Chapter 423: Is a Familiar Person Behind the Crime?

"What possibilities?" the others looked at Xu Mo with puzzled expressions.

Xu Mo reached out, patted the gun holster at his waist, and offered another possibility.

"The person who stole the gun isn't an ordinary thief; he must be very familiar with the structure of holsters and firearms, and he knows how to quickly open the holster and draw the gun without the armed police officer noticing."

Xu Mo's words gave everyone another line of thought.

It doesn't have to be Hao Qi's self‑directed act.

Another possibility is that the gun thief is very familiar with holsters and firearms, in which case his identity would be self‑evident…

As Xu Mo said, the gun thief isn't an ordinary thief; at least he has handled a gun and used a Police Station holster, which explains his familiarity.

He is also a police officer!

Upon hearing this, the Police Station fell into silence.

The gun thief is actually a police officer? That means this criminal might be inside their ranks!?

At first, they were somewhat disbelieving.

But the more they thought about it, the more they felt Xu Mo's suggestion was possible.

Ordinary people truly cannot silently extract a gun from a police officer's holster and take it; only police officers who have handled holsters and firearms could do so, simply because officers are familiar with using holsters and weapons, whereas ordinary people have no opportunity to touch such items.

Moreover, Hao Qi lost his weapon while on an armed mission; during such missions he would inevitably watch anyone approaching him—this is a basic police officer's competence. In other words, a stranger could not get close to him; any approach would raise Hao Qi's suspicion, be extremely dubious, and could even be subdued on the spot.

The only ones who could get close to him during his mission are acquaintances…

Only acquaintances can easily approach a police officer on duty without arousing suspicion.

This indirectly confirms Xu Mo's theory: the gun thief is also a police officer.

Only this dual identity would allow him to approach Hao Qi without suspicion and skillfully take the gun Hao Qi had placed in his holster.

The more you think, the more terrifying! After searching for a long time, it turns out the thief could be one of their own, and they are left doubting life.

Even some police officers have begun to glance unintentionally at the colleagues they work with day in and day out.

Chief Gao also thought of this.

Even though he was reluctant to accept this possibility, Xu Mo's inference was indeed logical, and he had to believe it.

Every police officer in the Police Station has the opportunity to commit the crime; they could all be suspects, so they naturally cannot continue to follow the case.

"Han Team, Team Leader Xu, I wonder if you two are still willing to continue helping with the investigation..." Chief Gao paused, then said: "If you continue the investigation, I'm afraid this case will have to be left to you to resolve. According to regulations, all police officers in our department must avoid conflicts of interest. Of course, I won't force you to help; I can understand if you refuse."

Based on the current inference, they indeed cannot take part in the case any longer; apart from Han Fei, Xu Mo, and the few officers they brought, all officers of the Qinghewan Branch must avoid conflicts of interest, as per police investigation protocol.

That means the investigative burden now rests entirely on the seven people on Han Fei's side; even if they choose to refuse assistance at this point, Chief Gao says he can understand.

Since the Qinghewan Branch officers cannot participate in this case, the investigation truly depends on them, after all they are the only completely uninvolved outsiders.

Of course, the two could also refuse to help, since this incident didn't occur in their jurisdiction; if they find it troublesome and decline, Chief Gao has little to say and would have to seek assistance from colleagues in other branches.

But the two do not intend to refuse assistance.

First, they are all colleagues, so mutual assistance is expected, and moreover they currently have no cases, so it doesn't affect them.

Second, the jurisdictions of the two police stations are adjacent; if the missing service weapon isn't recovered promptly, the impact could quickly spread to their jurisdiction.

Rather than waiting for the impact to expand and then conducting a passive investigation, it's better to investigate now.

The two exchanged a glance; years of cooperation had given them tacit understanding, and they instantly read each other's thoughts from the other's eyes.

"Chief Gao, since we're here, we will definitely do our best to help with the investigation," Han Fei conveyed his and Xu Mo's intentions to Chief Gao.

Upon hearing this, Chief Gao's eyes showed gratitude.

"Then I entrust it to you."

At the same time, he looked at the officers under his command.

"From now on, no one may leave the Police Station; everyone must fully cooperate with Han Team and Team Leader Xu until the case is resolved. During the investigation, no one may speak privately; everyone shall monitor each other."

He paused, then added, "I am no exception either."

Since the suspect could be one of them, avoiding conflicts of interest and restricting movement is necessary.

Under Chief Gao's directive, all officers returned to their desks and sat properly, no longer discussing the case; they will not leave the Police Station until the truth is uncovered.

To facilitate the investigation, Chief Gao even prepared an empty office for Han Fei and Xu Mo.

Inside the office.

"What are your thoughts?" Han Fei asked Xu Mo.

"First, let's ask Hao Qi about the situation," Xu Mo replied.

Simply thinking cannot advance the case; to quickly clarify it, they must ask the involved party, Hao Qi, about the circumstances.

"I thought the same way."

The two instantly agreed and prepared to go find Hao Qi to inquire about what happened then.

Hao Qi is the officer who lost his weapon.

Because he needed to avoid conflicts of interest, he hadn't participated in the case at all; after returning to the Police Station and discovering the missing gun, he reported the incident immediately. To cooperate with the investigation, he also handed over his phone and, in the Interrogation Room, detailed the entire process of his dispatch mission to his colleagues.

Interrogation Room.

"You must be Hao Qi," Han Fei said after entering, looking at the man seated in the interrogation chair: "We are here to help with the investigation; my name is…"

"I know you—Han Team and Team Leader Xu, right? I've seen you on TV and heard of your case‑solving feats," Hao Qi blurted out before Han Fei could speak; he naturally recognized both Han Fei and Xu Mo.

Upon learning that Han Fei and Xu Mo were taking over the case, Hao Qi became very excited; with those two handling the investigation, he felt reassured!

An officer losing a service weapon is a serious matter.

It's fortunate that no severe consequences have arisen yet; the worst outcome would be dismissal, but if the lost firearm threatens society… the officer who lost the gun would face imprisonment.

As the officer who inadvertently misplaced his service weapon, Hao Qi naturally hopes to recover the lost gun as quickly as possible, preferably before any harm occurs; that way, even if he loses his job, he can at least avoid imprisonment.