Reborn in 97, I solved a cold case at the Municipal Bureau

Chapter 494 It's really lively (Vote for monthly tickets and win an 888 RMB red envelope)

When Ma Weichang said this, his eyes did not dart away, and his body was not tense.

This shows that he wasn't nervous.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Liang hurriedly asked, "Who is it?"

“When Miao Genhua was in middle school, she had a boyfriend. This guy often harassed her. He even came to my quarry to cause trouble before, but he was beaten by the workers and didn’t dare to come back.”

Zhao Liang frowned immediately and asked, "You're not talking about Shi Jian, are you?"

Ma Weichang immediately nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, that's right, his surname is Shi. Miao Genhua told me that ever since her ex-husband died, this man surnamed Shi has been harassing her for several years. Even after we got married, he still had the same wicked intentions and continued to harass her."

He spoke these words with such righteous indignation and self-righteousness, it seems he has completely forgotten how he and Miao Genhua got their marriage certificate.

Zhou Yi asked, "What is Miao Genhua's attitude towards Shi Jian?"

"She hated that guy, saying he was like a leech. She said they only got together when they were young and naive back in school, which was ages ago. But this guy surnamed Shi is like a toad trying to eat swan meat."

Zhao Liang asked with a half-smile, "Are you sure?"

Ma Weichang nodded and said, "Yes, she's told me that several times."

"Didn't she say anything else to you?"

"Anything else? No." Ma Weichang suddenly realized that Zhao Liang's words had a hidden meaning.

His expression immediately changed, and he asked, "What did she tell you?"

"She's not lying to me? She's having an affair with that guy surnamed Shi?"

Zhou Yi didn't want the conversation to veer off course, especially since they hadn't finished asking questions yet. He knew Ma Weichang's emotional state wouldn't be conducive to questioning, so he quickly said, "Mr. Ma, please calm down. We're not here to investigate your relationship; you two can handle that yourselves. You said Shi Jian was the culprit behind Ge Fangfang's disappearance. What evidence or clues do you have for that?"

Ma Weichang's chest heaved. If Zhou Yi hadn't immediately changed direction, he probably would have rushed to the ward to question Miao Genhua in the next second.

Zhou Yi could already foresee how the two would develop a rift.

Humans are strange creatures. Even if they know that neither party is a blank slate, their possessiveness can make them resentful of any alterations or corrections left by others on that slate.

Regardless of the truth behind Ge Fangfang's disappearance, the honeymoon period of mutual respect between Ma Weichang and Miao Genhua has certainly come to an end.

Ma Weichang said angrily, "No, it was Miao Genhua who told me. She said that when she married her ex-husband, this guy surnamed Shi caused trouble and even threatened to kill her ex-husband. So when that guy came to cause trouble, she reminded me to be careful, afraid that he would mess with me."

"But I still don't know which of her statements are true and which are false."

Seeing his furious expression, Zhou Yi was speechless. He had spoken so passionately before, but now he was full of suspicion.

As expected, they didn't get together in a real way; there was no emotional foundation whatsoever. It was more about the thrill, desire, and interests disguised as love.

“Okay, we’ll focus our investigation on Shi Jian later.” Zhou Yi continued, “Ma Weichang, what’s your relationship with Ge Fangfang?”

Upon hearing Ge Fangfang's name, Ma Weichang's expression softened somewhat.

"She's alright. I'm quite close to this child, and I like her a lot, since I don't have a daughter myself." He sighed as he spoke, "Sigh, how could she just disappear like that? I wonder if she was sold or what."

Zhou Yi looked at Ma Weichang's eyes, tone of voice, and expression as he spoke, and felt sadness, but not much.

This shows that Ma Weichang's claim of liking something was just talk; it's probably because Miao Genhua extended her affection to Miao Genhua's family.

Zhao Liang didn't notice and pressed further, "You said you really like it, but what kind of liking is it?"

Ma Weichang didn't understand: "What...what does 'like' mean?"

"Is it the love parents have for their children, or... the kind of love men have for women?"

