Under various advanced instruments, almost no biological trace on this road could escape the investigation of the three men.

Not even a feather, or a bit of dander, could evade the scan of the instruments.

But proceeding this way led to Lu Chuan and his team collecting too much physical evidence.

They hadn't even gone twenty meters from the vineyard, and had already found hundreds of biological traces.

Liu Guodong frowned and shook his head, "These things are useful, but this is not the way to do it."

"With this workload, scanning this one or two kilometers of road, even if we don't eat, drink or sleep, it would take more than ten days."

"And with so much test material, we don't have the manpower to analyze and validate it. We need a different approach."

"Here's what I think," Old Bai thought for a moment and agreed. There were only a few people in the crime scene investigation office. If they took all this material back, it would take months to analyze.

"The child left home and went straight for about three hundred meters. Judging from this direction, it was unobstructed."

"Whether the murderer killed on impulse or premeditated, it's likely in a secluded place."

"These three hundred meters are too close to the child's home. The child's parents could easily find out."

"The latter four hundred meters also goes straight into the natural village. If the child cried for help, it would easily attract attention."

"I think we should focus on this bend," Old Bai drew a diagram on the ground.

"This stretch links the straight sections to the natural village and the child's home. It's a zigzag, with trees around, making it the most likely place for the murderer to act."

Lu Chuan nodded first, "I think so too, we should focus here."

Old Bai's analysis made complete sense; this distance was the most suitable for an attack.

Liu Guodong also nodded, "Okay, then we'll focus on these three hundred meters."

However, the three did not completely give up the first three hundred meters of the path.

They just stopped using instruments and used their eyes to observe instead.

In March in Haizhou, although the weather was warming and the snow was melting, the trees had not yet budded.

The poplars on either side of the road were just branches, looking somewhat desolate.

The first part of the road revealed no special discoveries.

After the child disappeared, parents and police had searched this section several times.

But nothing was found.

Turning the corner, Liu Guodong opened the instrument: "Let's start from here, not overlooking any clue."

The clues Liu Guodong referred to were human-related trace evidence.

Such as footprints, or hair.

Animal traces, like feathers, were not considered.

While the crime scene investigation began working, the action group led by Sun Jun and Ren Qiang also made progress.

"Our family has been contracting this vineyard for ten years, we have no enemies."

Wang Zihan's father, in his thirties, had dark skin and deep lines on his face from years of labor, looking about fifty.

At this moment, the man had vacant eyes, squatting on the ground smoking, eyes bloodshot but tears long gone.

"Mom, when will brother come back?"

Beside him, on the heated brick bed, Wang Zihan's mother held her three-year-old daughter, silently sobbing.

"We used to live in the front village, but to guard the grape trellis, we moved out every spring like everyone else in the village. We live in the village in winter, and move out in spring."

"Have you ever had any economic disputes or neighborhood conflicts?"

"Yes! How can we not have!"

The man did not speak, Wang Zihan's mother spoke up, "It must be Sixth Chen who did it, the heartless one, he couldn't contract the vineyard and held a grudge, he killed my son!"

"Shut up!"

The man scolded the woman, "The police are here, what nonsense are you spouting!"

"Sob... how am I talking nonsense, Sixth Chen fought with you last year, did you forget?"

"It must be him!"

Ren Qiang and Zhang Hui exchanged a glance, secretly noting this name.

In the natural village, Ren Qiang was visiting each household.

"You're talking about Chen Liu, huh, he's just an unruly rogue. Last year when the vineyard contract in the village expired, he wanted to take over Old Wang's vineyard."

"The folks had been growing for ten years and finally made some profit; how could Chen Liu take advantage."

"Last year, during the land contract process, Chen Liu caused trouble and fought with Old Wang's family."

"Old Wang's kid disappeared. I reckon Chen Liu can't escape this one..."

The aunt from Zhang's family was very suspicious of Sixth Chen.

The aunt from Sun's family said, "Chen Liu? An idler, scared of even killing a chicken. I don't think it has anything to do with him."

"Last year, before the New Year, they didn't really fight; it was just some pushing and shoving before it was broken up. I was right there on the scene."

The natural village isn't big, with just over seventy households, mostly vineyard owners.

Ren Qiang's group of twelve was divided into six teams, going house to house to understand the situation.

"Chen Liu... seems unlikely to me."

The person living at the west end of the village was named Tian Zhongfa, and Wang Zihan passed by his house first on the way to school.

"I go to work at the fields early. That day, I didn't really pay attention to Old Wang's kid."

"Chen Liu has nothing against Old Wang, just over the vineyard contract. He wanted to mess with other people too, not just Old Wang's family."

Tian Zhongfa was in the habit of smoking dry tobacco, rolling a cigarette, "My vineyard is next to Old Wang's. Chen Liu also approached me before the New Year and I drove him away."

Zhang Hui took notes while listening and, as he was leaving, noticed a side room with a padlock, as if something pushed against the door.

"Here..."

Tian Zhongfa's face froze, "Sorry, that's my wife. She's not mentally well. I have to lock her up when I go out to work."

As he spoke, Tian Zhongfa took out a key, opened the side room door and revealed a disheveled figure, face obscured, showing only two rows of white teeth.

"I'm sorry."

Tian Zhongfa seemed used to it, only a bit embarrassed to have outsiders see his mentally ill wife.

He turned and spoke inside, "Wait a bit for lunch, don't be anxious."

Saying so, he relocked the side room.

Zhang Hui shook his head; he came from the countryside too and in his impression, it seemed every village had someone who wasn't mentally sound.

Not many, just one, not clear-headed but unusually healthy.

Eating just regularly yet living very long.

The elder said they were the ones who warded off disasters for the village, bringing peace and prosperity.

Shaking his head, Zhang Hui knew this was superstition.

Over seventy households, six teams, the investigation could be completed in less than a day.

The situation on Sun Jun's side was more complex.

The West Suburb vineyard was large, and due to humidity and temperature, it was suitable for grapes.

Few residents went out for work, mostly stayed home to grow grapes.

Centered around Well No. 3, Qin Yong divided a five-kilometer radius, encompassing twelve natural villages.

Thoroughly investigating was very challenging.

In contrast, as night fell, the crime scene investigation team made a significant discovery.

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