Chapter 242: Persuasion

Jiang Yuan couldn't stay still in the autopsy room anymore.

He had stared at bones for so long, and the clue he'd finally found still hadn't yielded results.

Looking back now, since the investigation began, there had been no shortage of clues—but they remained far from pinpointing the suspect.

This suggested the suspect had strong anti-investigation skills, and indirectly implied he might have committed more crimes; it also inevitably demoralized the investigators.

Jiang Yuan's sense of discouragement was perhaps even stronger.

This case was one he desperately wanted to solve—no need to explain why: Liu Jinghui was still missing, and the longer he remained missing, the slimmer the chance of finding him, a thought everyone avoided dwelling on.

In past cases, Jiang Yuan had often felt invincible.

His skills completely overshadowed county-level capabilities, so even the most daunting cold cases became solvable in his hands.

But this case offered no room for maneuver.

It had to be solved—and solved quickly.

Yet it was stuck fast.

Jiang Yuan no longer wanted to look at bones; instinctively, he felt the Evidence King's evidence was insufficient.

Looking at the colleagues still busy in the autopsy room, Jiang Yuan found Wang Lan and said quietly, "Sister Wang, I want to go to Fangjin Township."

"Did Team Leader Huang call you?" Wang Lan naturally assumed.

"No, I'm feeling cooped up—I want to get out and move around," Jiang Yuan replied bluntly, his growing status in the police force freeing him from the need to tiptoe like a junior officer.

Wang Lan wasn't Jiang Yuan's direct superior; seeing his genuine request, she smiled and said, "The bone broth smell's gone, so you're done staying? Fine, go get some fresh air—just post a note in the group."

"Alright. If they boil more bones again, call me." Jiang Yuan replied obediently, then typed in the "Ningtai Zifeng Police Group":

Jiang Yuan: 【@Huang Qiangmin, Team Leader Huang, I'm heading to Fangjin Township now.】

Huang Qiangmin: 【You can come take a look. I've already brought the new car over.】

Jiang Yuan: 【I'll just find a ride.】

Qinghe City was Jiang Yongxin's main territory; his rental company had plenty of good cars. Jiang Yuan sent a message, and by the time the car arrived, he'd likely have changed clothes.

Back in the group, Huang Qiangmin posted: 【Alright. If you can't find one, take a taxi—just keep the receipt for reimbursement.】

At once, dozens of replies popped up:

Liu Wenkai: 【Team Leader Huang, I want reimbursement too!】

Wei Zhenguo: 【Team Leader Huang, me too!】

Wu Junhao: 【Team Leader Huang~】

【Wu Junhao has been removed from the group】

Huang Qiangmin: 【Who added people not from Zifeng? Anyone else wanting reimbursement, come find me—I'll handle it personally.】

The "Ningtai Zifeng Police Group" fell silent, as if nothing had happened.

Jiang Yuan quietly put away his phone, smiled at Wang Lan, and went to the shower to wash up and change clothes.

Clothes stained with corpse odor should be aired out for a day before washing—it helps eliminate the smell better.

When storing new clothes in the locker, it's best to seal them in plastic bags.

This was necessary because Qinghe City's autopsy room had mediocre facilities; higher-tier forensic autopsy rooms typically had separate shower and changing areas. These didn't make the autopsy results clearer, but they made the forensic officers more comfortable.

Outside, a Land Rover Range Rover had just arrived; the driver had locked all doors and was nervously scanning the surroundings.

Thump. Thump.

Jiang Yuan tapped on the window.

The driver flinched, his body suddenly going limp.

Jiang Yuan watched silently as the driver softened, then stiffened again, then tapped the window once more.

The driver's body trembled slightly, then he unlocked the door.

"Bro, your workplace is really something else," the driver said, glancing at the rearview mirror.

"You've got a bit of a timid streak," Jiang Yuan settled into the back seat and chuckled. "The mortuary's actually safe—no need to be scared."

"I'm not afraid of people—I'm just a little scared of ghosts," the driver said, shifting gears with an embarrassed smile.

Jiang Yuan nodded. "Think of it this way: ghosts are just dead people. The dead in the mortuary were mostly sick, weak, or elderly before they died. What's there to fear about such ghosts?"

The driver relaxed slightly and said, "But what about murder victims and accidental deaths?"

"Ah, so those kinds of ghosts are called vengeful spirits," Jiang Yuan said, describing their appearance. As a forensic officer, he encountered such knowledge far too often.

The driver quietly turned on the interior lights and occasionally flashed the headlights.

The Land Rover arrived smoothly at Fangjin Township.

