Chapter 740: Chapter 397: Perimeter Investigation! (2)

The old man shook his head, his expression slightly grim, and said, "That’s all I know."

"Ever since this happened, the nearby houses have been on edge."

"Look, I’ve kept my door shut even during the daytime, partly to watch over the chickens and ducks, but mainly because I’m scared."

"These days, bad people pop up out of nowhere. The neighbors all feel unsafe when it’s mentioned."

Hearing this, Wan felt a tightening in his chest and responded firmly, "Rest assured, our criminal police team will do our utmost to solve the case and catch the killer as soon as possible, restoring peace to our area!"

After wrapping up here, Wan took a few team members to the next neighbor’s house to continue the investigation.

At the same time, Qin Feng from the criminal investigation team was leading another group in checking the social connections of the deceased.

He sat in the car with a recent call log of the deceased Ma Qiang in hand, circling the four most frequently contacted people in the past month.

The young officer on the driver’s seat asked while driving, "Brother Qin, do you think one of these people might be the killer?"

Qin Feng’s lips moved slightly as he gave a wry smile, "It’s hard to say right now."

"Even if you asked Captain Zhang, he probably doesn’t have a clue either."

He sighed and continued analyzing, "This case is unusual. The killer not only killed but also set the scene ablaze, showcasing extreme malice."

"More notably, this person has a strong anti-detection awareness — the fire destroyed many traces."

"So far, no fingerprints have been left at the scene, nor any obvious clues, indicating it’s not a spur-of-the-moment act but rather done by someone experienced and premeditated."

"Yeah!" The young officer chimed in, "This case is truly baffling."

Qin Feng said, "But no matter what, we still need to gather as many clues as possible."

"As Mr. Li often says, solving cases and catching criminals is our duty, and no matter how difficult, we must push through."

Ten minutes later, using the address from the call records, they found Chen Ping, who had had the most frequent contact with Ma Qiang recently.

Chen Ping was minding his small supermarket when he saw two unfamiliar middle-aged men walking in. He quickly greeted them warmly, "Gentlemen, what do you need?"

"We have an assortment of daily necessities, snacks, and drinks."

Before he finished, Qin Feng had already taken out his police badge from his bag, calmly declaring his identity.

"Hello, we’re officers from the Jiangcheng criminal investigation team, currently handling a case, and we need your cooperation for some inquiries."

Before Qin Feng could finish, Chen Ping, slightly hurried, replied with evident nervousness, "Officer, we’re definitely operating legally here. Our business license and health permits are all in place, and we’ve never sold counterfeit goods. You’re welcome to check."

Qin Feng exchanged a glance with the officer beside him before explaining in a more relaxed tone, "Don’t worry, we’re not here to check on product quality."

"We’ve come mainly to ask about the deceased Ma Qiang."

"You know Ma Qiang, right?"

At the mention of "Ma Qiang," Chen Ping’s expression changed slightly, and he quickly said, "Yes, yes, I know him..."

He then shook his head, "Sigh, who would have thought his entire family would meet such a tragedy, it’s so awful..."

Qin Feng continued, "We noticed that you’ve been in frequent contact with Ma Qiang recently, so we’ve come to understand some details of your interactions. We hope you can tell us honestly."

Chen Ping hurriedly replied, "No problem, ask anything you want, and I’ll cooperate."

"But, I mostly just had business dealings with him."

"Where were you last night?"

Chen Ping hesitated for a moment, then stuttered, "Last night... Last night, I actually went to a foot massage parlor, came back in the middle of the night."

Seeing his hurried tone and uneasy look, Qin Feng slowed his speech to reassure, "Don’t overthink it; we’re not implying you’re related to the case. This is just routine inquiry to gather more information."

The young officer taking notes couldn’t help but lower his head and smirk.

This person hadn’t even been asked about their whereabouts yet instantly volunteered that he was at a foot massage parlor last night, truly embodying the old saying: ’A clear conscience knows no fear.’

Under normal circumstances, under the pressure of a homicide investigation, an average person asked ’where they were last night’ would likely answer ’at home asleep.’

But he immediately divulged something as ordinary as going for a foot massage, as if fearing implication.

