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

Chapter 518 Interrogation of Miao Tiejun (Seeking monthly votes, extra chapter today)

July 29th.

It has been eight days since Ge Fangfang went missing.

The case in Xipinggou has gone far beyond what was initially a simple missing person case.

Due to Miao Dongfang's escape, the entire police force of the former Beixian County was mobilized.

When Zhou Yi and his team returned to the county bureau, checkpoints had already been set up at several major traffic intersections for strict inspections.

Upon returning to the station, they learned that Li Linglong had already gone out to direct operations. After he reported to the city, the city immediately mobilized police forces from two counties near Yuanbei County to assist in the search and arrest operation.

The city bureau leadership instructed that the suspect must not be allowed to escape the city and must be apprehended as soon as possible to avoid threatening the personal safety of ordinary citizens.

So Li Linglong couldn't wait for them to return and went out himself to oversee the search and arrest operation.

Zhou Yi was unclear about the specific police force deployment for the search operation, but he figured that Miao Dongfang was not Long Zhiqiang.

Under the tight net, it shouldn't be too difficult to capture Miao Dongfang, who fled in panic.

It's just a matter of time, and we'll see if any unexpected things happen.

The county police station is practically out of staff; all the officers they can send out have been deployed, since such a major case has never occurred in the area before.

Only a small number of clerical and technical staff remain.

Yang Chuan asked Zhou Yi, "Should we interrogate Miao Tiejun or Miao Genhua first?"

Zhou Yi thought for a moment and said, "Let's eat first!"

"Huh?" Yang Chuan was taken aback.

"That lunchbox was pretty good yesterday," Zhou Yi said with a smile.

Yang Chuan didn't know what Zhou Yi was up to, but trusting him, he nodded and said, "Okay, you wait here, I'll go buy it."

"Brother Chuan, buy two more portions."

"Okay... I understand."

Not long after, Yang Chuan interrogated Miao Tiejun.

Miao Tiejun was neither as uneasy as Miao Zhuang, nor as cautious and tearful as Miao Genhua.

When you ask him questions, he doesn't utter a single word; he's as stubborn as a block of wood.

Zhou Yi and Yang Chuan exchanged a glance. Yang Chuan took out the boxed lunch from the bag, and the two began to eat right in front of Miao Tiejun.

It was past lunchtime. Since Li Linglong had canceled the canteen and sent out all the available people to capture Miao Dongfang, no one was taking care of Miao Tiejun's meals.

Seeing that the two of them didn't ask him anything, but instead started eating and were eating with great relish.

Miao Tiejun couldn't help but crane his neck to take a look.

This behavior naturally did not escape Zhou Yi's notice, but he did not intend to pay attention to it so quickly.

"This pork chop is great today, it's really well-cooked and flavorful."

"Hmm, try my ribs, they're delicious too."

"The shredded potatoes are also good, they're sour and spicy."

The two of them chatted back and forth, completely ignoring Miao Tiejun.

Seeing how much they were enjoying their food, Miao Tiejun couldn't help but swallow.

Then, his stomach made a "gurgling" sound.

Zhou Yi knew that was about enough.

He winked at Yang Chuan.

Yang Chuan nodded, took out another boxed lunch from under the table, and got up to walk over to Miao Tiejun.

"Are you hungry?" Yang Chuan asked with a smile.

Miao Tiejun didn't speak, but his eyes were fixed on the food in his hand.

"Here, eat up, one meat dish and one vegetable dish." With that, Yang Chuan handed him a styrofoam lunchbox and a plastic spoon.

The spoon was provided to prevent the suspect from using disposable chopsticks to harm himself.

Miao Tiejun looked at the boxed lunch he was offered, hesitated for a moment, and did not reach for it.

Yang Chuan waited a few seconds and then said, "If you don't want to eat, then forget it."

As he was about to pull his hand back, Miao Tiejun immediately shouted, "I'll eat it, I'll eat it."

He took the lunchbox and began to wolf down his food.

