Chapter 608 - 504: I Think It’s Necessary to Contact National Security

Chapter 608: Chapter 504: I Think It’s Necessary to Contact National Security

He left the scene to Du Yong, who would lead a team to investigate it.

Zhang Hancheng wanted to go to the hospital to check on Shen Xin and the other three officers, as well as Celestial Skill.

The dog, who had suffered a fracture from a kick, had also been sent to the veterinary hospital.

But Zhang Hancheng knew there were more important matters at hand. He could only suppress the urge and call the hospital to ask about their conditions.

Yang Zeran had one rib broken and two fractured, but thankfully they weren’t displaced. He wouldn’t need surgery, just conservative treatment.

Zhao Tianxing was in even worse shape. Fragments of his nasal bone were displaced, and he would need surgery to correct it.

Ding Yuwei had mostly soft tissue contusions, which wasn’t a major issue.

As for Shen Xin, he had a concussion and could only be treated conservatively.

Hearing the results, Zhang Hancheng’s mood grew even heavier. He hurried back to the New District Branch.

When he arrived, Zhao Hongjie was there in person.

He wanted to see for himself just who was so audacious.

He had already gotten a clear picture of the whole incident and didn’t spare Zhang Hancheng, chewing him out completely.

"How are you handling this case? You were supposed to solve it in three days, and now? How many days has it been?"

"And the shoehorn-faced man is the killer—how did you not figure that out?"

"Now this has happened. Was the team tailing Wang Liang understaffed? Did you not take this seriously enough? Is that what led to this outcome?"

"If the suspect had decided to grab a gun, that would have been four lives. Four!"

A vein bulged on Zhao Hongjie’s forehead.

No one present dared to argue; they all just bowed their heads and took the berating.

After another round of scolding, Zhao Hongjie said coldly, "Zhang Hancheng, you go and interrogate him. With the case in this state, you owe me an explanation."

He pointed at Zhang Hancheng, whose face flushed red with humiliation.

Five whole days, and they hadn’t found the suspect.

And in the end, four officers and a police dog ended up getting hurt. This wasn’t just disgraceful; it was a humiliation.

Having vented his anger, Zhao Hongjie didn’t stay long. He turned and headed for the hospital to visit Shen Xin and the other three.

After seeing Zhao Hongjie and his entourage off, Kong Lingzhi, the chief of the New District Branch, clapped Zhang Hancheng on the shoulder. "Hancheng, nobody wanted this to happen. Focus on the case. That’s what’s most important right now."

Zhang Hancheng nodded and headed straight for the interrogation room.

The man was in the interrogation room now.

His clothes were unchanged and still soaking wet. He sat there bolt upright, his face devoid of expression.

Zhang Hancheng didn’t rush to interrogate him. He had Liu Baoqing interrogate Wang Liang first.

There had to be a reason this man had appeared at Wang Liang’s side.

His apartment in Tongquan Garden was rented, and the community office had his information on file.

The man’s name was Mao Ruiqiang.

He was 37 years old, from Tan Zhong City in Changxi Province.

The networked household registration information showed that he was divorced and his parents were still alive.

However, immigration records showed that his parents, as well as his ex-wife and their son and daughter, were all abroad.

In Peru, South America.

He himself had a passport and travel records.

In 2007, at the age of 26, he left the country for the first time and went to Peru.

He traveled back and forth multiple times until 2015.

After 2015, he never left the country again. He stayed in his hometown for a year, then came to Nanjiang in 2016 and had been here ever since.

They found the community grid officer, who had inquired about his situation when he applied for his residence permit.

He had claimed he used to work abroad but returned to the country after he couldn’t make money anymore.

Unexpectedly, he couldn’t make a living back home either.

In his years in Nanjiang, he had changed jobs several times, which was reflected in his social security information.

They canvassed his neighbors upstairs, downstairs, and across the hall. The neighbor opposite his apartment said he didn’t seem to have a job now. When asked before, he’d claimed he lived off stock trading.

He had also gone and registered for flexible employment social security on his own.

From this information alone, there was nothing particularly special about him.

But when they broadened the scope of their investigation, a noteworthy detail emerged.

For instance, when he was a teenager, he had attended a sports school in Tan Zhong City, specializing in Sanda.

He had even won second place in the Changxi Provincial Sanda Championship.

That explained his incredible combat skills.

As for the speedboat, they had also asked the management office at the marina.

They said Mao Ruiqiang had purchased a second-hand speedboat from them last April.

At the time, he claimed it was for personal use, as he enjoyed fishing.

But after buying it, aside from paying the regular management fees, he had hardly ever used it.

Meanwhile, Zhang Hancheng focused on investigating any connections between Mao Ruiqiang and Li Siyu.

He found nothing.

There was no trace of Mao Ruiqiang’s name in phone communications or in the gift-giving records from Li Siyu’s company.

Mao Ruiqiang had one mobile number registered under his name with China Mobile. It had few call records and wasn’t associated with many registered accounts, all of which were being verified.

His bank accounts were also being investigated, and they showed he had recently been working as a ride-hailing driver.

But his income was low.

As for his expenses, there was nothing unusual either—just small QR code payments at various small shops.

Based on the information they had so far, he seemed like an ordinary person.

They also looked into his car. He had bought it on an installment plan in 2017 and taken out a three-year loan, which he still hadn’t finished paying off.

He used this car for his daily ride-hailing work.

After some consideration, Zhang Hancheng decided to make initial contact with the man.

At 12:40 PM, Zhang Hancheng walked into the interrogation room.

Mao Ruiqiang had been arrested shortly after ten o’clock. After sitting on the bench for two hours, he remained as calm as ever.

