Era: Starting from the local police station

Jiang Zhenghua followed closely behind and stepped into the courtyard.

The courtyard wasn't large; a few children's worn-out clothes hung on a clothesline in the middle.

The front consists of three mud-brick houses with tiled roofs. Some miscellaneous items are piled up at the entrance of the main house. On the wooden lattice windows, there are some broken window paper pieces that have lost their original color after being exposed to the wind and sun. Occasionally, a touch of crimson tells of their original color.

On the east side, there are two houses with neatly stacked firewood in the corner; two strings of dried chili peppers hang from the eaves.

The eaves of the house on the far left were blackened with soot, and a tall chimney stood on the roof.

Liu Aihua said, "My second daughter-in-law and two grandsons are at home, and they are mending clothes right now."

As she spoke, she called out towards the kitchen, "Second son's wife, come out here, Manager Qi is here."

Jiang Zhenghua caught a glimpse of a figure flashing by through the crack in the window of the main room on the far side.

At that moment, a woman came out of the kitchen, carrying a three-year-old girl in her arms and holding the hand of a skinny boy.

She greeted him with a smile, "Officer Qi is here. Come in and have a glass of water."

Officer Qi waved his hand: "Aunt Tu, isn't your eldest son home?"

Liu Aihua's eyes flickered: "She's not home; she's gone out to find work."

Jiang Zhenghua spoke up: "Comrade, I see that the west side of your place is all empty. Why don't you build a shed to store firewood and coal? It's really dangerous to have all this firewood piled up here."

Liu Aihua quickly explained with a smile, "Officer, there used to be a shed on the west side, but it had fallen into disrepair over the years, and we were worried about people getting hurt, so we demolished it not long ago. Don't worry, we'll build one as soon as possible."

Jiang Zhenghua nodded and asked her second daughter-in-law, "May I go inside and check the electrical wiring?"

The second daughter-in-law quickly pulled the child aside, opened the door, and said somewhat apologetically, "Of course, it's just that the house is a bit messy."

Jiang Zhenghua bent down and went inside. In front of him was an adobe stove with a blackened surface and a large pot covered with a wooden lid that was chipped off at one corner.

The side wall was blackened by soot, and a spatula, a bamboo strainer, and a bamboo chopstick box were hanging on it.

In the very last corner were several rough bowls stacked together, next to a black jar.

There was a large blank space in the middle of the stove, which looked like a picture of the Kitchen God that used to be pasted there, but it's gone now.

Next to the stove was a large wooden cutting board with a long rolling pin at the back. In front of it were some chopped wild vegetables and a chipped cleaver. Next to the cutting board was a large black vat with a bamboo lid on top and a chipped wooden ladle on top of it.

Jiang Zhenghua turned and walked out, saying loudly, "The weather is dry now, so be careful of sparks when you're lighting the fire. After you're done cooking, try to extinguish the fire in the stove."

Liu Aihua and the other person nodded repeatedly.

Officer Qi said, "You must remember these things. Water and fire are merciless; what if..."

Seeing that Officer Qi had begun to explain, Jiang Zhenghua put his hands behind his back, looked at the power lines on the eaves, and slowly walked to the far end of the main house.

When Liu Aihua saw him sticking out his bottom and peering through the window, her expression changed slightly, and she unconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with her right hand, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Through the torn window paper, Jiang Zhenghua saw a jack in the corner of the room.

He straightened up and continued forward.

Seeing this, Liu Aihua secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Jiang Zhenghua walked to the door of the main house, suddenly raised his right foot, and kicked the faded wooden door hard, shouting at the same time, "Do it!"

"Bang."

The tightly closed wooden door was kicked open, slamming against the wall with a loud thud before bouncing back quickly.

Jiang Zhenghua suddenly pushed open the door and rushed into the room.

A gust of wind came from his right, and a wrench struck him directly on the head.

