Chapter 17 He Wants to Retract His Confession
1. Case handling authority
The meeting room of the Linzhou Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division was thick with smoke, but the atmosphere wasn't one of post-crime relaxation. Instead, it felt tense, almost confrontational. Wang Yang, deputy captain of the Longdu Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division, and several other individuals, along with the Linzhou police officer in charge of investigating Huang Qiang's case, sat on opposite sides of a long table. Invisible sparks hung in the air.
"We must bring them back to Longdu!" Wang Yang's voice was firm, his knuckles rapping heavily on the thick stack of files spread out on the table. "The '12.4 Serial Rape and Murder Case': three lives lost, plus Ouyang Lanlan's attempted murder. The social impact was extremely devastating. We've been tracking it for four years! Now the main culprit has been apprehended. We have all the preliminary evidence, case files, and profiles. The breakthrough in the interrogation will definitely be in Longdu! The sleeping pills, trespassing, harassment, and attempted assault you guys are dealing with in Linzhou... yes, they are serious crimes, but compared to the serial murder case, which is less serious?"
The person in charge of Linzhou, a deputy captain named Liu, frowned and refused to back down. "Captain Wang, you can't say that! Huang Qiang was arrested in Linzhou. He also committed crimes in our territory, threatening the safety of citizens and causing extremely negative social impacts! Our investigation has just begun, and there are many clues to dig deeper and a lot of evidence to collect! If we hand him over to you now, what will happen to our case? How will we explain it to the people of Linzhou? What if, and I mean what if, the interrogation of your Longdu case doesn't go smoothly and there's a problem with the chain of evidence, won't we be left scratching our heads? It doesn't make sense procedurally!"
"Captain Liu!" Wang Yang stood up suddenly, his chest heaving, his eyes bloodshot from days of running around and intense stress. "Those are three lives lost! And a girl almost became the fourth! We've waited four years to catch this clue! We can handle your case together, share all the evidence, and fully cooperate with the subsequent interrogation! But the presiding judge must be in Longdu! This person must return to Longdu for trial! This is the bottom line!"
The dispute centers on jurisdiction and the nature of the case. Longdu argues that the serial rape and murder case is the core, and the Linzhou case is a continuation of that criminal activity. Longdu, with its earlier case, more serious circumstances, and more extensive evidence, should handle the case. Linzhou maintains that the suspect committed the crime locally, giving local police the right to conduct an in-depth investigation and initiate prosecution.
The conference room was abuzz with heated arguments, each side arguing with its own views. Both sides had valid reasons, burdened by the immense pressure of solving the case and the public's expectations.
Finally, after almost a whole day of intense discussions and remote coordination with higher-level leaders, based on the particularly severe impact of the "12.4 series of cases", the early time of filing the case, and the relatively more direct existing evidence, especially the childhood trauma, Sunday rituals, wigs and other profiling evidence that were highly consistent with the case in Longdu, and the wigs, tapes, sleeping pills and other physical evidence found by Linzhou police in his residence that could be linked to the Longdu case, it was decided that the Longdu City Public Security Bureau would host the case, and the Linzhou City Public Security Bureau would co-organize it. The criminal suspect Huang Qiang was immediately handed over to the Longdu police and escorted back to his hometown for in-depth interrogation.
After the decision was made, Wang Yang let out a long, pent-up breath, leaned back in his chair, and wiped his face. After four years, the heavy weight on his heart had finally lifted a little. He looked across at his colleagues in Linzhou and softened his tone, "Captain Liu, thank you! I understand your difficulties. I will fully cooperate with you and share all materials simultaneously. I won't let our team's efforts go in vain!"
Deputy Captain Liu was somewhat reluctant, but he could only nod helplessly. "I hope you can pry him open as soon as possible and give justice to all the victims. If you need our support, please feel free to ask."
By the time the formalities were complete, the lights were already on. At the entrance of the Linzhou Public Security Bureau, police lights flashed, and the atmosphere was solemn. Several police cars were ready. Wang Yang and his team emerged from the building, escorting Huang Qiang, who was handcuffed and shackled, his head bowed, his expression unclear.
