Chapter 30: A Great Victory
This preliminary hearing was his only hope of single-handedly reversing the situation for Dean Lu. A resolute look flashed across Ji Feng's eyes, and he vowed to himself: It's time to uncover the mystery. He must seize this opportunity, expand his victory, uncover all the Lan family's crimes, and make this trip to Yishijiang a battle to redeem himself. For Dean Lu, for Jiang Bo, and for all those he owed, he must give it his all!
"I understand. Let's go now." Ji Feng quickly changed into clean clothes, washed up briefly, and hurried downstairs with Maitiwuzi.
When they arrived at the brigade's pre-trial section, Lan Renxuan was sitting in a specially designed interrogation chair with his head hung low in dejection. Wang Ping and Aiermuhe were already waiting inside. After a brief greeting, Ji Feng invited them outside and sincerely recounted his emotional breakdown in the police station yard the day before, explaining the reasons for his guilt towards Dean Lu and Jiang Bo. Finally, he solemnly stated that this pre-trial was the foundation of his entire hope for Dean Lu to "redeem meritorious service." After listening to this, Aiermuhe was silent for a moment, then extended his broad palm and shook Ji Feng's hand tightly: "The people of Haidai Province value friendship and righteousness, and their reputation for kindness and righteousness is truly well-deserved. They are worthy of being a province of courtesy, and we are deeply impressed. Don't worry, we will do our best to expand our results." Ji Feng nodded and shook his hand vigorously.
Due to his limited status, Ji Feng could only participate as an assistant and could not serve as the presiding judge. The interrogation light flickered on, illuminating Lan Renxuan's face with a glaring light. His expression seemed to be pierced by the light.
After informing Lan Renxuan of his rights and obligations and other routine procedures, his preliminary trial began.
"Lan Renxuan, keep talking about that gun. Where did you get it from?"
"I bought it on the black market." At this moment, Lan Renxuan no longer had the arrogance of yesterday.
"Which black market? When?"
"The underground market over in Myanmar, about eight years ago."
"How many did you buy? Besides you, who else bought them?"
“I just bought one.”
"How did you know about that black market selling guns? Who introduced you to it?"
"I heard a local boss died in an internal gang fight."
"Have you ever killed or injured anyone with it?" Wang Ping asked sternly.
"No, I swear, I have never used it!" Lan Renxuan defended nervously.
"I'll remind you again, leniency will be given to those who confess, severity will be given to those who resist!"
"I really haven't used it. I just use it to scare people." Lan Renxuan answered nervously. The skull tattooed on his neck rolled up and down with his Adam's apple, as if it was shaking.
Wang Ping and Aiermuhe are both experienced pre-trial officers, and their sharp eyes are keen on the suspect's subtle emotional fluctuations. Lan Renxuan appears to be cooperating, but in reality he is avoiding the important issues and still clinging to hope for a better outcome. Wang Ping, aware of this, is determined to force a full confession from him. His first priority is to completely shatter his hope and shatter his illusions.
"Then let me ask you, how did Sun Laifu from Beijiao City die? Tell the truth!"
Lan Renxuan's shoulders trembled upon hearing this, and a flicker of astonishment crossed his face. He had never imagined that the Yishijiang police, thousands of miles away, would even be aware of Lan Gu's case.
"Sun, Sun Laifu... I..."
"Speak!" After the last sudden interrogation in the police car, Wang Ping had clearly figured out Lan Renxuan's tactics. Just when he was feeling hopeless, this unexpected question left Lan Renxuan unsure how much evidence the police had. In his panic, Wang Ping's sudden shouting made him even more flustered.
"I... it's not me..." Lan Renxuan, though cunning at heart, was, after all, just a street thug in his early thirties. Facing the battle-hardened senior interrogator, he seemed helpless. Time and experience had already honed Wang Ping's interrogation skills to perfection, endowing him with a keen eye for detail.
"Lan Renxuan, you cooperated well yesterday and have won an opportunity for leniency. If you conceal it again today, all your efforts yesterday will be wasted." Aiermuhe interjected at the right time. He and Wang Ping cooperated seamlessly, one hard and one soft, and they controlled the rhythm just right.
How could this illiterate dandy boy, who usually only knew how to show off his strength and fight fiercely and was completely uneducated, withstand such a fierce attack like a storm and such a precise grasp of the mind that could penetrate people's hearts?
The last glimmer of hope was completely shattered. He was unwilling but unable to struggle, and finally, like squeezing toothpaste, he confessed the crime of conspiring with others to murder Sun Laifu.
Ji Feng sat quietly by, thinking to himself, "Illegal possession of a gun, murder, and involvement in organized crime—just these three serious crimes are enough to send him to prison for life. This is a major breakthrough in the case." He was secretly delighted, completely unaware that he hadn't eaten a single grain of rice in 36 hours.
"To tell you the truth, we not only have evidence of your personal crimes, including illegal possession of firearms, murder, and organizing a gang to bully the market, but we also have evidence of some of your family's crimes."
Family seemed to be Lan Renxuan's Achilles' heel. If the previous interrogation tactics had been like a machine gun, then this heavy artillery strike arrived at the perfect moment, precisely blasting open the gap in his defenses. Beads of sweat continued to ooze from his forehead, rolling down like beads from a broken string.
"What is the purpose of coming to Yishijiang this time?"
"Hide, stay out of the spotlight, because Captain Ji has summoned my sister several times. My sister is worried that I will be exposed, so she asked me to come out and hide." Lan Renxuan explained while wiping the sweat off his face.
"So, your sister also knows about your crime?"
"Yeah." Lan Renxuan was obviously confused.
"Does your father know?"
"I know, I know. He scolded me all night."
