Chapter 611 - 506: Strangled, But Not to Death (Part 2)

Chapter 611: Chapter 506: Strangled, But Not to Death (Part 2)

But if it was a partnership, that would explain a lot.

For example, the alibis.

Besides, Zhang Zhanhui’s alibi wasn’t very solid to begin with.

Qian Zidan was quiet for a moment before cutting to the chase. "There’s still something wrong with this Wang Liang. Otherwise, Mao Ruiqiang wouldn’t have been tailing him."

After a moment of contemplation, Qian Zidan said, "How about this: hand Mao Ruiqiang over to us for interrogation. He’s a tough nut to crack, isn’t he? I’ll take care of him."

Zhang Hancheng didn’t object.

The Ministry of State Security interrogating a spy—it was a perfect fit.

Qian Zidan stood up again and asked where Wang Liang was.

Wang Liang was also in an interrogation room.

He’d already been through two rounds of questioning since being brought in and was now on a break.

Through the one-way glass, Qian Zidan silently observed Wang Liang.

The guy had been questioned several times and was now on the verge of a breakdown.

Even though he was alone in the room, he was still shouting and screaming, insisting he didn’t know anything and had nothing to do with it. He railed that the police couldn’t do this, that they were framing an innocent man.

"What do you think?" Zhang Hancheng asked.

Qian Zidan considered for a moment. "This guy isn’t mentally tough. I think a good scare will do the trick."

Zhang Hancheng was taken aback. ’Not mentally tough?’

’That sounds a bit off.’

Qian Zidan entered the interrogation room alone.

"Who are you? Where’s Officer Cui?" Wang Liang asked, craning his neck to look behind Qian Zidan.

Qian Zidan didn’t answer, simply shutting the door behind him.

His face taut, he walked over to the video recorder in the corner and yanked out the power cord.

He then tapped the one-way glass and pointed to the dome camera in the corner of the ceiling, signaling for it to be turned off.

"Hey, you... what are you doing?"

This series of actions thoroughly spooked Wang Liang.

His lawyer had told him that the cameras in the interrogation room were there for his protection.

Qian Zidan strode forward and slammed his hands down on the armrests of the interrogation chair.

With a loud CLANG, Wang Liang flinched, his face turning ghostly pale. "You... you police can’t hit people."

Qian Zidan leaned in.

In front of Zhang Hancheng, he was all smiles and cheer.

But at this moment, his deadpan expression was more than just frightening. His eyes, in particular, sent a chill straight to Wang Liang’s core.

He frantically turned his head toward the one-way glass and yelled, "Is anyone there? Don’t you dare try anything! Did you see that? He’s going to hit me!"

Qian Zidan gave the interrogation chair another violent shove and barked, "Look at me."

The single command made Wang Liang flinch again, his back pressed hard against the chair.

Their eyes locked for nearly ten seconds.

Qian Zidan reached into his pocket, pulled out his credentials, and held them out for Wang Liang to see. "Here," he said in a low voice, "read it to me. What’s written on it?"

Wang Liang instinctively looked down at the ID.

A photo, an official seal.

And...

*GASP!*

Wang Liang sucked in a sharp breath. His throat felt like it had been clamped shut, too terrified to utter a single word.

Not the police, but the Ministry of State Security.

And in his mind, the Ministry of State Security didn’t deal with ordinary people.

"Look at me." Qian Zidan slapped him across the face. "I’m only going to say this once," he said in a low, dangerous voice. "The man we arrested is a spy."

"Since he was tailing you, you’re definitely involved. I’m giving you one chance. Tell me everything you know."

"Let me be clear. This is huge. It’s not something an ordinary person like you can handle the fallout from."

"Think about the consequences. If you talk now, we can be reasonable. If you don’t... then we’ll find somewhere else to continue this conversation."

"And you’d better think long and hard about what the consequences will be then."

His words were dripping with menace. Wang Liang nearly wet himself.

"A... a spy?"

Wang Liang knew they had arrested someone at the scene, but he had no idea it was a spy.

But if it wasn’t a spy, why would the Ministry of State Security be here?

Qian Zidan’s gaze grew even more fierce as he pointed at Wang Liang. "I don’t have time to waste on you. Think very carefully before you say another word."

A person’s psychological defenses are often nothing more than the hope they can get away with it.

