Reborn in 1995, Criminal Investigation Records

In the afternoon, the bureau had already contacted the sanitation department, so although the other party found Zhou Yang and Wang Chao's visit somewhat strange, they could understand it.

After all, these criminal police officers and the vicious criminals they deal with cannot be judged by common sense.

"Officers, this is Mr. Zhou, the person in charge of this area in Xiangjiang Subdistrict!" The head of the sanitation department led a middle-aged man into the office: "Mr. Zhou, cooperate fully with the two officers' questioning, and tell us whatever you know!"

"Okay, okay... Don't worry, Director!" The man called Old Zhou was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his fifties with a beer belly. He came in and offered cigarettes to Zhou Yang and his companion.

"Thanks, I won't smoke!" Zhou Yang politely declined, while Wang Chao simply waved his hand. He did smoke, but now was not the time to smoke.

Seeing their actions, Lao Zhou smiled awkwardly and put the cigarette back into his pocket.

"Brother Zhou, you usually smoke this old yellow cigarette pack, huh?" Zhou Yang said with a smile after seeing the other man's cigarette pack.

"I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar, so I basically don't smoke. But it's all about social obligations, you know. Sometimes if I don't smoke, I can't maintain good relationships with my superiors and subordinates!" Old Zhou said, giving a knowing look.

"By the way, Brother Zhou, how much do you know about Old Liu?" Zhou Yang didn't waste any words and went straight to the point.

"Old Liu, Old Liu...you mean Old Liu from the Xiangjiang Hotel Plaza, right?" Old Zhou frowned and pondered for a moment: "Back then, he was recommended by that old employee who resigned, saying that his family was having financial difficulties. That's why we finally agreed to let him join the whole class. Normally, at his age, we were afraid his body couldn't handle it."

"Then he should be quite grateful to our sanitation department. Did you hear about the difficulties he faced?" Zhou Yang then asked.

"I heard... I heard, I heard that his son is going astray!" Old Zhou said with an embarrassed smile. After all, it was somewhat inappropriate for a leader to speak ill of others behind their backs.

"How exactly do you mean it?" Zhou Yang seemed quite interested in this point.

"I'm not too sure about that. As you know, there are so many employees in the entire Xiangjiang Street area, it's impossible for me to handle everything by myself... But I think it's just a rumor!" Old Zhou said, unconsciously taking out cigarettes from his pocket again. As he reached in, he seemed to remember the occasion and put them back in his pocket.

"By the way, Old Liu once gave out cigarettes to people in the area, saying his son bought them. So the rumors started, and they've been spreading like wildfire!" Old Zhou smacked his lips and sighed.

"You should have received it too, right? Do you remember what kind of cigarettes it was?" Zhou Yang asked casually.

"What cigarettes...what cigarettes...Baicheng, yes, Baicheng. I remember it very clearly. There was an old man named Bai in the area who said that these were hand-rubbed by his family!" Old Zhou nodded emphatically.

......

After making inquiries, the two learned that the garbage at Lao Liu's place had already been burned, so they did not rush to the garbage dump, but instead drove back to the team.

"Are you asking why I inquired about Lao Liu's affairs?" Seeing Wang Chao hesitate, Zhou Yang spoke to himself without waiting for a reply.

"Actually, this is not suspicion, but elimination. Our current investigation is based on Lao Liu's statement. His words are like the foundation. Only by ensuring that he is innocent can we ensure that the direction of the investigation is correct."

...Furthermore, we must learn to doubt everyone, but we must diligently verify information. Sometimes, criminal suspects can truly overturn your understanding.

"Why do you seem more like an old policeman than I am?" Wang Chao joked after Zhou Yang finished speaking.

"Maybe I was a policeman in my past life!"

......

In the afternoon, after Zhou Yang's reminder, the technical team roughly determined the deceased's height based on the femur. Combined with the analysis of a series of samples such as teeth, they took this information and began to compare it with the database.

However, after an afternoon of searching and comparison, none of the women with criminal records in Ning'an matched the deceased's characteristics.

Zhou Yang and his companion had just entered the bureau when they heard the news.

In addition, police officers in the jurisdiction searched outwards along the direction in which the suspect disappeared, but found no further witnesses.

For a time, both leads went cold.

"Let's issue a report for identification of the body!" someone suggested.

But it was quickly rejected. The deceased had been dismembered into five pieces, missing his torso, and had no distinguishing features. Such identification would only increase public panic.

When Xiao Jiale and Dai Yan returned, the mannequin that replaced the deceased's torso was something that could be found in various stores, clothing markets, and small stalls, and it didn't offer any particularly valuable clues.

The group gathered together and summarized what they had learned, creating a somewhat somber atmosphere in the room.

While the analysis of the case is important, the greater purpose is to encourage each other.

You have to understand, in this line of work, it's never just about hard work to solve cases. It takes hard work, a good idea, and a bit of luck to solve a case. If hard work could solve cases, there wouldn't be so many unsolved mysteries in the world.

Being hardworking simply means making fewer mistakes and increasing the chances of finding the culprit.

Most of the time, when handling cases, we do futile work, but as someone once said, every wrong path we take brings us one step closer to the truth.

Knowing that this group of people would be busy working overtime again, the cafeteria added a meat dish to the dinner menu, which made Wang Chao very happy.

After the meal, everyone was sent out again. Some went to investigate missing persons cases, Liu Chengyu went to the provincial department to try to expand the scope of the database, and Zhou Yang took Wang Chao to the vicinity of Xiangjiang Restaurant.

He remembered that a second body would be found here tomorrow morning.

However, the identity of this body was quickly verified. Unlike the first body, it had not been destroyed by the murderer, and the investigation went smoothly.

"Why did you come here?" Wang Chao lit a cigarette and leaned against the car to ask Zhou Yang.

"It's nothing. Do you remember what I told you about the killer's psychological safe zone?" Zhou Yang tucked his shirt into his pants and tightened his coat; it was still a bit chilly at night.

"I remember, you meant the killer was very familiar with this area, it felt like everything was under control!" Wang Chao nodded, "You also said that the killer would choose this area the first time, but... with experience, they would avoid it, they would choose a buffer zone!"

Wang Chao pulled out a notebook from his pocket, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and began to read aloud, following the movements of his fingers.

Zhou Yang nodded: "The buffer zone can be understood as the area most criminals prefer, as it provides enough familiarity to plan escape routes and avoid risks, while also creating obstacles for investigation."

They have a certain geographical understanding of the area, but maintain a safe distance from daily life. This typically involves a 15-40 minute walk (within 3 kilometers), or a bicycle or motorcycle, extending the range to 3-10 kilometers. Private cars offer the largest and most flexible range, but the journey usually takes 10-30 minutes.

As Zhou Yang analyzed, Wang Chao's hand rustled across the notebook, while the ash column from his cigarette continued to grow, his expression one of intense concentration.

Suddenly, he slammed the notebook shut, tilted his head, and with a sharp smirk, the ash from his half-smoked cigarette drifted out: "I understand, this is the buffer zone you analyzed for the killer!"

"Combined with what you said about the killer's deliberately boastful attitude, this must be it, no doubt about it!" Wang Chao imagined, a hint of excitement in his eyes.

Zhou Yang breathed a sigh of relief, finally managing to fool them. In fact, the most direct reason he came here was because a second corpse would appear in this place tomorrow, nothing more.

However, because so much time had passed, he could no longer remember the victim's information. Otherwise, he would have already taken Wang Chao to stake out the place, instead of going through all this trouble.