Chapter 321

As the sun set, the temperature dropped.

The police officers in the office either left for the day or went out for dinner; before any new directives, ideas, or meetings could arrive, most had already departed. Those remaining were told by Yu Wenshu not to go home yet and to continue working as usual.

Shen Yaoguo slipped quietly into the Criminal Investigation Brigade, found Yu Wenshu and Jiang Yuan, and without caring what they were discussing, asked straight out: "Any progress on the case?"

"Mm." Jiang Yuan nodded.

"What's the exact situation? Did you catch him?" Shen Yaoguo asked in a low voice.

"You don't know?" Yu Wenshu glanced outside.

Shen Yaoguo chuckled twice and said, "I'd never screw over my own brother. I already told you—I don't need him to update me; I ask others."

Yu Wenshu nodded skeptically, not bothering to ask who he'd asked, then summarized a few key points of the newly acquired case details for Shen Yaoguo.

Shen Yaoguo listened intently, and only when he heard the name Zhang Xiang did he express surprise: "The parking lot security guard from Jianyuan? Jianyuan Pharmaceuticals is going too far."

Jiang Yuan countered: "What do they need a parking lot security guard for?"

"To resolve conflicts—or create them. And conveniently distance themselves." Shen Yaoguo recalled, "Years ago, when Jianyuan Pharmaceuticals expanded, they acquired land—back then, tensions were high, so they hired some people. These days, they mainly use them for logistics and transportation."

After speaking, Shen Yaoguo added: "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I ordered some dishes—let's eat together while we talk."

It was barely dinner time, and Shen Yaoguo pulled out a large stack of boxes, opening them to reveal elegant Japanese bento boxes.

"There's eel rice, beef rice, grilled eel, grilled beef, grilled vegetables, and grilled fish. Raw options include several types of sashimi and sauces—pick what you like." Shen Yaoguo took a portion of eel rice himself and added, "Eel rice is recommended—freshly slaughtered eel, two fillets per bowl."

"Pretty fancy," Yu Wenshu said without hesitation, grabbing a beef rice box and starting to eat immediately, without waiting for anyone else.

By the time he finished, Shen Yaoguo had just finished distributing the meals. He looked helplessly at Yu Wenshu and said, "You really don't want to eat with me, do you?"

"You guys in public order have too many rituals," Yu Wenshu wiped his mouth and said. "Right now, we're just waiting to catch Zhang Xiang. If we catch him, everything's fine. If we don't, the case stalls again."

When Yu Wenshu said the last sentence, he looked directly at Shen Yaoguo. The word "again" referred to Shen Yaoguo's own past.

This case became a cold case because, under Shen Yaoguo's handling, just as arrest was imminent, the prime suspect disappeared—leaving behind a hidden danger.

But unlike last time, this time Jiang Yuan brought the case to this stage; if problems arise again, it'll be Jiang Yuan's responsibility, not Shen Yaoguo's.

It's essentially a transfer of the hidden danger.

And right now, it seems Jiang Yuan leaving a loose end doesn't matter—he's solved seven or eight cold cases this year, plus many more active ones; one case going sideways won't hurt.

But in eight years, things might be different. By then, Jiang Yuan might face the same frustration—assuming he also got the investigation direction wrong.

Getting the investigation direction wrong isn't unusual; you just correct it. A case's investigation is long, and shifting direction is common. But if you claim the case is solved and only a fugitive remains, that direction will be scrutinized extra closely.

So Yu Wenshu wasn't happy—he tossed the beef rice box aside and said, "If this case is solved, fine. If it's not, Shen Zhi, you owe Jiang Yuan compensation."

The hidden danger might not surface for years; Yu Wenshu didn't need to care much about Jiang Yuan, who was essentially borrowed. But this would eventually reach Huang Qiang, who would naturally explain it to Jiang Yuan.

Yu Wenshu feared Jiang Yuan might get upset—either quit, or obsessively pour the brigade's resources into this case. Either way, Yu Wenshu would still have to pay the price.

Thinking of this, Yu Wenshu's dissatisfaction deepened.

Shen Yaoguo laughed a few times and immediately agreed. After all, his own hidden danger was mostly resolved; spending a little was no big deal.

The group ate while waiting for updates.

Not long after, news came back.

"Zhang Xiang's social security is still being paid by Jianyuan Pharmaceuticals—he's now deputy manager of the warehouse department at their Changyang branch," Wang Chuanxing's report surprised everyone in the office.

