Chapter 1293: Videotape

So, in the early hours of the morning, a street cleaner in Mount Jing found a black plastic bag on the side of the road while cleaning the street. It seemed that someone lost it because the plastic bag's handle had broken; it should have been dropped on the floor accidentally.

One could often pick up some valuable items from cleaning the road. Old Li had already found out through experience. He could pick up more things, especially in the early hours of the morning!

Although it was laborious to wake up early, Old Li still insisted on working early. He had been working this job for decades. Even if his wife did not work, he could feed his family by cleaning and picking the trash because there was a secret known only by the cleaners.

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The road was dark at night, and many people drank too much. Therefore, the chances of losing something on the road were relatively high, especially if they couldn't see clearly. So, the possibility of something being picked up by others was relatively low too. Unlike the daytime, if someone dropped something, the passing pedestrians and scavengers would pick everything up before you could put your hand on it.

Old Li was a little excited when he saw the black plastic bag on the roadside. What will it be? A pack of banknotes? However, Old Li shook his head. Banknotes won't be wrapped in such a broken plastic bag. What will it be? What?

Old Li looked around and found that no one was around, so he quickly picked up the black plastic bag; he opened it and found a videotape inside!

A videotape was already a rare thing in today's world. Old Li took the videotape and looked back and forth carefully, only to find that there was no label on the videotape. He didn't know what tape this was.

Thinking of the big Watergate Scandal [1] on the Internet recently, Old Li was anxious. Could it be that someone had filmed a scandal to blackmail someone else?

As Old Li thought of this, his heart was beating fast. Could it be a sex tape? Old Li felt that it was very likely when he thought of it!

He kept the videotape with him; he planned to watch it with his neighbor, Old Wang, after work. Old Wang's wife was dead in his middle age, and his daughter had married; it was only himself alone in the house, so it was just right for watching this kind of video.

So when Old Li got off work, he bought half a catty of pork head meat and a bottle of Red Star Erguotou [2]. He rushed to Old Wang's house happily, preparing to enjoy it together.

Old Wang was watching the morning news at home when Old Li opened the door and walked in. Seeing the wine and meat in Old Li's hands, he wondered, "Old Li, why did you bring wine and meat in the early morning?"

" Hehe ." Old Li's smiled mysteriously. He put the meat in his hand on the table, then he took out the tape from his pocket and said, "What do you think is this?"

"Videotape?" Old Wang looked at him, and he saw the Old Li's mysterious smile. He was shocked and said, "Could it be that kind of videotape?"

" Hehe , what do you say?" Old Li had long been certain that it was some kind of sex tape.

"No wonder you rushed here in the early morning. I thought you had something urgent; it turned out that you are horny!" Old Wang laughed.

"I'm horny? You're saying like you're not." Old Li twitched his mouth. He picked up the videotape and wanted to put it into the video player, but Old Wang stopped him.

"Wait a minute. Let's take a look at this news first! It is reporting about a murder case in Mount Jing City!" Old Wang pointed at the TV screen and said, "Neh, the victim is Sui Yuejin, the CEO of the Sui's Group. He was shot to death. Look! How miserable is that? There was no one alive in the building."

"Sui Yuejin, isn't he a celebrity in our city?" Old Li was just a street cleaner, but he also knew about Sui Yuejin, especially the Sui's Group's building. It was just outside the street where he cleaned, so he naturally paid more attention.

"Yeah, he was killed. God knows who he offended. He was actually shot to death. The other people in the group, the security guards, and secretary were all killed..." Wang Wang pointed at the TV screen and said, "Look, how rich is his family? They actually offered a reward of five hundred thousand yuan to those who provide clues. Hey, Old Li, aren't you sweeping the street over there? Did you see anything unusual that morning?"

"I didn't pay attention!" When Old Li heard that the bounty was five hundred thousand yuan, he regretted it very much. "If I knew it, I would be staring at the door of the building. It is useless now. We don't have that luck; drinking Erguotou and eating pork head meat is already a good life for us. I would never think of owning five hundred thousand yuan!"

" Ai , yeah, but my children are married. You have a son who is still studying; your life is quite tough." Old Wang sighed. "You missed a chance to make a fortune."

"If I really got five hundred thousand yuan, I would give you two hundred thousand yuan directly without saying anything!" Old Li said with a sigh, "I often borrowed money from you for the past few years, and you have helped me a lot. Unfortunately, I really don't have that fate."

After watching the news, the two people commented on it for a while, and then they left Sui Yuejin's matter behind. Old Li put the videotape into the player, then switched from the TV channel to the video, and pressed the play button.

Old Wang had already poured the wine, cut the pork meat nicely, and placed them on the table. They prepared to eat and drink while enjoying the passionate sex tape.

"Where is this?" Old Wang looked up and saw the contents on the TV screen; it seemed to be a corridor of a unit.

Old Li headed back to the sofa and looked at the TV screen. He indeed saw the scene in the corridor; it seemed to be a company or an office.

