Born with Luck

The next day, the criminal police team returned to the hospital to visit Zhang Yi'ang and update him on the latest investigative progress.

The forensics team had uncovered a new lead. A password-protected USB drive had been seized from Lu Yibo's home the previous day. After decryption by computer experts, dozens of audio files were discovered, most containing Lang Bowen's voice. It was speculated that Lu Yibo had been wiretapping Lang Bowen.

Zhang Yi'ang had the audio files sent to his email. There were over twenty in total. He randomly selected a few to play—mostly mundane conversations about business or daily life involving Lang Bowen, nothing noteworthy. He clicked on the next file, about to play it, when Wang Ruijun swiftly pressed pause and said, "Chief, it's all irrelevant chatter. No need to listen." He hurriedly closed the laptop.

Zhang Yi'ang frowned. "Why are you in such a rush?"

"Ah, we've already listened to these. They're unrelated to the case," Wang Ruijun replied. The others chimed in agreement, including Li Qian, who wore an awkward expression.

Zhang Yi'ang grew even more curious. He extended his hand and said sternly, "Hand it over."

"But—"

"Now!"

Hesitating, Wang Ruijun reluctantly passed the laptop back.

Zhang Yi'ang reopened the audio file. After a few moments, two voices emerged.

"Rong-ge is being too cautious. So what if the province sent someone down? As long as Uncle Dong is here, what do we have to fear?"

"Botu, you're wrong about that. Rong-ge told me privately—if we really get into trouble, Uncle Dong won't protect us. Not even Rong-ge himself. This time, the person from the Provincial Department is one of Gao Dong's men. The target is obvious."

"There's really nothing to worry about. I asked around—that Zhang Yi'ang they sent is just a bootlicker. He's never solved a case in all these years. Only got to the provincial level because he latched onto Gao Dong. Ha! Someone who doesn’t even know how to investigate leading the criminal police? What a joke!"

...

Zhang Yi'ang looked up, his face dark. The others had scattered around the room, chatting among themselves or talking on their phones, as if no one had heard the conversation.

"The one speaking—that's Lang Botu, isn't it?" Zhang Yi'ang asked coldly.

"Ah, Chief, what are you talking about?" The group snapped back to attention, gathering around him again.

"You've all listened to these recordings, haven't you?"

"No, we only checked the first few. They seemed useless, so we didn’t bother with the rest," Wang Ruijun said with a forced smile. The others echoed that listening to pointless recordings was a waste of time—they had better things to do.

"I'll ask again—was that Lang Botu speaking?" Zhang Yi'ang pressed.

"Uh..."

"Then I'll play it again for you."

"No need, no need! That... that was Lang Botu."

"Where is Lang Botu now?" Zhang Yi'ang glared at Wang Ruijun.Wang Ruijun had no choice but to explain. On the very day Zhou Rong lost the USB drive, Lang Bowen left Three Rivers Estuary under the pretense of a business trip. After Zhou Rong was arrested, Lang Bowen completely went off the grid, and his current whereabouts were unknown. Now, the Otto Group was entirely under the control of his younger brother, Lang Botu, who claimed to have no knowledge of his brother’s location and refused to cooperate in setting a trap. They had considered detaining Lang Botu as well, but there was no evidence linking him to Zhou Rong’s criminal activities. Zhou Rong’s subordinates also stated that Lang Botu had only a casual relationship with Zhou Rong—his elder brother was the one involved in Zhou Rong’s affairs, while Lang Botu was merely aware of them at best. After thorough investigations, the police only uncovered that Lang Botu had served a year in prison years ago. Since then, there had been no record of any criminal activity, so there was no legal basis to summon him.

Zhang Yi'ang frowned slightly. "Lang Botu served a year in prison?"

"That was a long time ago. In 2006, he was sentenced to one year in prison for large-scale tax evasion and fraudulent export tax rebates. He was released in 2007."

