Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Dealing with this difficult suspect, ...

The air was filled with a strong earthy smell. Tang Ci's nose twitched and he stepped on the accelerator anxiously.

The heavy rain made the front windshield blurry. The street lights on both sides were rapidly receding, forming a deep yellow halo.

In order to catch Chen Honglang, he didn't even drink a sip of water the whole day. When he returned to the Municipal Bureau, he found Ji Yinhe's pager and a note left on the table.

The most infuriating thing was that Lu Zheng left a special message after the note, saying that he would also go to Lijing Nightclub to pick her up.

Tang Ci slapped the steering wheel, anger burning in his heart.

He really couldn't understand why Ji Yinhe, a trainee police officer, acted so recklessly, and Lu Zheng, an expert sent from the provincial department, also followed suit and acted so recklessly!

...I shouldn't have listened to Director Rao's deception and kept him in the team!

Beep beep——

The big jeep drove onto the main road of Beijiang District, and the pager thrown on the center console began to ring.

Tang Ci took his eyes off the road ahead and looked at the string of numbers - it was Tan Yaxin's number. Without calling back, he knew that the other party was asking him whether he would go home tonight.

The pager beeped a few more times, and the veins on the back of my hand gripping the steering wheel bulged for a moment.

After a moment, Tang Ci took a deep breath, stopped the car abruptly, and ran into a public telephone booth on the roadside in the heavy rain.

He was in a hurry to call his fiancée back, so naturally he didn't notice... Just across the street, Su Yue's fiancé Ding Tongguang walked out of a residential building, hailed a taxi with a pale face, folded his umbrella, and told the driver in a trembling voice:

"Send me to Lijing Nightclub."

*

"Sizzle"——

When the vegetables were put into the pot, a layer of white smoke rose, and red flames came out of the coal stove, licking the black bottom of the pot.

A few seconds later, the boss picked up a shovel and poured all the cooked fried noodles into the broken bowl. At this time, a young man and woman happened to lift the windshield and walked in.

The boss leaned over and laughed, "Hey, little girl, did you find your boyfriend?"

Lu Zheng stopped and glanced at the girl who was smiling awkwardly.

Ji Yinhe mumbled a few words: "Misunderstanding..."

The boss thought she was shy, gave her a thumbs up, and took the bowl back to the kitchen for a midnight snack.

They were the only two people left in the stuffy fried noodle shop.

Ji Yinhe hung the raincoat back on the wall and swallowed his saliva. "How about I explain it to you? It's just a little long..."

"That goes without saying."

Lu Zheng waved his hand nonchalantly, found a table that looked relatively clean, then politely took out a handkerchief from his trouser pocket, wiped off the grease, and gestured for him to sit down.

Ji Yinhe sat down opposite him without saying a word.

Just now, she was so anxious that she almost rushed up to grab the boss. Fortunately, her reason overcame the impulse in an instant. Before Lu Zheng could react, she squatted back down obediently.

We can't rush into arresting people; we need to take a long-term view. At this moment, Comrade Xiao Ji's mind began to replay the scenes in the nightclub -

Although the Lijing building looks square from the outside, it is actually full of twists and turns inside, with corridors twisting and turning, and the dance floor is even built in a circular shape.

Where does the small door through which the "distinguished guest" left lead to?

She tried to imagine the structure of that floor, but it seemed that there was not much space behind the door, and only a staircase could be built... Could it be that the foreigners were taken directly upstairs after watching the performance and giving flowers?

Does this have anything to do with adopting children?

But the upstairs is full of private rooms, nothing unusual!

The scattered clues were like raindrops drifting in the night outside. She wanted to grasp them all in her mind and piece together a complete picture of the city, but she could never find the key.

Lu Zheng, who was looking down and rolling up his sleeves, suddenly asked, "...Are you interested in criminal profiling?"

Ji Yinhe came back to his senses and nodded.

