Animal Detective

Chapter 229 You messed with my brother!
It's almost four in the afternoon, time for spring health preservation.

A customer in his thirties, wearing an inexpensive suit, was lying on a massage chair.

Mao Yanru sat in front of him, massaging his calves.

"Boss lady, where are you from? Judging from your accent, we seem to be from the same hometown."

The guest changed his position, and during the process, his free right foot brushed past Mao Yanru's chest "without leaving a trace".

Mao Yanru smiled and said, "Where is the boss from? It's only the New Year, are you here on a business trip?"

In the instant she lowered her head, she rolled her eyes very quickly.

"There's no other way. Men have to support their families."

The guest stretched out his body, slid down, and put his feet into Mao Yanru's arms.

Mao Yanru didn't dodge. She smiled charmingly and gently ran her hand over the man's calf, saying softly, "Boss, I feel you have a bit of liver fire. I know a girl who's really good at massage. Would you like me to introduce you?"

The customer laughed and said, "Boss lady, you did a pretty good job with the massage."

As he spoke, one of his feet began to get restless again.

Mao Yanru didn't dodge and was about to say something when, with a whoosh, the glass door was pushed open.

Liu Jie led the way, followed by Shen Xin and others. The large group of people rushed into the narrow shop.

The smile on the guest's face froze instantly.

"You...why are you here?"

Mao Yanru was also taken aback.

Liu Jie sat down, unfazed, and said, "Mao Yanru, you go ahead with your work. When you're done, we'll ask you something."

Mao Yanru said, "Captain Liu, just ask me whatever you want to know."

"Not urgent."

Liu Jie smiled and shook his head.

With so many people watching, the customer started to feel awkward and said, "Madam, maybe we should forget it and come back another day."

Mao Yanru nodded, stood up and asked, "Then should I scan the code or pay in cash? It's 198 yuan."

The customer was taken aback and hurriedly said, "You haven't pressed the button for the full time yet, and you're already charging me the full price?"

Mao Yanru said, "Then I'll wash your feet. You just didn't want to massage them anymore."

The customer reached for his phone, then stopped, saying, "That won't do. Two hundred yuan for a foot massage is too expensive."

Mao Yanru silently rolled her eyes and asked him how much he was willing to give.

The customer hesitated for a moment, then held out one hand and said, "Fifty at most."

"impossible."

Mao Yanru simply shook her head and said, "It should be the same amount as usual, not a penny less. I run a small business, and it's not easy for me to make money."

The customer cursed under his breath and said, "Then finish the massage for me, and also, tell them to leave."

One refers to Liu Jie and others.

Mao Yanru didn't move: "They are police officers, I can't control them."

"police?"

The guest's eyes widened instantly. He glanced guiltily at Liu Jie and the others, then hurriedly pulled out his phone: "I'll give it to you, okay?"

After quickly scanning the code, I put on my shoes and went outside. I saw several police cars, which gave me a fright. I quickly turned away and left.

Mao Yanru tidied up the foot bath without a care and asked Liu Jie what he wanted to ask.

"How's business?" Liu Jie casually asked a casual question.

Mao Yanru pouted and said, "It's just like that."

Out of "politeness," Liu Jie still said, "Just get a massage, don't do anything unnecessary."

Mao Yanru nodded indifferently and asked if there was any progress in Han Xiaolong's case.

Liu Jie didn't get straight to the point, but asked whether Mao Yanru had become close to several men in the village and had relationships with them after her divorce and return to the village.

Mao Yanru's expression changed slightly, and she muttered, "Do you police officers even care about this?"

“We don’t interfere, but if it’s related to the case, we’ll still investigate,” Liu Jie said with a smile.

After hesitating for a moment, Mao Yanru said somewhat awkwardly, "Actually, there aren't many."

Liu Jie pressed further, "How many is 'how many'?"

Seeing Liu Jie's determined attitude to get to the bottom of things, Mao Yanru retorted sharply, "Then shouldn't we also divide it up, how many have you slept with and how many haven't?"

