Chapter 174: Every Case Must Be Solved

What brand of cigarettes do criminal police like to smoke?

There's certainly no standard answer — it depends on the region.

But most of them are priced around ten yuan.

The most common ones are old brands like Changbaishan and Hongtashan.

Oh right, and Bai Jiangjun.

These cigarettes are characterized by a strong kick and an affordable price.

If you see a cop smoking cigarettes in the 20–30 yuan range, don't even think about it — he's definitely single.

Any man with a wife and kids can't bring himself to spend more than twenty yuan on cigarettes.

Smokes like Huazi and Su cigarettes — most of those aren't bought by the smokers themselves, they're basically gifts from others.

Even if they're willing to smoke them, at most they do it at home — they wouldn't take them out in public.

Everyone works at the same unit; who doesn't know who? With the salary that lands in your hands, you simply can't bring yourself to buy high-end cigarettes.

"High-end? That can't be right." Qu Tuotuo looked at the Huazi in the bag and said, a little aggrieved:

"Before buying, I specifically asked around — at most this brand counts as mid-range; lots of cigarettes cost more than it."

"And my dad said people in your line of work like this roasted-tobacco type best — strong kick, keeps you alert."

Yu Dazhang immediately caught the key point in her words.

Would a father and daughter sit around discussing which cigarettes cops like to smoke?

Besides, doesn't her dad not smoke?

"Your dad told you to buy them?" Yu Dazhang stared at her and asked.

"No." Qu Tuotuo shook her head and denied it:

"I wanted to buy them myself. Yesterday when I was home, he mentioned you, and we chatted for a bit."

Seeing Yu Dazhang's look of disbelief, Qu Tuotuo went on:

"He doesn't seem to oppose us dating anymore. I thought it was strange too — yesterday, when he heard I was going to buy cigarettes, he even gave me ideas."

What is Old Qu up to… Yu Dazhang suddenly felt a little uneasy.

No matter how you look at it, Qu Wannian shouldn't agree to Qu Tuotuo dating him.

What made him change his mind?

"Your dad didn't say anything else?"

Yu Dazhang still wasn't entirely at ease — he always felt a man like Qu Wannian wouldn't change his mind so easily.

Qu Tuotuo looked at Yu Dazhang with some surprise, as if she hadn't expected him to guess her old man's thoughts.

"My dad said he wants to meet you — just the two of you, alone."

He's going to negotiate terms with me… Yu Dazhang sighed inwardly, but on the surface he didn't let a thing show.

He and Qu Wannian were people from two completely different worlds; if the two of them sat down together, the only thing they could talk about was Qu Tuotuo.

And the content of the conversation was easy to guess — nothing more than certain conditions he'd want Yu Dazhang to agree to regarding his daughter.

For example.

Become a live-in son-in-law, the kids take the wife's surname, and then Yu Dazhang takes the kids' surname too.

From now on I'd be Qu Dazhang… he repeated the name silently in his heart and couldn't help laughing out loud.

Damn, that's awkward as hell!

"Tell Uncle for me…" Yu Dazhang said with a smile:

"I won't go."

Just dating, no meeting the parents — whatever happens, happens.

He had been thinking of refusing the cigarettes too, but remembering they were bought by Qu Tuotuo, he held his tongue.

It was the girl's heartfelt gesture — he still had to accept it.

Smoking isn't just a personal habit; it's also a form of social interaction.

Coworkers handing cigarettes to each other and sharing smokes is a reflection of unspoken understanding and friendship.

Actually, the ways of the world aren't that complicated — as long as you're not too stingy and know how to share, your relationships will naturally be fine.

The next day.

Inside the detachment commander's office.

"Captain Li, I give up." Yu Dazhang's face was drawn as he looked at Captain Li with an expression full of helplessness:

"You assign the members of the cold-case team yourself — just don't make me be the one to offend people."

On his way to work today, he had a sudden epiphany.

The bureau leadership was giving him a rap on the knuckles.

They were using this method to admonish him: there are still many things where you need someone backing you up.

Being able to see through something doesn't mean you can resolve it.

"Fine." Li Jun agreed readily:

"Looks like you've already got someone in mind — give me the names, and I'll handle the rest of the arrangements."

Can't even be bothered to put on a show… Yu Dazhang figured it out — Captain Li had been waiting for him to come ask for help.

"The two people who protected me last time will do."

He had already decided before coming — choosing those two was the most appropriate.

During the ambush, Ma Jian and another officer, in order to protect him, had disregarded their own safety and gone head-to-head with the attackers.

! 。Read

That was the equivalent of having fought side by side.

Choosing the two of them was only logical—nobody else would have objections.

"No problem." Li Jun looked at him with expectant eyes:

"When should I transfer the people to you?"

This question couldn't be answered carelessly.

The moment the people were transferred over, it would mean the Cold Case Unit was officially established, and also that Yu Dazhang had new leads on the bureau's cold cases.

"Let's wait another two days." Yu Dazhang wore the look of someone who'd overtaxed his brain and was on the verge of mental collapse:

"I read the case files yesterday, didn't find any leads. Give me some time to think it over carefully. Once I have a direction for the investigation, we'll talk."

Hearing this, Li Jun's eyes lit up instantly.

"Two days is enough?!"

His voice unconsciously rose several notches.

These backlogged cases were all the bureau's toughest nuts to crack.

Every single one had been on the bureau's books for at least a year, and some had been dragging on for several years without a single lead.

At this moment, Li Jun was already convinced in his heart that Yu Dazhang was deliberately putting on a modest front.

If it were really as he said—that there were no leads at all—how could he possibly have come out with "wait another two days"?

"What I said was, let's wait another two days and see." Yu Dazhang found his reaction a real headache:

"If there are still no leads after two days, we'll just have to keep them shelved."

Homicides must be solved, homicides must be cleared... there's just no time limit—they keep investigating indefinitely.

It's not like people imagine, with a fixed deadline by which the case must be cracked.

The old practice of swearing military-style pledges hasn't worked for a long time now.

Friends who follow news in this area must often see similar reports, for example...

#After 33 years of pursuit, xx police crack a cold homicide case#

#Recently, xx police crack a homicide case from 18 years ago#

#Since the start of this year, xx police have used modern technological means to overcome difficulties and successively cracked 6 cold homicide cases over 25 years old#

News like this is what truly soothes the heart.

It proves the police never gave up on the investigation, and also that no innocent person was wronged.

Yu Dazhang's dragging his feet on immediately setting up the Cold Case Unit also had this consideration in mind.

After all, the butler's involvement was something he'd heard about in his previous life—he had never personally taken part in investigating it.

So there were still some things he needed to think through clearly—at the very least, he had to achieve internal logical consistency.

"I believe you won't let me down." A relaxed, confident smile appeared on Li Jun's face:

"Don't carry a mental burden. Go at it boldly. No matter the outcome, don't worry about it."

In his view, as long as Yu Dazhang could take over the cases, even if he couldn't crack them, he would surely find new leads.

"I'll do my best." Yu Dazhang rubbed his temples and stood up from the desk:

"Captain Li, if there's nothing else, I'll go get busy."

Once only Li Jun remained in the room, he stared in the direction Yu Dazhang had left and muttered to himself:

"Always leaving yourself a way out—who taught you that?"

(End of chapter)