The evidence department was staffed by a middle-aged man and an older policeman in his fifties. They checked Zhou Xuan and Zhang Lei's identification documents, then glanced at Fu Yuanshan's note, and without saying anything, let them pass.
They already knew Zhang Lei, so it was obvious that someone accompanying her in a neat police uniform couldn't possibly be an imposter from somewhere else. Besides, there was a handwritten note from Acting Director Fu Yuanshan; they had no choice but to give her face.
I had heard about Zhang Lei's background before: her father was a high-ranking official in the provincial government, and the other man was probably just an insignificant person.
The evidence management room is under comprehensive video surveillance to prevent people from entering the room from destroying the evidence.
The management office was filled with rows of iron cabinets, each with its own small compartment, much like the medicine cabinets in a traditional Chinese medicine shop. Each small compartment contained a piece of evidence, and the name of the evidence, the location and date of the incident were affixed to the outside of each compartment.
Zhang Lei was overwhelmed by the shelving cabinets filled with evidence, which resembled bookshelves in a library. She hadn't recorded the origins or sources of the evidence, nor was it specifically for any particular case. She was completely clueless and didn't know where to begin.
Zhou Xuan took out the note he had written down and took out the evidence one by one according to the record on the note. When he held them in his hands to examine them, he had already used his special ability to detect the residual images on the evidence.
Zhou Xuan recorded the names of physical evidence from eleven major cases. He then took out these pieces of evidence one by one. While examining the residual images on the evidence, Zhou Xuan also had to remove images that were irrelevant to the case. For example, if the real criminal threw away the murder weapon and it was touched by an unrelated passerby, there would be an image of that unrelated person. Then there would be images of police officers and others. The strength of the residual images was also greatly related to time.
Therefore, Zhou Xuan was selective in his selections, choosing cases that were as close to the present as possible. Cases that were too far in the past would be undetectable by his abilities, and the remaining images would be easily consumed until they were gone.
Zhang Lei naturally couldn't figure out why Zhou Xuan had chosen these cases. She just stared at Zhou Xuan, watching him take out the physical evidence one by one, write something down in his notebook after looking at it, and then look at the next one.
However, after examining some of the physical evidence, Zhou Xuan didn't remember anything, which was naturally because the physical evidence did not contain any images of the perpetrator.
After reviewing the physical evidence from the eleven cases, Zhou Xuan detected images of the actual perpetrators in seven pieces of evidence, and only images of police officers in four pieces without any information about the perpetrators. Therefore, Zhou Xuan automatically abandoned the investigation of those four cases.
Zhou Xuan filled several pages in his notebook with notes on seven cases involving images of the perpetrators. Zhang Lei, unsure of what Zhou Xuan was writing down, tried to get closer to see, but Zhou Xuan told her, "Don't come any closer, you can't look."
Zhang Lei snorted and spat, "So what? If you don't want to look, then don't look. Why all the mystery..." She muttered a few words and that was it. However, Zhou Xuan's amazing methods made Zhang Lei not dare to say anything too much. After all, a master is different from others. Moreover, Zhou Xuan seemed to be a bit cold-hearted. No matter what she said or did, Zhou Xuan did not show her any courtesy. He neither gave her face nor allowed her to complain to him.
Zhang Lei was worried that if she went too far, Zhou Xuan would point at her and freeze her in place, which would be embarrassing. She knew she couldn't beat him in a fight, and even if she sought help, she couldn't win. She had already learned this lesson after Zhu Jie and the other nine detectives had fought him. She knew she couldn't use force against Zhou Xuan in the future; he wouldn't respond to force. But whether he would respond to persuasion or not, she would have to test him.
Zhou Xuan ignored her. As long as she didn't cause trouble or peek, that was fine. If she really came over and threw a tantrum, Zhou Xuan was actually thinking of freezing her to death. Anyway, he wasn't afraid of her plotting against him. He had just shown off his skills to Zhu Jie and the other nine people in front of her, and the threat he posed was immense. If he wanted to fight, he figured they wouldn't dare.
Zhou Xuan meticulously recorded the useful parts of the seven pieces of evidence from the images. Only after he had completely memorized them did he stretch, put the notebook in his pocket, and say to Zhang Lei, "Let's go back."
"Is that all?" Zhang Lei was very curious and puzzled by Zhou Xuan's actions. Judging from Zhou Xuan's appearance, he didn't seem to have found any clues at all. He was clearly just looking for trouble. But Zhou Xuan didn't pay much attention to her. After saying something, he didn't care whether she left or not and walked out by himself. At the management window, the administrator checked him over and then let him through.
Zhou Xuan went to the elevator and said to Zhang Lei, "Wait for me in the lobby. I need to consult with the acting director. Then I'll go with you to take care of this."
"Get things done? What kind of things?" Zhang Lei frowned, unsure of what Zhou Xuan wanted to do, but she was somewhat unhappy. Why should she have to listen to him? Why shouldn't she listen to her? Logically speaking, she arrived first, and he arrived later; shouldn't there be a proper order of arrival?