Qin Chuan had just finished a lengthy statement with the Linzhou police and emerged from inside. He stood on the steps, observing the scene. The evening breeze blew his somewhat disheveled hair across his forehead, revealing deep wrinkles beneath and a weary yet sharp gaze. Four years of wandering, enduring pursuit, countless lingering struggles between hope and despair, now seemed to have finally reached a stage of closure. An immense, indescribable feeling of exhaustion and emptiness washed over him, as if a long-strung bowstring had suddenly been released, leaving him feeling lost. Mission accomplished?
He subconsciously turned his head and looked to the other side.
Ouyang Lanlan had just finished recording her statement. Lin Jingliang was by her side, whispering something to her, his eyes full of concern. Her face was still a little pale, but her eyes were much calmer than before.
She also saw Huang Qiang being escorted into the car. Her body trembled slightly, and then her eyes turned to Qin Chuan on the steps.
Their eyes met, and the air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Ouyang Lanlan pushed away Lin Jingliang's attempt to support her and quickly walked over to Qin Chuan. Her voice trembled slightly, yet was remarkably clear: "You want to go back to Longdu with him?"
Qin Chuan looked at her with a complicated expression. In the end, he just nodded, his tone as flat as if he was talking about something that had nothing to do with him: "Yeah. There are still many follow-ups to the case."
"Is it just because of the case?" Ouyang Lanlan pressed, her eyes fixed on him, unwilling to miss any subtle changes on his face. "You've done so much, from Longdu to Linzhou, setting up a stall, working as a security guard, and even taking the risk of following him. You almost... just did it to atone for your sins? Just because that plan failed four years ago, you feel sorry for me?"
There was a subtle hint of hope and more grievance in her voice.
Qin Chuan avoided her gaze and looked at the flashing police lights in the distance. His voice was dry: "Protecting the victims and catching the murderer is the police's responsibility."
"But you're not a police officer anymore!" Ouyang Lanlan's voice suddenly rose, attracting the attention of the police who were getting on the bus not far away. "Qin Chuan! Look at me! Are you doing all this for me just because of your damn sense of responsibility and desire for atonement? Are you being nice to me just an obligation? Even if it was at the beginning, but later..."
Qin Chuan's heart felt like something was tugging at him. He whipped his head around, meeting her reddened eyes. The words that had nearly burst out of his mouth rolled back in his throat before he swallowed them back. He couldn't! What right did he have? He had brought her nothing but disaster and painful memories. Now that the murderer was apprehended, she should move on from the past and begin a new, peaceful life, rather than becoming entangled with a man burdened by failure and a heavy past.
He took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound calm, even indifferent. "Yes. As a police officer, even if you take off this uniform, some responsibilities are not over. Now that Huang Qiang has been caught, your safety is no longer threatened. You can rest assured and live the rest of your life well."
He paused, and added the last sentence almost cruelly: "It's time for me to disappear from your world."
After saying this, he no longer looked at her instantly pale face and the tears that quickly gathered in her eyes. He turned abruptly and strode towards Wang Yang's convoy. His back was resolute, and even carried a hint of panic.
"Qin Chuan!" Ouyang Lanlan shouted behind him, her voice broken and filled with tears.
But he didn't look back. He opened the car door and got into the back seat of the escort vehicle. He closed the door, completely isolating himself from her cries and those desperate eyes.
The convoy started slowly, drove out of the Public Security Bureau compound, merged into the colorful traffic of Linzhou, and finally disappeared into the depths of the night.
Ouyang Lanlan stood there blankly, the evening breeze ruffling her hair. Her frail figure seemed utterly lonely under the bright lights of the Public Security Bureau. Tears finally burst out, unable to be suppressed, silently streaming down her cheeks. It turned out to be just atonement. All the closeness, all the protection, all the seemingly casual care, stemmed from a heavy sense of guilt and responsibility. Once his mission was accomplished, he withdrew, leaving no trace of regret.
