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

Chapter 513 No Lies

"A criminal record?" The three were startled.

“Yes, he used to have affairs with other women! I caught him red-handed!” Zhang Guifen said earnestly.

Do you have a criminal record?

Zhang Guifen countered, "What kind of criminal record?"

Zhang Kai said, "Sister, I'm asking if your husband has ever been inside."

Zhang Guifen shook her head: "You're the only one who's ever been inside our house. Your brother-in-law hasn't."

Zhang Kai was instantly so embarrassed he wanted to disappear: "No... why are you talking about me? Are you talking about my brother-in-law?"

Yang Chuan stared at him and asked, "Why were you arrested? How long was your sentence?"

Zhang Kai quickly explained with an awkward laugh, "No... I didn't go to jail, just detained. I was young and ignorant back then, and I got into a fight."

Yang Chuan glared at him and said, "I don't think you've made any progress."

Zhang Kai pointed at Zhang Guifen: "Boss, this isn't... about my sister."

Li Linglong calmly extended his hand: "Continue."

The criminal record that Zhang Guifen refers to is completely different from the criminal record that the police understand.

She said that before running this quarry, Ma Weichang had done many businesses, some of which lost money and some of which made money.

He made a lot of money in the liquor business before, so he got cocky and started getting involved with a young woman who sold liquor. They were always together.

She was caught cheating, and it was her brother Zhang Kai who led a group of people to catch her in the act. They even said they would cut the woman's hair.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Ma Weichang apologized to her.

She said she had originally planned to get a divorce, but her son was still young at the time, so she decided not to for his sake.

Later, Ma Weichang met some shady friends who claimed to have connections to get goods that were 30% cheaper than the market price, and Ma Weichang believed them.

Then they fell for the trick, importing a lot of goods from other provinces and cities, thinking they could make a fortune.

It turned out that, apart from the first batch that he had inspected, all the subsequent shipments were counterfeit alcohol.

The guy who set him up with the girl has disappeared.

This left Ma Weichang completely dumbfounded.

But he was unwilling to lose everything, so he did something stupid: he mixed the fake wine with the real wine and sold it to customers.

Some customers discovered the counterfeit liquor and returned it all. Selling counterfeit liquor is a major taboo in this industry, so Ma Weichang couldn't continue operating, and his business failed.

But that's not the worst part. The worst part is that some customers don't realize the fake liquor and unknowingly sell it as real liquor, which almost kills people and results in significant financial losses.

The boss who was swindled by him had some connections, so he threatened that if Ma Weichang dared to do business in the city again, he would smash his house every time he saw him.

Terrified, Ma Weichang fled to a friend's place in Yuanbei County and hid there for more than a month. During this month, he learned that there was an abandoned quarry in Xipinggou. It was said that the business used to be quite good, but for some reason, the owner suddenly ran away.

It was abandoned after that.

Because the quarry was contracted out to the local government, the local government couldn't collect the money after the people ran away, so they took back the quarry's mining rights.

But no one has taken over the business.

When Ma Weichang realized that he probably wouldn't be able to do business in the city, he became interested in the quarry and went to investigate it several times.

After doing the math, he realized that as long as there was a suitable buyer, given the abundance of local resources, the deal would definitely be successful.

So they asked friends for help finding sales channels, and the problem was solved quickly.

In order to raise funds, not only did they take out all the money in their own home, but they also took out the money saved for the funerals of both sets of grandparents.

Ma Weichang was also very proactive, asking friends and using connections everywhere, and finally got all the necessary procedures completed.

Just when everything was ready and construction was about to begin, new troubles arose.

"He had promised the villagers of Xipinggou that he would hire them if the project officially started. They said that the previous boss still owed them wages, and he thought that since they were all skilled workers, it would be perfect."

"But on the day construction actually started, the village chief of Xipinggou, what was his name again? He brought a large group of people to Ma Weichang. Then the village chief produced a written agreement and said that Ma Weichang had to honor it."

"A written agreement? What written agreement?" Li Linglong asked. "What did Ma Weichang promise them?"

Zhang Guifen said, "It wasn't Ma Weichang who agreed, it was the boss who ran away before, surnamed Huang, I don't know his name."

"The previous boss?" Zhou Yi was also puzzled, vaguely sensing that something was wrong.

What does the agreement say?

Zhang Guifen shook her head: "I don't know what it says, but Ma Weichang told me that it seems that the previous boss Huang promised to transfer half of the ownership of the quarry to the village. The village chief brought people here to make Ma Weichang fulfill this promise."

