In situations of intense mental concentration, the passage of time subjectively feels swift.

On the third day of the fingerprint analysis battle, the participating fingerprint identification and analysis experts achieved even more impressive results.

Of the eighteen experts, only five had yet to yield results; the others had all at least matched one fingerprint.

Director Tian Rong continued to lead in the number of matches, with seven cases and a total score of fifty-one points.

Ranking second on the hero list.

Lu Chuan led far ahead, with a total score of ninety, solving nine cases.

And all of them were murder cases!

In three days, Lu Chuan focused intensely, and on the third day alone, he scanned eighteen cases, successfully matching nine.

Nine unsolved murder cases!

Since the provincial headquarters began organizing the fingerprint battle, no battle had ever achieved so many unsolved murder case breakthroughs.

However, after three days, everyone was almost burnt out.

Lu Chuan clearly felt mental fatigue, and on the evening of the third day, Lu Chuan consecutively chose three fingerprints but didn't match a single one.

"Alright, let's rest and continue the fight tomorrow!"

Zhao Zhigao matched three cases in total; according to him, this was already an exceptional performance.

However, over these three days, Zhao Zhigao learned many techniques from watching Lu Chuan's fingerprint identification analysis, and his skill level had improved to some extent.

"Alright, let's rest early today."

With two days left in the fingerprint battle, Lu Chuan's plan was to match at least one fingerprint each day for the next two days.

After Lu Chuan left, several experts stayed behind.

Especially the five experts who hadn't matched any fingerprints, who were determined not to sleep tonight until they matched one.

People have pride, and those who could participate in the provincial fingerprint battle weren't lacking in ability.

In past years, it wasn't uncommon for seven or eight people not to match any fingerprints.

But today, inspired by Lu Chuan's consecutive matches with murder cases, many had breakthroughs.

The remaining five felt their pride wounded.

While the expert group was competing internally, the Criminal Investigation Teams from various cities weren't idle.

The number of cases matched by the expert group, including Lu Chuan's murder cases, totaled forty-six.

None of the forty-six unsolved cases that entered the provincial fingerprint battle were minor.

These cases involved almost every local Criminal Investigation Team in the province.

Many teams even had five or more cases to handle.

With so many unsolved cases having crucial leads, manpower in various Criminal Investigation Teams was evidently insufficient.

Yunfeng City.

The investigation of the headless case continued.

The suspect identity of Zhang Yuhui had been basically ruled out.

Chen Wu and others focused their attention on Zhang Yuhui's landlord and neighbors from back then.

Eight years ago, when Zhang Yuhui was still renting, the only person who could silently enter his room was the landlord.

After all, only he had the key.

The remaining possibility was his neighbors, who might have obtained the key Zhang Yuhui hid under the doormat and entered his home.

As for theft, there were no indications of that back then, and the murderer was unlikely to steal specifically for a dagger.

Solving cases is like that; without leads, one searches aimlessly like a headless fly.

But once there's a lead, solving a case can often be done in one or two days, or even a few hours.

Haizhou City.

"Wait a moment, I'll do the talking, you keep watch."

Chen Fan was the deputy leader of the action team of the Yunfeng City Criminal Investigation Team. This trip to Haizhou City was because the neighbor who used to live across from Zhang Yuhui had left Yunfeng City seven years ago and now lived in Haizhou.

This time, Chen Fan brought his apprentice Li Xiaotong on this trip.

The coordination work was done by the Haizhou City Criminal Investigation Team, and finding the person didn't take much effort.

"Alright, Master, Brother Sun's side has finished questioning the landlord, with no results; it's up to us now."

Chen Fan nodded, the landlord and neighbors were key subjects for investigation.

Knock knock knock!

After the sound of the knock, a hoarse male voice came from inside the room after about four or five breaths.

"Who is it?"

"Hello, we're from the Yunfeng City Public Security Bureau, looking for Cui Jun!"

Bam!

A heavy muffled sound came from inside, and Chen Fan and Li Xiaotong exchanged glances.

The other party lived on the fourteenth floor in a single-room apartment, with no second exit aside from the front door, so there was no fear of him escaping.

After a moment, the voice came again: "Oh, oh, coming."

The door opened, and they saw a middle-aged man around forty years old.

"Hello, officers, I am Cui Jun. What can I do for you?"

Chen Fan looked at him; he was about 1.75 meters tall, had a beer belly, and his complexion didn't look too good.

"Mr. Cui, we're looking into a case from eight years ago."

Chen Fan continued: "The headless case in Yunfeng City, do you remember?"

"Huh?"

Cui Jun seemed a bit dazed, thought for a moment, then said: "Oh, oh, I remember, it was that woman who lost her head, right? It seemed to be near the community where I lived?"

"It seems they didn't catch the murderer back then... have they caught them now?"

"Mr. Cui, may we come in and talk?"

"Oh, oh... please come in!"

Half an hour later.

Chen Fan and Li Xiaotong left Cui Jun's residential complex.

"Master... this Cui Jun... I feel there's something wrong with him."

"Oh? What's wrong with him?"

"I can't say for sure, it just feels off. The case back then caused such a stir in Yunfeng City. Though I wasn't there, everyone I talked to in the past few days recalled it immediately when mentioned."

Li Xiaotong had joined the police three years ago and didn't know much about the case from eight years ago.

It was only orally passed down, heard from seniors.

During the past two years of reviewing unsolved cases, only the criminal police who participated in the investigation back then were involved, and Li Xiaotong didn't participate.

"Go on."

Li Xiaotong nodded: "But this Cui Jun seemed to be deliberately avoiding it, I feel something's not right."

Chen Fan chuckled: "It's not just off; this Cui Jun... there's a big problem with him."

The reason why the headless case wasn't solved back then was primarily because the identity of the deceased, Zhao Yali, wasn't confirmed.

Without confirming the deceased's identity, with just a blood fingerprint, it meant that until the fingerprint was matched, checking surveillance camera footage or interpersonal relationships was futile.

As for now, with Chen Fan's experience, he knew as soon as he saw Cui Jun that something was off with this person.

Even if he wasn't the killer, he must know something.

"During the questioning just now, Cui Jun kept staring at his phone. Later, ask Haizhou to check who he called."

This small matter could be clarified with a call from the Criminal Investigation Team.

After looking at Haizhou's query results, Chen Fan immediately requested instructions from the Yunfeng City Criminal Investigation Team: "Captain Chen, I request permission to arrest Cui Jun immediately!"

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