C4 Checking the Surveillance Camera

It was essentially an undercover investigation into that past incident. But with the current caseload, the issue of the missing Unit 9 members had to be shelved for now.

As the meeting dispersed, a sense of foreboding hung heavy in the air, as if an unseen force was at play.

"Jian Chenyi, follow me! You two, check Qin Zhiqiang's car to see if it was purchased later."

Once Sunn Limin had departed, Xiao Chennai considered the presence of a psychologist in the room, effectively a human lie detector.

If Qin Zhiqiang was telling the truth, Chenyi should be able to discern it.

In the interrogation room, Qin Zhiqiang was a far cry from his initial demeanor, now appearing soulless, with a vacant stare.

He slumped in his chair, only lifting his head gradually at the sound of the door opening.

Only Xiao Chennai and Qin Zhiqiang were present in the interrogation room.

Chenyi was stationed in the monitoring room, peering through the glass to scrutinize the suspect's every gesture, using body language to determine if he was lying.

"Qin Zhiqiang, do you recognize these people?" Xiao Chennai prodded, pulling out a photograph from his pocket for another look.

Qin Zhiqiang, moving sluggishly, shook his head and pleaded with a mournful expression, "Officer, can I go home? I'm not a killer!"

"Relax, our team is on it. Just tell me, do you recognize them or not?" Xiao Chennai pressed, each word deliberate.

In agony, Qin Zhiqiang scratched his head and responded in despair, "I truly don't recognize them."

The interrogation concluded, and Xiao Chennai hurried to the monitoring room.

Watching Qin Zhiqiang on the brink of collapse, Xiao Chennai's gaze was piercing and icy as he inquired, "Can you see it?"

Chenyi lifted his gaze, a subtle smile playing at the corners of his mouth, "He's not lying. He's not the culprit."

The outcome was unexpected; Qin Zhiqiang was no longer a suspect.

Xiao Chennai exhaled deeply, hands on his hips, then turned and pondered, "He had interactions with the socialite, and his fingerprints were at the crime scene. I think..."

"This man has no motive. We can only extract one piece of information from him."

Jian Chenyi cast a glance at Qin Zhiqiang through the window and spoke indifferently, "He's eager to sever ties with this type of woman. And now, his behavior is an attempt at redemption."

Redemption?

Xiao Chennai furrowed his brow and stepped closer to stand beside Chenyi under the window.

He observed Qin Zhiqiang, pursed his lips, and murmured with a hint of skepticism, "It's not apparent, but now I'm thinking it's necessary to determine how long ago that fingerprint was left."

With that, Xiao Chennai stormed out of the room.

After rushing the documents to the Forensics Department, he happened upon Hua Ning and Cheng Sheng scrutinizing the surveillance footage in the traffic monitoring room.

He retraced his steps and entered the room, inquiring, "Any leads here?"

If Chenyi's assessment was correct and Qin Zhiqiang wasn't a suspect, they'd have to start the search for clues all over.

Besides, normal procedure dictates that suspects must be released within 24 hours.

So far, the only evidence found on Qin Zhiqiang was a set of faint fingerprints.

Hua Ning, clearly exhausted, let out a yawn and said wearily, "No leads. That car never showed up near Moresby Road."

Never showed up? Was she seeing things?

Xiao Chennai, unconvinced, sent the two away and settled into the seat, meticulously reviewing the surveillance videos.

"I can't keep going, let's head out..."

Overcome with fatigue, Hua Ning could no longer persist. She gestured with her delicate hand to Cheng Sheng.

As noon approached, the station was deserted with everyone in the cafeteria enjoying their lunch break.

Only Xiao Chennai remained, seated alone in the surveillance room, poring over the Moresby Road footage, hopeful to uncover something.

By afternoon, when everyone had returned from their siestas, Chennai was still there, as alert as ever.

Hua Ning paused outside the surveillance room and muttered softly, "What an odd fellow. Doesn't he ever rest?" She then tiptoed away.

She had no desire to join the eccentric man in the tedious task of monitoring surveillance footage.

Xiao Chennai discovered that the van had never passed near Moresby Road.

Left with no alternative, he shifted his focus. If the city streets held no clues, perhaps a more secluded path would.

Xiao Chennai tracked down the head of the surveillance room, who had been reassigned from the Traffic Bureau. They combed through every alley in the vicinity of Moresby Road.

By ten o'clock that night, there was still no trace of the van, and the footage from the smaller roads was increasingly blurry.

The main issue was the lack of traffic on these roads. Come nightfall, the streetlights were off, making it nearly impossible to discern the vehicles passing by.

Sighs filled the air as the surveillance team assisting Xiao Chennai was on the verge of giving up.

"This person knows the roads so well. Which one would they choose?"

Xiao Chennai pondered aloud, his breath held in anticipation. The bustling city center? A deserted provincial road? An ignored back alley?

It was clear there was no white van in the city center, and with the strict traffic enforcement, a junked vehicle wouldn't stand a chance on the roads.

The provincial road was a possibility, but Moresby Road connected to three main thoroughfares.

The first was the city center, which Xiao Chennai had already dismissed since the car hadn't been spotted at the city's entry points. The culprit had likely left it there as a decoy.

Another was an unnamed road leading to the countryside, nearly devoid of surveillance.

The last was also a minor road, near a farm, and thus monitored. The culprit would surely avoid it.

Knowing the roads as well as he did, the presence of cameras would risk exposure. Therefore, the only plausible route was the one with outdated surveillance and no witnesses.

Realizing this, Xiao Chennai's concern deepened. With no cameras on the small road, how could he proceed with the investigation?

After much deliberation, he resolved not to sit idly by; he had to take action.

Grabbing his coat, he instructed Li in the surveillance room, "I'm heading out. Keep searching and inform me immediately if you find anything!"

As he left, he happened to meet Hua Ning, who was about to end her shift. She had been working non-stop for two days and needed rest, or she'd miss her chance in the upcoming beauty pageant.

"Perfect timing. Get Jian Chenyi, and let's head to a small road near the scene," he said.

With those words, Xiao Chennai hurried out, completely disregarding Hua Ning's perspective.

Hello!

Hua Ning shouted in frustration, her anger nearly propelling her off the ground. Xiao Chennai's words sounded more like commands, leaving her no chance to respond.

Xiao Chennai was waiting outside the police station, his car headlights illuminating the entrance.

"Big brother, do you have any idea how far Moresby Road is from here? One's downtown, the other's in the suburbs!"

Hua Ning couldn't hide her irritation with Xiao Chennai's domineering demeanor as she leaned helplessly against the car window.

"Come on, just look at him. He's as fired up as if he's on a caffeine high."

With just a brief glance at Xiao Chennai's resolute gaze, Jian Chenyi nudged Hua Ning, urging her to hurry into the car.