Chapter 309: Surveillance Chase

Chapter 309: Surveillance Chase

National Security’s investigation is entirely different from that of the police.

They speak of efficiency.

Every search, inquiry, and pursuit must yield to efficiency.

In the face of efficiency, all rules and regulations become laughable.

Within just an hour, the blind girl’s past travel routes were completely scrutinized.

After all, she is blind and rarely leaves home.

Just as it was mentioned in Fang Shuoxin’s novel.

Xiao Yu remarked that this world isn’t very kind to the blind.

She was a bit frightened to face this ‘dark’ world!

Even when going out, the blind girl typically visits only fixed places.

Leaving her residential area, then the bus stop, the subway station… and finally a school for the blind!

Schools for the blind?

Not only do they exist, but there are quite a few.

They teach blind people how to adapt to this world.

They impart skills on how to live without light.

They also teach abilities that are accessible to the blind.

The travel path isn’t long, making it very easy to review.

But finding one specific person is incredibly difficult.

Because along that route, with so many people encountered, it’s impossible to label everyone as a suspect.

Besides, some of the retrieved footage is only from the last month or two.

Surveillance videos like these in over 240 places aren’t kept for long.

But one or two months’ worth of footage is more than enough.

So how do you pinpoint a suspicious individual?

The simplest method.

Cross-reference everyone who repeatedly appeared around the blind girl in the surveillance footage.

As Xiao Yu would say, how could it be such a coincidence in this world?

Anyone who appeared along her route multiple times must be marked as a prime suspect.

Xiao Yu pointed out, “A person appearing several times can hardly be chalked up to pure coincidence.”

Didn’t Xiao Yu also mention that she was involved with that so-called ‘Dark Dragon’?

Couldn’t they just investigate him directly?

National Security and the police had long since probed that angle.

The target isn’t stupid—he’s actually quite clever.

Every meeting with Xiao Yu is held at a location that leaves no trace.

It seems he deliberately stays out of surveillance range.

Without such smarts, he would have been caught ages ago…

An entire eleven hours.

Xiao Yu, Wang Dong, and a ten-member team from Group Two, along with dozens of local police, scoured the blind girl’s past travel footage until…

A suspect emerged on the video!

“In the past two months, the blind girl left home 31 times, 22 of which couldn’t be tracked. But on 9 occasions, she headed to the school for the blind. In three of those journeys, a suspect appeared twice by her side… It’s suspicious, though it might also be a mere coincidence!”

Wang Dong, watching the surveillance footage, remarked to his junior.

He added, “Appearing twice…” as Xiao Yu frowned, studying the man on the screen.

Two instances could easily be dismissed as coincidences—within a reasonable margin.

But beyond two, it generally stops being a coincidence.

The surveillance footage shows:

The man wore a baseball cap, his face partially hidden in the frame.

His estimated height exceeds 180 cm; he appears neither overweight nor skinny, though his shoe size can’t be determined.

The camera angle doesn’t capture anything below his legs.

This clip was taken by a bus stop camera.

The blind girl got off at her stop, and the man disembarked shortly after.

Next, another clip from the subway.

Inside the train.

This time, the suspect’s full body is visible.

He stands at 180 cm, wearing loose clothing that conceals his physique; his shoes appear to be basketball sneakers.

The shoe size might be over 44.

At 180 cm, a size 44 is within normal range.

One thing to note is that basketball shoes typically run large.

What seems to be a size 44 might actually be at least two sizes smaller for a normal fit.

Could it be size 42?

Xiao Yu’s heart pounded fiercely for a moment.

He recalled a case.

A murder case at the Silver-Selling Women den in City C.

Three victims were ‘executed by ancient methods.’

He had inspected the scene back then; from some footprints on the building and the statements of witnesses, he deduced the culprit’s physical profile.

Over 180 cm, lean, single eyelid, with a terrifying stare, shoe size between 40 and 42, left-handed!

Comparing this with the current footage,

The physique matches. It’s unclear if he has single eyelids since his hat obscures his eyes.

As for the shoe size of 40 to 42… is it at odds with the suspect’s shoes on the video?

No.

They align perfectly!

The man in the footage wore a pair of basketball sneakers.

But how could the murderer from the ‘ancient execution’ case have worn basketball shoes?

Climbing a building via the rooftop isn’t practical in such footwear.

It’s safe to infer that the perpetrator favored light and standard shoes.

Size 42!

Both his height and shoe size match, and his general build aligns as well.

In the video, the suspect’s loose attire clearly rules out a stocky or overweight build.

Height, lean build, shoe size…

Staring intently at the man on screen, Xiao Yu ordered, “Find him!”

Everyone knows National Security’s prowess in tracking people.

In a city, an hour is enough time to find anyone—not by hiding deliberately.

Yet one hour later…

“It must be him,”

Wang Dong reported gravely to Xiao Yu, “Our team couldn’t locate him!”

“Ha!”

At this, Xiao Yu laughed and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Indeed, anyone National Security can’t immediately pinpoint is clearly hiding on purpose.

If you haven’t committed a crime, why hide? If it isn’t him, then who could it be?

With the target confirmed, the next step was to track him down and capture him!

Unfortunately… neither surveillance clip clearly shows his face.

Only his build is visible, making it hard to match him in large databases.

Thus, his identity remains unknown for now.

No information means you can’t find the person?

Not at all—a thorough reconstruction of the footage will be used.

This time, the focus isn’t on the blind girl but on the suspect man.

After all, whether on the bus or in the subway, he’s bound to show up on camera, right?

Using the footage from buses and subways along with the timeline, they tapped into the City Tianyan Surveillance Camera network… to trace him back!

First, City Tianyan Surveillance undoubtedly covers major transit hubs like stations.

The so-called reverse-trace involves retracing the suspect’s steps, like rewinding a video.

Every place the suspect set foot on is scrutinized in reverse.

Step by step, they search for his first recorded appearance.

And one key point remains:

The suspect’s two recorded appearances seem linked to his trailing the blind girl, don’t they?

He was watching, investigating her, waiting for the perfect moment to approach.

To create a chance to contact her, to gradually become acquainted and even fall in love?

If you were tracking someone, what’s the best way to do it?

Shouldn’t you appear where that person was last seen?

“Her residential area?”

Narrowing his eyes, Xiao Yu mused, “Does he really have the nerve to go there?”

He did!