The crackdown on organized crime began with the arrest of the mother-in-law.

Chapter 1371 The Truth Comes Out After the Arrest of the Foreigner

After listening, Li Ming fell into deep thought: "The foreigner...illegal sand mining...this may not be just a simple debt dispute murder case. Xiao Zhou, you continue to investigate the connection between Li Laosi and the foreigner. I'll arrange for Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun to investigate the illegal sand mining in Qingling Lake. Be sure to find out the foreigner's true identity and his relationship with Zhang Jianguo."

Night fell again, but the Criminal Investigation Division's office building remained brightly lit. Li Laosi's arrest brought a significant breakthrough to the Zhang Jianguo murder case, but the appearance of the "foreigner" added a new layer of mystery. Looking at the word "foreigner" on the interrogation record, Xiao Zhou knew that this battle against evil was far from over. He picked up the walkie-talkie and said to his team, "Comrades, let's work hard. We'll conduct a surprise interrogation of Li Laosi tonight. We must find out the whereabouts of the 'foreigner' and uncover the whole truth of the case!"

Inside the interrogation room, Li Laosi's confession continued. Xiao Zhou took notes while analyzing every detail. He knew that every clue might conceal a deeper secret, and every question might bring them closer to the truth. In the night over Qingling Lake, a new investigative operation was about to unfold, and this time, they might be facing an even larger criminal network.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun had led their technical team to Qingling Lake to retrieve the wrench from the location Li Laosi had mentioned. Qingling Lake was exceptionally calm under the night sky, its surface reflecting the starlight. No one would suspect that this seemingly tranquil body of water not only concealed Zhang Jianguo's body but also the illicit sand mining operation. Looking at the dark water, Xiao Yang said to Xiao Sun, "No matter how difficult it is, we must retrieve the wrench; it's crucial evidence for the case. At the same time, keep a close watch on the sand dredgers on the lake. Report them immediately if you spot a blue sand dredger."

Xiao Sun nodded and directed his team to activate the sonar detection equipment. On the sonar screen, ripples spread across the water, searching for the wrench that had sunk to the bottom of the lake. Under the lights, the team members worked busily along the lakeshore, their eyes filled with determination. For them, every piece of evidence was a silent witness, and every retrieval operation was a pursuit of the truth.

At 2:00 AM, the sonar equipment finally picked up an abnormal signal. "Team Leader Yang, we've spotted a suspected metallic object at a depth of 3 meters. Its shape matches the height of a wrench," a team member reported excitedly. Xiao Yang immediately ordered, "Prepare for retrieval! Be careful to protect the evidence and avoid damage." The team carefully lowered the retrieval net, and as the net tightened, a rusty No. 19 open-end wrench was pulled up. The wrench still had a small amount of silt and reed fibers attached to its surface, perfectly matching the wrench Zhou Jianjun had mentioned Zhang Jianguo had taken away.

Xiao Yang immediately told Xiao Zhou the news: "Team Leader Zhang, the wrench has been found and confirmed to be a tool that Zhang Jianguo carried before his death. We extracted a small amount of blood and fingerprints from the groove of the wrench and are conducting tests. The results are expected in 2 hours."

Upon receiving the news, Xiao Zhou perked up and immediately said to Li Laosi, "We've found the wrench, and the fingerprints and bloodstains on it will be detected soon. Now, explain the details of your transactions with the foreigner, including the time, place, and amount of each transaction, as well as the specific characteristics of the foreigner's sand dredger. This is your last chance to get leniency."

Looking at the photo of the wrench in Xiao Zhou's hand, Li Laosi completely gave up resisting and confessed the details of his transaction with the foreigner in detail: "I've known the foreigner for over a year. Our first transaction was last May. He bought a batch of bearings from my scrap yard, saying they were for repairing engines. Later, he often came to me, asking me to help him steal farm machinery parts from farmers, paying me between 300 and 500 yuan each time. His sand dredging boat was blue, with the words 'Lu Ning Sand Dredging 037' on the hull. It usually docked at a secluded pier on the east side of Qingling Lake, starting to dredge sand after 10 p.m. and leaving before 4 a.m.."

Xiao Zhou immediately compiled this information into a report and submitted it to Li Ming. Based on these clues, Li Ming quickly formulated a new investigation plan: "First, Li Rui will lead the team to set up surveillance at the hidden dock on the east side of Qingling Lake and closely monitor the movements of the sand dredger 'Lu Ning Sand Mining 037'; second, Xiao Wang will be responsible for investigating the true identity of the 'foreigner' and focusing on investigating sand mining workers around Qingling Lake; third, Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun will conduct a comprehensive examination of the wrench that was salvaged and fix fingerprint and bloodstain evidence; fourth, continue to interrogate Li Laosi to obtain more clues about illegal sand mining."

As dawn approached, the forensic team's test results came back: the bloodstains in the wrench groove belonged to the deceased, Zhang Jianguo, and the fingerprints matched those of Li Laosi, perfectly consistent with his confession. At this point, the direct evidence chain in Zhang Jianguo's murder case was complete, and Li Laosi's crime was clear and undeniable. But the case did not end there; the illegal sand miners were still at large. Xiao Zhou and his team knew their battle would continue.

The first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the interrogation room through the window. Xiao Zhou rubbed his bloodshot eyes, gazing at the gradually brightening sky outside. He knew that the solving of every case meant the upholding of justice, and every upholding of justice depended on the tireless dedication of the investigation team. In the reed marshes of Qingling Lake, the crimes had been exposed, but in the deeper waters, a new battle was about to begin. Xiao Zhou stood up, stretched, and turned to walk towards the conference room, where a planning meeting regarding the capture of the "foreigner" awaited him.

Led by Xiao Wang, his team conducted a comprehensive investigation of sand mining operators around Qingling Lake, using the "Lu Ning Sand Mining 037" dredging vessel as the core clue. By retrieving ship registration information from the maritime department, interviewing merchants around the dock, and comparing reports of illegal sand mining, they identified the "foreigner" in just 8 hours—Tian Guoyi, 55 years old, from Jining, Shandong. He had previously been sentenced to probation for illegal mining but continued to commit crimes during his probation period. His "Lu Ning Sand Mining 037" dredging vessel had been engaged in illegal sand mining activities in the Qingling Lake waters for a long time.

After pinpointing Tian Guoyi's location to the ship repair factory dormitory on the east side of Qingling Lake, Xiao Wang led his team, dressed in plainclothes, to conduct a covert operation. Around noon on July 14th, Tian Guoyi had just disembarked from a blue sand dredging vessel, clutching a wad of cash, intending to go to a nearby restaurant for lunch, when he was surrounded by the detectives who had been lying in wait. "Tian Guoyi, we're from the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment, come with us!" The moment Xiao Wang showed his police ID, Tian Guoyi's expression changed drastically. He instinctively tried to flee into the repair factory, but was firmly held down by the officers on either side, cold handcuffs instantly locking his wrists.