"Still with Jianyuan Pharmaceuticals?" Shen Yaoguo muttered. "Jianyuan Pharmaceuticals has some serious resources—keeping someone this long."

"Even parking fees can feed them?" Yu Wenshu added.

"I'll look into them properly later," Shen Yaoguo grunted. He had plenty of methods for dealing with big corporations.

Yu Wenshu fell silent, then ordered: "When arresting him, prioritize safety. Ensure tight deployment—don't let him slip away. Is Ma Jiyang available?"

"He is."

"Call him. I'll speak to him." Yu Wenshu had deployed nearly the entire brigade's detectives; Ma Jiyang's team was just the nearest.

For the Criminal Investigation Brigade, deploying dozens to catch one person wasn't wasteful—during mountain searches, they could mobilize thousands on short notice.

In this regard, the brigade never discussed cost-effectiveness.

The office fell silent again; the detectives on the front lines had likely already begun tactical deployment and positioning.

Jiang Yuan and the others could do nothing.

At that moment, Jiang Yuan finally understood why superiors loved hearing reports from subordinates.

Superiors couldn't see frontline conditions—especially in major cases. They didn't even know if their teams had won or lost. If someone could give them a report, they'd be thrilled. If the report was positive, they'd be overjoyed.

Those who disliked reporting, who complained their talents weren't recognized, likely had never been noticed by their superiors at all.

Fortunately, Jiang Yuan and the others didn't wait long.

Wang Chuanxing was the first to report the outcome: "Captain Jiang, we caught him. The suspect resisted—his three underlings were arrested too. We're heading back now."

Everyone in the office exhaled in relief.

Over a minute later, Ma Jiyang called Yu Wenshu—promptly, and with more detail—but since Wang Chuanxing had already reported, his update seemed less eager.

"Your Wang Chuanxing has some potential," Shen Yaoguo sent a WeChat message to his cousin.

Shen Yaowei replied with an emoji. Jiang Yuan's cold case team was about to solve another cold case, making the atmosphere inside the group even tenser.

According to Changyang City's Criminal Investigation Brigade tradition, solving a homicide cold case meant opening a new chapter of merit—everyone wanted such an opportunity.

Once you left Jiang Yuan's cold case team—or if Jiang Yuan left Changyang—such an opportunity might require three years of hard work to earn again.

"Tell Wang Chuanxing and his team to thoroughly search everything—pack up all knives, screwdrivers, and similar items, take photos, and send them directly to me," Jiang Yuan said, having just finished his sashimi and wiped his mouth as he joined them.

Shen Yaowei, standing right there, immediately replied and called Wang Chuanxing.

Shen Yaoguo frowned: "You're looking for the murder weapon?"

Eight years had passed; Shen Yaoguo didn't believe the killer still had the weapon on him. In fact, the killer still lingering in Changyang already made him deeply curious about these parking lot guards.

Jiang Yuan shook his head slightly: "When I visited the warehouse before, someone stabbed my tire with a knife."

"Then… wait, you can tell which knife did it?" Shen Yaoguo was confused.

Jiang Yuan felt he could identify it, but he didn't claim certainty: "I'll take a look first—maybe I can."

"The knife marks on rubber tires and on a corpse aren't the same," Shen Yaoguo said, then fell silent. Let him look if he wants—it's none of his business.

Soon, Wang Chuanxing called back. Shen Yaowei answered, turned on speakerphone, and said: "I've turned on speaker…"

Wang Chuanxing said "Oh," then added: "I'm uploading images of the knife marks to the backend. Uh… there are quite a few knives here."

"What do you mean?" Jiang Yuan was puzzled.

"This guy seems to collect cold weapons—axes, halberds, swords, spears—you name it. There are twenty or thirty knives. Should we bring them all back?" Wang Chuanxing frowned at the scene—the volume was too large, and identification would be even harder.

Jiang Yuan didn't mind: "Bring them all back. Send photos when you have time."

Wang Chuanxing quickly agreed, hung up, and began organizing the photos.

Shen Yaoguo chuckled beside him. Identifying thirty-odd knife marks one by one would take all night—normal cases wouldn't get done.

Fifteen minutes later, Jiang Yuan looked up and said: "It's him."

Shen Yaoguo froze: "You confirmed it from the knife marks? Don't you need to test it first—cut into gel or something?"

"Mm, looking at the blade edge works too…" Jiang Yuan gave Shen Yaoguo a strange look—he only needed to match a tire mark, and the mark was already in his mind; finding the right knife among thirty-odd was effortless.