Chapter 571: Chapter 571: Arrival in Qinzhou City

According to the situation provided by the waiter in the hotpot restaurant, the child was simply a brat.

The surveillance video clearly shows the child running around, playing with a paper airplane.

The three crime suspects behind the screen weren’t even the first targets the child bothered.

Before the child’s paper airplane flew into their hotpot, the child had already bumped into a woman dining at the next table.

However, the woman was quite magnanimous and didn’t make a fuss.

The child’s parents didn’t scold the child either, allowing the child to continue playing around.

The trigger seemed to be when the child’s airplane flew into someone’s hotpot and instead of apologizing, the parents argued with the others.

As the waiter recalled, the parents thought that the kid was so young and didn’t know any better, that the three grown men shouldn’t make a fuss over it.

Wang Song’s investigation had a major breakthrough.

Although the surveillance still didn’t capture the three suspects’ facial features, the reason for the family’s tragic demise was found.

It might sound ridiculous, but it all started because the child’s airplane flew into the hotpot, leading to a catastrophe.

However...

When considering the fact that the suspects were fugitives, it’s not too hard to understand.

Wang Song, a detective for over twenty years, had caught many wanted criminals.

These fugitives could generally be divided into two types.

The first type, during their wanted and fugitive period, acted without care, killing if they wanted to kill, robbing if they wanted to rob.

They were extremely audacious.

But the second type, once wanted, lived a life of anonymity, walking on eggshells, terrified by the sound of police sirens.

In comparison, this latter type formed the majority of fugitives.

These people living on the edge are often intensely volatile and no one knows what they might do when provoked.

"I’ve already started investigating the surveillance from that night."

"Although we didn’t capture their faces in the hotpot restaurant, maybe with this clue we can find some information on the street cameras."

After hearing Wang Song’s report, Li Donglin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The surveillance video clue hasn’t broken yet, and there was major progress, which is good news.

Of course, this doesn’t mean with surveillance information we can solve the case or capture the suspects.

Even if their faces were captured, identifying and catching them isn’t easy.

Meanwhile, Lu Chuan was on his way to Qinzhou.

He needed to confirm something.

A detail from the Qinzhou 116 case from years ago.

According to the file, the crime scene investigation team did not find any evidence left by suspects in the dormitory.

Footprints were easy to explain, as the suspect mopped the floor while leaving, erasing them.

Fingerprints were also easy to explain; wearing gloves would naturally leave none.

One suspect’s fingerprint might have been damaged.

But what about hair?

The suspect killed five students that night, six to be precise, but one was lucky enough to survive.

With so many people involved, not a single hair was left?

How did they manage that?

By 7 PM, it was already dark when Lu Chuan arrived at Qinzhou City Vocational and Technical College.

The one greeting him was an old acquaintance, Qin Hui, Captain of the Qinzhou City Criminal Investigation Team.

"Lu, it’s been two or three months since we last met!"

Qin Hui was very enthusiastic and personally welcomed Lu Chuan, showing him great respect.

Lu Chuan snapped a salute.

He was received because he helped the Qinzhou Criminal Investigation Team solve a case, but that didn’t mean he would casually accept respect from a superior.

He was just a junior detective, while Qin Hui was on the same level as Qin Yong; he naturally had to salute.

Moreover, he would need Qin Hui’s help on this visit.

"Hello, Captain Qin!"

"Haha, no need for the formalities with me, Lu. Come, come to my office for a cup of tea."

"Tonight, my treat. Let’s have a good drink!"

"Captain Qin, you’re too kind."

Lu Chuan didn’t immediately bring up the case, but went to the office with Qin Hui first.

Qin Hui indeed valued Lu Chuan’s visit, or he’d have clocked out by this time.

"Captain Qin, this time I mainly want to look at the 116 case file and some evidence discovered back then."

After some small talk in the office, Lu Chuan stated the purpose of his visit.

"No problem, Director Li already called me this afternoon. We’ll fully cooperate with you!"

Qin Hui took Lu Chuan’s visit very seriously, not just because of their personal connection or that Lu Chuan helped the team with cases, but because of the 116 case three years ago.

That case stripped a layer off the City Public Security Bureau.

The reason Qin Hui could become captain was because of the 116 case.

Back then, as vice-captain, his superior resigned due to the case and transferred to the Traffic Police Team.

Now still brooding over the case.

And after Qin Hui became captain...

There really wasn’t much progress, although he had been involved in the investigation from start to finish then.

The captain was transferred because someone had to take the blame for not solving the case.

Qin Hui thought the case might always remain unsolved until Director Li called this afternoon, bringing new hope.

"Lu, speaking of the case, Director Li told me today that the perpetrator of the Tianzhou massacre is one of the 116 case perpetrators?"

Lu Chuan nodded: "This seems to be confirmed."

"I found a mark on the cabinet at the massacre scene matching a mark left by the 116 case suspect on the wall."

"The suspect’s fingerprint is quite unique, possibly injured or deliberately altered."

But no matter how altered, while the shaped fingerprint doesn’t have the general features, its uniqueness remains unchanged.

This is why Lu Chuan suggested merging the investigations and personally came to Qinzhou.

Wang Song and Song Mingguang were tracking the surveillance video, but surveillance can be coincidental.

The suspect has strong anti-surveillance skills, or they wouldn’t have avoided the cameras even in the hotpot restaurant, sitting behind screens.

Even during a conflict with the victims’ family, they stayed out of camera view, showing their caution.

Dealing with such experienced suspects, relying solely on surveillance won’t likely capture them.

"I’ve ordered the files and evidence to be sorted; they’ll be here soon. Let me tell you about the case from back then..."