"Profiling explores people's psychology through details and behavior, emphasizing their subconscious and instincts. Ultimately, profiling is still an analysis of human nature." Lu Zheng lowered his wrist and said softly, "I think you shouldn't be too anxious. Pay more attention to the details and look at the bigger picture. You may find something useful... Even if there's not enough evidence to support it, it's okay to make a guess first."

Comrade Xiao Ji blinked and asked, "Teacher Lu, have you learned this?"

"I've read some books." Lu Zheng tapped the table with his fingertips and suddenly changed the subject, "What exactly is the Five-Fold?"

“…”

"If you tell me the truth, I'll give you those criminal psychology books written by FBI experts. I'll also recommend you to attend any related training programs at the provincial department in the future."

Ji Yinhe took a deep breath, sat up straight, and said sincerely:

"It really is a Soviet-made communicator...at least that's what my mom told me."

Lu Zheng said nothing, not believing this at all.

Although the lights in the ballroom were dim at the time and he only took a quick look at her the moment she opened the cloth bag, he was very sure that the "Five Fold" screen was very clear, with a higher pixel count than American-made computer screens.

If he were in my place, he would not easily tell others about this instrument that is ahead of its time.

However, Lu Zheng found it a bit strange that Ji Yinhe just casually took it out to help him out.

——Did she really think it was just an ordinary communicator?

"Gu..."

Suddenly, a faint sound was heard in the sound of rain, and Ji Yinhe pressed his stomach awkwardly.

"Haven't you had dinner yet?" Lu Zheng's voice contained a slight smile.

"I ate... I just get hungry easily..."

“…”

Lu Zheng leaned back in his chair, flipped open the greasy menu, and called out, "Boss!"

"Here I am!" The boss came out from the kitchen. "What would you like to eat?"

"Two bowls of that fried noodle dish from earlier, with some blanched greens. And another order of braised beef. I want fresh beef brisket with just the right amount of fat and lean, preferably the kind I bought from the market this morning... Not too oily, not too spicy, not too salty, and plenty of cilantro. Do you have any side dishes?"

The boss looked at the hundred-yuan bill on the corner of the table and answered repeatedly, "Yes! Yes! Pickled soybeans, pickled radish, pickled cowpeas and pickled mustard greens. Do you like salted fish? I have some from last winter. I'm saving it for my own consumption. It's very clean!"

"No radish, no cowpea, just put some of the others on small plates, and add two braised eggs." Lu Zheng looked at Ji Yinhe, "Is there anything else you want to eat?"

Ji Yinhe was surprised by his smooth ordering. After blinking, he said, "I'm a little thirsty. I want to eat something sweet."

"Then have another cup of tofu pudding and fermented rice wine." Lu Zheng closed the menu.

"Okay!"

The boss hummed Huangmei Opera and went back to the kitchen. Ji Yinhe stared at the money that Expert Lu took out and scratched his forehead embarrassedly.

"How can I have the nerve to ask you to treat me..."

"It's okay, you can come next time." Lu Zheng stood up and brought a bottle of hot water to rinse the dishes. He said bluntly, "I heard there's a Lianjie snack shop in Jiangtan. Several teachers from Public Security University like it. They always patronize it when they come to give lectures... I was planning to try it in a couple of days."

He turned to look across and found that the girl's lips were almost stretched to her temples.

"Your teacher has really good taste! Sister Lian is my mother, and she owns the snack bar. All the dishes were developed by her! Hehe! You don't have to run around, just order whatever you want, and I can bring it directly to the Municipal Bureau! My mother made radish and beef rib soup last night, it was so delicious, I'm drooling just thinking about it..."

When she talked about her family, her eyes moved, and her thick black eyelashes set against her snow-white skin, making her look vivid and lively.

Lu Zheng suddenly felt a little envious and couldn't help but smile, "...Okay."

In front of the provincial and ministerial experts, Ji Yinhe naturally praised Ms. Lian's craftsmanship to the skies. Just as she raised her finger and began to introduce the history of Lian Jie's snack shop, the pager on her waistband rang twice.

