Chapter 187 - 187 179 The End

Words : 2063 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

187: Chapter 179: The End 187: Chapter 179: The End Wei Zhenguo led the team, and took Jiang Yuan, Wen Ming, Mu Zhiyang, and three others on a coach to Changyang City, before taking a flight to Luo Jin City, the capital of Baijiang Province. Two others drove a car, planning to travel 1600 kilometers to meet up with the rest in Luo Jin City, which would be convenient for transportation and escorting the prisoner. Mu Zhiyang, who had just recovered from an injury and rejoined the team, pulled his suitcase with a look of vigor and smirked, “Returning to tackle a cold murder case feels great. I might even get a third-class merit for this.” With that, Mu Zhiyang gave a provocative smile to Wen Ming. He knew Wen Ming wanted to distinguish himself. Wen Ming’s family was large and lived together, with no relatives in the police force, so he had a pressing need to stand out and show off. It was a basic requirement for him. As for the legendary second-class merit, that was almost the limit for Wen Ming. A third-class merit always seemed somewhat lacking. “You’d feel even better if you broke your arm or leg again,” said Wen Ming, looking at Mu Zhiyang, who was unscathed, with a tinge of regret in his heart. That time, facing such a big gun, firing so many bullets, if he had just rushed out and gotten hit by one, he would have started with a second-class merit! Mu Zhiyang just chuckled, “Breaking another leg still wouldn’t get me a first-class merit. So, getting a minor injury now and then, especially a gunshot wound, in a serious case, that’s the most worthwhile. You could say it’s the right time, the right place, and the right people... indispensable.” Wen Ming felt both disgruntled and helpless. Wei Zhenguo didn’t bother with them, walking beside Jiang Yuan, he said, “A small-town criminal police officer always ends up running to the provincial capital. Nowadays, the young people not only like going to the provincial capitals for work but also for getting away. It forces us to be on constant business trips.” “They used to like going to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou,” Wen Ming said. “But now the cost of living in those first-tier cities is so high that everyone has dispersed.” “The wealthy young people have higher pursuits and ambitions,” Wei Zhenguo, indulging in his seniority, summarized his experience, and continued, “Nowadays, even criminals feel the pressure in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. If there’s pressure, just don’t commit crimes.” “So by that reasoning, those who go to the provincial capitals still have a sense of ambition. I’ve seen some criminals, after committing a crime, head straight to tourist areas—fun and beautiful.” Wei Zhenguo snorted, “Those who go to tourist areas can blend in for a while and then start learning to scam tourists. Some make more money than they do at home.” “Diversified competition,” Mu Zhiyang laughed. Jiang Yuan listened, shaking his head but not speaking, he noticed the first-class lounge sign nearby and casually pulled Wei Zhenguo aside, saying, “Let’s sit over there.” “How so?” Wei Zhenguo glanced at the people from Jiang Village, waiting to hear his plan. Jiang Yuan took out a black card and said, “With this, I can bring an unlimited number of people.” “Alright then, let’s go inside,” Wei Zhenguo said without further ado. The others followed, laughing and cheerful. Resting, eating buffet, boarding, enjoying airplane meals, deplaning, having meals after arrival... By the time everyone checked into the hotel, they were all worn out. Even a young person like Mu Zhiyang, due to his recent recovery, quickly fell into a deep sleep. As for Wei Zhenguo and the other veteran detectives, there was no need to mention them; they were so tired they didn’t even want to talk. Early the next morning, detectives from Luo Jin City who had been contacted in advance were already waiting in the ground-floor lobby. Wei Zhenguo was up early, continuously expressing his gratitude upon meeting them. It was theoretically possible to request local police to make the arrest, but it would be troublesome with official correspondence, and they might not be very dedicated. After working on a case for so long, it would be incredibly frustrating if they failed to catch the criminal because they didn’t want to go on a business trip. For general cases, local detectives would be asked to intervene, but with major cases, it was up to themselves, asking local colleagues just for some cooperation. Jiang Yuan took the initiative to volunteer for the arrest team, not minding going on the trip; he was up early and went downstairs. The local officers gathered and said, “The person you’re looking to arrest, Liu Yuquan, works in a local supermarket. I’ve inquired around, and it seems he’s been behaving very well.” “If he’s on the run, of course he’d behave,” Wei Zhenguo said with a laugh, but his words were sharp. This suspect was one of the most likely murderers among the four out of eight people. If Jiang Yuan had to choose one person, he would pick him. This was also why Jiang Yuan wanted to participate in the arrest of this man. If needed during the operation, Jiang Yuan could also collect relevant information and evidence. The local officer laughed but did not continue, saying, “Shall we set off now?” “Wait a moment, our colleagues have rented a car, and it will be here soon,” Wei Zhenguo nodded. In the morning, their car had arrived, which was just what they needed. However, a license plate from Shannan Province was not appropriate for the moment, so they had booked a car in advance, letting Wen Ming get up early and drive it over. Soon, with all vehicles ready, ten people divided into three cars and headed straight to the suspect’s residential area to wait. Wei Zhenguo planned to arrest the suspect on his way to work. There were many people in the supermarket, and