"What?" Zhou Yi and the other two were shocked.

What kind of situation is this? Holding a written agreement drawn up by the previous boss who ran away, they're demanding that the current boss honor his promises.

Isn't this just using the sword of the previous dynasty to behead officials of the current dynasty?

Furthermore, why would the previously well-off Mr. Huang transfer half of the ownership of the quarry to the villagers?

Furthermore, the transfer of ownership is a rather complicated matter and requires going through procedures with relevant departments.

Judging from what Zhang Guifen said, it is clear that Ma Weichang did not know about this matter before.

In other words, this document transferring ownership does not have full legal effect.

"How did Ma Weichang deal with it?" Li Linglong asked.

Zhang Kai, who was standing to the side, raised his hand and said, "Leader... I have the right to speak on this. My brother-in-law called me and called for reinforcements. He said that the villagers had blocked him in his car and wouldn't let him leave. He told me to bring people over quickly."

"did you go?"

"Yes, I went. I took dozens of people with me. I called all my brothers and buddies." Zhang Kai said with some pride, but then he realized where he was and his expression changed.

He said that after he led his men there, Ma Weichang felt emboldened and challenged the villagers, saying that he would absolutely not acknowledge the document and that they should go find whoever wrote it.

Then a conflict broke out between the two sides, and they almost came to blows.

Zhang Kai said that it was only because the village chief desperately stopped them from actually fighting.

The village chief pulled Ma Weichang aside and said he would think of a solution, adding that the people here were all uneducated and stubborn.

Ma Weichang told Zhang Kai these things afterward.

Zhang Guifen said that after Ma Weichang returned, he verbally cursed the villagers as scoundrels and hooligans, saying that he would never compromise even if he had to fight them to the death.

But he was actually extremely anxious because he had already invested all his money and there was no turning back.

These words are basically the same as Ma Weichang's own account, except that he did not mention the written agreement to Zhou Yi and the others.

Zhou Yi wasn't sure if it was because he thought explaining the matter was too complicated and too brief, or if there was some other reason.

After that, it was pretty much the same as what Ma Weichang said.

She didn't go into as much detail as Ma Weichang, because she said that after the quarry business started, Ma Weichang went home less and less often.

"Are you familiar with the profitability of the quarry?" Li Linglong asked.

Zhang Guifen shook her head: "He kept telling me he didn't earn much, but I know he definitely earns a lot."

"why?"

“I’ve been married to him for so many years, how could I not know what he’s like? As soon as he has a lot of money in his pocket, he gets cocky, and the way he talks changes. What’s that idiom again?” Zhang Guifen racked her brains, but just couldn’t remember. “If it were my son, he would know. Our Yangyang has excellent grades.”

When her son was mentioned, Zhang Guifen's face first showed pride, but it quickly turned into sadness.

Only at this moment was she not that shrewish and fierce woman, but a helpless mother.

So Zhou Xiangdong was right; he had indeed been deceived by Ma Weichang's honest appearance.

The way this guy fabricated his affair with Miao Genhua was practically a soap opera, portraying himself as having no choice in the situation.

However, this also confirms from another perspective that Ma Weichang could not have committed suicide, because a person who is about to die would not go to great lengths to cultivate a noble and righteous image.

Li Linglong then asked for some other information, but Zhou Yi didn't find any useful clues.

Zhang Guifen knew very little about the quarry's financial situation or Ma Weichang's current personal circumstances.

But she tearfully explained that she not only had to take care of her son's basic needs while working, but also had to look after both sets of elderly parents, because Ma Weichang was busy with his business.

Ma Weichang also gave her less and less for household expenses. Last month, he only brought home 100 yuan.

This figure represents a month's payment that he had agreed upon when he and Miao Genhua entered into a sham marriage. This clearly shows that Ma Weichang's inner balance had already shifted.

The truth of the saying "Men with money become bad" is being proven time and again.

Zhang Guifen kept pressing Li Linglong to tell her how Ma Weichang died, and he replied that the case was still under investigation and that the possibility of homicide could not be ruled out at present.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Guifen gritted her teeth and said, "Then you must investigate thoroughly. It must have been that bitch Miao Genhua who killed him. Leader, you must stand up for us, the widow and her orphan!"

Then she burst into tears again.

