Notes From A Criminal Investigation Chapter 9

The municipal party secretary took the lead in setting up a special task force

Autumn 2008.

A luxury car arrived at the door of the Municipal Party Committee. A staff member of the Municipal Party Committee was waiting at the door and took the visitor to the small meeting room of the Municipal Party Committee Secretary. After the visitor appeared, the Municipal Party Committee Secretary, the Mayor, the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee, and the Municipal Party Committee Secretary shook hands with him in turn.

The man was in his fifties, thin, wearing a white shirt, trousers and black leather shoes, capable and calm.

Secretary Zhao of the Municipal Party Committee asked: "It has been many years since General Manager Ding left Jiangzhou?"

Ding Chenguang sighed: "Fourteen years."

Secretary Zhao of the Municipal Party Committee said: "We basically reached a consensus when we met in Rongcheng last month. The Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government sincerely welcome Mr. Ding to return to his hometown for development. Jiangzhou Industrial Park is the strongest park in the province's machinery industry, with a complete range of supporting enterprises and preferential policies. Mr. Ding is a veteran in the machinery industry. He was the best in Jiangzhou before, and he has reached a higher level in Rongcheng. If you can return, you will definitely be able to create a situation where Jiangzhou products radiate to many provinces in the west of the Lingnan Mountains, the east of the Lingnan Mountains, and the east of the Hudong Mountains."

Ding Chenguang was silent for a while, and then said, "After meeting with several leaders in Rongcheng last time, I thought about it for a long time. Every time I think of my daughter Ding Li, I feel like a mountain is pressing down on my heart. If my daughter's case is not solved, I will not be able to rest easy after I come back. Don't lie in front of real people. The police have completely given up on my daughter's case, and the special investigation team has long been withdrawn. I have few requests, I just hope that at least someone will take care of my daughter's affairs and not let her die without knowing the truth."

Mayor Haiqiang used to be the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission and is quite knowledgeable about political and legal affairs. He explained: "The case has not been solved, so the task force has definitely not been withdrawn. It's just that old cases have not been solved, and new cases will occur, so people are assigned to new cases. While solving new cases, as long as clues to old cases are found, they will be immediately started."

Ding Chenguang said: "That's true. But as far as I know, the task force no longer exists. Without the task force, who would take care of the old cases? I don't even know who to contact if I want to know the details of the case."

The eastern coastal areas are undergoing industrial upgrading, and related enterprises are moving to the central and western regions. This is a godsend opportunity for Jiangzhou. By attracting Dinggong Group, related supporting enterprises will gradually move to Jiangzhou, which is of strategic significance for the development of Jiangzhou.

Secretary Zhao said, "Don't worry, Mr. Ding. I'll ask Lao Guan from the Public Security Bureau to come over. You can raise any requests you have."

After receiving a call from the municipal party secretary, Guan Peng immediately went to the small conference room.

This conversation had a profound impact on the entire criminal investigation work in Jiangzhou.

After the symposium, Secretary Zhao called Public Security Bureau Chief Guan Peng to his office and told him, "Dinggong Group is considering relocation. Currently, provinces and cities that want to poach Dinggong Group are scrambling to recruit him. Ding Chenguang was able to come back for talks because of the sentiments of his hometown people. 48 billion investment and 3,000 jobs, how important is this to the development of Jiangzhou? You should weigh it yourself, Old Guan."

Guan Peng said: "Don't lie in front of the secretary. Ding Li's case is fourteen years old. In the past, the technical means were poor and the level of criminal police was uneven, so there was not much effective evidence left. Relying on the previous information, the possibility of solving the case now is very small, unless we encounter a dead rat and it is pulled out from other cases."

Secretary Zhao waved his hand and said, "You see, the problem is still limited to public security business, and it has not risen to a political level. Let me repeat, 48 billion investment, 3,000 jobs, how important is this to the development of Jiangzhou. It is a requirement for the public security to solve the murder case, and the public security cannot shirk its responsibility. You go back and immediately re-establish a special task force. This task force must be headed by a dedicated person, and a few police officers should be assigned to be responsible for this case. They should contact General Ding regularly and report the situation. As for how to use the task force and how to mobilize manpower, it is your business, Guan Peng. I know that the public security is carrying out the "Clear Net" operation throughout the province. The task is heavy and the staff is tight, but no matter how tight the staff is, these people in the task force can still be mobilized. Handling the relationship between all parties well, not violating the rules, and being able to solve the problem, this will test your level, Guan Peng, and I believe you can do it well."

After receiving the order, Guan Peng thought of a work plan in the car.

The work plan is divided into two steps. The first step is to replace the criminal police detachment leader. Marcus, the criminal police detachment leader, is relatively old and has been the detachment leader for more than ten years. In recent years, there have been several unsolved murders in Jiangzhou, which has caused much criticism in society. As the old detachment leader, Zhu must leave his post. This is both a normal personnel adjustment and an explanation to the public.

