Chapter 15: The Nacheng Case (Part Eight)

Li Rui said, “At the moment, it seems like we’re at a dead end, but it’s not that there’s no way out. Have you noticed? Although Jia Wenming is ruthless and kills without remorse, he isn’t entirely a lone wolf. In a sense, he does need accomplices.”

“Right, those two mistresses are his helpers,” Lei Chen said.

“If I were Jia Wenming, having killed so many people in one place, it would be abnormal if I didn’t encounter trouble. So it’s only natural to move elsewhere. But… does he have to continue this line of business?”

Faced with Li Rui’s question, everyone shook their heads.

“If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t do that,” Lei Chen said.

“Why not?” Li Rui asked.

“No particular reason, just a natural reaction,” Lei Chen replied. “People who do bad things always fear the knock of ghosts, right?”

Li Rui smiled and said, “Yes, common sense often is the truth.”

“Then where did he go?” Han Junshan asked.

“He took those two mistresses to a different city. New place, unfamiliar surroundings, and no legitimate trade. If he can’t do his old business, the only way to survive is…” Lei Chen’s eyes brightened. “Ah, I got it—‘honey trap’!”

“When I interned at the public security team, there were plenty of cases like this. Usually, the man has no proper job and uses women to run ‘honey trap’ schemes.”

“What’s a ‘honey trap’?” Qi Wei asked quietly.

“It’s simple: female members lure men to a hotel room, while another male member bursts in at the right moment to catch them in the act, then blackmail the man for money,” Lei Chen explained.

Han Junshan nodded and said, “You mean we should focus on ‘honey trap’ cases in other cities to find clues?”

“Yes,” Li Rui confirmed.

“Alright, I’ll issue a cooperation notice immediately!”

At this moment, Qi Wei raised her hand. “Director Han, actually, there’s no need to go through that trouble. Cooperation notices take time—sometimes half a month with no response…”

The young woman’s voice trailed off timidly.

Han Junshan asked, “Qi Wei, do you have a better idea?”

“I do, but I need authorization,” Qi Wei mumbled.

“You mean searching through the national database?” Han Junshan inquired.

Qi Wei nodded. “Although the database isn’t fully networked nationwide yet, with your permission, I can access and search it. That would be much more efficient.”

Han Junshan smiled. “Well done! As expected of a top talent in information technology! I’ll give you the authorization right away. Qi Wei, you must find Jia Wenming’s whereabouts as fast as possible!”

“Yes, I’ll complete the task!” Qi Wei saluted.

Li Rui nodded in approval. “Never expected Qi Wei had such skills.”

“Now it’s the era of youth. We’re all getting old,” Wen Rou said softly.

Li Rui glanced at her, as if reading an unspoken meaning. “Still, you don’t look old.”

Wen Rou rolled her eyes. “Not old? I’m practically past my prime—boring.”

At the computer, Qi Wei typed rapidly.

“All the national case information is in the database now, but it can’t be searched automatically through the system. I have to use some other methods, so it takes a little time,” Qi Wei said, eyes fixed on the screen.

Li Rui said beside her, “No rush. This is already the fastest way.”

“Yeah, better than searching for a needle in a haystack!” Lei Chen said.

It was clear he was fascinated by this rare piece of technology.

“If only I had this database, cracking those old cases would be a breeze,” Lei Chen said excitedly.

“Lei, it won’t be long before this system is rolled out nationwide,” Qi Wei smiled.

“Really? That’s great!”

Qi Wei was actually writing a program on the spot, enabling her to retrieve the desired information from the massive database.

With the last line of code entered, the screen flickered rapidly.

“Done!” Qi Wei smiled proudly.

“Is that it?” Lei Chen asked.

“It’s just a simple emergency program,” Qi Wei explained. “If we want to use it regularly, it’ll take much more time, but for a one-time search, it’s enough.”

“Qi Wei, you’re amazing!” Lei Chen praised.

