A madman in France? How come he's always at crime scenes!

At the entrance of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of Chuanhe District.

Sun Jin was squatting on the steps smoking when he saw Wu Liang climb out of the taxi. He flicked off his cigarette ash.

"Attorney Wu, here to inspect our work again?"

Wu Liang slung his bag over his shoulder: "Officer Sun, the commendation that Captain Zhao mentioned last time, we still haven't seen a single piece of paper, and you're still being sarcastic."

"Rewards have to go through procedures, and besides, didn't you say you didn't want them?" Sun Jin stood up, patting the dust off his pants. "But you've come at the right time today. Old Zhou's test results have just been finalized, and Captain Zhao is calling a meeting."

Wu Liang didn't stop walking: "Has Jiang Cuilan's identity been confirmed?"

Sun Jin glanced at him.

You're quite the insider, aren't you? Are you keeping ghosts in the police station?

But he didn't ask any more questions. He stubbed out his cigarette, turned around and walked inside, with Wu Liang following directly behind.

In the conference room, Zhao Anmin stood in front of the whiteboard, and Fang Lue was pasting photos onto it. The whole room was filled with the smell of smoke.

When Zhao Anmin saw Wu Liang enter, his brows twitched, and his gaze shifted to Sun Jin.

Sun Jin looked innocent: "Don't look at me, I didn't attract them."

"I came by myself."

Wu Liang pulled up a chair against the wall and sat down, just like a friend visiting someone's home.

"Ni Dayong's power of attorney is in my bag. As his defense attorney, I'm here to check on the case's progress. According to Article 10 of the Lawyers Law..."

"Stop, stop, stop. You don't need to recite the law in front of me." Zhao Anmin waved his hand to interrupt him.

Wu Liang chuckled.

In fact, the law does not explicitly stipulate that lawyers can attend meetings of public security organs, and the so-called progress of a case can only be learned through the parties involved.

But would Zhao Anmin know? Of course not!

Zhao Anmin did not dwell on this issue, even though the case of Ni Dayong murdering Ding Hu was not being discussed today.

He didn't know when it started, but he no longer had the same urge to kick this strange lawyer out of the meeting room as he had initially.

After several encounters, he at least admitted one thing: this person's brain was indeed useful at times.

"Old Zhou."

Zhao Anmin gestured with his chin toward the corner.

Forensic doctor Zhou opened the identification report:

"The DNA comparison results show that Jiang Cuilan's sample matched a missing person's relative in the database. Her original name was Shen Xin, and her father's name was Shen Xuejun, a fairly well-known entrepreneur."

Shen Xuejun, former chairman of Huijin Group in Feishui City, the provincial capital, was a well-known private boss in the 1990s with businesses spanning construction, transportation, and catering.

In 1999, the company went bankrupt, and I was sentenced to seven years in prison for economic crimes.

"Where is he now?" Wu Liang asked.

"I opened a small supermarket in a town under Feishui City."

Fang Lue glanced at Zhao Anmin, but the captain didn't stop him, so he continued:

"His daughter, Shen Xin, went missing in 1998. A police report was filed at the time, and the Feishui police opened an investigation, but she has never been found."

Wu Liang leaned back in his chair and went through all this information in his mind.

A once-powerful entrepreneur in the 1990s lost his daughter, went bankrupt, and ended up in prison...

That seems pretty straightforward.

"This is not ordinary human trafficking," Wu Liang said.

Zhao Anmin looked at him, wanting to see what insights this unorthodox lawyer had.

Wu Liang continued:

"Back in the day, this guy was able to stir up trouble in the provincial capital, so he must have had connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds. His daughter went missing, and the Feishui police opened a case but couldn't find her, which means the person who did it wasn't an ordinary human trafficker."

"In addition, ordinary human traffickers who abduct women are after money and would not target such a tough person. Of course, it is also possible that it is a random crime, but considering Shen Xuejun's subsequent experience, I personally tend to think that kidnapping is possible."

Fang Lue chimed in, following Wu Liang's train of thought: "Could it be Shen Xuejun's business rival?"

"Or perhaps Shen Xuejun offended some powerful force," Sun Jin also chimed in. "Do you think it's possible that they kidnapped someone, but before they could extort money, something went wrong, and the person ended up in the hands of human traffickers?"

Zhao Anmin was furious when he saw his deputy captain and his prized disciple being led astray by Wu Liang's few words.

But upon closer reflection, it seems to make sense.

"Anything is possible."

Zhao Anmin wrote Shen Xuejun's name on the whiteboard.