"Team Tang is coming over and asking where we are! I'm going outside—"

"It's still raining, I'll go." Lu Zheng pushed her back to her original position without any explanation.

At this moment, footsteps were heard in front of the door, and they both turned their heads to look - the person who came in was not Tang Ci, but the female cleaner that Ji Yinhe met in the evening.

"Hey, little girl, you're out?" The female cleaner was holding a few sacks in her arms, looking back and forth at the good-looking young man and woman in front of her, her eyes full of gossip.

Obviously, like her boss, she regarded Lu Zheng as her "boyfriend".

"You guys chat, I'll go wait for Tang Ci."

The "boyfriend" who knew nothing walked out with his hands in his pockets and a relaxed pace.

"..." Ji Yinhe's heart skipped a beat, "Sister, he is not..."

"Why are you shy?" The female cleaner studied Lu Zheng's tall figure standing under the sign of the fried noodle shop, nodding with satisfaction at his long legs. "He's as handsome as a young poplar, so what if he has a few flaws... As long as he can fix them!"

“…”

Comrade Xiao Ji lowered his head weakly.

If she wasn't afraid of hurting the cleaning lady's enthusiasm, she would have told the truth.

At this moment, the boss swiftly brought out all the midnight snacks that Lu Zheng had just ordered, and the lights of the big jeep also lit up in the dark rain.

A moment later, Tang Ci rushed in hurriedly.

"Ji Yinhe! What's wrong with you!"

Captain Tang put one hand on his waist and threw the car keys on the table with a clang. He shouted angrily, "How can you be so bold! What if something goes wrong?!"

Lu Zheng crossed his arms and stood behind him with a leisurely look on his face.

Ji Yinhe really didn't feel that she was wrong this time. She straightened her back and said, "It's because no one answered the phone, I——"

However, before he could finish explaining the rest of the sentence, the cleaning lady at the next table suddenly stood up!

"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong with you, comrade!" The female cleaner almost poked Tang Ci's forehead with a finger, "What are you doing, you vicious little girl!"

Captain Tang, who was 1.85 meters tall, was stunned for two seconds. "Why can't I..."

"Don't you just want to break up this little girl and her boyfriend?"

“……?”

Tang Ci looked back at Lu Zheng who had an indifferent expression, and then at Ji Yinhe who was trying stiffly to bury his head in the food, with a confused look on his face.

How did they become boyfriend and girlfriend?

And how did she know that he had feelings for Xiao Ji?

"Are you feeling guilty, young man?" the female cleaner snorted. "Don't think I can't see it. I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice! I heard that two men were kissing openly at the Lijing Nightclub tonight. Could it be you two?"

"Cough cough cough!" Ji Yinhe next to him choked violently.

Expert Lu walked over leisurely, took out another brand new and fragrant handkerchief, and handed it to her to wipe her mouth.

"Sister, what are you talking about?" Tang Ci frowned and slowly withdrew his gaze from Ji Yinhe. "I'm a people's police officer. I don't like men, and I won't be with him--"

“…”

The four of them stared at each other, and finally Ji Yinhe took out his ID from his pocket and handed it to the female cleaner with both hands.

"Sorry, sister, I'm actually a police officer, and they're both police officers too. I used this excuse to sneak into the nightclub to look for clues..."

She stood up and bowed 90 degrees sincerely, "I'm sorry, sister, for making you worry!"

The female cleaner was puzzled for a moment, then looked at the large characters on the officer's ID. "So... my boyfriend's cheating was all fake?"

"It's all fake! I swear!" Ji Yinhe raised three fingers to the sky with full energy.

"..." Finally, the man shook his head, looked at Lu Zheng with regret, and left with a lunch box of fried noodles.

After a moment of silence, Tang Ci moved a small wooden stool and sat down next to Ji Yinhe, staring at her with heartache for a long time.

