Chapter Thirty-Two: Someone Has Already Investigated for Us

"He still has half a relative." The team member repeated.

Certain that he had heard correctly, Yu Dazhang let out a dry, incredulous laugh. "Come now, show me what half a person looks like."

The others in the group cast skeptical glances at the two of them. Kong Lingjie’s relative is now only half a person? You two are truly talented; you can dig up anything. Are you grave robbing? Where else would you find half a person?

"That’s not what I meant!" Seeing that everyone was looking at him as if he were an idiot, he waved his hands frantically. "I meant that Kong Lingjie used to have an immediate family member, but they aren't anymore, so I counted them as half."

The group continued to stare at him blankly. *Why not just say the person is dead? Why be so roundabout?*

Yu Dazhang thought for a moment and quickly realized what they meant. "You tracked down Kong Lingjie’s ex-wife?"

"Half a relative"—that was the only way one would describe a former spouse. They were immediate family during the marriage, but no longer after the divorce. Yet, having lived together, they were once the closest of kin; even after the split, the bond remained stronger than that of a stranger. As the saying goes: "A day as husband and wife brings a hundred days of grace; a hundred days of marriage run as deep as the sea."

"Exactly." The team member nodded quickly. "Not only did we find her, but we also got her specific information and even confirmed where she is currently working."

This was indeed a breakthrough. Yu Dazhang had reviewed Kong Lingjie’s personal file earlier; his marital status was listed as "divorced." The reason he hadn't delved deeper into this was that the two had been divorced for sixteen years. According to reports, they had minimal contact after the divorce and had completely lost touch in recent years. But the situation had changed; no one with any connection to Kong Lingjie could be overlooked.

"Can you reach her in person?" Yu Dazhang asked.

"Yes," the team member replied with certainty. "Although she isn't in Songhai, based on the information we have, finding her won't be difficult. It’s just that..."

Seeing the member hesitate, Yu Dazhang smiled. "It means we’ll have to take a long trip, right?"

Everyone understood the member's concern. Yu Dazhang’s authority was granted by the internal special investigation team, so it was limited to the scope of that unit. As long as they stayed within Songhai, Yu Dazhang could mobilize resources freely, and everyone was happy to cooperate. However, deploying personnel to another city for an investigation was not something Yu Dazhang could decide on his own. Matters involving vehicles and funding required consultation between the team leader and the deputy leaders. Moreover, the subject of this investigation was someone who hadn't been in contact with the suspect for years. In other words, this trip could easily turn out to be a waste of time.

"You two go and prepare now; be ready to leave at any moment." It was Lü Zhongxin who spoke; he had to step up now. This also showed that he fully trusted his apprentice and was willing to take responsibility for the decision. Reporting and communicating with the team leader was necessary, but fortunately, the process went smoothly. As long as the resources were being used for the case, the team leader was generally supportive. He only cared about the final result; the specific investigative process was the business of the deputy leaders and the team members.

Do you think the resources are given for free? That is a method of pressure. Before you know it, you’ve signed a military-style pledge. If you still fail to crack the case despite full support, it can only be a matter of your own competence. There is no room left for you to make excuses.

Half an hour later, under Lü Zhongxin’s orders, the two men drove off. There was no turning back now. As the case progressed, everyone in the special investigation team was on high alert, daring not to slacken. They had a premonition that the true culprit was about to surface. Although the investigation grew more convoluted, it was undeniable that the case was moving forward—and at a speed faster than anticipated. That "greasy, oily" fat man somehow discovered new clues every single day, and every task he assigned seemed to have been calculated in advance. It was as if he knew how things would develop, allowing him to make arrangements a step ahead of time.

Two days later, the autopsy report had just arrived, and Qian Cheng brought it to the investigation team.

"The time of death was moved up by a day," Yu Dazhang said, staring at the report. "By this calculation, Zhang Yan died on the afternoon of the day she went missing."

Zhang Yan’s parents had reported her missing at 9:20 that evening. Seeing this, some might raise a question: Don't you have to wait twenty-four hours before reporting a missing person? Relying on that belief would cause significant delays. In reality, one can report a disappearance immediately. However, the police generally wait twenty-four hours before launching a formal investigation. If the missing person is an elderly person, a child, or someone suspected to be in danger, the police act immediately. Zhang Yan belonged to the "possibly in danger" category; clearly, her parents understood the law.

"We missed a vital clue!" Yu Dazhang suddenly exclaimed.

Lü Zhongxin and Qian Cheng were startled. "You found another new lead?" they asked in unison, while simultaneously glancing at the autopsy report in Yu Dazhang's hands. *Are we looking at the same document? How do you have a new discovery the moment it touches your hands?*

"No, it’s not a new lead," Yu Dazhang clarified. "It’s a clue that was always there, but one we overlooked." He kept his eyes fixed on the report, his expression growing increasingly excited.

"What is it exactly?" Lü Zhongxin pressed.

"Zhang Yan’s time of disappearance!" Yu Dazhang explained rapidly. "When the case came to us, Zhang Yan’s body had already been found, so to us, this was a homicide. But before that, the case of Zhang Yan had actually already begun. Because of her parents' report, the local police station must have conducted an investigation. That would have included her school dismissal time, road surveillance on her way home, and an analysis of her whereabouts after she vanished. To the officers at the local station, this was a missing person case. We overlooked it because Zhang Yan was found—even if it was just a corpse, she was no longer in a 'missing' state."

Usually, when a police station receives a report, they register it and conduct a preliminary investigation. If the case lasts a long time or becomes complicated, it is transferred to the criminal police. Zhang Yan’s body was discovered on the fifth day after she went missing; naturally, the local station had halted the missing person investigation.

Lü Zhongxin and Qian Cheng’s eyes grew brighter. Since Zhang Yan’s time of death and time of disappearance were both that same afternoon...

"Master, Brother Qian, come with me," Yu Dazhang said, standing up with a look of joy on his face. "This will be easier now; we’re going straight to the local police station."