I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

"Li Wei, tell me about your investigation." The police captain motioned for Li Wei to continue. Li Wei took a deep breath and began to describe his investigation in detail.

"A few months ago, I stumbled upon a dark web transaction clue involving the illegal trade of a large number of high-end jewelry. I began to investigate further and found that the operation of this gang was very complex. They conducted transactions through multiple intermediaries, and the location and time of each transaction were not fixed."

Li Wei pulled a thick notebook from his pocket and handed it to the police captain. "This contains all the clues I've uncovered in my investigation, including transaction records, surveillance footage, and suspect information. I hope this information will help you find the real criminal."

The police captain took the notebook and began to leaf through it carefully. Fu Siyuan and Zhang Wanqing also came over to look at the contents. The notebook detailed Li Wei's investigation process, with every detail clearly visible.

"The evidence is indeed strong," the police captain said, a hint of approval in his tone. "But why didn't you report it to the police in time?"

Li Wei sighed. "I'm worried that if I report it in advance, it will alert the enemy. This gang is very cunning. Once they realize someone is investigating, they will immediately change their plans. So I decided to investigate alone until I find solid evidence."

The police captain nodded. "Your intentions are good, but this is very risky. Do you realize that your actions have aroused our suspicion?"

Li Wei lowered his head. "I know I should have communicated with you earlier. But I really don't want to let this criminal gang go. They've already harmed so many jewelry stores."

The police captain was silent for a moment, then stood up, walked over to Li Wei, and patted him on the shoulder. "Li Wei, I know you're a good police officer and your motives are just. But we have to follow procedures, and you have to understand."

Li Wei nodded and said, "I understand. I will fully cooperate with your investigation."

After the interrogation, the police captain asked Li Wei to stay at the police station temporarily, awaiting further investigation results. Fu Siyuan and Zhang Wanqing walked out of the interrogation room, their hearts filled with emotion.

"Li Wei is really not involved in this case." Zhang Wanqing said softly, with a hint of relief in her eyes.

Fu Siyuan nodded. "His evidence is very sufficient. I believe he is innocent. But the truth of this case has not yet been fully revealed. We still need to continue investigating."

Zhang Wanqing sighed, "Yes, the leader of this criminal gang is still in the dark. We can't just give up like this."

The two decided to continue their investigation. They believed that only by finding the real criminal could the case be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. They also wanted to help Li Wei clear his suspicion.

As night fell, the lights of the newspaper office remained bright. Fu Siyuan and Zhang Wanqing sat at their computers, before them a thick stack of documents provided by Li Wei. Their gazes were focused and determined, their hearts filled with a thirst for the truth. This number sequence, this seemingly ordinary combination of numbers, held the key to solving the entire case.

"Wanqing, we need to start with this number sequence," Fu Siyuan said softly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. "This sequence appears in multiple transaction records, and each time it's related to high-end jewelry transactions. This is definitely not a coincidence."

Zhang Wanqing nodded, a flicker of excitement in her eyes. "We can use the newspaper's technical resources to start searching the dark web. Let's see if this number sequence has any special meaning."

The two men sprang into action, with Fu Siyuan contacting the newspaper's technical department and requesting their assistance in searching the dark web. Their colleagues quickly responded and began a large-scale search operation on the dark web.

The dark web, a mysterious world hidden deep within the internet, is fraught with uncertainty and danger. Illegal transactions, black market transactions, and information leaks are common here. Fu Siyuan and Zhang Wanqing entered the dark web using special software provided by the technical department.

Lines of code flashed across the screen, and countless websites and transaction records floated before their eyes like ghosts. Before their eyes was a vast ocean of information, and every detail might hide important clues.

"Wanqing, look at this transaction record." Fu Siyuan pointed to a record on the screen, a hint of nervousness in his tone. "This number sequence appears here again, and the type of jewelry traded is very similar to the jewelry stolen from the Brilliant Star Jewelry Store."

Zhang Wanqing leaned over and carefully examined the transaction record. "The transaction amount is also very large. It seems that this criminal gang is quite large."

Continuing their search, the two discovered that this number sequence frequently appeared in multiple transaction records. Each occurrence was accompanied by a large number of jewelry transactions. These transaction records, spread across various dark web websites, involved staggering amounts of money and jewelry.

"This number sequence is like a marker, marking every transaction of this criminal gang," Fu Siyuan analyzed, his eyes gleaming. "We need to find the source of this marker to find the criminal gang's superiors."

Zhang Wanqing nodded. "We can try to decrypt this number sequence and see if it contains any special information."

The two began to study the number sequence, trying to find a way to decipher it. They entered a complex string of characters, and suddenly a new page popped up on the screen. This page displayed a complex chart containing a large number of number and letter combinations.

"What does this chart mean?" Zhang Wanqing asked in confusion, with a hint of bewilderment in her eyes.

Fu Siyuan observed the chart carefully. "This chart looks like a coordinate system. These combinations of numbers and letters may be coordinate points."

The two began to study this coordinate system, trying to find the pattern in it. After several hours of hard work, they finally found a key clue: this coordinate system pointed to a specific geographical location.

"This location is on the edge of the city, in an abandoned factory area," Fu Siyuan said excitedly, his eyes gleaming. "It seems we've found another trading location for the criminal gang."

Zhang Wanqing nodded. "We need to notify the police and have them set up surveillance in advance."

The two quickly left the newspaper office and found a nearby police station, where they informed the police of this important clue. The police immediately took action and formulated a detailed arrest plan.

"Brother, please take me with you. Without me, the iron triangle will be like a triangle with a missing corner. They cannot be solid. They cannot succeed without me." Li Wei pleaded with the police.

"But Brother Wei, you are still..." said the police.

"What is it? A suspect? With our many years of friendship, don't you trust me? Are you afraid that I will cause trouble?" Li Wei asked back.

"No...no, Brother Wei, I'll talk to the sheriff." The police replied.

Unexpectedly, the sheriff agreed to Li Wei's request because he knew Li Wei's character and integrity. As for not complying with the regulations? In Li Wei's words, "Regulations are dead, but people are alive!"