Chapter 107: The Lie (Seeking First Subscription!)

"Tian Li, Zhao Ming, you two take the statement from Xie Rong; Han Bin, Li Hui, you two are responsible for taking the statement from Wang Deli." Zeng Ping’s expression was rather grim.

Having to deal with such a mess on a day off was incredibly frustrating.

"Team Leader Zeng, I suggest we take the statements separately," Han Bin proposed.

"Tian Li, take Xie Rong into the bedroom for the statement."

"Understood."

Tian Li, Zhao Ming, and Xie Rong went into the bedroom. Han Bin switched on his body-worn camera and began taking Wang Deli’s statement.

"Name, gender, age, ethnicity..."

"My name is Wang Deli, male, 41 years old, Han ethnicity..."

"Wang Deli, your wife called the police this morning saying you were knocked unconscious and robbed. Did that happen?"

"It’s a misunderstanding by my wife. I just drank too much and passed out," Wang Deli said, keeping his head low.

"How did you get the injury on your head?"

"I fell down myself."

"Where did you fall?"

"In the hallway."

"The specific location?"

"I can't recall clearly."

"Where did you go to drink?" Han Bin pressed.

"To a friend's house."

"When did you go, and what time did you return?"

Wang Deli shook his head. "I went at nine last night. I don't remember exactly what time I got back."

"You say you don't remember everything I ask. How much did you drink last night?" Zeng Ping asked.

"First I had some baijiu, then some beer. I must have had over a pound of liquor and several bottles of beer," Wang Deli said.

"Do you remember who you were drinking with last night?" Han Bin asked.

"Let me think." Wang Deli pondered for a moment. "I remember now, I was drinking with Tao Zhuang."

"Who is Tao Zhuang? Where does he work?"

"He's my colleague; he works at the Water Conservancy Bureau."

"What is Tao Zhuang's contact information and home address?"

"He lives in the Baiziwan residential complex. I don't remember his phone number."

"Don't you usually contact each other by phone?"

"We do." Wang Deli took out his phone and checked. "1345759XXXX."

"What were you drinking last night?" Han Bin asked.

Wang Deli’s cheeks were already covered in fine beads of sweat as he rested his right hand on his forehead. "I can't remember."

"What dishes did you eat?"

"I drank too much last night; I really can't remember."

Han Bin glanced around the room, his eyes landing on a photo album on the coffee table. "How many people are in your family?"

"Three. Besides my wife, I have a son."

"What is your son's name, and how old is he?"

"My son is named Wang Dongfang. He is 20 this year and goes to university in the city."

"School shouldn't have started yet, right? Where is he?" Han Bin asked.

"Oh, he went out. He went to hang out with friends."

"You’ve been injured, yet he’s still out playing. He’s quite carefree, isn't he?"

"It's nothing, just a few scratches. No need to make the kid worry."

"When your wife called the police, she said you were robbed. What exactly is missing?" Han Bin asked.

"Nothing is missing. She remembered it wrong. Women just love to make a fuss over nothing," Wang Deli said, squeezing out a smile to brush it off.

...

After finishing the statements, Zeng Ping pulled Han Bin aside. "Binzi, what do you think?"

"I think both of them are lying."

"Do you believe Wang Deli was actually robbed?" Zeng Ping asked.

"I do."

"That’s strange. If he was robbed, why would he refuse to report it?" Zeng Ping was puzzled. With his years of investigative experience, he too felt something was off with the couple, but he couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was.

*Creak...*

With a dull sound, Tian Li and Zhao Ming emerged from the bedroom.

"Team Leader Zeng, we’ve finished taking Xie Rong’s statement."

Zeng Ping nodded and said to Wang Deli, "Call your son and ask where he is."

"Officer, what does this have to do with my son?" Xie Rong interjected.

"Whether it is relevant or not is not for you to decide, understand?"

"Officer, my wife just accidentally made a false report. Is all this trouble really necessary?" Wang Deli said.

"Since you called the police, we must follow procedure and get to the bottom of the matter. That is how we remain responsible to the public," Han Bin said sternly.

"My son went out to play with friends. I don't know where he is," Wang Deli said.

"If it's inconvenient for him to come back, we can go find him." Zeng Ping’s expression was serious as he pointed at Wang Deli. "Make the call."

Wang Deli walked to the side and made a call. A moment later, he returned. "Officer, I’ve reached my son. He’s on his way home now; he should be back soon."

"We will wait in the police car outside. Let us know once Wang Dongfang returns." Zeng Ping dropped that instruction and led Han Bin and the others outside.

...

Downstairs, the courtyard was empty. Zeng Ping didn't rush into the car; instead, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and handed them around.

Zhao Ming took out a lighter to light Zeng Ping’s cigarette and complained, "What a bad day. We’ve wasted our time for nothing."

"Did you find anything in the statements?" Zeng Ping asked in return.

"Other than Xie Rong being evasive, I didn't find any issues," Tian Li said.

"It’s been over two hours since the report. The two of them have been together the whole time; they’ve likely already colluded on their story," Han Bin said, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"Brother Bin, are you saying there’s something wrong with them?" Zhao Ming asked.

"Exactly."

"Do you have evidence?" Tian Li asked.

"I asked Wang Deli how he got the injury on his head. He said he fell in the hallway, but I walked up and down those stairs twice and carefully observed them, yet I didn't see any bloodstains. What does that tell us?" Han Bin asked.

"The injury on his head might not have been from a fall in the hallway," Li Hui speculated.

"If that’s the case, it proves the couple is lying," Han Bin explained.

"It’s also possible his wife cleaned up the blood in the hallway," Tian Li suggested.

"Bloodstains are very hard to remove. An ordinary person cleaning the floor would only wipe away the obvious spots. To completely eliminate traces of blood would take significant effort. Unless they were intentionally hiding something, there would be no need to go to such lengths," Han Bin analyzed.

"Following Brother Bin’s logic, the couple is indeed highly suspicious," Zhao Ming said, still puzzled. He pressed further, "But if they were truly robbed, they are the victims. Why would they hide it?"

Han Bin flicked the ash off his cigarette. "That is the crux of the issue: why would they hide the fact that they were robbed?"

"Xie Rong only said her husband was robbed when she called the police, but she didn't say what was taken. Could it be related to the stolen items?" Zeng Ping wondered.

"Could it be that the stolen items were illegal?" Tian Li followed up.

"If that were the case, the couple’s reaction would make sense," Zeng Ping said.

"We can check the surveillance footage to see what Wang Deli was carrying before he got home," Han Bin said.

Li Hui thought for a moment and snapped his fingers. "There’s another possibility. What if the person who robbed them has a special identity, and Wang Deli is intentionally covering for them?"

"Brother Hui’s guess is quite bold," Zhao Ming said.

Zeng Ping frowned. "This case might be more complicated than we imagined."

Han Bin looked up toward the direction of Wang Deli’s home. "The most important thing now is to find evidence that proves this couple is lying. Only then can we open a formal investigation."