Chapter 751: Chapter 402: More Than One Killer (Part 2)

Qin Feng listened and was suddenly struck, as if a silent thunderbolt had pierced him through, dragging his thoughts into a completely new fog.

He almost blurted out, "This, I believe, offers an extremely crucial, perhaps even revolutionary perspective for solving our current case!"

"You mean the murderer likely has no direct interests connected with the two adult victims, but rather might have a profound and unnoticed conflict with the adolescent daughter in the family?"

Jiang An nodded solemnly, his tone as heavy as iron, "So far, we’ve conducted a comprehensive and detailed investigation and thoroughly ruled out the possibility of the two adult victims being murdered out of revenge due to financial disputes, emotional conflicts, or other major issues."

"However, I firmly believe: in this world, there’s neither love nor hate without reason."

"Behind every extreme crime, there’s always a strong, perhaps even twisted motive."

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the two comrades in front of him, and continued, "Among the four deceased, there’s a baby still in its crib, which can basically be ruled out as an individual attracting murder."

"And the other female victim, although quietly lying in bed, is actually a middle school girl."

"Conventionally, a girl of this age might appear to have a simple social circle, but we must not underestimate the complexity of adolescent emotional relationships."

"Is she secretly involved in a romantic relationship?"

"Is there a possibility of undisclosed secret interactions?"

"Could she have even come into contact with certain risky social figures?"

"Therefore," Jiang An’s tone grew firmer, "based on current visits and evidence, I strongly suggest that the next step of the investigation must be deeper and more focused."

"We should concentrate primarily on sorting out the social relationships of this girl, especially her emotional clues."

"The truth unveiled by this path is likely to directly determine the entire direction of the case."

Wan, listening on the side, couldn’t help but nod repeatedly, responding gravely, "Mr. Jiang, you’ve truly opened a key window for us this time."

"Considering carefully, this speculation indeed aligns more closely with the peculiar state presented at the scene — the murderer first severely injured the father and then inflicted extreme violence on the girl, a strong emotional outburst permeates throughout the entire modus operandi."

Jiang An acknowledged, calmly adding, "From the existing signs, this possibility is indeed very likely."

"I have always tried to portray the image of the murderer: what kind of person can have such knowledge of the deceased’s family, yet with motives so strong and personal?"

"Do you say he fully grasps the family’s situation? Not necessarily — he knows part of it, but not all."

"Moreover, from the deep and concentrated knife wounds on the male victim’s chest, he evidently engaged in a fierce fight with the murderer at the time of the attack."

"To create such opposition, it often indicates the murderer is likely male, not weak in physique, and harbors deep resentment emotionally."

"He murdered as a form of release, and then applied violence to the girl, trying to burn the body to erase traces, this seems more like a twisted ritual of concealment and conclusion."

Upon hearing this, Wan and Qin Feng simultaneously fell silent.

The two exchanged a glance, their expressions growing more severe.

A moment later, Qin Feng was the first to speak, his voice steady and clear, "Understood, Mr. Jiang."

"We will immediately expand the investigation, focusing on sorting the emotional experiences of the deceased during her school period and thoroughly investigating her classmates, friends, especially any social connections that might have hidden truths."

Jiang An nodded, "This case has a tremendous social impact, and the pressure to solve it is unprecedented."

"We must race against time and uncover the truth as soon as possible."

He paused briefly, his voice lowering slightly, "Mr. Li over there is likely more anxious than us."

"Today I saw several media reporters directly trying to corner him at his office gate to get updates on the case."

Wan took over, his tone taut, "No wonder."

"Since the incident, public opinion has been escalating almost constantly."

"Not just in Jiangcheng, but across the entire Dragon Country, such an attention-grabbing case is rare."

Jiang An took a deep breath and said, "Various speculations and rumors are spreading fervently... Our most crucial task now is to race against time and find out the truth."

"I’ve always believed that only the truth is the most powerful weapon to shatter rumors."

"As long as we announce the truth as early as possible, those false statements causing trouble will naturally collapse."

"Understood."

Both men responded in unison, then stood up to take their leave.

The office door closed softly, leaving Jiang An alone.

He paced to the whiteboard full of clues, his gaze sweeping over the dense writing, relationship diagrams, and crime scene photos — the basic information of the deceased, social networks, examination reports, timeline deductions...

All information seemed to weave a massive spider web, and the truth quietly lurked beneath an as-yet-unlit structural node.

He repeatedly replayed every detail of the case in his mind, especially the directions proposed tonight.

The older girl, emotional disputes, the possibility of someone around her committing the crime.

Yet what exactly is the motive?

Is it extreme revenge due to emotional deception?

Long-standing jealousy and possession?

Or a deeper, more hidden eruption of hatred?

If it’s a crime of passion, what kind of person is the murderer likely to be? 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Emotionally extreme? Harboring long-term resentment? Or a spur-of-the-moment impulse with cruel means?

The night had deepened, and the entire floor was so quiet that only his own breathing could be heard.

Jiang An leaned his hands on the desk’s edge, his brows tightly furrowed.

He knew, they’re not merely hunting down a murderer but also racing against time and contending with public opinion.

And every clue might become the key to illuminating the truth.

However, solving the case requires both direction and evidence.

He couldn’t help but delve further: Even if they successfully identify the murderer, how can he be brought to justice and smoothly sent to trial?

Though the investigation stage needs to proceed with the aid of logic and clues, truly bringing them to legal judgment relies on solid, complete materials that can form an unbroken evidence chain.

Today’s criminal trials emphasize "evidence-based judgment" — without evidence, even if internally convinced beyond doubt, the judge cannot drop the gavel for conviction.

Upon reflecting on this, Jiang An’s brow furrowed even more.

Solving the case is like a thousand-mile journey, and now it seems they’ve not even completed a third of it.

Arresting the suspect can only be seen as half done.

Truly reaching the finish line means successfully bringing them to court and conducting a lawful trial — that signifies true completion.

A moment later, he unconsciously applied the method of inserting himself to try and reconstruct the crime scene.

If I were the murderer, how would I have carried out all this?

Does it start by knocking on the door?

Engaging in verbal conflict or suddenly attacking the girl’s father?

Then storming indoors to continue the attack?

And at the time, could the mother hiding in the secondary bedroom have instinctively burst out upon hearing strange noises to try and protect her child?

Or did the murderer have no dialogue whatsoever, attacking directly upon meeting?

Committing the murder, then setting fire to destroy evidence and escaping the scene...

Is the murderer really the only one?

Would solitary action be sufficient to complete such a series of complex actions requiring physical strength, control, and a calm mindset?

He suddenly recalled the knife wounds on the male victim’s body, his hands too burned and carbonized to identify defensive wounds.

Yet the chest wounds were evidently concentrated and of similar depth.

If it were an one-on-one attack, the victim should have had intense resistance in his near-death phase, how could the wound distribution be so regular?

How could the confrontation process show a stable output pattern?

Unless — there are more than one murderer!