"Tell me about it."

"Captain Tang... I was wrong!" Comrade Xiao Ji was very sincere and wanted to perform a kneeling slide on the spot.

He then held up the braised beef that she hadn't had time to eat, and said, "How about I give this midnight snack to you?"

Tang Ci looked at her flattering expression, then looked at the expert Lu who was eating fried noodles calmly across from him, and waved his hand.

"Alright, alright, this isn't the first time you've acted on your own. Luckily, Teacher Lu is here... What have you found out?"

When talking about business, Ji Yinhe's eyes lit up and he recounted in a few words what he had seen and heard in Lijing tonight.

Of course, I omitted the part where I accidentally clicked on a 50% off video and was misunderstood by the waiter.

After hearing this, Tang Ci frowned.

"——If you give flowers to a dancer, you'll be taken away?"

"And Teacher Lu and I both saw it. The owner is a young woman with seven or eight bodyguards!" Ji Yinhe's eyes widened. "Captain Tang, can we ask the bureau to search the entire nightclub?"

Tang Ci shook his head and exhaled, "It's a bit difficult."

Seeing Comrade Xiao Ji's disappointed expression, Lu Zheng slowly explained, "Without direct witnesses or physical evidence, it's difficult to get a search warrant approved."

Ji Yinhe sighed in disappointment, and then he remembered to ask Captain Tang about the results of his day's running.

"Where's Chen Honglang? Why did you arrest him for a whole day?"

Tang Ci sneered, "He's a Hong Kong businessman after all, much smarter than Li Guoping... He also planned to go by water, but he asked someone to buy a boat ticket for Tiandu County down below. The management there isn't as strict as Lugang in the city. When we heard the news, we rushed over immediately and found a phone booth on the way to contact Tiandu Police Station... Luckily, we managed to capture him before the boat set sail."

"That's good." Ji Yinhe finished the last sip of the rice wine and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"I'll have Old Che Cheng Mo interrogate him overnight, taking advantage of his fatigue. Maybe we can pry out some clues... But it's very late now. Do you plan to go home, or go back to the city police station to hear what that grandson has to say?"

The clock on the wall had already pointed to midnight, and the boss turned off the coal stove in the kitchen, apparently ready to close the shop.

"Let me think about it..."

Ji Yinhe suddenly felt a little sad. He stood up and walked to the door of the fried noodle shop, looking at the gorgeous yet gloomy building opposite.

At this time yesterday, Bai Mei was still alive and well. She might not have known that in three hours she would "jump off a building and commit suicide" and become a cold corpse lying next to a trash can.

Ji Yinhe sighed deeply, and when she turned around, her eyes inadvertently swept past the door of the nightclub, and a familiar figure caught her eye.

In a flash, she looked back - the man had his back to her and was not holding an umbrella. He waited on the side of the road for a few seconds, then raised his hand to stop a taxi, opened the door and got in.

Ji Yinhe narrowed his eyes.

Ding Tongguang, how could it be him?

What was he doing at Lijing Nightclub?

Is he trying to seek justice for what happened to his fiancée the night before?

You don't have to come here in the middle of the night...

Her eyelashes trembled slightly in the humid air, and she suddenly remembered a sentence that Ms. Lian Qiao had said to her long ago when she was chatting with her about the Su family gossip -

Su Yiyun failed to get into university and almost stole Su Yue's boyfriend at the time.

This may be the reason why she was kicked out of the Su family.

If Su Yue and Ding Tongguang had been in love for many years, then the boyfriend who was almost snatched away at that time might very well be her current fiancé Ding Tongguang!

So the young female owner of the nightclub...could it be that mysterious Su Yiyun?

The Su family's bloody and complicated past made this murder case even more complicated. Ji Yinhe pinched her brows. It seemed that after dawn, she still had to go to the Su family compound and talk to Su Yue alone.

But we cannot let go of Chen Honglang easily.

