3: I know who the murderer is
At the same time, in a conference room at the Criminal Investigation Team of the Jiangcheng City Police Department, Director Gu Wenhai was holding a case analysis meeting.
The top leader of the Jiangcheng Police Department had been looking grimmer by the day recently. Even before the meeting started, he had already slammed the table three times.
"It's been over a month, comrades! Three people have been killed in just over a month, and you don't even know what the suspect looks like! The Criminal Investigation Team of Jiangcheng is going to lose all its face because of you.
Do you know how people are evaluating you online right now? I'll read it to you now."
After saying that, Gu Wenhai actually pulled out his phone.
"Look at what this one says: 'Has the Criminal Investigation Team started to align with the national football team? Could it be that they've eaten too much sea cucumber and no longer know how to solve cases?'"
"And this one: 'Didn't the Criminal Investigation Team used to be quite impressive? How come their standards have degenerated to this point? Could it be that our Jiangcheng Police Department is just raising a bunch of freeloaders?'"
"This one is even more direct: 'These days, criminal police rely entirely on high-tech to solve cases. As soon as they encounter something a bit difficult, they're useless. In my opinion, it's better to raise a few more Police Dogs than these freeloaders.'"
Hearing this, everyone hung their heads, not daring to look up.
Someone couldn't help but whisper, "These netizens are really saying some unpleasant things."
"You know it's unpleasant, don't you?" Gu Wenhai put down his phone. "If you know it's unpleasant, then investigate properly, investigate thoroughly, and give the public a satisfactory answer.
Wan Qiang, tell me, where exactly is the problem that this case has been stalled for so long?"
Wan Qiang was the leader of the Special Task Force and the person in charge of the 615 Serial Rape-Murder Case.
He stood up and said, "Director Gu, the case has made no progress, and I am solely to blame."
Gu Wenhai interrupted him directly, "Don't tell me that. I just want to know, have we been looking in the wrong direction? Is it even possible that this wasn't done by the same person at all?"
Wan Qiang said, "Regarding whether it was done by the same person, I still stand by my previous judgment. Although the victims in the three cases appear to have no connection, there are many commonalities."
"Then tell me," Gu Wenhai said.
"Firstly, all three victims were killed at night after dark.
Secondly, all three victims were killed in sparsely populated suburban areas with no surveillance nearby.
Thirdly, I checked the weather forecast at the time. On the night each of the three victims was killed, there was a heavy rainstorm in the local area. This indicates that the killer deliberately chose this time to use the rainwater to wash away any information left at the scene.
Fourthly, when the killer sexually assaulted the victims, he used condoms, which means we couldn't find his DNA, and our investigation has no starting point.
Combining the previous points, I insisted on investigating these three cases together.
But the current problem is that the killer left no traces at the scene, not even half a footprint.
He wasn't caught on surveillance, and there were no witnesses. This indeed poses extreme difficulties for our investigation."
After listening, Gu Wenhai's head hurt even more. "I know it's difficult for you, but now you must rise to the challenge. Do you know who called me when I came in just now?"
Everyone looked at him, not daring to answer.
Gu Wenhai continued, "I received a call from the Provincial Department. The Provincial Department's implied meaning was to ask if we needed assistance.
I believe everyone is very clear that if the Provincial Department intervenes, it's tantamount to admitting that the Jiangcheng Criminal Investigation Team lacks the ability to solve cases.
And those online criticisms against us will become a foregone conclusion. From now on, the entire nation will say that our Jiangcheng Criminal Investigation Team is a bunch of good-for-nothings!"
Gu Wenhai's words made Wan Qiang even more afraid to look up.
"So, you must pull yourself together now!" Gu Wenhai looked at Wan Qiang and said loudly:
"Alright, increase the reward from 200,000 to 300,000. Captain Wan, I'll give you one more week. If there's still no progress on the case, then don't be the captain of the Third Team anymore. Go home and farm early!"
With that, Gu Wenhai stood up and strode out.
Wan Qiang stiffly finished the case analysis meeting, then walked out of the conference room dejectedly.
Zhao Gang, the director of the Qinghe Police Station, was high school classmates with Wan Qiang. Because two of the rape-murder cases occurred in his jurisdiction, he also joined the Special Task Force.
During this time, he hadn't had time to attend to the Police Station's work, almost daily bringing people to conduct interviews and investigations.
Wan Qiang was even more exhausted. The entire Special Task Force had worked four or five consecutive all-nighters before, and only last night did he let everyone go home to rest for a night.
His colleagues could sleep, but Wan Qiang's mind was completely filled with the killer, and he didn't close his eyes all night.
"Don't worry," Zhao Gang comforted his old classmate. "Look at your dark circles. Go lie down in your office for a bit."
Wan Qiang sighed, "After being a criminal police officer for nearly twenty years, this is the first time I've suffered such a huge setback. It's not that I don't want to solve the case, but there are no witnesses, no surveillance, and now not even a single strand of hair left. How am I supposed to solve it!"
Indeed, the directions for solving a case are typically a few things:
Information about the killer left at the scene.
Surveillance footage.
Eyewitnesses.
People connected to the victim.
But this case had none of these, almost like a perfect crime.
Zhao Gang was not a criminal police officer and didn't know how to comfort his old classmate, who was already in despair, so he could only pat his shoulder;
"Don't rush, there's always a way."
Just then, Zhao Gang's phone rang.
As soon as he answered, the expression on his face instantly froze.
"What did you say? He said he's the killer in the 615 case?"
Wan Qiang immediately became excited, almost snatching Zhao Gang's phone.
Zhao Gang simply pressed the speakerphone, and Zhou Hang's voice came through.
"Yes, it's that Lei Zhen, the one we've arrested five or six times recently. He says he wants to surrender."
"Control the suspect well. No one is to approach him. Wait for me to come back."
Zhao Gang hung up the phone and looked at Wan Qiang, saying, "I don't know if it's true or not. How about you come back to the station with me to take a look?"
————————
The two rushed back to the Qinghe Police Station in a hurry, heading straight for the interrogation room where Lei Zhen was being held alone as soon as they got out of the car.
The door suddenly opened, and Lei Zhen was also surprised to see someone following behind Zhao Gang.
Both of them were clearly a bit excited, but as soon as Lei Zhen spoke, he poured a basin of cold water over their heads.
"I didn't kill anyone. I said that so I could see you. Although I'm not the killer in the serial rape-murder case, I might know who this person is."
Lei Zhen's words made the two look at each other, and Wan Qiang's face was even more dejected.
Zhao Gang had been mentally prepared when he returned, so he wasn't as disappointed as Wan Qiang, and he asked:
"Then tell me. If you dare to talk nonsense, I'm telling you, the matter of you distributing small cards can be big or small, understand?"
Lei Zhen quickly said, "This person is currently inside the Police Station. He is the man named Chen Wankang, who was just arrested for theft."