Chapter 40: Conspiracy?

Seeing Director Wu staring at the case file as if it were ancient scripture, Li Jun couldn't help but stand up and lean over to look.

The technical department had inspected the new crime scene... when they saw this line of text, his expression became as spectacular as Director Wu's.

The crime scene has changed?

Suppressing the urge to snatch the case file, Li Jun said softly:

"Director Wu, I also want to see that case file..."

"Director Wu?"

"Director Wu!"

As the volume gradually increased, Director Wu soon came to his senses:

"What did you say?"

"The case file." Li Jun pointed to the documents on the desk, his curiosity in his eyes becoming even more obvious:

"Let me see it too."

Director Wu said nothing, but instead pushed the case file forward.

Li Jun immediately grabbed it and quickly flipped back to the first page.

Ten minutes later.

The room was terrifyingly silent.

One could even hear the breathing of the three people.

The muscles on Li Jun's face had stiffened to the point of immobility.

"This, this is impossible!" As if unable to accept the reality before him, he kept murmuring:

"How could this happen? It was clearly a simple case, this, this, this, how could it..."

He was also a former criminal police officer who had handled many cases, but this was the first time he had seen a case so complex.

It wasn't that this case posed such a great danger to society; the difficulty was simply off the charts.

Asking himself honestly, if he had been in charge of this murder case, he very likely would have fallen into the trap set by the suspect.

Even now, with the suspect exposed, he couldn't help but feel a bit of fear.

If he had truly made a mistake, he, as the squadron leader, would bear joint responsibility.

At the same time, he also noticed... there were capable people in the special task force!

Moreover, it was someone he was unfamiliar with; for those who had worked there for a long time, he was confident he knew them all, could call them by name, and had a certain understanding of them.

Including himself, none of them possessed such ability.

Who is it?!!

Li Jun couldn't help but look at Lv Zhongxin beside him.

He must know the answer!

Before Li Jun could speak, Director Wu had already fixed his gaze on Lv Zhongxin:

"Old Lv, we've dealt with each other a few times, so we're acquaintances. I know you to a certain extent. Tell me, how was this case investigated to its current state?"

That is a leader.

He has both ability and emotional intelligence.

He voiced what was on his mind while also saving his subordinate's face.

What seemed like an ordinary question actually contained deep meaning.

Translating this passage into plain Chinese, it would be...

"Old Lv, we're all acquaintances, so don't beat around the bush. Don't you have a clue in your heart about your own capabilities? Just say directly who investigated the case."

Saying it that way is indeed simple and clear, but it sounds harsh.

Seeing through it without saying it out loud, and you can still be friends~

Lv Zhongxin naturally heard the subtext.

He hadn't intended to take credit for this matter in the first place; he hadn't even thought about it.

Since the leader asked, he answered without any concealment:

"The one leading the investigation is Yu Dazhang, a newcomer who was just assigned to our unit this year. He was the first to propose that the suspect was hiding in a small inn."

"All the clues mentioned in the case file were discovered by him during the investigation."

"It can be said that he is the one driving the entire process of the case."

"Also, he is my apprentice."

There was no need to be shy about admitting it; Lv Zhongxin was very calm about this.

In the special task force, ask anyone you like; is there anyone who disagrees?

My apprentice rose through his own skills, and we are happy to cooperate.

Disagree?

If you disagree, you do it then!

"You mean..." Director Wu weighed his words:

"You were led by a newcomer, and that newcomer named Yu Dazhang led you to investigate the case to its current state?"

Lv Zhongxin nodded firmly and replied seriously:

"Yes."

Director Wu fell silent.

Li Jun stood with his mouth open, not knowing what to say.

This matter is getting a bit troublesome.

According to convention, when a case takes a major turn that exceeds the capabilities of the current special task force, the best course of action is to immediately stop the investigation.

Then, a new task force would be dispatched by superior leadership to take over the case.

But the current situation is somewhat special. Someone in the task force has the ability to solve the case, but his identity...

A probationary officer who just arrived and is still in his internship period.

Isn't that a bit too childish?

If the case can be solved, that's best; everyone will be happy.

Once the clues are cut off, it will become a joke when it gets out.

#Hongkou Branch Station lets a brand-new probationary officer lead the task force in investigating a murder case, and finally successfully solves a cold case#

Who could stand that?

With this thought in mind, Li Jun gritted his teeth and said to Director Wu:

"How about we stop?"

If we let the task force continue investigating, that would be equivalent to gambling.

The case must continue, but it must be done under compliant circumstances.

"Stopping is easy." Director Wu stared at Li Jun, his eyes revealing a sharp gaze:

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

"Who in the station do you think can take over this case?"

That is the biggest problem!

Push the case up to the higher-ups?

Wouldn't that be even more embarrassing?

Rebuild the task force and have someone else in the station investigate?

Li Jun didn't even need to think deeply; looking across the entire branch station, anyone capable of taking this case...

None, not a single one!

It wasn't that he looked down on people, but rather that he was too familiar with the people in the branch station.

Come to think of it, if there really were someone with such outstanding ability, the branch station wouldn't be able to keep them; they would have been transferred away by the higher-ups long ago.

"But... then how about... just..."

Li Jun began to hesitate, speaking only in connecting words, giving all sorts of hints, but not saying anything substantive.

There was no choice; the responsibility was too great, and he, as the squadron leader, could not bear it.

He could only make suggestions now, but he still couldn't speak too directly.

What if the Director finally said: "Just do as you say."

That would truly be fatal.

He had already made up his mind; even if it was a gamble, he, as the squadron leader, would not be the one to place the bet.

Director Wu was the kind of person who could see right through Li Jun's thoughts at a glance.

"You keep an eye on it," Director Wu said to Li Jun:

"If the task force needs anything, cooperate with them as much as possible. You must secure this case. As for the deadline..."

Director Wu paused, seeming somewhat undecided.

Finally, he waved his hand:

"Forget it. Don't put too much pressure on him. It's hard enough for him to encounter such a case for the first time."

Both Li Jun and Lv Zhongxin heard that "him" referred to Yu Dazhang.

The two quickly nodded; although they didn't say it, their thoughts were much the same.

It had to be Big Cat; he really had guts.

Not only did he dare to place a bet, but he placed a heavy bet!

At this moment, Yu Dazhang was reading the freshly issued crime scene investigation report.

"Besides Zhang Yan and her family of three, footprints of two other people were also extracted from the scene." Qian Cheng pointed out the key point to him from the side.

Two people?

This result exceeded Yu Dazhang's expectations.

Adding Kong Lingjie, who has already been brought in, the number of suspects in this case has increased to three.

A gang crime?

That can't be right.

Kong Lingjie's role was to take the blame for someone else; that still fell within normal logic.

But with two killers committing the crime at the scene, Yu Dazhang found it somewhat incomprehensible.

Zhang Yan, a nineteen-year-old girl in her prime; was it necessary for two people to conspire to kill her?

Moreover, the strangulation marks on her neck had already been identified as made by one person.

Even if another person helped hold down Zhang Yan's feet, under such violent struggle, bruises or similar marks would have been left on her ankles.

But the fact was, the only mark on Zhang Yan's entire body was the strangulation mark on her neck.

Furthermore, the wavy wrinkles at the foot of the bed also indirectly proved that no second person helped hold her down during Zhang Yan's violent struggle.

This is truly strange.

What was that extra person doing at the scene?

Standing on the side watching the spectacle?

Even Yu Dazhang himself felt the absurdity.

The killer hasn't been found, but a bystander has been discovered.

A bystander watching the killer commit the murder at the primary crime scene!

Who is it?!!

(End of this chapter)