The second step is to appoint Marcus as the leader of the Ding Li special case team. Marcus is a well-known criminal investigation expert in the province. After leaving the post of detachment leader, he can be made the leader of the Ding Li special case team. The retired criminal police detachment leader should be able to give an explanation to Ding Chenguang. The police officers of the special case team can be drawn from various units in the city. In this way, the framework of the special case team can be set up and explained to the municipal party committee without affecting the existing work of various units.

After being studied by the Party Committee of the Public Security Bureau, this work plan was submitted to the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department and the Political and Legal Affairs Commission for approval.

The name "Zhu Zhi" has been with Marcus for many years. This name was given by the outside world and will be taken back sooner or later. Marcus is aware of this. When this day finally came, Marcus was not calm, and could even be described as having mixed feelings.

Liu Zhangang, deputy director of the Jiangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau in charge of criminal investigation, came to Marcus's home with wine and food. As soon as he entered the house, he immediately changed his address and called him "Master" instead of "Zhu Zhi".

As soon as Liu Zhan graduated from the Public Security University, he followed Marcus to solve cases.

His apprentice Liu Zhangang had a successful career, serving as the captain of the Criminal Police Brigade, deputy captain of the detachment, and captain of the Economic Investigation Brigade, and then became a member of the bureau's party committee and deputy director in charge of criminal investigation. Marcus, his master, was still standing still as the captain of the Criminal Police Brigade and was about to retire from the position of criminal investigation commander.

Marcus put on an apron and worked in the kitchen. Marcus's wife peeled garlic and helped. Hearing Liu Zhangang's voice, Marcus walked to the kitchen door with a spatula and said, "I know you're coming today. As usual, let's eat braised pork."

"Master's wife, let me peel the garlic. I need to talk to Master." Liu Zhangang walked into the kitchen and took the garlic. He waited until Master's wife left and said straight to the point: "Director Guan specifically asked for my opinion before the meeting. Master, this is the general trend, you have to understand."

"Zhan Gang, I'm not that fragile. The Yangtze River's waves behind push the waves ahead, and the waves ahead die on the beach. This is the law of nature." Marcus pointed to his apron and smiled bitterly, "You see, I have accepted the reality. I have been busy with cases these years and rarely took care of my family. I will make up for it from now on. I will retreat to the second line, and your sister-in-law will laugh the most happily."

Liu Zhangang said, "Today I was entrusted by Director Guan to discuss something with Master."

Marcus said: "Official matters can be ordered. I am not a detachment leader, but a criminal police officer. As for personal matters, I don't think there is any personal matter that needs to alarm the police."

Liu Zhangang pulled off a piece of garlic skin: "This is a public matter. But to do it well, we must do ideological work on the master. If there is a knot in my heart, it will definitely not be done well. I'll be frank. The municipal party committee is preparing to bring Ding Chenguang's Dinggong Group back to Jiangzhou. It is said that Dinggong Group will invest hundreds of millions in Jiangzhou and provide employment for 3,000 people. Ding Chenguang proposed the relocation conditions and wanted to set up a special task force for the Ding Li case. Director Guan wants you to lead this task force."

This surprised Marcus. He was silent for a few seconds and said, "Is this your suggestion?"

"That was Director Guan's idea. Director Guan asked me to seek his opinion. I personally think Master would agree."

Marcus wiped his hands slowly on his apron and said, "I'm going to retire in a few years after retiring from the position of detachment leader. I will feel very uncomfortable if I stay idle in the detachment for a few years. This task force is the last stage of my life. Before accepting the position of team leader, I have a question for the Municipal Bureau. If a task force is set up only for Ding Li, what will happen to the other unsolved cases? What will the families of the victims think when they know about it? It may cause an uproar."

Liu Zhangang crushed a few cloves of garlic with a kitchen knife and asked, "Master, what do you think?"

Marcus took off his apron and said to his wife, "Old lady, you cook the dishes. Zhan Gang and I have something to do."

Marcus's wife was watching TV leisurely, enjoying the joy of her husband's return to the family. Upon hearing this, she said loudly: "You have retired to the second line, what else do you have to do?"

Marcus walked into the living room, handed the apron to his wife, and said, "I'm retiring, not retiring. I'm still a criminal police officer."

When they arrived at the study, Marcus and Liu Zhangang sat opposite each other.

Marcus said: "I have been a criminal policeman for 30 years, solved countless cases, and made countless contributions. I really deserve these eight words. However, the five murders in Jiangzhou have not been solved. This is the most ruthless slap in my career. It makes me, as a detachment leader, feel ashamed. No matter where I go, I am stabbed in the back. I am ashamed! If I can't solve these murders, my life as a criminal policeman will be in vain. I suggest setting up a special task force to be responsible for these unsolved murders. The name of the task force is named after the day when Ding Li was killed, called the 105 task force, and all the other four unsolved murders will be included in the task force. In this way, I can explain to Ding Chenguang and the other victims."

"We need to consult the relevant department on this matter."

"I'll go help your sister-in-law. You can call Director Guan from the study."

Marcus walked out of the study and did not help his wife, but paced back and forth in the room anxiously. He had long been prepared to step down and had been trying to find a way to let Owen take charge of the five unsolved murders. He stepped down faster than expected, and he lost control of the criminal police detachment in a blink of an eye. The idea of   arranging Owen to be in charge of solving the unsolved murders naturally fell through.