Liu Jie nodded: "That's one way to divide it. Let's talk about it anyway."

Mao Yanru rolled her eyes, thought for a moment and said, "Wang Chenghui counts as one. I think we slept together a few times, but he was stingy and unwilling to spend money on me, so we broke up later."

"Then there's Li Xinming. I heard he's incredibly skilled, but when I tried him out, he was just so-so."

"There's also Guo Wei. He got drunk once and slept with me. He came looking for me later, but I ignored him."

He named three people in one breath.

Shen Xin shook his head inwardly; they were playing quite a game.

But Zhou Hui was not there.

So, is Zhou Hui someone who has never slept with someone?

"As for those who haven't slept with anyone, there's no way to count them. Some people are just all talk and no action," Mao Yanru said, pursing her lips.

Liu Jie nodded.

The latter two names were indeed not found during the investigation at the time.

After a moment's thought, Liu Jie suddenly asked, "What about Zhou Hui?"

"Who?"

Mao Yanru was taken aback, then immediately said, "I have nothing to do with him."

Liu Jie smiled.

If you just admit it openly, then everything will be fine.

It's interesting that they don't admit it.

Liu Jie said, "Mao Yanru, since we asked you, there must be a reason. Just say what you need to say, there's no need to hide anything."

Mao Yanru's eyes showed some panic, but she still denied it.

Liu Jie then revealed his true intentions, saying, "On September 13, 2015, right here in your shop, Zhou Hui had a conflict with your customer, and they even got into a fight. The police station's mediation report even has your signature on it. Don't tell me that wasn't you."

Mao Yanru's expression changed slightly.

Liu Jie continued, "You know Li Quan Hong, right? She used to work at your shop. We asked her, and she said that Zhou Hui came to your shop more than once and picked you up by car several times. I don't need to tell you what he did, do I?"

Mao Yanru muttered, "You know that, why are you asking me?" and said, "Okay, he counts. I slept with him. But he's a coward and didn't want his wife to know. Besides, his wife even sent someone to warn me, so we haven't been in contact since."

"His wife came to warn you. When did that happen?" Liu Jie quickly pressed for an answer.

Mao Yanru thought for a moment and said, "It was early 16, I think. Once, Zhou Hui and I went shopping at the mall and were seen by Li Jing's best friend. She called a few people from her family and they came over to smash my shop."

Liu Jie nodded and then asked Mao Yanru to explain in detail when she met Zhou Hui.

Mao Yanru said, "Actually, at first I just thought Zhou Hui was a bit handsome. Back then, he was a gambler who played big and even got into a scam, so he didn't have much money."

"Later, he became successful again. He was the one who approached me first. He was willing to spend money on me, so I slept with him."

She summarized it in just a few words.

Liu Jie felt it wasn't enough and asked her to elaborate, especially whether the two were already together when Han Xiaolong's case occurred.

Just as Mao Yanru was about to speak, she suddenly realized what she meant and asked in return, "Liu Zhi, what do you mean by that?"

Liu Jie didn't answer, but asked her to explain in detail.

Mao Yanru frowned and spoke slowly.

At that time, the two of them were indeed entangled.

"I only slept with him a few times secretly, and I didn't let anyone else know..." Her voice trailed off as she spoke.

Then he suddenly sat up.

"Fuck your mother!"

She cursed angrily, glaring at him as she asked, "Did he kill Xiaolong?"

Liu Jie waved his hand to signal her to calm down, saying that they were just investigating.

Mao Yanru sat down, her expression shifting between light and dark.

After asking for a while longer, Liu Jie finally stopped, telling Mao Yanru to contact him again if she remembered anything.

A group of people went out.

Liu Jie pulled Shen Xin and the others over and asked, "Do you have any ideas?"

Ding Junbao nodded: "First of all, Li Jing must be very assertive, so their relationship is kept secret. And Liu Zhi, think about it, even now, Zhou Hui's factory still relies on his father-in-law."

"So at that time, Zhou Hui probably didn't dare to let Li Jing know about his relationship with Mao Yanru."

