Criminal Investigation Notes

All information on the internet can be deleted, and modern people have become overly reliant on online resources.

Sometimes, human memory can actually retain information longer. Those things recorded in the notebooks of elderly people may provide more information than what a search box can tell people.

Su Hui thought about this, and Lu Junchi immediately felt that it could be a lead.

He got up and made a phone call to Jiang Li.

After a while, Lu Junchi returned and said, “I asked Jiang Li if he knows about a research institute called 372. The timing of the incident was a bit early; he hadn’t come to Huadu Forensics at that time. But he promised to check through his media contacts there and see if anyone knows anything.”

What other clues can be investigated?

Lu Junchi puzzled, “I’m still curious. To establish a psychological research institute, even if it doesn’t have hundreds of people, it would still require dozens of them, right? How could so many people completely disappear without a trace?”

Although a lot of time has passed, there should be some relevant clues to find.

Su Hui said, “According to normal logic, it’s impossible to completely silence so many people. Some professionals may have moved to other psychological institutions in the market. Others might have taken up work elsewhere…”

As they were discussing this, Su Hui’s phone suddenly dinged with a reminder.

He checked and said, “I had a scheduled appointment with Yang Yuqing for a consultation tomorrow afternoon… Maybe I should reschedule it.”

He had been busy with the Fine Sands Case during this period, and he hadn’t visited the clinic for a long time. He had postponed it twice already, and if it weren’t for the reminder, he would have completely forgotten about it.

Lu Junchi said, “You’ve rescheduled it several times already, but this time, why don’t you go? I’ll accompany you.”

Since An Yuci’s resignation, Su Hui hadn’t been to the clinic for psychological therapy for a long time. Director Huang had always emphasized that psychological factors could affect one’s physical condition.

When Lu Junchi brought Su Hui to the hospital last time, Director Huang inquired about it. Lu Junchi felt it would be reassuring to go again.

Su Hui agreed, “Sure, maybe I can also ask Dr. Yang if she knows anything.”

Suddenly, Lu Junchi remembered that Su Hui had mentioned seeing someone in the elevator at the psychological clinic who resembled someone from the Fine Sands Case. He asked, “Did you ask Jin Qiu about that incident in the elevator?”

Jin Qiu registered the comings and goings at the front desk, so if that person also visited the clinic, she should have some recollection.

Su Hui replied, “I left a message for Jin Qiu and described the person I saw to her, but she said she hadn’t seen that person… I also checked the clinic’s introduction booklet, and I didn’t come across a similar doctor.”

“Was the footage retrieved?” Lu Junchi continued along the lines of criminal investigation thinking.

“Their footage is only kept for a month, and by the time I remembered who that person might be and wanted to cross-check, it had already expired,” Su Hui said, pressing his temples with his fingers and closing his eyes. “And when I entered the elevator, that person was already inside. Later, I thought, maybe he came down from upstairs…”

“The upper floors of the psychological clinic?” Lu Junchi recalled that when he accompanied Su Hui there, he casually glanced through the introduction of each floor of that building. “That area is quite extensive, with educational institutions, catering logistics, an agency for a beauty and cosmetics company, and even an animation company… Or, are you willing to try creating a simulated portrait?”

In the absence of footage, sometimes a composite sketch can still be helpful.

Su Hui sighed and said, “Whenever I close my eyes, I feel like that man is standing nearby, constantly staring at me, making me uncomfortable. I can recognize him in various photos, but if you ask me to describe his facial shape and features, all I remember is that he was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, tall in stature. I can’t recall many details…”

In his mind, that figure seemed clear. But when he tried to look closely and reached out to touch it, the image shattered.

He couldn’t describe the person’s appearance.

At this point, it seemed like another dead end.

Lu Junchi said, “Just to be safe, I’ll take a few people to investigate. Maybe we’ll find something.”

Su Hui stroked Hemingway, who had climbed onto his legs, and gently placed the cat down. He said, “Let’s continue investigating from these angles. Maybe when other members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit join us, we’ll have new perspectives on solving the case.”

Lu Junchi also hoped to benefit from collective brainstorming. If Director Tan agreed to their inclusion, it would be a great help.

Time unknowingly passed into the late night, and Su Hui started to feel tired. Despite the unfinished jigsaw puzzle, he leaned on the table, touching the pieces with his fingertips.

His vision was not good, and he found it a bit challenging to piece together similar colors and complex shapes.

