79: Shadow Nightmare, a hot news case

“Enough, that’s enough.”

“Brother Gao, you’ve really helped me a great deal!”

“If I can catch the Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer, I, and our Huangpu Criminal Police Brigade, will all be grateful to you!”

Liu Wenzhong’s face was full of joyful smiles, while the other police officers and forensic doctor gradually relaxed their expressions, letting out a sigh of relief.

Officer Gao Ze’s criminal profile was already clear enough.

The Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer is male, under thirty-five years old, around 170 cm tall, weighing 65-70 kg, a native of Donghai City, owns property, resides in Wu Zhong District, suffers from depression or experienced his mother’s infidelity when he was young, and his work involves moving around various parts of Donghai City, not a glamorous job, and he possesses an electric tricycle like a delivery person.

“Brother Gao, I’m afraid that Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer will be scared to death when he hears your criminal profile!”

Liu Wenzhong joked, showing how much more relaxed he felt inside, then changed the subject and asked, “Could that Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer’s profession be a delivery person?”

“This profession fits your criminal profile description, as they move around various districts of Donghai City and have electric tricycles for carrying goods.”

“Most importantly, everyone seems to be accustomed to delivery people now; their appearance anywhere won’t arouse ordinary people’s suspicion, only an unconscious habit.”

“Possibly, but also possibly not!”

Officer Gao Ze shook his head and said, “If that Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer was a delivery person, it wouldn’t explain why he traveled to Su City’s Wu Zhong District, a neighboring city, when he committed the second murder.”

Liu Wenzhong explained, “Perhaps he was dispatched to Su City for work by the express delivery company mid-journey.”

“Su City isn’t far from Donghai City, only a hundred kilometers or so!”

Officer Gao Ze still shook his head and said, “I suggest Team Leader Liu, you should start by examining the surveillance footage around Taiping Square Park to find that electric tricycle and use it as a clue to search for the Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer.”

“Or, search major hospitals in Donghai City for individuals with depression and filter those who meet the criminal criteria.”

“I understand, I will investigate as Officer Gao Ze said.”

Liu Wenzhong said, “However, I think the delivery person profession clue should not be given up; it’s worth investigating and filtering.”

Officer Gao Ze did not try to persuade him further. As a Criminal Police Captain, Liu Wenzhong had his own judgment, and even if he didn’t favor it, it was not good to interfere.

By now, his work on solving the perpetrator had been completed.

Next, it was up to Liu Wenzhong to lead the criminal investigation team, investing a large amount of time and energy to continuously screen suspicious perpetrators based on the criminal profile he provided.

He had already completed the most difficult part, providing a definitive direction.

Narrowing Donghai City’s over twenty million population down to Wu Zhong District, down to individuals with depression, down to electric tricycles, down to the perpetrator’s height, weight, age, and so on.

It was already much simpler than finding a needle in a haystack.

Based on the current intensity of criminal investigation, results might be available in five days to a week at most.

However, would the intelligence system generate intelligence on this Serial Flower Season Girl Murderer?

If there was something in the early morning, then he would gladly accept the credit for the arrest.

This case was a major case that had made headlines on major news platforms.

“Team Leader Liu, I’ll just go first…”

The investigation work was resolved, and Officer Gao Ze was about to leave when Liu Wenzhong’s phone suddenly rang.

After answering, a torrent of scolding, loud enough for even Officer Gao Ze to hear, came from the other end:

“Liu Wenzhong, do you still want to be this Criminal Investigation Captain?”

“Someone suddenly broke the news online, posting that a murder occurred in Taiping Square Park, saying it’s a serial female teenage murder case.”

“How are you serving as captain? With the case unsolved, you can’t even block the news about it. Do you want to cause panic among the citizens of Donghai City?”

“Now reporters are already calling the Municipal Bureau, and leaders are personally calling me to inquire. I just want to ask you, can you solve the serial female teenage murder case?”

“Or do you want to be held accountable and laid off like other police department heads back then?”

In an instant.

Officer Gao Ze saw Liu Wenzhong shiver all over, his face visibly becoming serious.