the layout inside was complicated. It was an environment the suspect was familiar with, which could intensify his resistance. Catching him in an unfamiliar place, the suspect might more easily surrender. From the perspective of making an arrest, Wei Zhenguo still hoped everything would go smoothly. By not even 8 o’clock, three vehicles had stopped at the entrance of the suspect’s residential complex. The complex, which had a decade’s presence, looked quite decent from the outside and was located within the city limits. After guarding for a while, Wen Ming asked the local police officer driving the car, “The houses here aren’t cheap, right?” “Yeah, they’re the kind I can’t afford,” the officer replied nonchalantly. Wen Ming clicked his tongue twice, “Even scumbags get to live in nice houses.” “He found a ‘baifumei’,” the officer who had reviewed the suspect’s information explained, “It must be the woman’s family who bought the house. He just lucked into it.” Wen Ming’s eyes widened, “Why should he?” “On the run, speaks sweetly, adds a pitiful backstory — isn’t that what women want?” Wei Zhenguo, who had seen it all, said it in one statement, then added, “But, he’s also tripped up here.” “Why?” “He must have needed to get married, so he used his ID card to register. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to find him,” Wei Zhenguo speculated. “This guy must have a fake identity but couldn’t use it to get married.” Only then did Wen Ming realize, and he couldn’t help but lament, “After all, it’s been thirteen years. Normal people would think it’s all in the past.” “A thirteen-year-old cold case?” The local police officer had just received a Zhonghua cigarette from Jiang Yuan and his attention was caught. He only knew that this was a serious cold case, but did not know the specifics. With a grunt of affirmation, Wen Ming proceeded, somewhat proudly, “Our forensic doctor Jiang reconstructed the scene and cracked a thirteen-year-old case.” “It’s not completely solved yet,” Jiang Yuan modestly interjected. Wen Ming shook his head, “To me, it’s as good as solved...” As they were speaking, a middle-aged man walked out of the complex, holding the hand of a small child. “That’s the man you’re looking for,” the local police officer confirmed after a glance, and added, “He’s probably taking the child to kindergarten.” “This guy has a kid, and he can still send them to kindergarten...” Wen Ming murmured, unable to hold back. “Don’t get worked up,” Wei Zhenguo gently patted Wen Ming’s shoulder, then picked up the walkie-talkie and spoke quietly, “Attention all units, do not make the arrest yet, halt the operation. Do not arrest...” Wen Ming looked at Wei Zhenguo in surprise, “We’re not arresting him? With so many of us here, we can send a couple of officers to protect the child.” “No arrest,” Wei Zhenguo said, “Making an arrest under these circumstances can trigger a backlash, making interrogation troublesome later. Let’s follow him, and after he drops off his child and is on his way back, that’s when we’ll catch him.” Moreover, although this person was a prior sex offender, he had not been convicted yet and was just one of eight suspects. Wei Zhenguo felt that there was no need to expose his past in public at least. Even Jiang Yuan wasn’t sure who the real killer was at this point, so keeping the arrest scope smaller was better for everyone. The three vehicles took turns driving as Jiang Yuan watched the suspect take his child to “Tianxin International Bilingual Kindergarten” and then go to a breakfast shop to eat. From his demeanor, it was clear he had no sense of counter-surveillance anymore. Indeed, if he were the killer, thirteen years of peaceful life would have been enough for him to forget about the girl who died on the rooftop. That girl was only sixteen when she died. “Take the side street, then make the arrest. Car number two, block the front,” Wei Zhenguo began directing the operation. The police officers in the three vehicles acted upon the orders, naturally forming an encirclement. In over twenty years of catching thieves, Wei Zhenguo had never led such a well-resourced operation. “Go,” Wei Zhenguo waited for the right moment before signaling the driver to stop and getting out of the car himself. Up ahead, pairs of burly men who had been strolling took action as soon as they heard a whistle, launching into movement all at once. The target suspect, still standing dumbfounded at the scene, had only “escape” on his mind. Immediately after, he was forcefully pinned to the ground. At the same time, two others, who were a step behind and failed to pounce on him, didn’t hesitate to pull his hands out from his coat. “Liu Yuquan, do you know why you’re being arrested?” Wei Zhenguo didn’t play by the book and approached, speaking in Shan Nan dialect. The accent from Shan Nan was not heavy but recognizable to anyone who had lived there for a few years. Liu Yuquan, who had been struggling, stopped in bewilderment upon hearing Wei Zhenguo’s question. “Liu Yuquan, do you know why you’re being arrested?” Wei Zhenguo asked again. Liu Yuquan lifted his head, his shoulders trembling slightly, and whispered, “I know.” Wei Zhenguo felt a surge of gratification inside; it seemed they had caught the right person. The interrogation had actually started even before the arrest. Now, Liu Yuquan, who had just dropped his child off at kindergarten, was filled with images of his young wife and child, aware that the sandcastle he had built was collapsing, an intense sense of disillusionment made him no longer care about his own life, let alone resist. After all, he was just a common sex offender, who occasionally indulged in inappropriate conduct with women, and despite repeated impulses, had only ever killed a girl in her prime once. Thirteen years of calm life had not made him grow; it just made him more ordinary, more fragile.

Chapter 187 - 187 179 The End

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