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

Chapter 1272 Barber Zhao Baotian

He clicked on a missing person record. The words "Name: Wang Lei, Age: 38, Occupation: Programmer, Time of Disappearance: 3 days ago" flashed across the screen. It didn't match the criteria, so he casually swiped it away. "What is this? Either the information is incomplete or the occupation doesn't match. I've been searching for almost an hour and haven't found a single one that's even remotely related."

Team member Xiao Li leaned back in his chair, which creaked in protest: "My eyes are practically crossed; the words on the screen are starting to double. This morning I'm running around the Oriental Building with Team Leader Wang, this afternoon I'm organizing the notes, and this evening I'm here monitoring the data. If this keeps up, I'm afraid I'll just collapse at the keyboard." He pointed to a blurry record on the screen, "Look at this: 'Name: Liu Wei, Age: 37, Occupation: Unknown, Time of Disappearance: 2 days ago.' With this information, how can we determine if it's the person we're looking for?"

Complaints echoed throughout the office, the only constant sounds being the clatter of keyboards and mouse clicks. The city outside was long asleep, only the Criminal Investigation Division's office building still had a few lights on. Ashtrays on the desks were overflowing with cigarette butts, and the air was thick with the pungent smell of caffeine and tobacco, making everyone cough.

At 1 a.m., team member Xiao Zhao's phone suddenly vibrated. It was a message from his wife: "The child has a fever and keeps crying for his father. When are you coming back?" Xiao Zhao's eyes instantly welled up with tears as he read the message. He quickly replied, "Wait a little longer, I'll be back as soon as I'm done," then silenced his phone, took a deep breath, and stared at the screen again. "My son is only two years old. I've never stayed up all night with him," he said, his voice hoarse and choked with emotion. "And now, he's sick and I'm not even there. I'm such a bad father."

“Who isn’t?” Xiao Zhou patted Xiao Zhao on the shoulder, his tone full of helplessness. “My daughter has her midterm exam tomorrow. This morning she told me, ‘Dad, you have to help me study,’ and I’m still here. I haven’t even had a chance to make a phone call.” He picked up his cup and found that the coffee had gone cold. “Just hang in there. The key now is identifying the deceased. If we can’t find the identity, all the previous investigations and autopsies will have been for nothing. Let’s grit our teeth and see if the next lead is right.”

Time ticked by, and by 3 a.m., when the number of entries on the screen had reached 1200, the atmosphere in the office had become extremely tense. Everyone stared silently at the screen, their fingers mechanically moving the mouse, too exhausted even to complain. Xiao Chen even dozed off while looking at the screen, his head occasionally bobbing against the keyboard. He would wake up with a start, quickly rub his eyes, and continue investigating.

At 5 a.m., team member Xiao Wang suddenly shouted, "Team Leader Zhang! There are five clues here that seem to match!" His voice, brimming with barely suppressed excitement, broke the silence of the office. Everyone instantly perked up and gathered around Xiao Wang's computer.

The five suspicious clues displayed on the screen are:

"Zhao Baotian, male, 38 years old, a barber at 'Fashion Cut Bar' in the south of the city, 172cm tall, was found dead two days ago. He went missing after getting off work the night before. His family said he was wearing a black jacket and dark blue jeans when he got off work, and ate rice, chicken, and vegetables at home around 7 pm. He had been depressed recently due to customer complaints and shop rent issues, and had taken sedatives to help him sleep. Contact person: wife Liu Fang, phone number 136XXXX5789."

"Chen Ming, male, 36 years old, company employee, 173cm tall, went missing 2 nights ago. His last meal was takeout. There is no record of him taking sedatives. He is ruled out."

"Li Gang, male, 39 years old, chef, 171cm tall, went missing two nights ago. His last meal was noodles. Although his occupation is in the service industry, his diet does not match, so he is ruled out."

"Zhang Qiang, male, 37 years old, driver, 170cm tall, went missing 2 nights ago, no record of taking sedatives, ruled out."

"Zhou Ming, male, 38 years old, self-employed, 174cm tall, went missing 2 nights ago. His last meal was hot pot, so he can be ruled out."

"Contact Zhao Baotian's wife, Liu Fang, immediately to verify the details!" Xiao Zhou's heart pounded. He quickly said, his fingers gripping the notebook tightly. "Xiao Wang, contact Liu Fang and ask her what Zhao Baotian was wearing when he left work two nights ago, whether he carried any items with him, and what brand of sedative he took. Xiao Chen, check the other four clues again to make sure nothing is missing. The rest of you, organize Zhao Baotian's relevant information and see if there is any connection to the Oriental Building or the Science and Technology Innovation Company."

Xiao Wang immediately dialed Liu Fang's number. The phone rang for a long time before being answered. Liu Fang's voice was sleepy and anxious: "Hello? Who is this? What's wrong so late?"

"Hello, we are from the Municipal Criminal Investigation Division. We would like to inquire about your husband, Zhao Baotian," Xiao Wang said, trying to soften her tone. "What clothes was he wearing when he left work two nights ago? Did he carry any belongings with him? What brand of sedatives did he take?"

Liu Fang was silent for a few seconds on the other end of the phone, then her voice suddenly choked up: "Yes... He was wearing a black coat, dark blue jeans, and brown leather shoes when he left work that night, just like he usually wears to work. He didn't carry anything special, just a black wallet with his ID card and bank cards inside. The sedative he was taking was alprazolam, which the doctor said would help him sleep. He's been under a lot of stress lately, so he takes half a tablet every night before bed."

These details closely matched the autopsy findings and the scene investigation results—the height of 172cm matched the deceased's; the black jacket and dark blue jeans matched the deceased's clothing; the last meal of rice, chicken, and vegetables matched the food residue in the stomach; the sedatives taken matched the composition of the drugs in the stomach; and the brown leather shoes matched the description of the deceased's footwear at the scene. Xiao Zhou instructed Xiao Wang to continue questioning: "Did Zhao Baotian tell you he was going to the Oriental Building, or mention anyone named 'Chen Feng'? Has he had any recent conflicts with customers or others?"

“He never mentioned going to the Oriental Building, and I’ve never heard of the name ‘Chen Feng’,” Liu Fang’s voice grew increasingly agitated. “However, he did complain to me that a customer got into an argument with him because they weren’t happy with their haircut, and even threatened to ‘make you pay’; also, the landlord of his shop is raising the rent recently, and he had a falling out with the landlord, saying, ‘If the rent goes up, I’ll have to close down.’ Two nights ago, he called me before leaving get off work and said, ‘I’m going to meet someone to talk about something, I’ll be back soon.’ I told him, ‘Come back early, don’t overwork yourself,’ but he never came back. Have you found him? Has something happened to him?”