Reborn in 97, I solved a cold case at the Municipal Bureau

Chapter 52: Elimination Method (Three more chapters, please read later)

Facing Miao Cheng's question, Zhou Yi smiled and replied, "I guessed."

"Guessed?" Miao Cheng asked in surprise.

Zhou Yi said, "How should I put it? I think that so-called reasoning is actually a guess based on logic and clues."

"For example, their daughter is eight years old this year, so Zhang Hui gave birth to her daughter when she was 38. This age is undoubtedly advanced maternal age, and the risks of childbirth are very high. Zhang Hui's willingness to take this risk shows that she has true feelings for Xu Jiaguang. It is difficult for a reconstituted family to live together."

"Furthermore, Xu Jiaguang is a cowardly person. Unless his ex-wife was overly domineering and he could no longer tolerate her, it would be unlikely for him to initiate a divorce. But if that were the case, how could he possibly look for Zhang Hui, who is also very strong? So it's likely that he was forced to divorce after his infidelity was discovered, or that Zhang Hui pressured him to divorce."

"Finally, judging by their family structure, neither party got the child during the divorce. Either they felt the child was a burden, or they couldn't get custody of the child because of their infidelity. I guess it was a bit of both."

Zhou Yi counted on his fingers and said, "Second marriage, true love, no children. So I think the possibility of them remarrying after cheating is the greatest."

Miao Cheng couldn't help but say to Qiao Jiali, "Your city bureau is truly full of talented people. They were able to deduce such accurate information from such ordinary clues. It's truly amazing."

Qiao Jiali patted Zhou Yi's shoulder with satisfaction: "Of course, our serious crime team is not something that anyone can join."

Zhou Yi waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, I just got lucky and happened to guess it right. It's mainly because Officer Miao and you did your job well and checked everything you should have. Otherwise, I wouldn't know if I was right or wrong."

Miao Cheng asked, "Officer Zhou, do you have any guidance on this missing person case?"

Zhou Yi waved his hands fearfully, "I'm just a newcomer, how can I dare to offer guidance? But Zhang Hui's disappearance is indeed very strange."

"Missing is generally classified into two types: active disappearance and passive disappearance."

"If they've disappeared on their own, it means they've run away from home in anger after a family conflict; or they've had an affair and run away with someone; or they've committed something and are hiding out of fear."

"Based on what you already know, the first possibility is unlikely. Even if Xu Jiaguang lied, it's impossible for their daughter and the neighbors to be completely unaware of it."

"As for a personal affair, we can't rule it out at this point, but it's not difficult to investigate. But as Officer Miao said, none of the documents or property were taken, so the possibility is extremely low."

"As for hiding because she committed a crime, I think the probability is even lower. If it was a serious criminal offense, there would definitely be a joint investigation report within the public security system. Zhang Hui is not in finance, so it is unlikely that she would have the opportunity to commit economic crimes."

Miao Cheng nodded repeatedly after hearing Zhou Yi's words.

"Officer Zhou, if you say that, then Zhang Hui must have disappeared passively."

Zhou Yi didn't answer directly, but said, "Actually, our approach to investigating a case is very similar to answering a multiple-choice question. We list the possibilities one by one, then eliminate them one by one. Whatever remains at the end is naturally the correct answer."

This is actually the basic logic that you should think about when you start handling a case. First, determine the nature of the case, then determine the motive of the crime, and finally determine the direction of the investigation.

The reason why many cases remain unsolved is that the initial direction was deviated.

A small mistake can lead to a big error.

The reason why the 316 case was solved within 24 hours was not because Zhou Yi was so great. He was just an ordinary old detective, not Sherlock Holmes or Conan.

The real key is actually the file that I saw in the archives room.

Although the case was not solved, the information in the file was the key to helping him quickly eliminate the wrong options.

This is Zhou Yi's biggest advantage compared to others.

Normally, when the police handle cases, they are just guessing. If there are clues, they guess based on the clues; if there are no clues, they guess based on possibilities. Then they conduct investigations and visits to eliminate wrong guesses and narrow down the direction of investigation.

Although the method is stupid, it is also realistic.

"Zhou Yi, Captain Wu didn't tell you that, did he?" Qiao Jiali asked in surprise. "Captain Wu?" Zhou Yi was stunned.

"Captain Wu said the exact same thing to us. If Captain Wu didn't tell you that, then you two are really alike."

Miao Cheng, who was standing by, laughed heartily and said, "This is probably what they call great minds think alike."

Qiao Jiali jokingly said, "Zhou Yi, Captain Wu recruited you to take over his job, didn't he?"

"Sister Qiao, please stop teasing me. Brother Ren Yan is Captain Wu's personal disciple. Besides, there's Brother Biao and you too. How can it be my turn?"

"Officer Zhou, I think what you said makes sense. There are indeed many suspicious points about Zhang Hui's disappearance," said Miao Cheng.

"But our difficulty is that we don't have enough evidence to file a case."

"How about this? I'll ask my superiors to transfer this case to your city bureau. How about that?"

"If Xu Jiaguang keeps holding up signs everywhere, it will be very detrimental to the public's image of Hongcheng Police. If higher-ups blame me, I'll be speechless and unable to express my suffering."

Miao Cheng smiled helplessly, looking at Zhou Yi expectantly.

"This……"

Zhou Yi knew that although there were regulations for internal transfers, it was a very simple matter to apply for assistance in investigating the case.

What he had been worried about was the attitude of the local police station, fearing that if he extended his hand too far, it would affect internal unity.

Now that they have taken the initiative to say so, that is naturally the best thing.

But... as a "newcomer", I still have to pretend.

"Sister Qiao, do you want to ask Captain Wu for instructions on this matter?"

Qiao Jiali waved her hand and said, "Why ask him? It's your case, you decide it yourself. Just think of it as a welcome gift from the Third Brigade."

Zhou Yi was suddenly at a loss whether to laugh or cry. Is there anyone who gives away cases as a gift for meeting someone?
"Officer Miao, if that's the case, I'll take the case. Give the family an explanation as soon as possible to prevent the matter from escalating. As for the formalities..."

Before Zhou Yi finished speaking, Miao Cheng immediately said, "Don't worry about the procedures, I'll take care of it."

Deep down, Miao Cheng was truly grateful to Zhou Yi for this matter.

When he heard Zhou Yi say that Xu Jiaguang went to the street holding a sign, he felt terrible because this matter had become a hot potato.

He also felt that Zhang Hui's disappearance was very unusual, but their institute did have limited capabilities, and this matter would either be exposed or left unresolved.

So Zhou Yi's willingness to take on this hot potato really helped him a lot.

Besides, this is the city bureau's serious crime squad. If they really solve a major case, I can still get some credit for it.

"Officer Zhou, look at Xu Jiaguang. Do you want me to call him over for questioning?" Miao Cheng asked attentively.

Zhou Yi smiled embarrassedly and said, "No need. In fact, I have asked him to come to the Municipal Bureau to see me at three o'clock this afternoon."

"What?" Miao Cheng and Qiao Jiali were both shocked.

　Thanks to many readers for their opinions. Starting tomorrow, Zhou Yi will tear up his uncle's family. I believe everyone will be satisfied. Thank you everyone.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)