"Bought it on the dark web."
"When did you buy it?"
"Early October, I think it was October 2nd."
"Do you know the identity of the seller?"
"No, everything is confidential on the dark web."
"Can you still contact them?"
"I only registered as a website member and then obtained download permissions, it's not really contact."
"What's the name of the website?"
"Do you have to pay to register?"
"How did you pay? Do you have a record?"
Jamie Robinson said, "I paid with Bitcoin transactions, and nothing can be traced. I hadn't admitted before, not because I'm heartless, but because I really can't provide any clues about the seller."
The dark web, always the dark web.
Luke had heard the term many times and had done some basic research.
The biggest difference between the dark web and the regular internet lies in its secrecy; ordinary users can't see the dark web and can't enter it through conventional means.
Many data that can't be disseminated or published on the clear web can be found on the dark web, which is essentially a private network.
However, Luke was only theoretically knowledgeable and was not skilled in computers, "How did you access the dark web?"
"By using an onion router, I downloaded the Tor browser to access the dark web..."
During this interrogation, Luke asked a lot about the dark web, and the more he learned, the more he felt that the dark web was a breeding ground for crime, one he might often deal with in the future.
The dark web is a bit like an onion, layers of encryption. A convoluted loop of connections passes to the internet with many nodes, encrypting the online information through each node, originating from the last computer, and this node is random.
This ensures that both buyers and sellers are anonymous, making them very hard to trace.
Another major feature is the method of transaction.
Whether it's cash transactions or account transactions, they leave traces, which can be followed to find buyers and sellers.
But the dark web uses Bitcoin transactions, which are also untraceable.
In other words, the advent of Bitcoin has compensated for the shortcomings of the dark web and turned it into a paradise for criminals.
After interrogating Jamie Robinson, Luke headed straight for the chief's office.
Luke entered the office and saw Reid on the phone behind his desk.
Reid gestured towards the chair opposite the desk.
Luke sat down, placing the documents he was holding on the desk.
After a while, Reid hung up the phone, "What's the matter?"
"Chief, we've discovered some new information while investigating a false alarm case."
"Then that's good news. Let's hear it."
"We found some explicit videos on Jamie Robinson's computer. None of the three girls in the videos are of age."
"So, the false alarm might not be entirely false after all, and it even helped us catch a pervert.
We should definitely teach this pervert a lesson."
"There's more to it than that." Luke took out a tablet, bringing up the video screenshots of Olive Browning, "Chief, this girl is Olive Browning, a victim in a kidnapping case."
Reid put on his glasses and looked closely at the tablet, "Indeed, I recognize this girl, but at the time, this case wasn't handled by Squad One but by Squad Two.
I remember the kidnapper demanded a ransom, but it was never picked up, and we didn't hear anything for a long time afterwards.
Everyone thought the girl was dead."
According to Jamie Robinson, he bought the video on October 2nd. It's very likely that the girl is still alive.
The kidnapper didn't kill her but used her to make money through films."
"Excellent, this clue is very important!" Reid nodded, then looked at Luke, "Are you here to take over the case?"
Luke said, "No, I just feel sorry for these girls, and my team and I want to help them.
All the evidence is here, take your time with it."
Luke left the office, exactly as he had said. The reason he had taken the initiative to investigate the clues about the three girls was mainly to contribute his efforts; he had done what he could, guilt-free.
As for personal gain, there was some indeed — it gave him a chance to prove his worth in front of the chief. In the end, no matter which department cracked the case, Squad One would deserve some credit.
However, he wouldn't take over the case proactively.
There were two reasons: First, the case had previously been handled by Squad Two's leader Chen Kelin. If Luke were to take over now, what would that imply?
Was it case snatching?
They were all from the Robbery and Murder Department, and Chen Kelin was more experienced. Luke taking over the case Chen was handling would be a taboo.
If, hypothetically, Luke solved the case, others might accuse him of stealing the glory.
If he failed to solve the case, the repercussions would be even greater.
The second reason, as Squad Two's leader, Chen Kelin was competent. If he couldn't solve the case, was there any guarantee Luke could?
By informing Reid of the clues, Luke had made his contribution and shown his capability to his chief. Once the case was solved, Squad One would also deserve a share of the credit. That was sufficient.
Robbery and Murder Department conference room.
Reid and Chen Kelin met with the Browning couple together.
The middle-aged Black couple appeared somewhat haggard, clearly not having overcome the shadow of their daughter's kidnapping.
The Black woman's eyes were red, and, resting her hands on the table, she asked impatiently, "Captain Chen, you said there are new leads about my daughter?"