Lin Jingliang walked forward silently, took off his coat and put it on her trembling shoulders, patted her back gently, and sighed: "Let's go, Lanlan, I'll take you home first. It's cold outside."
Ouyang Lanlan didn't react at all, just let the tears flow, as if the whole world had lost its sound and color.
…
The night in Linzhou is gentle and prosperous, but it cannot warm a cold heart.
Ouyang Lanlan returned to her empty apartment. It had once been a safe haven where she could try to start over, but now it was filled with shattered memories and shattered emotions. Without turning on the light, she groped her way to the bed and sat down weakly.
Moonlight filtered through the slits in the curtains, casting a pale streak on the floor. She instinctively reached out and picked up the book, "It's Okay Not to Forgive," from the bedside table. The pages seemed soft from frequent flipping. She didn't need a light; her fingertips could accurately find the page, the line of words she had repeatedly traced over with her pen, practically blurring them.
Her fingertips gently stroked the printed characters, as if she could draw a trace of illusory power from them. In the faint moonlight, she saw the words clearly:
"Love is not a trophy. You don't have to be perfect to be loved."
It didn't have to be perfect, but between them lay so many indelible scars and past events. His atonement, her fear, seemed to have nipped any other possibility in the bud. Perhaps he was right, his disappearance was the best outcome for her. But why did her heart ache so much? It hurt so much it was almost impossible to breathe.
Tears blurred his vision again, dripping onto the pages of the book, leaving a small dark mark.
…
At the same time, the night in Longdu was dry and cold.
Qin Chuan stood in front of the familiar window of his home, looking out at the quiet, familiar yet unfamiliar street. His home was still the same as when he left, only covered in a thick layer of dust, exuding a lifeless and desolate air.
He lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. The acrid smoke rushed into his lungs, but it couldn't suppress the empty, stinging pain and irritability in his heart. His mind replayed Ouyang Lanlan's last tearful, desperate eyes, and her question of "What are we?"
What does it matter?
He doesn't know either.
He only knew that he was the source of all her misfortunes. If it weren't for his reckless plan back then, she wouldn't have been hurt again; if it weren't for him, she might have already started a peaceful new life in Linzhou. His very existence was a reminder of her painful memories. Atonement? Responsibility? Perhaps. But was that all?
What were all these anxious moments of guarding Linzhou day and night, the heartache when he saw her fear, the unconscious upward curve of his lips when he saw her relax a little, and the police buckle that she wore on her chest, which carried her body temperature?
He irritably stubbed out his cigarette and quickly lit another. His brow furrowed in a cloud of smoke. Although Huang Qiang had been apprehended, the case was far from over. There were still too many uncertainties regarding the interrogation, the chain of evidence, and the conviction. And perhaps from the very beginning, the relationship between him and Ouyang Lanlan was destined to be an unsolvable deadlock. The only thing he could do was to fulfill his final responsibility, bring the murderer to justice, and then completely stay away from her life. That was the true "good" thing for her.
The smoke blurred his sharp features and the cold night outside the window. Only the flickering cigarette butt between his fingers and the unspeakable desolation in his heart were particularly clear.
2. Chain of evidence
The light in the interrogation room of the Longdu Public Security Bureau was pale and cold, casting a shadow on Huang Qiang's bloodless face, adding a touch of eeriness. He lowered his head, his hands neatly placed on the table, the handcuffs gleaming coldly. Unlike his previous unsettling gloom, he now seemed unusually cooperative, even a little overly submissive.
Wang Yang presided over the trial, flanked by the recorder and another experienced detective. Qin Chuan stood behind the one-way glass, his gaze fixed on Huang Qiang, his brow furrowed. His intuition told him that this "cooperation" concealed a greater conspiracy.
"Huang Qiang, do you know why I brought you here?" Wang Yang's voice was steady, with an unquestionable sense of oppression.
Huang Qiang nodded lightly, his voice low and hoarse: "I know, about what happened in Longdu before."
"What are they? Tell me clearly!"
"Just those women!" he said vaguely.
"Name! Time! Location! The process of the crime! Tell me in detail!" Wang Yang slammed the table, his voice as loud as a bell.
