[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-chasing-the-criminal-case":3,"chapter-chasing-the-criminal-case-chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-68":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Chasing the Criminal Case",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2328836,4554,"Chapter 68: Volume Three: Prologue. Storms Arise","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-68",68,"\u003Cp>Volume Three: Prologue. Storms Arise\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the final meeting of the \"Demon Hunter\" task force, Lu Haoxuan volunteered to continue investigating Alan’s whereabouts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Alan surfaced, the task force exhausted all available leads but found nothing, ultimately issuing a wanted notice in hopes that the public would assist in capturing Alan. Yet in an era when surveillance and investigative technology were still underdeveloped, it was exceedingly difficult to find someone determined to hide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time flew by; five years had nearly passed, and the year 2000 was approaching—yet there was still no progress in tracking Alan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the police force in Zizhen City had undergone tremendous changes in these years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Jianjun was transferred to become Deputy Director of the Qinghe County Public Security Bureau, overseeing criminal investigations. This was a clear signal: as long as he performed without incident, his future was bright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Xinfa was transferred from Captain of the Jiangnan Branch Criminal Investigation Team to Deputy Director of the Municipal Public Order Brigade. Though his administrative rank remained unchanged, given his age advantage and the fact that current brigade chief Xin Feng was about to retire, insiders quietly speculated he would soon be promoted to full brigade chief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, the three outstanding officers of Zizhen’s police force were left with only Lu Haoxuan, the eldest, still stuck in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Lu Haoxuan seemed utterly indifferent to promotion; his entire focus remained on solving case after case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As time passed, the 1995 dismemberment case gradually faded from public memory. In August 1999, China launched a nationwide online wanted campaign, and Alan’s pursuit was incorporated into the online fugitive tracking system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Haoxuan continued to diligently lead Gu Changzheng and Hu Jinquan in chasing down cases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>December 10, 1999, Friday. Tonight was unusually quiet; Wei Jie, having no evening class, prepared several of her signature dishes at home and invited Gu Changzheng and Hu Jinquan over for dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jie had two goals: first, she hadn’t seen them in a long time; second, she intended to introduce Gu Changzheng, Lu Haoxuan’s prized student, to a girlfriend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Haoxuan naturally understood his wife’s intentions—his student was about to turn thirty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The evening’s atmosphere surpassed expectations. Gu Changzheng felt awkward around Fang Jie, the young teacher who had suddenly appeared at his master’s home, but Hu Jinquan and his wife Miao Yu kept the mood lively with their banter. In fact, of the six people at the table, only Gu Changzheng was unaware of the true purpose of the gathering. Later, Fang Jie, who would become his wife, laughed and told him she had insisted Wei Jie not reveal that the dinner was a blind date, because she wanted to see the real him. Gu Changzheng, however, said that the moment he saw her, he had fallen for her—perhaps this was fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were later developments. On that night, the group chatted merrily until nearly ten o’clock. Gu Changzheng had shed his earlier nervousness around Fang Jie. As the evening neared its end, Hu Jinquan suggested Gu Changzheng escort Teacher Fang home—giving them a chance to be alone. At that moment, Lu Haoxuan’s little communicator (a type of mobile phone with a landline number, cheaper than regular mobiles) rang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Haoxuan picked up the call and saw it was from the branch office. At this hour, something must have happened. He didn’t dare delay and answered immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just two or three minutes later, Lu Haoxuan hung up. He looked at his two students. Before he could speak, Gu Changzheng already guessed another case had broken out and asked: “Master, what’s happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Haoxuan said: “The New World Entertainment City has had another incident.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, why do we get called for their brawls? What’s the Public Order Brigade doing?” Hu Jinquan teased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A girl is suspected of being raped.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?” Hu Jinquan gasped, stunned that such a case could still be unclear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Haoxuan said: “Jinquan, come with me. Changzheng, your task tonight is to escort Teacher Fang—you’re not coming.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Lu Haoxuan turned to leave with Hu Jinquan, Gu Changzheng said: “Master, I should come too. I’ve been monitoring New World longer than Jinquan—I know the situation better. Jinquan, take Xiao Miao home. We’ll contact again once we assess the scene.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded apologetically to Fang Jie. Lu Haoxuan, seeing this, agreed—the case came first—and dropped his objection. But Hu Jinquan still followed. The three of them headed for the New World Entertainment City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, in a 300-square-meter room on the top floor, farthest east in the New World Entertainment City, the owner Chang Huaqiang was staring at a yellow-haired man kneeling before him.\u003C\u002Fp>",777,"2026-06-20T19:35:30.807Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e60d4ab97df6c0b873d34fa4fe3359d3c30f6a344554a4d3fbd988dc9d4fc009","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-69","chasing-the-criminal-case-chapter-67",276,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchasing-the-criminal-case-cover.jpg"]