Animal Detective

Chapter 185 Is it possible to have a relationship like this, buried underground?
Like the detention center, the prison is also located in the Lishan District.

The location was even more remote, with high walls and watchtowers, and barbed wire.

Inside the prison's interrogation room, Shen Xin adjusted the camera and sat back down, only to find Chen Chao muttering to himself.

"Captain Chen, you're an old hand at this, are you still nervous?" Shen Xin joked.

Chen Chao snorted and said, "It's not that I'm nervous, it's that I'm preparing seriously. This first interrogation is very important. I need to catch this kid off guard."

"If we don't break through his defenses, it will be difficult to interrogate him again once he goes back and thinks things through."

Then he countered, "This is your case, aren't you afraid of turning it into a mess?"

After all, it's been two and a half years, and the clues we have are very limited. We don't even know if we can find conclusive evidence.

Shen Xin shook his head and laughed, "The net of heaven is vast, and though its meshes are wide, nothing escapes it. We've already crossed the most difficult first step, so what's next?"

They've found the most difficult burial site in the desolate mountains, so Shen Xin refuses to believe that this case can be half-heartedly solved.

"Too."

Chen Chao nodded slightly and said, "It seems that from now on, any case that involves animals can be assigned to you. You're really amazing."

Cats, dogs, parrots, and now even monkeys are easily handled.

Just as Shen Xin was about to speak, the door opposite opened.

The two immediately stopped smiling.

Shen Xin looked at Li Xiaofei.

He had a buzz cut, wore prison clothes, and had a very thin face.

The case was filed on April 16th last year.

Because of surveillance, he was arrested on the 17th, and he didn't even have a chance to argue. He went through the process and was sentenced in mid-July. He has now served a year and a half in prison.

As a result, they have clearly tasted the iron fist of justice.

Shen Xin inexplicably thought of Li Jin, who should also be locked up in this prison now, but he wondered what his situation was.

Li Xiaofei obediently sat handcuffed to the prison chair before cautiously looking up at Shen Xin and the other man.

Shen Xin took notes, and Chen Chao presided over the trial.

Chen Chao laughed and said, "What, you recognize me now?"

Li Xiaofei nodded slightly and said, "You're the one who arrested me, so I definitely remember you."

"Good that you remember. How was it inside? I heard from Warden Tan in your district that you weren't behaving very well."

Chen Chao didn't rush into the main topic, but instead chatted idly on the sidelines.

It wasn't just nonsense; I actually consulted the guards in his ward and even asked the cell boss.

When asked if Li Xiaofei had boasted or claimed to have killed someone during his imprisonment, the question was posed.

This is not uncommon.

Many prisoners, in an attempt to show off or avoid being looked down upon in prison, sometimes blurt out past offenses that have not been investigated.

Some even develop psychological trauma, and sometimes talk out of their sleep in the middle of the night.

But after asking, there was nothing.

In prison, Li Xiaofei was neither particularly outgoing nor introverted; in the words of his cell warden, he was just an ordinary prisoner.

Li Xiaofei hurriedly said, "Officer Chen, Instructor Tan was just joking with you. I've been behaving very well and I'm even hoping to get my sentence reduced so I can get out sooner."

Shen Xin glanced at him indifferently.

go out?

You probably have no hope.

"That's good." Chen Chao nodded, and then chatted for a while about his family.

Li Xiaofei's parents divorced early.

He was awarded to his mother, who was quite attractive and considered a well-connected woman in society.

There were quite a few women like this in the 1990s.

Later, his mother became involved with a small business owner who did earthwork.

Earthwork is something that can't be done without some skill.

So, Li Xiaofei had a relatively comfortable childhood thanks to his stepfather.

However, his stepfather later died after being stabbed several times while fighting with someone over a construction project.

This happened 13 years ago, when he was 20 years old.

After that, the family's financial situation deteriorated considerably, but the foundation remained. In addition, having grown up with his stepfather, Li Xiaofei developed a strong sense of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry).