"How often have you contacted your family since you came to Ishjiang?"
"Once a week."
"How did you get in touch?"
"I used a phone card I bought on the black market."
"Why did you want to fly out of Ishjiang yesterday?"
"It's too cold. I really can't stand it. It's too painful to be here."
"How did you come up with the online name 'Rien Xiwuan'?"
"It's easy for me to remember, but other people don't understand what it means."
Compared to the previous, harsh questions, these seemed innocuous. Wang Ping's tone and demeanor betrayed a moment of relaxation, and the questions he asked sounded like casual conversation, leading one to mistakenly believe he was tired and seeking a moment's respite with a few lighthearted questions. Lan Renxuan shared this sentiment. To him, these were merely minor violations of public order, insignificant compared to the horrific crimes. His initial tension and vigilance gradually relaxed.
Little did they know that the seemingly relaxed "chat" and the inadvertent instructions from his family to let him out to "hide from trouble" completely confirmed the fact that the Lan family was guilty of harboring a criminal.
Ji Feng certainly understood the significance of this and was excited, but he knew that the real victory had not yet come, so he needed to remain calm and maintain a peaceful state of mind.
The air in the interrogation room seemed to be frozen, with only the numbers on the electronic clock on the wall ticking silently.
Outwardly calm, Ji Feng secretly gave Wang Ping a thumbs-up. He thought, this man is undoubtedly a master of psychology. Whether the criminal is ruthless, cunning, or in denial, their mental processes are all "fresh and clear" to him. He always strikes at the most crucial point with the most precise method at the perfect moment. To Ji Feng, this was undoubtedly a brilliant exchange, a hearty duel, the outcome of which was already decided from the outset.
After a brief period of calm, Lan Renxuan's relaxation continued, his eyes wandering as if he was thinking about something.
Wang Ping had long observed this "ease" clearly. Years of pre-trial experience had given him a keen insight into human nature, and every subtle change in Lan Renxuan's eyes and body movements escaped his sharp eyes.
This was definitely not the "game" or "confrontation" that Ji Feng had just lamented, it was clearly a crushing dimensionality reduction attack.
"Lan Renxuan!" Wang Ping suddenly shouted, like a bolt from the blue, shaking Lan Renxuan violently. His face was as pale as paper, and his whole body was shaking uncontrollably.
"How many illegal activities has your Lan family committed? Tell us everything now!"
"Think it over carefully before you speak! Anyone who dares to conceal anything will be severely punished!"
This was like the final blow to his already shaky psychological defenses. Lan Renxuan finally gave in and collapsed completely. He slumped in his chair, his lips trembling, his face ashen, his eyes filled with boundless fear and despair.
Wang Ping did not press the issue any further, but just looked at him quietly, as if he had everything under control.
Lan Renxuan's body trembled for a moment, then he suddenly calmed down. He leaned back in his chair with a relaxed expression. He asked Wang Ping for a cigarette and said slowly as he smoked, "I'll tell you everything."
For the next half hour, Lan Renxuan poured out his entire family's involvement in a vast black industry chain involving cultural relic theft, smuggling, and money laundering. The police officer taking notes clattered away on his keyboard, his wrists numbing with fatigue and pausing to shake them to relieve the pain.
"Unspeakable!" The phrase flashed through Ji Feng's mind. These confessions were undoubtedly irrefutable evidence for the Lan family's arrest. He had to act immediately, race against time, to report to Jiang Bo and Dean Lu—before Dean Lu's appointment was finalized! Even though he knew nothing about the personnel movements within the provincial department!
He slowly stood up, opened the heavy wooden door and walked out. Before dialing the number, he took a deep breath of the cool air and tried to calm his turbulent emotions.
The call was connected, and Dean Lu's signature deep voice came from the receiver: "Ji Feng."
"Dean Lu, it's me."
"What's up?"
"I...I am a troublemaker. I harmed Jiang Bo and implicated you. I feel really sorry for it."
"Is that why you called?"
"Not entirely. There's been a major breakthrough in the case. Lan Renxuan has confessed all of the Lan family's crimes, at least six or seven in total, all serious offenses. I think a detention order can be issued."
"What are the so-called serious crimes?" Dean Lu's voice was still calm.
"Not counting Lan Renxuan himself, the Lan family alone is suspected of cultural relic theft, smuggling, money laundering, and shielding Lan Renxuan. They've admitted to everything."
"Very good, well done." The voice was still as steady as before.
"President Lu, I'll contact Captain Jiang right now and have him report this to the provincial department immediately. But... I don't know if it's too late."
"What's still too late?"
"Regarding the appointment and dismissal of personnel in the provincial and ministerial departments."
"That's not your concern. Just do your job. You have no right to interfere in my affairs."
"Understood. I will report this to Captain Jiang first and then apologize to you when I return."
"Remember, you have to be steady. All evidence must be solid. Don't fall into your old rash and impulsive habits."
"I understand, President Lu. Don't worry, I will make it an ironclad case!" The promise seemed brief, but every word was of great significance.
Although he couldn't hear Dean Lu's emotional fluctuations over the phone, Ji Feng could feel the recognition and unprecedented trust - it was a subtle change.
After concluding his conversation with Dean Lu, Ji Feng immediately reported the progress and results of the preliminary investigation to Jiang Bo. Jiang Bo was overjoyed and, after a brief moment of excitement, offered the same advice as Dean Lu: be extremely careful, start and finish well, and prepare solid materials.
Then, he said excitedly that he would report to his superiors immediately and hung up the phone.
After hanging up the phone, Ji Feng couldn't help but smile bitterly as he recalled the almost identical instructions from Dean Lu and Jiang Bo. "How worrying I was before!"
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