novelaction Chapter 1067 Zhengda Technology's Clues Interrupted
Chapter 1067 Zhengda Technology's Clues Interrupted
"Xiao Zhou, take men and thoroughly investigate Li Chaoyang and Wang Mingshan, focusing on their connection with Ren Tao. Examine all project data of Zhengda Technology, not even a single punctuation mark." His voice was deep and firm as his gaze swept over the serious-looking police officers in the conference room.
After receiving his orders, Xiao Zhou immediately dispatched multiple teams to conduct the investigation. One team went to Li Chaoyang's residence and company to retrieve his call records, driving routes, and spending records; another team conducted a comprehensive review of Wang Mingshan's social relationships, meticulously investigating everything from his companies and frequented locations to the people he contacted. Meanwhile, technical personnel conducted in-depth analysis of Zhengda Technology's financial data, project contracts, and internal communication records, attempting to uncover hidden clues.
In Li Chaoyang's office, officers searched every drawer and filing cabinet, finding only routine work documents and personal emails. His computer was password-protected, taking technicians a full day to crack; however, aside from work documents and engineering drawings, no information related to Ren Tao was found. "His call records show that he had no contact with Ren Tao before or after the incident," an officer said, reviewing the records. "Moreover, during that time, he was attending an engineering seminar, and dozens of people can testify to that."
The investigation into Wang Mingshan was equally difficult. His companies had complex accounts and frequent financial transactions, but careful examination revealed nothing unusual. Although his social circle was a mixed bag, at the time of the incident, he was out of town discussing business with a group of partners. Hotel surveillance footage, spending records, and testimonies from his companions all corroborated his alibi. "On the morning of October 15th, Wang Mingshan was at a luxury club in a neighboring city. Surveillance footage clearly shows him there from 10 PM until 6 AM the next morning," the investigating officer said, presenting the evidence to Xiao Zhou with a helpless expression.
Meanwhile, the investigation into Zhengda Technology also reached a stalemate. The company's project documents appeared complete and compliant, with all testing reports and acceptance documents readily available. Technicians compared the falsified evidence on Ren Tao's USB drive and found numerous contradictions with Zhengda Technology's existing documents, making it difficult to use as conclusive evidence. "This data may have been forged by Ren Tao himself, or it may have been false information obtained from other channels," a technician analyzed with a frown. "Moreover, Zhengda Technology insists that the company has never undertaken the project Ren Tao mentioned."
Faced with numerous difficulties, Xiao Zhou decided to start with the details. He re-examined Li Chaoyang and Wang Mingshan's alibis, trying to find loopholes. While repeatedly reviewing the surveillance footage of Li Chaoyang attending the seminar, a subtle movement caught his attention—Li Chaoyang left midway to go to the restroom, disappearing for a full twenty minutes. "Twenty minutes is enough to make a phone call or send a message," a glimmer of hope flashed in Xiao Zhou's eyes, and he immediately sent someone to investigate Li Chaoyang's communication records during his time in the restroom. However, the result was disappointing; his phone was switched off during that period, and no clues could be found.
The investigation into Wang Mingshan at the VIP club also yielded no results. Surveillance footage showed that he remained inside the club the entire time, only going to the restroom once, for a period of no more than five minutes. His business partners also confirmed that Wang Mingshan never left their sight. "Unless he can be in two places at once, it's impossible for him to be at Eagle's Beak Cliff at the time of the incident," the officers said, shaking their heads in frustration.
As the investigation deepened at Zhengda Technology, more problems surfaced. Some senior managers of the company gave evasive and evasive answers to police questioning, yet no substantial evidence could be found to prove their involvement in the case. Furthermore, the so-called "fabricated evidence" possessed by Ren Tao lacked crucial original documents and witness testimonies, failing to form a complete chain of evidence.
A week of investigation had passed, and Xiao Zhou returned to the Criminal Investigation Division with his exhausted team. Facing Li Ming's expectant gaze, he shook his head helplessly: "Captain Li, Li Chaoyang and Wang Mingshan's alibis seem impeccable at the moment, and Zhengda Technology has no new leads. It seems we've reached a dead end." Silence fell in the meeting room. The clue diagram on the whiteboard resembled a giant net, trapping everyone within it, while the truth remained hidden behind layers of fog.
Li Ming stared at the crossed-out names "Li Chaoyang" and "Wang Mingshan" on the whiteboard, remaining silent for a long time. The sky outside the window gradually darkened, and a new storm seemed to be brewing. He knew the case was far more complex than it appeared; the murderer must have set a trap somewhere, and they had to find the key to unlock the mystery.
The central air conditioning in the office building hummed softly as Xiao Zhou led two police officers through rows of workstations. The construction company where Ren Tao had worked was filled with the mingled smells of printer ink and coffee; the employees' gazes held a mixture of curiosity and unease. Outside the glass curtain wall, the city lights illuminated the twilight with neon, but their glow couldn't penetrate the investigation that had reached a stalemate.
"Ren is the backbone of our department." The structural design team leader adjusted his glasses, revealing Ren Tao's revisions and annotations on the blueprints spread out in front of him. "Last month, a torrential rain caused flooding at the construction site, and he spent three consecutive days on-site adjusting the drainage plan. The water poured out of his leather shoes was enough to raise fish." When asked if Ren Tao had any enemies, the team leader suddenly smiled wryly: "He even recycles and reuses printer paper, and he feeds stray cats sausages. Who could someone like that possibly offend?"
The casual conversation in the break room revealed more details. Intern Xiao Wang's fingers trembled slightly as she held her mug: "Ren always says young people shouldn't stay up all night drawing, but he himself often stays up all night revising plans." She suddenly remembered something and pulled out a photo from her phone—Ren Tao standing in front of the barbecue grill during a team-building event, his apron slick with oil, handing out grilled chicken wings to his colleagues. "Look," she said, "he even keeps the burnt chicken wings for himself."
During a visit to the Human Resources Department, the performance evaluation records in the filing cabinets were piled up like a small mountain. Next to the "Outstanding Employee" certificate for five consecutive years was a handwritten suggestion: "I suggest adding a mentorship system for interns; young people need guides." The HR manager sighed: "Last year during the salary adjustment, he voluntarily gave up his spot to a colleague who was experiencing financial difficulties; his signature on the financial statements is still there."
In the staff dormitory area, when Ren Tao's roommate opened the door, a faint smell of camphor filled the room. On the desk was a half-empty bottle of Yunnan Baiyao aerosol, and a note on the bedside table read: "Xiao Li has an old knee injury, remember to remind him to apply heat."