The sound of a deafening hum echoed in my head. How was this possible? It was like magic, changing all the evidence in the case.
People could be bought, but how could physical evidence be altered?
I went to the Information Technology department and checked the surveillance footage. As expected, the previous recordings were different. I asked He Xin, who was beside me, "Did any strangers approach this place before?"
"No, I found it strange too. It's likely someone hacked in with a Trojan horse."
"You didn't know about this?"
"I..."
He Xin didn't know how to answer. Perhaps my tone was too harsh, and she became a little scared and dared not speak.
I had to apologize and then turned to consider what to do. The current situation was that all the files, time, location, space, and human witnesses were invalidated. Our previous efforts had gone up in smoke. This reminded me of the principle of montage, though this was obviously much more exaggerated.
Since Guo Dafu's file was also gone, it was difficult to explain. He Xin, Shao Zhengzhi, and others didn't dwell on it and started their own internal investigations within the public security system to check for problems.
We could only wait for the results. Time ticked by, and if we couldn't recover the evidence within 24 hours, we would have to release Guo Dafu.
I watched the clock. Perhaps due to anxiety, I realized that 12 hours had already passed. Time was running out.
Liu Yuning and I helped, and Gao Mingqiang, Xiao Yuande, Xiahou, and others also got involved. I even looked up the principle of montage online. However, compared to the cinematic concept, the situation in reality was much more complex.
Montage was originally an architectural term, meaning composition or assembly. After the invention of film, it was extended in French to mean "editing."
I pondered endlessly with no result, so I continued to help with the investigation, but ultimately found nothing. It was almost 24 hours. I went to the interrogation room. Although Guo Dafu didn't have a watch, he likely guessed that the legal 24-hour limit was approaching.
"Officer He, time is almost up. According to the law, I'll be leaving soon. No need to see me off!"
"Guo Dafu, don't think you can escape conviction with your montage techniques. This isn't the first time we've seen your kind. We will definitely find the evidence."
"Heh, what montage? Are you filming a movie? 'Sheep Without a Shepherd'? That's artistic interpretation. How can such things happen in reality? Don't blame your own incompetence and make up stories here. I haven't broken any laws, so you won't find any evidence. I'll be going now!"
Guo Dafu patted the dust off his shoulders, smiled triumphantly, and walked out of the interrogation room. He even patted my shoulder on his way out. "Detective He, I believe this is your first case you couldn't solve, right? Hahaha, must feel terrible. Let me tell you, don't think you're Sherlock Holmes. Even he wouldn't be able to crack this one!"
"Heh, you're quite boastful. Do you really think there's such a thing as a perfect crime in this world?"
"Perhaps not in your world, but there is in mine!"
"So, you admit you committed the crime, but we just don't have the evidence?"
"You're trying to trick me into a confession. Forget it, I'm not talking to you. In this situation, I probably don't even need a lawyer. What a waste of time!"
Guo Dafu left these words behind and swaggered out of the interrogation room. Liu Yuning and I stood there, watching his triumphant back. In truth, Guo Dafu was right. It was the first time I had seen a criminal leave so brazenly.
This was a humiliation for me, and also for our Punish Crime team. Guo Dafu had cast a shadow over our entire team.
"Can we really just watch him leave? Look at him gloating!"
"It won't be for long. Recently, find people to find excuses to question him repeatedly. I'll make him doubt his own existence!"
"He Sheng, this case has dragged on for too long. I don't know what Director Zhang will think if this continues."
"He'll support us to continue investigating, don't worry."
Liu Yuning said no more and returned to the Punish Crime team office. Everyone was dejected. I, however, clapped my hands and said, "Everyone, pull yourselves together! It's just one Guo Dafu. We'll encounter many more like him in the future. If we are defeated this time, how can we move forward? Believe me, following my plan now will not be wrong."
Everyone looked up. I snapped my fingers and began assigning tasks...
Guo Dafu was apprehended again on June 30, 2022, at 10:20 PM.
At the time, he was only wearing pajamas. He was trying to escape from his home but was discovered by Xiao Yuande and Li Fan, who were lying in ambush outside. They apprehended him promptly and sent him back to the provincial department.
He Xin sent me a chat record of Guo Dafu contacting a hacker to erase his file, along with some fund transfer information. Fifty million yuan to illegally erase a person's file. Such work is quite lucrative.
I thought sarcastically and sat in front of Guo Dafu. "What you can do now is reveal the hacker. This is your last chance!"
"Is that so? Given my situation, shouldn't I be facing the death penalty anyway? What's the use of confessing one person?"
I deliberately said, "Perhaps it could lead to a death sentence with reprieve. Everyone has a survival instinct."
I said this intentionally to prompt him. As expected, Guo Dafu hesitated. Various complex emotions flickered in his eyes, his psychological defenses slowly crumbling.
Recalling the days of our continuous interrogations, finding excuses to investigate his family, friends, and company employees, even showing him videos of his wife serving time, Guo Dafu, despite his strong psychological fortitude, eventually broke down. When he heard some noises, he wanted to escape from home, so scared that he forgot to even put on his clothes.
He covered his head and burst into tears, his body trembling uncontrollably, seemingly genuinely distressed.
After about 10 minutes, he slowly recovered.
"He is Guo Dalong, my brother. In fact, my business grew so large because of his help. With his computer skills, we destroyed many competitors, and that's how we got here. His address is..."
After the case was solved, Guo Dafu did not live to serve his sentence. He committed suicide in the detention center with a toothbrush. I was quite surprised when I learned the news. I hadn't expected him to die by his own hand. I had even notified Song Xiao, planning to ask for her help, even though Liu Yuning told me not to pity people like Guo Dafu.