Jiang Zhenghua suddenly turned around and simultaneously sidestepped to dodge the wrench. He then darted forward, raised his left arm, and pressed it against the attacker's neck, slamming the attacker against the wall.

He clenched his right fist and struck the man's right shoulder.

The man cried out in pain, and the wrench in his hand clattered to the ground.

Jiang Zhenghua snapped at Tu Shan, who was struggling, "Behave yourself, or I'll snap your neck."

Tu Shan looked pained and tried to struggle, but his head was pressed against the wall and he couldn't move at all.

Tu Shan suddenly raised his right leg and slammed his knee into Jiang Zhenghua.

As if he had anticipated this, Jiang Zhenghua raised his right foot and kicked him hard in the ankle, causing him to let out another scream.

"Don't move."

Cao Hui burst in at that moment, gripping a Type 54 pistol tightly in both hands, the muzzle pressed directly against Tu Shan's forehead.

Tu Shan instantly deflated like a punctured balloon, his face turning deathly pale, and he stopped struggling.

"Cao Hui, how is it? Have you got it under control?"

Zhang Chongguang's urgent greetings came over.

Without turning his head, Cao Hui shouted loudly, "It's under control."

Zhang Chongguang strode in: "That's great!"

"Put him handcuffed."

Zhang Chongguang tucked the gun into his waistband, took out the handcuffs, and snapped them onto Tu Shan's right hand.

As soon as he grabbed Tu Shan's arm, Tu Shan's expression changed and he let out a scream.

Zhang Chongguang was taken aback, then scolded, "Behave yourself."

Jiang Zhenghua grabbed the man's left hand and pulled it forward, saying somewhat embarrassedly, "Move to the front, don't put the handcuffs on his back. I forgot we were in China, and I used a little too much force; I hurt his arm."

Zhang Chongguang then handcuffed the other end to his left hand and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

Jiang Zhenghua shook his head and released Tu Shan: "I'm fine. Let him stand there and rest for a while; his right ankle probably can't bear any weight."

Zhang Chongguang looked at Tu Shan and saw that his face was pale, his teeth were clenched, cold sweat was pouring down his forehead, and his right foot was dangling in mid-air, not daring to touch the ground.

He turned to Jiang Zhenghua and gave him a thumbs up: "Amazing, I'm impressed."

"What? You've given in?"

Jin Hong's voice came in, and at the same time, footsteps approached quickly.

When Zhang Chongguang saw Jin Hong come in, he smiled and said, "After a few moves by Deputy Chief Jiang, the suspect's arm was injured and his ankle could not touch the ground, so he was completely unable to resist."

Jiang Zhenghua chuckled, "He ambushed me, and his reaction was a bit excessive; he used too much force."

Actually, I held back at the last moment, otherwise I could have broken him.

Jin Hong glanced at Tu Shan, who was sweating profusely, and smiled at Jiang Zhenghua, saying, "It's alright. Just for attacking the police, he deserves to be beaten to death."

Perhaps from the pain, or perhaps from being frightened by Jin Hong's words, Tu Shan suddenly raised her head and retorted defiantly, "What are you doing? Why are you forcing your way into my house and injuring me..."

As he spoke, he saw the cold and fierce look in Jin Hong and the others' eyes, and instantly felt a chill run through his body. He slowly lowered his head, and the last few words were almost inaudible.

Jin Hong snorted coldly: "Hmph, Tu Shan, even now, do you still want to put up a stubborn resistance?"

Tu Shan's face turned deathly pale: "I..."

Zhang Chongguang shouted sternly, "Tu Shan, you should know our policy: leniency for those who confess, severity for those who resist. I advise you to confess honestly."

No sooner had she finished speaking than a heart-wrenching cry rang out from outside: "My son! How can I go on living like this? Waaah... I, an old man, am sending off my son..."

Jin Hong frowned and said, "Zhang Chongguang, go and appease him."