"But all possible answers must be found in Shen Xuejun himself. Only he knows Jiang Cuilan's last state before she disappeared, whether it was abduction or kidnapping. After so many years, he must know best."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Some things that might have been too much to say when the report was filed have long since faded into oblivion.

Wu Liang chuckled at everyone's reaction, realizing that his words carried some weight.

However, more concerned about the direction of Jiang Cuilan and Ni Dayong's defense than solving the case, he was more interested in their approach.

If Jiang Cuilan was kidnapped rather than simply trafficked, then the entire process of her abuse was far longer than previously believed.

From the moment she was kidnapped until the moment she killed Sha Yuanbao, the illegal harm continued without interruption.

Moreover, her experiences in Shiqiao Village over the years have all become part of the chain of harm within this framework.

The statute of limitations for legitimate self-defense lies in the "continuation of the infringement".

He remained expressionless as he looked at Zhao Anmin:

"Captain Zhao, the problem now is time. Ni Dayong's case has already been transferred to the procuratorate, and the deadline for review and prosecution is set. If we want to get anything useful from Shen Xuejun, we must do it as soon as possible."

"I've already contacted them."

Zhao Anmin glanced at his watch, completely unaware that Wu Liang's words had already categorized them as being in the same camp.

"Sun Jin, take Fang Lue to Feishui. Leave this afternoon. Shen Xuejun is currently in Shuangtang Town, which is under the jurisdiction of Feishui City. The address has been confirmed."

"yes!"

Old Zhou was flipping through the appraisal report when he suddenly seemed to remember something, looked up and interjected:

"By the way, when Shen Xin disappeared, the Feishui police took a statement that mentioned something about her mental instability before her disappearance."

Everyone in the conference room turned to look at him at the same time.

Old Zhou turned to a certain page of the report: "When Shen Xuejun reported the case, he said that his daughter's history of mental illness started in junior high school, but it was not particularly serious before, at least not as severe as Jiang Cuilan's condition now."

Wu Liang suddenly realized something and turned to look at Lao Zhou:

"Forensic Doctor Zhou, have you conducted a correlation analysis between Jiang Cuilan's history of mental illness and her possible resistance against Sha Yuanbao?"

Zhao Anmin immediately understood the logic hidden in his words and glanced at him.

This lawyer was already planning how to plead not guilty right in front of the criminal police.

However, Zhao Anmin did not point it out; he simply stood up and put the whiteboard marker back on.

"Find Shen Xuejun and get the facts straight. As for Jiang Cuilan's criminal responsibility, that's a matter for further assessment."

Sun Jin patted Fang Lue on the shoulder: "Let's go, let's hit the road."

Fang Lue stood up, walked to the door, and suddenly turned back to look at Wu Liang: "Attorney Wu, aren't you coming with us?"

"I'm not a detective," Wu Liang said, shrugging. "What identity would I use to go to Feishui? As a concerned citizen, Grandpa Wu?"

Zhao Anmin snorted, and although he didn't speak, the meaning was clear:

You know you're not a detective!

Wu Liang chuckled, already starting to make plans in his mind.

If we can uncover something from Shen Xuejun's trail, we can not only restore the truth of what happened back then, but more importantly, we can provide a more solid starting point for Ni Dayong and Jiang Cuilan's defense.

If Jiang Cuilan's history of mental illness was recorded back then and showed signs of worsening, then her act of killing Sha Yuanbao would be more likely to constitute legitimate self-defense. Ni Dayong's act of burying her body was essentially protecting his family, and his criminal liability would be correspondingly reduced.

But he must secure this evidence before the prosecutor's office files charges.

As for the case of Ni Dayong murdering Ding Hu, Wu Liang has a bold idea in mind, but it is still uncertain whether it will be recognized by the court.

Although it was unethical, Wu Liang inexplicably hoped that Shen Xuejun could uncover an even bigger case.

Oh dear, how can you call it immoral? I was doing this to help the public security authorities maintain social order and solve old cases!

After leaving the criminal investigation team, Wu Liang stood at the entrance for a while. Old Zhou rode by on his electric scooter, stopped, and looked at him: "Attorney Wu, aren't you leaving?"

"Walk."

Wu Liang nodded, then seemed to realize something.

"Forensic Doctor Zhou, could you please send me a copy of the forensic report later? I'll apply for it through the proper channels."

Old Zhou thought for a moment and said something meaningful: "It's just normal procedure, just have Captain Zhao sign it. Whether he signs it or not is your business."

After saying that, the little electric scooter sputtered away.

Wu Liang stood there, watching Lao Zhou's departing figure, his lips twitching.

Get Zhao Anmin to sign...

Just kidding.