Huang Qiang seemed startled, his body trembling slightly, before he began to speak haltingly. He confessed to four crimes, and the times, locations, and even some details matched the case files. He described the first three rapes and murders with almost too much fluidity, as if reciting a prepared text.
However, when Wang Yang asked about key details, such as the motive for the crime, how to deal with the victim's clothes, and how to preserve the cut hair, he became vague, or made excuses such as "it's been too long and I forgot" or "I was so scared at the time that I didn't pay attention."
"No!" Qin Chuan suddenly shouted from behind the one-way glass. Although no one inside could hear him, his expression was extremely grim. "He's avoiding the important points! He didn't mention any of the core details that could point to him!"
Wang Yang obviously realized this. He changed his strategy and suddenly threw out his trump card: "Huang Qiang, raise your head! Listen to this!"
He gestured to the detective next to him to play a recording. First, there was a rustling noise, followed by a man's low, distorted muttering, intermittently: "... mine... all mine... this is perfect... why... why do they have the right... to own it... take it away... take it away..." Then, a clearer, possessive monologue, the content of which was terrifying, was the recording Qin Chuan had extracted from the teddy bear!
As the recording played, Huang Qiang's body visibly stiffened. His drooping eyelids suddenly lifted, his pupils constricting. A flash of extreme horror and disbelief crossed his face, but it was quickly suppressed, returning to his deadpan expression. He even tilted his head slightly, revealing an expression bordering on confusion.
"What is this? Who is talking?" he murmured, his tone surprisingly containing a hint of innocence.
"Still playing dumb!" Wang Yang shouted, "This is your conversation in the old warehouse! It's your voice! It records your perverted criminal mentality! This is irrefutable evidence of your murder!"
Huang Qiang was silent for a few seconds, then slowly shook his head, his voice still eerily calm. "Comrade police officer, that's not my voice. Are you mistaken? Or is someone else framing me? I used to be a little weird, but I've never said anything like that."
"Frame you? Who can imitate so well? This was recorded on the spot by Qin Chuan and Ouyang Lanlan!" Wang Yang pressed.
"I don't know..." Huang Qiang lowered his head again, "Maybe, it could be my brother. He always imitated my speech and he was pretty good at it."
"Your brother?" Wang Yang and Qin Chuan, who was behind the one-way glass, felt their hearts sink at the same time.
"Yeah, my brother, Huang Chao." Huang Qiang's voice suddenly took on a very slight, barely perceptible sob. "He, he has always been a little abnormal, jealous of me. Maybe, maybe these things..."
He didn't finish his words, but his meaning was already clear. He was trying to disrupt the situation by "acting crazy and stupid"!
Wang Yang stood up suddenly and almost grabbed him by the collar across the table. "Huang Qiang! Don't try to play tricks on me! We already have enough evidence! This recording was also obtained by the police at the scene. You still want to quibble? Dream on!"
Hearing Wang Yang's words, Huang Qiang's shoulders trembled slightly, but his face remained expressionless, and he just pursed his lips tighter.
During this interrogation, it seemed that Huang Qiang confessed to his crimes, but his core purpose was to throw out a smokescreen of "taking the blame" and deny the most critical direct evidence, the "recording", in an attempt to shake the foundation of the chain of evidence.
The interrogation was temporarily over. Wang Yang walked out with a sullen face and shook his head at Qin Chuan who came towards him. "Damn it, he's as slippery as a loach! He admitted to the crime, but the details are vague. He's still trying to muddy the waters. He directly denied it in the recording!"
Qin Chuan's heart sank. His worst fear had come true. Huang Qiang was incredibly cunning. He knew a complete denial would be difficult, so he adopted a strategy of partially admitting to the truth, denying the core, unique evidence, and then casting a scapegoat. This direct denial from the suspect would expose the recording evidence, which might have been flawed due to the evidence collection process, to strong skepticism from the defense attorney in court, significantly reducing its probative value.