“Director Zhao, the responsibility is mine, I didn’t handle it well!”

“I have already strictly ordered the blockade of Taiping Square Park. It’s very difficult for ordinary people to enter and visit. I don’t know what’s going on with someone posting the news online, but I didn’t do this well, and I will take responsibility!”

“I will definitely lead the team to solve the serial female teenage murder case, and I have already invited Officer Gao Ze from Shanghai to help me investigate the case. With his help, we have already achieved breakthrough clues regarding the perpetrator.

This case will definitely be solved, I guarantee it to you.

If it cannot be solved, I will bear all responsibility alone and resign voluntarily!”

Amazing!

Listening to Liu Wenzhong’s words, Officer Gao Ze couldn’t help but exclaim.

Since the incident had already occurred, attitude was paramount. Liu Wenzhong, indeed worthy of being a police officer who had been in the system for many years, first took responsibility, then discussed the cause and effect, and then made a military pledge, decisively salvaging his impression in the leader’s mind.

He resolved this crisis as if ice and snow melted away.

“Officer Gao Ze from Shanghai has also been invited by you?”

“Yes, Officer Gao Ze is right beside me!” Liu Wenzhong glanced at Officer Gao Ze and said, “He’s right beside me, Director Zhao, do you want to talk to him?”

“No need, you two focus on solving the case, I’ll handle the pressure for you!”

The call was then hung up, and Liu Wenzhong’s shoulders instantly slumped, letting out a long sigh.

“Brother Gao, I’m sorry for dragging you into this to share the pressure with me.”

Officer Gao Ze smiled and said, “It’s fine, this case will definitely be solved, Team Leader Liu, you’re letting me continue to make contributions in front of Director Zhao.”

The person who contacted Liu Wenzhong was naturally Zhao Mingsheng, the head leader of the Municipal Bureau who personally commended Officer Gao Ze this noon.

“Brother Gao are righteous, I owe you another favor!”

Liu Wenzhong looked deeply at Officer Gao Ze. He did have the idea of pulling Officer Gao Ze in to share the pressure, but he really didn’t expect Officer Gao Ze’s name to be so effective.

Upon hearing the name, Director Zhao no longer pursued his responsibility for the case leak.

“Brother Gao, who do you think revealed the Taiping Square Park murder online, saying it was a past serial female teenage murder case?”

Liu Wenzhong narrowed his eyes slightly, looking beyond the caution tape:

“I clearly sealed off the park immediately. Logically, even if ordinary people knew there was a murder, they wouldn’t know the specific details, let alone guess in the direction of a past serial female teenage murder case?”

“I don’t know!”

Officer Gao Ze shook his head, not responding to Liu Wenzhong’s question.

There was something mysterious about this.

It could be a leak from the teachers and students of Donghai Normal University who had been to the scene an hour ago, or from the perpetrator himself, or from Liu Wenzhong’s opponent.

The previous officials who failed to uncover the truth of the case were all held accountable and dismissed.

“Well, no matter if he leaks it or not, we’ve already made breakthrough progress anyway!”

Seeing Officer Gao Ze choose to play dumb, Liu Wenzhong grinned and didn’t involve him further.

“I still have to thank Brother Gao for helping me, otherwise, seeing the case leaked online now, my scalp would tingle, and I might even be crushed by pressure from all sides.”

“Then I’ll leave first!”

The case had reached the screening stage, and Officer Gao Ze did not stay any longer.

Next was Liu Wenzhong’s time to exert effort; he just needed to wait. If there were no results, then he would see if the intelligence system had any results tonight.

Returning to the parked police car.

Officer Gao Ze took out his phone and immediately saw a message from his wife, Li Qingyan, saying she had gone shopping at New World Shopping Mall.

At the same time, a highly popular news alert from Donghai City popped up.

It was, strikingly, about the serial female teenage murder case.

Below this news article.

Thousands of discussions, mostly from citizens with Donghai City IPs, were commenting, showing that the shadow of the perpetrator still lingered in their hearts.