Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 395 A bright future
Qian Wei didn't want to care about or hear about Hua Guofeng's situation.

He secretly resented Zhai Xiaojun for doing something so dishonest, showing no concern whatsoever for his wife's case.

What can be accomplished by handing the case over to such a slippery guy who won't do anything unless there's something in it for him?

No wonder these cold cases have remained unsolved for so many years.

Of course, Qian Wei was also aware that his thoughts were heavily influenced by personal emotions. Every backlog case was equally important; it wasn't that Qian Wei was any different. His case being assigned to Hua Guofeng was normal practice, not that Zhai Xiaojun was deliberately targeting him.

Just as different people are born with different tastes, every police officer may have a different personality, but their passion for their profession is undeniable. Everyone approaches cases with the same attitude, and unsolved cold cases cannot be blamed on any one officer.

To put it bluntly, it's currently only his personal opinion that the killer has reappeared. Whether this is true or not remains to be judged and discussed.

Following that, the Municipal Bureau's Information Center brought some less-than-good news.

Although the suspect's appearance had been confirmed through surveillance footage in the scenic area, his image was not found again after being compared with all the surveillance images in the city's Skynet system.

The elderly man simply disappeared from Zhangzhou's surveillance system, and never appeared in the surveillance footage of any camera in Zhangzhou again after 4 a.m.

To be honest, it's a little scary.

Although the ultra-high-definition surveillance system provided by the southern province has not yet been completed and put into use, given the current density of surveillance cameras in Zhangzhou City, it is absolutely impossible for an ordinary person to never be seen. Unless someone has left Zhangzhou City or has no trace of life there, they should at least be captured on camera.

"This guy has a certain awareness of investigation and is wary of surveillance cameras and has countermeasures."

Nie Guoqiang made this judgment.

"But it's also possible that he's just still sleeping."

Ignoring Qian Wei's murderous glare, Zheng Mingxing calmly said, "If he's not a suspect and leaving the hotel was just for personal reasons, then all our current speculations are just a joke. We still need to wait for the Municipal Bureau's analysis and intelligence to confirm that Ma is a suspect."

Zheng Mingxing insisted on contradicting him and went up to pat Qian Wei on the shoulder.

"If we can't find more clues, it's impossible to ask the city bureau to mobilize a large number of people for a manhunt. At least with the current intelligence, it's not enough to determine that Ma committed the crime. So let's calm down. So many years have passed, a little more time won't make a difference."

“I already said, I remember his voice clearly.”

Qian Wei gritted his teeth.

They had returned to the police station and were now on Li Yiduo's turf. Four computers in front of them were emitting terrible screams; Li Yiduo was using his skills and methods to perform a fuzzy search of the Skynet video surveillance.

This is an advanced version of facial recognition, capable of filtering out all similar facial features. Even if the target wears makeup or disguises themselves, they may not be able to escape the algorithm developed by Li Yiduo.

However, this program has very high requirements for the machines. At least with the few old machines currently in the police station, it will take more time than expected to completely complete the face search.

Of course, Li Yiduo also had better and more powerful computers, but the operating systems of personal computers were incompatible with those of the police. The police station also couldn't make an exception for a single case, allowing serious police information to appear on a private computer.

So despite his anxiety, Qian Wei could only pray that Hua Guofeng could do something helpful and patiently wait for Li Yiduo to give him a surprise.

Only in this way can it be proven that he did not lie, that his ears were not hallucinating, and that he did not mishear.

"I believe you heard me correctly."

Nie Guoqiang placed his trust in Qian Wei, but also warned him: "The suspect has already been alerted, and he can't afford to be careless now. Hiding for a day or two, or even longer, is something an ordinary person can do, let alone a murderer. So you really can't be too hasty or impulsive in this matter! This is likely to be a test of patience, and we need to gamble that the suspect will lose his guard before the police do.

"So all we can do is wait helplessly? Just like before, wait for the murderer to slip up on his own? It's even ridiculous that even if he does slip up, we still won't be able to catch him?"

Qian Wei was unwilling to give up and clenched his fists tightly.

"So what do you think the Municipal Bureau should do?"

