Tracking and positioning

By contacting the Bubble Software Company, they managed to trace the phone number registered to Xiao Kai.

Name: Wu Zekai
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Height: 176 cm
Address: 105 Qize Road, Huijin City, Nanzhou
ID Number: 110120xxx

Looking at the suspect's information projected on the screen, Zeng Ping slapped the table. "Finally, we've got this kid's real identity."

"Captain Zeng, this guy's from Nanzhou. He must be pretty familiar with the area. Do you think he might have run back there?" Li Hui speculated.

"I've already contacted the tech team. They're tracking the suspect's phone location. We should have news soon," Zeng Ping replied.

"What if he turned off his phone?" Zhao Ming shrugged.

"Don't jinx it."

"Captain Zeng, I suggest we go to the telecom company and check Wu Zekai's contacts and text messages. We might uncover something else," Han Bin proposed.

"Alright. Han Bin and Tian Li, you two go and check Wu Zekai's phone records," Zeng Ping ordered.

"What about us, Captain?" Li Hui asked.

"As soon as the phone location is confirmed, if the suspect is out of town, Li Hui, Zhao Ming, and I will set out to apprehend him immediately," Zeng Ping said.

"Is just the three of you enough?" Tian Li asked.

"If we go out of town, we'll request assistance from the local police. It won't be a problem," Zeng Ping replied.

"We'll stay in touch. If anything comes up, I'll call you. The logistics are in your hands now."

"Understood."

...

An hour later, Han Bin and Tian Li, paperwork in hand, arrived at the telecom company.

With the help of a company employee, they pulled up Wu Zekai's call and text records and printed out two copies of the list.

Han Bin also made sure to get the contact information for the person in charge at the telecom office.

Just as the two of them stepped out of the building with the records, Han Bin's phone began to ring.

The caller ID displayed Zeng Ping's name.

"Captain Zeng."

"Binzi, we've successfully located the suspect's phone," Zeng Ping's voice was tinged with excitement.

"Where is it?"

"Shimen, Jizhou."

"That's not too far."

"We're getting ready to move out and make the arrest," Zeng Ping said.

"Safe travels, Captain."

"Let's wait for news," Zeng Ping said, ending the call.

Tian Li, curious, asked, "What did Captain Zeng say?"

"They've located him in Shimen, Jizhou. They're preparing to set out."

"Is Shimen far from Qindao?" Tian Li was unfamiliar with the city.

"About six or seven hours by car."

"So if things move quickly, they'll catch him today."

"Let's hope so."

...

Qindao Sub-bureau.

Criminal Investigation Team 3, Group 2 Office.

When Han Bin and Tian Li returned to the office, Zeng Ping and the others had already left.

The office felt empty, and Han Bin found the quiet a little unsettling.

He made himself a cup of tea, leaned back in his chair, and yawned. Since receiving the case yesterday, he’d only managed three hours of sleep in the car, and his head was heavy with fatigue.

"Han Bin."

Just as he was starting to drift off, Tian Li called out beside him.

"What is it?" Han Bin snapped back to attention.

"He Ye's family is here. Are you going, or should I?" Tian Li shrugged.

Han Bin gave a bitter smile. "Tian, you’d better handle it. I’m not cut out for that kind of work."

"I knew you'd say that," Tian Li snorted, then left the office.

"Thanks for taking it," Han Bin called after her.

"If you’re going to sleep, remember to lock the door," she reminded him.

"Will do."

Han Bin replied, his throat dry. He gulped down some tea, but the drowsiness faded instead of intensifying.

Stretching, he took out the list of phone numbers and scanned the contacts. He noticed Wu Zekai rarely made calls and had no particularly frequent contacts.

The last call was around eleven this morning—a missed call.

Han Bin searched the number online. It was registered in Shimen and labeled as a courier number.

According to the phone tracking, the suspect was currently in Shimen.

Han Bin hesitated. He considered calling the number to test the waters but was wary of alerting the suspect.

Yet, contacting this courier might be the key to finding the suspect's exact address.

After a moment's thought, Han Bin decided to dial the number.

"Hello?"

"Hi there."

"I'm the owner of 13825XXXXXX. Did you call me this morning? I’m out of town right now, so it’s not convenient to use that number," Han Bin explained.

"Hold on, let me check." The courier paused for a moment before replying, "Oh, right. On the nineteenth, you sent a package, but the recipient's number was invalid and there was no detailed address. I wanted to ask if you made a mistake."

"Was this a parcel sent from Qindao to Shimen?"

"Yes."

"Where is the package now?" Han Bin asked.

"It's at the Yutong Road Distribution Center in Shimen."

"Hold on, let me confirm the number with my friend. I’ll call you back shortly," Han Bin said.

"It's best if you call back using the 13825XXXXXX number. That way we can amend the address and recipient info. Company policy says only the sender's phone can request changes to the recipient’s address and number."

"Understood. I’ll be in touch soon."

Han Bin thought for a moment, searched for information on the Yutong Road Distribution Center, then dialed Zeng Ping.

"Hello, Captain Zeng."

"Binzi, what is it?"

"Where are you now?"

"We're out of the city and about to hit the highway," Zeng Ping replied.

"Is the suspect's precise location near Yutong Road in the western district of Shimen?"

"Huh? How do you know that?" Zeng Ping sounded surprised.

"Don't get on the highway just yet."

"What’s wrong?"

"I checked the suspect's call records—the last call was a missed one, from a courier in Shimen," Han Bin explained.

"That does suggest the suspect is in Shimen," Zeng Ping said.

"That's what I thought at first, but after I spoke with the courier, I realized the package’s recipient information is incomplete."

"Maybe the suspect is afraid of exposing his hideout and plans to update the address once the package arrives," Zeng Ping guessed.

"But if the suspect mailed the package yesterday and also went to Shimen himself, why wouldn't he just take it along instead of mailing it?" Han Bin asked.

Zeng Ping thought for a moment. "Maybe it was something difficult to carry?"

"Surveillance shows the suspect didn’t have much luggage when he left the hotel. I don’t think it was worth the risk to mail a package. And if it was something important, why didn't he answer the courier’s call this morning?" Han Bin analyzed.

"You think the suspect isn’t in Shimen?" Zeng Ping countered.

"Exactly."

"Then how did his phone get tracked there…" Zeng Ping stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing.

"Damn."

Zeng Ping cursed, "Don’t take the tollway—signal and pull over right now."