As soon as Zhao Liang finished speaking, Ma Weichang looked shocked: "What do you mean by 'that kind of thing' between a man and a woman? What do you mean by that?"

"Let me put it this way, have you done anything overly intimate with Ge Fangfang?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Weichang instantly exploded, angrily shouting, "What do you mean? What nonsense are you spouting?"

The sound immediately attracted the attention of passersby nearby.

Zhao Liang and the veteran policeman immediately shouted, "What are you shouting for? Watch your attitude!"

"What business is it of yours what my attitude is? I've answered all your questions. And now you're saying things like this? Who are you trying to disgust? Just because you're a cop doesn't mean you can lie and frame people! No wonder you made my wife cry earlier, so this is how you police officers are!" Ma Weichang shouted emotionally.

“Speak properly. Who’s talking nonsense? We’re asking you this based on feedback from the public. If you didn’t do it, what are you so guilty about?”

"Who's acting guilty, spouting 'public feedback'? Which 'public'? Bring that person out here so I can see them. I want a face-to-face confrontation!"

Seeing that a fight was about to break out, Zhou Yi quickly tried to mediate.

But Ma Weichang suddenly shook off Zhou Yi's hand and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Zhao Liang asked.

Ma Weichang turned around and said angrily, "What? Go ahead and arrest me if you dare!"

"Hey, you think I wouldn't dare?" Zhao Liang said, reaching for the handcuffs on his waist.

Zhou Yi quickly stopped him: "Brother Zhao, calm down, don't make a mistake."

“I took him back for questioning. What did I do wrong?” Zhao Liang said angrily.

Ma Weichang turned and left, while Zhou Yi pulled Zhao Liang aside to calm him down.

"What kind of attitude is that? You're so agitated, you must have something to hide. Zhou Yi, you shouldn't have stopped me. I could have locked him up for 24 hours, couldn't I?"

Zhou Yi nodded: "Of course, we have the right to detain the person being questioned for 24 hours. But I don't think it's necessary to go through all that trouble right now. After all, judging from the current situation, Ma Weichang has no motive to commit a crime against Ge Fangfang. Since we have limited manpower, I suggest we investigate Shi Jian first."

After calming down and thinking about it, Zhao Liang realized that Zhou Yi's words made sense.

Even if Ma Weichang crossed the line with Ge Fangfang, it certainly did not constitute grounds for murder.

Just as Zhou Yi analyzed on the way here, even if Ma Weichang did something, it would be done in a rather subtle way, otherwise the mother would not have been able to detect it, after all, a six-year-old child is not sixteen.

Even if he really wanted Ma Weichang as a long-term meal ticket, he didn't think Miao Genhua would be so heartless as to hand over her own daughter to be played with.

Comparatively speaking, Shi Jian is more likely to seek revenge on Miao Genhua because his love has turned to hatred.

Zhao Liang nodded: "Alright, you're right. If Ma Weichang continues to be so uncooperative and has such a bad attitude when we question him later, then we'll take him back to the station for a proper interrogation."

The three turned to leave, but Zhao Liang suddenly stopped and said, "Oh no, I forgot to ask Ma Weichang where he was the day Ge Fangfang disappeared."

"What?" Zhou Yi was taken aback. "You didn't even ask for alibis from anyone related to the case?"

I thought to myself, isn't this basic? How could they not even ask that?
Zhao Liang said embarrassedly, "Ma Weichang brought Miao Genhua to report the case. They were the ones who reported the case, and they were also the child's parents. Since they didn't think about intentional homicide, they didn't ask any questions. We didn't run into anyone after that."

As Zhao Liang walked towards the inpatient building, he said, "I'll go ask again."

Zhou Yi quickly said, "Brother Zhao, why don't I go? It'll prevent us from arguing again later."

Zhao Liang thought for a moment and nodded: "That's fine then, thank you for your trouble."

"It's nothing." Zhou Yi said as he walked towards the entrance of the inpatient building, letting out a helpless sigh. "There's still a gap in the professional skills and qualities of colleagues from different places."

