latelenovela Chapter 905 Case Analysis, Determining the Direction of the Investigation
Chapter 905 Case Analysis, Determining the Direction of the Investigation
Li Ming said to the technicians. The technicians worked day and night, using various methods, and finally located the approximate location of the number—near an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city.
Li Ming immediately led his officers to the abandoned factory. The factory was deathly silent; the dilapidated buildings appeared particularly eerie in the afterglow of the setting sun. The officers cautiously entered the factory, spread out, and carefully searched every corner.
"Captain Li, there's something here!" Suddenly, Officer Zhao's voice came from deep within the factory. Li Ming strode over and saw that Officer Zhao had found some used syringes and residual drugs, as well as several slips of paper filled with numbers and symbols, which seemed to be some kind of transaction record.
"It seems this is likely their drug trafficking hideout. Continue the search and see if there are any other clues," Li Ming said.
Two days passed quickly. Dawn's team worked non-stop, with no one getting a break. However, the investigation had reached a dead end. Although they had obtained some clues, they were all complex and lacked direct direction. There was still no news about the suspect.
On the morning of the third day, Qin Chuan sat at the head of the detachment's conference table, his expression stern, his gaze slowly sweeping over each member of the criminal investigation detachment present. Li Ming sat to one side, surrounded by case files, his eyes bloodshot, revealing the fatigue of days of investigation.
"Comrades, the reason I've called this case analysis meeting today is because there has been no substantial progress in the Wangjia Village murder case involving six people. We must re-examine the clues and delve into the root causes of these six people's deaths." Qin Chuan broke the silence first, his voice low but powerful.
Li Mingqing cleared his throat and opened the file in his hand: "The known clues so far are that the three Wang brothers were local bullies who sold ecstasy in a bar in town and had a conflict with a man called 'Scarface' over the supply of drugs. Among the three deceased whose identities are not fully confirmed, one of them is Zhang Wei, a drug addict. Through investigating his interpersonal relationships, we found that he had contact with some suspicious people before his death, and we also found traces of suspected drug transactions in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city. However, these clues are still relatively scattered and have not formed a complete chain of evidence."
A young police officer, Xiao Zhang, couldn't help but speak up: "I think this case is very likely a case of gangsters killing each other. Wang Fugui and his gang sold ecstasy, and Zhang Wei was a drug user. Maybe during the drug deal, due to unequal distribution of profits or other conflicts, someone killed him. Moreover, judging from the three fires at the scene, there were quite a few people involved, which fits the characteristics of a gang crime. It is very likely that another group of drug dealers did it."
Sitting opposite Xiao Zhang, veteran police officer Zhao Gang shook his head: "I don't quite agree. Although drug trafficking disputes are a possibility, we can't rule out the element of money. The three Wang brothers have been tyrannical in the village and must have accumulated a lot of wealth. Those three unidentified people might be after their money. It's plausible that they first subdued Wang Fugui and the others, and then set fire to cover up their crime."
After a moment's thought, Li Ming said, "Both the possibility of it being for money and a double-cross are very high. But there's another point we can't ignore: methamphetamine was detected in Zhang Wei's system, and drug-related evidence was also found at the scene. This indicates that drugs played a significant role in this case. Perhaps Zhang Wei and Wang Fugui's drug deal involved a deeper interest group, which planned this murder to protect its own interests."
At this point, Zhang Lin, the forensic pathologist in charge of the examination, spoke up: "According to the autopsy results, all the deceased died of asphyxiation in the fire. However, the body that was bound with ropes had methamphetamine in it, as well as some old wounds on its body. These wounds do not appear to be caused by recent conflict, but rather by long-term violence. Could this suggest that the deceased was involved in some long-term, complex dispute before their death?"
Qin Chuan nodded: "The forensic doctor makes a good point. We can't just look at it from the surface perspective of drug trafficking and economic interests. There may be deeper grudges and entanglements hidden behind this case. For example, the three Wang brothers may have offended some people in their long-term bullying behavior. These people hold a grudge and joined forces to plan this revenge operation, while using drug trafficking to cover up their true motives."
Another officer, Xiao Li, offered a different perspective: "Chief Qin, do we think we're overthinking it? Perhaps it was simply a tragedy caused by a drug overdose. Zhang Wei was using drugs, and Wang Fugui and the others were selling drugs. Could it be that an accident occurred during their use, such as someone becoming disoriented after taking drugs, causing a fire that resulted in all six people perishing in the flames? And those ignition points might have simply formed naturally during the spread of the fire, rather than being deliberately created by someone."
Li Ming countered, "Xiao Li, that's less likely. First, different accelerants, diesel and gasoline, were found at the scene, indicating that the arson was premeditated. Second, if it was an accident caused by a drug overdose, why would there be a body bound with rope? That's clearly illogical."
The discussion was intense, with various viewpoints clashing. Everyone analyzed the case from multiple angles, including financial gain, drug use, and double-crossing, ruling out some possibilities while proposing new ones. The atmosphere in the meeting room grew increasingly tense, as everyone racked their brains, trying to find a glimmer of hope to uncover the truth amidst the complex web of clues.
Qin Chuan listened to everyone's discussion, weighing the options in his mind. This case was more complex than he had imagined; each hypothesis had some merit, yet each contained inexplicable doubts. "Comrades," he said, "your analyses are all valuable. Currently, it seems that financial gain, double-crossing, and drug-related disputes could all be the causes. Our next step in the investigation will be to delve deeper into these possibilities. On the one hand, we will continue to investigate individuals closely associated with Wang Fugui, Zhang Wei, and others, especially key figures in the drug trafficking chain; on the other hand, we will intensify our analysis of the physical evidence at the scene to find more direct evidence pointing to the murderer. We must solve the case as soon as possible, giving the victims' families and society an explanation."
After the meeting, Li Ning divided the main force of the Criminal Investigation Detachment into two groups. One group continued to investigate the interpersonal relationships of the identified victims to see if any clues could be found. The other group conducted a second on-site investigation. Could the suspect really have left no trace after setting the fire? Meanwhile, in conjunction with the Narcotics Control Detachment, they conducted a city-wide investigation of drug-related personnel.