National Forensic Doctor
Chapter 1240 - 1168: Set Off As Soon As Possible

Chapter 1240: Chapter 1168: Set Off As Soon As Possible

Unsurprisingly, Ge Zhibing, who has been renowned for over twenty years in fugitive pursuit, is highly trusted.

Ge Zhibing is about the same age as the director, but he looks much darker, with heavy bags under his eyes, deep wrinkles, yellow teeth, and an appearance of an old cop who often works late into the night.

He was originally standing in front of his own display board, quietly communicating with his team members, but upon being named, he stepped forward in a standard running motion, saluted, and said, "Report to the Director, I believe we cannot rule out the possibility of the perpetrator heading to the Northeast. Captain Jiang’s analysis has some validity. However, I’m not well-versed in technical matters. I prefer to first investigate the identity of the perpetrator and then decide on the next step based on the investigational results, though this might be a slower approach."

As Ge Zhibing spoke, he gave Jiang Yuan a friendly smile to avoid unintentionally offending this rising young talent.

Whether as a person or a detective, Ge Zhibing is known for his amiable nature, differing from ordinary detectives who often like to offend others.

Ge Zhibing is now the head of the Criminal Police Brigade in Fengshou City, Huangyue Province. He has been working in the field for years, pursuing fugitives both within the province and in other provinces. In this process, he has established a good rapport with major detective teams across the country, making his work more convenient wherever he goes, further facilitating fugitive pursuits.

Catching many fugitives isn’t difficult; it’s just a meticulous task. However, resources are limited. An academician’s murder case requires multiple detective teams, large meetings need police guards, celebrity concerts require police to maintain order, and naturally, fugitive pursuit cases led by Ge Zhibing or his team receive resource allocations more easily.

Of course, Ge Zhibing’s efficiency and interpersonal skills are the foundation.

If he wasted resources and failed to capture someone, word would get around, and detectives elsewhere wouldn’t give him preferential treatment. Similarly, if he offended people recklessly, his fugitive pursuit efforts would be futile.

At that moment, Ge Zhibing also tried not to offend the Ningtai people with his words. Doing what needs to be done and having opinions are separate matters. Jiang Yuan had definite ideas, supported by ample evidence, and since Ge Zhibing wasn’t an expert, he naturally wouldn’t oppose for the sake of opposing.

The director listened with a smile, saying, "Old Ge’s ideas are mature and steady, Jiang Yuan’s judgment is sharp and full of zeal. Our task force is truly full of hidden talents."

Everyone then shared a few laughs.

The director then shifted the topic, saying, "Jiang Yuan, are you willing to pursue the suspect in the Northeast, or stay in Changyang to support everyone?"

Ge Zhibing’s eyebrows twitched; to be honest, he had never received such treatment. The police are also a disciplined force; once part of a task force, it’s natural to follow orders and command, having a choice is rare.

Even though there are limited choices.

Jiang Yuan didn’t hesitate and said, "I am willing to chase the fugitive towards the Northeast direction."

This task force is too large, staying in Changyang City would mean dealing with various experts every day, discussing all sorts of evidence, and verifying conclusions with each other, which would be more exhausting than coming to conclusions and taking responsibility alone. Jiang Yuan would rather pursue the fugitive.

Additionally, pursuing the fugitive doesn’t mean he can’t participate in evidence discussions. At that time, it might be easier to express his opinions.

Moreover, Jiang Yuan also needs to consider the needs of his colleagues.

After all, he’s in criminal science. He can stay in Changyang City as a lone expert, while detectives like Wu Junhao might be reassigned to support other teams.

And Jiang Yuan himself hopes to have a familiar team to cooperate with, as do Wu Junhao and other detectives.

Therefore, choosing the pursuit route aligns best with the team’s interests.

The director was not surprised by Jiang Yuan’s choice; if he were to choose, it would indeed be this choice. Thus, the options given were merely a costless goodwill gesture.

"Then, the pursuit in the Northeast direction will be handed over to Jiang Yuan’s team, it’s called Jiang Yuan’s Accumulated Case Team, right?" the director made the decision. In calculation, this was the first investigative direction decided today.

"Yes. We will prepare to set off immediately," Jiang Yuan responded without hesitation. He had seen enough materials; just in terms of judging the direction of the perpetrator’s escape, it was above average.

Under normal circumstances, even less than these conditions would trigger an investigation departure.

This is also one of the reasons why Ge Zhibing is welcome everywhere; his investigations are more reliable than regular pursuit teams, typically arriving with more information. Unlike many pursuit teams, which only have a general direction or location, relying on local detectives to find someone — such an approach is naturally not welcomed by local police bureaus.

The director encouraged a few more words, then moved on to the next display board.

Ge Zhibing remained behind, smiled at Jiang Yuan again, then returned to his own team.

Huang Qiangmin kept watching him leave, then turned back: "Since we’ve decided on this direction, let’s go for it first. If there’s new information, I’ll sync it with you guys anytime."