In fact, at least in this era, local police stations at the grassroots level give priority to local residents within their jurisdiction. This is true not only here, but also in Hongcheng.

This is just more common in smaller places, where the organizational structure is more distant from higher-level departments, resulting in a more radical atmosphere.

Of course, there is another reason, which Zhou Yi also understands: the worse the economic conditions and the lower the level of education of the masses, the more difficult it is for public security work. This is because some people do not like to talk about the law. If you talk about the law with an old farmer who cannot read a single word, he will not understand. If you talk to some lawbreakers and violators in a friendly manner and explain the law and reason with them, they will not only not be afraid of you, but will also laugh at you.

Zhou Yi understood Zhao Liang's reactions; after all, if he wasn't a bit tough, he wouldn't be able to keep people in check.

But that's not how you investigate murder cases. If you have evidence and have caught the suspect, it's understandable to scare them a little, as long as you don't take physical action.

But we have no clue yet. This is the time to collect various clues and possibilities and unravel the mystery. Getting emotional can easily cause some people to resist and refuse to cooperate.

Sometimes, however insignificant, crucial clues can be hidden in a single sentence.

Zhou Yi entered Miao Genhua's ward. The ward had been restored to its original state, with only a few patients and their families remaining. It was empty. As soon as Zhou Yi entered, he saw Miao Genhua sobbing softly on the bed, while Ma Weichang, standing to the side, had a livid face.

It seems they had just talked about Shi Jian. Miao Genhua probably confessed to him about her previous "friends with benefits" relationship with Shi Jian.

When Ma Weichang saw Zhou Yi walk in, a hint of anger resurfaced on his face. He took the initiative to walk towards Zhou Yi and asked in a low voice, "What else do you want?"

Zhou Yi gently persuaded him, "Mr. Ma, don't get agitated. I'm not here to humiliate you. I just want to ask again, where were you between 4 pm and 7 pm on July 22nd?"

"On the afternoon of July 22nd..." Ma Weichang pondered for a moment, then suddenly widened his eyes and asked, "What do you mean? You suspect that I kidnapped Fangfang?"

Seeing that the other party was about to explode again, Zhou Yi immediately said in a deep voice, "Ma Weichang, this is just a routine investigation question to rule out suspicion. You'd better not get agitated. It won't do you any good. Just answer truthfully."

Zhou Yi's attitude was calm, unlike Zhao Liang's agitation, but his tone left no room for doubt.

This silenced Ma Weichang, who was about to explode in anger.

"I went to Antong that afternoon."

"Antong?" Zhou Yi guessed it must be a place name nearby, which Zhao Liang would definitely know.

"Yes, I rented a place over there to use as a warehouse for transit. I had some things to do that day, so I went to check the accounts."

“Can anyone prove it?”

Ma Weichang pointed to Miao Genhua behind him and said, "His brother Miao Zhuang was driving the car; he can vouch for that."

Zhou Yi nodded. Having witnesses is enough; after all, not everyone has the ability to hire someone to commit murder.

Then he walked toward Miao Genhua. Ma Weichang was startled and instinctively wanted to reach out to stop Zhou Yi, but then felt it was inappropriate, so he hesitated to raise his hand.

In the blink of an eye, Zhou Yi bypassed him and walked to Miao Genhua's bedside.

"Miao Genhua, I'm asking you this very seriously now: when was the last time you met Shi Jian?"

Miao Genhua glanced at him, her eyes darting around before she looked at Ma Weichang, who was standing not far behind Zhou Yi.

Ma Weichang frowned, his expression grave.

Miao Genhua said timidly, "More than a year ago, he came to harass me, wanting to reconcile with me. I... warned him not to mess around, that I have a husband."

Zhou Yi was silent for a few seconds, then slowly nodded: "Okay, I understand."

Given the current situation, he cannot accurately determine whether Miao Genhua was lying, because this is not an interrogation room and there are too many interfering factors.

But he was certain that Miao Genhua was hiding something.