When he came out of Director Guan Peng's office in the morning, he locked himself in the toilet for more than an hour. Although he returned to normal after coming out of the toilet and accepted his fate, he still felt deeply regretful. Who would have thought that when you reach the end of the road, there is always a bright future, and a big gift package suddenly fell from the sky.

Liu Zhan just came out of the study and said, "Director Guan agreed. He asked me to remind you of one thing. Ding Chenguang's daughter Ding Li has been murdered for many years. The special case team was set up specifically for this matter."

Marcus was originally in a low mood, but now his gloomy mood gradually became brighter. He said, "If the task force really wants to take over the task of investigating several other cases, then in terms of management, we can consider making the task force a temporary organization that will exist in the near future, and it can be regarded as an independent unit. Of course, this is just a concept, and it will be decided by the bureau in the end, and it will be effective only after it is approved at the party committee meeting. From the perspective of case investigation, it is not easy to solve old cases, and nine out of ten will be led by new cases. When the party committee discusses it, we have to mention that whenever a new murder case occurs, the 105 task force must participate as an auxiliary unit, similar to the duties of the technical investigation detachment and the forensic department."

Liu Zhangang laughed and said, "Master still has a passionate heart. I agree with Master's suggestion in principle. The whole system is carrying out a major campaign to eliminate gangsters and evil, and each unit has a heavy task. The selection of personnel for the task force must be discussed with each unit."

He still had something to say to his master.

When talking to Guan Peng in the study, the two had briefly discussed the selection of members for the special task force. Guan Peng had no confidence in solving the unsolved case from fourteen years ago. He meant that the best personnel should be kept in each unit. Solving the backlog of cases was important, but the people of Jiangzhou were more concerned about the most recent cases. The current energy of each unit must be focused on the new cases with clues.

Marcus had been a detachment leader for many years, so he naturally understood the principle of "not letting your own land go barren while enriching the fields of outsiders". However, when it came to handling specific cases, he still had to make demands. He said, "Can't I select the members of the task force? If I only select the weakest ones, I won't be able to do anything."

Liu Zhangang said: "My opinion is that each unit recommends two candidates, and then you choose. In addition to you, the task force will have four more members."

Marcus said: "No matter what kind of weird things they are, as long as I can continue to work on the case, I will accept it."

Liu Zhangang laughed and said, "Some policemen are just not very good at their jobs, but they are not crooked. As the saying goes, if a lion leads a group of sheep, the sheep can also become lions. Master is that lion, and he will definitely lead this team well. Director Guan and I are very confident."

"I only want to transfer one person, Owen from the Second Brigade, a newly assigned graduate of the Criminal Investigation Department of the China University of Political Science and Law. He performed very well in investigating the Chen Lingfei case and has special talents in reconstructing crime scenes. He is very suitable to be placed in the task force." Marcus made obvious concessions at first, and finally threw out his real core idea.

"Hou Guolong's son is a freak. He could have been the prince of Guolong Group comfortably, but he insisted on coming here to be a criminal policeman. He is quite good at it, which makes his father very angry." Liu Zhang had just reached a consensus with his master and was in a good mood. He said, "Ask Owen for his opinion before transferring him. If he doesn't want to, don't force him. He is an ordinary policeman, but not an ordinary policeman. The bureau has to consider all the circumstances."

"I will ask for his opinion. In addition, the task force would like to invite Director Lao Jiang to be a consultant." Marcus knew Owen's true intention of becoming a criminal police, so he was absolutely sure that he could convince him to join the task force.

"That's no problem. I can express my opinion."

Two days later, the 105th Special Task Force was formally established, with Marcus as the team leader and Jiang Datie, the former deputy director in charge of criminal investigation, as an advisor. Each unit of the Jiangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau must recommend two police officers to the 105th Special Task Force, who will select them.

After the task force was established, Secretary Zhao of the Municipal Party Committee specially invited Ding Chenguang to the small conference room of the Municipal Party Committee, where Guan Peng explained in person the circumstances of the establishment of the task force.

The 105 task force was named after the date Ding Li was murdered. Using 105 as the task force name clearly tells Ding Chenguang the main purpose of the task force. This name also takes Ding Chenguang's psychological feelings into consideration. Not using Ding Li's name as the task force name will not irritate Ding Chenguang. In addition, using numbers instead of specific names will not cause strong resentment from other victims.

Ding Chenguang felt the sincerity of the municipal party committee and government. After Director Guan Peng finished speaking, he took off his glasses, wiped his eyes, and said, "The municipal bureau has set up a 105 special case team. It would be best if the case can be solved, which can comfort the poor child's soul. I am also a rational person. The case has been going on for fourteen years. It is difficult to solve it, and it may not be solved. As long as someone is still solving the case, I feel comforted. Thank you Secretary Zhao and Mayor Hai, thank you Director Guan. I agree to sign a contract with the municipal government and place the group's headquarters in the industrial park."

