National Forensic Doctor-Chapter 1088 - 1019 Director Xu

"With so many threads tangled together, asking Director Xu may not be appropriate."

The captain of the Criminal Police Brigade in Yuwan City knew that his side was supposed to shoulder the majority of the funding, so he was sensitive when he heard Xu Taining’s name. He also had to consider the upcoming cases for the next decade. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Jiang Yuandao said, "Director Xu is also skilled at unraveling leads. Before he does a thorough check, he usually organizes things first. Let’s ask him. Director Liu, can you communicate?"

"Sure, I’ll align with old Xu." Liu Jinghui agreed with a smile.

Jiang Yuan nodded, feeling slightly relaxed, took two more pieces of meat, then invited others: "Come, let’s eat first. Once we’re full, we’ll handle the case."

Jiang Yuan asked the waiter to mix two more servings of sauce, alternating them with the meat, and ate cheerfully.

Seated at the same table were fellow carnivores, but they didn’t share Jiang Yuan and Liu Jinghui’s mindset. One by one, they began playing with their phones as they ate.

Before long, Qingshi City’s Criminal Police Brigade’s captain, Fang Gang, barged in, evidently having received information from the mobile phones being used.

"Why are we suddenly talking about Director Xu again?" Fang Gang had no room for pleasantries, relying entirely on assertiveness.

Liu Jinghui, having just finished a call with Xu Taining, came over and smiled, "This case involves too many places; it’s a tangled mess. Asking Director Xu to analyze and find some leads is a good idea."

"I thought this isn’t your forte?" Fang Gang unabashedly flattered Liu Jinghui.

Liu Jinghui smiled again and said, "These require thorough investigations. As for the conclusions of the investigation, I can’t make wild guesses. But old Xu, he sometimes can really deduce it."

Fang Gang was astonished, "That exaggerated?"

Thinking about the predetermined investigation results seemed inappropriate, but such thoughts were idealized, akin to the rational actor model in economics. Fortunately, criminal detection doesn’t adhere to rational actors, probably because there are no rational actors in criminal detection.

For every case manager, there is often an expectation when giving directions for an investigation. Some investigation scopes are like shooting arrows whether there’s a target or not; some are highly anticipated, but typically these thoughts remain just expectations. Some commanders deliberately suppress such expectations, striving to return to rationality.

In Liu Jinghui’s statement, Xu Taining’s abilities clearly surpassed mere expectations. This piqued Fang Gang’s curiosity, even making him eager to learn the secret.

Liu Jinghui simply smiled and said, "After conducting numerous field investigations, it’s something developed through practice."

"Ah... just that simple?" You Lixiang also had his ears perked up, listening.

Fang Gang, however, scoffed, "That’s the hardest part."

Liu Jinghui also nodded, "That’s why when we don’t have the chance to practice ourselves, we let old Xu take a look and filter out a direction first."

"Is there anything we can do now?" You Lixiang had already put down his chopsticks, feeling somewhat impatient.

As the brigade captain, Fang Gang glanced at You Lixiang, "So eager to join the fight?"

"I didn’t mean to rush... it’s just that..." You Lixiang hurriedly explained, "As far as I know, Director Xu pays great attention to covering all bases in his work, so on our end... I’m mainly worried that even if no case happens within this month, are they planning any sales?"

"Can’t eat anymore." Liu Jinghui also set down his chopsticks.

If you were to talk about such speculations, how could Liu Jinghui not have thought about it? But thinking about it and speaking it out are different things.

Saying those child traffickers are making sales, it would undoubtedly mean selling children. Yet, Liu Jinghui had to clarify, "Sales can’t happen; once they get the children, they quickly send them out because keeping them is too dangerous, especially those on the first level. They try to minimize contact with the victims as much as possible."

Having started, Liu Jinghui continued, "That’s why they need to contact the buyers in advance, which also means letting the buyers take on certain risks, making it easier to transfer."

"We now know the child traffickers are driving a gray van, but we don’t know what kind of car the buyer drives, what transportation they use, and with the next one, it’s even harder to determine."

"However, if we can’t find the children, it’s hard to convict the suspects. Those who pass the children along intend just that."

You Lixiang listened intently. He invested a lot of time and emotion into the 712 special case and said earnestly, "The more people involved, the more information should surface, right?"

"Participants are a community of interests; why would they leak information easily? Moreover, many people involved in the intermediary stages rely solely on such models for survival. From one place, they bring a child over, then quickly sell to another person. The price increase in between depends on their asking price, and how many people they can connect with also depends on their skill." Liu Jinghui was familiar with the demeanor of the traffickers as well.

"Even if their information circulates internally, it should leak out..."

"But speaking of evidence, can we still find the children by then?" Liu Jinghui’s question wasn’t sharp; it was a thought everyone present could have, even knew the answer to, but no one wanted to think it through.

This is one of the most nauseating aspects of human trafficking cases.

Jiang Yuan didn’t want to discuss it further, stood up, and said, "This brainstorming ends here. Everyone go back and conduct personnel arrangements. Once we get feedback from Director Xu, we’ll decide on specific investigation directions and allocate staff."

The criminal police officers didn’t dawdle, promptly taking their leave. A moment ago, the room was bustling with heat, and soon only the hot pot was left steaming alone.

Jiang Yuan quietly walked back with Liu Jinghui. This situation, there wasn’t much need for his expertise.

However, commanding a large-scale team-level task force, in such a setting, Jiang Yuan was the only one capable of doing it. Even Liu Jinghui couldn’t do it.

Because the head of a task force has to be accountable both upwards and downwards.

Police work is very different from regular private sector jobs. No matter how much external temptation and internal conflict this job has, the fact of "being able to solve a case" is always very important.

The police officers, working tirelessly all night, huddled in their cars, toiling away day after day in the office, risking their lives in pursuit, are driven by some internal motivation.

If they don’t trust the head of the task force and believe he can lead it to victory, the direction of the case often becomes highly distorted.

Unknowingly, Jiang Yuan had already amassed enough prestige, even becoming accustomed to leading such large task forces. However, when his technical advantages couldn’t be showcased, Jiang Yuan became slightly anxious.

...

Xu Taining’s response was quick. After exchanging a few words with Liu Jinghui, he activated the speakerphone and began speaking with Jiang Yuan.

"I’ve reviewed the relevant leads. If it were up to me, I would attempt to conduct a full search of hotels and hostels in several cities." Xu Taining knew what Jiang Yuan needed was merely his expertise, so he spoke plainly.

Jiang Yuan asked, "Why hotels and hostels?"

"Because committing crimes across so many places, it’s almost certain they need to stay somewhere. It’s rare for anyone to travel hundreds of kilometers every day then head back. From a safety perspective, it’s also unsuitable. To return quickly, you’d have to take the highway, which poses some risk for them." Xu Taining explained earnestly.

"How do we go about such a wide search?"

"You can only rely on meticulous work. I believe starting with this gray van is feasible since more than one person reported seeing it. Actually, I think even targeting this vehicle might work. Investigating it through the transportation system is difficult, but through hotels and hostels, it might turn out to be easier!"

"Understood, I’ll incorporate that into our plan." Jiang Yuan couldn’t risk placing all bets on this, but Xu Taining’s perspective was highly convincing. No wonder he’s known for easily persuading leaders to release funding with just a few words.