Chapter 594: Chapter 594: Unexpected Discovery
Yesterday afternoon, after Lu Chuan matched the fingerprint owner information, Action Team Two immediately launched an investigation.
But as Lu Chuan just reported, the investigation results were disappointing.
The fingerprint information on the phone identified three people, all of whom came to Haizhou City for tourism the day before yesterday.
However, the last missing person’s disappearance was the day before that.
The whereabouts of these three people are well known; they traveled by train, plane, and car to Haizhou City.
Therefore, they simply had no time to commit the crime.
After an overnight investigation, everyone became dejected upon learning this information.
The case has reached a stalemate at this point.
No common clues were found after investigating the social circles of the 12 missing persons.
It was hard enough to find clues about the phone calls made to the 12 people before they disappeared, leading to two coin-operated phone booths.
But there was no surveillance around the booths, and no usable fingerprints on the receivers.
Both phone booths operated with coins, which were found, but they bore no fingerprints or any special marks; they were just ordinary coins.
This left the Criminal Investigation Team quite frustrated.
It’s as if they’re just one step away from solving the case and finding the suspect.
However, this step feels like an insurmountable gap between them and the suspect, blocking all hopes of exploration.
The conference room was silent.
Some smoked, some drank tea, and others sighed.
There was nothing they could do; it seemed like there were no options left.
Since taking over the case yesterday, no one has rested for a day and a night.
All efforts were focused on this case, but up to now, it seems everything that should be thought of or investigated has been, yet nothing has been discovered.
What to do? Which direction should the investigation go next? How should it proceed?
After the meeting adjourned, Lu Chuan returned to the Crime Scene Investigation office.
Yang Sen could tell from Lu Chuan’s expression that the case had hit a dead end.
He patted him on the shoulder and poured him a cup of tea: "Relax, solving cases is like this."
"No clues today, no clues tomorrow, but maybe there will be a clue the day after."
Lu Chuan took the tea cup and nodded; he had done everything he could as a Crime Scene Investigator.
Unfortunately, in cases like this, the role of Crime Scene Investigation is indeed quite limited.
Lu Chuan excels at discovering issues on the scene.
Especially in murder cases, when the killer leaves traces, Lu Chuan can use investigation techniques to pinpoint them.
But these missing person cases... don’t really have a scene.
"Has Old Bai gone out?"
Old Bai was still in the office just before the meeting.
"His wife just called, asking him to go home for a bit, saying something happened at home."
Lu Chuan nodded; the Crime Scene Investigation side wasn’t too busy, so Old Bai taking some time away wasn’t an issue.
Although the case hasn’t been solved, the Crime Scene Investigation side had done everything it could, and might not be of much use later on.
Bzz, bzz, bzz.
Lu Chuan hadn’t slept all night and intended to take a nap, but the phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID was Old Bai.
"Brother Bai?"
"Lu Chuan, come to Xinyi Road 18!"
"Now!"
After that, the other end quickly hung up.
Lu Chuan was taken aback, what had happened?
He had known Old Bai for over two years and had never seen him so anxious.
Xinyi Road 18?
What place is that?
Yang Sen also noticed something was off: "What did Old Bai say?"
"He told me to go to Xinyi Road 18 now."
Xinyi Road 18?
"What place? What for?"
"He didn’t say, just told me to hurry over."
With that, Lu Chuan changed into casual clothes and put on a coat: "Brother Yang, you watch the place, I’ll go see what’s happening."
"Alright, call if you need anything."
Lu Chuan hurriedly went downstairs and drove his own car out.
Since Old Bai called him over, it might be a personal matter, so he didn’t take the team vehicle.
Besides, the team’s vehicles were in high demand, and Teams One and Two would continue visits for investigation today.
Half an hour later.
Xinyi Road 18.
Thousand-Year Sanatorium.
Lu Chuan had never been here before and did not know it was a sanatorium.
Upon arrival, there was no need to call; Lu Chuan saw Old Bai standing at the sanatorium entrance.
After parking the car, Lu Chuan quickly ran over.
"Old Bai, what’s the matter? So urgent?"
Old Bai grabbed Lu Chuan: "Come with me."
Although he didn’t know what was going on, seeing Old Bai’s anxious face, Lu Chuan followed him.
Entering the sanatorium, Old Bai quickly led Lu Chuan to the left side of the first floor.
"Check-up Center?"
Soon, Lu Chuan saw the sign for the Check-up Center.
At the entrance, there was a middle-aged woman supporting an elderly man.
Lu Chuan recognized both; the woman was Old Bai’s wife, and the old man was Old Bai’s father.
The old man was in good health, although in his eighties, he could still go out and play gateball regularly.
"Sis, sir, how are you?"
Lu Chuan greeted them, and Old Bai looked at his wife: "You take dad home first, we have some matters here."
The woman nodded, greeted Lu Chuan, and then left with the elderly man.
"Brother Bai... what’s actually going on?"
Old Bai led Lu Chuan into the Check-up Center, where quite a few people were lining up for check-ups.
"This morning my dad called me, saying there was an organized free check-up activity in their neighborhood, and asked me to send him over."
"I thought it was a good thing, a free check-up by the community, also good for a senior to check his health."
"So we came to this place."
Thousand-Year Sanatorium?
"What is this..."
Old Bai didn’t explain but instead led Lu Chuan to the Check-up Center cafeteria.
The cafeteria at the Thousand-Year Sanatorium Check-up Center is also on the first floor, not very large but with about forty tables.
After completing check-up projects that require fasting, check-up participants could dine here.
When Lu Chuan and Old Bai entered, a few people were dotted around having meals.
There was a card machine at the left-hand entrance.
Next to it was a form.
"Look at this."
What Old Bai wanted Lu Chuan to see was this.
The first name on the form was Old Bai’s father.
"Keep looking down!"
Old Bai lowered his voice, looked around like a thief, afraid someone might notice them.
Lu Chuan stepped forward to look; at the top of the form was information about the check-up participants’ meals.
Why look at this?
Lu Chuan was puzzled at first, but when he turned to the third and fourth names on the later pages, he froze.
Chen Degao?
Jianghuai?
This!
Old Bai knew that Lu Chuan understood his point.
"As I was eating with my dad, I flipped through records of previous check-up meals."
"Not only Chen Degao and Jianghuai but also Li Muxun, and among the 12 missing persons, seven or eight names are on here."
Lu Chuan’s mind exploded.