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Volume 1, Chapter 537: The Capture
Chapter 537 Arrest
Regardless of Zhang Lei's mood, Zhou Xuan ignored her and walked alone towards Fu Yuanshan's office. There was no use in Zhang Lei being angry; the acting director's office was not a place where she could act recklessly. She could only wait angrily in the lobby.
Zhou Xuan had something to say to Fu Yuanshan in private, so naturally he couldn't have Zhang Lei follow him. However, Zhang Lei mistakenly thought that Zhou Xuan wanted to curry favor with the acting director. But she was also puzzled. How could Fu Yuanshan, the high-ranking acting director, possibly like a low-ranking rookie policeman like Zhou Xuan?
Could Zhou Xuan actually be a relative of the acting director? Zhang Lei found Zhou Xuan's secret increasingly intriguing. Then she thought about Zhou Xuan's mysterious and amazing skills. How could someone with such amazing skills be such a low-ranking policeman?
Zhou Xuan knocked on Fu Yuanshan's door. After hearing Fu Yuanshan call out "Come in," he immediately pushed the door open and went in. After entering, he locked the door from the inside, then walked over to the sofa with a smile and sat down.
Fu Yuanshan was frowning as he looked at the documents. The half-day he had spent here had made him realize the enormous difficulties he faced and the challenges in getting the work done.
Fu Yuanshan is definitely a very capable person, but no matter how capable he is, he is not as strong as Zhou Xuan's superpower. Some cases cannot be solved by being capable, because the clues are all broken, there is no evidence, and there is no clue. It is like a strongman facing a huge balloon that has fallen into a lake. Although the balloon is light, he has no way to get it.
Zhou Xuan sat down and smiled, saying, "Brother, don't worry. This time, I'll make sure you leave those competitors for the bureau chief position completely stunned. I've selected eleven cases from the most recent ones, but only seven have leads. Four have no leads at all. If we want to solve them, we'll have to think of other methods. However, these next few days should be enough for you to get through this difficult time. Secretary Wei has given us three days. Hehe, I think we can solve these seven cases today. I've written down all the leads in this notebook. The rest—scheduling the arrests—is up to you, brother."
Fu Yuanshan took the notebook Zhou Xuan handed him, opened it, and carefully read it. Zhou Xuan remembered everything in great detail: the time and place of the murder, where the perpetrator lived at that time, and the people who had contact with the perpetrator, including their residences and places of contact. Zhou Xuan had recorded everything related to the case, and filtered out any images unrelated to the case.
Fu Yuanshan looked at it for a while, and his tightly furrowed brows relaxed. Towards the end, he even chuckled. Zhou Xuan's notebook was so detailed that it practically pointed out the location of the murderer to him. Moreover, the murderer's crime process and other evidence were recorded in detail. It was almost as if all he needed to do was send people to these places to arrest the person. This was the so-called major case that had been filtered through countless layers of experts but could not be solved.
Fu Yuanshan's appointment as acting director was actually a pawn in Wei Haihe's game. Wei needed Zhou Xuan's assistance to seize control of the Beijing public security system. Logically, Fu Yuanshan's arrival at the municipal bureau during such a sensitive time was extremely dangerous. Even Wei Haihe's strongest rivals in the city believed that Wei had made a terrible blunder.
Whether it's a bad move or not remains to be seen. Zhou Xuan's brilliant move was something Wei Haihe's opponents never expected. Even if some people knew Zhou Xuan was a confidant planted by Fu Yuanshan, so what? None of them knew Zhou Xuan possessed such extraordinary abilities. They thought that no matter how many confidants Fu Yuanshan planted, it wouldn't help with the difficulties he faced. The key issue was that Fu Yuanshan's current problems couldn't be solved simply by having more people. As for manpower, weren't the branch bureau, the municipal bureau, and the criminal investigation experts from the ministry already numerous? This was a case that even those experts couldn't solve, leaving a lingering problem. What use would it be for Fu Yuanshan to plant a few confidants?
This isn't the era before liberation, where planting secret agents was common practice. Planting people here wouldn't be very effective. Besides, the people Fu Yuanshan planted weren't in important positions, so they wouldn't be of much help to him.
But Zhou Xuan's extraordinary abilities were far beyond their imagination. The more Fu Yuanshan looked at the notebook, the happier he became, and the more he smiled. If someone else had given him the notebook, he certainly wouldn't have believed it. But he knew Zhou Xuan's abilities. There was no need to think about why it was so strange and incredible; Zhou Xuan simply had these abilities.
Although Zhou Xuan said he had selected eleven cases, only seven of them had leads. However, based on these seven cases alone, Fu Yuanshan could become famous throughout the Ying Shi. If he announced an immediate action today, it wouldn't be tomorrow, but tonight, that everyone in the entire public security system of the capital would know how capable Fu Yuanshan was.