Nie Guoqiang remained silent, while Zheng Mingxing countered, "Just because of one sentence, you mobilized all the police? I won't go on about whether you misheard! I'll just say, what if, in the end, the suspect has already left Zhangzhou? Would all our efforts have been for nothing?"

Qian Wei glared at Zheng Mingxing, ready to retort, but Zheng Mingxing didn't give him a chance to speak, continuing, "Of course, it doesn't matter if we work for nothing, after all, it's all for solving the case. But we could have determined the correct direction of the investigation, but because of your impulsiveness, we changed our investigative approach, giving the suspect ample time to escape! Qian Wei, can you bear this responsibility? Or rather, can you forgive yourself for your impulsiveness now?"

"..."

Qian Wei lowered his head.

Li Yiduo, standing nearby, didn't dare to utter a sound. After all, it was rare for anyone in the institute to see Zheng Mingxing lose his temper like this. So, Li Yiduo picked up his water glass and quietly slipped out of the room like he was invisible.

"Patience! Qian Wei, don't let impulsiveness ruin this rare opportunity. You understand the principle of sharpening your axe before chopping wood, and the Municipal Bureau hasn't been neglecting your case. Even though the field investigation team hasn't been dispatched yet, there are already more than a dozen people working hard on this case."

Nie Guoqiang sighed, stepped forward and patted Qian Wei on the shoulder: "Calm down, go outside for a smoke and a rest. You're an old cop, you don't really need me to comfort you like this. You understand all the道理 (principles/reasons)."

“I’m just afraid… that while we’re sitting in the air-conditioned room waiting for the results, he might take the opportunity to escape from Zhang City and disappear again. That would be… too ironic.”

Qian Wei lowered his head and sighed, but finally calmed down.

At her age, it was quite embarrassing to be comforted by two old men. Qian Wei knew that his emotions were not right, and that his actions and demands were not in accordance with normal case-solving procedures.

He knew he was just like any other victim's family member, making unreasonable demands and insisting that the police catch the perpetrator or give him an answer.

"I'm going out to have a cigarette."

Waving his hand, Qian Wei rubbed his face and walked out of the office.

Outside the office door, a cat was perched on the windowsill.

Lin Ge looked at the howling wind outside with a grim expression. Everything had been fine just a moment ago, and suddenly the sky was overcast. It looked like freezing rain was about to fall, and he wouldn't be able to go out for the next few days.

"It's alright! Spring will be here soon after this rain. So Mimi, just bear with it for now. Once it gets warmer, you can run around freely again..."

Before Qian Wei could finish comforting Lin Ge, he suddenly froze. He realized that these words could also comfort him, and he shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"Right now, we just hope the task force can be set up as soon as possible, that we can quickly identify Ma as a suspect, find clues, and begin operations..."

Qian Wei sighed and said "as soon as possible" four times in a row.

Wanting a cigarette, Qian Wei rummaged in his pocket but only found a lighter. He thought about it and realized he'd run out yesterday and hadn't had time to buy a new one. Qian Wei pursed his lips and frowned.

He glanced out the window, and his mood darkened again.

After an unknown amount of time, Qian Wei's trouser leg was suddenly tugged.

He looked down and saw that Lin Ge had an unopened pack of 1916 cigarettes in his mouth, his paws tugging at a thread on his pants, and was quietly looking up at him.

"Where did this come from? Could someone be trying to bribe you?"

Qian Wei was stunned for a moment.

The cat's concern inexplicably improved Qian Wei's mood. He smiled and joked, squatting down to take the pack of good cigarettes worth a hundred yuan a pack from Lin Ge's mouth.

To be honest, he'd never smoked such expensive cigarettes in his life! Even twenty yuan a cigarette felt like a luxury to him normally. Besides, he didn't smoke much, only when he was in a bad mood…

"I found it in Zhang Yong's drawer, so feel free to smoke it. Only he and Zhang Ke in the entire police station have such good cigarettes. Of course, if you want even better ones, I can get them for you! Considering... you're practically my caretaker." Lin Ge looked at Qian Wei quietly, wanting to comfort him but knowing that this man didn't need comfort right now. Ten years of pursuing the murderer had rendered all words of comfort meaningless.

