what a mother should do."
The next morning, the chirping of birds outside the window woke Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling got up full of energy and smelled a strong aroma of soybeans as soon as she stepped out of the bedroom.
Xiao Wenjuan's voice came from the kitchen: "The soy milk and fried dough sticks at that breakfast shop downstairs are pretty good, why don't you try them? I'll also fry you an egg so you can eat before going to work."
Jiang Ling felt that life was truly blissful.
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