Animal Detective

Chapter 44 It's still best to dig.

"Section Chief?"

Zhang Xuwei's expression changed, and a fleeting look of confusion proved that he was completely unaware of the situation.

"Tell the truth!" Chen Chao shouted sternly.

Chen Chao had been a criminal investigator for nearly twenty years and had interrogated countless prisoners. His shout, coupled with his cold and stern eyes, truly had an imposing and awe-inspiring effect, like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

Zhang Xuwei was just an ordinary person, and he immediately panicked, saying with a look of annoyance, "I knew something was wrong with that car, damn it, something was definitely wrong."

Shen Xin was overjoyed. Had he won the lottery?
"Tell me more details," Chen Chao finally said, his voice softening.

Zhang Xuwei spoke first: "Officer, I really didn't think that much at the time. I just thought the car was a good deal, so I bought it. I don't know anything about the car. I hope I won't get into trouble."

Chen Chao said, "If you tell the truth, you might not get into trouble, but if you hide something, then you'll definitely get into trouble."

If it involves a murder case, then it's no small matter.

Zhang Xuwei looked annoyed and muttered a curse before saying, "It's been several years, and I don't remember it very clearly. It was just one day when a guy drove his Teana over to get it repaired, saying he had crashed into a concrete block."

"The damage wasn't too bad. I remember asking him at the time, 'This car is pretty new, why didn't you take it to the dealership for repairs?'"

"Then what did he say? He said the repairs at the 4S shop were too expensive. I was wondering why. You have insurance, so it's fine if it's expensive. But I didn't really think that much about it and just looked at the quote."

"I forgot how much it cost, but he agreed and left the car at the shop."

"The next day, he called me again and asked if I wanted to buy the car. He said it had been in an accident and he didn't want it anymore, so he would sell it to me cheaply."

"At the time, a Teana would cost 200,000 yuan to get a new car. It was a two-year-old car with just over 10,000 kilometers on it. He quoted me 100,000 yuan, and I was immediately tempted, so I bought it."

"That's it."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Chen Chao with a somewhat stiff expression.

"that's it?"

Chen Chao's tone became even more stern, and then he said, "I don't feel like it's that simple. A car that costs 20 yuan is being sold to you for such a low price. Don't you suspect there's something wrong with this car?"

Zhang Xuwei's expression suddenly changed.

Chen Chao said, "Fine, since you won't tell us, let's go back and talk about it."

He waved his hand, and Zhao Tianxing smiled and said "Okay," then stepped forward as if to lead his men.

This action nearly scared Zhang Xuwei so much he wet himself. He hurriedly waved his hands, saying, "No, no, no, I really told you everything."

However, under Chen Chao's cold gaze, he guiltily changed his story, saying, "I might have only lied a little bit."

He gestured with his fingers.

"Speak," Chen Chao commanded in a deep voice.

Zhang Xuwei said dejectedly, "Actually, I could tell at the time that there was something wrong with his car."

"Think about it, would he sell me a regular accident car so cheaply?"

"Moreover, I often repair accident vehicles, and I can tell that his car must have been in an accident once. I suspect that he may have committed a hit-and-run, and fearing further accidents, he crashed it again himself."

"Of course, I can't ask him directly about this, and he won't tell me. I've also considered that if there's a problem with this car, taking it back would be a hot potato, but the price is just too low."

"I thoroughly inspected the car because I was worried it might kill someone; that would be a huge problem."

"There wasn't much blood or anything like that, so I guess he might have been driving under the influence or something, but it shouldn't be a big problem."

“I gave him a rebate of 80,000, and he actually agreed.”

“I could make at least tens of thousands of yuan by reselling it, so I got the car repaired and went to transfer the ownership to him.”

"At the time, I was worried that the traffic police would come knocking on my door, and I was on tenterhooks. But after a long time, no one came, so I stopped thinking about it."

After saying that, he nervously asked if the person who sold him the car had committed a crime.

Chen Chao ignored him, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Shen Xin was also excited.

You've really found the right person!

It should be right, it's Gao Jinrui.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to stage a second accident and sell the car at a low price.

Shen Xin looked at Chen Chao, giving him a knowing look that asked, "What do we do next?" It was clear that Chen Chao was also excited.

This is, after all, a seven-year-old unsolved case.

But he remained very composed and asked where the car was.

"my home."

“Take us there.”

Zhao Tianxing then stepped forward with a smile, gesturing for them to leave.

Zhang Xuwei, head hanging low, led the two men to his nearby home.

He's a local, living in a detached house.

Outside the house, the group saw the black Teana.

"Captain Chen, seven years have passed. Neither bloodstains nor DNA should be detectable anymore, right?" Shen Xin asked Chen Chao in a low voice.

Shen Xin learned relevant knowledge at the police academy.

If I remember correctly, bloodstains, if exposed outdoors, generally decompose within a few weeks or two to three months.

DNA degradation takes longer, but at room temperature, it will take at most one or two years.

Seven years have passed since then.

Zhang Xuwei used the car normally, so the possibility of finding any traces on the car is almost, or even 100%, zero.

Chen Chao had obviously thought of this as well, and said, "Don't rush, let's take it one step at a time."

He went to the car, opened the hood, and asked Zhang Xuwei if the car had been repaired or hit.

Zhang Xuwei shook his head, indicating that he was a very good driver.

Moreover, the Teana isn't bad at all; apart from having its battery replaced, everything else is fine.

Shen Xin leaned closer to take a look.

The engine compartment was covered in dust, and even the repair marks from years ago were barely visible, let alone any traces of a car accident.

Chen Chao then went to check the trunk.

Shen Xin's heart stirred, and he also thought of a possibility.

If Wu Jiawang was killed on the spot, Gao Jinrui would definitely have to remove the body, most likely in the trunk, where it would be easily seen by people in the back seat.

The trunk was filled with miscellaneous items, car repair tools, and the sides and trunk mat were covered in oil stains.

Chen Chao lifted the trunk mat to look at the spare tire underneath.

With the spare tire gone, we made room to put in a few toolboxes.

In that case, even if Wu Jiawang's body was once hidden here, it would be impossible to find any trace of it.

Chen Chao also flipped over the cockpit.

It's clear that Zhang Xuwei isn't very particular about his car. He probably uses it frequently for repairs or hauling goods, and everything is always messy and dirty.

Therefore, based on the current situation, this car is of almost no value to solving the case.

Its sole purpose is to prove that Gao Jinrui may have been involved in an accident back then.

"Captain Chen, can we interrogate Gao Jinrui directly based on Zhang Xuwei's confession?" Shen Xin asked after thinking for a moment.

Let's start with this hidden accident.

Chen Chao shook his head: "No, there's no evidence. He can deny everything."

As he spoke, he crossed his arms and fell into deep thought.

After thinking for a long time, he finally said with some distress, "I feel that digging up graves is still the most reliable option."

Shen Xin nodded, actually agreeing that digging up the grave was the most direct option.

Once Wu Jiawang's remains are found in those two graves, everything will be much easier.

(End of this chapter)