Lu Junchi was reading the case file of Deputy Director Wang’s suicide. Although it was not their Major Crimes Unit responsibility, the investigation results were shared with him by the Criminal Investigation Division.

Lu Junchi hadn’t finished reviewing the file when he noticed that Su Hui had fallen silent.

He got up and walked over, coaxing him, “Professor Su, don’t fall asleep here. It’s cold, and you might catch a cold.”

He didn’t know if Su Hui heard it clearly or not but his long eyelashes fluttered, and he made a soft sound, like a cat’s purr.

Seeing that he didn’t respond, Lu Junchi bent down, picked him up, and then entered the bedroom, placing him gently on the bed and covering him with a blanket.

The light from the living room spilled into the bedroom, and unable to resist, Lu Junchi lowered his head and planted a kiss on Su Hui’s forehead.

The next morning, Su Hui was awakened by the sound of Lu Junchi’s phone ringing.

Lu Junchi went out to answer the call, and Su Hui rolled over, still half asleep.

After a while, Lu Junchi walked in, and Su Hui finally opened his eyes. He asked, “What’s the situation?”

With the case still unsolved, his heart was always on edge.

Lu Junchi said, “It’s good news. Jiang Li said he asked around and found out something. There was a survivor in the major fire that happened ten years ago.”

They had also considered starting from the records of the fire incident.

However, that had happened ten years ago, and there had been several changes in the personnel since then. Only an old firefighter had some recollection, saying that when they arrived, the place was already mostly burnt, and no one died.

The police files only had records of the firefighters’ response, and strangely, all the related files were blank.

But now, with the help of the media, they managed to find someone relevant.

Su Hui suddenly became energetic. “Can we meet him?”

Lu Junchi replied, “We’ve already made an appointment. Jiang Li will take us to his house this morning.”

The two of them went downstairs, and Jiang Li was already waiting downstairs, still carrying the same bag he had when they last met.

Lu Junchi thanked him.

Jiang Li waved his hand and said, “No need to thank me. It’s only natural for us citizens to cooperate with the police. By the way, Professor Su, about that interview…”

Sure enough, he still wanted to interview Su Hui…

Su Hui coughed a few times. “Once we solve the case at hand, I’ll ask for permission from the head of the bureau. If it’s possible, I will accept your interview.”

Upon hearing Su Hui’s relaxed response, Jiang Li’s eyes lit up with a smile. “Also, I believe the case you’re currently investigating must be a big one if it led you to me. If it can be reported, please remember me and share some information with me.”

Lu Junchi drove the car and, following the location provided by Jiang Li, arrived at a somewhat run-down residential building. They climbed the stairs, and Jiang Li knocked on the door. Soon, a middle-aged man in his forties came out.

Jiang Li was naturally good at getting close to people. He handed a cigarette to the man and said, “Uncle Pang, these two are the police from the Bureau. They want to ask about the fire incident from ten years ago.”

The middle-aged man lit his cigarette and had a weary expression. “It’s been ten years… I was still looking for those people at first, but later on, I gave up.”

Lu Junchi noticed that two of the man’s fingers on his right hand were deformed. “Your hand…”

The middle-aged man nodded. “It’s the injury I got from that big fire.”

Then he took a puff of smoke and began to tell his story. “Ten years ago, I happened to pass by Research Institute 372 and saw that they were hiring security guards. I was looking for a job at the time, so I went in for an interview. The person in charge readily agreed.”

Lu Junchi asked, “Do you know what those people were doing inside?”

The man shook his head. “I don’t know, and no one told me. I just watched people come in and out of the entrance. Whatever they told me to do, I did. I worked there for about half a year, without signing any contracts. They paid me in cash every time. I thought, with such a big institution and so many people, they couldn’t be scammers. But in the end, who would have known…”

“Do you remember what the person in charge looked like?” Lu Junchi asked again.

“It’s been ten years; I can’t remember clearly. I only remember he was a sturdy man.”

“How many people were inside?”

“People came in and out, around thirty to forty of them. There were men and women, apart from the person in charge. Most of the others were young. Almost every day, there were visitors, some were children brought by their parents, and some were adults. Their eyes were cold…”

Now, recalling that period of time made him uncomfortable.

Lu Junchi asked a few more questions, but the man couldn’t remember much.

Since he couldn’t gather much more information from the man, Lu Junchi continued, “Tell us about the fire incident.”