Yang Chuan said, "Don't rush, be careful not to choke."

Then he went back to the table, picked up his chopsticks, and continued eating.

In the interrogation room at this moment, two police officers and a criminal suspect are eating their meal in silence, a rather peculiar scene.

Whether it was due to nervousness or she was just too hungry, Miao Tiejun was the first to finish eating.

He held up his completely empty lunchbox and said, "I...I'm done eating."

"Are you full?" Yang Chuan walked over, took the lunchbox, and asked. "If you're not full, we have more."

Miao Tiejun didn't say anything. Yang Chuan smiled, walked back to his seat, took out a styrofoam lunchbox, and handed it to Miao Tiejun.

This time, the other person didn't hesitate and took the lunchbox and started eating.

Yang Chuan returned to his seat and winked at Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi nodded and put down his chopsticks.

"Miao Tiejun, we dug up a body under the bed in Miao Dongfang's house," Zhou Yi said.

Miao Tiejun's hand, which was eating, suddenly froze. After a couple of seconds of stunned silence, he continued eating, only now he chewed even more vigorously.

Do you know who died?

Miao Tiejun didn't speak, but he shook his head.

"Were you involved?" Zhou Yi asked, adding to dispel any lingering hope, "We collected two sets of footprints at the scene, and one set, after comparison, matches your shoe size."

While Zhou Yi was speaking, Miao Tiejun kept stuffing food into his mouth.

Soon his mouth was stuffed full, and his cheeks bulged out.

He kept chewing his food, and after Zhou Yi finished asking his questions, the only sound in the interrogation room was the sound of him eating.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Yang Chuan frowned. Just as he was about to speak, Zhou Yi gestured for him to be quiet.

Then, Miao Tiejun was seen with his brows furrowed, his neck tilted back, and he swallowed the large mouthful of food with great difficulty.

As he swallowed that mouthful, his tense state immediately relaxed.

"I...I'm full," he said, holding up the lunchbox in his hand.

Zhou Yi walked over, took the styrofoam lunchbox with leftover food, closed it, and then handed over a glass of water.

Miao Tiejun took it, said thank you, and then drank it all in one gulp.

Zhou Yi said earnestly, "Miao Tiejun, you've eaten and drunk your water. Now that things have come to this, you should just confess. No matter what your original schemes and plans were, they've all come to nothing now."

"Think about your wife, think about your two children."

After returning to the county bureau, Zhou Yi reviewed Miao Tiejun's file.

Twenty-six years old, a local of Xipinggou. His father died early, and his mother raised him alone before passing away five years ago.

He has a junior high school education, is married, and currently has a son and a daughter with his wife. His daughter is four years old and his son is two years old.

No criminal record, nor any record of paying social security contributions.

Judging from the information alone, it is very ordinary and nothing special.

However, considering Miao Tiejun himself, Zhou Yi made some analyses and speculations from the perspective of criminal psychological profiling.

First, there's Miao Tiejun's strength and physique—his tall stature, robust build, dark skin, and the power that Zhou Yi couldn't control on his own.

All of this shows that he is a typical working-class young man.

This is incomparable to those bodybuilders who trained in gyms later on.

Whether he was farming or working in a quarry, it shows that he was a very honest and reliable person, unlike Miao Zhuang who was idle and irresponsible.

Secondly, his father died early, and his mother was a widow who raised him alone and never remarried.

Men raised in such families tend to have very strong self-esteem.

Then there's the fact that he's married and has two children at a young age, which shows that he's a very responsible person with a strong sense of family.

Finally, in the morning at the arcade, Miao Zhuang, who had been brought out, recounted how he had been humiliated.

He completely lost control of his emotions in front of the police and tried to hit the arcade owner.

This shows that he is rather simple-minded and acts impulsively without considering the consequences.

A kind-hearted but simple-minded and impulsive young man from a rural area, with a strong sense of self-esteem and responsibility.

