Seven days later.

The investigation yielded no breakthroughs. The "Five Little Thugs" had committed numerous crimes over the years, including robbery, assault, bullying, and molestation, resulting in over a dozen minor injury cases. The reports piled up three feet high, but none could be filed due to their age.

As a result, they had many enemies, but all were ruled out as suspects due to "lack of opportunity."

Chen Jiafei showed no abnormalities, just a penchant for wandering aimlessly, exhausting the surveillance team.

At the case review meeting, Sun Lili suggested closing the case as an accident since all current evidence pointed to accidental death, with no signs of homicide.

Jia Feng vehemently opposed.

"No evidence means we need to find evidence. We can't close the 927 case so easily."

"Why are you pretending to care? Who are you trying to impress? Everyone in the team knows what you’re up to!" Sun Lili retorted.

"What do you mean? What’s he up to?" I asked.

Sun Lili was stunned.

After a moment of silence, Jia Feng answered.

"Reporting to the captain, my cousin Jia Linlin was hit by an electric tricycle years ago, resulting in paralysis from the waist down. The perpetrator was Zhao Dabao. The court ruled Zhao Dabao primarily responsible, and his parents were ordered to pay 500,000 yuan in compensation, but the Zhao family could only afford to pay over 10,000 yuan to date. Everyone in the criminal police team knows about this, and I've reported to my superiors that I don't need to recuse myself from this case."

I nodded. "This is a premeditated murder case, so we can't close it as an accident just yet. However, Lili is right too. This week, half of the team’s manpower is on this case, leaving other cases neglected. Starting today, Jia Feng and Sun Lili will handle this case with me, and the others will return to their regular duties. We'll reassign staff if there’s a breakthrough."

Sun Lili and Jia Feng exchanged glares, calling it a draw.

Back at the office, I secretly reviewed the 926 case file, which I had obtained from the archive room girl at great cost—two cups of milk tea, a meal at Pizza Hut, and my irresistible charm.

"Captain, Reporter Lin is here to see you."

"Send her away, I'm busy!"

Lin Kexin barged in.

"Cao Xiaoqi, I'm not here to beg; I’m here to make a deal."

"A deal? Ha, you have guts to negotiate in the criminal police team!"

"Potter once said, everything has a price. You tell me what 926 means, and I'll give you an important clue."

"What 926? I really don’t know. Lin Kexin, let me remind you, providing clues is a civic duty. Concealing information is punishable by law."

As we were deadlocked, an officer rushed in.

"Captain, there's a situation!"

"What’s the situation? Is there a breakthrough in the case?"

The officer looked distressed.

"It's not a breakthrough, it's a phone call."

"A phone call? What call?" I asked anxiously, suddenly remembering Lin Kexin was there. I jumped up to cover the officer’s mouth.

But it was too late; I was too far away.

"A premeditated murder call, just received at the call center. The caller said they would kill Shen Guochang of the 'Five Little Thugs' within seven days, by October 10."