Zhang Chongguang nodded, turned around, and walked quickly outside.

Jiang Zhenghua stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Tu Shan, listen to those pitiful cries outside. Are you deaf? Or are you heartless? Even crows know to feed their parents, and lambs know to kneel to suckle. Are you even less than an animal?"

Tu Shan's face stiffened, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes. He sighed and said, "I'll take you to that underground casino, but it's not open during the day; it only opens at night."

Jin Hong's expression changed, and he was about to reprimand him.

"Then tell me the address."

After Tu Shan finished giving the address, Jiang Zhenghua nodded and said in a deep voice, "Since you've given it to me, just tell me everything clearly. Don't try to extract every detail like you're squeezing toothpaste, making me ask you little by little."

Jin Hong looked at Jiang Zhenghua: "Are you sure it's true?"

Jiang Zhenghua nodded: "During their investigation, our comrades discovered something unusual about this courtyard. They initially thought it was just a simple gambling den, so they didn't take immediate action. They simply had Geng Jianwu find someone to keep an eye on it, planning to make a move after the case was closed. Now it seems there's something fishy going on inside."

Jin Hong's eyes lit up: "Great! In that case, we should have a pretty good grasp of the situation. This will save us the trouble of conducting further reconnaissance."

Jiang Zhenghua nodded and turned to look at Tu Shan.

At this moment, Tu Shan's expression softened, and he simply stared quietly at the ground.

"Let's talk about something else."

"At the beginning of this year, after being fired from the factory, I was really short of money. One night, I went to the suburbs and stole a sheep, selling it on the black market. In April, my neighbor, Ma Qi, mocked me, saying I was a gambling addict who had driven his wife away and was destined to be a bachelor. I was furious, so one night I took a tattered sack, and while he was in the toilet, I put it over his head and broke his legs. One night in May, after drinking, I was walking home when I passed by Widow Zhang's yard... I peeked... In July, I was drowning in debt, so I stole a chicken..."

Tu Shan rambled on and on about a lot of trivial matters, but he did mention three hidden gambling dens.

As for the vandalism of the truck, not a word was mentioned.

Half an hour later, Tu Shan shut his mouth and stopped talking.

Jiang Zhenghua glanced at the several pages filled with writing, then looked at him and asked, "That's it?"

Tu Shan nodded emphatically: "I've told you everything I can remember."

Jiang Zhenghua closed his notebook, staring intently at him, and sneered, "Tu Shan, you're clever. You even know how to throw out some unimportant but attractive questions. Deliberately avoiding the important issues. Do you think we need to make such a fuss over these things?"

"Officer, I really can't remember."

"Tu Shan, I'm asking you, where were you last night? What were you doing?"

Upon hearing this, Tu Shan trembled and lowered his head, not daring to look at the others: "Last night I went out and bought a bottle of wine, squatted by the roadside and drank it all by myself. After I got drunk, I went home to sleep."

Jin Hong said sternly, "Aren't you going to tell the truth? Do you really think you can fool the patrol team?"

"Officers, I was wrong. I did go to the brothel last night, as you should know. My wife went to her parents' house, and I... I had a few drinks and couldn't resist going there. I lied to the patrol team, and I am willing to accept the punishment."

"You're still putting up a stubborn resistance. Let me remind you, about the tires and the reset springs, explain clearly who told you to do it, and I'll consider it a voluntary surrender."

Upon hearing the words "tires and return springs," Tu Shan trembled. Suppressing his panic, he raised his head and feigned innocence: "Officer, I really don't understand what you're talking about."

Jiang Zhenghua shook his head and turned to walk to the corner of the room: "If I were you, I wouldn't have brought the tools of the crime home."

As he spoke, he bent down and moved a dilapidated wooden box, revealing a jack.

He walked over carrying the things and put them on the ground.

