Chapter 858: A New Diagnosis

The next day, Lin Qiupu compiled all the information they had and posted it on a whiteboard. It was covered with photos and notes, yet they were still clueless. They had no idea where Zhou Xiao was hiding or who his next target might be.

Lin Dongxue suggested, “We should go interrogate Lie Guoxiao properly.”

“It’s useless,” Lin Qiupu shook his head. “Even if you go as his daughter, he wouldn’t admit to hiring a killer to go after the police. He’s someone who’d kill his own daughter when it’s in his interest. Besides, we have no evidence.”

“What if he recently had a large amount of money transferred? If we could trace that account?” Lin Dongxue pressed.

“Unlikely,” Chen Shi said. “Lie Guoxiao and Zhou Tian’nan’s gang have been working together for a long time. They wouldn’t leave such an obvious trail.”

“But we have to try!” Lin Dongxue insisted.

Holding on to a sliver of hope, the three of them called the bank to inquire, but they found nothing.

Just then, Chen Shi received a call from Sun Zhen. “Chen, can you email me the files on those officers?”

“Why do you need them? Are you a bug?” Chen Shi teased.

“Of course, I’m Sun Zhen! I need to test a program.”

With Lin Qiupu’s approval, Chen Shi opened his computer and sent the personnel files to Sun Zhen. Five minutes later, Sun Zhen called back, “Send them again, please.”

After doing so, Sun Zhen said, “You’re at the police station, right?”

“Obviously, the IP address shows it,” Chen Shi replied.

“I didn’t check your QQ IP. I stayed up all night writing a Trojan. It’s now in various email servers. If those files move online via email, my Trojan will intercept them and trace the source.”

“Nice!” Chen Shi praised. “I knew you could come up with something useful.”

“Haha, it’s not my idea. The US military used this against terrorists. I just borrowed it. But I can’t guarantee the other side will use email. If they don’t, then it’s all for nothing.”

“No worries, this gives us another way to find Zhou Xiao. Thanks.”

After ending the call, Chen Shi told Lin Qiupu, “Let everyone know. It’s best to create a WeChat group and have them check in with their families regularly to ensure their safety.”

Lin Dongxue suggested, “How about installing a tracking program on each officer’s family member’s phone? If someone goes missing, we can find them immediately.”

“That would take a lot of manpower,” Lin Qiupu said.

“A tracking program shouldn’t be too hard,” Lin Dongxue argued.

Chen Shi contacted Sun Zhen again. After explaining the request, Sun Zhen sent a program he had written previously. Installed on a phone, it would automatically send its location to a monitoring phone every ten minutes.

Lin Dongxue immediately sent the program to every officer. After that, she felt much more at ease.

Next, they had to figure out how to investigate further. Investigating the victims’ social circles seemed pointless. Zhou Xiao was so elusive; they needed to expand their surveillance. If they could track his transportation, they might be able to find him.

To that end, the three of them went to the traffic control bureau and pulled all the surveillance footage from around the crime scene.

This work was tedious. After watching videos for an entire afternoon, Lin Dongxue’s eyes were about to go blind when Lin Qiupu suddenly exclaimed, “Got it!”

A surveillance camera had captured “Song Lang” getting out of a sedan. The car had been parked for about fifteen minutes, coinciding with the time of the crime. This wasn’t just a clue; it was evidence.

Even more exciting, the license plate number was clearly visible.

Using the traffic control bureau’s extensive surveillance system, it took them another two hours to track the car. It had driven about fifteen kilometers from the crime scene before stopping near a residential area.

“I’ll call for backup,” Lin Qiupu said.

“Everyone from the second team is busy with Lie Guoxiao’s case. There’s no backup,” Lin Dongxue pointed out.

“The police aren’t just detectives. I’ll contact the SWAT team.”

“No, that’s too high-profile. Let’s check it out ourselves first,” Chen Shi suggested.

“But what if he escapes?”

“A group of SWAT officers with guns will make it more likely for him to escape. Zhou Xiao isn’t an ordinary criminal. We need to be extremely cautious with this opportunity!”

Lin Qiupu reluctantly agreed.

Leaving the traffic control bureau, it was already dark. On the way, Lin Dongxue pulled out her phone to call her aunt, checking in. Chen Shi said, “Your relatives aren’t likely targets.”

“Still, making a call puts my mind at ease. Everyone’s on edge now. Old Chen, aren’t you picking up Yueyue from school today?”

“I can’t go today.”

“Give her a call then.”

“Why worry? I’m not a cop. How could they include me?” Chen Shi said, but he suddenly felt uneasy.

“I’ll call,” Lin Dongxue offered.

She took Chen Shi’s phone and called Tao Yueyue. As the phone rang, Chen Shi grew inexplicably nervous until the sixth ring when Tao Yueyue finally answered with a “Hello.” Chen Shi breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yueyue, are you home?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“Hi, Sister Lin. No, I’m at a friend’s house.”

Chen Shi said, “Stay there, don’t leave. I’ll come pick you up.”

“No need. I can go home myself.”

“Listen to me, it’s not safe outside. I’ll come get you later.”

Tao Yueyue hesitated, “Okay, but be careful on the way.”

After hanging up, Chen Shi felt a weight lifted from his chest. This was how every officer in the second team felt now, fearing for their loved ones’ safety.

Whoever came up with this method of revenge was truly insidious!

They finally arrived at the residential area. The three of them got out and headed to the parking lot, splitting up to search. Fifteen minutes later, Lin Dongxue waved them over, “Here it is!”

When the SUV appeared before them, Chen Shi found it hard to believe they had found it so easily. If the car was here, the person must be nearby.

But when he looked inside the car, he saw something strange. “There’s a piece of paper on the windshield,” he said.

He turned on his phone’s flashlight, and they leaned in to look. The paper was identical to the one they found on Xiao Li’s car, with the words “Diagnosis Report” written on it. Was Zhou Xiao deliberately leading them here?

Nervously, they looked further down the page to see whose name was on it this time. It read:

“Patient: Zhang Jianjun;

Gender: Male;

Age: 52;

Condition: Negligence.

The patient has long prioritized his career over his family, sacrificing his family members’ happiness for his personal achievements, and enjoying this false sense of nobility. The consequence is fractured family relationships. As a husband, he can’t accompany his wife; as a father, he can’t care for his daughter. He constantly uses unfulfillable promises to cover up his failure to meet his responsibilities. Over time, this has led to a complete loss of trust within his family, and they are now unusually cold towards each other, making it hard to continue living together.

Recommended treatment: A deeply impactful decision to regain a sense of responsibility!”