In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.

The eight-person video team had combed through over 30,000 hours of surveillance footage, only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the suspect's movements for one second on a distant camera.

Li Xiang discovered the severed finger at 9:40 PM on the 11th, and the surveillance footage from April 10th at 2:20 AM—just a day after the body was disposed of—was found by Li Xiang.

In the footage, under the cloak of night and a sky dotted with stars, a shadowy figure on an e-bike flashes across the screen. Though the scene lasts only a second, the black object hanging from the footrest resembles the woven bag recovered from the river, used to conceal the body.

This coincided with the police's speculation about the suspect's mode of transport. The figure's build also matched the suspect's profile, but due to poor lighting, the video was too blurry to identify the suspect.

Based on this brief appearance, the police deduced the suspect's approximate route and expanded their inquiry to include potential paths the suspect might have taken.

Every morning, Zhou Man's first task was to continue matching the victim's DNA data to ensure they could respond promptly if a family reported missing persons.

During this routine check, the system unexpectedly confirmed a match with missing persons data.

"Quick, come and see! We've identified the victim."

Zhou Man joyfully called everyone over to find that the data had been uploaded to the missing persons database just after 4 PM the previous day. Coincidentally, it was linked to a missing persons report filed at Hongqiao Police Station on April 11th, by a mother and daughter.

After registering the report, the police collected DNA from the family and uploaded it to the missing persons database yesterday. Zhou Man matched it first thing this morning.

"Great! Retrieve the victim's identification information."

The confirmation of the DNA match boosted the morale of Team One considerably; after all, the surveillance footage had yielded no more leads on the killer, and the investigation had reached an impasse.

At this critical juncture, the successful DNA match significantly advanced the case.

"The victim, Hao Lianshan, was 45 years old, a local resident. His parents are deceased. He lived at 114 Fuyang Road, and according to the police registry, he was divorced. He had a daughter who lived with her mother. The report was filed by his daughter and ex-wife."

Zhou Man quickly retrieved the victim's information, and Cao Gang immediately instructed, "Mao Ji, Li Xiang, visit the scene and talk to the victim's ex-wife and daughter to gather more information. I'll take the technical team to look over the victim's residence."

With the latest lead, everyone's enthusiasm was rekindled.

After receiving their field assignment, Li Xiang and Mao Ji promptly located the report and contacted the victim's ex-wife to arrange a routine inquiry.

The victim's ex-wife, Mu Xingjuan, is 41 and runs a clothing store.

When Li Xiang and Mao Ji reached the store, Mu Xingjuan was busy with customers, so they waited until she was free before approaching her.

"Hello, we're from the police department. As discussed earlier, we need to ask you some questions regarding your ex-husband."

Given her job in the fashion business, Mu Xingjuan had a stylish appearance and wore makeup, looking more like a woman in her thirties.

"Officer, is it true that Hao Lianshan is dead?" Mu Xingjuan's expression revealed a hint of sorrow.

"Yes, do you know of anyone he might have had conflicts with?"

"We've been divorced for three or four years. He lived alone, and I don't really know much about his interactions."

"Then how did you realize he was missing?"

"Although I wasn't in touch with him, our daughter contacted him frequently. She mentioned she couldn't reach him, so I went to his house. Everything was neat and in order, but he was nowhere to be found. We asked around but nobody knew his whereabouts, so we reported it to the police."

"What was his job?"

"He installed air conditioners, drilled holes, and cleaned range hoods—mostly odd jobs with no stable employment. I can't really see him holding grudges over such work."

Hearing this, Li Xiang frowned. If it wasn't a revenge killing or financially motivated, especially since he only did odd jobs, it didn't seem like a robbery either. Could it be a crime of passion?

Historically, crimes of passion have led to numerous homicides, making them a common motive in such cases.

So Li Xiang speculated it might be a love affair gone wrong and asked, "Has he dated anyone since your divorce?"

"How would I know? You should ask him, uh... I didn't mean it that way."

Mu Xingjuan's temper was fiery; her last words were charged with emotion. The idea of asking Hao Lianshan when he was already dead seemed inappropriate, and she sheepishly touched her head.

Li Xiang was at a loss. "Is this woman for real?"

"Doesn't she think before speaking?"

While Li Xiang continued taking Mu Xingjuan's statement, Cao Gang and the tech team arrived at Hao Lianshan's residence.

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