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

Chapter 507 Zhou Xiangdong

Hearing the sound, Yang Chuan turned around, quickly put down his chopsticks, and ran over.

The man who entered through the door was in his fifties, slightly overweight, with thick eyebrows, using a crutch under his arm, and his right calf was in a cast.

"Captain Zhou, what brings you here?" Yang Chuan asked in surprise as he went to help him up.

Zhou Xiangdong gestured that he didn't need it, then hobbled over to the two of them, leaning on his cane.

Zhou Yi knew that the person in charge of the other party's criminal investigation had arrived, so he quickly put down his chopsticks, stood up, and greeted him: "Hello, Captain Zhou, I'm Zhou Yi, from..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Xiangdong sat down in a chair and waved his hand, saying, "I know, Director Li has already spoken to me."

Pointing to the chair next to him, he called out to Yang Chuan, "Chuan'er, move that chair over here so I can put my feet down."

Yang Chuan quickly complied and asked, "Captain Zhou, why aren't you resting properly in the hospital? What if you get injured again?"

Zhou Xiangdong waved his hand dismissively and said, "It's no big deal."

He reached into his pocket, then looked up at Yang Chuan and asked, "Do you have any cigarettes?"

Yang Chuan shook his head.

As Zhou Xiangdong turned around, Zhou Yi had already offered him a cigarette.

He nodded to Zhou Yi, then pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

He reached for the lighter, and with a snap, a flame appeared in Zhou Yi's hand, already close to his.

Zhou Xiangdong glanced at him and raised an eyebrow, while Zhou Yi smiled modestly.

After lighting the cigarette, Zhou Xiangdong waved to Zhou Yi and said, "Sit down, why are you standing?"

Then, glancing at the boxed lunch on the table, she turned to Yang Chuan and said, "Chuan'er, is this all you're serving our guests? That's too stingy."

Zhou Yi quickly said, "Captain Zhou, this is great. It has both meat and vegetables, and most importantly, the portions are large and filling."

Yang Chuan, of course, knew his boss's personality, so he just chuckled and didn't say anything.

"You guys keep eating," Zhou Xiangdong said, puffing out a cloud of smoke.

Zhou Yi didn't stand on ceremony and picked up his chopsticks to continue eating.

"Director Li said you received a first-class merit award?"

Zhou Yi nodded: "Yes."

"how old are you?"

"twenty-three."

A hint of surprise flashed in Zhou Xiangdong's eyes, and he nodded.

Then, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, he rolled up the sleeve of his left shirt.

Zhou Yi noticed a nearly 20-centimeter-long scar on Zhou Xiangdong's left upper arm, a shocking sight.

Zhou Xiangdong pointed to the scar and said proudly, "This is from when I first became a policeman. I caught a robber and he slashed me with a knife. My arm was almost ripped off, and I was nearly crippled! I was twenty-one that year, two years younger than you."

Then he held up two fingers and said, "I received a second-class merit award. Oh dear, without this second-class merit award, I wouldn't have become the brigade leader."

Zhou Yi quickly expressed his respect, and it came from the bottom of his heart.

This kind of injury is no joke, especially in an era when medical technology was not advanced. It was truly a blessing from God that you weren't disabled.

Zhou Xiangdong rolled up his sleeves and said, "That's why there are no cowards in our Zhou family!"

Zhou Yi nodded repeatedly, because he discovered that this Captain Zhou had a very straightforward personality.

Straightforward people have both advantages and disadvantages. Their advantage is that they are sincere to others and care deeply about the people and things they approve of.

The downside is that they lack flexibility and dislike being controlled.

This is also why Li Linglong rejected Zhou Yi before; clearly, Zhou Xiangdong didn't like the new director interfering with his work.

Yang Chuan was quite nervous at first, but when he heard his captain say "our Zhou family," he immediately felt relieved, pulled up a chair, and continued eating.

"You were a huge help to us with the case in Huangniu Township. We had no leads at all back then, and it took us months to figure it out. My initial thought was that the suspect was a beggar."