"Maybe it's a sneak shot? Isn't it popular now? Just like the Watergate scandal." Old Li explained. "Let's keep watching."

Old Wang nodded. He ate a mouthful of pork meat and continued to watch it. It didn't take long for Yang Ming to appear on the screen...

" Ah , I remember this place! This is the Sui's Group building!" Old Li slapped his thigh and screamed. "I remember it; I had cleaned for them; I went in before. This is inside the Sui's Group building..."

Old Wang also saw the news report just now. The report also took some shots inside the Sui's Group building. He immediately said once he was reminded by Old Li, "Yes, indeed, I have seen it on the news. It's this building... Ai, you see the time written on it; isn't it the day of the incident...?"

Old Li also widened his eyes. Sure enough, the time on the screen showed the day of the incident, and it is even the night of the incident! So, isn't this videotape the most crucial evidence that the police are looking for?

The young man on the screen was probably the murderer that night, right?

Thinking of this, Old Li couldn't stand the excitement immediately. He could pick up such an important tape while he was sweeping the street. The criminal must have accidentally lost the evidence after he had taken it!

"Old Wang, we are going to get rich now. This videotape must be the thing that the police are looking for. We will have five hundred thousand yuan soon!" Old Li shouted excitedly.

Old Wang was also surprised as his eyes widened, "Old man, this time, you are really going to get rich! You no longer have to worry about your son's college tuition fees!"

"I have said that I will give you two hundred thousand yuan. I'm a man of my words. Not to mention that if you didn't tell me that news, I would have dumped it into the dustbin after watching it. I definitely wouldn't get this money!" said Old Li quickly.

"I told you that I don't need it. Let's do this. If you get the money, just treat me to pork head and Erguotou every day!" Old Wang saw that Old Li insisted, so he suggested.

"How little money is that? It won't cost much, even for a year!" Old Li waved his hands again and again.

"Okay, don't argue anymore. This is a big deal. Let's talk to the police first. It is a life and death matter; we can't always think about the bonus," said Old Wang.

"That's true. I will call right away." Old Li nodded and picked up the phone on the table. "Hello, is this the Mount Jing police station? I am looking for Police Officer Zhang who is in charge of Sui Yuejin's case in the news."

After a while, Old Li heard the voice of a middle-aged man on the phone. "Hello, I am Police Officer Zhang. Do you have any clues?"

"Yes, I am a sanitation worker. When I was cleaning on West Road this morning, I found a black plastic bag. After opening it, I found a videotape inside!" Old Li said as he was out of breath. "When I reached home, I put it into the VCR. I was shocked. It is actually the surveillance video of the Sui's Group Building, and it's even the night of the incident..."

Old Li finished his words in one breath, then he sighed in relief.

When Police Officer Zhang heard that a sanitation worker picked up such an important clue, his expression immediately became serious. "Are you saying that what you picked up is the Sui's Group's surveillance video from the night of the incident?"

"Yes, there is a young man in the video who had been to the Sui Group..." Old Li said. "Are the police looking for this clue?"

"Can you come to the police station now...? Never mind. I will go to your house instead." Zhang police officer was afraid that something unexpected would happen when Old Li went to the police station, and he lost the evidence. If that happened, the clue that was difficult to get would be lost, so he said, "Where are you now?"

"I'm at... Wait, is there a reward of five hundred thousand yuan if I provide this clue?" asked Old Li.

"Of course, if we confirm that the video in your hand is indeed the surveillance video of the Sui's Group Building that night, the family members will honor their promise. After the case is solved, we will also give you additional rewards," said Police Officer Zhang.

"That's great. I am in the Nanwan Community, Unit 101, Building 3-2. You should come quickly," said Old Li.

Hanging up the phone, Old Li was excited. "Five hundred thousand yuan. I heard that there are additional rewards. We are really getting rich this time!"

Old Wang was also very happy. He didn't expect Old Li, who had been sweeping the streets for most of his life, could get such unexpected money in the end.

Police Officer Zhang had been under enormous pressure these days. Sui Yuejin was a social celebrity in Mount Jing. The group was involved in many industries, so whether it was pressure from the city leaders or from the family members, it made him feel suffocated.

Police Officer Zhang was excited to receive such a call suddenly today. He did not dare to neglect; he quickly called his assistant and rushed to the Nanwan Community.

"Captain Zhang, do you think that it would be a disappointment in the end?" Assistant Xiao Tang asked while driving.

"I don't think so. I heard that the sanitation worker was very conclusive in his words. He should have seen such a videotape. As for whether it is about the incident inside of the Sui's Group that night, a technical appraisal is still needed.

Xiao Tang nodded. "The pressure on this case is big enough. Many people are looking at it! I really hope to solve the case as soon as possible."

Captain Zhang nodded. He was the captain of the Criminal Investigation Team of the Mount Jing police station. The pressure he had could be imagined. He hoped that the clue this time was real, and it could help solve the case.

