Chapter 32: Someone Has Already Checked for Us

"He still has half a relative," that team member repeated.

Having confirmed he hadn't misheard, Yu Dazhang laughed in frustration:

"Come on, show me what half a person looks like."

The others in the team also cast questioning glances at the two of them.

Did Kong Lingjie's relative get cut in half?

You two are truly amazing; you can find any kind of person.

Did you go tomb raiding?

Otherwise, where would you find half a person?

"That's not what I meant!"

Seeing everyone look at him as if he were an idiot, he waved his hands frantically:

"I meant that Kong Lingjie once had a direct relative, but later he wasn't one anymore, so he counts as half."

The crowd still wore expressions of looking at an idiot.

Why not just say the person is dead? Why make it so convoluted?

Yu Dazhang thought for a moment, then quickly realized:

"Did you find out about Kong Lingjie's ex-wife?"

Calling someone "half a relative" only makes sense for those who were once spouses.

During the marriage, they were direct relatives; after the divorce, they were not.

But since they lived together and were the closest people, even after divorce, their bond was still closer than with outsiders.

Isn't there a saying?

One day as husband and wife brings a hundred days of grace; a hundred days as husband and wife creates a bond as deep as the sea.

"That's right," that team member quickly nodded:

"Not only did we find her, we also located Kong Lingjie's ex-wife's specific information; we even know her current workplace."

This was indeed a breakthrough... Yu Dazhang had previously reviewed Kong Lingjie's identity information.

In the marital status column, it read: Divorced.

The reason he hadn't dug deeper into this item was that the two had been divorced for sixteen years.

According to what was known, the two had little contact after the divorce, and in recent years had completely cut off communication.

However, the situation was different now; anyone connected to Kong Lingjie could not be overlooked.

"Can you find her in person?" Yu Dazhang asked.

"Yes," that team member replied with great certainty:

"Although she herself is not in Songhai, based on the information already obtained, finding her is not difficult, it's just..."

Seeing the team member's hesitation, Yu Dazhang smiled:

"You have to make a long trip, right?"

Everyone understood the team member's concerns.

Yu Dazhang's authority was granted by the internal members of the special case team, so it was limited to the scope of the team.

As long as they stayed within Songhai, Yu Dazhang could freely deploy the team's resources, and everyone was willing to cooperate.

But dispatching personnel to travel to another location to handle a case was not something Yu Dazhang could decide.

Matters involving vehicles and funding required joint discussion by the team leader and the deputy team leader.

And the target of this investigation was someone who had not been in contact with the suspect for many years.

In other words, this trip might be a waste of effort.

"You two go prepare now, ready to depart at any time."

It was Lu Zhongxin who spoke; at this moment, he had to step forward.

This also showed that he completely trusted his apprentice and was willing to take responsibility for it.

Reporting and communicating with the team leader was a given; fortunately, the process went smoothly.

As long as resources were used for solving cases, the team leader would generally support it.

What they wanted was the final result; the specific case-handling process was up to you, the deputy team leader and the team members.

Do you not believe it?

Let's have another scene dialogue...

"Give people if you need people, give vehicles if you need vehicles, give funding if you need funding; if the case is not solved within the deadline..."

"I will resign voluntarily!"

Isn't this dialogue strangely familiar?

Do you think resources are given to you for free? That is a method of applying pressure.

Unknowingly, you are made to make a military pledge yourself.

If, with full support, you still cannot solve the case, it can only be a problem with your ability.

It simply gives you no chance to make excuses.

Half an hour later, under Lu Zhongxin's orders, the two drove off.

Once the arrow is loosed, there is no turning back.

With the case investigated to this point, everyone in the special case team was tense, and no one dared to slack off.

They had a premonition... the true culprit was about to surface.

Although the case became more and more tortuous the deeper they investigated, it was undeniable that the case was constantly progressing.

Moreover, the speed was faster than anticipated.

That fatso, so oily he seemed to drip, actually discovered new clues every single day, and every mission he issued came with a head start.

Please... collect... 6... 9... Book... now....!

It was as if he knew the subsequent developments, which allowed him to make arrangements a step ahead.

Two days later, the autopsy report had just been released when Qian Cheng took it to the special task force.

"The estimated time of death has been pushed back by a day..." Yu Dazhang said, staring at the autopsy report in his hands:

"By this calculation, Zhang Yan died on the afternoon of the day she went missing."

Zhang Yan's parents reported her missing at nine twenty that evening.

Seeing this, someone will surely raise an objection: isn't it required to wait twenty-four hours after a disappearance before reporting to the police and filing a case?

Believing that would only waste precious time.

The truth is, one can report a disappearance to the police immediately.

However, generally, the police will only begin an investigation after twenty-four hours have passed.

If the missing person is an elderly person, a child, or a group where signs indicate they may be in danger, the police will take action immediately.

And Zhang Yan belonged to the group that might be in danger; clearly, her parents understood the law.

"We missed an important clue!" Yu Dazhang suddenly shouted loudly.

Lv Zhongxin and Qian Cheng were startled.

"Did you find a new clue again?" the two asked in unison.

At the same time, both glanced at the autopsy report in Yu Dazhang's hand.

Are we looking at the same report?

How is it that as soon as it gets into your hands, new discoveries are made immediately?

"No, it's not a new clue," Yu Dazhang denied:

"It was a clue that existed all along, but one we had overlooked."

His eyes stared straight at the report in his hands, his expression growing more and more excited.

"What exactly is it?" Lv Zhongxin pressed.

"Zhang Yan's time of disappearance!" Yu Dazhang explained quickly:

"By the time the case reached us, Zhang Yan's body had already been found, so for us, this is a homicide case."

"But before that, Zhang Yan's case had actually already begun."

"Because of Zhang Yan's parents' report, the local police station must have conducted an investigation."

"This included Zhang Yan's school dismissal time, road surveillance along her route home, and an analysis of her whereabouts after she went missing."

"For the police officers at the station, that was a missing person case."

"The reason we overlooked it is that Zhang Yan had been found; although it was only a body, she was indeed no longer in a missing status."

Generally, when a police station receives a report, they will register it and conduct a preliminary investigation.

If the time elapsed is long or the situation is complex, it will be transferred to the criminal investigation police to handle.

Zhang Yan's body was discovered on the fifth day of her disappearance, so naturally, the police station at that time had halted the missing person case.

Lv Zhongxin and Qian Cheng's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Since Zhang Yan's time of death and time of disappearance were both that afternoon...

"Master, Brother Qian, let's go out for a bit," Yu Dazhang suddenly stood up, a look of joy on his face:

"This time it will be simpler; we'll go directly to the local police station."

(End of this chapter)