In theory, it would be impossible for such a person to participate in the premeditation and planning of such a complex murder case.

Therefore, it can be determined that he was merely an accomplice of Miao Dongfang.

Or rather, so far, everyone has only been a tool, a knife.

The only person who actually wielded the knife was the village chief, Miao Dongfang.

However, given his personality traits, he lacks leadership skills.

His willingness to stand up as the elder brother of the younger generation in Xipinggou is certainly not due to seniority.

That can only mean that Miao Dongfang values ​​him highly.

In ancient times, such straightforward and single-minded people were very likely to become suicide warriors.

Therefore, using Yang Chuan and his group's tough approach will only provoke resistance from the other side.

This is what is known as being responsive to gentle persuasion but not to force.

But if you try to confront him directly with facts and reason, appealing to his emotions and logic, it might be like casting pearls before swine.

Because of their low level of education, the other party may not be able to understand overly complex logic.

The more stubborn a person is, the less likely they are to listen to advice.

So Zhou Yi thought about it and came up with the most basic method.

Zhou Yi recalled a saying in the Records of the Grand Historian: "A kindness received for a single meal must be repaid, and a grudge grieved for even the smallest thing must be avenged."

That's why Yang Chuan was asked to buy two extra meals. After all, food is the most important thing for people, especially for rural people who have lived through hard times; having enough to eat is an ingrained obsession. And sure enough, it worked.

In the last sentence, his wife and children are brought up again, becoming the last straw that breaks the camel's back.

This is called attacking the mind, bypassing the opponent's strongest armor and going straight for the heart.

Upon hearing about his wife and children, Miao Tiejun's eyes immediately reddened, but he held back his tears.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Uncle Dong is very good to me. He is like a second parent to me. If it weren't for Uncle Dong, I would probably be dead by now."

Zhou Yi's heart skipped a beat. He had guessed that Miao Dongfang had treated Miao Tiejun well, but he hadn't expected it to be the great favor Miao Dongfang had mentioned.

Thinking to myself, "This is bad. Is Miao Tiejun planning to hold out to the bitter end?"
But the next second, Miao Tiejun said, "But I know that some of the things Uncle Dong did were wrong. Uncle Dong asked me to do it because he trusts me. I can't disobey him. I can't be an ungrateful person."

As he spoke, he raised his head blankly, his expression pained: "But I did such a thing, I don't know how to face my wife and children."

“I…I’m afraid that one day they will find out what kind of person I am, I…I…” In the end, Miao Tiejun’s psychological defenses completely collapsed, and he broke down in tears.

This wasn't caused by the last straw, but by the long-term torment and suffering of inner conflict.

Yang Chuan was very happy because this meant that Miao Tiejun was willing to confess.

But when he turned his head, he found that Zhou Yi's expression had become even more serious than before.

His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked in a low voice, "W-what's wrong? Is something the problem?"

Zhou Yi hesitated for a moment, but finally said, "Miao Tiejun, tell us everything you know. Your attitude toward admitting your guilt will determine your sentence. Whether you can get leniency, a shorter sentence, and reunite with your wife and children sooner depends on you."

What Zhou Yi didn't say was his suspicion that there were other lives lost before this.

Because Shi Jian and Ma Weichang died not long ago.

In a normal criminal mindset, within such a short period of time, the perpetrator would only be in a state of tension and unease, not yet to the point of inner torment and suffering.

The fact that he said he didn't know how to face his wife and children suggests that this emotion likely didn't originate in the last couple of days.

That's why he looked so serious, because it's very likely that another murder case has been uncovered!
Miao Tiejun nodded through his tears and began to speak.

He said that his father died of illness when he was very young, so now he has almost no memory of his father except for a portrait in the family.

All he remembered was that Uncle Dong was very good to him, often buying him food and clothes when he was a child.

In that era of extreme scarcity, when even getting a full meal was difficult, Uncle Dong treated him so well.