"2006, 2007... Could it be...?" Zhang Yi'ang’s gaze drifted into the distance as he fell into thought.

"Is there a problem?" The three of them looked at him in confusion.

"Nothing," Zhang Yi'ang shook his head. "Any progress on the Lu Yibo case?"

Li Qian hesitated. "There’s an issue with the chain of evidence in this case."

"What’s the matter?"

"Forensic Doctor Chen and Section Chief Xu reviewed all the available information from both Ye Jian and Lu Yibo’s crime scenes. They concluded that neither scene yielded direct criminal evidence. In such a situation, even if we identify the killer, if the murder weapon has already been disposed of, the perpetrator could simply deny the crime. Even if we all know they did it, we wouldn’t be able to convict them."

Conviction requires a chain of evidence—witness testimony, physical evidence, and a confession—with physical evidence being the most crucial. In this case, there were no witnesses. If no physical evidence was found at the scene and the weapon was destroyed, then there would be no physical evidence at all. Even if the killer were found, if they refused to confess or later claimed their confession was coerced, a conviction would still be impossible.

Zhang Yi'ang thought for a moment and said bluntly, "Forget about conviction for now. Our top priority is identifying the suspect! Didn’t I tell you to conduct interviews and review surveillance footage?"

Song Xing explained, "The interviews yielded nothing. Both crimes occurred at night in remote areas with no passersby. Lu Yibo’s body was discovered late, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact time of the incident. Moreover, the key surveillance cameras were some distance from the crime scenes. We can’t determine which route the suspect’s vehicle took, and there are too many SUFs matching Forensic Doctor Chen’s description to narrow it down."

Zhang Yi'ang sighed, grabbed his two crutches, and stood up. "Let’s go."

"Where to?"

"Back to the station. I believe the evidence exists and has already been found—we just haven’t realized it yet."

Li Qian asked with concern, "What about your injuries?"

"I’m fine. Just superficial wounds."

As he prepared to move, Song Xing hurried over to help, eager to make amends. "Chief, let me assist you. Be careful."

"Ouch!" Zhang Yi'ang yelped. "Don’t touch where Huo Zheng bit me!"

Song Xing again! Everyone shook their heads in dismay—this guy was truly hopeless.Zhang Yi'ang leaned on his crutch as he entered the unit's evidence room. Items of varying significance from the two homicide cases were meticulously categorized here. After surveying the room, he finally picked up two group photos—objects found both in Ye Jian's home and Lu Yibo's office.

The first photo was from 2002, the second from 2007. In the first, Zhou Rong, Ye Jian, Lang Bowen, and Lu Yibo surrounded Lang Botu at the Lang family's former auto parts factory. The second photo featured Lang Bowen as the central figure, with Luo Ziyue now among the surrounding group, taken at an Aotu Group real estate development. Both photos bore elegant Chinese characters noting the year and month.

Zhang Yi'ang beckoned Li Qian over and pointed at the handwritten characters outside the photo frame. "Compare these with Lang Botu's handwriting. See if he wrote this."

Soon after, Li Qian returned to the evidence room with Lang Botu's recent interrogation transcript, which included his handwritten statement about Lang Bowen. A comparison revealed Lang Botu's delicate, almost feminine handwriting—identical to the script on the photos.

A cold smile curled Zhang Yi'ang's lips. "This is becoming clearer by the minute."

"You... you suspect Lang Botu is the killer?"

Zhang Yi'ang didn't answer directly. Instead, he instructed Li Qian to summon the Criminal Investigation Team leaders and assigned four tasks: First, investigate the circumstances surrounding Lang Botu's 2006 imprisonment. Second, obtain Aotu Group's equity structure. Third, compile a list of all off-road vehicles registered under Lang Botu and Aotu Group, checking if any appeared in surveillance footage near Lu Yibo's crime scene that night. Fourth, track Lang Botu's recent movements—with strict orders not to mention Lu Yibo's homicide.