"One more thing, Mao Yanru just casually mentioned that Zhou Hui was tricked while playing cards back then. Could it be that he had some gambling debts at that time, and what would he do to pay them back? Would he still have to rely on his wife?"

"So he dared not let his wife know about his relationship with Mao Yanru."

"We previously speculated that because Han Xiaolong was taken care of by Mao Yanru since childhood, he became stubborn and wanted to protect Mao Yanru when he grew up. He heard gossip and heard people talking about Mao Yanru behind her back, so he threw stones at Wang Chenghui."

"Did he discover Zhou Hui's affair and clamor to let the whole village know, which led Zhou Hui to commit a crime of passion?"

Shen Xin nodded repeatedly.

This motivation is plausible.

Liu Jie said, "Let's investigate first and find out all the details of what Mao Yanru mentioned."

"Also, have someone keep an eye on Mao Yanru; her reaction isn't quite right."

Ding Junbao immediately summoned someone and ordered him to stay there and keep an eye on Mao Yanru.

Shen Xin didn't go to the village today.

Ding Yuwei was sent.

If the old dog's favorability rating increases and he reacts, Ding Yuwei will feel the same way.

In Liu Jie's car.

Shen Xin thought for a moment and said, "Chief Liu, based on the information we have gathered so far, Zhou Hui is highly suspicious."

"But the problem is, how do we find the evidence?"

The records of rabies vaccinations and Mao Yanru's statement were useless.

In murder cases, a sufficiently strong chain of evidence is essential.

Liu Jie nodded; he understood what Shen Xin meant.

Back then, not enough evidence was found at the scene. Now, six years later, the scene is long gone, making it even harder to find clues that directly point to Zhou Hui.

Liu Jie said in a deep voice, "His mother, Huang Qingmei, her testimony is crucial."

“Think about it, if Zhou Hui killed Han Xiaolong that day, he could have thrown away the stone, but there would definitely have been signs of a struggle on his body, and Han Xiaolong would have had injuries from resisting.” “He was also bitten by a dog, so it would have been difficult for him to hide it from Huang Qingmei after he got home.”

"Therefore, Huang Qingmei's testimony is very important."

Shen Xin nodded. Indeed, Huang Qingmei was a crucial breakthrough point.

"But Liu Zhi, that's his mother, I think that's more difficult."

This isn't a TV drama; there's no story of sacrificing family for the greater good.

In reality, Huang Qingmei only has one son, and she herself is over seventy years old. It is almost impossible to expect her to come forward and testify against her son.

Liu Jie clearly understood this as well. Seeing Shen Xin frowning and remaining silent, he smiled and encouraged him, "It's alright. Compared to six years ago, the case has made great progress. As long as we can pinpoint him, I believe we'll find evidence sooner or later."

Shen Xin forced a smile.

Indeed, you can't solve a cold case without this kind of confidence.

Upon returning to the station, Liu Jie immediately arranged for someone to verify Mao Yanru's statement.

Shen Xin and Liu Jie continued to examine the on-site investigation report and physical evidence, trying to find a new breakthrough.

It's not uncommon for a suspect to be identified but lack of evidence to prevent a conviction.

If Liu Jie had evidence, he would have brought Zhou Hui back for interrogation right now.

While he was busy, Liu Jie's phone vibrated. After answering and listening to only two sentences, his expression changed drastically. He hurriedly said, "Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on her? How did it turn out like this? Wait for me, I'm coming right away!"

Shen Xin hurriedly asked what was wrong.

Liu Jie hurriedly walked out: "Don't even mention it. Mao Yanru took a kitchen knife and went to Zhou Hui's factory, yelling that she wanted to kill Zhou Hui."

Shen Xin was startled.

The two took a car and soon arrived at Zhou Hui's water heater factory.

It's located next to Zhangjun Road, but it's not very big.

Police cars were parked at the factory gate at that moment, and all the factory employees must have run out and gathered around the gate, peering inside with their heads sticking out.

Liu Jie stopped the car.

Lai Yong came forward to greet him.