Before the 1990s, there were actually quite a few beggars in various places, whether in cities or rural areas. Every few days, beggars would come to your door. The fact that they could suspect beggars shows that they had indeed investigated everything that needed to be investigated.

"I never expected it would be someone going to the countryside to collect soybeans," Zhou Xiangdong said, slapping the table.

Zhou Yi began, "Is it because the bags of grain that were stored in the victim's house were never moved?"

“You’re absolutely right. The victim’s parents said that nothing was missing or touched, so we never thought of that possibility.”

This is not surprising. If Zhang Gensheng touched the container in the victim's house where the soybeans were stored when he was in contact with the victim, it could raise suspicion.

But since nothing was touched and there were no witnesses, it's hard to imagine this.

“Sigh, Old Chen has hated me for ten years because of this. We used to have a pretty good relationship. His third aunt’s husband’s nephew is my fourth aunt’s son-in-law. We used to drink together often.”

Zhou Yi was completely bewildered by these family relationships and couldn't make sense of them...

"Oh, Old Chen is the director of the Shacao Town Police Station. The high school student who was murdered in Huangniu Township was his sister's son."

As he spoke, Zhou Xiangdong's eyes suddenly reddened: "You know, such a good kid was killed for no reason, I feel so bad for him. Who the hell doesn't want to catch the murderer?"

"Chuan'er, is Zhang Gensheng still locked up?"

Yang Chuan quickly replied, "He's locked up. The details should be pretty much settled by now. Old Kang and his men are handling it. Once you and Director Li sign off, he can be transferred to the detention center."

"Delay it, don't transfer her to the detention center yet."

Yang Chuan seemed to understand his captain's meaning. He glanced at Zhou Yi furtively and tentatively asked, "Captain Zhou, do you still want to interrogate him personally?"

“Yes! Why wouldn’t I want it? But I’m currently hospitalized due to a work injury, so let’s put it off for now and come back for the trial when I’m better. You don’t need to worry about Director Li.”

"Understood. Should I ask the brothers to keep an eye on things?"

Zhou Xiangdong nodded heavily and said without hesitation, "Don't make him comfortable."

Zhou Yi knew that this didn't mean taking the law into one's own hands, but rather dealing with Zhang Gensheng within reasonable limits.

For example, a group of people take turns interrogating you, just to keep you from sleeping.

For example, you might be handcuffed and shackled, unable to lie down or sit, forced to stand for hours on end.

It's somewhat similar to Shi Tao locking someone in a dry latrine; he neither hits nor scolds you, but he just makes you uncomfortable, making you feel like you're sitting on pins and needles.

Zhou Xiangdong was hospitalized with a fracture and will need at least ten days to half a month.

Zhang Gensheng is in for a rough time here.

Although Zhou Yi himself would not do that, he does not object to others doing it.

After all, compared to the suffering endured by the victims and their families, what is a little bit of suffering for the murderer?

“I heard what you were talking about,” Zhou Xiangdong said to Zhou Yi, a cigarette between his fingers. “Young man, I think you’ve underestimated Ma Weichang.”

“Captain Zhou, I’ve met this Ma Weichang before he died. He seemed like an ordinary businessman to me,” Zhou Yi explained, because theoretically, Zhou Xiangdong had never met Ma Weichang.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Zhou Xiangdong waved the hand holding the cigarette and said, "You can't judge some people by their appearance, especially businessmen, those bastards..."

Zhou Xiangdong seemed to realize that his words were a bit rude, coughed, and smiled awkwardly, saying, "It's a good thing Director Li isn't here, otherwise I would have to watch my image again."

Yang Chuan and Zhou Yi both laughed. Yang Chuan was used to it, while Zhou Yi felt that Captain Zhou was actually not difficult to get along with.

However, he was more curious as to why Zhou Xiangdong had such a preconceived notion about a deceased person he had never met.

