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

Chapter 862 The Deceased Had Clean Interpersonal Relationships

Zhang Lin nodded. "Director Qin, I understand. From what we've seen so far, both victims suffered severe torture before their deaths, which suggests that the killer was extremely cruel and likely had some ulterior motive."

Li Ming added, "All the money and the woman's jewelry at the scene were stolen. Could it be a robbery and murder?"

Qin Chuan pondered for a moment, "It's possible, but judging from the torture and sexual assault the victim committed by the murderer, things aren't that simple. Perhaps the robbery is just the surface, and there are deeper reasons behind it. We need to speed up the investigation and start with the victim's social relationships and economic situation to see if we can find any clues."

Zhang Lin continued examining the body and found some skin tissue and bloodstains under Song Juanjuan's fingernails. "Captain Li, this may have been left when the victim resisted. Let's collect samples immediately for DNA testing. Maybe we can find clues to the murderer."

Li Ming immediately arranged for the samples to be sent to the laboratory and intensified the investigation of the surrounding area. "Director Qin, I think we can start by questioning the deceased's neighbors and asking them in detail about the argument last night to see if we can identify the two parties involved."

Qin Chuan agreed, "Okay, at the same time investigate the deceased's recent whereabouts, whether he had contact with strangers, and their financial dealings, to see if there are any abnormalities."

During the tense investigation, Zhang Lin and her assistant completed the preliminary examination of the body. "Director Qin, Captain Li, the autopsy is temporarily over. I will return to the lab as soon as possible to conduct an autopsy and further tests, and strive to determine the cause of death and a more precise time of death by tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Li Ming quickly arranged for several action teams from the Criminal Investigation Detachment to split into multiple groups and conduct a detailed investigation into the interpersonal relationships of Li Chenhao and Song Juanjuan. The first action team was responsible for visiting Li Chenhao's relatives, friends, and neighbors in Lijia Village, while the second team went to the neighboring village to investigate Song Juanjuan's interpersonal network. Another team specifically investigated the social circles of the two during their working period.

The police officers responsible for investigating Li Chenhao's interpersonal relationships in Lijia Village knocked on the doors of every household. They entered each home, patiently inquiring about every detail concerning Li Chenhao. An elderly man with gray hair sat in the courtyard, reminiscing, "Chenhao, that boy, grew up in the village. He was honest and kind, never argued with anyone. A few years ago, he went out to work, and I heard he did well, saved some money, and even married Juanjuan from the next village. Such a wonderful thing! How could he have suffered such a tragedy?" The officers carefully recorded every word the old man said, not letting any possible clue slip by.

Another young villager, when questioned, said, "Chenhao usually gets along well with everyone in the village. During busy farming seasons, he often helps everyone with the work. After he and Juanjuan got married, the young couple lived a happy life. I really didn't expect something like this to happen." The officers then asked Li Chenhao if he had recently had any conflicts with anyone or if his behavior had been unusual. The villagers all shook their heads, indicating that they hadn't noticed anything wrong.

During the visit to Li Chenhao's immediate family, his parents were devastated. Li Chenhao's father, with tears in his eyes, said, "My son was always very filial, and he and Juanjuan had a good relationship. They had just gotten married and were preparing to live a good life together. How could he have been murdered like this?" The police officers gently comforted the elderly man while carefully inquiring about the details of Li Chenhao's life after returning from working away from home, and whether any strangers had come looking for him. The old man recalled that no one had come to their home recently; Chenhao spent his days helping with farm work and occasionally meeting up with the young people in the village.

Meanwhile, the task force investigating Song Juanjuan's interpersonal relationships in the neighboring village was also working diligently. They found Song Juanjuan's childhood friend, a young woman who recalled, "Juanjuan and I grew up together. She's gentle and kind, and she and Li Chenhao were junior high school classmates. They've always had a very good relationship. During the years she went out to work, although they saw each other less often, their hearts were always together. After they came back and got married, everyone envied them." The officers asked Song Juanjuan if she had any unpleasant experiences with anyone. After thinking for a moment, the young woman said, "Juanjuan is easygoing, and I haven't heard of her having any conflicts with anyone. However, once at the market, I think I saw her talking to a strange man for a few minutes. I didn't hear what they said, and I don't know if I'm just imagining things." This seemingly insignificant clue was carefully recorded by the officers, who planned to conduct a further investigation.

Investigating the social circles of the two during their employment proved extremely difficult. Because the city where they worked was far from Lijia Village, the task force contacted the local police by phone for assistance, and also reached out to their former colleagues and friends. After much effort, they learned that Li Chenhao and Song Juanjuan were hardworking, got along well with their colleagues, and had not been involved in any disputes. Their employers also stated that their departure procedures were completed smoothly without any irregularities.

After a thorough examination of the two phones found at the crime scene, although the call logs, photos, and videos appeared normal, the officers remained vigilant. They commissioned technicians to conduct more professional data analysis on the phones, attempting to uncover hidden information. By recovering deleted files and analyzing phone usage patterns, the technicians discovered that Li Chenhao had repeatedly searched for information about an investment in the week leading up to the incident, seemingly considering participating in a project. However, the specific project and involved parties were not clearly recorded on the phone.

The task force reported this discovery to Li Ming. Li Ming frowned, pondering, and said, "This clue is very important. Continue to dig deeper and see if we can find any people or events related to this investment. At the same time, intensify the investigation into the stranger who spoke to Song Juanjuan at the market; perhaps there is some connection between these two clues."

Another group of officers, while reviewing the village's surveillance footage, discovered that an unfamiliar van had been loitering near Lijia Village on the night of the incident, behaving suspiciously. The van's license plate was obscured and could not be identified. The officers expanded the surveillance area in an attempt to track the van's movements, but due to the limited surveillance facilities in the village, the van disappeared from the camera's view after leaving the village.

Upon learning of this situation, Li Ming immediately arranged for police officers to search the surrounding roads for witnesses. He also requested assistance from the traffic department to review surveillance footage on major roads to see if the van could be found again. He knew that the van was likely closely related to the case, and finding it might be the key to solving it.