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

Chapter 896 Case Analysis Meeting, Qin Chuan's Deployment

The atmosphere in the conference room of the Dongchuan City Police Department was heavy and oppressive. Around the large oval conference table sat officers involved in the case investigation, their expressions serious, thick case files laid out before them. Qin Chuan sat at the head of the table, his gaze deep, quietly awaiting the start of the report.

Li Ming stood up first and cleared his throat: "Director Qin, colleagues, I will now report on the autopsy results. The deceased, Lin Yueyue, was determined by forensic examination to have died from mechanical asphyxiation, most likely from a rope. Through comprehensive analysis of the degree of decomposition, the digestion status of the stomach contents, and the liver temperature, the time of death was determined to be between 7 PM and 10 PM seven days ago. In addition, the deceased had a faded rose tattoo on her back, which became one of the important clues in our initial investigation into the deceased's identity." As he spoke, Li Ming turned on the projector, displaying relevant photos of the body and the forensic report.

Next, Officer Zhao, who was in charge of investigating Lin Yueyue's interpersonal relationships, stood up and reported: "We conducted a comprehensive and in-depth investigation into Lin Yueyue's interpersonal relationships. At the hotel where she worked, through conversations with many colleagues, we learned that she had an ambiguous relationship with the hotel's deputy manager, Zhang Dongfeng, and that the two engaged in monetary transactions. Each time Zhang Dongfeng had intimate relations with Lin Yueyue, he would give her at least 1000 yuan. However, on the night of the incident, Zhang Dongfeng had an alibi, stating that he was having dinner with friends at a restaurant. According to the restaurant staff and his friends, Zhang Dongfeng only went out to answer a phone call once between 7 pm and 10 pm that night, which lasted no more than 10 minutes. We also investigated Lin Yueyue's other social circles, but have not yet found any important clues related to the case." As Officer Zhao spoke, he switched between charts showing Lin Yueyue's social network on the projector.

Xiao Qian, who was in charge of investigating the truck driver leads, also stood up: "Regarding the tire tracks found at the mine pit where the crime scene was located, we identified three trucks that matched the tire characteristics. After a detailed investigation, the first driver stopped near the mine pit to urinate while hauling goods. His freight itinerary and the testimonies of his colleagues and factory workers corroborate each other, and he had no connection with the deceased. The second driver was visiting relatives, and his relatives confirmed his itinerary. Although the dashcam footage was blurry, the general route matched. The third driver claimed he was simply passing by. He provided evidence such as shopping receipts, and neighbors and friends also testified that he was a kind person and had no connection with the deceased. Currently, it seems that the truck driver lead has been temporarily stalled." Xiao Qian's report made the atmosphere in the meeting room even more tense.

After the report, Qin Chuan frowned slightly and fell into deep thought. After a moment, he slowly spoke: "Comrades, based on the current report, this case is indeed very complex. Although we have a lot of clues, we haven't been able to form a complete chain of evidence yet. Although Zhang Dongfeng has an alibi, his special relationship with Lin Yueyue cannot be ignored, and we cannot rule out the possibility that he hired someone to commit the crime. Continue to investigate Zhang Dongfeng's social connections, especially his recent financial flows, to see if there are any unusually large expenditures. We cannot completely give up on the truck driver lead either. Re-examine the movement trajectories of the three trucks to see if there are any details we have overlooked. Perhaps the murderer deliberately disguised himself as an ordinary truck driver to commit the crime."

Qin Chuan paused, his gaze sweeping over each officer present: "Regarding Lin Yueyue's interpersonal relationships, broaden the scope of the investigation beyond her recent social circle. Investigate her past experiences in depth, including her life before joining this small gang. The tattoo on her back indicates her connection to that gang, and although this gang was eliminated in the crackdown on organized crime, we cannot rule out the possibility that its remaining forces or related personnel are involved in the case. In addition, strengthen cooperation with police in surrounding cities to see if similar cases have occurred; perhaps this is not an isolated case."

Li Ming asked, "Director Qin, should we conduct another investigation of the crime scene?" Qin Chuan nodded, "Yes, we should. Although the previous investigation didn't find any obvious clues, the fact that the murderer cleaned the scene so thoroughly suggests that they may have left a loophole in some detail. We should organize professional technicians with more advanced equipment to conduct a thorough search of Lin Yueyue's rented apartment. Even a single fiber or a tiny trace could be the key to solving the case."

After the meeting, the officers quickly sprang into action, each heading off to their new investigative assignments.

In the Criminal Investigation Division's office, the lights stayed on all night as officers worked tirelessly on new leads in Lin Yueyue's case. Li Ming stared intently at Lin Yueyue's transfer records on the computer screen, his brow furrowed. "Zhang Dongfeng seems less likely to be involved at the moment, but Lin Yueyue has had numerous other unexplained transfers over the past two years, each ranging from one to two thousand yuan, involving seven people. This could very well be a new breakthrough in the case; we must investigate thoroughly."

Xiao Liu, who was in charge of technical tracking, acted swiftly, using data analysis and network technology to identify the seven individuals who made the transfers and their approximate addresses. Li Ming immediately assigned officers to groups to investigate and interrogate these seven people.

The first group of officers arrived at the residence of Wang Qiang, the first person to transfer money. Wang Qiang was a thin, middle-aged man. Upon seeing the police, his face turned deathly pale. "Officer, I... I haven't done anything wrong, have I?" Wang Qiang asked, his voice trembling. Officer Zhang said sternly, "We're investigating a case. What's your relationship with Lin Yueyue? Why did you transfer money to her?" Wang Qiang lowered his head, hesitated for a long time, and then stammered, "We met on a chat app. After chatting a few times, we arranged to meet... I gave her money, it was... it was that kind of transaction." Officer Zhang pressed further, "When was the last time you met? Did Lin Yueyue mention anything unusual to you?" Wang Qiang thought for a moment and said, "About a month ago, she seemed a little down. She said she was short of money and wanted to take on more 'jobs.' She didn't say anything else particularly noteworthy."

Meanwhile, the second team of officers located Zhao Gang, the second person to make the transfers, at a small company. Zhao Gang sat nervously in the company's conference room, constantly wiping sweat from his brow. Officer Li asked, "Zhao Gang, we have the records of your transfers to Lin Yueyue. Tell us the truth about your transactions." Zhao Gang swallowed hard and said, "We chatted online for a while and felt we clicked, so we met in person. I gave her money, and she ate and chatted with me… sometimes there were other intimate interactions." Officer Li pressed further, "When was the last time you saw her? Did you notice anything unusual about her?" Zhao Gang recalled, "About two weeks ago. She said she wanted to change jobs, feeling that things weren't right. I didn't think much of it."