"Okay." Jiang Yuan replied, his gaze sweeping towards Wang Chuanxing, "You arrange the itinerary and set off as soon as possible."

"Yes!" Wang Chuanxing stood upright and gave a wry smile. A large group of dozens of people departing from Changyang City to the Northeast, with no idea where they might stop next for further investigation. The vehicles, equipment, expenses, and even reimbursements needed during this time all had to be planned by him. It was as if he were strategizing for a small-scale military operation, although he never received any training as a strategist.

Jiang Yuan ignored these tasks, sitting back down in front of the whiteboard to start discussing with Liu Jinghui while looking over photos.

Liu Jinghui liked this mode of discussion very much.

Pre-war commands and all should naturally be discussions between the strongest brain and the strongest force.

Liu Jinghui ordered a cup of coffee and, invigorated, began to discuss thoroughly with Jiang Yuan.

The assumption that the killer would head to the Northeast was based on the speculation that they would leave the country. The details of their plans in between this journey required separate discussions.

The worst-case scenario would be guessing wrong about the direction entirely; the killer may not be planning to flee abroad at all. If Jiang Yuan were independently in charge of the taskforce, such considerations would have to be included. However, that’s not necessary now, as there are several teams responsible for different directions.

Only considering the killer fleeing to the Northeast for the moment, it’s primarily about the means of transport they would use to get there, and from that, further considering their stopping points.

The fastest option would be by plane, followed by high-speed rail. Without knowing the identity of the killer, this plan is feasible. The killer could even purchase a short-range international flight ticket and directly leave the country.

But these two options carry considerable risks. A relatively sensible fugitive would generally choose to travel by car. Those with money and preparation might drive themselves, while others might take buses or hitch rides if budget-conscious or thrifty, which is a bit more common.

The most likely plan is that the killer is riding a mountain bike all the way to the Northeast, rather than changing transportation midway.

Liu Jinghui thought deeply about this and said, "As of now, I think it can be divided into two parts. The first part is the simple model, assuming the killer doesn’t change transportation and just rides all the way to the Northeast. His mountain motorcycle has a 250cc engine, presumably fully fueled and loaded. Judging by the highway surveillance, there’s nowhere to carry spare fuel, so how far can his bike run under these conditions?"

Wu Junhao’s team has plenty of motorcycle enthusiasts who have researched this topic early on. He immediately said, "It’s a 12-liter Honda, running on the highway, it can go up to 400 kilometers."

Liu Jinghui nodded, "If he’s taking mountain roads, he won’t even get 400 kilometers before needing to refuel."

"It won’t even reach 300 kilometers, and he wouldn’t wait until he’s out of fuel to refuel, right?"

"Within this range, find suitable refueling spots. The killer would likely choose a more secluded gas station. Additionally, many gas stations don’t allow motorcycles to refuel, and they’re all under surveillance." Liu Jinghui paused and said, "If the killer did some planning, he should have at least considered the gas stations and camping sites for the first few days — where to refuel, where to camp... Also, if he knows a bit about counter-reconnaissance, he’d likely try to cross provincial borders on the first day."

"That’s a good thought!" Wu Junhao slapped his thigh and immediately started checking the map with several criminal police officers.

"What about the complex model?" Jiang Yuan remembered Liu Jinghui hadn’t finished and pressed on.

"The complex model involves changing transportation in the middle of the journey," Liu Jinghui explained.

Shen Yaowei quietly added, "The killer’s motorcycle carries a tent and sleeping bag, so he’s probably prepared for camping in the wild."

Liu Jinghui said, "This can be divided into two scenarios: one is planned – if he has counter-reconnaissance awareness, he’ll ride his mountain bike out of the province and camp in the wild for a day or two, then switch to another means of transportation. The other is unplanned – wild camping can be quite tough, and if he’s inexperienced, after a day or two of it, he’s likely to think of other ways."

After a pause, Liu Jinghui added, "Northeastern weather isn’t comparable to Shannan Province’s winter. Even though he has thick, warm tents and sleeping bags with him, camping in the Northeast would require considerable expertise for both him and his equipment. Furthermore, as I mentioned earlier, there are restrictions on motorcycle refueling, so driving all the way would be more troublesome than switching to another mode of transport midway. So, the first day is crucial and highly likely to involve motorcycle riding and wild camping!"

Jiang Yuan listened up to this point, checked his watch, and said, "Then let’s head out now and continue discussing on the way. Wang Chuanxing, find a larger vehicle where we can hold discussions while on the road."

Liu Jinghui added, "Also find another vehicle to carry a load of motorcycles. If necessary, we can also go into the mountains."

Wang Chuanxing swallowed, "For a large vehicle, we could use a Coaster, there’s one available. As for motorcycles... I don’t think the Changyang City Bureau has any mountain bikes."

"Find a store that sells mountain bikes, and directly load up a bunch of them. Issue an invoice to Changyang City Bureau for reimbursement," Huang Qiangmin didn’t even bother asking Yu Wenshu. For Jiang Yuan’s Accumulated Case Team, this was just another commonplace item among various case-handling expenses.