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

Chapter 1006 The gloom and gloom

The windshield wipers swung back and forth across the windshield, blurring the road ahead into a patch of light through the rain. Xiao Wang pulled out his phone; his daughter's photo in the album showed her smiling brightly. He set the photo as his wallpaper, but when he locked the screen, he found the fingerprint sensor covered in dust from her medical records. "Next one," he said to the driver, his voice so hoarse he could barely hear himself.

For the next period of time, Xiao Wang and Xiao Zhou worked to identify the deceased based on clues from the on-site investigation and autopsy, but unfortunately, they still could not find any information that matched the deceased's identity.

A week had passed since the body was discovered, and the entire conference room was shrouded in gloom.

The clock in the conference room pointed to nine o'clock at night, the ticking of the hands particularly clear in the silence. A full week had passed since the body was found under the bridge. The whiteboard was covered with clues, repeatedly crossed out and revised in red pen, and the words "Identity Unknown" next to the deceased's photo were glaringly obvious. Li Ming gripped the projector remote control, while behind him, the screen flashed alternating images of the crime scene investigation, the autopsy report, and interview records.

"Tell me, how far have you each progressed in your respective areas?" Li Ming's voice was visibly weary, and the second button on his police uniform collar had popped off sometime during the night.

Xiao Wang opened his worn-out notebook, and clinic receipts scattered between the pages: "The dental clinic connection is completely broken. We investigated 163 institutions citywide, including unlicensed stalls, and checked 2378 molar treatment records from 2013 to 2015; all suspected cases were ruled out." He loosened his tie. "The investigation into the white van also yielded no progress; all 17 key suspect vehicles were ruled out as potential suspects."

Zhang Lin took off his glasses and wiped them, his eyes bloodshot behind the lenses: "There were no new breakthroughs in the autopsy. The deceased's stomach contents consisted only of simple pasta, and the diatom analysis showed that the river water composition couldn't narrow down the possibilities. However..." He paused, "The subtle wear and tear on the pubic symphysis might suggest that the deceased had long been engaged in work requiring a semi-squatting posture, such as pipe repair or bricklaying."

Xiao Yang projected a 3D model of the scene onto the screen, the virtual image of the bridge arch spinning above everyone's heads: "The forensic department re-examined all samples, extracting trace amounts of asphalt and red brick powder from the soles of the deceased's shoes, but there are 12 construction sites underway in the west of the city, making it impossible to pinpoint the exact location." His voice trailed off, "The murderer was highly aware of counter-surveillance; no biological evidence was left at the scene."

A heavy silence fell over the meeting room. Suddenly, team member Xiao Li kicked over a water bottle at his feet, the sound of the plastic bottle rolling on the floor startling everyone. "This isn't working!" he abruptly stood up. "We do the same repetitive, mechanical work every day, finding clues only to disprove them. We're like running on a treadmill, seemingly busy but actually making no progress!"

Old Zhou rubbed his temples and smiled wryly: "How about we do a profiling like in TV dramas? The killer disfigured the victim, stole valuables, and meticulously cleaned up the scene—it's clearly an inside job, an attempt to stage a robbery and murder."

"But why didn't the perpetrator, who knew the victim, simply dump the body in the wilderness? Why go through the trouble of transporting it to the bridge?" Xiao Wang immediately retorted, "Besides, there were no signs of restraint on the victim's body, indicating that he was killed after being completely incapacitated. Ketamine is a controlled substance, and it's very difficult for ordinary people to obtain it..."

Li Ming suddenly pressed the pause button, the screen freezing on a close-up of the deceased's hand—the old fracture of his right little finger glistened bluish-white under the light. "Back to the most basic question," he pointed at the screen with a laser pointer, "a man around 38 years old, with a fractured right little finger, possibly engaged in manual labor, disappeared in the west of the city—why didn't anyone report it?"

These words struck everyone like a hammer blow. Zhang Lin suddenly sat up straight: "Is it possible that the deceased was a migrant worker? Without a fixed address, with highly mobile jobs, perhaps even using a pseudonym..."

"So the investigation should shift its focus to the labor market!" Xiao Wang's eyes lit up. "Check the temporary employment records for the past three months, paying particular attention to construction sites involving asphalt and brick work! Also, the black market drug distribution channels—the source of ketamine must be investigated!"

李明在白板上快速写下关键词，红笔将&34;体力劳动&34;&34;临时用工&34;&34;氯胺酮&34;圈在一起：&34;从明天起，小王带队排查城西所有劳务中介和临时工集散地；张林联系周边省市药监局，扩大管制药品追查范围；小杨重新梳理工地监控，重点看运输建材的三轮车、农用货车——凶手转移尸体不一定用轿车！&34;

After the meeting, Li Ming remained alone in the conference room. He stared at the newly listed clues on the whiteboard, the sound of rain pattering against the window mingling with the distant honking of cars. This was the first time in seven days they had broken the deadlock; although the future remained shrouded in mystery, at least they had found a new breakthrough. He took out his phone and sent a message to the technical department: "Make a timeline of demolition and reconstruction projects in the western part of the city over the past three years, marking all projects that used asphalt and red bricks."

No one expected the investigation to be so slow; even just identifying the deceased was so difficult.

Fortunately, Li Ming and his team's persistence paid off. On the 10th day after the incident, the police found an important turning point.

The autumn wind, carrying dust, lashed against the gravel road of Qingyang Village. Xiao Wang's leather shoes splashed through puddles, soaking his trouser legs. This was the seventh day he had led his team to investigate villages in the west of the city. His notebook was filled with dense entries, mostly "never seen" or "unclear." Disappointment, like the damp air, weighed heavily on his chest.

"Team Leader Wang, there's a small shop at the village entrance!" Team member Xiao Chen's voice came from behind. The faded "Limin Store" sign swayed in the wind, and inside the glass counter, the shop owner, Old Wu, was slowly wiping the glass jars on the shelves. Xiao Wang pushed open the door, and the wind chimes on the door made a crisp yet slightly muffled sound.

"Sorry to bother you, sir." Xiao Wang showed his ID. "Has anything strange or unusual happened in this village lately?"

Old Wu stopped what he was doing, his cloudy eyes scanning Xiao Wang up and down before he finally spoke: "Strange things? Nothing much. It's just that Old Wang, who sells pots and pans, suddenly disappeared more than ten days ago." He put down the rag and reached for his pipe. "He used to come every Wednesday and Saturday with a tricycle with a loudspeaker, shouting 'Enamel basins, five yuan each,' which could be heard all over the street."

Xiao Wang's heart suddenly raced. He took a step forward, his voice rising involuntarily: "What's your name, Old Wang? How old are you? Where are you from?"