I'm not a genius detective

Chapter 148 First Meeting of the Special Task Force

"Why can't I join? I'm also a police officer in the Criminal Investigation Division!"

During the preparation for the first meeting of the task force, Zhang Yunhang received the news and went to find his captain. After being rejected, he went to find Gao Bingyang. At this moment, the three of them were in the branch captain's office.

Yu Fanwei, the captain of the Third Brigade, valued Zhang Yunhang highly and had been training him as an elite member of the brigade for more than a year. Zhang Yunhang did not disappoint him and his performance was remarkable.

He had initially thought Zhang Yunhang was quite steady and obedient, but when the Municipal Public Security Bureau established a special task force for the serial murder case, his emotions were clearly a bit off, and he was eager to join.

Gao Bingyang looked at the young man who was questioning him and said, "Zhang Yunhang, you've never asked 'why' before."

He also valued Zhang Yunhang highly; among this group of new male police officers, only Zhang Yunhang and Han Ling stood out.

In the future, they might become a pair of pillars.

However, wherever there are people, there is a social dynamic, and wherever there is a social dynamic, there is competition. Putting two outstanding people together will inevitably spark some interesting interactions.

Just like the situation right now.

He knew perfectly well what Zhang Yunhang was thinking.

“I…” Zhang Yunhang lowered his head, then looked up again after a long while. “A series of murders have occurred in Qingchang. The situation is serious and has a terrible impact. If the murderer cannot be caught as soon as possible, there is no guarantee that new victims will not appear. I want to do my part.”

Gao Bingyang took out a cigarette and lit it: "I know you want to contribute, and I know you want to solve the case and bring justice to the victims. Your starting point is good, but... do you really want to join the task force just because of these things?"

Zhang Yunhang remained silent.

Yu Fanwei, who was standing next to him, noticed something was amiss and said, "Yunhang, you're not doing this again because of Han Ling from the Gu'an branch, are you? It's good to have a competitive spirit, but if it becomes an obsession, it will affect your emotions and judgment. When your mindset changes, it may turn into malicious competition."

In our police force, especially the criminal investigation team, malicious competition is a major taboo; nobody likes it.

Investigating cases is already troublesome enough; if investigators engage in malicious competition, how can the cases even be solved? Could this lead to overlooking clues and causing adverse consequences?
Such people are not allowed in criminal investigation teams.

It's normal to have a competitive spirit; everyone has one, but you can't show it or act on it.

There's a saying that goes, "When a hypocrite pretends to be a gentleman his whole life, then he is the real gentleman."

Zhang Yunhang dared not lie in front of the two captains, and now that he had been exposed, he told the truth: "I want to investigate this case with him. From Wanglou Police Station to the Criminal Investigation Brigade of Gu'an Branch, Han Ling has solved many cases and received widespread attention. He has even won a first-class merit. I want to know what his special qualities are and what advantages he has in his investigative thinking."

He was unwilling to admit Han Ling's excellence, but he had to admit it, the facts were there.

Furthermore, Lin Rong's attitude towards Han Ling has changed significantly recently, and he suspects that there are signs of romance between them.

Gao Bingyang: "I am the leader of the special task force, Wu Bin and Liang Yan are the deputy leaders, and the captain, deputy captain, squad leader and deputy squad leader of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of Gu'an District and Languang District also participated in the investigation of this case."

What, does solving this case really require you and Han Ling, two newly promoted cops? Do you think so many captains can't solve this case?
Even if you can't break it, you and Han Ling can?"

Zhang Yunhang was speechless: "I..."

That's right. The task force brought together almost all of Qingchang's top criminal investigators. Gao Bingyang and Wu Bin go without saying; their years of experience and achievements are not just empty words. There were also branch captains, as well as rising stars like squad leaders and deputy squad leaders.

Putting him and Han Ling into the task force wouldn't cause any trouble. They probably wouldn't even have a chance to speak; they would just have to obey orders and conduct the investigation.

If so many captains are helpless, he certainly can't do it either; he has that much self-awareness.

The same goes for Han Ling. If Gao Bingyang or Wu Bin had been in charge of solving those cases over the past year, they probably could have solved them too.

What he just said made it seem like he and Han Ling were the main force in the investigation, which put him on a rather high pedestal.

“Gao Zhi, that’s not what I meant,” Zhang Yunhang tried to explain.

Gao Bingyang waved his hand: "Alright, stop talking. I understand. You want to investigate the case with Han Ling. You have both the desire to compare and the desire to compete."

However, I have already decided that the Third Brigade will not join the task force. The First Brigade is the Major Crimes Brigade, responsible for investigating major cases throughout the city. You know that.

"If you didn't choose to join the first team a year ago, don't regret it a year later."

Zhang Yunhang quickly replied, "Of course I have no regrets. Joining the Third Brigade was the best decision I ever made!"

Team leader Yu Fanwei was listening right there. "Gao Zhi, what are you doing?"

"As long as you don't regret it." Gao Bingyang waved his hand. "Then go and work on your own cases. The task force has confidentiality regulations. You are not allowed to inquire or interfere secretly. Otherwise, you know the consequences."

Zhang Yunhang understood that the matter was settled, and after a moment of silence, he asked, "Then... under what circumstances can I be involved in this case?"

