"None!"
"Bureau Chief, we’ve canvassed a five-hundred-meter radius around the area, and no one heard any screams."
Hao Pingchuan pulled out the investigation report and handed it to Luo Yong.
None?
Luo Yong looked at the report, his brow furrowing involuntarily. A five-hundred-meter radius was a significant area, yet there wasn't a single anomaly to be found. Could the perpetrator have taken the victim out of the city?
No... that was impossible. Although martial law had been lifted, Beiping was the capital, and security remained tight. With criminals constantly seeking ways to sabotage the state, leaving the city at this hour was nearly impossible. Furthermore, traveling out of the city would consume too much time; it would be impossible to return the victim before dawn.
If they hadn't left the city, where exactly did the perpetrator commit the abuse? Luo Yong’s question was one that Bai Ling and the others were also struggling to answer. Seeing this, Luo Yong decided to shelve the question for the moment.
"What about the suspects? Since we have no leads on the crime scene, do we have any suspects?"
"We have one."
"It's said that yesterday morning, this individual had a conflict with the victim and threatened to kill him. However, according to He Yushui, a resident of the Quadrangle Courtyard, Chen Feng left yesterday morning to travel to the countryside to procure supplies."
"By the way, this Chen Feng is a clerk in the Procurement Section of the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill and is only nineteen years old. His parents passed away a year ago, and a month ago, upon graduating from technical school, he took over his father’s position at the steel mill."
Bai Ling produced a file on Chen Feng and handed it to Luo Yong. Luo Yong didn't look at the file; instead, he looked at Bai Ling.
"Have you discovered what the conflict between the victim and Chen Feng was actually about?"
Bai Ling shook her head with a hint of frustration. "Bureau Chief, we aren't clear on that yet. According to the two courtyard managers at the Quadrangle Courtyard, it was because Chen Feng has a bad temper, is quick to anger, and holds backward ideologies."
"But in my opinion, that remains to be verified. When they were assisting with the investigation, their eyes were shifty, as if they were hiding something. I don't think they were telling the truth."
"Not telling the truth?" Luo Yong sneered. "Then keep questioning them. If they won't talk, canvass the neighborhood; we will surely find someone who will. We must get to the bottom of what their conflict was and how serious it truly was."
"Yes, Bureau Chief!" Bai Ling didn't dare hesitate, especially since she shared the same suspicion.
"As for that Chen Feng, send men to investigate his whereabouts. Since he is the only suspect in this case, his movements must be accounted for. See if he really went to the countryside, or if it was just a ruse to create an alibi."
With the case unsolved and Chen Feng as the prime suspect, they had to be thorough. Everyone understood this. Given that the case appeared to be a matter of revenge, the two parties should have known each other. Based on the victim’s routine, Chen Feng was the most likely suspect, though the possibility of other residents in the Quadrangle Courtyard being involved couldn't be ruled out. Lacking leads, they had no choice but to use the most laborious method: eliminating suspects one by one.
"Also, widen the search radius. If five hundred meters isn't enough, make it one thousand, two thousand. We must find the primary crime scene."
"Yes!" Bai Ling and the others stood up in unison and replied loudly.
"Good. Get to work!" Luo Yong waved them off.
Bai Ling’s team quickly defined their investigative directions and made new deployments. Zheng Chaoyang and Bai Ling headed to the Quadrangle Courtyard to uncover the true nature of the conflict between Liu Haizhong and Chen Feng. Hao Pingchuan and Duomen went to the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill to inquire about Liu Haizhong’s situation, focusing on whether he had any grudges with others. Qi Lala and another officer set off to locate Chen Feng, as he remained the only suspect in the case.
...
At the Yunmi Reservoir garrison barracks, Chen Feng looked at the prey inside his Farm Space, his face beaming with joy. A bumper harvest! A real bumper harvest! He had originally thought that being with Liu Yuan'an and the others would prevent him from making a move, but he had found his chance after all. Though he regretted not being able to use a firearm, seeing over a dozen large wild boars made that regret insignificant.
"Comrade Chen Feng, let's go eat!"
By evening, Liu Yuan'an, having finished dressing the game, brought Chen Feng into the canteen. Honestly, today’s meal was a notch above yesterday's. Though it was still coarse-grain steamed buns, the massive basin of wild boar meat in the center of the table, cooked by the kitchen staff, made even Chen Feng’s mouth water.
In the month since he had transmigrated, Chen Feng hadn't eaten much meat. He wasn't short on money—between his parents' savings and his survivor benefits, he had over thirty-five hundred yuan. The problem was the lack of meat coupons; without them, money was useless. While the Pigeon Market didn't require coupons, Chen Feng, being a newcomer without the ability to protect himself, didn't dare go there rashly. He understood the principle that one shouldn't show off wealth, a lesson his parents had taught his predecessor. His predecessor knew it, and he, having transmigrated from a later era, knew it even better. If the "beasts" in the Quadrangle Courtyard knew he had that much money, his predecessor would have been killed long ago.
Regardless of the era, one should never underestimate human greed.
Just as Chen Feng was tucking into a piece of meat, Qi Lala and another officer pulled up to the garrison gates, panting heavily.
"Damn it! Why is it so far? This is exhausting!"
After lunch, the two had first gone to the steel mill to find Chen Feng's destination, then rode non-stop. It had taken five full hours. By the time they reached Yunmi, the sky was already dim. This was only because they were in good physical condition; an ordinary person would have taken even longer.
During their investigation of Chen Feng, they learned he was just a nineteen-year-old boy without professional training. Given the current period of hardship and food shortages, they assumed his physical condition wouldn't be great. A round trip taking over ten hours meant Chen Feng simply wouldn't have had the time to commit the crime. Even though they already had their answer, the investigation had to continue. Solving a case required evidence.