Chapter 372: Intricate Cases Within Cases

Chapter 372: A Case Within a Case Within a Case

Stepping out of the interrogation room, Xiao Yu’s head buzzed incessantly.

The Wild Wolf murder case now had two victims.

Not only had Du Pen come into play again,

but they’d also uncovered a case of gang-initiated murder dating back over twenty years.

Damn it, Xiao Yu was about to flip the table.

Other cases have twists and turns, but must we have one with three turns?

(╯0Д0)╯︵┻━┻… What a load of crap!

The Criminal Investigation Team launched the probe.

They began reexamining a 23-year-old missing persons case.

It all started with an 18-year-old girl’s disappearance.

After her family filed a report, the police spent an entire year fruitlessly searching.

The disappearance coincided closely with suspect Fang Jie’s account.

Names matched up!

Zhao Changshan personally led a team to the suspected body disposal site of that time—a certain reservoir…

…

Back at the office, Xiao Yu fell into deep thought.

Putting aside the gang murder and the Du Pen cases for a moment,

he focused on the Wild Wolf murder case.

Why were all the victims members of the old ‘Brotherhood’?

One death and you can chalk it up to a random wild wolf ambush.

Two deaths? Still a wild wolf attack.

Call it fate, and you insult my intelligence.

Moreover,

Xiao Yu had discovered that the steppe wolf was actually being commanded by someone.

How was that possible?

He had never heard of any animal tamer capable of such control over a wolf.

To train a wolf to follow commands to that extent was unheard of.

Of course, just because you haven’t heard of it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

Assuming the murderer was directing the steppe wolf to kill,

it was clearly aimed at the Brotherhood.

So, who would want to kill members of the Brotherhood?

Could there be a link to the case from over twenty years ago?

It’s possible, though that scenario…

If you were out for revenge, could you really wait for over twenty years?

The possibility was small, but Xiao Yu couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

Soon, he issued his orders.

He directed the arrest of the other two members of the Brotherhood from that time,

Gan Yuzhen and her husband Xing Chuyang.

First, it was about the 23-year-old case,

and second, whether or not the Wild Wolf murder was connected, they had to stop the killer from claiming more lives. If unrelated, the case still needed solving…

…

At five in the afternoon,

Zhao Changshan called.

They had found the bones!

However, it wasn’t the so-called tin box,

but a large aluminum alloy suitcase.

I see… Xiao Yu’s eyes lit up with realization.

If it were a tin box, soaking in water for twenty years wouldn’t matter;

three or five years would have completely corroded it.

But aluminum is different—long-term water exposure won’t change it at all.

Unless the water was saline or acidic.

Only then could the aluminum be corroded.

Yet the victim’s body had decomposed entirely.

Soaked human bones should theoretically have rotted away completely.

Over time and under sufficient density, they’d revert to calcium and phosphorus.

However, due to the unique nature of human bones,

parts such as teeth, joints, and skulls…

even after more than twenty years, some remnants would still remain…

The bones had been found.

This evidence strongly validated Fang Jie’s testimony.

It completed the evidence chain for the gang murder, body disposal, and massacre case.

All that remained was to apprehend the other two suspects.

But Xiao Yu’s primary focus still rested on the Wild Wolf murder case.

At six in the evening,

“Boss, we’ve found a lead.”

Guo Qiang called. “We discovered a medium-to-large dog breeding farm on the outskirts. Upon investigation, not only did they breed some illegal foreign canine species, but they also kept… wolves!”

Xiao Yu drove out of the Criminal Investigation Team headquarters, left the city, and headed straight for the suburban breeding farm.

At last, a lead!

…

At 6:38 PM,

Xiao Yu arrived at the breeding farm.

The factory’s name was quite bold—House of Fierce Dogs.

“The breeding farm used to keep wolves but denies it,” Guo Qiang explained, adding that the clue had been gleaned from local sources.

Standing beside Xiao Yu, he added, “Old Liu and Lao Liu investigated it.”

Xiao Yu glanced at the two grinning Criminal Police officers.

Li Xin and Liu Hongqiao had been his longtime ‘junior members’,

from the time he was an intern with the Criminal Investigation Team,

to when he became a team leader.

Guo Qiang, Li Xin, and Liu Hongqiao had always been on his team.

Even after Xiao Yu rose to deputy team leader,

they stuck with him.

After all, those in the criminal investigation field have a knack for sharp eyes.

They hadn’t chosen the wrong side—now they were bona fide deputy section chiefs.

As long as they stayed with the Criminal Investigation Team,

even if they moved to another unit, they’d still be at least deputy team leaders.

But… they were all shrewd.

So long as Xiao Yu remained with the Criminal Investigation Team,

the three of them would undoubtedly stick by him.

Their personal resumes would only improve further,

and their merits would accumulate…

Once they left the Criminal Investigation Team, Xiao Yu’s name would carry weight.

A one-shot climb to the top!

This was precisely the mentality of those eager to secure their positions and climb the ladder.

One had to learn to pick sides and latch onto the right person.

It’s the same in any era.

Xiao Yu didn’t mind these ‘human intricacies’,

as long as his people were with him…

…

As the sun set,

Xiao Yu led three Criminal Police officers into the breeding farm.

The air was filled with intermittent dog barks.

Surveying the sprawling complex,

he noted it was vast, with two dedicated dog-rearing zones and kennels,

as well as a brick building where a middle-aged man stood at the door.

“Officer, why are you here again?”

The middle-aged man approached, his tone laced with resignation. “I told you—we run a dog farm. How could we be keeping wolves?”

His shifting eyes and forced smile betrayed his lie.

Xiao Yu fixed his gaze on him and coldly ordered, “I’m not here to listen to your lies. One last time—have you ever kept wolves here?”

“…”

Under Xiao Yu’s piercing, blade-sharp stare, the middle-aged man started to panic.

He swallowed hard and remained silent.

“Take him away!”

Xiao Yu wasted no time.

Liu Hongqiao and Li Xin, their expressions grim, moved toward the man.

“I—I…”

The middle-aged man broke down, his face turning a deep shade of red like a cooked sweet potato. “Alright, alright—I admit it!”

So low… Xiao Yu glared coldly at him.

Sometimes, he really despised such people.

If I treat you like a human, why behave like a dog?

“I was just doing my job, but keeping wolves—well, that was two years ago.”

Under the intense stares of four officers, the man explained, “Back then, the boss brought in four wolf cubs from out of town. Originally, they were for breeding to see if some could become feral. Two died during the process, and only two survived.”

Xiao Yu asked in a cold tone, “What breed of wolf?”

The man replied, “Meng Wolf!”

“Meng Wolf” is the local name for the steppe wolf.

Xiao Yu’s eyes flashed with sharp intent. “And the remaining two?”

The man continued, “The boss sold them off.”

He added, “The boss was short on cash—one was sold for 100,000, the other for 200,000.”