Chapter 11

At 3:00 PM, within the Nancheng City Police Bureau, everyone was still busy. Fu Linjiang walked in from outside. “Captain Song, Ma Minghui has been brought in.”

At this stage of the case, it was the most critical. Sometimes situations could change for the better, and the interrogation process was like a game of chess. Regardless of right or wrong, it could yield more information. Unlike the previous inquiry with Zhong Qing, Ma Minghui was brought in directly as a suspect. No more beating around the bush; they could get straight to the point.

The interrogation room in the police station was surrounded by blue soundproof walls. The space appeared clean yet oppressive, containing only tables, chairs, benches, and a lamp. Ma Minghui had already been brought into the interrogation room. Song Wen, accompanied by Fu Linjiang and Lu Siyu, walked into the observation room separated by a wall. Here, a large one-way glass allowed them to observe the suspect’s movements and expressions without being seen.

Zhao Xiao handed Song Wen detailed information about Ma Minghui and the just-retrieved bank transfer records. Taking them, Song Wen said, “No water for him, let him stew for twenty minutes.” Then, turning to Lu Siyu, he explained, “Interrogations nowadays can’t resort to physical torture or deceptive tactics. Thus, we must emphasize psychological techniques. You can’t coerce him, but you can bluff him. Pay attention to maintaining control over the situation. Keep yourself in the lead.”

As time passed, Ma Minghui inside the interrogation room became increasingly restless. Since his guilt hadn’t been determined yet, his personal freedom wasn’t restricted. Only his personal items were confiscated. After pacing around the room for a few minutes, he knocked on the door.

Naturally, no one answered him.

Ma Minghui, feeling somewhat helpless, rubbed his hands and then sat back down. Several detectives in the observation room stared at him through the one-way glass. The man appeared to be in his twenties, around six feet tall, with brown-dyed hair, wheat-colored skin, and slightly long bangs. He couldn’t be described as particularly handsome but looked neat and tidy.

Song Wen focused on reviewing various materials. After comparing a few sheets of bank statements, he pointed with his finger and said, “There are indeed some issues here.” Fu Linjiang, hearing him speak, came over to look at the bank transaction records.

In addition to transferring 100,000 from Zhong Qing, Lin Zhenghua had also withdrawn 200,000 in cash recently. In an era of convenient digital payments and without major purchases like houses or cars, such a large withdrawal raised suspicions. Moreover, the last withdrawal was made on the night of the crime, at 7:10 PM, taking out 100,000 at once.

Song Wen also examined other evidence that Zhu Xiao had found, including an anonymous email the victim received a month ago. It contained an intimate photo of him and Ma Minghui in a bar’s private room. He then looked at Ma Minghui’s recent records, finding several large expenses and more incoming money than usual. Scrolling further back, it seemed like every once in a while, a significant amount of ill-gotten gains appeared in his account.

Fu Linjiang furrowed his brows. “Could this be… a variation of the ‘Immortal Jump’? It’s usually more associated with romantic relationships, but in this case, it seems like a modified form.”

Song Wen nodded, instructing Zhu Xiao, “Prepare video and audio recordings.”

This time, Song Wen and Fu Linjiang were in charge of the interrogation. Ma Minghui, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of people, was startled by the opening door and looked up anxiously.

Song Wen glanced at him, sat across from him, and pulled a chair forward.

Ma Minghui, as if just awakening from a dream, said, “Officer, there must be some misunderstanding. I really didn’t know Lin Zhenghua was already dead. I truly haven’t done anything…”

Fu Linjiang ignored him, the usually smiling and amiable man now sporting a serious expression. He asked, “Name.”

“I… I…” Ma Minghui wanted to say something.

Song Wen reiterated, “Name.” His tone was much stricter than Fu Linjiang’s.

Ma Minghui wilted, stammering, “Ma… Ma Minghui.”

“Gender.”

“Male.”

“Age.”

“24.”

“Ethnicity.”

“Han.”

“Occupation.”

“Bartender.”

“Educational background.”

“High school graduate…”

“What is the relationship between the victim and you?” The question finally got to the point.

“I… we just… occasionally together.”

“Be more specific.”

“We were in a cohabiting relationship; he financially supported me.” Ma Minghui spoke the last few words with a voice so soft it was like the humming of a mosquito.

“How long have you known each other? How did you meet?”

“For three months, we met at the bar where I work.”

“The night before last, did you see Lin Zhenghua?”

“I did.”

“At what time?”

“Seven o’clock…”

Song Wen raised an eyebrow. “Stop fucking lying. The victim clocked out and went straight to the bank to withdraw money at six fifty. He appeared on the bank’s surveillance at seven ten. During this period, you didn’t meet.”