Qin Feng continued to ask, "You often kept in touch with Ma Qiang. What was your relationship like?"

Chen Ping, finally a bit calmer, pointed to the far end of the store, saying, "See over there, the vegetable section — most of that produce comes from his greenhouse."

"We’ve cooperated for many years, ever since I opened this small supermarket, I’ve been getting my vegetables from him."

"His vegetable prices are fair, the quality is good, and they’re fresh, selling well here."

"I even called him twice yesterday morning to ask him to send more tomatoes and carrots, who would’ve thought..."

He sighed and lowered his tone, "It’s really like unexpected clouds up in the sky... Such a good family, gone just like that. When I heard the news, I was stunned; I still find it hard to believe."

Qin Feng gazed at the neatly arranged, fresh-colored vegetables, paused for a moment, and nodded.

Then, Qin Feng continued his in-depth inquiry, "When you talked to Ma Qiang yesterday, did you notice anything unusual in his tone or mood?"

"Like he was more anxious or nervous than usual, or said anything strange?"

Chen Ping seriously recalled for a moment, opened his hands, and said, "Honestly, no, Officer."

"He sounded just like usual, spoke happily, even joked that he’d deliver the tomatoes first thing this morning, and mentioned he needed to pick tomatoes and carrots fresh from the greenhouse last night."

"Who would’ve thought... Such an incident would occur today, thinking back makes my spine chill."

At this moment, images of the crime scene flashed through Qin Feng’s mind.

On the small cart in the deceased’s courtyard, there indeed were two bags of fresh tomatoes and a bundle of carrots.

Every detail matched Chen Ping’s description.

He indifferently continued questioning, "Aside from business, how much do you know about Ma Qiang as a person?"

"His character, personality, or the people he frequently interacted with?"

Chen Ping confidently replied, "Besides business, we occasionally had drinks and chats."

"He’s a straightforward person, flexible in handling things, not one to haggle over every penny."

"Not just me, many local merchants enjoyed working with him because he’s reliable and his supply is stable."

Qin Feng promptly threw out the key question, "Do you know if he ever had any enmities in business or had had any serious conflicts with anyone?"

Chen Ping furrowed his brow, trying to recall, then said, "No major conflicts that I’m aware of."

"But in their village, there’s another guy named Zhao Gang, also in the greenhouse vegetable trade, both on a large scale."

"Last year, during a drinking session, I noticed some noticeable scratches on Ma Qiang’s forehead and jokingly asked if his wife ’sorted him out.’"

"He said it was a minor scuffle with Zhao Gang over competing for clients, but it was a small dispute. Nothing seemed to come of it later, so we didn’t pay much attention."

"Other than that... I really haven’t heard anything."

Shifting his focus, Qin Feng asked, "What about Ma Qiang’s wife? Do you know her well?"

"Ever hear about their marital relationship?"

Chen Ping shook his head, saying, "I’ve seen his wife twice, both times accompanying Ma Qiang on deliveries."

"She seems like a simple person, not very talkative, but someone who leads a down-to-earth life."

"They seemed harmonious as a couple from what I’ve seen, and I’ve heard of no issues."

Subsequently, Qin Feng posed several questions in other directions but gained no valuable clues.

Finally, he closed his notebook and said to Chen Ping, "Thank you very much for your cooperation."

"If you recall any details later, please feel free to contact us."

As they turned to leave, Chen Ping suddenly grabbed Qin Feng’s arm, his voice earnest and uneasy, "Officer, please solve this case as soon as possible... Even though we’re a bit far from Ma Qiang’s place."

"With such a huge incident, no one dares to open their door at night. Everyone is truly on edge."

Qin Feng solemnly nodded and replied, "Rest assured, finding the true perpetrator and ensuring the public’s safety is our duty as criminal police."

"We won’t overlook any clue, and justice will not be absent."

At the same time, in the city’s police laboratory, Director Ma was intensely focused on the numbers slowly changing on the screen.

When the progress bar finally reached the end — 56%, 57%...98%, 99%, 100%

He immediately turned and said to his assistant, "The chart is ready for printing, and the test results are all completed."