The car was parked downstairs of the Nanwan Community. Captain Zhang brought Xiao Tang to the address mentioned by Old Li when he reported the case. He knocked on the door, and it was opened immediately. Old Li was already extremely excited, waiting at the door. When he saw a police car park nearby, Old Li opened the door first.

"You should be Police Officer Zhang, right? Please come in!" said Old Li quickly.

Captain Zhang nodded and said, "I'm Police Officer Zhang; this is my assistant, Police Officer Tang. Are you Li Daxi?"

Old Li nodded quickly. "Yes, it's me who reported to the police. You guys really came so fast."

Captain Zhang confirmed Old Li's identity and entered the house. Old Wang was already ready as he pressed the VCR play button directly.

Captain Zhang originally wanted to go back and take a closer look at the videotape, but since Old Wang had already started playing it, then he might as well watch it before going back.

With the eyesight of Captain Zhang after many years, he could see that this video should be valid at a glance. Especially when he saw the time displayed on the electronic clock inside the Sui's Group Building, he no longer had any doubt!

There was some unstoppable excitement in his heart. It seems that the case is finally solved.

He took a statement from Old Li and promised that he would redeem part of the family's reward as soon as possible. After that, Captain Zhang and Xiao Tang took the videotape and left.

Of course, all of this was the trap and strategy set by the behind-the-scenes boss and Huang Youcai. If they sent this videotape directly to the Mount Jing police station in an anonymous way, it might have the opposite effect. The police would definitely doubt who sent the videotape. As such, the effect wouldn't be as impactful as if it were obtained coincidentally.

The reason why they copied the video onto a videotape rather than keeping it on the hard disk was that regular people might not open the hard drive when they picked it up. They would probably sell it or format it to keep using it. Besides, not everyone knows how to connect the hard disk to the computer. As a result, the effort may be in vain. It was better to copy it onto a videotape which was rather common. Normal people would definitely be curious about the videotape's content. Even if they didn't have a VCR, they would watch it at a relative's or friend's house.

Recently, Sui Yuejin's case was becoming a big commotion. They believed that most people would undoubtedly think of something and report it to the police if they watched this videotape.

In fact, Huang Youcai's method was not wrong. Sure enough, Old Li reported to the police after watching the videotape. The videotape fell into the hands of the police eventually.

"Captain Zhang, wasn't the Sui's Group Building surveillance files on the hard disk lost? Why would it be copied onto a videotape?" Xiao Tang asked with some doubts on the way back.

"I also feel a bit baffled. The source of this videotape is very strange. Li Daxi should have no problem. I have checked his work permit; I also confirmed it with the sanitation department in the bureau. He is indeed cleaning the street near the Sui's Group building." Captain Zhang said, "Who is the person who dropped this videotape on the roadside? Whether he was intentional or not, this requires us to have a meeting to discuss it. As for the authenticity of the videotape, it is necessary to do a judicial technical appraisal. It can't be judged with the naked eye."

Xiao Tang nodded. It seemed that the case wasn't simple. The case couldn't be solved just like that. Even with this videotape, it couldn't be guaranteed that the videotape was authentic.

Back at the police station, Captain Zhang did not waste time. He reported the current situation to the bureau chief, then made a few copies of the videotape and sent them to the professional technicians for judicial identification to determine whether the video on the videotape was modified and edited.

Captain Zhang himself went to the Sui's Group with Xiao Tang. They were going to investigate whether the perpetual calendar in the Sui's Group corridor was modified. If there were no traces of it being tampered with, then it, at least, explained that the video should be of the incident that night.

These days, Captain Zhang and Xiao Tang had been frequent visitors of the Sui's Group. They easily entered the group and went to the place of the perpetual calendar that was shown in the video.

"Xiao Tang, you go find a ladder; I want to go up and see." Captain Zhang commanded Xiao Tang.

The position of this perpetual calendar was relatively high. If someone wanted to adjust the time, he must use external tools such as ladders to adjust it, so it was still difficult to be falsified.

Xiao Tang brought the ladder after a while. Captain Zhang climbed up the ladder and carefully looked around the perpetual calendar. Because the perpetual calendar was relatively high, it naturally had a thick layer of dust due to the hanging time. It also couldn't be cleaned usually, so the adjustment buttons were full of dust.

Captain Zhang shook his head; there was no trace of it being modified based on the dust. At least, it seemed so with the naked eye. That is to say, the time displayed on the perpetual calendar on the videotape should be the real time at that time.

There should be no one touching this perpetual calendar for a long time. This dust couldn't be faked. It had accumulated after a long time, so it was different from being falsified by people. However, he didn't know if there was an expert in falsifying this. Therefore, Captain Zhang decided to let the professionals do another appraisal. He commanded Xiao Tang to rope off around the perpetual calendar, prohibiting unrelated people from approaching, then he rushed back to the police station with Xiao Tang.

This videotape was originally recorded with multiple sets of lenses. Therefore, it was difficult to determine whether it had been edited. It could only be compared to the lens switching sequence set in the surveillance video equipment of the Sui's Group to see if the scenes on this videotape could be matched one by one.