“Team Leader Zhou, I am indeed too young. Our team leader often tells me that young people must learn from the valuable experience of the veterans who are fighting on the front lines. Now that the opportunity has come, please give me some guidance.”

As the saying goes, flattery will get you everywhere.

Even if you manage to flatter someone, consider it like getting a massage.

Moreover, given Zhou Xiangdong's straightforward personality, he couldn't suppress a smile upon hearing this.

Turning to Yang Chuan, who was gnawing on a chicken bone, he said, "Look at Xiao Zhou, he's so good at talking. And look at you guys, you're all so narrow-minded."

Yang Chuan chuckled and said something absolutely correct: "Aren't those the soldiers you trained, Captain Zhou?"

"Go gnaw on your chicken bones." Zhou Xiangdong pointed at Yang Chuan, then said to Zhou Yi, "Let me put it this way, here, if you're running a small business, selling vegetables or meat, that's fine. But if you want to do big business, it's not that simple."

"Why?" Zhou Yi asked.

"Let me ask you a question first: What are people most afraid of in poorer places?"

Yang Chuan blurted out, "I'm afraid we'll stay poor forever."

Zhou Xiangdong shook his head and looked at Zhou Yi.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Yi replied, "I'm afraid others will get rich."

"Bang!" Zhou Xiangdong slammed his hand on the table and said, "Smart! You're still young. You've never seen a person so bad."

Zhou Yi thought to himself, "I've seen it before."

“In this place, if you want to do some big business, but you’re such a nice guy, it’s impossible! You can at most pretend to be a nice guy, but you’re definitely not one at heart,” Zhou Xiangdong said with a sneer. “Otherwise, hehe, you’ll be devoured until there’s nothing left.”

These words made Zhou Yi's heart skip a beat. He really didn't know much about the local situation, after all, he had only been there for a few days and hadn't met many people.

But Zhou Xiangdong has spent most of his life here, so he must have his reasons for saying that. Zhou Yi tentatively asked, "Captain Zhou, do you mean... there's a possibility of involvement with organized crime?"

Zhou Xiangdong waved his hand: "That's not necessarily true. If Ma Weichang is really involved in organized crime, our county bureau would know something about it."

Zhou Yi nodded. That made sense. Veteran criminal police officers like Zhou Xiangdong, who were deeply rooted in the local area, knew exactly who the troublemakers were.

Moreover, Zhou Yi is quite persistent in his own opinions, and Ma Weichang doesn't have the air of a local tyrant or gang leader.

"What I mean is, Ma Weichang is in the building materials business. I don't know how much money he makes from this business, but it involves a lot of people from all walks of life. Various government departments, downstream purchasing companies, all kinds of workers, transportation companies, etc. If he were a nice guy, how could he make money? Every single one of them would want to skin him alive."

Zhou Xiangdong's words enlightened Zhou Yi.

Yes, even though that quarry is considered small, a small quarry is still a quarry, not a tofu shop.

Those who can do this kind of business, even if they are not ruthless, are at least not as harmless as he appears in front of me.

Ma Weichang deliberately showed weakness in front of the police!

This fake couple is really interesting; they're just two people, yet they're full of schemes.

Especially this Ma Weichang, he may have even fooled himself.

It's a pity that this person is dead, otherwise Zhou Yi really wanted to have a go at him.

Zhou Xiangdong then recounted a case that occurred a few years ago in the former Beixian County. Although no one died, the incident caused quite a stir at the time.

A business owner who runs an engineering company recently hired a young woman who had just graduated from vocational school as a data clerk.

The boss took a liking to the pretty young girl and tried to coerce and entice her into sleeping with him, but the girl refused to comply even at the cost of her life.

The girl has a boyfriend who is two years older than her and works as a chef.

Upon learning of this, he grabbed a kitchen knife and went to fight someone.

As a result, the young man stabbed the other man three times and was imprisoned.

Since the injury was not serious, the construction boss was discharged from the hospital soon afterward.

But the nightmare for the girl and the boy's family had only just begun. First, their home was vandalized with paint and excrement every few days.