The project of great strategic significance finally landed, and Secretary Zhao and Mayor Hai were naturally very happy. Guan Peng took advantage of the two big guys' happiness and asked for equipment. Secretary Zhao and Mayor Hai readily agreed to the Public Security Bureau's request to purchase equipment this time. Equipment is money, equipment is ability, and it is a good deal for Guan Peng to exchange a special task force for more than 20 million equipment. Although these equipment should be installed according to regulations, as long as the municipal party committee and government make excuses that they have no money, the equipment they want will become a moon in the water.

Guan Peng returned to the Public Security Bureau and specifically called Deputy Director Liu Zhangang to convey the opinions of the secretary and the mayor, proposing to improve the conditions for the task force and place it in the old building of the Criminal Police Detachment as a separate household with its own door and yard.

The task force was placed in the old criminal police building, and team leader Marcus and consultant Lao Jiang were particularly satisfied.

Marcus got the list of "elite soldiers" recommended by various units. Although he was mentally prepared, he still slammed the list on the table and cursed. After slamming the table and cursing, looking at Lao Jiang's half-smile, he remembered that he was no longer Zhu Zhi, but just a retired old criminal policeman.

Lao Jiang said: "When people leave, the tea gets cold, words have no effect, and warm faces are cold but.ts. You can slowly experience these feelings, Lao Zhu. I have experienced them in turn, and now I can adapt to them."

Marcus said self-deprecatingly: "I am content as long as I can continue to handle cases."

Lao Jiang put on his glasses, picked up the list again, and said, "When Zhuge Liang burned down Red Cliff, he and Zhou Yu wrote the word 'fire' on their palms. Let's each pick three people and see who has better vision."

There are two types of people on the recommendation list, one is those who are generally recognized by all units as having weak abilities, and the other is those who are generally recognized by all units as troublemakers. The former will cause trouble, and the latter will cause trouble, and both are the types that all units don't like.

Marcus thought for a while and decided, "It's better to have a thorn than a piece of wood." Solving a case is a war. If the task force is full of wood, there is absolutely no way to win the war. He has been a detachment leader for many years and has experience in managing thorns. Even if the thorns have sharp horns on their heads and fangs in their mouths, they must be broken and straightened.

There are conditions for a troublemaker to join the task force. He must have a special skill that can help the task force carry out its work. As the top leader, Director Guan Peng is more concerned about political and social influence. As the head of the task force, Marcus is more concerned about the case investigation. He has been a detachment leader for many years and has been working at the grassroots level for a long time. He can call out the names of most of the old criminal police. He still remembers 90% of the criminal police on the list.

After thinking alone, the two of them wrote down their names.

Lao Jiang was a little unfamiliar with the list of recommendations, but he knew 50% of them. After repeated consideration, he wrote down two names. After he finished writing, he looked at the three names written by Marcus and burst into laughter, saying, "Great minds think alike!"

The first name is Tian Tian,   a female forensic doctor recommended by the Criminal Police Brigade.

Marcus said: "Tian Tian used to be a good kid, but after something happened at home, her attitude towards work became negative, and she didn't really listen to instructions. She probably had three or four arguments with Old Tan."

Old Jiang said: "Tian Tian is a very skilled girl, and is no worse than the provincial medical examiners. As long as she can be mobilized to do things, she is a good hand. I watched her grow up, but I never thought that Old Tian would get into this situation. I never expected it."

Tian Tian's father was a criminal policeman, but later quit to become a lawyer and became a barrister in Jiangzhou. Last year, he was involved in a case and sentenced to five years in prison. After her father's accident, Tian Tian seemed to have changed. She lost interest in work, often found excuses to take sick leave, and quarreled with department heads over trivial matters at work. Therefore, the thorny Tian Tian was put on the recommendation list.

The second name is Fan Yong.

Lao Jiang said, "Fan Sha'er is very hardworking. His strengths and weaknesses are equally obvious. It depends on how he is used. If these cases are really serial murders, then the murderer must be vicious. It would be safer for the task force to have a capable fighter. He also has a wealth of experience in frontline case handling and is a good commander. He is a tough guy."

Fan Yong was a member of the Serious Crime Squad before he was assigned to the Anti-drug Division. His greatest strength is his ability to fight, which is why he was assigned to the First Division. The Anti-drug Division also wanted him because of his ability to fight.

Success or failure is due to Xiao He. Fan Yong is too good at fighting, and he got into big trouble a year ago. At that time, the anti-drug detachment formulated a thorough plan to capture the core drug dealer. This drug dealer is very important and is the core figure of the drug trafficking network. Catching this core figure can basically break the drug trafficking network covering Jiangzhou, and it is even very likely to follow the clues and get rid of most of the drug trafficking network in Shannan.

The provincial department attached great importance to this arrest and sent out capable personnel to coordinate and command. At the beginning, everything went smoothly. When the net was closed, the anti-drug team leader sent the most capable fighter Fan Yong to the front line to act as the arrester for the sake of safety.

The drug dealer was good with a gun. If he pulled out his gun and fired, casualties were inevitable, and he might not be captured alive. The plan was to send two investigators into the house to hide. When the drug dealer entered the house and turned on the light, Fan Yong grabbed his right hand and another investigator grabbed his left hand. By controlling both hands, the drug dealer could not use his gun.