If no other strong physical evidence can be found to form a complete chain of evidence, Huang Qiang may change his confession at any time based solely on his confession and this recording that may be excluded, and the case may very well come to a standstill!
"We must find other physical evidence! Evidence that can nail him down!" Qin Chuan's voice was hoarse, filled with desperate determination. "In the recording, I remember him mentioning collections, trophies, and showing his father! Those hairs! He must have hidden them! He would never throw them away so easily! Could it be somewhere related to his home or his parents?"
Wang Yang's eyes lit up. "Yes! Hair! If we can find the victim's cut hair, especially if it can be linked to him, that would be irrefutable evidence!" He immediately ordered, "Immediately organize a team to thoroughly search all possible locations in Longdu connected to Huang Qiang! Especially his parents' home, places where his brother might have stayed, and even cemeteries! Don't let any of them go! With his twisted mentality, he might hide his trophies in places he considers safe or ceremonial!"
The police took immediate action. Based on Huang Qiang's life trajectory and criminal psychological profile, they focused on investigating his family's long-abandoned old house, the ruins after demolition, and the earthen grave where his parents were buried together at the foot of a desolate mountain on the outskirts of the city.
The excavation process required formalities and the family's consent, which took some time. When several police officers carefully pried open the masonry on one side of the grave and dug less than half a meter deep, their shovels struck a hard, sealed old tin box.
Everyone present was nervous!
The box was carefully removed and opened. Inside were no ashes or relics, only several small, transparent, sealed bags. Each bag contained a strand of hair—long, straight black hair, dyed brown curly hair, wavy wine-red hair... In the bleak moonlight, they shone with an eerie luster.
After an overnight emergency comparison test, the DNA test results quickly came back: these hairs belonged to the first three victims of the "12.4 series of cases": Cui Li, Jiang Tingting, and Wen Jing. And there was Huang Qiang's DNA on them!
The evidence is irrefutable!
When the report was placed before Huang Qiang, the mask of cold composure he had maintained for so long finally cracked for the first time. His pupils dilated in shock and panic, his face instantly paled, his lips trembling uncontrollably, and he could no longer utter a single word of denial or excuse.
3. Who is the main culprit?
The second formal interrogation was more tense.
Wang Yang pressed the issue, revealing the irrefutable evidence of the hair. Huang Qiang seemed to have lost all his strength, slumping in his chair, cold sweat oozing from his forehead, his mental defenses clearly beginning to crumble.
Wang Yang followed his interrogation strategy, pressing the issue step by step: "Huang Qiang, the hair was found in your family's grave! What else do you have to say?! Tell me! Were you alone when you committed the crime?!"
Huang Qiang's eyes were vacant, and he muttered subconsciously: "It's... it's just me..."
"Bullshit!" Wang Yang slammed the table with a thunderous thud. "Don't think we know nothing! We already have evidence! Tell me! Who's the other man?! Who's your accomplice?!"
This statement is an interrogation technique designed to imply that the police have more information and to defeat their hope of getting away with it, especially in the case of possible collusion.
Huang Qiang shuddered violently, as if startled by the word "accomplice". Confusion and a hint of panic flashed across his eyes, and he shook his head repeatedly: "No... No! It's just me! It's really just me!"
"Still not telling the truth!" The veteran detective next to him shouted in unison, "We've checked everything out! You're so skilled at scouting and marking the locations before every crime! Your escape routes are so intricate! And the fourth time, you even came up with the idea of disguising yourself as a woman to lure the enemy away! How could someone with no criminal record come up with that in a flash? Someone must be helping you! Tell me! Is this your brother?! Is Huang Chao still alive?! Where is he?!"
"My brother?" Huang Qiang froze at the name, as if struck by lightning. A complex mix of emotions surged in his eyes—fear, resentment, dependence, and a hint of insane cunning. He remained silent for a full minute, his head drooping lower and lower, his shoulders trembling slightly.
Suddenly, he raised his head, a strange expression of grievance and resentment on his face. His voice rose an octave, tearing up: "It's... it's my brother! He forced me to do this! He did it!"
