Wrong Interrogation Room, The First Cracked Case Shocked the World

Chapter 70: Scalp tingling, screening for murderers among 6 million people!

"TV platforms? Internet information? Newspapers?" Zhou Ziyan and Mu Xiaoyu looked confused. "Ning Cheng, what do you mean?"

"The murderer's information source is one of these three," Ning Cheng explained. "We can identify the killer by tracing the information they accessed."

"That's impossible!" Zhou Ziyan exclaimed, standing up. "Jiangcheng has six million people! Finding one person among that many is impossible!"

Ning Cheng calmly sipped his coffee. "With the right method, anything is possible. We'll screen potential suspects based on their access to information from TV, the internet, or newspapers."

Zhou Ziyan remained skeptical. "How do we know which channel the killer used? And how do we filter through six million people?"

Mu Xiaoyu, though doubtful, trusted Ning Cheng. "Let's hear him out, Team Zhou. Maybe he can narrow down the suspects."

Zhou Ziyan, still hesitant, looked at Ning Cheng.

"It's simpler than it seems," Ning Cheng began. "Finding information about the Scalpel Killer on TV is highly unlikely. The case is five years old; finding old news broadcasts is extremely difficult for the average person."

Zhou Ziyan agreed. Finding old news clips is difficult, even for her.

"That eliminates TV. Internet and newspapers remain. How do we filter those?" Zhou Ziyan asked.

"I checked online," Ning Cheng said, showing his phone. "I searched for 'Scalpel Demon Murder Case,' 'Murder Case,' and similar terms. Information is scarce, especially crucial visual evidence, such as detailed images of the killer's methods."

"Notice Wang Shuzhen's heart wound," he continued. "It's remarkably similar to the Scalpel Killer's method, which is why our forensic team initially misidentified the case. Why would the imitator know such a specific detail?"

"Internet searches only provide outlines of the case, not the visual details of the killer's technique. This makes it very unlikely the killer obtained the information online."

Zhou Ziyan and Mu Xiaoyu's understanding dawned.

"So, neither TV nor the internet is likely the source. It must be newspapers," Zhou Ziyan concluded. "You're suggesting we find the killer among the readers of newspapers that covered the Scalpel Killer case."

"Exactly," Ning Cheng confirmed. "But even newspapers have a wide readership. Finding a needle in that haystack seems impossible."

"But it's progress," Ning Cheng countered. "We've narrowed it down from six million to hundreds of thousands."

"It's still difficult," Zhou Ziyan pointed out.

"Not really," Ning Cheng replied. "Consider this: the Scalpel Killer case was reported five years ago. Even if someone bought the newspaper then, it's unlikely they still have it. Very few places in Jiangcheng would store five-year-old newspapers."

Zhou Ziyan understood. "So, if we find where these old newspapers are kept, we might find the killer."

Wang Jin, a veteran detective, spoke up. "Five years ago, during the Scalpel Killer investigation, the Jiangcheng Provincial Newspaper ran an article criticizing the police's incompetence. We bought those papers; they contained details of the case."

"Where are those newspapers now?" Zhou Ziyan asked.

Wang Jin didn't know.

"Someone does," Ning Cheng said, calling Ye Wanzhou, a reporter from the Provincial Newspaper.

Ye Wanzhou, surprised by the call, answered. After a brief exchange, Ning Cheng explained his need to find the old newspaper articles.

Ye Wanzhou confirmed that only the Provincial Newspaper published those articles. She explained that their archives are digital, but suggested the Provincial Library might still have physical copies.

"Thank you, Reporter Ye," Ning Cheng said, hanging up. "Provincial Library."

Zhou Ziyan and her team were amazed. The search had narrowed from six million people to the relatively small number of people who would have visited the Provincial Library.

They immediately went to the Provincial Library. They found the newspaper article and confirmed the details. The black and white photos were blurry, which explained why the imitator misidentified the mark.

They then spoke to the library's head, only to discover that anyone could access the archives.

"What do we do now?" Mu Xiaoyu and Tang Xin worried. The library's high traffic made tracking down the killer extremely difficult.

"We'll do our best," Zhou Ziyan said, planning to review security footage.

Ning Cheng, however, shook his head. "Leave it to me. I'll find the suspect tonight."