Thanks to accurate intelligence and solid preliminary work, Fan Yong and another investigator successfully controlled the drug dealer's hands. The surprise was that the drug dealer was stronger than expected, and the two strong investigators failed to completely hold him down. The drug dealer struggled desperately, biting the ear of another investigator and pulling hard. The investigator's ear was bleeding, but he gritted his teeth and held the drug dealer's hand firmly.

Seeing his teammates injured, Fan Yong was so angry that he elbowed the drug dealer in the head. The drug dealer was hit in the head by the tip of the elbow, and the back of his head hit the ground hard, and he lost consciousness.

Another scout's ear was almost torn off, leaving only a layer of skin.

The drug dealer suffered a brain injury and became a vegetable after being rescued.

As a frontline policeman, Fan Yong risked his life to fight drug dealers, and the accidental injuries caused should not be borne by frontline policemen. However, after Fan Yong elbowed the drug dealer, a campaign-level achievement became a tactical-level achievement. What was originally a good meal became half-cooked rice, which could no longer be eaten. The provincial department and the municipal bureau were greatly disappointed, and they were full of anger, but they could not vent it.

This time, the 105th task force mobilized personnel, and the anti-drug detachment reported Fan Yong.

Marcus asked, "Did Director Jiang write one less person?"

Lao Jiang said: "I don't recognize many policemen anymore, so I can't choose any more. Who is this, Ge Xiangdong, the economic investigation officer?"

Marcus said: "Ge Xiangdong is a tall man among short people. He has his own characteristics. Little Ge majored in fine arts and is very good at sketching. His weaknesses and characteristics are that he is well connected and familiar with economics. Ding Chenguang is an entrepreneur, and Ding Li's death is most likely related to a competitor. Little Ge's talent may be of some use."

Ge Xiangdong is an economic investigation policeman. He does not cause trouble in the unit and is smooth in dealing with people. However, he is not very serious about his work and is ordinary. He mainly focuses on helping his family's business. The current economic investigation detachment leader believes that Ge Xiangdong is too shrewd and smooth and is not suitable to stay in the economic investigation. This time, a special case team was set up and he was reported.

Five unsolved homicides

The office of Task Force 105 is located in the old office building of the Criminal Police Brigade.

The old criminal police office building is a four-story blue brick building with a separate entrance and courtyard. When it was used as the criminal police base, it was very noisy and crowded. There were only five people in the special case team. After moving in, each of them had an independent office and a dormitory upstairs. Except that the house was a little shabby, the conditions were really good.

On the day of reporting, Marcus drove a police car to the task force's residence. Before the car stopped, Owen drove an off-road vehicle into the yard. The off-road vehicle had a square shape, a high chassis, a huge body, and imposing headlights, which looked more domineering than the half-old police car next to it.

When Owen was interning in the Second Squadron, he concealed his identity as the prince of Guolong Group. Now that Owen's true identity is no longer news, he drove the SUV he usually used over here without hiding it.

Marcus got out of the car, walked around the SUV, clicked his tongue twice, and said, "After the meeting, you come with me and drive this car."

Owen was not on the list of recommendations submitted by the various units of the Municipal Bureau. Marcus specifically sought out Owen for a talk, and as expected, Owen readily agreed to join the special case team without any hesitation.

"Okay!" Owen followed Marcus towards the office building.

"The task force is the Jiangzhou City Public Security Bureau's task force, not the Criminal Police Brigade's task force, and is directly under the charge of the deputy director in charge, Liu Zhangang. The task force is independent and we have to manage it in a formal manner, like a unit. You will be responsible for collecting case materials and internal coordination, and take the initiative to connect with various departments. The bureau will also dispatch a police car, and you will be responsible for managing two police cars." Marcus explained as he walked, with his hands behind his back.

Half an hour later, a sturdy man appeared in the yard. He was strong and well-proportioned, with broad shoulders and a thin waist. It was Fan Yong who had attacked so "brutally".

Owen was appointed as the "office director" and went downstairs to meet Fan Yong. Fan Yong stared at the young man in front of him and said, "Your eyebrows are really weird."

Owen smiled and said, "This is natural. Your hairstyle is also nice."

Fan Yong had a cool hair style, with his ears as the boundary, clean shaved below the ears and short hair above the ears. He shook Owen's hand tightly, trying to perform a handshake, but Owen's wrist was very flexible, and he flipped to the right and escaped Fan Yong's "poisonous" hand in an instant.

Fan Yong grinned and said, "I heard from Da Zui that you are very good at catching people, and it's true. I would like to suggest to the captain to set up a fitness room on the first floor. The 105 task force is small, and everyone must be strong and tough."

Owen took the famous Fan Yong to the office on the second floor. Fan Yong stood at the door and said with an exaggerated smile: "In the criminal police detachment, only the captain level has a separate office. I enjoy this level in advance."

Owen saw his expression and asked a pointed question: "Are you willing to join the task force?"

"My nickname is Fan Sha'er, but I'm not really stupid. As long as I don't want to be an official, any unit I go to is a job. Following the captain and concentrating on solving cases, I'm actually quite happy." Fan Yong added, "You are a newly graduated criminal police officer, and you should be stupid. But you are different from them. After all, the second generation of the rich is the second generation of the rich, and you are well-informed and not a rookie at all."