“Thank you, Lei!” Qi Wei beamed.

After about half a minute, the screen stopped flashing. A case file appeared prominently.

“In 2019, the Jianggan Branch of Hangzhou Public Security arrested a ‘honey trap’ gang. The female member was Yu Meili; the male, Hao Jianping, who claimed to be from Ha City but used a fake ID,” Qi Wei summarized the case.

Lei Chen looked a little disappointed. “But their photos don’t match Jia Wenming and Liu Meixin.”

Li Rui shook his head. “Give the woman’s photo to the municipal police and ask them to confirm quickly if she’s the tenant.”

Lei Chen’s nerves snapped to attention. “Right! How did I forget about her? I’m on it!”

“Lei, I’ve already sent the photo to your phone,” Qi Wei said.

“Great!”

With that, Lei Chen hurried out of the meeting room.

“Qi Wei, how did you retrieve this case?” Li Rui asked curiously.

“Well, I just gave it a try,” Qi Wei said. “I figured after Jia Wenming left Na City, he wouldn’t use his real ID and would deliberately avoid anything that might reveal his identity, like ‘Na City.’ But you can’t fake an accent, so they might use Ha City or Hai City as cover. That’s why I set keywords like ‘fake ID,’ ‘Ha City,’ and ‘Hai City.’ I didn’t expect to catch something.”

Li Rui gave her an approving look. “Smart. No wonder Director Han personally selected you.”

“No, no, Li the forensic doctor, don’t flatter me. I still have to learn from you and Director Wen,” Qi Wei said humbly.

“Talented and humble—your future is limitless,” Li Rui said, patting her shoulder. “Check if Hao Jianping has other records.”

Not long after, Qi Wei finished her search. “He’s linked to two more cases: one for provoking trouble, another for fighting. But the investigation reports show similar ‘honey trap’ patterns.”

“Both in Hangzhou?” Li Rui asked.

“Yes, both in Hangzhou.”

“Looks like we need to make a trip to Hangzhou.”

Just then, Lei Chen rushed back in. “Confirmed! Yu Meili is the tenant!”

“That’s wonderful!” Qi Wei jumped up in excitement.

“They won’t get away this time,” Lei Chen said. “I’ve already reported to Director Han. We’re leaving for Hangzhou immediately.”

…

That night, the group rushed to the airport.

In the car, Lei Chen asked, “Li, the ‘honey trap’ theory was my suggestion, but I was following your lead. How did you think they’d get involved in that?”

Li Rui pondered briefly. “Actually, it was just a guess. As a forensic doctor, guessing isn’t professional. But sometimes, a hypothesis can become the key to solving a case.”

“Right. Bold hypotheses and careful verification—truth often emerges through repeated speculation and testing,” Lei Chen said.

“I guessed Jia Wenming would resort to ‘honey trap’ for three reasons: First, as you said, common sense. They’ve killed too many people and would certainly attract police attention. So they need to keep a low profile. No bloodshed is the best strategy,” Li Rui explained.

“Second, not everyone carries a lot of cash. Killing them wouldn’t yield much profit. Extortion can force them to hand over more money.”

Lei Chen nodded. “Makes sense.”

“Third, ‘honey traps’ usually target married men. Even if extorted, they won’t report it for fear of embarrassment. They’d rather pay to avoid scandal. It’s profitable and doesn’t involve murder—why not do it?”

Qi Wei nodded. “But how did you think of this from the start? I never did.”

Wen Rou smiled. “Qi Wei, don’t listen to him spouting nonsense. He talks a good game now, but he was hesitant earlier. Otherwise, with his showy personality, why didn’t he say anything then?”

Qi Wei smiled faintly, as if understanding Wen Rou’s meaning.

Li Rui gave her an embarrassed look. “Director Wen, could you not tease me in front of the juniors?”

“Who told you to act like you don’t know?” Wen Rou teased.

“Uh…”