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

Chapter 844 The Strange Man, the Suspect is a Cripple

After Chen Weihua provided the crucial clue about the lame man, Qin Chuan quickly mobilized police forces to launch a comprehensive investigation around this lead. A group of experienced officers were responsible for retrieving surveillance footage from the factory and all the garbage cans where the body was found. They stayed in the monitoring room day and night, their eyes glued to the screens, not missing a single detail.

Xiao Zhao and Xiao Qian, responsible for reviewing the factory's surveillance footage, meticulously analyzed the video from the month leading up to the incident. "Look," Xiao Zhao said, pointing to the screen, "there's footage of Liu Hua frequently entering and leaving the factory during this period, and his altercations with security guards." Xiao Qian nodded in response, "Focus on the night of the incident, as mentioned by Chen Weihua, and see if any suspicious individuals entered or left." Through the vast amount of surveillance video, they finally spotted a white van. "That's it! It matches Chen Weihua's description!" Xiao Qian exclaimed excitedly. Carefully examining the van's movements in and out of the factory, a figure with a noticeable limp came into view the moment the driver got out. Although he wore a hat and mask, making his facial features difficult to discern, his limping gait was very striking.

Meanwhile, the team responsible for reviewing surveillance footage around the trash can where the body was found also made a significant breakthrough. The lame man was captured on camera near trash cans at different locations. Each time he appeared, he seemed to be in a hurry, pausing briefly near the trash can before quickly leaving. "Capture these footage clips and analyze them to see if we can find more information about his features," the team leader instructed. Technicians used image enhancement technology to meticulously process the lame man's image; although his face remained blurry, they obtained more details from his clothing and physique.

Meanwhile, footprint identification experts conducted in-depth research on the footprints at the scene. Among the multiple sets of footprints previously extracted, one set showed a stride length, point of contact with the ground, and wear characteristics of the shoe sole patterns that closely matched the gait of the lame man. Through 3D modeling and data analysis, they further confirmed that this set of footprints belonged to the lame man. "Judging from the distribution and depth of the footprints, he was very cautious when he was at the scene, deliberately avoiding leaving obvious traces, but we still managed to capture crucial clues," the experts reported to Qin Chuan.

All evidence suggests that the lame man is closely connected to the case, and he is highly likely to have been hired by factory director Zhang Jun and deputy factory director Li Baoguo. Qin Chuan decisively ordered: "Arrest Zhang Jun and Li Baoguo immediately, and bring them back to the police station for interrogation to extract the truth from them."

When Zhang Jun and Li Baoguo were brought to the interrogation room, they tried to appear calm, but a hint of panic lingered in their eyes. Li Ming and another senior interrogator began questioning the two separately. Facing Zhang Jun, Li Ming said sternly, "Director Zhang, the evidence is now conclusive. We have leads related to you in the case. You should know very well who that lame man is, right?" Zhang Jun frowned and vehemently denied it, "Officer, I don't know what you're talking about. I've always been law-abiding at the factory; how could I possibly be involved in this kind of criminal case?"

The interrogator showed Zhang Jun a screenshot from the surveillance footage, which clearly showed the lame man driving a white van in and out of the factory. "This was found in your factory's surveillance footage. This vehicle entered the factory on the night of the incident, and the driver was that lame man. Are you still trying to deny it?" Zhang Jun looked at the screenshot, his expression changing slightly, but he still stubbornly argued, "What does this prove? So many vehicles come and go from the factory every day. How would I know who this person is? Maybe it was a delivery driver called by one of the employees."

In another interrogation room, Li Baoguo also vehemently denied any involvement in the case. The interrogator questioned, "Deputy Factory Director Li, Chen Weihua has already confessed that you and Factory Director Zhang discussed silencing Liu Hua and even found a reliable person to handle the matter. Was it that cripple?" Li Baoguo's eyes widened, and he quickly waved his hands, "Chen Weihua is talking nonsense! We were just discussing how to deal with Liu Hua's compensation claims and resolve the matter through legal channels. How could we possibly hire someone to kill him?"

The interrogation reached a stalemate, with Zhang Jun and Li Baoguo refusing to admit to hiring someone to commit murder. Upon learning of the situation, Qin Chuan instructed Li Ming: "Intensify the interrogation, but be careful with your methods. Start with their finances, check for any unusual recent fund flows, and see if they are related to hiring the killer. At the same time, continue to investigate the lame man's identity; finding him is key to solving this case."

The police's financial investigation team acted swiftly, conducting a detailed investigation of Zhang Jun and Li Baoguo's bank accounts. After careful verification, they discovered a large transfer of 200,000 yuan from Zhang Jun's personal account a week before the incident, to an anonymous account. "This money is very suspicious. The transfer at this sensitive time suggests it was likely used to pay for hiring someone to commit murder," an investigator reported to Li Ming. Li Ming immediately arranged for personnel to track this anonymous account in an attempt to identify the recipient.

Meanwhile, the team investigating the lame man's identity narrowed their search by analyzing his clothing brands, gait, and other characteristics, combined with surveillance footage from the surrounding area. They discovered more of the lame man's movements in surveillance footage from several nearby residential communities. Following these clues, they finally identified the lame man as Wang Qiang, who had a prior conviction for intentional assault.

Police swiftly launched an operation to apprehend Wang Qiang. They successfully arrested him in a secluded rented room. When Wang Qiang was brought to the interrogation room, he was pale and his eyes were filled with fear. Li Ming sternly asked, "Wang Qiang, do you know why we're arresting you? Liu Hua's death is inextricably linked to you. How much money did Zhang Jun and Li Baoguo give you to do such a heinous thing?"

Li Ming's gaze was piercing as he stared intently at Wang Qiang, questioning, "Wang Qiang, the evidence before you is irrefutable. Do you still want to deny it? Liu Hua's body parts were found in multiple trash cans, your whereabouts have frequently appeared in relevant surveillance footage, and they match Chen Weihua's confession. How can you be unrelated to this case?" Fine beads of sweat appeared on Wang Qiang's forehead, his eyes darted around, and his voice trembled as he pleaded, "Officer, I really didn't kill anyone! Two factory managers gave me money to dispose of a body. I desperately needed money at the time, and I was blinded by greed, so I agreed. I was only responsible for cutting the body into pieces and throwing them into different trash cans. I really didn't do the murder."

Li Ming and the interrogator exchanged a glance. Judging from Wang Qiang's expression and tone, he didn't seem to be lying entirely. If what Wang Qiang said was true, then the real murderer was still at large.