I See Murders Before They Happen

Chapter 113: Chapter 111: Uncooperative, Powerful Connections

Municipal Bureau.

Zhuang Yanzheng’s side of the investigation wasn’t going smoothly.

There were indeed photos from when Cui Xian and Ji Sheng made the deal for the villa, and Ji Sheng had found them.

The concrete slab where the bodies were buried had been poured when Cui Xian was having the house built.

However, Cui Xian claimed she knew nothing about the buried bodies.

Ji Sheng also said he didn’t know.

They contacted the construction crew from that year.

But so far, they had only reached a few of them, and all of them claimed to know nothing.

On top of that, Cui Xian was causing a huge scene at the Municipal Bureau.

One moment she was demanding a lawyer, the next she was threatening to see the director, and then she was going to file a complaint against them with the Provincial Public Security Department.

She was threatening to get him thrown in jail.

The commotion she was making caused a vein to throb in Zhuang Yanzheng’s temple.

In his many years on the job, it wasn’t that he’d never met difficult people; he’d met plenty who were much worse than her.

But it was rare to meet someone like her, who reminded him of his early days at the local precinct, trying to mediate disputes between old uncles and aunties who were cursing each other’s ancestors over a basket of eggs.

Back then, when he’d been completely unable to mediate the situation, he had paid for the eggs out of his own pocket, transforming from the mediator into the target of their attacks.

Even now, the memory of the aunties’ and uncles’ offensive capabilities was still fresh in his mind.

Eight generations of Zhuang Family ancestors had once joined him on that ”battlefield.”

Zhuang Yanzheng stepped out of the questioning room, closed the door, and took a deep breath.

Just then, Chu Xingrou came jogging over. ”Captain Zhuang, Lu the Painter said he’s found the killer. His name is Xu Chuan.”

With those few words, Zhuang Yanzheng felt as if the world around him had brightened.

He immediately strode toward the main office area, transforming from the local precinct’s Officer Zhuang back into the formidable Captain Zhuang of the Criminal Investigation Division.

Lu Zhishen had provided a sketch of the killer, which meant Su Miaoyi had seen him.

By the time Zhuang Yanzheng saw Lu Zhishen, Xu Chuan’s network of connections had just been pulled up.

The two men exchanged a look.

’Did Su Miaoyi see him?’ Zhuang Yanzheng thought.

Lu Zhishen gave a subtle nod.

”The killer is Xu Chuan, male, forty-two years old, a Jinghai native, and a bar owner.”

”The deceased, Zhou Shu, female, would be forty-two this year, a Jinghai native, is the killer Xu Chuan’s wife.”

”The deceased, Xu Wei, female, would be nineteen this year, a Jinghai native, is the killer Xu Chuan’s daughter.”

According to police records, five years ago, Xu Chuan had filed a report at a branch office, claiming his wife and daughter were missing.

The branch office opened an investigation and had also looked into Xu Chuan thoroughly.

But they found nothing suspicious.

The transcript from five years ago shows that Xu Chuan said his daughter, Xu Wei, had a congenital heart defect and needed long-term medication to stay alive. Even so, doctors had said she might not live to adulthood.

Over the years, the couple had taken their child everywhere seeking treatment.

They spent a lot of money.

They had originally thought about having a second child, but with the heavy burden of one, they no longer had the financial means to support another.

The couple lived like this with their daughter for fourteen years.

Xu Chuan stated that due to their daughter’s illness and the long-term stress, his wife, Zhou Shu’s, mental state was very poor.

On the day he filed the report, he said he had worked the night shift the previous evening. When he came home, his wife and daughter were gone, and no one was answering their phones.

When he couldn’t find them, he called the police.

He was worried his wife might have done something drastic, taking their daughter with her to a dead end.

Zhuang Yanzheng threw open the door and yelled out, ”Qi Feng!”

True to his name, Qi Feng appeared in a flash, like a gust of wind, and stood at attention. ”Captain Zhuang!”

Zhuang Yanzheng gave him Xu Chuan’s home address, the location of his bar, and a photo of Xu Chuan, telling him to take a team and bring him in.

”Yes, sir!” Qi Feng was gone in another gust of wind.

Zhuang Yanzheng watched him go. ”What’s with him? I haven’t even made him work overtime these past few days.”

”He probably learned it from you,” Lu Zhishen said.

