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

Chapter 1232 On-site Shoeprints and Fibers

“About 30 centimeters, a standard agricultural tricycle tire.” The team member measured and recorded, “but the tire tread is horizontal stripes, while the tire tracks on the field ridge at the crime scene are vertical stripes, the two are inconsistent.” Xiao Wang’s heart skipped a beat, and he asked the team member to take a soil sample from the truck bed: “Compare it with the soil composition of the cornfield to see if there is any connection.”

During a break in the testing, Xiao Wang continued to question Zhang Laosan: "Where were you from August 15th to 17th (the estimated time period for the body's burial)? What were you doing?" Zhang Laosan frowned and recalled: "On the 15th, I helped a neighboring village haul corn, and I didn't get back until after 8 pm; on the 16th, I was at home repairing farm tools. Old Li from the east end of the village can testify that he even came to borrow a sickle in the afternoon; on the 17th, I went to town to buy seeds, and I took the bus both ways. I still have the ticket in my pocket." As he spoke, he took out the ticket from his pocket, and the date on it was indeed August 17th.

“We will verify everything you say.” Xiao Wang took the ticket and asked, “Did you have an argument with Li Laosi from the neighboring village about the money for hauling goods a while ago? Have you seen him since?” Mentioning Li Laosi, Zhang Laosan’s emotions became visibly agitated: “That kid owes me 2000 yuan for hauling goods. I’ve asked him for it several times, but he still won’t pay. The last argument was about this, but I was just saying it in anger, nothing serious happened. I haven’t seen him since. I heard he went to work in another city.”

At this moment, a team member approached with the test report and whispered to Xiao Wang, "The soil sample from the truck bed is completely different in composition from the soil in the cornfield, and the tire tread pattern doesn't match the tire tracks found at the scene. We can rule out any connection between this tricycle and the crime scene." This result surprised Xiao Wang. He then carefully examined the tricycle's body: "Why did you clean the truck bed a few days ago? Don't you usually just wipe it down casually?"

Old Zhang scratched his head sheepishly, "When I was hauling corn, the truck bed got full of corn silk and impurities. If it wasn't cleaned properly, it would easily get moldy, so I washed it carefully. I didn't expect it to cause such a misunderstanding." He pointed to the bucket in the corner, "I poured all the washing water into the yard. If you don't believe me, you can get it tested."

To further verify Zhang Laosan's whereabouts, Xiao Wang and his team visited corn farmers in a neighboring village, Grandpa Li from the east end of the village, and the owner of a seed shop in town. The farmers confirmed that Zhang Laosan did help them haul corn on the 15th, until after 8 pm; Grandpa Li said he did go to Zhang Laosan's house to borrow a sickle on the afternoon of the 16th and saw him repairing farm tools; the seed shop owner also remembered that Zhang Laosan came to buy seeds on the 17th and chatted about the harvest—all the witness testimonies corroborated each other, and Zhang Laosan had a clear alibi for the time period of the incident.

"What about his conflict with Li Laosi? Did Li Laosi really go to work in another place?" the team member asked somewhat unwillingly. Xiao Wang shook his head and asked the village secretary to contact Li Laosi's family: "Li Laosi did go to work in the south on August 10th. There are train tickets and testimonies from his coworkers. His conflict with Zhang Laosan is just an economic dispute and has no other connection."

Back at the cornfield investigation site, Xiao Wang reported the findings to Li Ming: "Although Zhang Laosan's tricycle matches the appearance, the tire tread and soil composition do not match the crime scene, and he has a clear alibi for the time of the incident, so he has been ruled out as a suspect." His tone carried a hint of regret, "The previous leads have gone cold, and we need to search for other suspicious persons again."

Looking at the photos of the crime scene, Li Ming remained silent for a moment: "It's good to rule out Zhang Laosan; at least we won't go down the wrong path. Next, we'll adjust our direction. On the one hand, we'll expand the scope of our search for tricycles, focusing on black agricultural tricycles with longitudinal tread patterns on their tires. On the other hand, we'll investigate Li Laosi's whereabouts to confirm whether he's really working in another city and whether he might be related to the case."

As the sun set, the light in the fields gradually dimmed, making the police tape stand out starkly in the twilight. Xiao Wang stood on the edge of the field, looking at the distant village. He knew that eliminating Zhang Laosan was just a minor incident in the case; the real culprit was still lurking in the shadows. He took out his phone and messaged his team: "Tomorrow morning, begin checking all agricultural tricycles in the village and surrounding towns. Focus on checking tire treads and recent usage records. Don't overlook any clues."

Although he had temporarily lost his way, there was no sign of discouragement in Xiao Wang's eyes—he knew that every time he eliminated a suspect, he was one step closer to the truth. The body in the cornfield was still awaiting identification, and the killer's traces must be hidden in some overlooked corner. As long as he persisted in a meticulous investigation, he would eventually find the key to unlocking the mystery.

While Xiao Wang led his team to investigate Zhang Laosan's residence, Li Ming remained at the cornfield. Watching the busy figures inside the cordon, he gave Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun new instructions: "Don't just focus on the area around the body. Expand the investigation area to 500 meters outside the cornfield, including the woods to the north, the irrigation ditch to the east, and the field path to the south. The suspect must have left traces along the way when transporting and burying the body. Check carefully and don't overlook any details."

Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun immediately adjusted their equipment, carrying their survey bags, and split into two groups—Xiao Yang was responsible for the woods and irrigation ditches, while Xiao Sun checked the field paths and surrounding wasteland. By this time, the sun had risen high in the sky, and the temperature in the fields was gradually increasing. The corn leaves glistened in the sunlight, and the whispers of villagers could be heard in the distance, but they did not affect the two men's concentration in the slightest.

Xiao Yang first entered the woods on the north side. The woods weren't large, mostly poplar and locust trees, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, making a "rustling" sound when he stepped on them. He took out his footprint lamp, and the beam of light pierced through the gaps in the leaves, moving slowly across the layer of fallen leaves. "There are new footprints here!" When he reached the middle of the woods, Xiao Yang suddenly stopped—the fallen leaves had been trampled into a depression, and the outline of a size 43 leather shoe print was faintly visible, with a stride length of 85 centimeters, a stride width of 20 centimeters, and a stride angle of 5 degrees outward, perfectly matching the characteristics of the shoe print found in the cornfield.

He crouched down and carefully brushed aside the fallen leaves with tweezers. The edges of the shoe prints had a small amount of fresh soil clinging to them, the soil composition of which was consistent with the soil in the cornfield: "The suspect must have passed through here, and may have left via the woods after burying the body." Continuing to trace the footprints, after about 20 meters, the footprints disappeared into a patch of soft humus soil—humus soil is highly absorbent and cannot retain clear traces, only scattered marks of soil being turned over can be seen.

Near the edge of the woods, close to the irrigation ditch, Xiao Yang made another discovery: the weeds along the ditch showed signs of being trampled, and several black fibers, about 5 centimeters long and rough in texture, clung to the blades, like scraps of fabric. "Take a fiber sample and mark the location," he said, putting the fibers into an evidence bag. "Now check the ditch for anything unusual. Could the suspect have thrown the murder weapon into it?"