Typical suspects fall into several categories: some stay silent, some spill everything as fast as pouring beans, some talk nonsense and reveal little truth, and then there are those who mix ten truths with half a lie. Song Wen, experienced in dealing with such people, knew that it was crucial to expose their lies early on and not let go. The harder you pressed, the more intimidated they became.

“Maybe it was after that… Officer, I can’t remember… That day, I was off, had dinner and drinks with friends, went back to sleep at seven, and then Lin Zhenghua woke me up with a loud argument. It escalated, and in the end, I grabbed some things and left. I called a friend and stayed over at their place.” Ma Minghui spoke hesitantly, making his story sound suspicious. He tried to blur the timeline because he knew the later the time, the less suspicion on him. But his statement made him look even more dubious.

“Was your argument intense?”

“En… who remembers when things get heated…”

Fu Linjiang said, “So, you had sufficient time to commit the crime.”

Ma Minghui continued to protest, “That night, after our argument, I left. Officer, I’m telling the truth. I would never dare to kill someone; I’m too timid…”

Song Wen snorted. “I see you’re not that timid. You arranged for someone to take compromising photos of you and Lin Zhenghua in the bar, threatening him that you’d send these pictures to his company, right?”

Although Lin Zhenghua was quite high-profile in his circle, due to having a wife and son, he managed to keep a low profile in his company. When faced with extortion, his first reaction was to try to pay his way out of trouble.

They didn’t present this evidence at the beginning of the interrogation; they waited until Ma Minghui showed the first sign of a slip-up before using these facts to corner him.

“I didn’t ah. I didn’t know,” Ma Minghui persisted in denying.

Song Wen gathered the information and looked at him, saying, “Even with cash withdrawals nowadays, the bank still records currency numbers. How about we take a gamble? Let’s check if the money in your wallet matches the amount Lin Zhenghua withdrew.”

Upon hearing these words, the color drained from Ma Minghui’s face, and sweat beads appeared on his forehead in the reflected light.

“Confess now. We already have evidence of you extorting Lin Zhenghua,” Song Wen continued, pointing his finger on the table. “Extortion involving a substantial amount carries a sentence of over ten years. With this murder case, you become the prime suspect. Moreover…”

At this point, Song Wen looked at Ma Minghui, and his gaze sent shivers down Ma Minghui’s spine.

“Are you a serial blackmailer? Leveraging your role as a bartender, you specifically target married men going to GAY bars. Once you seduce them, you intervene as a male third party and then threaten the victims to expose the affair. After getting the money, you use the excuse of breaking up…”

Ma Minghui hadn’t expected the police to uncover these things so quickly. Trembling, he admitted, “Officer, I confess. The extortion, it was my accomplice, Guo Zai, who did it. But this time… he took pictures of me and Lin Zhenghua, sent them to his email… Started extorting for twenty thousand, Lin Zhenghua paid. Later, Guo Zai said since this guy was so willing to pay, he must not have paid enough… demanded another ten thousand. But I’m not involved in the murder.”

“What’s Guo Zai’s real name?”

“Just Guo Zai… I don’t know what his parents named him.”

In the observation room, Fu Linjiang gestured to Zhu Xiao outside, who immediately understood and went to the office to check Guo Zai’s information.

“Lin Zhenghua discovered your extortion, right? So, he drove home that night, went to the rented house to confront you, and you killed him with a knife?” Fu Linjiang felt that they were getting closer to the truth.

“I did take out a knife, but I only wanted to scare him. He scolded me, asked me to return the money, but I didn’t kill him…” Ma Minghui spoke hesitantly, and his pupils contracted slowly. “Oh, right… Guo Zai… after I left, maybe that guy couldn’t take it, and he killed Lin Zhenghua…”

In an attempt to clear himself, Ma Minghui began to betray his accomplice. In the observation room, Lu Siyu crossed his arms, biting his nails as he watched everything unfold.

Song Wen stared at Ma Minghui. Was it Guo Zai who killed someone? Because of this three hundred thousand, they had already spent most of it. Afraid that Lin Zhenghua would retaliate and demand more money, they decided to kill him? He still felt that something was off.

Regardless, these two individuals were involved in substantial extortion, and prison bars awaited them. Ma Minghui began to disclose details. Lao Jia knocked on the observation room door and entered, joining Fu Linjiang in the observation room.

Lao Jia spoke first, “Deputy Captain, there’s a woman outside, named Zhong Qing.”

“Zhong Qing? Isn’t that the victim’s wife? What is she doing here?” Fu Linjiang had some memory of the name. Lu Siyu turned his head upon hearing Zhong Qing’s name, looking at Lao Jia. Seeing the person he had just met in the morning suddenly appear here didn’t surprise him.

Lao Jia looked at Ma Minghui, who was tearfully confessing inside. He was somewhat puzzled and asked, “She’s here to surrender. What’s the situation now?”

TN:
Okay now I don’t know what the f*ck is going on!