What Qian Wei needs is a result, the fact that the perpetrators have been brought to justice!

To be honest, by this point, Lin Ge was also filled with regret. Why hadn't he realized yesterday that the old man was actually a murderer?

At the time, I only thought the old man was pitiful and it was a pity that traditional crafts were declining. I never expected there to be such an extra situation behind it.

And thinking about it now, if that old man could do something like having a monkey steal things while he was performing, it's not impossible that he would do something else!
That means he is not a kind person!
Of course, there's no point in doing this now, as it's all in hindsight.

"Old Qian, do you want to come in for a bit?"

Zheng Mingxing's voice suddenly came from inside the office.

Qian Wei's eyes lit up. He quickly threw away the cigarette butt, stomped it out, and hurried into the room. Lin Ge thought for a moment and squeezed in before Qian Wei closed the door.

"The investigation into the suspect's identity has yielded results. According to facial recognition, his real name is not Ma, but Ma Dongzhi. Ma Dongzhi, male, 61 years old, is from Huaiye Township, Xincheng City, Liaoning Province, Northeast China. Thirty years ago, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison for accidentally killing someone while drunk. His sentence was later reduced by two years, for a total of 12 years in prison."

Nie Guoqiang held a fax in his hand, which was relevant information sent by the Liaoning Provincial Public Security Bureau. It contained some records that Ma Dongzhi could find.

"A prior conviction for murder!"

Zheng Mingxing sighed, knowing that such people could easily become one of two extremes after being released from prison. They would either repent and become good people, or they would become even more ruthless, with humanity no longer hindering their murderous intent.

Furthermore, given that he changed his name, this guy is indeed highly suspicious.

"After his release from prison, Ma Dongzhi was well-behaved for a period of time. At that time, under the arrangement of the local government, he entered a circus troupe in Huaiye Township to work, specifically responsible for feeding the animals that performed circus acts in the troupe."

At this point, Nie Guoqiang looked up and said, "Ma Dongzhi must have learned his monkey-training skills during this period, right? And it wasn't, as he told Zhu Jun, his family's ancestral monkey-training skills. Or rather, it's unlikely that anyone would practice monkey-training skills with thievery."

The group nodded in agreement. Based on this experience, Ma Dongzhi, the old man who performed the monkey show in Zhangzhou, was indeed highly likely to be a criminal and, very likely, the murderer who killed Qian Wei's wife.

From this perspective, it's good news.

"Three years later, a large-scale layoff occurred in China due to the economic crisis. Ma Dongzhi was dismissed from the circus troupe due to his age, lack of skill in acrobatics, and a criminal record. He then left Liaoning Province and traveled throughout the country, making a living by performing monkey tricks and treating animals, skills he had learned in the circus. He appeared in rural areas across the country, castrating and treating pigs, cattle, and sheep while earning money through monkey tricks..."

At this point, Nie Guoqiang raised his head and said, "After Liaoning Province learned that our 725 case was related to Ma Dongzhi, they conducted a big data screening of his past movements. They then summarized and found that wherever Ma Dongzhi had appeared, robbery cases were reported afterwards. After that, they used Ma Dongzhi as an anchor point for comprehensive analysis and judged that these robbery cases were very likely related to Ma Dongzhi. At least for some of them, he was highly suspicious."

Nie Guoqiang handed the fax to Zheng Mingxing, then stared intently at Qian Wei and said, "This is a seasoned criminal! Old Qian, we can basically conclude that he has committed multiple crimes. Even if we can't prove right now that he's the one who killed your wife, with this criminal record and the judgment of the Liaoning Provincial Public Security Bureau, we can request the Municipal Bureau to take action."

"The local police station will also send people to help you; you definitely won't be left out. If the municipal police station doesn't have enough manpower, the entire station will make up the difference!"

Zheng Mingxing also changed his previous stubbornness and skepticism.

He was simply insisting on stating the facts; he wasn't actually targeting Qian Wei. Now that Ma Dongzhi was deemed a prime suspect, it was impossible to let him go.

"thanks, thanks!"

Qian Wei's eyes welled up with tears.

He wasn't afraid of waiting; he was afraid of never seeing hope again! Now that hope had arrived, he was determined to seize this opportunity to avenge his wife and bring that damned murderer to justice!