After offering a few words of comfort in a rather official tone, Li Linglong changed the subject and said with a slightly serious tone, "But I have to make this clear beforehand: if you bring so many people to cause trouble again, we will have to deal with you according to the law."

Zhang Kai quickly nodded: "Yes, yes, it's all my fault. I acted impulsively. I won't do it again. I won't do it again."

"Yang Chuan, see him off."

"Okay, this way please, both of you."

Zhang Guifen and Zhang Kai followed Yang Chuan outside. Zhou Yi, who had been silent all along, suddenly called out, "Zhang Kai."

"Hey." Zhang Kai was startled and quickly stopped, turning around to look at the policeman who was much younger than him.

"How's business at the entertainment center?" Zhou Yi asked with a smile.

Zhang Kai was taken aback for a moment, then replied, "It's...it's alright, just making a living with the brothers."

"You haven't been involved in any illegal business, have you?"

Zhang Kai quickly shook his head like a rattle drum: "No...no, I swear, it's all legitimate business."

"You saw what happened to your brother-in-law. He should do business honestly and diligently. If you walk by the river long enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet, you know?"

Zhang Kai nodded repeatedly: "I know, I know, thank you for reminding me, boss."

Zhou Yi waved his hand: "Go ahead."

Zhang Kai followed his sister out, feeling completely bewildered. Hey, he'd actually been lectured by a young man.

As soon as the two left, Li Linglong couldn't help but laugh and say, "Zhou Yi, the energy you had just displayed was more mature than mine."

Zhou Yi quickly laughed and said, "No way, I learned it all from our Captain Wu. I'm just imitating him poorly."

"This Zhang Kai, does he own an entertainment center?"

"No, he's just using someone else's power to intimidate others. He's actually just a fairly large arcade. I suspect he might be secretly running a gambling machine business, so I'm giving him a warning."

Li Linglong nodded: "Yes, you're right. Ma Weichang is a perfect example."

"Director Li, I've brought over breakfast. Have some first," Zhou Yi said.

"Okay, let's eat here."

Zhou Yi jogged over to get the packed breakfast. Li Linglong saw it on the table and asked, "Why haven't you eaten?"

"You, as the leader, haven't even eaten yet, how could I eat first? That would be quite a presumptuous thing." Zhou Yi smiled as he opened the bag. "It's still warm, just right."

The two had just sat down when Yang Chuan came in.

"Brother Chuan, want some? I haven't even touched my chopsticks yet," Zhou Yi quickly said.

"No need, no need, you guys eat. I'll go to the corner and buy some pancakes later. I like their sauce."

The three chatted as they ate, and Li Linglong asked, "What are your thoughts, you two?"

Yang Chuan didn't mince words, pointing directly at Zhou Yi and saying, "Ask him? I don't have the brains for that."

Zhou Yi smiled and said, "Actually, Zhang Guifen knows very little. She knew some things in the early stages, but the further it went, the more she seemed like an outsider."

"On the surface, the relationship between Zhang Guifen and Ma Weichang appears to be one where the woman is stronger and the man is weaker, but in reality, the initiative is entirely in Ma Weichang's hands. Zhang Guifen's fierceness is just a cover for her insecurity. I was misled and formed a preconceived notion because I accidentally overheard Ma Weichang and Zhang Guifen talking on the phone."

This point did indeed remind Zhou Yi that, in many criminal cases, veteran detectives instinctively harbor suspicion towards those they are questioning, because people are psychologically prepared in this state and may lie or conceal information.

Therefore, information obtained unintentionally is often more accurate.

But this time he realized that even information obtained unintentionally could be false.

Because some people are pretending all the time.

"However, there are two important pieces of information that can be gleaned from Zhang Guifen's words."

"First, my suspicions about this Uncle Dong have intensified. Whether it's the transfer of rights or his marriage to Miao Genhua, it was probably all his doing."

Li Linglong nodded: "This Miao Dongfang is definitely not right."

"Yang Chuan, are there any problems with his statement? Where was he during the time of the incident? Does he have an alibi?"

Yang Chuan shook his head and said, "Director Li, Ma Weichang died at night, when everyone is sleeping, so it's difficult to provide a valid alibi. Miao Dongfang said he was sleeping at home, but he lives alone, so it's useless for him to say that."

Zhou Yi had read Miao Dongfang's statement; he did indeed live alone.

He is 54 years old this year. His wife passed away 20 years ago, and he has remained single ever since.