Everyone inside and outside the interrogation room was shocked. Sure enough, he was going to change his confession! He had precisely grasped the "thread" provided by the police and put the blame on his brother, who had died without any evidence!
"Bullshit!" Wang Yang was furious. "Your brother has been dead for ages! We've already checked the mine! You want him to take the blame for you?!"
"He's not dead!" Huang Qiang seemed to have grasped the last straw and "confessed" at an extremely fast speed, his eyes flashing with a strange light, "He faked his death! He deceived everyone! He... he hates those people more than I do! He planned it all! He forced me to scout the place, forced me to do it! He also forced me to hide those hairs! He said that... that way the souls of those women would belong to him forever... I was forced by him! I am an accomplice! I... I cut Ouyang's hair for the last time. It was my own idea because I was so angry... But the people who killed people before were all my brother! He is the main culprit!"
He eagerly pushed all the serious crimes of "rape and murder" onto "brother Huang Chao", and only admitted to the last attempted injury to Ouyang Lanlan and the act of cutting her hair, trying to portray himself as a coerced and pitiful accomplice.
The entire process of recanting his confession was extremely sudden and logical. He cleverly took advantage of the police's hint of "collaboration" and the fact that his brother was dead and could not provide any evidence, trying to significantly reduce his guilt!
The interrogation was interrupted again. Wang Yang's face turned blue with anger, and he punched the wall. While the hair provided irrefutable evidence linking Huang Qiang to the first three murders, if Huang Qiang insisted that his "brother" was the main culprit and that he was merely an accomplice or even coerced, and the police could not find strong evidence of Huang Chao's involvement, or even that he was still alive at the time, then determining Huang Qiang's specific guilt at trial would become extremely complex and difficult! He likely wouldn't be able to receive the death penalty as the principal offender.
When the news spread, Qin Chuan, who had been anxiously awaiting the outcome, felt like he was falling into an icy cave. He immediately understood Huang Qiang's sinister intentions—to escape the trap of a cicada, to use someone else's body as a substitute! By shifting the blame on a dead person, he could maximize his chances of escaping severe punishment!
"Impossible! He's the main culprit! His brother is probably already dead!" Qin Chuan growled at Wang Yang, his eyes bloodshot. "He's taking advantage of our information gap and the weak links in our chain of evidence! With his twisted desire for control and ritual, how could he be willing to be dominated by others? The madness and possessiveness in those mumbling recordings are clearly his own!"
Wang Yang tugged at his hair in frustration. "I know! Damn it! This guy's too cunning! But now he's insisting on this, and we have no direct evidence to prove his brother is dead or wasn't involved at all. Especially since his parents and several old neighbors all testified that his brother went out to work and his whereabouts are unknown. This makes it a mess! If the detention period expires and the main crime still can't be determined, it will be troublesome!"
The consequences are unimaginable. Huang Qiang may only bear the responsibility for the last crime of attempted injury and forced accessory, and be sentenced to more than ten years or even less. Then, once he is released from prison, his extremely dangerous personality will be...
Qin Chuan didn't dare think any further. A huge wave of anxiety and anger threatened to consume him. He firmly believed that Huang Qiang was the main culprit. There was no way things could be as he had changed his confession! He had to find a breakthrough, to find decisive evidence that could prove Huang Chao was dead or that Huang Qiang was the sole culprit!
Time ticked by, and the task force was under immense pressure. Huang Qiang had been remanded in custody, but the news of his recantation hung like a shadow over everyone's minds. The feeling of helplessness tormented everyone, knowing the murderer was right in front of them, yet his cunning and the rigor of the law meant he would not receive the punishment he deserved.
Qin Chuan was like a madman, diving into the piles of old files and Huang Qiang's background information again. His eyes were red and he worked tirelessly, trying to find the key flaw from the vast amount of details that could completely expose Huang Qiang's lies and nail him to the death row.
He firmly believed that the net of heaven is vast and wide, and nothing can escape it. As long as you do something, it will definitely leave a trace. And that trace must be somewhere overlooked, waiting to be discovered.
(End of Chapter 17)
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