Then, when the young man's father was riding his bicycle downhill, a motorcyclist suddenly inserted a water hose into the wheel of his bicycle, causing him to fall and break a leg, two ribs, and three front teeth.

Then there was the young woman who had already resigned and left, only to be confronted at her new workplace demanding compensation. The reason given was that she had made a mistake in her previous job, causing huge losses.

Because people were causing trouble every day, the new company had no choice but to let the young woman go.

Soon after, many flyers with her "nude photos" appeared near the girl's home, along with various rumors about how she was a prostitute.

After a series of torments, the girl's family couldn't take it anymore and actually blamed her for not going with the boss in the first place, and even called her boyfriend a jinx.

Ultimately, unable to bear the humiliation, the young girl, not even twenty years old, jumped into the river and committed suicide.

Her boyfriend, who was in prison, was hit by a car driven by an unemployed man of similar age on the day he was released two years later, breaking both his legs and ultimately requiring amputation.

Zhou Xiangdong slammed his fist on the table and said, "Everyone knows that this bastard orchestrated all this, but what's the use? We police need evidence to arrest people. He's rich, so he doesn't even have to lift a finger. He has plenty of lackeys to do the dirty work for him. That little bastard who was driving was later convicted of causing a traffic accident."

"So, of all these rich people, which one of them is any good?"

What Zhou Xiangdong said made Zhou Yi feel suffocated.

It's not that I haven't seen this kind of thing before; on the contrary, it's because I've seen quite a few that I feel even more distressed.

Although Zhou Xiangdong's words were too absolute, there are still wealthy people with good character like Qian Hongxing.

However, since the reform and opening up, a number of nouveau riche have indeed emerged who have become wealthy overnight.

While not always the case, the sudden wealth of the poor often overturns their original worldview.

Because money amplifies desires, and desires corrupt human nature.

The project boss that Zhou Xiangdong mentioned is a typical example of this type of person.

"Captain Zhou, is this boss still in the area?" Zhou Yi asked.

"He's gone. He probably went to the city. Anyway, he can't stay here anymore," Zhou Xiangdong said, stubbing out his cigarette.

"What?"

"After that girl committed suicide, the incident caused a huge uproar and aroused public outrage. His mother couldn't stand the gossip and drank pesticide and committed suicide. Then that bastard moved away, and who knows where he's gone to cause trouble again."

As expected, the information contained in these words basically confirmed Zhou Yi's guess: this person was a nouveau riche from the countryside.

Suicide by drinking pesticide is generally an option only people in rural areas would choose.

"So, I don't think Ma Weichang is clean. If he can have wicked thoughts about this little girl, then he is always a possibility of committing a crime. I've handled many rape cases, and nine out of ten rapists committed the crime after watching pornographic videos and then couldn't hold back."

As Zhou Xiangdong spoke, he turned to Yang Chuan and asked, "Did you search the office at the quarry thoroughly? Did you find any pornographic videotapes?"

Yang Chuan shook his head: "There's only a TV, no VCR. Oh, and there are two pornographic magazines under the pillow."

Zhou Xiangdong spread his hands at Zhou Yi: "Look, this is the trigger. Moreover, in most rape-murder cases, the suspects kill because the victims resist or scream, and they want to cover up their crimes."

"Xiao Zhou, don't overcomplicate things. This case isn't as complicated as you think."

Zhou Yi nodded and said a few nice words. It was normal for opinions to differ when they were just making assumptions about the case, especially since this was someone else's territory.

Then, Zhou Xiangdong discussed some other aspects of the case with them.

Zhou Yi discovered that this Captain Zhou was indeed rather arbitrary and had a strong desire for control. Although he didn't seem to have any hostility towards her, he always brought up seniority when they disagreed.

Zhou Yi couldn't help but feel a headache coming on, because if Zhou Xiangdong were there, with his domineering personality, he could easily steer the case toward the direction he had set.

On the contrary, Li Linglong is more rational and objective, and is more receptive to advice.