At Nie Guoqiang's command, the entire Zhanghe Police Station sprang into action.

Unlike the previous days when they were busy running around due to orders from the Municipal Bureau, this time everyone was voluntarily working overtime and sacrificing their rest time. Except for a few people who had to stay at the police station, almost everyone was mobilized.

Unlike the previous work with fixed designated areas, this time everyone spontaneously covered the entire Zhangzhou city area. Using streets and communities as boundaries, community members and veteran Party members were mobilized to conduct a comprehensive screening and investigation of hotels, inns, and migrant workers.

"The people in the community are probably going to hate us to death."

As they left one of the communities, Hu Lijun couldn't help but laugh, "We just ordered them around a few days ago, and before they could even catch their breath, we're back again. If this happens a few more times, the Zhanghe Police Station might end up on these communities' blacklist."

"..."

Yuan Meijuan remained silent, quietly opened the car door, sat properly in the back seat of the police car, and looked down to check all the information she had gathered that afternoon.

"Tsk!"

Hu Lijun clicked his tongue, wondering why Nie Guoqiang had paired him with such a quiet and reserved person. Unlike this introverted girl, Xie Lili was definitely more interesting; she could immediately respond to his crude jokes.

He vaguely remembered that Yuan Meijuan was recruited by Zheng Mingxing, but he didn't know what the situation was.

From the moment Yuan Meijuan arrived at Zhanghe Police Station, Zheng Mingxing assigned this taciturn man to his side. The two had been partners for so long, yet they rarely communicated, which frustrated Hu Lijun immensely.

She was finally paired with Zhu Jun the day before yesterday, but who would have thought that guy who values ​​women over friends would actually dare to refuse?
"Neither of them are good people! Maybe this girl is Zheng Mingxing's illegitimate daughter?"

While making malicious speculations about that bastard Zheng Mingxing, Hu Lijun started the car and headed to the next community.

"..."

Yuan Meijuan glanced up at Hu Lijun, pursed her lips, and remained silent. A hint of sadness flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure and focused on the documents in her hands. There was still much to do today.

"Mimi, over here!"

Lin Jia waved to Lin Ge from afar, watching with delight as Lin Ge wagged his tail and walked over with tiny, cat-like steps.

"Girl, what brings you here today?"

Lin Ge and Lin Jia were already very familiar with each other, especially after the winter vacation ended and school started, Lin Jia resumed her symptoms of running to Zhanghe Police Station every noon.

Lin Ge has been very busy for the past two weeks, and Lin Jia often comes over at midday but doesn't see him. Fortunately, there are many cats at the police station, and the white cat family occasionally wanders over to play, so Lin Jia doesn't lack playmates.

This afternoon, Lin Jia didn't manage to catch Lin Ge again, but this time she left a note asking Lin Ge to come to the grove behind the school after school.

When Lin Ge arrived, he found Lin Jia already waiting there. Not only Lin Jia, but Qian Siqi was also there. So Lin Ge slowly walked over, nuzzled Lin Jia's leg, and then turned to look at the reserved-looking Qian Siqi beside her.

"You little rascal, you tricked Lin Jia into calling me here?"

"Mimi, Qian Siqi has something he wants to ask you for a favor. But he's too embarrassed to ask you directly, so he asked me to be his middleman."

A sly glint flashed in Lin Jia's eyes as she held up two fingers and said, "Two Sanji's Frangipani cakes are my reward. Besides, Mimi's time tonight is mine too, you don't mind, right?"

At this point, Lin Jia remembered something and quickly added, "Do you have time in a few days? My mom wants to invite you to visit. She heard that you eat the same food as us, so she specially said she'd cook a big feast."

"Well, I definitely won't have time tonight. Let's talk about other things when I have time."

Lin Ge wagged his tail, somewhat tempted, but considering Qian Wei's situation, he wasn't sure if he could find the time. However, it was Lin Jia's good intention, and he would have to make time for her once this matter was resolved.

"So, what's the matter that you went to the trouble and expense to call me here?"

Lin Ge turned to look at Qian Siqi.

(End of this chapter)