"Captain Tang, let me go back to the city bureau with you... Let's question the most suspicious person first."

*

"...Sir, I really don't know anything!"

In the interrogation room, Chen Honglang, speaking in Mandarin with a broken Hong Kong accent, repeated to Che Zhiwen and Cheng Mo, "I really didn't kill anyone, and I don't know why Bai Mei fell from the building!"

"What sir? Call the police!" Che Zhiwen slammed the table impatiently.

"Officer, please let me go! I'm just an honest businessman, doing my job well..."

Che Zhiwen snorted coldly: "An honest man keeps a nightclub dancer?"

Cheng Mo said earnestly, "Mr. Chen, I suggest you explain yourself properly. Deputy Captain Che and I are the ones interrogating you now, so we're pretty easy to talk to. If you keep using these repetitive excuses to prevaricate... then we'll have to ask the captain to come over. His methods are tougher than ours!"

Chen Honglang was stunned for a moment, his mind flashing back to scenes from the Hong Kong Category III movie "The Ten Cruel Tortures of the Qing Dynasty." He yelled, "Ahhhh, how can you mainlanders do this! Torture! Forced confessions!"

Cheng Mo laughed: "Wow, you speak Mandarin quite fluently, don't you?"

Che Zhiwen continued to scare him, "Tell me everything about how you and Bai Mei met. If you hide anything, I can't guarantee what will happen!"

Chen Honglang shuddered. "Okay, okay! Bai Mei and I met at the Lijing Nightclub half a year ago. She's so pretty and enthusiastic, and we got together after a while... Hey, Officer, I pay her every time she accompanies me. It's so straightforward. I have a good relationship with her, and I wouldn't hurt her!"

Cheng Mo said solemnly, "Don't be so hasty to deny it. First, tell me where you were and what you did last night."

Chen Honglang didn't even think about it, "What else can I do? Just sleep at home, sir!"

"Think about it carefully!" Che Zhiwen threw Bai Mei's pager onto the interrogation table. "You didn't page her at 4:30 in the morning?"

Chen Honglang was stunned for a moment, then smiled shyly. "It's just that a man woke up in the middle of the night and was furious. I wanted to ask her to come over for help, but she didn't return my call. I thought she had someone else with her!"

"..." Cheng Mo caught a key point, "You want to invite her to your house? Which house in Beijiang District do you usually meet at?"

"Yeah! I rented a place when I came to Jiangtan. It wasn't expensive, and it's not far from my company and Lijing... That nightclub manager, Yu, is, in your mainland Chinese terms, a complete jerk. Baimei loves me so much. About two months ago, I took her home to spend the night!"

"Are you living together?"

"How is that possible!" Chen Honglang laughed dryly. "I have a wife, and she has to go back to work at the nightclub. She only stays at my house two or three nights a week... Officer, that's all I know. Can you please let me go?"

Che Zhiwen said with a stern face, "When Bai Mei got into trouble, you said you were sleeping alone at home. But there's no one to prove that. Maybe you killed her in the nightclub, and the paging was just to clear your suspicion!"

Chen Honglang looked anxious. "There are so many men and women in the nightclub. If I really go there, someone will definitely see me, right?"

"You can go up to the rooftop where Baimei fell from via the fire escape. You don't need to go inside the nightclub."

"..." Chen Honglang deflated. "I finally understand. You mainland police can't solve the case, so you're looking for someone to blame! Anyway, I was just sleeping alone at home last night. I have no proof. Believe it or not!"

After that, he never spoke again. When he was pressed into a corner, he shouted, "I want to hire a lawyer," as if he didn't believe that you really dared to torture me.

Che Zhiwen and Cheng Mo had already been running around with the car all day, and now they had been talking nonsense for most of the night, their throats were sore.

The two men exchanged glances, then stood up and left the interrogation room, leaving Chen Honglang alone.