No wonder these two don't get along very well; it's understandable.

Zhou Xiangdong, with a second cigarette dangling from his lips, spoke eloquently.

Suddenly, a woman in her late twenties walked in aggressively through the door.

Zhou Xiangdong had his back to the door, so he couldn't see it.

But Zhou Yi and Yang Chuan saw it immediately, especially Yang Chuan, whose expression changed instantly.

The next second, the woman grabbed Zhou Xiangdong's ear and said, "You little rascal, Zhou Xiangdong, you really did come here! Did the doctor tell you to get out of bed? Ah! My mom went to buy a bedpan, and when she came back, she was gone! You're really something!"

Zhou Xiangdong was startled and cried out in pain as he turned to look at the woman.

Zhou Yi knew that his daughter had come to discipline her father, because when women scolded their fathers, their expressions were exactly the same as Zhou Xiangdong's.

"Go back to the hospital! If you dare to sneak out again, I'll break your other leg too!"

Then, Zhou Xiangdong was dragged away by his daughter like a primary school student, which really proved the saying that one thing subdues another.

This relieved Zhou Yi; it seemed Zhou Xiangdong wouldn't be able to return to work.

Given his personality, if he insisted on using crutches to handle cases, Li Linglong really couldn't stop him.

As a result, his daughter became the best wingman.

"Our Captain Zhou's daughter is even more formidable than Captain Zhou himself. Captain Zhou isn't afraid of anyone, except his daughter," Yang Chuan said with a smile.

"I can tell," Zhou Yi said with a smile.

"Officer Zhou, do you think what Captain Zhou said makes sense?"

"To be honest, I really admire Captain Zhou's view that Ma Weichang wouldn't be able to run this quarry business if he were an honest man. Because I met Ma Weichang yesterday and asked him some questions, and I admit, I was misled by him." Zhou Yi gave a thumbs up towards the door and said, "Old foxes are always shrewd."

Yang Chuan was delighted to hear this.

But Zhou Yi then changed the subject, saying, "However, regarding the murderer of Ma Weichang, my opinion differs from Captain Zhou's. Captain Zhou said that Shi Jian had the strongest motive for the crime, and with his social connections, it would be easy for him to find accomplices."

Yang Chuan nodded, because that was indeed what Zhou Xiangdong had just said. Zhou Xiangdong also told them to immediately get Director Li to issue an arrest warrant and to find Shi Jian no matter what.

"So what's your opinion...?"

“I think it’s very unlikely that Shi Jian is the murderer, because the way Ma Weichang died showed too many obvious signs of premeditation. Shi Jian dropped out of junior high school, had no parents, and spent many years hanging around in society without a proper job.”

“This kind of person has a rather extreme and impulsive personality. If Ma Weichang was stabbed to death or hacked to death, then Shi Jian would naturally be the prime suspect. But with this kind of death, I don’t think Shi Jian would have the brains to do it.”

Yang Chuan suddenly realized that Zhou Yi had a point; Ma Weichang's death was indeed very strange.

If Zhou Yi hadn't helped with the autopsy and discovered the truth...

If that doctor surnamed Zhang were to cause all this trouble, Ma Weichang might actually be convicted of suicide.

Then there's the underwear as physical evidence, plus Miao Genhua's testimony.

Doesn't this case just become "Ma Weichang raped and murdered Ge Fangfang, then committed suicide out of fear of punishment"?

Thinking of this, Yang Chuan couldn't help but gasp.

Because he suddenly realized that if he followed Captain Zhou's usual straightforward and somewhat manipulative approach to handling cases, he would be at a disadvantage.

This case may be solved quickly, but it could very well become a wrongful conviction.

He couldn't help but look at Zhou Yi. Thank goodness Director Li had brought in such an outside helper. Otherwise, something terrible would have happened!
When Zhou Yi saw Yang Chuan looking at him, he assumed that Yang Chuan did not believe his opinion.

Then he raised his right index finger and said, "There's another very important point that we've been overlooking!"

(End of this chapter)