But that depends on the severity of the situation.

Now, a spy was involved, and the Ministry of State Security had shown up.

Wang Liang was truly terrified. His mind went blank for a long moment before he stammered, "Let me be clear, I’m not a spy, I’m really not! I swear to God!"

Qian Zidan snorted and raised his hand.

Wang Liang flinched and ducked his head, blurting out, "I really don’t know that guy, and I have no idea why he was tailing me! And... and I did strangle Li Siyu, but I didn’t kill her!"

"I swear! After I left, she sent me a message! She was even threatening me! So her death really has nothing to do with me!"

In the observation room next door.

Zhang Hancheng, Cui Xuesong, and the others were all stunned.

For one, they hadn’t expected Qian Zidan to be so effective, breaking through Wang Liang’s psychological defenses with such ease.

For another, they didn’t quite understand what he meant by strangling Li Siyu, but not killing her.

Inside the interrogation room.

Qian Zidan straightened up, leaned against the wall, and lit a cigarette. Through the smoke, his voice remained low. "Keep talking."

Wang Liang’s legs were trembling. He gritted his teeth, hunched his shoulders, and said, "On the night of the 17th, I went to Li Siyu’s place."

"Then, after we... finished, she told me she’d missed her period, which freaked me out."

"Then she told me to divorce my wife and marry her. Of course I said no."

Qian Zidan cut him off. "Get to the point."

In the observation room, Zhang Hancheng cursed under his breath. ’This *is* the point,’ he thought, silently signaling for the cameras to be turned back on.

Wang Liang said, "Oh," and paused for a second. "We got into a fight, and then I left. I went downstairs, got in my car, and was about to drive away."

"But then I thought, this won’t work. If she makes a scene, my wife will kill me."

"So I went back. I tried to negotiate with her. I told her I’d give her a sum of money if she kept her mouth shut."

"She absolutely refused and kept pushing me. I got desperate. In the heat of the moment, I just snapped. I pushed her down on the sofa and started strangling her."

He shot a terrified glance at Qian Zidan.

"Continue." Qian Zidan’s face was obscured by the smoke.

Wang Liang quickly looked away and continued, "Anyway, by the time I came to my senses, she wasn’t moving. I was terrified! I really didn’t mean to kill her! She pushed me to it!"

"I even checked for her breath. She was really dead. I thought I was done for, so I... I decided to cover it up."

"I grabbed a towel and wiped everything down, took her phone to make it look like a break-in and robbery, and then I ran."

"On my way home, I threw her phone and the other stuff into the river under Huating Bridge."

"And then, here’s the crucial part."

Wang Liang looked at Qian Zidan and pleaded anxiously, "At almost one in the morning, she sent me another message!"

"She was cussing me out, saying I’d actually tried to kill her. She said she was going to the police, that she was going to expose me."

"I was stunned! So she obviously wasn’t dead! She must have just passed out."

"I tried calling her, but she didn’t answer. So I messaged her, telling her I’d give her money—any amount—as long as she kept her mouth shut."

"That money-grubbing bitch agreed. She said she’d contact me the next day, and that she had evidence I tried to kill her and was going to make me pay up."

"What else could I do? I had to agree."

"Who knew her apartment would catch fire? I swear on my son’s life, I didn’t set that fire! I was scared out of my mind when you guys came for me."

"And think about it—I left a little after ten, and she was messaging me at one in the morning! Then her place burns down and she dies? That has nothing to do with me!"

"I was just scared you’d find out what I did, that’s why I didn’t say anything."

"But I’m positive I didn’t kill her! If you don’t believe me, check the phone records! The phone company has to have a log of it, right?"

"As for that spy thing you mentioned, I really don’t know anything about it. If I’m telling a single lie, I hope I get hit by a car the moment I walk out of here."

Qian Zidan frowned slightly and glanced toward the observation room.

In the observation room, Zhang Hancheng was frowning too.

Based on the investigation so far, they had already ruled Wang Liang out as a suspect.

He didn’t have the opportunity to commit the crime, and he hadn’t stolen the video recorder.

Now, he had admitted to strangling Li Siyu.

But Li Siyu had still been sending him messages at one in the morning.

Doesn’t that mean Li Siyu was still alive a little after one?

So, after Wang Liang left, who killed Li Siyu?

Mao Ruiqiang?