The nickname "Fan Shaer" is quite famous in the Municipal Bureau. Owen came to a conclusion through his contact with him: this person has a pig-like face but a bright heart, and he is a partner who can cooperate with him.

A red women's car appeared in the yard. Tian Tian,   wearing cyan trousers, a light grey shirt, and short hair, looked up at Owen standing on the second floor without saying hello.

Owen waved to him and pointed to the second floor.

"Here's your office, keys."

"Um."

"The dormitory is on the fourth floor. Here's the key."

"Um."

"There will be a meeting in the small conference room on the third floor. I'll call and let you know."

"knew."

Tian Tian was still as cold as before and did not exchange pleasantries even though they were about to become colleagues.

After getting off the car, Ge Xiangdong waved enthusiastically to Owen upstairs.

The last member to arrive was not Ge Xiangdong, but the retired police dog Da Li. Da Li had just gotten out of the car, and regardless of his old age and frailty, he limped and ran around the old building, his long tongue sticking out and drooling non-stop.

When Fan Yong, Tian Tian and Ge Xiangdong arrived, Marcus did not show up. But when he heard Da Li's voice, he rushed downstairs and hugged the retired old dog in the yard.

Ge Xiangdong went upstairs and stood in the corridor with Owen. Ge Xiangdong said: "Da Li is a meritorious police dog who has retired. I thought it was dead, but I didn't expect it to be alive. Zhu Zhi used to be a dog trainer and had a deep relationship with Da Li."

The first meeting of the task force was simple. Consultant Lao Jiang had a fever and did not show up. Marcus hosted the meeting. When Marcus was the head of the criminal police detachment, he always had a fierce look on his face in the office. The old criminal police who had a good relationship with him jokingly called him Zhu Lengmian. Now that he has joined the task force, the fierce look on Marcus's face has suddenly disappeared and he has become amiable. He took the cigarette from Ge Xiangdong and smoked it with relish, and joked: "Grandet has also started to pass out cigarettes."

The nickname was called out mercilessly, and "Grandet" immediately became a popular name for Ge Xiangdong in the task force, just like "Fan Shaer" replaced Fan Yong.

Ge Xiangdong laughed at himself and said, "Captain, that was many years ago. I had just graduated and was so poor that I really couldn't afford cigarettes."

Marcus smiled and said, "Don't call me the captain anymore. Call me the team leader. Team leader is also fine!"

Ge Xiangdong, Tian Tian,   Fan Yong and even Owen were all used to Marcus's serious expression, and they were extremely uncomfortable and awkward listening to him joking.

The first meeting did not discuss the specific case. Marcus talked about the purpose, main tasks and management system of setting up the task force, and then the members of the task force introduced themselves.

Half an hour later, the first meeting of the task force ended. Marcus called Owen and went to Jiangzhou Cemetery.

Owen took the police car keys and drove straight to the cemetery. Marcus closed his eyes and rested after getting in the car. He didn't speak a word and returned to the demeanor of a detachment leader. As the car approached the cemetery, the atmosphere became more and more depressing.

When the car stopped, Marcus opened his eyes and said, "You are quite familiar with this road."

Owen said: "I come here often."

When entering the stone path of the cemetery, Owen was shrouded in invisible depression and felt gloomy.

Marcus walked in front with his hands behind his back, and Owen followed him silently. Marcus walked around the hill in the cemetery for a few times and came to an old tomb, silently looking at the tombstone. There were chrysanthemums and traces of incense and candles in front of the tombstone. The tombstone was inlaid with a porcelain photo commonly used in Jiangzhou. The photo was of a beautiful girl who kept smiling. The girl was about the same age as Leo, full of youth, forming a strong contrast with the overall atmosphere of the cemetery.

"Ding Li, the daughter of Ding Chenguang." Marcus said softly, as if afraid of waking up the sleeping person in the tomb.

Owen felt a surge of stuffiness in his chest, which made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Whether or not a special task force is set up, we have the responsibility to bring the murderer to justice. New cases occur every year. When old cases cannot be solved for a long time, we can only put them aside temporarily and handle them again when we have clues. There is nothing we can do about it. Since the 105 special task force has been established, we can't just muddle through and must go all out to solve the case. Even if we can solve one before we retire, our life as a criminal policeman will not be in vain." Marcus stood in front of the tomb, seemingly talking to Owen, but also as if he was talking to himself.

In front of the victim's grave, Owen couldn't help but think of Leo when he met the victim's eyes in the photo. Ding Li was actually much older than Leo, but because her life was also frozen in her youth, Owen had the illusion that they were of the same age.

After standing in front of Ding Li's tomb for a while, Marcus took Owen to two other tombs, all of which were victims of unsolved murders that would be handed over to the special investigation team. Marcus was familiar with the locations of these victims in the cemeteries and could always find the most convenient path to the cemeteries.

"There is another victim named Jiang Changsheng, whose home is near Shi'an Bridge and he is not buried here."