He has a daughter who is thirty-one years old this year. He said she married someone from a far away place, so she rarely comes back.

So, just as Yang Chuan said, he claimed he was sleeping at home, but no one can verify that.

"And the second point?" Li Linglong asked.

"The second point is that we need to find that boss surnamed Huang from before and ask him. I feel that there may be some hidden story behind the fact that this boss Huang ran away."

"Okay, Yang Chuan, see who's free and go ask at the county government across the street. It's not hard to find information about this Boss Huang, but I'm worried about finding the person himself, since it's been several years."

"Understood, I'll go right away."

Yang Chuan turned to leave, and Li Linglong picked up a piece of bread and casually asked, "I heard from Yang Chuan that you saw our Captain Zhou last night?"

"Yes, after we finished interrogating Miao Genhua last night, Captain Zhou came by once," Zhou Yi said with a smile. "But not long after, his daughter dragged him back by the ear."

Li Linglong was surprised: "Really? Yang Chuan didn't mention this. I didn't expect Captain Zhou to be so afraid of his daughter."

"That's normal. It's called 'everything has its counter,' and even the most powerful person has someone they're afraid of."

What do you think of our Captain Zhou?

This question surprised Zhou Yi slightly. He didn't know what Li Linglong meant, since Li Linglong didn't seem like the kind of person who would hold a grudge.

But after all, this is someone else's business, and how could I, a temporary guest, have the right to comment on their personal affairs?

Then, changing the subject, he said, "Captain Zhou showed me the scars on his arm and told me that he received a second-class merit award when he first started working. I admire him very much; his fearless spirit is something I should learn from."

Li Linglong smiled slightly. He had been a reserve cadre since he was assigned to his hometown after graduation, and he is now the youngest county branch director in the city.

Just as Zhou Yi had guessed, he was on the path of being trained as a cadre. He knew exactly what the other party was thinking as soon as he heard Zhou Yi's official-sounding reply.

However, he didn't mean what Zhou Yi thought, so he changed the subject and asked, "You said before that your girlfriend is from our Yuanbei County, right?"

"Yes, her parents were sent-down youth who settled in Yangjiatun."

"After graduating from university, does she have any plans to return to her hometown to contribute to its development? Our county leaders are very open-minded, especially when it comes to high-level talents like university graduates. We are eager to recruit talent, and we have preferential policies for local university graduates who return to their hometowns to work. If she plans to come back in the future, I can help recommend her," Li Linglong said sincerely.

As soon as he said that, Zhou Yi knew he had made a mistake, but he also knew what Li Linglong's real intention was.

He smiled helplessly and said, "I can't make that decision for her, besides, she's only going to be a sophomore, it's still early. But I'll thank Director Li on her behalf first. If she's planning to do this, I'll come back to bother you again when she's closer to graduation."

"Oh, you're only a sophomore? That's still a long way off." Li Linglong nodded. "No problem. Whenever you come back to visit your elders, feel free to come and sit here anytime."

"Thank you, Director Li. Of course I'll come."

Li Linglong muttered again, somewhat unwillingly, "Oh dear, I think it'll be quite troublesome for Captain Zhou to get injured this time, after all, he's getting on in years. He'll be retiring in a few years, and with all these injuries, the higher-ups might be lenient and let him retire to a less demanding role. Where am I supposed to find someone to take over his duties?"

Zhou Yi suppressed a laugh and casually said, "I think Officer Yang is quite good. He's calm, capable, and experienced. Most importantly, he's been with Captain Zhou for so many years and has a thorough understanding of all aspects of the local area."

“Director Li, I think that in the case of Yuanbei County, it is more important to have someone like Captain Zhou who can keep the local scoundrels in check. After all, we have only had a handful of major cases and murders over the years.”

Zhou Yi's words made Li Linglong nod in agreement from the bottom of his heart, "That makes sense."

Zhou Yi thought to himself, "If you want to poach me, you'll have to fight Wu Yongcheng first. Even if you manage to take down Captain Wu, there's still Captain Liang behind you."

After the two finished eating and packed up their things to leave, Yang Chuan and the police officers hurriedly approached them.

"Director Li, Xiao Hai just got back from Antong," Yang Chuan said. "Xiao Hai, quickly report to the director."

Xiao Hai nodded and said, "Director, I went to Antong and confirmed with the warehouse manager that Miao Zhuang wasn't lying. On July 22nd, Miao Zhuang did indeed go alone."

(End of this chapter)