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墨書 Inktalez
The news of the kidnapper's capture reached everyone's ears, and Wang Chao returned to the City Bureau with the members of his task force.
Sitting in the interrogation room, handcuffed to a chair, the kidnapper appeared quite disdainful. This man in his thirties wore a tank top and shorts, his unkempt hair and scruffy beard giving him a disheveled look. Nose hairs protruded from his nostrils, and his yellowed teeth were on full display as he looked at others with his chin raised defiantly.
Wang Chao felt uncomfortable with the kidnapper's nonchalant demeanor. He slammed his hand on the table and said, "Sit up straight. Do you understand that honesty will lead to leniency while resistance will lead to severity? You’d better adjust your attitude."
Old Shao had been a police officer for many years and had encountered numerous suspects. He was no stranger to someone like Huang Zhengqing, who seemed indifferent to his situation. Such individuals typically fell into two categories: one believed they would be executed anyway and had come to terms with it; the other thought the police were powerless against them, feeling invincible.
Looking at the kidnapper before him, Old Shao spoke in a calm voice devoid of anger. "Huang Zhengqing, male, thirty-two years old."
"That's right, it's me," Huang Zhengqing replied, still holding his chin up defiantly.
As long as there was dialogue, Old Shao was confident he could extract some information. The last thing he wanted was to deal with a silent suspect who wouldn’t answer even after three questions.
On the way here, Guan Deng had already gathered basic information about Huang Zhengqing. At thirty-two years old, he was divorced and had a ten-year-old son living with his ex-wife. The reason for the divorce stemmed from Huang Zhengqing being sentenced to four years in prison for robbery seven years ago.
With a name, a photo, and a criminal record—along with blurry surveillance footage from below Pang Suzhang's apartment—Huang Zhengqing was quickly apprehended. After the wanted notice was issued, local police caught him at a bar where he was surrounded by women and had several beer bottles in front of him.
As a kidnapper, Huang Zhengqing had no intention of fleeing; he continued living indulgently as usual, frequenting bars and nightclubs, enjoying lavish meals and women. This lifestyle ultimately led to his swift arrest.
The key factor was that Guan Deng had identified Huang Zhengqing.
During this brief moment of silence, Jiang He analyzed the man before him.
Jiang He’s first impression of Huang Zhengqing was that he was unclean; this was evident from his yellow teeth and long fingernails. It was also clear that Huang Zhengqing was a heavy smoker; stains marked his teeth, and his fingers were yellowed from smoke exposure. Jiang He noticed a pack of Yuxi cigarettes in front of him, priced at 100 yuan.
Noticing this detail made it less surprising that someone like him wore imported brand shorts. However, the tank top he wore seemed mismatched—cheap street vendor items costing ten yuan for three—contrasting sharply with his expensive shorts.
At Huang Zhengqing's feet were brand-name sneakers caked with dried mud. Among the dirt, Jiang He spotted fragments of broken plant stems and petals. While Huang Zhengqing clearly lacked hygiene standards, for someone like Jiang He, such an individual appeared somewhat endearing.
Locard's Exchange Principle is the foundation of criminal investigation. As long as a person has been at a crime scene, they will inevitably leave traces behind, whether direct evidence or remnants that the perpetrator tried to conceal. These traces are human-made and often help the police determine where the murderer came from and where they might go next.
Jiang He’s mind provided him with a conclusion: Huang Zhengqing was a person lacking taste in life.
However, it was quite normal for someone without taste to spend money on cigarettes, but spending it on buying shorts was puzzling to Jiang He, who found this very confusing.
But then Old Shao answered Jiang He’s doubts.
Old Shao fiddled with the items on Huang Zhengqing's table, all of which had been confiscated from him. His hand brushed over Huang Zhengqing's car keys before quickly resting on a box of Yuxi cigarettes. The box contained five or six cigarettes, and Old Shao pulled out three—one for himself and two for Jiang He and Wang Chao.
Wang Chao accepted the cigarette while Jiang He waved his hand in refusal. "I don’t smoke."
Old Shao didn’t say much more. Wang Chao took out a lighter and lit Old Shao’s cigarette.
Jiang He couldn’t believe that Old Shao, at sixty years old, still smoked; it was incredibly harmful to his health. What Jiang He didn’t understand was that sometimes smoking served as an interrogation tactic.
Old Shao exhaled a smoke ring, holding the cigarette between his fingers. "Huang Zhengqing, since your release from prison, you haven’t held any legitimate job and have been causing trouble. However, we checked your records, and before your robbery, you had a good job and a stable family. Moreover, your family wasn’t ill; why would you resort to robbery?"