"You guys, can't you even keep an eye on one woman?" Liu Jie glared at Lai Yong.

Lai Yong dared not complain.

Shen Xin interjected, asking what the situation was inside.

The colleagues who stayed behind to keep watch can't be blamed either.

Mao Yanru is a grown woman, and we can't restrict her movements. It's winter now, and she's wearing thick clothes. If she were carrying a kitchen knife, who would be able to see it?

The problem is that the investigation is about Zhou Hui, and you can't avoid her; you have to ask her.

Unexpectedly, Mao Yanru came looking for Zhou Hui with a knife.

Lai Yong said, "In the office, our people were following her. As soon as they saw her turn this way, they knew she was going to find Zhou Hui, so they tried to stop her, but she wouldn't stop the car, so they didn't dare to do anything to her."

"Then she rushed in, thankfully Zhou Hui wasn't there."

Liu Jie strode into the factory area.

There was a four-story office building, but everyone had already been emptied out.

Mao Yanru was in Zhou Hui's office on the fourth floor.

Before even entering the door, I could hear Mao Yanru's cursing.

Then, with a crash, a quick glance revealed that Mao Yanru had smashed everything in the office to pieces.

Liu Jie stormed into the office and yelled, "Mao Yanru, what are you doing? Calm down!"

Mao Yanru was indeed holding a kitchen knife. She slammed the knife down on the desk and yelled, "You surnamed Liu, I can't calm down. You're just in time. Have Zhou Hui come over here. Right in front of you, I'll ask him if he killed Xiaolong."

"Fuck him, everyone in the village knows Xiaolong is my brother. I slept with him and then messed with my brother!"

"Hey Liu, if you guys don't dare deal with him, then I will. I'll kill him!"

She yelled and kicked Zhou Hui's boss chair away.

Liu Jie, his face dark, said in a deep voice, "Mao Yanru, calm down. We are investigating the case. If Zhou Hui is a suspect, we will deal with him. We don't need you to come."

"What you're doing will only interfere with our investigation."

Her outburst made Zhou Hui realize that the police were watching him.

"Also, you're committing a crime. Think about your parents and calm down."

Mao Yanru scoffed and said, "My mom calls me a slut, but I don't care what they think."

"Hey Liu, I'm telling you right now, this isn't over until Zhou Hui shows up."

"Go ahead and arrest me if you dare, otherwise I'll deal with him too!"

As she spoke, she yanked open the window next to her and started throwing things out.

There was a carport underneath, and it made a loud crash.

She had only thrown away two items when she suddenly saw an S-Class driving up outside the factory gate.

He immediately shouted.

Liu Jie's expression changed, and he immediately guessed that Zhou Hui had arrived. He hurriedly told Lai Yong to go down and stop him.

But it's too late.

Zhou Hui got out of the car and rushed into the factory area. He saw Mao Yanru leaning out of the window and cursing at him. In his astonishment, he immediately shouted, "Mao Yanru, are you out of your mind? What are you trying to do!"

Mao Yanru leaned half her body out of the window, which made Shen Xin's heart skip a beat.

The consequences would be unimaginable if she fell.

"Zhou Hui, did you kill Xiaolong? I'll fucking kill your mother! You're something else! I slept with you, and you messed with my brother? Come here, I'm going to kill you today!"

Downstairs, Zhou Hui was being dragged outside by his colleagues.

But clearly, Zhou Hui heard Mao Yanru's words, his expression changed drastically, and he was pulled by his colleagues downstairs to the outside of the factory gate.

Lai Yongcai ran down here.

Mao Yanru wouldn't let it go, shouting and yelling that everyone should come and see, saying that Zhou Hui was a murderer and deserved to die.

Liu Jie was able to become the deputy detachment leader because he had the courage to make decisive decisions. Taking advantage of Mao Yanru's body leaning out of the window and shouting, he secretly approached her, suddenly accelerated, and in one swift step, hugged Mao Yanru from behind.

He used one hand to lock the body and the other to grab the right hand holding the knife.

