Animal Detective

On the way, it was inevitable that the conversation would turn back to the case.

Yang Zeran asked if they were truly getting nowhere with Mao Ruiqiang’s interrogation.

"Don’t they have drugs for this in the movies?" Yang Zeran asked.

"You know, one shot of truth serum and they’ll spill everything."

Qian Zidan smiled and shook his head. "I won’t confirm or deny whether such things exist, but their effectiveness isn’t what you imagine."

"It’s like the saying ’in vino veritas’—truth comes out when you’re drunk. But sometimes, what comes out isn’t necessarily the truth, and there’s no way to tell the difference."

"Let me put it this way: it’s very difficult for a person to resist completely."

"But it takes time. And time is exactly what we’re short on right now."

Shen Xin chimed in, asking, "Mao Ruiqiang might have professional training, but what about Zhang Zhanhui? Has there been no breakthrough with him either?"

’Spies aren’t protected by criminal law. If they used the Memory Recovery Technique on an ordinary person like Zhang Zhanhui, could he really hold out?’

Qian Zidan turned onto the expressway. "Shen Xin, don’t overestimate a person’s willpower, but don’t underestimate it either."

"I believe this ’H’ must have briefed Zhang Zhanhui, or rather, helped him do the math."

"If he resists and says nothing, it’s attempted espionage—three to ten years. Add the charge of desecrating a corpse, and he’s looking at less than ten years total."

"But if he confesses and it’s revealed he caused huge losses, he could face the death penalty."

"Either way, he can just pin it on Mao Ruiqiang. If he holds out, he’ll get out of prison, collect a large sum of money, and live out the rest of his life in style."

"But if he can’t hold out, his life is over. What would you choose?"

"Of course, like I said, I’m confident we can break him given enough time. But have you considered that this window of time is exactly what H needs?"

"So the interrogation is a tool. It’s been going on nonstop since last night, but we can’t stop our own work either."

Shen Xin nodded thoughtfully. He understood.

’The key is time.’

"By the way, Section Chief Qian." Shen Xin remembered something else and asked him why they had code-named the spy ’H’, and if it meant they had a target in mind.

Qian Zidan just smiled and didn’t answer the question.

Just then, Yang Zeran also had a question. "Section Chief Qian, regarding your earlier analysis of H’s three psychological stages... isn’t there a problem with the second stage?"

"That is, at the beginning, when Mao Ruiqiang drove off, why did he still drive into the parking lot? Couldn’t he have just parked outside?"

"Also, why did he park in the surface lot in Area A? Why not in the parking garage?"

Shen Xin also looked toward Qian Zidan.

’That really is a good question.’

Abandoning the plan to switch cars or pick someone up, and instead letting Zhang Zhanhui drive off in the 260—according to Qian Zidan, this was an act of betrayal against Zhang Zhanhui.

But if the goal at that moment was to protect Mao Ruiqiang, why have him drive into the parking lot at all?

Qian Zidan said, "Here’s my thinking. Initially, H’s plan was to switch cars and pick someone up."

"But after Mao Ruiqiang drove off, H must have realized that Mao Ruiqiang was already caught up in it. He’d entered the crime scene, and it was only a matter of time before the investigation led to him."

"So H’s objective shifted to stage three: cut ties and abandon both of them. He would then think, ’Why not have Mao Ruiqiang drive into the parking lot too, just like Zhang Zhanhui, and leave an entry and exit record?’"

"Therefore, among those 47 cars, one of them must have been driven by Mao Ruiqiang."

"I believe H guided Mao Ruiqiang into the lot. As for parking on the surface level—if H went in disguised as a delivery driver, even if he changed clothes once inside, wouldn’t using the surface lot be more logical and less conspicuous than the underground garage?"

Shen Xin thought it over. It felt like this was all still just Qian Zidan’s speculation. They would only know the truth once they caught H.

Amid their casual conversation, the car arrived at the Wetland Park.

When they got there, Zhang Hancheng had already deployed his men. They were reviewing surveillance footage, looking for the golden retriever.

Yesterday’s footage showed that after the fight broke out, the golden retriever stood by and watched the commotion for a bit before running off on its own.

They had spotted it again while reviewing later footage.

But a whole night had passed. Where could they possibly find it after dark?

It was still wearing its leash, so Shen Xin speculated that a kind-hearted person might have found it and taken it home.

The priority, therefore, was to check the entrances and exits of the Wetland Park for that time period to see if anyone had left with a golden retriever.

At the same time, they also had to review surveillance footage to retrace Mao Ruiqiang’s movements over the past two days.

He had left in that CT4, which they presumed was parked in the lot next to the park entrance.

But upon checking the surveillance footage from there, he was already holding the golden retriever’s leash when he got out of the car.

So, they had to look even further back to retrace his steps.

All these tasks were being carried out simultaneously, but so far, nothing had turned up.

But Shen Xin had his own method.

Upon arriving at the Wetland Park, Shen Xin firmly refused a wheelchair, insisting on walking himself.

’Using a wheelchair would look ridiculous.’

After a few steps, a wave of dizziness washed over him. He took a deep breath to steel himself. He could still manage.

Odin and Frigga had already been brought over.

It’s hard for a person to find a dog, but for a dog to find another dog? Much easier.

On the way, Shen Xin had studied the park’s surveillance footage and identified a few key locations.

Before the fight, the golden retriever had already been looking to relieve itself.

After the fight, with no one paying it any mind, the cameras caught it running to a tree and urinating.

And when dogs urinate, they’re marking their territory; they’ll pee a little at a time as they go.

Considering other dogs would have urinated there too, Shen Xin selected several trees for Odin and Frigga to differentiate the scents.

Qian Zidan eagerly supported Shen Xin, asking curiously, "So, you’re saying you plan to find that dog by tracking the scent of its urine?"

Shen Xin nodded and called Odin and Frigga forward to sniff.

Then he asked them how many scents there were.

This was about marking territory. They could distinguish how many different dogs had left their mark.