Chapter 16: The Interrogation

Xu Lin City Police Department.

As soon as people arrived at work this morning, they could hear intermittent wails and cries coming from the interrogation room, sparking curiosity.

“Who are they interrogating? Starting so early?”

Although late-night interrogations were common for the homicide detectives, there hadn’t been any major cases lately. So why such a commotion first thing in the morning? It felt unusual.

“No idea. I just heard Captain Zheng’s voice.”

“Hey, you guys came late—you don’t know. People from Anxi City’s police department came over; they’re inside. You wouldn’t believe how damn...”

The man struggled for words, finally settling on, “fashionable.”

“Huh?”

That seemed off-topic. Besides, these days, everyone dressed pretty much the same. It was hard to imagine how someone could be ‘fashionable.’ They didn’t pay it much mind.

“So, who’s being interrogated?”

“Lin Hai.”

“Damn, they actually caught that slippery fellow?”

They all knew Lin Hai well—he’d been in many hands but had always slipped away, like an eel. Finally capturing him was no small feat; naturally, everyone was curious about how they managed it, and why the Anxi officers were involved.

News didn’t travel fast yet. The prisoner’s escape from the transport vehicle had only happened the day before. So far, only high-ranking officials in the nearby cities knew about it. The lower ranks hadn’t heard a thing, nor the details.

Even seeing Anxi’s officers this morning did not clarify the situation. With no fresh news, everyone simply got on with their work.

After all, there was still plenty to do at the station.

Still, Lin Hai’s howling was unbearable. Every time someone passed by the interrogation room, their heart jumped. It was quite unsettling.

Inside the interrogation room, Lin Hai seemed to be crying out all the tears of his thirty-plus years, howling nonstop.

“It really wasn’t me! No matter how rough I am, I wouldn’t dare kill someone—”

His cries were heart-wrenching, genuinely not an act.

When Zheng Zhiyong joined the arrest earlier that morning, he hadn’t expected the suspect to be involved in a murder case. He already found Lin Hai annoying, and now he showed no mercy. Slamming his large palm on the table, he glared fiercely.

“Tell the truth. Did you kill him?”

Lin Hai cried even harder. “I really didn’t kill him.”

“Just because you say you didn’t kill him doesn’t mean it’s true. If you didn’t kill him, how do you know he’s dead?”

Lin Hai looked utterly wronged, scratching his head and mumbling, “No... I... really didn’t...”

Seeing his fidgeting, Zheng Zhiyong’s forehead creased so deeply it looked like it could trap a fly.

Ji Mingcheng had remained expressionless throughout. He lightly tapped the table. His sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, his face so exquisitely handsome it almost felt unreal, set him apart from the others. Even other men found him pleasing to look at.

However, Lin Hai hadn’t forgotten that this man was ruthless to the core. Especially with his shoulder still aching terribly, seeing Ji Mingcheng suddenly smile made him tremble, afraid to embarrass himself further.

“Tell us the whole story from the beginning.” Ji Mingcheng’s smile faded as he spoke.

Cold sweat still drenched Lin Hai’s face. Hearing about the situation triggered him. The implicit threat, and the possibility of facing the death penalty, made the latter far more urgent.

“I... I’ll tell you.”

“Jia Honghe came to me, asking me to take him south for business. I had no reason to refuse. After agreeing on the money he would pay, I was handling the arrangements. We even set off the night of the twentieth. But that night, he never showed up on time. I got impatient and called him.”

“Yeah, you can check the call records. Jia Honghe had a phone—a pricey one—just so he could contact home after heading south.”

“I was anxious too. Others were waiting, not just him. I got angry and called him several times. When he didn’t answer, I got even angrier. I thought I’d call one more time; if he still didn’t pick up, I’d leave him be.”

At this point, Lin Hai’s tone was fairly normal. But when describing what happened after the call connected, regret washed over his face. He repeatedly slapped his thigh, full of remorse.

“If I’d known I’d hear him being hacked, I wouldn’t have answered no matter what.”

“Cut the nonsense. Get to the point.” Zheng Zhiyong’s impatience showed.

Lin Hai returned to the story. “The moment I answered, there was a terrible commotion on the other end. It sounded like someone running, no words at all. I cursed and told him I wouldn’t take him anymore. Just as I finished speaking, I heard a group chasing and hacking at him...” His face went pale with fear, voice quickened. “They definitely hit bone. I heard it several times—crack, crack—the sound of chopping through bone. My whole body’s hairs stood on end. I’m not exaggerating, comrade. You have to believe me.”

His emotions grew more intense.

“So how do you know he’s dead? You didn’t see it yourself.” Zheng Zhiyong asked.