It was a township even poorer than Zifeng Town; a few two-story buildings lined the streets, most with rolled-down metal shutters, their interiors unknown—perhaps empty, perhaps hiding valuables.

But behind the main road, the area extended widely, dotted with self-built houses and courtyards.

Jiang Yuan got out early, then found Huang Qiangmin and smiled. "Team Leader Huang, I'm here to help."

"Hmm, I was planning to let you rest a bit… you'll work with Old Wei," Huang Qiangmin called over Wei Zhenguo.

Wei Zhenguo nodded warmly at Jiang Yuan. When solving cases, he genuinely liked working with Jiang Yuan—it saved time and effort and brought a sense of accomplishment. Compared to following Huang Qiangmin, it was less draining.

"Still checking motorcycles?" Jiang Yuan asked Wei Zhenguo in a low voice.

"Yes," Wei Zhenguo replied. "We've found all the motorcycles we could. But the suspect's last crime was two or three years ago—if he sold the bike or moved during that time, we can't trace it."

"Then I suggest we check them all," Jiang Yuan gave a firm reply.

Huang Qiangmin, who had been typing on his phone, looked up. "So certain?"

Jiang Yuan had thought all the way in the car. "First, we must accept this: the suspect is definitely around Zifeng Mountain. Otherwise, we can't explain Liu Chu and the others' disappearances."

Huang Qiangmin grunted.

"So the suspect's last crime wasn't two or three years ago—it was nine days ago. The one before that was a month ago. If his pattern hasn't changed, that means he used a motorcycle at least twice within the past month." Jiang Yuan counted on his fingers.

Wei Zhenguo nodded in agreement.

Everyone had climbed Zifeng Mountain; without transportation, walking there would be exhausting.

"Liu Chu's pickup truck is also gone—the suspect probably drove it somewhere and hid it. But this at least proves he can drive—and likely has a license."

Xu Taining had assigned a team specifically to search for vehicles, updating each team daily. The fact that the vehicle still hadn't been found proved the suspect knew Zifeng Mountain extremely well.

This conclusion came because the image analysis team hadn't spotted Liu Jinghui's vehicle at any checkpoints after reviewing nine days of footage—essentially ruling it out.

Jiang Yuan then explained the two types of saw blade marks he'd found on Body #4, adding: "I believe the suspect switched blades casually—not because one broke, but deliberately. After switching, his cuts were always more precise. In my view, if conditions didn't allow it, he had no reason to cut the body parts so small."

"There are plenty of clues—but we still can't find the person," Huang Qiangmin admitted, growing frustrated.

The more investigations you conduct, the more you realize how effective they are. Once you get close to the suspect, you almost always uncover something through various means.

It's not just about finding physical evidence—sometimes, just standing face-to-face with a suspect lets you sense his "criminal aura."

Even specially trained spies during wartime couldn't evade such investigations.

Today's society is more relaxed, but suspects are poorly trained.

With so many clues and so many people involved, still failing to find the suspect makes experienced investigators feel physically uneasy.

Perhaps Liu Jinghui had felt the same thing that day.

Maybe he already had a lead.

"One more thing—we mentioned this before…" Jiang Yuan looked at Huang Qiangmin. "The suspect is likely hiding among the people helping with the search."

This was why Jiang Yuan insisted on coming in person.

Some things couldn't be said over the phone.

Huang Qiangmin sighed. "Director Xu has also sent people to investigate. I've been monitoring Fangjin Township, but so far, nothing has shown up in the household registration records."

"If you have a list of suspects, cross-check it with Fangjin Township—especially those who ride motorcycles and have licenses."

"Someone's already doing that," Huang Qiangmin said.

"Then focus on motorcycles—I think we should conduct more detailed door-to-door checks, especially within Fangjin Township."

"Hmm…" Huang Qiangmin hesitated.

In solving a murder case—especially a cold one—clues keep emerging endlessly.

The problem is: which clue is most likely to lead to the killer?

The saw blade evidence Jiang Yuan just provided, in Huang Qiangmin's view, still wasn't enough.

Too little objective evidence, too much subjective speculation.

Should they expand the motorcycle search to a several-kilometer radius around Fangjin Township and comb it again?

Huang Qiangmin couldn't decide.

Jiang Yuan's tone was extremely serious: "Team Leader Huang, we need to dig up the ground three feet deep to find that motorcycle. If we're short on manpower, I'll join the search."

"Then you work with Old Wei," Huang Qiangmin said, trusting Jiang Yuan enough to make the call.

Reinvestigating would multiply the persuasion needed—for both officers and the public.