The crackdown on organized crime began with the arrest of the mother-in-law.

Chapter 1474 Interpersonal Relationship Investigation: New Discoveries

An elderly neighbor recalled, "Li Baoquan was a very honest man. He went to work early and came home late every day and was always polite. His wife, Zhang Yanyan, was different. She had a strong personality and often argued with Li Baoquan at home. Sometimes the noise could be heard in the middle of the night, disturbing the peace of the neighbors."

"Do you know why they were arguing? Have you seen Zhang Yanyan interacting with other strange men?" Xiao Yang asked.

"It seems that Zhang Yanyan wanted a divorce because she thought Li Baoquan was incompetent and couldn't earn money," a neighbor said. "I've seen a few strange men pick up Zhang Yanyan in a black car. The two acted very intimately, and they didn't seem like ordinary friends. Not long after Li Baoquan disappeared, that man often came to the neighborhood. Later, when Zhang Yanyan moved out, it was that man who helped her move her things."

"Do you remember what that man looked like? How old was he? What was his height and build?" Xiao Sun immediately asked, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.

"He was probably in his thirties, quite tall, about 1.78 meters, of medium build. He usually wore dark clothes and a hat, and looked rather serious. He didn't talk much." The neighbor tried hard to recall. "I can't remember his exact appearance, since it's been three years, and he was always in a hurry when he came, and he didn't greet anyone much."

This physical description perfectly matched the suspects identified during the previous investigation! Around 1.78 meters tall, in his thirties, of medium build, and wearing dark clothing—these details all corresponded to the repair shop owner's description of the person who purchased the wire and cutting knife, as well as the figure seen in the crime scene's surveillance footage. Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun felt a chill run down their spines, realizing that this stranger was very likely the murderer of Li Baoquan, and that Zhang Yanyan was inevitably closely connected to the case.

The two immediately reported the situation to Li Ming and requested assistance from the Nancheng County Public Security Bureau in locating Zhang Yanyan and identifying the stranger. Upon receiving the report, Li Ming immediately ordered: "Conduct a full investigation into Zhang Yanyan's current address, contact information, and recent activities. Focus on the stranger living with her and verify his identity, occupation, and alibi for the time of the crime. Xiao Wang, immediately retrieve Zhang Yanyan's household registration information, social security payment records, and rental records. We must find her as soon as possible."

A comprehensive investigation was launched. Xiao Wang checked the household registration system and found that Zhang Yanyan's registered residence was still in Nancheng County, but her social security payment records showed that she had been paying social security in the main urban area of ​​Nancheng for the past three years, with the paying unit being a small domestic service company. Through the domestic service company's registration information, Xiao Wang found Zhang Yanyan's current address—a residential complex in the main urban area of ​​Nancheng. He also retrieved the complex's surveillance footage and discovered that Zhang Yanyan did indeed live in the complex with a man; the two were seen entering and leaving together, behaving intimately, clearly indicating a cohabiting relationship.

Xiao Wang immediately sent the surveillance screenshot of the man to Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun, and simultaneously checked his identity information through the facial recognition system. Half an hour later, the identity verification results came back: the man's name was Sun Qingguo, male, 36 years old, 178 cm tall, weighing 68 kg, a local resident of Nancheng, who had previously worked in a machine processing factory but resigned two years ago and currently had no fixed occupation. More importantly, although Sun Qingguo's fingerprint information was not archived in the national criminal record database, his DNA sample had been collected by the police for a fight. Xiao Wang conducted a preliminary comparison of his DNA with traces extracted from the crime scene and found a weak correlation.

"Captain Li, Sun Qingguo's identity has been confirmed. His physical characteristics perfectly match the description of the suspect, and he used to work in a machine processing plant. He is familiar with the use of industrial paint and cutting tools, which gives him the opportunity to commit the crime," Xiao Wang reported excitedly. "I also found out that after Sun Qingguo resigned two years ago, he ran a small repair shop near the urban village, but it went bankrupt due to poor management. He is very familiar with the environment of the urban village, which also fits the characteristics of the murderer who precisely avoided surveillance and was familiar with the scene."

Li Ming immediately gathered the police force and deployed the arrest operation: "Xiao Yang, Xiao Sun, you two lead the team to the residential area where Sun Qingguo and Zhang Yanyan live, block off the entrances and exits, verify whether the two are at home, and prepare to make the arrest. Be careful to stay hidden and avoid alerting them. Xiao Wang, continue to retrieve Sun Qingguo's recent activity trajectory, call records, and bank statements to verify his whereabouts during the time of the incident, and at the same time compare his footprints and fingerprints with the clues collected at the scene."

At 2 PM, Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun led the investigators to the residential compound where Sun Qingguo lived. Security in the compound was tight, with comprehensive surveillance coverage. After verifying with the property management, they confirmed that both Sun Qingguo and Zhang Yanyan were at home. Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun split into two groups: one guarded the entrance to the building, and the other went to the elevator. Simultaneously, they deployed officers around the compound to prevent the two from escaping.

"Action!" Xiao Yang gave the order, and the investigators quickly went upstairs and arrived at the door of Sun Qingguo's apartment. Xiao Sun raised his hand and knocked on the door, saying in a calm tone, "Hello, the property management is here to check gas safety. Please open the door." There was a moment of silence inside, then Zhang Yanyan's voice came from inside: "Wait a moment." A few minutes later, the door was slowly opened, and Zhang Yanyan peeked out. When she saw the plainclothes investigators at the door, her face instantly turned pale, and her eyes were filled with panic.

The investigators immediately entered the house. The interior was simply furnished, with some miscellaneous items scattered in the living room. Sun Qingguo was sitting on the sofa watching TV. Upon seeing the investigators suddenly burst in, he instinctively stood up and quietly reached under the sofa. "Don't move! Police!" Xiao Sun shouted sharply, quickly stepping forward and pressing Sun Qingguo's shoulder down, forcing him back onto the sofa. The other investigators quickly secured the scene and began searching the house.

Sun Qingguo struggled a few times, but seeing that he couldn't break free, his face darkened, and he said in an icy tone, "Why are you barging into my house? What law have I broken?" Xiao Yang took out his identification and said seriously, "Sun Qingguo, we suspect you of intentionally murdering Li Baoquan. We are now arresting you in accordance with the law. Please cooperate with our work."

Upon hearing the name "Li Baoquan," Sun Qingguo's body visibly stiffened, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure: "Li Baoquan? I don't know this person. You've made a mistake. I didn't kill anyone." Zhang Yanyan stood to the side, trembling all over, tears streaming down her face, unable to utter a single word.

Investigators conducted a thorough search of the house and found a roll of thin iron wire in a storage cabinet on the balcony that matched the specifications of the wire retrieved from the crime scene. The wire had slight wear marks on its surface, which was consistent with the wear characteristics of the wire at the scene.