This moved him deeply. Ever since he was old enough to understand, he had regarded his Uncle Dong as the closest person to him besides his mother.

He said that Uncle Dong not only bought him food and clothes, but also sent him to school.

There was no primary school in Xipinggou, so students had to go to the town to study. Moreover, there was no compulsory education at that time, so students had to pay their own tuition fees.

His mother was reluctant to spend the money because rural people rely on farming to make a living and selling grain for money; they live a very frugal life.

As a result, Uncle Dong insisted and even paid his tuition so that he could go to school.

Uncle Dong told him to study hard, improve every day, and make a lot of money in the future.

Unfortunately, he wasn't cut out for studying and couldn't concentrate on his books at all.

But he didn't want to disappoint Uncle Dong, so instead of dropping out of school like Miao Zhuang, he persevered until he finished junior high school.

Since he was not academically inclined and could not get into high school or vocational school, he had no choice but to go home.

But at least he has shed the label of being illiterate.

He said that when he was eleven years old, he had acute appendicitis and was writhing in pain at home in the middle of the night.

His mother was terrified and ran to Uncle Dong for help.

Uncle Dong took him to the town's health center overnight, and later he was urgently transferred to the county hospital for surgery, which saved his life.

This is why he said he would have died long ago without Uncle Dong.

That night, he was in so much pain that he couldn't even sit on the back of the bicycle. He would roll off the back seat every few meters.

Finally, Uncle Dong carried him on his back, running more than ten miles in the dead of night until he was taken to the town's health center.

He later learned from his mother that after taking him to the health center and handing him over to the doctor that night, Uncle Dong was covered in sweat, like a waterlogged person, and lay on the ground panting for a full half hour before he could catch his breath.

Upon learning this, he knelt before Uncle Dong even before being discharged from the hospital, kowtowed three times, and vowed to take care of Uncle Dong in his old age and see him off in his final days.

After graduating from junior high school, Uncle Dong found him a job as an apprentice at a blacksmith shop in town because he was strong.

He said that those years as an apprentice were very tough. The blacksmith shop was like a furnace all day long, and when sparks flew onto his body while he was forging iron, he would get a scar.

But he persevered because it was a job that Uncle Dong had arranged for him, and he couldn't let Uncle Dong down.

This is also the difference between him and Miao Zhuang. He is a very stubborn person, unlike Miao Zhuang who is weak-willed and has no principles.

When he mentioned Miao Dongfang, his attitude was very serious, and his tone was full of gratitude towards Uncle Dong.

That's why he eventually embarked on a path of no return.

Later, his mother fell ill and went to the hospital for a checkup, where it was found that she had a problem with her liver.

The doctor said that this illness requires careful attention and rest, and one should avoid overexertion.

So, in order to take care of his mother, after discussing it with Uncle Dong, he quit his job at the blacksmith shop, returned home, and began to shoulder the burden of supporting the family.

That year, he was eighteen years old.

However, his return home did not improve his mother's health. After all, the damage had accumulated over the years, and by the time the symptoms appeared, it was already too late.

His mother's health was deteriorating, and he was so worried that he couldn't sleep at night, but he was powerless to do anything about it.

One day, Uncle Dong suddenly called him to his house, then took out a new set of clothes and told him to change into them.

He was confused, but Uncle Dong told him that he had found a matchmaker to take him on a blind date.

They also said the woman's family didn't want a dowry, as long as the man was reliable and a good person.

Miao Tiejun immediately said that he didn't want to get married right now; he just wanted to take care of his mother and help her get better quickly.

Uncle Dong pulled him down to sit, sighed deeply, and said, "Your mother's illness is probably incurable. Who knows when she'll pass away? Her greatest wish in life was to see you get married and have a child. If she doesn't see that, wouldn't she die with regrets?"

These words convinced him to follow Uncle Dong's arrangement, put on a new set of clothes, and go on the blind date.

Not long after, he got married, and that is his current wife.

She gave birth to a baby girl in the second year of her marriage.