If Fu Yuanshan could solve even one of these cases within his few days of acting in office, that would be enough to get by. After all, these cases had been filtered through countless experts, and solving even one would be a remarkable achievement. As long as he could solve one, while it wouldn't guarantee Wei Haihe's success, it would at least be a strong bargaining chip that could be used at the Standing Committee meeting. No one else would be able to get away with it so easily. The facts are clear: Wei Haihe doesn't practice nepotism; he speaks based on ability. If someone doesn't have the ability, he wouldn't agree even to it if it were his own father. Of course, this is just what he can say.
After reading it, Fu Yuanshan pondered for a while, then looked up at Zhou Xuan and asked in a deep voice, "Brother, what do you think we should do?"
Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "Brother, this is a crucial time for you to establish your authority and win people's hearts. Although you're here as the acting head of the administration, I don't think many people truly respect you. Your foundation is weak, and people's hearts are unsettled. This is precisely when you need to establish your authority with strength. In any unit, there will always be those who are strong and those who are weak. Brother, you just need to gather the people who are at a disadvantage and have been squeezed for a long time, issue a gag order, and promise a hefty reward to these people to make a meritorious arrest. In this way, they will almost be considered to be advancing and retreating with you. If they make a meritorious arrest, the primary credit will naturally go to you, and they will also be closer to you because of their meritorious act. After that, you can be promoted legitimately. As for how to proceed, you have plenty of experience. I'm not an expert, so I don't need to teach you, do I?"
"Hehehe," Fu Yuanshan couldn't help but laugh, giving a thumbs up. He understood what Zhou Xuan was saying, of course. Every emperor has his own officials, and that's something every leader does. Replacing most of his subordinates with his own people makes things more effective. It seems that although Zhou Xuan isn't in officialdom, his abilities and understanding are truly remarkable. It's a real pity he's not in officialdom.
Fu Yuanshan thought for a moment, then asked, "Brother, what about you? Do you want to come along?"
Zhou Xuan smiled, then nodded and said, "I won't be working with you guys. I'll stay with that pretty-boy Zhang Lei. I've already chosen the case of the serial bombings. The killer isn't an ordinary person; he's proficient with firearms and extremely skilled in martial arts. If you arrange for the police to go, even if they're in plainclothes, a large number of people will likely give them away. Even if we catch the killer, there will probably be casualties. I think I should go myself. I'm confident I can capture him within fifty meters without entering the house. This way, my subordinates will be safe. At this point, you not only need to solve the case, but you also need to do so with minimal losses. Otherwise, even if you solve the case, if seven, eight, or even ten of your subordinates are killed or injured, it's not worth it."
Fu Yuanshan narrowed his eyes and chuckled, "Alright, it's your way. You take charge of that case, and I'll arrange and command the arrest operations for the remaining six cases."
Although Fu Yuanshan was only in charge of those six cases, after the arrests, all the credit for the cases actually went to him. Even if Zhou Xuan caught the people, the report would naturally say that it was Fu Yuanshan's arrangement and command. Everything was arranged by Fu Yuanshan, and he was just carrying out orders.
Fu Yuanshan pondered for a moment, then said, "Here's what we'll do. I'll call an emergency meeting right away. Of course, I already have a list of people to choose from. I've basically figured out who's been ostracized in the bureau all day, and I'll use them. However, whether these people, who have been ostracized for so long, can completely rely on me is still unknown. But I'm sure that as long as today's mission is successful, they'll immediately be determined to follow me."
As Fu Yuanshan spoke, he pondered that if Zhou Xuan's record was completely successful, then Secretary Wei's calculation would be considered a success, and his appointment as the director of the municipal bureau would be almost a certainty. He had previously considered himself extremely lucky to have been promoted from a bureau-level position to deputy director-general thanks to Zhou Xuan's connections, but now he clearly realized that as long as today's task was successful, his rank would immediately rise to director-general level.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say this was like riding a rocket. Fu Yuanshan had never imagined it this way, but it was the reality. He could indeed see and touch that ministerial-level position. And as long as he acted steadily in the future, with Zhou Xuan's help and Wei Haihe's backing, becoming the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission in the city and joining the Standing Committee were not just dreams. He was only fifty this year. In ten years, if he continued at this pace, it seemed that becoming a ministerial-level official before retiring was not impossible.
Overwhelmed by the brilliant idea, Fu Yuanshan slapped his thigh, grabbed the phone, and dialed a number, instructing his subordinates to summon those he had consulted to a small conference room for an emergency meeting.
Zhou Xuan was about to leave to take Zhang Lei to arrest the criminal when Fu Yuanshan waved his hand and said, "Brother, don't go either. Come to the meeting. I won't explicitly state your mission, but showing up at the meeting will let them know you're one of my men. No need to hide anything. Besides, once the mission is completed, no one in the bureau will gossip anymore. If anyone wants to gossip, I'll let them solve the case. If they can't, then they can shut up here. Here, I only speak based on ability and results."