He turned and looked around, noticing a gray garment lying in the corner of the kang (heated brick bed). He picked it up, examined it closely, and said, "Looks like you really drank a bit too much last night. You must be regretting it, right? Otherwise, why didn't you wash the clothes? The iron powder on them is evidence."

With each word Jiang Zhenghua spoke, Tu Shan's face grew paler, until finally his legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, muttering, "It's over, it's over."

Jin Hong saw his appearance and said, "Take him away."

Cao Hui and Zhang Yi stepped forward, each grabbing one of Tu Shan's arms and dragging him quickly outside.

Jin Hong reached out and patted Jiang Zhenghua on the shoulder: "Good lad, you solved a murder case in less than 24 hours since the incident. That's impressive. I'll definitely recommend you for commendation."

"Thank you, Deputy Director Jin. I was just lucky. Besides, this case is only half solved; the mastermind hasn't been caught yet."

Jin Hong laughed heartily: "I have faith in you. I believe the truth will come out soon."

At that moment, another heart-wrenching cry came from inside the courtyard.

Jin Hong sighed, "What's the use of crying now? If we had called the police immediately when this kid acted recklessly, things wouldn't have come to this. Let's go back and investigate these shady establishments and brothels, and that Hu Decai. Looks like we'll be working overtime tonight."

Jiang Zhenghua carried the things on the ground and followed Jin Hong out of the room.

Several people were gathered around the side entrance.

Liu Aihua collapsed to the ground, pleading incessantly, "Leaders, please give Ashan another chance. He can... he can change. I'll vouch for him. If he can't change, then execute me. Please..."

Street office director Xue Yun shouted, "Do you even believe what you're saying? He got into fights before, and when we came to confront him, what did you say? Did he change his ways?"

Liu Aihua suddenly stood up and knelt on the ground.

Zhang Chongguang was startled and quickly stepped forward to help him up: "Please get up, let's talk things out, you can't do this."

Liu Aihua remained unmoved, clinging to his leg and pleading, "Officer, whatever compensation the other party wants, any amount is fine, even if we have to sell everything we own, we will definitely pay. As long as they are willing to issue a letter of understanding. Please, I beg you."

Zhang Chongguang's face darkened, and he looked utterly helpless.

Upon seeing this, Xue Yun and Qi, the clerk, quickly stepped forward to help support him.

But Liu Aihua refused to get up, pleading, "Really, this time I'll have his father discipline him strictly, and if that doesn't work, he can break his legs. We'll support him for the rest of his life, I... I'll accept it."

The second daughter-in-law of the Tu family stood at the kitchen door, holding her youngest daughter and comforting the frightened child. Upon hearing this, her face turned ugly.

Jin Hong stepped forward with a dark expression and shouted, "Compensation? Is this how you raise your children? You think everything can be solved with compensation? Do you even know what he did wrong this time?"

Liu Aihua was startled and turned to look in this direction.

Zhang Chongguang took the opportunity to break free from her hand.

Jin Hong said sternly, "I'm telling you clearly, this is murder. Because of him, the country lost a worker, a family's breadwinner is gone, leaving behind orphans and widows. What did they do to deserve this? A truck was completely totaled, causing significant property damage to the country. Tell me, how are you going to compensate for all this? You want to discipline your child, but you only think of disciplining him when there's no turning back? Where were you before?"

Liu Aihua stared blankly ahead, as if all her spirit had been drained, letting two streams of tears fall incessantly onto the ground.

"I know you two have always favored the eldest son and protected him in everything, but why don't you understand the principle that spoiling a child is like killing him?"

Seeing her ashen face, Xue Yun continued, "By now, you should reflect on how much importance you place on your children's education. These two children are still young; don't spoil them anymore."

Tu's second daughter-in-law tightened her grip on the child.

Jin Hong said to Xue Yun, "Director Xue, we still have a task to complete. We'll leave the rest to you."

Xue Yun nodded emphatically, her tone reassuring: "Don't worry, Deputy Director Jin, we will handle this properly."