The following year, his mother passed away, and he said that Uncle Dong and the villagers helped him with the funeral arrangements.

Uncle Dong usually took good care of him, often buying him things or secretly slipping him money.

His daughter and son both called Uncle Dong "Grandpa" when they met him.

So, in terms of genealogical relationships, Miao Dongfang might be his uncle from the same clan, but in terms of actual affection, he is even closer to him than his own father.

About seven years ago, a car suddenly appeared in the village, which was very rare for them.

The driver was none other than the Mr. Huang who had absconded, whom Zhang Guifen had mentioned before.

This Mr. Huang was brought along by a leader from some unknown department in the town.

After they arrived, they went to the back mountain, fiddled around with things for a while, and then left.

The villagers were all baffled and asked Uncle Dong, the village chief, what was going on.

Uncle Dong shook his head and said he didn't know either, that they hadn't let him go with them.

After a while, Uncle Dong was summoned to town. When he returned, he excitedly told everyone that the Boss Huang who had come before was planning to open a quarry in the back mountain of Xipinggou, saying that we could dig out some raw materials here.

The town leaders strongly supported Mr. Huang's investment. Miao Dongfang said that he had mentioned to the town leaders during a meeting that he hoped to consider letting the young and middle-aged people in the village work at the quarry, and the leaders agreed.

It was 1990. At that time, every household in Xipinggou was very poor, working hard in the fields.

Back then, not many people went out to work because the winds of the market economy had not yet reached every corner of Northwest China, and even if they did go out to work, they didn't know what to do.

Therefore, the news that the village is going to build a quarry is undoubtedly great news.

Although the land belongs to the town and the business belongs to Boss Huang, as long as I can go to work and get a monthly salary, it's a hundred times better than farming.

Moreover, there's no need to leave your hometown, as the quarry is located right in the village.

This was a dream come true; back then, the villagers of Xipinggou could stand much more confidently than those from other villages.

Therefore, the villagers wholeheartedly supported this project and couldn't wait for the quarry to open immediately.

To this end, Miao Dongfang even convened a meeting with all the men, women, and children in the village.

We discussed it, made a list, and decided who could work there once the quarry opened.

At Uncle Dong's suggestion, Miao Tiejun was naturally on the first list. At that time, he had just gotten married, his wife was pregnant, his mother was sick, and he was the only pillar of the family.

In addition, he was physically strong and had great strength.

He was very happy, and those who were selected were also very happy.

Those who weren't selected were unhappy, but since the selection process was based on the family's financial difficulties, there was nothing they could say.

However, Uncle Dong still gave them hope, saying that as long as everyone worked hard and helped Boss Huang expand the quarry, more people would be needed in the future, and then every household in the village could work at the quarry.

Everyone was very happy and full of hope for this.

But they had no idea about procedures or approvals.

They thought that once they said that, the quarry would open immediately.

So everyone eagerly awaited it.

But as they waited day after day without any news, their initial excitement slowly turned into worry.

Many people began to point the finger at Miao Dongfang.

Miao is a common surname in the village, but not everyone in the village has the surname Miao.

Then some people jumped out and accused Miao Dongfang, the village chief, of deliberately favoring the Miao people and specifically targeting those of other surnames when arranging jobs at the quarry.

The word "unfair" is the trigger for all disputes, regardless of the era or the circumstances.

Meanwhile, Boss Huang was busy resolving various approval and qualification issues for the construction of the quarry.

Unbeknownst to them, in Xipinggou, a group of villagers were so engrossed in their own fun that they were almost coming to blows.

And the seeds of disaster were sown from that time onward.

The person who led the charge in criticizing Miao Dongfang was Zhao Tianfu.

Zhao Tianfu not only led a group of "outsiders" to challenge Miao Dongfang, but even threatened to go to the town government to have Miao Dongfang judge whether he was a competent village chief.

But Zhao Tianfu never imagined that this incident would lead to the death of his own son a few years later.

(End of this chapter)