In the corridor, Che Zhiwen held a large porcelain urn and spit out tea leaves. "Where's Old Tang again? Was he called away by his fiancée?"

"No." Cheng Mo shook his head. "Xiao Ji and Teacher Lu went to Lijing Nightclub to look for clues. Old Tang is worried."

"Oh, he's so good, taking care of the little girl and the provincial department leaders, and leaving us two to this annoying guy!" Che Zhiwen sighed, "I think asking like this will yield no results until dawn... Hey, Xiao Cheng, tell me, why does Ji Yinhe always have so many tricks up her sleeve? Why don't we try that method she used to get the suspect to talk in the compressor factory case last time?"

"...Can you cook Xiangjiang dishes?"

"Won't."

"Then let's put on a show and call him to trick him?"

"I can't act..." Che Zhiwen's ears twitched as he heard the sound of a large jeep engine coming from the yard, "Old Tang is back!"

A few minutes later, Ji Yinhe's lively face peeked out from behind Tang Ci.

Che Zhiwen was obviously relieved, but for the sake of his face, he still stood there with dignity and encouraged Cheng Mo to go over and tell him about Chen Honglang's situation.

"...Deputy Captain Che and I both feel that Xiao Ji has to step in to deal with this difficult suspect!"

Ji Yinhe didn't refuse and flipped through his statement. "Then let me try?"

Tang Ci gestured for her to do as she pleased.

She walked into the interrogation room, leaving a group of male police officers watching outside.

Lu Zheng also moved forward with his arms folded. If it were someone else, he might not be interested, but Ji Yinhe... he didn't expect that she had such expertise in this area.

*

The lights in the interrogation room were dazzling. Chen Honglang, who was sitting behind the table with his head drooped, dozed off when he saw a young and beautiful female police officer walk in. His face immediately lit up with joy.

"Wow! Jiangtan has such a beautiful Madam sister!"

Ji Yinhe was not as serious as the others. She sat down on the chair, looking at the opposite side with a smile, her posture was so relaxed as if she wanted to chat with someone.

"Mr. Chen, have you had dinner? Are you hungry?"

"Pretty girl, you care about me! I've eaten! It's just that the food in your cafeteria is terrible!"

"Isn't this good?" Ji Yinhe opened his eyes wide in surprise, "I don't usually get to eat something like this!"

"The rice is too soft, the preserved vegetables are too salty, the stewed meat is too fatty, nothing is very refined!" Chen Honglang said with disdain. "Hong Kong still has more delicious food. Fish balls in Central, frozen lemon in Mong Kok, and wife cakes in Yuen Long..."

"Then why did you come to Jiangtan? It would be much better to stay in Xiangjiang!"

Seeing Ji Yinhe's longing expression, Chen Honglang relaxed his vigilance, waved his hand and said, "Then you are here to do business! The things over there are expensive and the control is strict..."

"Oh—what big business is Mr. Chen doing?"

"It's not a big business, just bringing some products from the mainland back to sell!"

"Oh?" Ji Yinhe sat up straight, his expression suddenly serious. "Hong Kong is a special administrative region, and customs clearance is very strict... Mr. Chen, is your business legal?"

Chen Honglang suddenly came to his senses and realized that he had unknowingly stepped into a trap set by the other party.

"This is an inducement to confess! I need a lawyer!"

Ji Yinhe's eyes curved, "Of course you can, but our Jiangtan can't compare with Xiangjiang. You handle a lot of goods, and it will take at least ten days or half a month to complete the investigation. During this period, I have to inconvenience you to suspend your business for the time being!"

"Madam!" Chen Honglang widened his eyes.

Ji Yinhe said calmly, "Of course, until the Bai Mei case is solved, you have to stay in Jiangtan and cooperate with our investigation. You can't leave..."

She stroked her chin and added with a smile, "In order to fully and thoroughly clear your name, we may have to tell your wife about this matter—"

"Please!" Chen Honglang wiped the sweat from his chin, "Can you be flexible?"