“I was working inside for a few months, and then one day, late at night, I fell asleep in the guard room. It was a particularly windy day, and suddenly a fire broke out in the research institute. I was terrified and quickly called the fire department, then tried to find something to extinguish the fire. But strangely enough, that day I couldn’t find a fire extinguisher anywhere. The fire grew bigger and bigger, and within minutes, it engulfed the entire building.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Junchi furrowed his brow and asked, “How could it spread so quickly? Were there other people inside?”

“There were usually people on duty inside, coming and going, but that night, there was not a single person. The fire was massive. When I rushed inside, I found all the documents neatly placed on the table, burning. It seemed intentional,” he explained.

Lu Junchi and Pang Shu continued their conversation, and Su Hui supported his chin with his fingers, pondering. It seemed like the fire was deliberately set.

As Pang Shu continued his story, he sighed, “At that time, I was still honest. I was thinking about how I would explain to my superiors if everything was burned down. And I was curious about what those people were doing inside every day. So, I reached out and grabbed a box from the table. The box was already on fire, and it instantly burned my hand. I endured the pain and took the item out.”

He gestured with his right hand, and Lu Junchi finally noticed that not only were his fingers deformed, but his palm could hardly open.

Pang Shu continued, “The fire was incredibly intense, and smoke filled the air. After I escaped, I started to feel scared. If I had come out a moment later, the building might have collapsed. Later on, when everything had burned down, the fire department finally arrived. They took me to the hospital in an ambulance, and my hand ended up like this. I kept asking the firefighters if they found any other people there, but they said there was no record of such a place, and they couldn’t contact anyone. They even asked if I had been scammed.”

At this point, Pang Shu shook his head and sighed.

Jiang Li asked, “Pang Shu, what did you manage to save?”

“Afterward, I opened the box and found a CD inside. I showed it to some people, and they said it was just footage of a few people coming and going, like in a doctor’s office. The sound on the recording was particularly low, and it was difficult to make out what they were saying,” Pang Shu frowned. “I kept thinking that I should get compensation from the company at that time, but those people never appeared again. Over time, I even doubted if it was all just a dream. Thankfully, I had that strange CD, which reassured me that I hadn’t gone mad.”

Lu Junchi asked, “Can the CD still be found now?”

“I saw it the last time I moved,” he said, entering his bedroom. After some rummaging, he came out with a plastic bag. “It’s been ten years since then, and I’ve moved on. If it’s useful to you, take it. If you manage to find those people, let me know.”

Lu Junchi accepted the bag, expressing his gratitude.

Jiang Li understood that the CD might be an important piece of evidence for the police, so he didn’t propose to watch it. They bid farewell downstairs.

Lu Junchi and Su Hui returned to the Major Crimes Unit, holding the CD.

Word spread that they had obtained a new lead, and the members of the unit gathered around, including Yao Fei, who also showed interest.

Lu Junchi opened the bag and found a sticky note attached to it, with a line of numbers written on it: 132-49.

It seemed like a code or some kind of numbering system.

If it were in the past, CD-ROM drives were basically standard equipment for computers.

However, nowadays, it’s not that easy to find a computer with a CD drive in the municipal office.

They asked around for a while, and eventually, Qiao Ze brought an old-fashioned player from the logistics department and inserted the CD into it.

The machine was connected to a laptop, but perhaps due to the age and scratches on the CD, it made a creaking and eerie sound.

Yao Fei said, “I hope this CD isn’t too old to be read.”

As soon as he finished speaking, images appeared on the screen.

The images looked like old movies from the past, recorded by surveillance cameras. They were somewhat blurry, with low resolution and a very dull color palette.

Zheng Bai rubbed his eyes and said, “After getting used to high-definition recordings nowadays, it’s really evident how much technology has advanced!”

Qiao Ze kicked him lightly and shushed him.

The picture gradually became clearer. It was a small room with a table. On one side, facing away from the camera, sat a little girl. On the other side sat a person wearing a white coat and a mask, their features completely concealed, making it hard to determine their gender.

It was only when the person spoke that they identified her as a female.

However, the dialogue was very faint, and they couldn’t make out what they were saying at all.

Lu Junchi asked, “Can we increase the volume a bit?”

Qiao Ze looked helpless and said, “This is already the maximum…”

As he spoke, he opened a software program and said, “Let me try adjusting it…”

After overlapping and enhancing the waveforms several times, Qiao Ze started playing the video again.

This time, finally, amidst the crackling sound, there was a faint voice. The woman, who appeared to be a doctor, said to the girl in front of her, “Chen Xuexian, this will be recorded as your 49th visit.”