Fighting and brawling were nothing to him. Li Xiaofei seemed quite filial, asking his mother how she was doing and mentioning that she hadn't visited him in prison in a long time.

Chen Chao didn't hide anything and said frankly that he had found someone else, but they weren't married.

"That's good."

Li Xiaofei nodded and took the initiative to ask, "Officer Chen, you're such a busy leader, you wouldn't suddenly remember me and come over to reminisce, would you?"

He looked at Chen Chao warily.

Before, everything was gentle and mild, but when it came to the main point, it went straight to the heart of the matter, launching a surprise attack.

Chen Chao's smile faded, and he asked, "Li Xiaofei, do you know Guan Hong? What's your relationship with her?"

"Who?"

Li Xiaofei, who was sitting lazily with a relaxed smile on his face, suddenly sat up straight like a cat with its fur standing on end after hearing the name Guan Hong.

His eyes widened instantly, his muscles tensed involuntarily, and his entire body was filled with astonishment and tension.

"I'm asking you!"

Chen Chao shouted sternly.

For a moment, Li Xiaofei's mind must have gone completely blank. He shook his head frantically and said, "I...don't know her."

"If you don't recognize him, then who is in this photo? Surely you don't not even recognize yourself?"

Chen Chao took out the photo and asked Shen Xin to show it to Li Xiaofei.

Upon seeing the photo, Li Xiaofei's eyes widened instantly, and he swallowed hard.

Shen Xin saw it clearly. He clenched his fists, and his eyes twitched wildly as if he were having an epileptic seizure.

Chen Chao slammed his hand on the table, startling Li Xiaofei. He shouted, "Li Xiaofei, where were you on the night of May 13, 2015?"

"what?"

Li Xiaofei was already flustered and stammered, "I...I don't know, I can't remember."

"Do you want me to help you remember?"

Chen Chao snorted and said, "On the afternoon of the 13th, you went to your friend's shop to pick up the motorcycle. What did you say at the time? You even asked your friend if he had any condoms, saying that you were going to do something important that night."

"And then where did you go? You took your girlfriend and went off to have a good time. Do I need to remind you exactly where you went?"

Large beads of sweat had appeared on Li Xiaofei's forehead, and he trembled, unsure how to explain.

At this moment, Chen Chao suddenly steered the conversation back to what happened before.

He has limited evidence.

He couldn't give Li Xiaofei too much time to think; he had to use the remaining facts and evidence to keep Li Xiaofei in a state of panic and confusion, so that he would make a mistake.

"I'll ask you again, do you know Guan Hong? Is she your girlfriend?"

As he spoke, he even waved the photo.

Li Xiaofei opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

"What, you still won't admit it!"

Chen Chao slowly picked up a transcript and said, "If you don't remember, your cronies certainly do. Dazhuang, this is your buddy, right?"

"Look at what he said exactly. He said you had a girlfriend and even sent them photos, saying she had really big breasts. He even joked with you, saying maybe they were implants."

"And then what did you say? You said it's impossible, she's only 19, she's absolutely all-natural."

"Oh right, and what about your ex-girlfriend? You haven't even completely broken up with her yet, and you're already in a hurry to find a new love. You even have her saved as 'wife' in your phone. What, are you going to marry Guan Hong?"

"You're so filial, have you told your mother?"

Chen Chao asked jokingly.

Two and a half years have passed, and much information has been lost.

Telephone communication records are only kept by telecommunications companies for six months.

The same applies to chat history on WeChat and some other messaging apps; carriers only retain the chat history from the most recent six months.

However, he had many cronies, and Li Xiaofei often boasted about them back then, so he remembered them all.

Li Xiaofei's teeth were chattering as he stiffly nodded and said, "That's right, I know Guan Hong. So what? We're just dating normally."

"A normal relationship?"

Chen Chao slammed his hand on the table again and shouted, "Do you mean burying her underground?"

One sentence struck Li Xiaofei like a thunderbolt, leaving him trembling like a leaf.

(End of this chapter)