Gao Bingyang: "When we need manpower."

Zhang Yunhang: "You mean...keep people dying?"

Gao Bingyang slammed his hand on the table: "Can you shut your mouth and get lost!"

Zhang Yunhang felt embarrassed and quickly slipped away. He was just being quick-witted, but when discussing the possibility of new victims in a serial murder case, he couldn't say anything like that; it was something he had to face.

As Zhang Yunhang left the branch captain's office, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw Peng Yao. (The female character at the beginning, who joined the municipal bureau, majoring in criminal technology, and has feelings for Zhang Yunhang.)
"Didn't Gao Zhi agree?" Peng Yao asked.

Zhang Yunhang shook his head. Peng Yao, as a police officer in the criminal technology team, would definitely participate in the case investigation. Even she could do it, but he couldn't.

These days, how rare is it to come across a serial murder case? He wasn't happy about the serial murders; he just wanted to participate in the investigation, and it wasn't solely for Han Ling's sake.

Peng Yao: "It's okay, just listen to Chief Gao. I'll let you know if there's any progress in the case."

"No." Zhang Yunhang immediately refused. "The task force has confidentiality regulations. Do you want us both to be punished? Let's go."

He knew Peng Yao liked him, but he liked Lin Rong.

Watching Zhang Yunhang's departing figure, Peng Yao sighed as she stood there. Compared to Lin Rong, she really didn't have much of a competitive edge.

Unless Lin Rong is no longer single, and I heard that the other party seems to be starting to get interested in Han Ling?

……

Inside the room, Yu Fanwei wanted to say something, but seeing that Gao Bingyang was in a bad mood, he left as well.

After finishing his cigarette, Gao Bingyang took out his phone and called Wu Bin: "After a while, have Zhang Yunhang join the investigation of the forgery case. Toughen up his temper and stop him from hanging around in front of me all the time."

He's a newcomer, has a clean background, and few interpersonal relationships; he definitely won't cause any problems.

Wu Bin laughed: "What's wrong, Gao Zhi? Did he upset you again?"

Wu Bin knew that the other party valued Zhang Yunhang, just as he valued Han Ling; both of them were outstanding.

Gao Bingyang: "He insisted on joining the special task force to compete with Han Ling. This is an investigation, and a serial murder case at that. Does he think he's playing a game?"

Wu Bin: "Zhang Yunhang, like Han Ling, is full of a sense of justice. He may have been mentally broken by Han Ling at the beginning of the police drill, but he will get better over time."

Actually, it wouldn't matter if he joined the task force; one more or one less person wouldn't make a difference.

Gao Bingyang: "He just adds people like that, does he have any sense of discipline? Let him investigate a case of forgery, then we'll see if being a criminal investigator is so easy."

Wu Bin: "Okay."

3pm.

Municipal Bureau Conference Room.

Many police officers arrived, including all the squadron leaders and above from various bureaus. Ji Bowen also brought Fang Zhou and Han Ling along to listen to the case analysis.

Tong Feng and his team haven't arrived yet; they're still investigating. They'll receive orders when the time comes.

The Languang Precinct's investigation into Wu Cuicui is very comprehensive. The large screen began to display Wu Cuicui's personal information, autopsy report, and investigation of her interpersonal relationships.

Gao Bingyang skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point, pointing at the screen with his pen and saying, "See? The crime scene, like Xiong Chuan's, is by the river. Usually, apart from fishing, not many people go there."

The murder weapon, the method of the crime, and the location of the crime are basically consistent.

Wu Cuicui is a full-time mother, and the whole family relies on her husband's income, so their life is relatively difficult. Xiong Chuan is the same; he gambled away all the family's money, and his daily life is also very difficult. These are the commonalities.

Furthermore, Wu Cuicui's mother has passed away while her father is still alive. She lives in Gu'an District, and she goes back there about once or twice a month by electric bike. In other words, she will be in Gu'an District. This is a common point.

Both victims had children, which was something they had in common.

What does everyone want to say?

The meeting room was very quiet; at this level of meeting, few people dared to speak unless they were confident.

Wu Bin fiddled with the pen in his hand and said, "Let's not consider the motive for now. We'll talk about it after we've investigated Xiong Chuan. From the perspective of psychological safety zones, the murderer will prioritize familiar places as the crime scene."

Who would be familiar with such a desolate wilderness, especially one so close to a river?

Is it possible that the murderer himself enjoyed fishing and frequented the various waterways of Qingchang, thus becoming familiar with such places?

Gao Bingyang nodded: "That's possible, but he can find a good location in advance, scout it out, and make thorough preparations before taking action."

One question is, since they were already at the riverbank, why didn't the murderer just throw the body into the river?

Whether the body is thrown directly into the river or tied with heavy objects and thrown in, the time it takes for the police to discover it will be indefinitely delayed. In summer, the water temperature is high, microorganisms are active, and the body decomposes much faster, which is advantageous to the murderer.

Undoubtedly, the longer someone has been dead, the harder it is to investigate. If only bones remain, it's impossible to identify the type of weapon, let alone see any wounds.

Wu Bin: "Is he not afraid of being discovered by the police, or... does he hope the police will find out?"

At this moment, Feng Yao spoke up: "A provocation?"

……

P.S.: Chapter Two will be released at night.

(End of this chapter)