Lin Hai swallowed hard several times, still panicked. “B-because he stopped moving. At first, he was still screaming in pain, but then Jia Honghe went completely silent. And those people dragged him away. How could he still be alive!?”

His trembling hands shook as he shouted, begging them, “Comrades, I’ve told you everything I know. You must protect me. Those people are vicious. If they find out I snitched, I might be killed too.”

That was why he had been in hiding for half a year. If it weren’t for being unable to stay outside any longer, he wouldn’t have come back at all.

If he’d known he’d be caught the moment he returned, he’d rather have found some unfamiliar place to live off scraps and wait to die than come back.

He was utterly regretful, but regrets were useless. Now, all he wished was for himself and his family to avoid harm from those people.

He clasped his hands together, pleading repeatedly, but no one paid him mind. Instead, the young, devilishly handsome yet merciless policeman continued questioning him.

“Did you hear any other sounds?” Ji Mingcheng asked.

“Sounds?” Lin Hai tried to calm himself and recall. “I think I heard leaves crunching underfoot.”

“Anything else?”

“It’s been half a year… I... can’t remember.” Lin Hai looked like he wanted to cry but had no tears left.

“Which month and day was it?” Ji Mingcheng asked again.

“June. After that, I never came back—this time I came back and got caught.” Lin Hai was filled with grievance.

What was the point of coming back now?

“So it really was the day of the robbery.” Zheng Zhiyong looked at Ji Mingcheng. “Brother Ji, looks like your guess was right. Those people who dared kill a police officer wouldn’t spare Jia Honghe, who saw their faces. That guy’s probably been dead for half a year.”

“Wait, wait, wait. What robbery? What killing a police officer? Those people even dared kill a cop???” Lin Hai was utterly confused.

He’d been in hiding all this time, not bothering to find out what had happened in Xu Lin City, let alone about any robbery. Now hearing about the cop murder was even more bewildering. If those people dared kill police officers, wasn’t he doomed?

“Comrades, I’m cooperating with you. You must protect me, comrades—” he wailed, his legs trembling like an old rural woman sifting grain.

Ji Mingcheng nodded at Zheng Zhiyong, signaling for someone to come and take Lin Hai away.

When Lin Hai was led out of the interrogation room, his cries only grew louder. But no one really cared about his tears or reasons; he was quickly taken away by other officers.

Seeing the team leaders from both sides still communicating, Qiu Jiang leaned slightly toward Wang Li.

“Brother Wang, now that we have his statement, can we pin the crime on that group?”

Wang Li shook his head. “It doesn’t prove they committed the act. Besides, we haven’t found the body.”

Qiu Jiang’s expression darkened.

Seeing this, Wang Li comforted her, “Even if the body’s missing, those five will still face serious charges. But it’d be best if we find the body to give the victim’s family some closure. As for the exact plan, we’ll have to wait for Captain Ji’s instructions.”

She frowned deeply, nodding in agreement.

By now, it was nearly noon. After discussion, Ji Mingcheng and Zheng Zhiyong approached them.

Zheng Zhiyong spoke up, “It’s this late already. Let’s grab a meal first. Once we’re done, we’ll head straight to Shangkou Street.”

Shangkou Street was where the robbed supply and marketing cooperative was located.

Naturally, Qiu Jiang and the others went straight to see their leader. After he gave a slight nod, they expressed their thanks.

“Thank you, Captain Zheng.”

“No need for thanks. Let’s go.”

Zheng Zhiyong was certainly warm and hospitable. He immediately took them to a large restaurant near the police station. Since it was peak dining time and the place was crowded, luckily he knew the owner and secured a private room for them.

“We can’t drink alcohol now, brother, don’t think I’m a bad host.” Zheng Zhiyong stood and toasted Ji Mingcheng with a glass of water.

“Captain Zheng, you’re too polite. Next time you come to Anxi, I’ll treat you to a drink.” Ji Mingcheng smiled and clinked glasses with him.

“Haha, I’ll hold you to that.”

“Of course. I’ll be waiting anytime.”

“Haha, great.”

After their toast, the hurried lunch officially began.

Everyone knew time was tight. After the meal, they headed straight to Shangkou Street without wasting a moment.

Sitting in the car, Qiu Jiang couldn’t help but clutch her lower abdomen. If they encountered a body again this time, would her stomach hurt like last time?

In her previous life, that pain had been caused by a poisonous insect and was excruciating. She still hadn’t completely shaken off its effects in this life.

Qiu Jiang felt a bit uneasy.

“If you’re uncomfortable, you can stay in the car later.”

She blinked and looked at Ji Mingcheng, who was driving.

“Thank you, Captain Ji. I’m fine.”

Ji Mingcheng glanced at her sideways, then after a moment, simply said, “Hmm.”

Page end.