"Chief, why specifically target Lang Botu?" The team exchanged puzzled glances.

Zhang Yi'ang countered, "What do you think?"

Song Xing chuckled darkly. "Don't worry, Chief. Leave Lang Botu to us. I guarantee we'll find dirt on him. I'll make sure he can't show his face in Three Rivers Estuary again. If he so much as gambles or solicits prostitutes, I'll drag him in and teach him a lesson. How dare he speak about the Chief like—"

Wang Ruijun erupted in coughing fits. The others hastily fled the room, leaving only Song Xing to turn stiffly and shuffle out on leaden legs.

With Chief Zhang personally ordering the investigation into Lang Botu, all units moved with unprecedented speed. Within half a day, preliminary findings emerged.

First was Lang Botu's imprisonment history. Li Qian gathered documents and interviewed sources, including their detained witness Zhou Rong, reconstructing Lang Botu's entire background.

Aotu Group was founded by Lang Bowen's parents in the 1990s—originally named Three Rivers Estuary Aotu Manufacturing Co., Ltd. After Lang Bowen's father died in 2000, his mother withdrew from the company in 2001, transferring the auto parts business entirely to younger son Lang Botu. This explained the first photo: Lang Botu as new patriarch, celebrated by his brother Lang Bowen and their circle. At the time, Ye Jian had joined the police force, Lu Yibo worked elsewhere, while Lang Bowen followed Zhou Rong into business ventures. Ironically, Lang Botu had been the wealthiest among them then.After Lang Botu took over the auto parts factory, China's accession to the WTO coincided, bringing exceptionally high profits to the factory. Zhou Rong even joked that if his business with Lang Bowen failed, he would return to Three Rivers Estuary and work for Lang Botu. After making some money, Lang Botu began neglecting his duties. It was said he indulged in all vices—drinking, womanizing, and gambling—while paying little attention to management. The factory lost major clients due to quality issues, and he soon squandered his earnings in Macau's casinos. Later, Lang Botu was reported by factory employees for fraudulently claiming millions in state export tax rebates, leading to his arrest, sentencing, and a hefty fine. Ye Jian personally handled his arrest. Unable to pay the fine, Lang Botu was forced to sell the factory.

By then, Zhou Rong and Lang Bowen's business had grown significantly. Upon hearing the news, they jointly purchased the factory. Zhou Rong later injected more capital, transforming it into Auto Group, which he entrusted entirely to Lang Bowen's management.

After his release from prison, Lang Botu vowed to turn over a new leaf and sought to return to Auto Group. However, Zhou Rong, who had always disliked him, refused. Even now, though Lang Botu addresses him as "Brother Rong," Zhou Rong remains cold toward him.

Fortunately, out of brotherly affection, Lang Bowen vouched for Lang Botu's reformation, allowing him back into the company to assist him—a role he retains to this day.

This summarizes Lang Botu's circumstances before and after his imprisonment.

Zhang Yi'ang asked, "How has Auto Group's equity structure evolved over the years?"

"Auto Group originally belonged to Lang Botu, but after he was forced to sell, Lang Bowen and Zhou Rong took over. After numerous changes, the current equity is complex. Zhou Rong claims Lang Bowen is the majority shareholder, he is the second-largest, with other companies and individuals holding minor stakes. Lang Botu retains a one percent share."

"Lang Botu only has one percent?"

"Yes. He initially lost all shares—this was likely Lang Bowen's gesture to his brother."

Zhang Yi'ang nodded, confirming his suspicions. He then turned to Wang Ruijun and Song Xing: "What about the surveillance footage?"

Wang Ruijun replied admiringly, "Chief, just as you predicted, we identified all off-road vehicles registered under Lang Botu and Auto Group. Targeted checks revealed Lang Botu's vehicle passing near Lu Yibo's crime scene at 10 p.m. that night. Though the image was unclear, we confirmed he was the driver."