Shen Xin, who was following behind, immediately rushed up, pressed down on Mao Yanru's hand, forcibly pried open her fingers, and took away the kitchen knife.

Mao Yanru struggled fiercely, screaming, "You surnamed Liu, are you fucking crazy? Why are you arresting me? Go arrest Zhou Hui! He killed someone!"

Liu Jie's face darkened considerably. He dragged Mao Yanru up from the ground and handed her over to his men.

"Take her away."

Liu Jie scolded him, then asked Shen Xin if he was alright, noticing scratch marks on Shen Xin's hands.

Mao Yanru got her nails done.

"It's nothing." Shen Xin peeked out and looked downstairs.

Zhou Hui stood silently outside the crowd at the factory gate.

Clearly, he heard it.

Shen Xin said, "Liu Zhi, although it was an accident, looking at it optimistically, it's not a bad thing to scare Zhou Hui."

Only those with a guilty conscience will reveal their weaknesses.

Of course, there is also a risk; he might try to destroy some evidence.

The problem is that there was no evidence to begin with.

And sooner or later, they will have to come into contact with Zhou Hui.

Liu Jie kept his eyes fixed on Zhou Hui downstairs and said in a deep voice, "That's what they say, but we're not fully prepared yet."

The first contact is crucial.

This move is tantamount to fighting a battle without preparation.

At this point, he immediately took out his phone and called Lai Yong, telling him not to show himself.

They called Ding Junbao again, and got the same arrangement.

He also has no intention of showing up.

Then he ordered his men to take Zhou Hui away immediately.

In that case, if the police officers who investigated the case back then don't show up, it might take Zhou Hui some time to realize that the police have reopened the investigation into Han Xiaolong.

Fortunately, Mao Yanru's outburst provides a legitimate reason to interrogate Zhou Hui.

Both of them were taken to the police station.

The interrogation rooms in the detention center do not have observation rooms, but they are monitored.

Through the surveillance camera, Shen Xin and the others observed Zhou Hui.

Jiao Guoyi is preparing to investigate the matter personally and is currently asking Liu Jie how to gauge the appropriate level of inquiry.

What questions can be asked, and what questions cannot be asked?

On his way back, Liu Jie had already planned it out. He said, "Just ask him what his relationship is with Mao Yanru, let him say why Mao Yanru came to him, and then ask Mao Yanru what happened when she was shouting about killing someone."

“Since Mao Yanru mentioned Han Xiaolong, and you knew about this case back then, be bold and ask him directly to see what he has to say.”

Jiao Guoyi understood and nodded, preparing to leave.

Liu Jie stopped him again and said, "Li Jing will definitely be coming over in a while. You should also arrange for someone to ask Li Jing about threatening Mao Yanru back then, and finally ask her about Han Xiaolong."

"Since we're already shocked, let's go all the way and be shocked to the end."

After dismissing Jiao Guoyi, Liu Jie pulled Ding Junbao aside and instructed him to quickly investigate all of Mao Yanru's statements and then arrange for people to monitor Zhou Hui 24 hours a day.

There is no reason to detain Zhou Hui here.

Ding Junbao has gone.

Shen Xin stayed here to observe the interrogation process.

Sure enough, Zhou Hui immediately claimed ignorance, not knowing why Mao Yanru was looking for him.

"As for the murder, Mao Yanru told us that you killed Han Xiaolong."

Jiao Guoyi slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "I know about Han Xiaolong's case. Zhou Hui, what exactly happened? Why would Mao Yanru say that? What's going on between you and Han Xiaolong?"

"Officer Jiao, I'm innocent!"

Zhou Hui hurriedly denied it, saying, "Mao Yanru is a madwoman. You can't listen to her nonsense. Besides, you investigated Han Xiaolong's case back then, it has nothing to do with me."

"It's been several years, who knows what Mao Yanru is going crazy about."

Liu Jie remained silent.

The outcome of the interrogation is not important; Zhou Hui is unlikely to admit anything anyway. Now we just need to see what he will do next.

He really hoped that Zhou Hui would slip up and reveal something.

(End of this chapter)