When he heard the words "Shi'an Bridge", Owen's thick eyebrows tightened.

Marcus suddenly said: "Take me to see the girl."

Owen looked at Marcus in surprise, and without asking any more questions, he turned and walked towards Leo's grave. The two came to Leo's grave. Marcus looked at the tombstone silently for a while. On the tombstone was written "Tomb of beloved daughter Leo", and the signature was "Parents standing in tears". The face of the tombstone was simple, but it contained endless grief.

The two stood side by side in front of the tombstone. After a while, Marcus said silently to the girl on the tombstone: "Owen is a good guy. You have good taste. Rest in peace."

On the tombstone, Leo had been looking at Owen, their eyes intertwined in the air. The love letter written by Leo arrived again as promised, emerging from the depths of his mind, and every word was calling Owen affectionately.

After leaving Leo's tomb, Marcus said, "Do you understand why I asked you to come to the cemetery alone today?"

Owen nodded and then shook his head.

Marcus walked in front with his hands behind his back. His gray hair made him look more like an immortal. "The task force is a temporary organization. If it is not used well, it will be useless. If it is used well, it will be a platform for doing big things. You must manage the internal affairs of the task force, build necessary institutions such as the physical evidence room, archives room and equipment room, and be prepared for big battles and protracted wars. The task force will be centered around you. You must understand this and take on greater responsibilities."

"why me?"

"It can only be you. No one else can take this responsibility."

"Why?"

"Do you still firmly believe that Xiao Yang was murdered?"

"Although there is no evidence, I still firmly believe that without external force, Leo would not have fallen into the river anyway." Owen pointed to his head and said, "The scene of her riding a bicycle across Shi'an Bridge has become a movie clip in my mind, playing over and over again."

"In fact, criminal police are very reluctant to bring in personal emotions. Bringing in too much emotion will affect judgment and even lead to serious consequences. However, what makes us human is that we have emotions. You have to control your emotions and not let them hinder the investigation. If, I mean if Xiao Yang was really murdered, it can only be pulled out of other cases. The conditions at the scene at the time could not solve the case."

Marcus stopped here and said, "This is why you can take responsibility. Think about it slowly and you will understand."

The car drove forward along the hillside, leaving behind countless funeral supply stores. After Marcus said what he wanted to say, he became silent. After arriving at the task force's station, he did not say another word.

Ge Xiangdong and Fan Yong had been waiting for the detachment commander and Owen in the old criminal police building.

Fan Yong worked out on the first floor, exuding a very masculine smell of sweat. He said, "It's strange that Grandet actually wants to treat us."

"Fan Sha'er, please take a shower quickly. The smell is pungent." Ge Xiangdong was well-dressed, wearing all branded clothes, which formed a sharp contrast with the rough policeman in front of him.

Fan Yong wiped his sweat with a towel and said, "Grandet, the stingy guy has been plucked out."

Ge Xiangdong said: "I've arrived at a new company, so I'll treat my old bosses and colleagues to a meal as a way of paying my respects. I'll pay for it myself, not the company's money, so don't make sarcastic comments."

When Ge Xiangdong was a criminal policeman, he carried out many missions with Fan Yong, and even stayed together for three days. The two were old acquaintances and spoke casually.

Hearing the car horn, Ge Xiangdong went to the corridor to take a look. A few minutes later, he came to Owen's office, took Owen's hand after entering the room, and said enthusiastically: "Today is a good day for the special task force, let's have a drink tonight. I'll treat you."

Owen said, "Okay. You treat me today, and I'll treat you another day."

Ge Xiangdong said generously: "Then it's a deal. I'll go and ask the captain."

Marcus planted a pot of asparagus fern on the windowsill and was pruning the branches when Ge Xiangdong walked in.

"Grandet's treat is a rare opportunity, let's go." When Marcus was the detachment leader, he always had a stern face and a look of deep hatred, which scared his subordinates. After he came to the task force, he became amiable and very friendly.

Ge Xiangdong smiled and said, "It's an honor for me to invite the captain. I'll have a big dinner tonight."

Ge Xiangdong had his own reasons for being so enthusiastic in organizing the dinner. His wife's family was doing well in Jiangzhou. He was overjoyed when he learned that Owen had been transferred to the special case team. This was a great opportunity to bring the family business into the Guolong Group.

The dinner party was quite successful that night, and everyone drank a lot of wine. The only regret was that Tian Tian did not attend, so the task force was not fully assembled.

With a strong motivation to solve the Leo case, Owen took the initiative to promote the task of building a special case team. The Municipal Bureau was not very convenient to use money, so he commissioned Lucas Company to renovate the old Criminal Police Building according to the setting of the Criminal Police Detachment, and purchased a batch of plastic boxes to place physical evidence, and also purchased a batch of metal filing cabinets to store files and archives.

Chang, who was sent by Ding Chenguang to contact the task force, learned that Owen was seeking sponsorship to buy equipment in the name of "co-construction between police and the public", so he found Marcus and took over the rest of the matter. Chang also purchased the best equipment available on the market, such as a multi-purpose on-site investigation box, a strong light search light, a special light for footprint search, and a three-dimensional trace extraction box, according to the purchase order, and sponsored them to the task force.

