Chapter 584: Methods

Pang Captain Pang Jidong brought one subordinate, took a late-night spring-autumn flight, arrived in Changyang City by morning, then got into the Elpha sent by Jiang Yuan and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

At the start of the workday at the Zoumadao Police Station, Pang Captain Pang Jidong had already arrived early at the entrance; his rank of Level One Inspector was highly conspicuous.

"Comrade Pang, you've worked hard—traveling all this way, did it go smoothly?" Jiang Yuan had left home early upon hearing the Elpha was arriving.

"Smooth, smooth," Pang Captain Pang Jidong shook Jiang Yuan's hand and thanked him: "I'm truly glad you still remember me…"

Jiang Yuan said: "I feel the forensic botany wasn't explained clearly enough. I've had some free time lately—if you're willing, I'll explain it again."

"Willing! Willing!" Pang Captain Pang Jidong replied at once.

In Luojin City Bureau, he had already invited and collaborated with botany professors to develop forensic botany methods for solving cases; though cumbersome, it offered a chance for cases with zero leads.

Jiang Yuan had recently come to understand some of Pang Captain Pang Jidong's methods, which was why he thought of him now.

From Jiang Yuan's perspective, teaching Pang Captain Pang Jidong was somewhat difficult, but once Pang acquired the knowledge, he actually applied it.

Moreover, as the head of the Fourth Detachment of the Luojin City Bureau's Criminal Investigation Brigade, his official duties permit him to use this knowledge—this is also very important.

For a sharp-minded young officer like Wang Wang Chuanxing, even if he learned how to use forensic botany, how to connect with botany professors, and how to apply it to cases, he'd still have much to learn about these off-the-books techniques.

"Let's go inside first—I'll introduce you to the station chief here," Jiang Yuan pulled Pang Captain Pang Jidong in, chatting: "I'll buy your return ticket later—no need to be so formal with me."

Pang Captain Pang Jidong chuckled awkwardly: "That'd be too embarrassing—I left in a hurry, and I can still claim reimbursement when I get back."

Chief Tan soon came out to greet them.

Officially, Pang Captain Pang Jidong was here to support Tan's Zoumadao Police Station.

A criminal investigation detachment chief from another province coming to support a single county police station—Tan Jing had never heard of such a thing. He himself was curious, wondering what extraordinary abilities this senior officer from another provincial capital possessed.

Everyone sat in the conference room, where Pang Captain Pang Jidong respectfully placed Jiang Yuan at the head of the table, then quietly asked questions.

His demeanor and expression were like a disciple addressing his master—even though Jiang Yuan was younger.

Tan Jing thought this internally, but kept only a smile on his face.

Soon, Liu Liu Wenkai arrived from the Criminal Investigation Team, joined by several members of Jiang Yuan's cold case unit and personnel from Zoumadao Police Station, and they began discussing the diesel theft case.

Tan Jing stood to report: "Based on our previous solved cases, diesel thieves operate in two types: one is a loose structure, with random partners assembled before each crime, making it hard to catch them all at once; the other is a fixed gang formed through long-term cooperation, whose operational capability and destructive power are generally higher."

"From current observations, diesel thieves typically have at least one 'oil tank truck'—a modified vehicle, usually stolen, occasionally bought under a false owner's name. Most are high-end imported vehicles over 20 years old with large engines; the rear seats and trunk are fully converted into fuel tanks, holding over 600 liters. On the market now, such a vehicle costs roughly 10,000 yuan."

"Another is underground fuel depots—though called depots, most are just cargo trucks; a slightly more elaborate setup might use a secluded, out-of-the-way location as a warehouse. These middlemen typically store fuel in 200-liter drums, paying about 1,200 yuan per drum in cash, then resell to regular customers at one to one-and-a-half yuan per liter below market price."

Jiang Yuan and the others listened carefully.

The details Tan Jing provided—methods, techniques—would have been secret knowledge among gang leaders a century ago; even now, they carry a certain threshold.

But Tan Jing explained thoroughly, and Jiang Yuan and the others quickly caught up.

Liu Liu Wenkai asked: "How do these underground depots operate? By phone?"

"Phone, WeChat, telegraph—any method works," Tan Jing counted off on his fingers: "Usually, the thieves send a message, then the middlemen come to collect the fuel; when someone wants to buy, they deliver it—purely providing this middle service."

Liu Liu Wenkai's eyes sharpened: "So if I'm a thief, I steal 600 liters today, then call the middleman right there to complete the sale on the spot, then keep stealing?"

"Theoretically possible," Tan Jing paused. "But it's too exhausting—most thieves probably wouldn't want to go through that trouble."

Liu Liu Wenkai smiled, then said seriously: "So isn't the core of catching these thieves targeting the middlemen?"

"There are too many middlemen—nowadays, it's all messy accounts. Anyone can run this business—buy a small truck, or even drive an oil tank truck."

Pang Captain Pang Jidong nodded slowly: "So thieves can also switch to buying fuel—then how do buyers find people willing to sell?"

"There are plenty of truck drivers at service stations who want cheap fuel."

"They don't feel it because they're not stealing it themselves," Pang Captain Pang Jidong remarked. "Just like back in the day when bicycles were stolen, and people bought stolen ones back themselves."

Liu Liu Wenkai understood: "So catching the middlemen is useless?"

"Impossible to catch them all," Tan Jing said.

Such problems are only fully resolved during special campaigns ordered from above.

Normally, with the station's manpower, they can't even control the territory, let alone achieve thorough resolution.

"Just arrest a few and see," Jiang Yuan said, listening to their conversation, offering a simple solution.

Tan Jing hesitated: "I'm afraid we'll scare them off."

"Any investigation risks scaring them off," Jiang Yuan didn't care much about that, turning to Pang Captain Pang Jidong: "What do you think?"

"I'm wondering how we could apply forensic botany," Pang Captain Pang Jidong said hesitantly.

"Should we use it?" Jiang Yuan asked in return.

Pang Captain Pang Jidong chuckled: "If we can, it'd be best—have you made any arrangements?"

"Nothing planned—just see as we go," Jiang Yuan said, beginning to pick through case files.

Pang Captain Pang Jidong thought for a moment, then took a case file himself and began reading carefully.