Key Case Investigation Team Is Just as Shady

"Luo Meina’s BMW was last stopped in an alley on Jiu He Street," one of the Team B investigators said. "That alley leads directly towards the Jiang Jun Shrine LC district then splits into many directions that can be used to go to any area in Qinshan City. We’ve already found all the surveillance cameras we could, but still haven’t found any suspicious persons."

"Hm…" Qu Ping spoke, "If he could avoid this many surveillance cameras, there are only two possibilities! Either the culprit is very familiar with this area, or he lived around here, and after cutting Luo Meina’s hand off, he went straight home!"

"Team Leader," another investigator spoke up. "Jiang Jun Shrine area is very complicated, with at least nine-hundred residents, not to mention many part-time workers with their houses rented out. It will be very difficult to investigate thoroughly. However, Yao Hui and Da Peng have already started."

"I see…try your best…" Qu Ping paused for a moment as if pondering something, then spoke up, "Liu, what does Luo Meina’s blood test say?"

"Yes, Team Leader," The investigator called Liu immediately answered. "The test showed that there were two types of anesthesia in Luo Meina’s system. One is a high concentration of ether, which works through inhalation. The other is an injection-based drug named Compounded Thiamine, which works intravenously."

"So first the culprit used ether to knock her out, then injected her with the other drug." Qu Ping remarked. "Exactly the same as the first two victims of the Lost Hand Case."

"The components of the medicine are long peng, ketamine, phencyclidine hydrochloride, and bucinnazine," Liu continued. "Erm…this sort of anesthetic is also known as the ‘treasure of the sleeping deer,’ it is used for sedating large animals…"

"Sh*t…" Zhao Yu was currently sitting at his desk, not even needing earphones to clearly hear Team B’s discussion. As he heard all this, he also logged information down on his own whiteboard, putting down all the useful evidence.

He had not known, and was shocked by the fact that the medicine used to anesthetize Luo Meina was used for animals.

"I’ve already done some research. This type of anesthetic is usually fed to animals for sterilization. It is often used in urban villages," Liu continued. "We can’t track down the source of this medicine!"

"Yes…the report also said that the dosage the culprit used on Luo Meina was nearly fatal, causing Luo Meina to be knocked out cold for nearly five hours. If it was used on someone with a weaker condition, I fear…"

"Hmm…" Team Leader Qu Ping pondered. "I remember that the first two cases of the Lost Hand Case also used the same anesthetic and dosage. Just like this time, the victims were knocked out for nearly five hours. Logically, there would be no need to use such a high dosage to cut off a hand. The culprit…why would he use such a high dosage?"

"Maybe because he’s new at using the anesthetic?" one investigator suggested.

"This is already the third case," Qu Ping rebuffed the idea. "Even if he’s a new user, he would’ve figured it out by now! Not to mention, aren’t there are also instruction manuals?"

"Could it be…" another guessed, "the culprit had some kind of grudge against the victims? Purposely using large dosages and hoping they would die?"

"Even less probable!" Qu Ping quickly refuted again. "If he wanted to kill someone, why wouldn’t he just leave after he cut off their hand instead of giving first aid? If you ask me, the culprit used such a high dosage because he was afraid that the victim would wake up too quickly, which may have led to the victim recognizing his identity or his escape route. Liu, look on the report, where’s the injection location?"

"The back of the left hand, where the vein is. It is a common area for injection, no special notes…"

Hearing Qu Ping and other’s analysis, Zhao Yu was also secretly learning their methods. It was why they were professionals at their job. Zhao Yu had to learn it well.

Yet, as he listened, Zhao Yu felt even weirder! Why was it that all the information and details he heard through eavesdropping, he was not able to find in the information Qu Ping gave him?

"Oh…" Zhao Yu finally realized, holy sh*t! "It was on purpose! The information they gave me was all useless, unneeded information!" he thought to himself.

"Really?!" Zhao Yu could not help but be agitated. He could not believe that the Key Case Investigation Unit was this shady! This sort of sabotage, and guarding against their own was almost a match for his old job!

"Che!" Zhao Yu made a sound of annoyance. After he calmed down, Zhao Yu quickly relaxed, thinking, "Since you guys sabotaged me first, don’t be angry when I return the favor! This time, I’ll take all the glory for sure!"

"Holy sh*t, I definitely will catch the culprit before you guys! Aren’t you guys hardworking and serious? Then I’ll just be more so than you!"

At noon, Qu Ping led the Team B investigators, and continued the busy investigation. They rushed for some take-out and continued their work.

Zhao Yu was even simpler. In order to continue jotting down all the information he heard, he took a box of instant ramen from someone’s table which filled his stomach somewhat.

With the increasing quantity of information, Zhao Yu’s white board was not full of scattered pieces of information. He had learned how to draw connecting lines between pieces of information, and how to analyze some simple evidence.

Maybe it was Qu Ping’s influence. Looking at these tightly packed evidence analyses, Zhao Yu also had the feeling that the culprit of the Lost Hand Case was close at hand. Yet, every time he had this feeling, the evidence would suddenly come to a screeching halt, with no way to continue!

"Why is it like this? Did I miss something? Missed something very important?" As he thought like this, Zhao Yu could not help himself anymore. He started looking through the evidence over and over, almost memorizing it all.

Around four o’clock in the afternoon, the neighboring Zhang Jingfeng and Liang Huan had just came back from patrol. The two were shocked to see Zhao Yu’s massive pile of evidence.

"Zhao?" Zhang Jingfeng asked, "What…did we….miss something?"

Zhao Yu could not even bother looking at them, and continued to stare at the whiteboard as if spellbound.

"Oh…Isn’t this the Lost Hand Case?" Liang Huan recognized it instantly, and took a sip of water, sighing, "Ah! Because of this case, we couldn’t even finish investigating the other case! Say, do you think a hand is more important than a life?"

Liang Huan’s words finally attracted Zhao Yu’s attention. He asked, "What do you mean?"

Zhang Jingfeng sat down, ranting, "See! The higher-ups want us to help Team B to investigate the Lost Hand Case, and told us to temporarily put the Brutal Murder Case on hold!"

"You guys are investigating it too? What did you guys find?" Zhao Yu saw that they had just come back. Maybe they had new evidence, so he was curious.

Zhang Jingfeng rushed to answer first, "Just talking with the traffic department and the forensics department. We followed the Captain’s orders, and investigated the victim’s BMW!"

"Wasn’t it already investigated? Why again?" Zhao Yu questioned further.

"The day of the case, a lot of traffic surveillance cameras got shots of the BMW," Liang Huan answered, "but the weird thing is, none of them could see the driver! It’s not that they could not see the driver clearly, but that they could not see the driver at all!"

"Why?" Zhao Yu was interested, "Was there a reason?"

"Yeah!" Zhang Jingfeng and Liang Huan nodded in sync eagerly.