Huang Zhengqing snorted disdainfully, his throat rolling as if he had phlegm. "I like it! I just want to rob; what are you going to do about it? If you have the ability, go ahead and kill me!"
His tone was filled with provocation, making Wang Chao wish he could punch him directly.
Yet Old Shao remained calm and composed; getting angry would only play into Huang Zhengqing's hands.
Old Shao flicked off some ash and spoke through the swirling smoke. "You don’t need to keep us guessing. You have no legitimate job but smoke Yuxi cigarettes that cost a hundred yuan a box? If there’s no one backing you up, even a three-year-old wouldn’t believe that. So who is supporting you? What’s their name? What do they want?"
"What backer?" Huang Zhengqing turned to look behind him. "There’s just a wall behind me."
Old Shao placed the cigarette on the edge of the table, letting it burn on its own. Everyone in the interrogation room noticed Old Shao's slow movement of placing the cigarette down while he kept his gaze fixed on Huang Zhengqing. Huang Zhengqing licked his lips as he watched the cigarette but ultimately shifted his gaze away.
The smoke swirled around the interrogation room, tendrils of it lingering in the air.
"You don't need to play dumb with me. With your intelligence, you couldn't have orchestrated such a meticulous plan," Old Shao said to Huang Zhengqing. "The backer behind you gave you this much money just so you could get in here. From the very beginning, you never intended to hide your face. There must be at least two kidnappers, yet you've always been the one exposed. From that moment, the planner had already decided to bring you in."
The cigarette burned slowly, a long ash clinging to the tip without falling. Old Shao gently blew on it, and the ash scattered.
Old Shao pulled out another cigarette, playing with it in his hand but not lighting it. "So let's be straightforward. What is the third game? I believe he didn't send you here just to sit and chat with me. Let's cut to the chase; speak up."
Huang Zhengqing finally began to look at him, licking his lips before saying, "Give me a cigarette."
Old Shao lit the cigarette in his hand and placed it in Huang Zhengqing's mouth.
Huang Zhengqing took a deep drag, like a parched traveler discovering a water source, emitting a satisfied sound before saying, "That's right. Even if I had five brains, I couldn't come up with such an interesting game. If he doesn't want you to find me, then you won't find me. The person behind this wants me to inform you that the third game has begun."
"What exactly is the third game?" Old Shao pressed.
Huang Zhengqing inhaled deeply on the cigarette. "You'll find out when the time comes."
"You came in here just to say that?" Old Shao asked.
Huang Zhengqing nodded and then shook his head. "As long as that person is still outside, I won't have any problems. He and I have an agreement; when the time comes, you'll obediently let me go."
That statement was a direct provocation.
"I'll watch you face justice," Wang Chao said slowly and deliberately.
"Then let's wait and see," Huang Zhengqing replied, and after that, he fell silent.
The interrogation fell into a stalemate. Old Shao knew that to truly get Huang Zhengqing to cooperate, he needed to find his weakness. With that thought in mind, Old Shao remarked, "Huang Zhengqing has been out of prison for some time now. Seven years ago, he robbed a wealthy woman. He followed her home and stole approximately one hundred thousand dollars' worth of jewelry from her. Afterward, he turned himself in and was sentenced to four years in prison."
"Before he went to prison, he divorced his wife, but that one hundred thousand yuan disappeared without a trace." Old Shao recounted Huang Zhengqing's past to the crowd. "In court, Huang Zhengqing was a bit nervous during his first robbery and accidentally lost the jewelry while escaping. But where exactly it was lost is up for debate."
Wang Chao understood Old Shao's implication. "So that one hundred thousand yuan must have fallen into someone else's hands."
"Exactly," Old Shao nodded. "You need to contact the police in Huang Zhengqing's registered residence immediately. I want you to personally go there and bring back Huang Zhengqing's ex-wife and son."
"This is Huang Zhengqing's weakness," Old Shao stated firmly.
"Understood," Wang Chao replied with a nod.
Old Shao gazed into the dark distance, contemplating. The person behind Huang Zhengqing would only have one purpose in exposing him—to provoke the police. This person wanted to see the police take Huang Zhengqing away to declare their victory. It was a terrifying mindset, and combined with exceptional skills, Old Shao understood that regardless of whether this person was his old rival Wei Demian or not, they would be a formidable enemy.
"Let's go somewhere," Jiang He, who had remained silent throughout the interrogation, finally spoke up.
"Where to?" Old Shao asked, surprised.
Jiang He replied, "The southern suburbs of Jingzhong City."
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