She probably still had those messy affairs with her boyfriend, which she didn't want Ma Weichang to know.

"You should get some rest," Zhou Yi said in a formulaic tone. "You two may need to cooperate with the investigation further."

Miao Genhua nodded. Seeing Zhou Yi about to leave, Ma Weichang said, "Officer..."

Zhou Yi turned around: "Is there anything else?"

"No...it's nothing, it's just that I'm troubling you all to find Fangfang as soon as possible, no matter...no matter..." Ma Weichang didn't finish his last few words.

But Zhou Yi understood.

Whether they are dead or alive, at least we need to know for sure.

"We will try our best."

After Zhou Yi finished speaking, he walked out of the ward.

As I reached the door, I suddenly sensed something was amiss.

He glanced at them sideways and saw that neither of them had moved; one was standing there, and the other was sitting there, both looking at him.

Although it was only for a fleeting moment, the scene had a strangely eerie feel to it.

When they saw him looking over, they both looked away.

Ma Weichang turned and walked back, while Miao Genhua lay down.

Zhou Yi withdrew his gaze and then left.

Unlike Hongcheng, the county hospital here doesn't have a nurses' station. There's an office near the stairwell with a sign that reads "Nurses' Station."

As Zhou Yi passed by, a figure happened to walk out of there.

Zhou Yi reacted quickly and immediately took a step back, avoiding the collision.

The other person was startled: "Oh my god, you scared me!"

"Hey, young man, it's you. Are you leaving?"

When Zhou Yi looked, he saw that it was the chubby nurse who had just removed the needle, and she was holding two bottles of medicine in her hand.

"Yes, thank you for your hard work, Auntie."

The nurse smiled and walked forward.

Suddenly, Zhou Yi recalled what the aunt had said when she came to remove the needles from Miao Genhua.

He immediately called out to her, "Auntie, can I ask you something?"

"What's going on?"

"Are there quite a lot of people looking for bed number 21?"

Because at that moment, the nurse muttered: "It's so lively."

Zhou Yi now thinks back to those words and feels something is off.

Miao Genhua was admitted to the hospital yesterday, and other people have come to see her.
The nurse looked at Zhou Yi suspiciously and asked, "Young man, why are you asking this?"

Zhou Yi showed his identification and said, "Police."

"Oh, so you're a police officer too. I saw the other two were wearing uniforms, but you weren't, so I assumed you weren't working together." The aunt realized she'd used the wrong word. "Pah, pah, pah, we're not working together."

"Besides the patient's husband and us, has anyone else come looking for bed number 21?"

The aunt immediately nodded and said, "Yes, a man came by yesterday evening."

"Male? How tall and fat? What does he look like?"

"He's about half a head shorter than you, not fat, quite thin. I can't really describe what he looks like. But his hair is quite fashionable, it's quite long. At first, I thought he was a girl, with those two tufts of hair in the front like this, like this." The aunt gestured as she spoke.

Zhou Yi understood and confirmed, "Middle part, long bangs that partially cover the eyes."

The aunt frowned in thought, probably imagining what Zhou Yi had said.

"Does he look like a Hong Kong star? Nicholas Tse?"

Upon hearing Zhou Yi's words, the aunt immediately nodded: "Oh yes, yes, yes, it's that Xie Feng you mentioned. My daughter really likes him; she's covered the whole house with his pictures. Of course, the guy who came to see bed number 21 isn't as good-looking as a celebrity, but he's much better-looking than her husband."

Ma Weichang is of average height and has an ordinary appearance, looking somewhat older than his age. He's definitely not handsome, but he's not ugly either.

Moreover, this man is probably not Miao Genhua's younger brother, Miao Zhuang, because Ma Weichang had previously said that Miao Zhuang was short.

He's only a little over 1.7 meters tall, and you call him short? Then Miao Zhuang is probably only a little over 1.6 meters tall.

But the nurse said that the person was half a head shorter than her, so he was probably around 175 cm tall.

After thinking it over, I realized there's probably only one person left.

Miao Genhua was lying after all!

(End of this chapter)