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

Chapter 1004 Investigation Results of the White Van

There was hope, but that hope was dashed in the blink of an eye, and the records room fell into an eerie silence. Xiao Zhou's hand, holding the phone, froze in mid-air. Li Ming's voice on the other end seemed to come from a great distance: "DNA match not found, continue the investigation." These words struck everyone like a heavy blow. Old Zhou's cigarette, which he had just lit, trembled and scattered its ashes. Xiao Zhao jolted awake from his chair, staring blankly at his colleagues' ashen faces.

"Impossible!" Xiao Li suddenly slammed his fist on the table, making the documents on it rattle. "The age, fracture record, and time of disappearance all match up. How could it not be him?" He frantically refreshed the household registration photo on the computer, the blue light of the screen reflecting his bloodshot eyes. "Look at this face, this nose, it's at least 70% similar to the reconstructed image of the deceased!"

Old Zhou shoved his cigarette butt into the ashtray, the metal making a screeching sound. "Watching too many crime dramas, huh? What good is a 70% resemblance?!" He grabbed his thermos and took a big gulp, only to find it was empty. "Out of more than 50,000 records, this suspected individual turned out to be nothing but a mirage."

Xiao Wang silently picked up the scattered documents on the ground, her fingers unconsciously tracing the creases on the edges of the papers: "I checked his disappearance route three times last night, and even watched the surveillance footage of the convenience store where he last appeared..." Her voice suddenly choked up, "More than twenty hours, all wasted like this."

Xiao Zhou stared at the newly added red "Check No" circle on the whiteboard, swallowing a bitter taste as his Adam's apple bobbed. Suddenly, a hissing sound came from the walkie-talkie, and Lao Zhang from the next group spoke through the crackling voice: "Brothers, the line at the dental clinic is broken too, the DNA match failed..." These words were like a thorn, making everyone's shoulders tremble.

Xiao Zhao suddenly started frantically typing on the keyboard, the characters jumping around in the search box: "Keep searching, there must still be some who slipped through the net! This Zhang Jianguo, age 39, went to the west of the city before disappearing in May 2024..." His voice grew softer and softer, and after seeing the record of "left wrist fracture" in the electronic file, he slumped back into his chair: "Wrong again."

Old Zhou grabbed his coat and headed out: "I'm going to get some fresh air. If I stay here any longer, my brain will start growing mushrooms." His retreating figure crashed through the glass door, and the gust of wind he created knocked over several investigation forms on the table. Little Zhou bent down to pick them up, only to find that the back of one of the forms had been covered with crooked little figures, each wearing a pointed hat that resembled the "murderer."

"Captain Zhang, can we... really find it?" Xiao Wang suddenly spoke, her nails digging deeply into her palms. "It's like trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle without any pictures, not even knowing if there are enough pieces." The rain outside had started falling at some point, pattering against the glass, mingling with the hum of the computer fan, weaving a suffocating net.

Xiao Zhou straightened his back and pressed his finger heavily on the "Missing Persons Investigation Progress Chart": "If we give up now, all the hard work we've done so far will have been for nothing." He tore off the failed clues from the whiteboard, the fragments falling to the ground. "Starting tomorrow, expand the search to the five surrounding provinces. Dig three more layers into the social relationships of all suspected individuals, even asking their elementary school classmates!"

After the meeting, the lights in the archives room remained on. Xiao Li was hunched over his desk writing a new investigation plan, his pen slicing across the paper; Xiao Zhao continued sifting through new data on his computer, the screen's brightness making his face appear pale.

Meanwhile, following Li Ming's instructions, Xiao Wang was investigating the suspicious white van. He stared at the surveillance footage flashing on the computer screen, his eyes sore he could barely keep them open. All day long, he and his team worked at breakneck speed, repeatedly reviewing footage from nearly a hundred surveillance cameras in the surrounding three cities, marking every white van that had appeared during the time of the incident.

"Team Leader Wang, another suspicious vehicle spotted!" Team member Xiao Chen's voice came from next door. Xiao Wang rubbed his throbbing temples and quickly walked to another office. On the large screen, a white Wuling Hongguang was slowly driving past an intersection near the crime scene; the time displayed was 34:34 PM that night.

"Enlarge the license plate!" Xiao Wang stared intently at the screen. However, as the vehicle passed under the streetlight, only the last three digits were vaguely displayed. "Check this vehicle's trajectory!" he immediately ordered. The team acted swiftly, using the electronic surveillance cameras along the route to track the vehicle all the way to a logistics park on the outskirts of the city.

At 2 a.m., Xiao Wang and his team braved the rain to reach the logistics park. The damp air was thick with the smells of diesel fuel and musty goods. A security guard came out yawning: "So late, who are you looking for?"

"Which company owns the white van with license plate ending in 368?" Xiao Wang showed his identification.

The security guard scratched his head: "Oh, that's a 'Shunda Delivery' truck, they deliver goods to the surrounding shops. But it's so late, you probably won't be able to find them."

"Take us to their company." Xiao Wang's tone left no room for argument.

In a shabby office, the company manager, still half-asleep, flipped through the vehicle registration information: "This vehicle is indeed ours. The driver's name is Lao Zhou, and he usually handles deliveries in the western part of the city. But the night of the incident..." He suddenly remembered something, "That's right! Lao Zhou took the night off, saying there was an emergency at home."

This discovery cheered everyone up. Xiao Wang immediately contacted the traffic police to retrieve the vehicle's GPS driving records. However, the data showed that the vehicle was indeed parked near Lao Zhou's residence on the night of the incident.

"Could it be that the GPS data was forged?" Xiao Chen said unwillingly.

Xiao Wang shook his head: "The possibility is slim. But I still need to ask Lao Zhou in person."

When they found Lao Zhou, the driver, who was in his fifties, was servicing his van. Upon learning the police's purpose, he turned pale with fright: "I really was home that night! My wife was sick and hospitalized, and I was with her at the hospital the whole time."

The team members immediately went to the hospital to verify. Surveillance footage, hospital records, and the testimony of the on-duty nurse all corroborated Lao Zhou's account. The trail went cold again.

Over the next few days, similar scenarios unfolded repeatedly. They found seven white vans matching the description, each discovery sending their hearts racing, only to end in disappointment with each verification. Some vehicles had indeed passed through the vicinity at the time of the incident, but the owners had solid alibis; others had undergone chassis repairs, but only for minor scratches.

"Captain Wang, should we continue investigating?" After one failed attempt, team member Xiao Zhang asked wearily, "Most of these vans are used for delivery and hauling goods; they drive around the city every day. We simply can't keep up with all the investigations."

Xiao Wang looked at the wall covered with vehicle photos and clue notes; the dense annotations seemed to mock their efforts. "Keep investigating." His voice was hoarse but firm. "Even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, we can't let it go."