Diary of a Criminal Investigator

Gao Xiang’s discovery is very significant.

Among the four victims, it’s confirmed that two of them had contact and connections.

If Gao Xiang’s investigation can go deeper and conclusively identify that the four victims indeed collaborated in the unfinished building subcontracting project in Ping’an County,

Then perhaps the reason for their murders can be found.

"We need to follow this lead."

Li Donglin affirmed Gao Xiang’s investigation results.

"According to your current findings, no matter how many people were involved in the subcontracting of that project in the past, it’s mired with significant interests."

"This provides a motive for the murder case."

While reporting to Gao Qiang, Song Mingguang kept raising his eyebrows.

While investigating in Fifth Mr. Wang’s Village, Zhang Shaowu, the one who had cancer, was the same person who got scammed ten years ago while leading the villagers in a project, which eventually led him to theft and arrest.

Ten years ago was exactly when Ping’an County’s unfinished building project was halted.

Is this a coincidence?

Unfortunately, Song Mingguang and the others didn’t inquire in detail about how Zhang Shaowu got scammed back then.

But there’s no need to rush; after the meeting, Song Mingguang will call the village party secretary over there to find out.

If the construction site contracted by Zhang Shaowu was not that unfinished building in Ping’an County, then perhaps he’s not significantly related to this matter.

But if the site he worked on was indeed that building, Song Mingguang thinks it’s worth thoroughly investigating him.

"Wang Song, over to you..."

Bam!

Just as Li Donglin was about to inquire Wang Song about some matters, the conference room door suddenly swung open.

"Director Li! We matched it!"

The person entering was Lu Chuan.

At this moment, Lu Chuan was extremely excited, holding a comparison report.

"Director Li! The DNA sample Brother Song brought back matched one from the crime scene!"

A match?

Li Donglin instantly stood up.

"Who is it?"

At the fourth crime scene, Lu Chuan collected trace evidence from the leaking trap under the washbasin.

He discovered a third person’s DNA, besides that of the victim and his wife.

The perpetrator had used the washbasin. Thus, this unfamiliar DNA is likely left by the perpetrator.

Unexpectedly, Song Mingguang’s investigation of recently released prisoners indeed found the killer.

"It’s a person from Fifth Mr. Wang’s Village in East Valley Town, named Zhang Shaowu!"

Damn!

Song Mingguang was stunned; was it really him?!

Since the DNA match was successful, the next step is to arrest him directly.

"The whole team, move out to East Valley Town!"

"Yes!"

"What’s the situation with this Zhang Shaowu?"

Li Donglin, Lu Chuan, and Song Mingguang shared a car.

"Zhang Shaowu’s physique matches Lu Chuan’s description of the perpetrator’s traits."

Song Mingguang explained his investigation of Zhang Shaowu to Li Donglin in detail.

"So, this person is a primary suspect in our investigation."

"But during the investigation, we found out Zhang Shaowu has cancer and spent the last week getting treatment at the county hospital."

"Moreover, when asked about the four victims, Zhang Shaowu looked very calm."

"But we learned that ten years ago, he was arrested for theft and sentenced to ten years."

"The reason for his theft back then was because he was scammed while leading his village in a project, accruing significant debts."

"During the meeting, I heard Gao Xiang mention the unfinished building project in Ping’an County from ten years ago, and I was planning to contact East Valley Town and Fifth Mr. Wang’s Village later to check if Zhang Shaowu worked on that project."

If so, Zhang Shaowu might be related to this case, but if not, this lead might go cold again.

"Before I could even make a call, Lu Chuan already got the DNA results."

"He has cancer?"

"Yes, I heard he was diagnosed a month ago."

"When was he released?"

"Half a year ago."

Li Donglin pondered for a moment: "This suggests that Zhang Shaowu might have been involved in the project with the four victims back then."

"And after being scammed, only he ended up in prison, while the others were fine. Now he knows he has cancer and doesn’t have long to live, so he’s killing for revenge?"

"That’s a possibility."

Lu Chuan nodded in agreement.

From a psychological perspective, the mindsets of a healthy person and someone terminally ill can be vastly different.

No one knows what kind of desperate actions a person in late-stage cancer might take.

"Should we notify the local police station in East Valley Town to seal off the area first?"

"No need. We’ll head directly to Fifth Mr. Wang’s Village in Yumin Village to arrest Zhang Shaowu by surprise."

Li Donglin clearly didn’t trust the capabilities of the local police station in East Valley Town.

If anything goes wrong, there won’t be time for regrets.

But things didn’t go as planned.

By the time Li Donglin’s team reached Zhang Shaowu’s place, he was already gone.

"He ran?"

Song Mingguang quickly led a team to neighboring houses to ask when Zhang Shaowu left.

The responses were that shortly after Song Mingguang’s team left this morning, Zhang Shaowu took off.

Song Mingguang regretted: "The neighbors said Zhang Shaowu left less than half an hour after we did, riding a motorcycle."

"He said he was going to the county for treatment."

"Damn! It’s my fault for not noticing!"

Song Mingguang didn’t expect, despite spending so much time with the perpetrator, he hadn’t realized anything amiss.

"It’s not your fault. Collecting hair samples likely alerted him."

Li Donglin took a deep breath.

"Pursue!"

"Zhang Shaowu left on a motorcycle, and with only an afternoon, he can’t have gone far."

"Besides, he has cancer, so even if he fled..."

Wait!

Li Donglin suddenly realized.

Since it’s proven Zhang Shaowu is the murderer, the timing of the crimes made perfect sense.

Time!

If he didn’t kill now, he’d run out of time.

The reason the perpetrator killed four people within one week is because he’s in late-stage cancer, and if he didn’t take revenge soon, he’d miss his chance.

Therefore, there are two possibilities for him to leave home.

One is to avoid police capture.

The other is that he’s planning to kill someone else!

Between these two possibilities, Li Donglin felt the second one was more likely.

Because being terminally ill, evading the police didn’t seem to hold much significance to him.

Unless he has unfinished business, people he hasn’t killed yet.

"Immediately investigate those who participated in the Ping’an County unfinished building project back then!"