”Am I like that?” Zhuang Yanzheng asked.

Lu Zhishen rubbed his ear. ”After being your colleague for so many years, it’s a blessing from my ancestors that I’m not deaf yet.”

Zhuang Yanzheng was speechless. ”...”

...

Xu Chuan had run.

He’d been on the run for several days.

He must have fled as soon as he found out the villa had been sold again and was slated for demolition and reconstruction.

They investigated Xu Chuan’s network.

First, they checked places Xu Chuan was likely to go.

Second, they focused on whether there was a connection between Xu Chuan and Cui Xian, or between Xu Chuan and the original construction crew.

After making inquiries, they quickly found something.

Xu Chuan and Cui Xian had been together for years.

Xu Chuan’s friends and some of his relatives didn’t know of Cui Xian’s existence.

But many of Cui Xian’s friends knew about Xu Chuan.

They said the two had been together for four or five years.

The nanny and driver at Cui Xian’s home also confirmed it.

Xu Chuan was often at her house.

Cui Xian, who had been sent home, was brought back to the Municipal Bureau once again, this time to an interrogation room.

She admitted her relationship with Xu Chuan.

But she claimed to know nothing about the buried bodies.

No matter how they asked, she said she didn’t know.

By the end, no matter what she was asked, she would only say she didn’t know.

She would either remain silent or open her mouth only to say those three words: ”I don’t know.”

Completely uncooperative.

Zhuang Yanzheng stared at her.

Cui Xian met his gaze, her expression defiant, as if to say, ’What are you going to do to me?’

Zhuang Yanzheng didn’t ask any more questions and walked straight out of the interrogation room.

Outside, Lu Zhishen said, ”She has someone backing her, someone she thinks can get her out of this. That’s also why Xu Chuan ran, but she didn’t.”

Zhuang Yanzheng didn’t speak, just glanced at Lu Zhishen.

Lu Zhishen smiled. ”When a case is in Captain Zhuang’s hands, no amount of ’face’ is going to help.”

”Captain Zhuang,” Chu Xingrou said, jogging over. ”Director Meng is looking for you.”

Zhuang Yanzheng and Lu Zhishen exchanged a glance.

”That was fast,” Lu Zhishen remarked coolly.

Zhuang Yanzheng snorted in disdain and headed for the director’s office.

He knocked and entered. Meng Shuyi looked up at him.

Zhuang Yanzheng walked up to the desk. ”Director Meng.”

Meng Shuyi asked, ”How long until you can crack the case?”

Zhuang Yanzheng looked at her.

Meng Shuyi said, ”Minister Qin just called. They’ve already pulled strings all the way up to him, asking him to help get her out.”

Zhuang Yanzheng remained silent.

Seeing his silence, Meng Shuyi frowned. ”Lost your ability to speak?”

”I’m listening to you,” Zhuang Yanzheng said.

”Listening to what? To me telling you to let her go?” Meng Shuyi demanded.

”Impossible,” Zhuang Yanzheng said.

”Of course it’s impossible!” Meng Shuyi said. ”Who does he think he is, the emperor? Thinks he can just move his lips, make a phone call, and we’ll release someone just because he says so! Even the Son of Heaven is subject to the same laws as the common people! Who the hell does he think he is?! Investigate! Investigate this thing to the ground!”

Zhuang Yanzheng looked at her.

Meng Shuyi continued, ”The Minister said that if the sky falls, he’ll hold it up. We are to investigate this as we see fit.”

”Understood,” Zhuang Yanzheng replied.

’Looks like the Cui Family’s connections are pretty solid,’ he thought.

”Give me a timeline,” Meng Shuyi said, looking at Zhuang Yanzheng.

”We’re in the process of apprehending the killer,” Zhuang Yanzheng said.

”Three days,” Meng Shuyi said.

Zhuang Yanzheng looked at her.

”The sooner the better. It’s not just us under pressure; Minister Qin is feeling it too.” Meng Shuyi sighed. ”If this drags on, and we can’t find the man or crack the case, we’re the ones who’ll be out of luck.”

”Yes.” Zhuang Yanzheng understood.

’The Cui Family’s connections are too powerful. Even a major taxpayer like the Zhuang Family might not be enough to matter. If this drags on, it will cause trouble.’

’He’d probably be the first one to be dealt with.’

’They could cook up any random reason, and he’d be sent home to inherit the family fortune.’

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