Ten days later, Deputy Director Liu Zhangang arrived at the task force. He first stood in front of the old office building and reminisced about his youth before meeting Marcus on the second floor. After discussing business in the house, they went to the third floor to visit the newly built equipment room, evidence room and archive room.

Liu Zhangang sighed: "The overall budget is tight, but the special task force is the only one that has a carefree life!"

Marcus said: "This is a joint effort between the police and the public. The task force does not accept cash, so it is not a big problem for the co-construction units to send some office supplies."

When we arrived at the meeting room on the third floor, Owen was writing and drawing on the blackboard with chalk. As he was highly focused, he did not notice the two leaders approaching behind him.

The old blackboard in the conference room on the third floor was used by the former criminal police detachment to study cases. In those years, all major cases had appeared on the blackboard. Over the countless years, chalk was written and erased, erased and written again, witnessing the ups and downs of major criminal cases in Jiangzhou.

On the blackboard was a summary of five unsolved murders handed over to the task force. Owen wrote down the most basic elements such as the time and location of the crime, then stood two meters away, folding his hands and thinking.

Liu Zhangang deliberately asked: "These elements are very clear in the files. What is your purpose in doing this?"

Owen heard the voices and saw the two leaders behind him. After greeting them, he said, "Solving a case is like a math problem. You have to list all the evidence you can find and solve the problem based on the evidence. I listed all the file elements because I wanted to find a clue that could connect the case. The information attached to the clue will definitely be reflected in the most basic elements. However, we are still unable to decipher the password that locks the information."

Liu Zhangang said: "The criminal police team should use as few roundabout words as possible. Use the most concise language to express your meaning just now. There should be no ambiguity and you should not make people rack their brains to understand."

Marcus said bluntly: "Speak human language."

Owen said: "I want to find the basis for linking the cases together."

Liu Zhangang said: "You are influenced by the captain and always think that the cases can be linked together."

Marcus explained: "I never discussed the case with Owen. He was figuring it out on his own."

Liu Zhangang stopped by the old Criminal Police Building today, parked his car temporarily, and planned to leave after taking a look at the operation of the special task force. Deep down, he was actually the same as Director Guan Peng, and had no hope that the special task force would solve the five unsolved homicide cases. Although the special task force might not be able to solve the case, because it involved big investors like Ding Chenguang, the problem became complicated and rose to whether it was highly consistent with the municipal party committee and government. Therefore, regardless of whether the special task force could solve the case, at least the leaders should be concerned enough. This is a matter of attitude and must be fully recognized.

The deputy director in charge of criminal investigation inspected the work of the special case team. This was an opportunity for Marcus to use his leadership authority to rally people's hearts. Marcus had experienced many ups and downs and had a very clear understanding of people's hearts. Now that he no longer had the position of detachment leader, it was really difficult for him to unite the team to do something valuable. Sometimes it was necessary to wave the flag and pretend to be a tiger.

The second meeting of the task force was held immediately, and the deputy director in charge, Liu Zhangang, attended in person.

Six people gathered in the conference room, and Owen introduced the basic situation of the five cases.

The first case is the Ding Li case.

The crime occurred at 18:17 on October 5, 1994, when it was raining.

When talking about the first one, Owen's heart skipped a beat, because it rained heavily the day Leo disappeared. He thought to himself: "Is there a coincidence between the two?"

Place of murder: The left room on the second floor of the machinery factory family dormitory at No. 235-1, Zhongshan Street, Jiangzhou City.

Case details: On October 5, Ding Li was killed at home. The victim was naked, her neck was cut open, with six knife wounds, and there were signs of molestation, but no s3xual intercourse took place.

Cause of death: Death caused by cutting the neck with a sharp object.

Entering the scene: It is presumed that the perpetrator followed the target and entered the home (the doors and windows were intact and undamaged, and the victim had a key to enter the house).

Feature 1: The victim in this case had resistance wounds on his hands.

Feature 2: 540 yuan in cash was stolen from the home, and the wardrobe and drawers in the master bedroom showed signs of being rummaged through.

...

Marcus said: "Everyone, please share your views on this case. Talk about whatever you want to talk about. It doesn't matter if you make mistakes or miss the main points. Don't be constrained."

After Fan Yong and Ge Xiangdong arrived at the task force, they were completely unable to get into their roles.

After leaving the anti-drug detachment, Fan Yong felt bored as if his tight rubber band relaxed. In order to maintain his physical ability, he worked out and practiced boxing downstairs every day. Ge Xiangdong took advantage of the relatively idle period when the task force was under construction to help his wife's family do business. Ge Xiangdong's wife sighed many times: How happy it would be if the task force continued to be idle like this.

The two of them were not paying attention to the case, so naturally they could not come up with any valuable opinions.

Tian Tian graduated from the forensic medicine department and gained rich experience while working in the criminal police team. She said from a professional perspective: "There were six stab wounds in total. There was a wound on the throat of the neck that reached deep into the trachea, which was the fatal blow. There was a penetrating wound on the palm, which was a resistance wound. The murderer was physically strong and was most likely an experienced butcher or doctor."