1993, Pengcheng Police Affairs

Chapter 75 Discussion

As soon as Gu Huai finished speaking, Jiang Fanglong's finger stopped on the table. He turned around and looked at Gu Huai with a puzzled expression.

"What did you just say?"

"I said, this case should be handled by Pengcheng."

Jiang Fanglong stared at Gu Huai for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed, as if he had heard something very funny.

"Xiao Gu," Jiang Fanglong began, "I know you're anxious. It's true that Haoyu is from Pengcheng, but he died in Yangcheng, and the people who found his body were also from Yangcheng. The police report was also filed with the Yangcheng branch. According to the principle of territorial jurisdiction, the case falls under our jurisdiction. I don't need to teach you that, do I?"

Gu Huai did not immediately refute, but instead took half a step back.

He knew very well that Jiang Fanglong was angry and that there was no benefit in confronting him directly.

"Chief Jiang, you're right. Territorial jurisdiction is indeed a matter of course."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fanglong raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting Gu Huai to respond so readily.

"But there's one thing I'm curious about," Gu Huai changed the subject, "where is Chen Haoyu's Cherokee now?"

Jiang Fanglong was about to answer, but then he was speechless.

"Chief Jiang, don't rush to speak, I'll speak for you." Gu Huai raised his hand and said, "The car has disappeared, just like the taxi before, vanished without a trace."

The room was quiet for a few seconds, and Jiang Fanglong's expression, which had been somewhat relaxed, immediately became serious.

"What do you mean?" Jiang Fanglong's voice turned somber.

"What I mean is, the Chen Haoyu case and the taxi case I'm investigating are most likely the work of the same group of people." Gu Huai continued his efforts to gain the right to handle the case.

"Those taxi drivers, after they disappeared, their cars could not be found either. When the cars were found, they were all using fake license plates. The real cars are still missing. Now Chen Haoyu is the same. He is dead and his car is gone. This modus operandi and the logic of the aftermath are basically highly consistent with the cases we are investigating."

Jiang Fanglong did not reply immediately, but instead picked up the cigarette pack on the table, took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

"Xiao Gu, I admit you have some truth to it." He fumbled for a while before finally pulling out his lighter, lighting a cigarette and taking a puff.

"But the fact that the car is gone is not enough. The taxi case is a taxi case and cannot be compared with Haoyu's case. You should know whose son he is."

As he spoke, he took a deep drag on his cigarette, and smoke slowly billowed from his nose. "The incident happened in Guangzhou. Under these circumstances, the Guangzhou police will not hand over the case to anyone else, let alone a newcomer who has been with the company for less than half a month."

After hearing this, Jiang Fanglong shook his head almost imperceptibly; he understood what Gu Huai meant.

It is clear that he is treating this case as a priority for investigation.

That makes sense; the death of the son of a deputy director-level official would inevitably draw the attention of the provincial department.

If this case can be solved, it will greatly benefit Jiang Fanglong's career.

However, he also came with a mission, and he couldn't give up so easily.

"I didn't say I was going to handle it all by myself." Gu Huai spread his hands. "I just made a suggestion to investigate this case together, with both sides sending people and sharing resources. Each side can investigate their own leads and then combine them. This way, you'll have an extra lead, and we can avoid some detours."

Jiang Fanglong stared at him for a few seconds, then stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray on the table. "After all that talk, you still want the hosting rights."

"Whether we take the lead or not is not important; what matters is whether the case can be solved," Gu Huai said sincerely.

"Pretentious and grandiose." Jiang Fanglong's attitude was firm.

"Whether it's high-sounding or not, Chief Jiang should know in his heart," Gu Huai said noncommittally. "Chief Jiang, if you don't agree to this, I won't make things difficult for you. Just grant me one request."

Jiang Fanglong glanced at Gu Huai, signaling him to speak.

"Let our forensic pathologist participate in the autopsy," Gu Huai pointed to Xia Wanying, who had been standing silently to the side. "She's a new forensic pathologist in Pengcheng, a graduate of Yixian University. She's highly skilled, and having her participate will give me a better explanation later."

Jiang Fanglong looked at Xia Wanying in the direction Gu Huai was pointing, sized her up, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Just assisting with the autopsy?"

"Yes, we'll only assist with the autopsy," Gu Huai added. "As for the hosting rights, you two can discuss that when our leaders arrive."

Jiang Fanglong thought about it for a moment and felt that Gu Huai's words made sense. Forensic doctors were already under pressure, and having more people would allow them to issue reports sooner, so he didn't object anymore and nodded.

"Alright, let her go."

Xia Wanying didn't say much, picked up her suitcase, turned around and walked out.

After watching her leave, Gu Huai turned around, pulled up a chair, and sat down.

"Chief Jiang and Chief Wang should be arriving soon, please wait a moment."

Jiang Fanglong didn't reply. Instead, he took out a cigarette, lit it, and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Forty minutes later, Wang Weiguo arrived.

He arrived much faster than Gu Huai had imagined.

The journey from Pengcheng to Panyu normally takes about two hours by car, but Wang Weiguo only took a little over an hour.

When Gu Huai looked down from the second-floor window, he saw him jump out of the driver's seat and rush inside without even closing the door properly.

He was accompanied by Zhou Shouzhen and many people from the Second Brigade. Gu Huai also saw Ling Yue's figure in the crowd.

When Gu Huai arrived at the stairwell, Wang Weiguo was just coming up.

He was panting heavily: "What's the situation now?"

"The person has been identified as Chen Haoyu," Gu Huai reported briefly. "The preliminary cause of death is drowning. He was tied up and thrown into the Pearl River. The forensic doctor's preliminary judgment is that he was knocked unconscious before being thrown in. The car has not yet been found."

Wang Weiguo's face darkened. "What about the hosting rights?"

"We didn't get it," Gu Huai said truthfully. "The Jiang branch is very insistent on it, saying it's under their jurisdiction."

Wang Weiguo nodded silently. He hadn't expected Gu Huai to win the hosting rights. The reason he let Gu Huai speak was to give Jiang Fanglong a heads-up so it would be easier for him to bring it up later.

So he walked into the office.

Upon entering, Wang Weiguo greeted Jiang Fanglong, then cut to the chase: "Old Jiang, I'm here. How do we settle things regarding the case?"

Jiang Fanglong withdrew his outstretched hand and crossed his legs again: "Follow the rules."

"The rule is indeed that cases are handled where they occur, but..." Wang Weiguo quickly added, "There are always exceptions to the rule."

Jiang Fanglong's tone was uncompromising: "But it's obvious, not this time."