Diary of a Criminal Investigator-Chapter 356: Splitting Into Two Groups

Yunzhou and Huangzhou are both in the south, and for this business trip to Liangzhou City, there’s no coming back in less than ten days to half a month.

Moreover, when the Criminal Investigation Team goes on a trip, it’s rare for them to take flights.

Most of the time, the type of transportation used within the system isn’t decided based on the urgency of the work, but based on the rank of the personnel traveling.

For someone like Cheng Zihao from the Criminal Investigation Team, the highest rank they can sit on a train is hard sleeper; soft sleeper is not allowed.

Actually, speaking economically, sometimes the airfare is cheaper than the train’s sleeper tickets.

But it doesn’t matter now, the dismemberment case is a three-year-old unsolved case, so the urgency of the investigation isn’t about one or two days.

The two groups went straight home to pack up some luggage and things, and set off today.

"Pay attention to the methods, communicate with the local colleagues more, and call anytime if there’s any problem."

At the train station, Cheng Zihao was giving final instructions.

"Don’t worry, Brother Cheng, we’re not newbies, we’ll complete the task for sure."

Cheng Zihao nodded, these were people he trained personally, so naturally, he was confident in them.

Moreover, they were just going to follow up on Zhang Can’s disappearance case, not so much danger involved.

But on his side, he needed to be more careful; if Wang Jian was really the murderer, then he might not have killed just one person.

According to the autopsy results of the dismemberment case at that time, the person was experienced, with relatively professional dismemberment skills.

Dismemberment is both a physical work and a technical work.

The strength of human bones is much harder than many people imagine; for example, the human skull can generally withstand a forceful blow of 200 to 500 kilograms.

In some murder cases, the method the killer uses to kill is blunt force trauma to the skull causing the other’s death.

From the forensic autopsy results of such deceased bodies, it’s rare for a single blow to cause death; the vast majority involve multiple blows, 10 times, 20 times, or even more are common.

This method of striking, although causing some damage to the skull, truly causes death by the transmission of shock force leading to damage inside the skull, resulting in death.

But the skull itself is relatively undamaged.

So is the skull, so are other bones.

The hardness of bones means the tools needed for dismemberment must be strong, otherwise, one must have advanced technique.

Knowing how to skillfully separate and dismember along the bone seams.

And this skill is commonly known as "butchering an ox as a butcher."

The killer in the dismemberment case used the method of "butchering an ox," as there are no signs of ax or saw damage on the bones.

The killer used a certain type of knife, moving along the bone seams for dismemberment, and though the technique wasn’t particularly familiar with, causing many scratches on the cartilage, it’s absolutely professional from an ordinary person’s perspective.

Such ability is unlikely to be gained simply through slaughtering pigs, more likely accumulated from multiple murders and dismemberments.

After all, the structure of human bones is different from pig bones.

Speaks of the person having a background in forensic learning, that’s unlikely, as the method is relatively crude, not reaching the level of professional study and training.

While Cheng Zihao and others were swaying in the train, Lu Chuan once again locked himself in the Crime Scene Investigation underground lab.

Amidst over thirty imprinted footprints, Lu Chuan not only had to distinguish them but also compare and finally determine which prints were left on the top, and in greater quantity.

This time, Lu Chuan used image layering from image processing software. Given the variation in imprint pressure and clarity, the task was tough and meticulous.

After a day, Lu Chuan had only completed less than ten sets of footprint layering analysis.

This progress was even slower than Lu Chuan had expected yesterday. Originally thought to complete the analysis of over thirty sets within two to three days, but now seeing, it might take three to four days.

Nevertheless, taking longer doesn’t matter.

Currently, the Criminal Investigation Team hasn’t encountered new cases; Ren Qiang and Sun Jun are still dealing with previous cases.

Although Lu Chuan’s side provided direct clues, and the suspect there was caught, the follow-up interrogation evidence corroboration still requires a lot of procedures.

Three to five days’ time isn’t enough for them to wrap up.

Meanwhile, Cheng Zihao’s several subordinates arrived in Yunzhou.

"Zhang Can, in his twenties, went out to work, never having a fixed place, some years in the south, later went north, simply went wherever there’s money and friends endorsing him."

Zhang Can’s wife and Zhang Can were childhood friends, grew up in the same village. After marriage, Zhang Can went out to work, staying outside intermittently these years.

"But every year near the New Year he would come back, stay at home for a couple of months, and basically video-call with the kids and me every day."

"Yet three years ago, he suddenly lost contact, not answering video calls, and the phone couldn’t be reached either. Later, it turned off and couldn’t be contacted anymore."

"That’s when we reported to the police."

"Do you know where he worked and with whom he stayed that year?"

"Heard it was in Tianzhou City, but there was no discovery upon checking there."

Tianzhou City?

"Did he mention going to work in Liangzhou City?"

"He seemed to have mentioned it in passing, but I can’t remember clearly."

"What about people? Who did he leave with?"

"When he was in Tianzhou, he was with people from our village. Later suddenly parted, I inquired and was told he went off with a guy surnamed Wang, and afterwards, he wasn’t seen by village folks anymore."

"Is that person called Wang Jian?"

"I don’t know, only know he’s surnamed Wang."

"Are those who worked with your husband from the village still around? Can you take us to meet them?"

Huangzhou, Construction Road Police Station.

"Old Huang, this is Cheng Zihao, the leader from Liangzhou City Criminal Investigation Team, here to investigate something; you’re most familiar with our jurisdiction’s community situation, please introduce."

"Okay, Chief, don’t worry. Hello, Captain Cheng, I’m Huang Jun, responsible for community work at the station."

Old Huang is indeed aged, over fifty.

Here the station chief mentioned that in his lifetime at the Construction Road Police Station, Old Huang engaged in residency work. Later, when computers came around, he couldn’t grasp them and took up community work instead.

"Brother Huang, I’m no captain. Just call me Cheng."

While saying this, Cheng Zihao handed over a cigarette: "Brother Huang, I came this time to find a person named Wang Jian; here’s his information."

Nationwide networked household registration system, Huang Jun first received the cigarette, then checked Wang Jian’s information.

"Oh, it’s him, I know this person."

"Know him?"

Brightening up, Cheng Zihao’s eyes widened, "Brother Huang, tell me, what’s his story?"

"Wang Jian is a local here; his father was a security guard at a cotton mill; we had frequent dealings, so I got to know him."

"A few years back, there was a fire at their home, and his father burned to death inside, after which Wang Jian went out to work, hardly returning once a year."

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