But before Zhang Hancheng could even speak, Mao Ruiqiang asked first, "When I was a kid, I heard you police were ruthless, that no one could withstand your interrogations."

His voice was steady, but there was a hint of mockery in his eyes.

Zhang Hancheng said nothing.

Mao Ruiqiang continued, "But then I heard you guys changed. That you have some rules now, something about not being allowed to coerce confessions through torture."

"You look pretty old. You must’ve been a cop for many years, right?"

Zhang Hancheng nodded slightly.

He had been a police officer for twenty years.

Mao Ruiqiang said, "So back then, when you interrogated criminals, did you ever get physical?"

"I know hitting people feels good. So, do you ever miss those days? How about this, I’ll give you a chance."

"You can beat me however you want. Let me experience it. Let’s see if I can withstand your interrogation methods."

"Don’t worry, I can look right at the camera and promise you that I’m the one asking you to hit me. If I get hurt, or even beaten to death, it’ll have nothing to do with you."

"I’m just curious. I want to know just how ruthless your interrogation methods really are."

Ma Chunxin, the officer taking notes, slammed his hand on the table and snapped, "You’d better watch your mouth!"

Mao Ruiqiang snorted, leaned back in his chair, and smirked. "Officers, there’s no need to talk to me. It’s useless. I’m not going to say anything."

"If you want me to talk, there’s only one way: beat me. The harder the better. Beat me until I can’t take it anymore. Then, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know."

Zhang Hancheng shot to his feet and strode over to Mao Ruiqiang.

This only seemed to excite Mao Ruiqiang further. He tilted his head back, his eyes filled with defiance.

The recording officer, Ma Chunxin, nervously stood up and glanced at the camera.

In the observation room next door, Kong Lingzhi and the others tensed up the moment they saw Zhang Hancheng raise his right hand.

He Jinxiang, the deputy head of the Criminal Investigation Division, quickly knocked on the glass as a warning.

Fortunately, his raised right hand didn’t form a fist. Instead, it came to rest on Mao Ruiqiang’s shoulder.

"You’re a piece of trash."

Zhang Hancheng stared directly at Mao Ruiqiang, his eyes filled with contempt and disdain. He continued, "I am very angry. Because the four people you injured are my people."

"One of them is someone I value very highly."

"But you’re not worth it."

Zhang Hancheng shook his head. "You’re not worth us throwing away our careers for. There’s no need. Trust me, you’ll receive every bit of the punishment you deserve."

"I’ve been a cop for so many years. You think I’d hit you just because you tried to provoke me a little?"

"What are you thinking, kid? I’ve arrested more criminals than you’ve ever even seen."

"So whether you talk or not is meaningless."

Zhang Hancheng moved behind Mao Ruiqiang, grabbing his shoulders with both hands. A chilling undercurrent crept into his voice as he continued, "You seem to pay a lot of attention to us. Then you should know what we emphasize in our cases now—zero-confession convictions."

"You assaulted police officers—we have it on video. You fled with a firearm and were caught red-handed."

"And all that stuff you burned in your apartment—you think setting it on fire destroys it completely?"

"Let me tell you something. Every hard drive you bought, every piece of paper you purchased, every website you visited, every call you made—we will find every single one."

"And then I will personally escort you to the detention center, watch you get sentenced in court, and personally see you walk into prison."

"Oh, right. You killed Li Siyu, didn’t you? That’s enough for the death penalty."

"And don’t you worry. When the time comes, I’ll be there to witness the execution. I’ll make sure the last thing you see before you die is me."

Zhang Hancheng spoke slowly, his voice not loud.

But the chilling coldness in his words made even Ma Chunxin, who was in the room, shiver involuntarily.

Mao Ruiqiang listened with a slight frown. When Zhang Hancheng finished, a smile returned to his face. He nodded and said, "Nice. Very creative. Please, you must do exactly that. I’ll be waiting."

He turned his head to look at Zhang Hancheng, his eyes cold and devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Zhang Hancheng’s gaze was just as unwavering.

After a long moment, Zhang Hancheng released his grip and turned to leave.

"Don’t go. We’re both just killing time anyway, let’s chat a bit," Mao Ruiqiang said with a mocking expression.

Zhang Hancheng didn’t break his stride.

In the observation room next door, the others saw that after Zhang Hancheng left, Mao Ruiqiang even waved at them through the one-way mirror.

"Fuck!"

Cui Xuesong swore, seething with anger.

Zhang Hancheng pushed open the door and entered.

He Jinxiang hurried over to him and warned, "Old Zhang, don’t be reckless. A guy like this isn’t worth it."

He had been genuinely terrified for a moment there.

He knew Zhang Hancheng could keep his cool. After so many years and arresting so many criminals, he shouldn’t be provoked by one.

But what about the current situation?

Shen Xin and the other three were still lying in the hospital.

They were his subordinates. Zhang Hancheng himself had said that one of them was the person he valued most.

Under these circumstances, He Jinxiang was truly afraid that Zhang Hancheng wouldn’t be able to hold back.

"I’m fine."

Zhang Hancheng waved his hand. ’For a second there, I really wanted to hit him.’

He walked closer to the one-way mirror and observed Mao Ruiqiang.

The man was alone in the interrogation room, sitting quietly. He had even closed his eyes, feigning sleep.

After watching for a while, Zhang Hancheng suddenly said, "I have an idea."

Incredible fighting ability.

A decisive escape, a pre-planned retreat route.

And everything burned in that rental apartment.

Zhang Hancheng’s gaze sharpened as he said in a low voice, "I think we need to contact National Security."