Zhang Yi'ang narrowed his eyes. "So he was near Lu Yibo's crime scene!"

Song Xing then reported on his investigation: "After reviewing the footage, I confronted Lang Botu at Auto Group. I asked him directly, 'What were you doing driving that night at 10 p.m.—'"

"Wait," Zhang Yi'ang interrupted sharply. "You phrased it exactly like that?"

"Yes."

"What did I instruct? What did I tell you!" Zhang Yi'ang roared. "I said to investigate Lang Botu's recent movements without mentioning the homicide!"

"I didn’t mention the homicide!"

"Asking about that night is practically the same thing!"

"I—" Song Xing cast a pained glance at Li Qian and Wang Ruijun, desperately needing solace. They could only shake their heads and sigh."If Lang Botu realizes we suspect him and runs away, Song Xing, you'll bear full responsibility!"

"I—" Song Xing panicked, turning to leave immediately, "I'll go find him right now!"

"Come back!" Zhang Yi'ang stopped him. "A few more minutes won't make a difference. First, tell us his whereabouts over the past few days."

"Lang Botu said he couldn't remember events from so long ago clearly. After checking his schedule, he mentioned he went on a business trip to Beijing the afternoon after Lu Yibo's death, stayed for a few days, and only returned to Three Rivers Estuary the day before yesterday."

Zhang Yi'ang pondered for a few seconds before saying, "According to Forensic Doctor Chen, the murder weapon was an off-road vehicle with a knife plate attached. Hmm... Go seize Lang Botu's vehicle first and have the medical examiner thoroughly inspect it inside and out for any residual biological traces of the victim."

Song Xing said smugly, "Chief, I've already impounded it. Forensic Doctor Chen is examining it now. Don't worry—I made sure Lang Botu wouldn't realize we're investigating a homicide. I told him surveillance footage caught his vehicle in a serious hit-and-run. He insisted it was impossible, so I said maybe another car was using his plates and we needed to impound it for investigation. That's how we towed it away."

"Your excuse is really..." Zhang Yi'ang sighed, having lost all confidence in him. "First, you pull a 'protesting too much,' then follow it up with 'the neighbor Wang Er didn't steal'—do you think he's an idiot? Sigh... Call the medical examiner right now and ask how the inspection is going."

Song Xing took out his phone and dialed Forensic Doctor Chen, only to receive disappointing news: the car had been cleaned, and nothing could be found.

Zhang Yi'ang's expression darkened. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly raised his cane and struck the ground forcefully. "Arrest Lang Botu immediately!"

"Arrest him?" The three of them were startled by the abrupt decision. Under the encouraging looks of the other two, Li Qian cautiously asked, "But... on what grounds do we arrest Lang Botu?"

"Lang Botu is one hundred percent the real killer behind these serial murders!" Zhang Yi'ang declared firmly.

"Well..." The three hesitated, holding back their words.

Zhang Yi'ang shook his head. "You don't believe me?"

"Uh... I also think Lang Botu is the killer! But... we don't have any evidence," Wang Ruijun said, with the other two nodding in agreement.

"For now, we detain the suspect based on suspicion. Evidence can be gathered later."

The three exchanged glances before cautiously asking, "What... suspicions do we have about Lang Botu?"

"A suspicious person passed through a suspicious location at a suspicious time and then suspiciously washed his car afterward. Four suspicious factors combined—isn't that suspicious enough?"

They mulled over his words. It sounded logical, yet something still felt missing.

Zhang Yi'ang instructed Song Xing, "Later, send plainclothes officers to stake out near Lang Botu's company. Then call him directly and tell him outright: 'You're a suspect in Lu Yibo's homicide case. Come to the police station immediately to assist in the investigation.' The plainclothes will observe from outside. If Lang Botu tries to flee, arrest him on the spot!"

"What if he doesn't run?"

"Then bring him in for interrogation directly!"