114 Buying Soy Sauce

Han Bin’s success in persuading Wang Deli to act as an informant was only the first step.

Wang Deli had already broken the law and should have been detained according to procedure. Even if he wished to cooperate as an informant, approval from the precinct leadership and the completion of formalities were required.

Releasing a suspect was no trivial matter, and Han Bin felt the pressure.

He did not stay in the interrogation room to continue talking with Wang Deli but waited for the precinct leaders’ approval. Meanwhile, he gave Wang Deli more time to consider, so that he wouldn’t back out at the last moment, thus wasting manpower, resources, and precious time.

Around four in the afternoon, a message came from the WeChat company—they had traced the registered phone number of Brother Rong.

Han Bin made another trip to the telecom company to investigate the phone owner’s identity.

By the time Han Bin returned to the precinct, it was nearly six o’clock.

Li Hui, Tian Li, and Zhao Ming had also come back to the office.

After a busy afternoon, Han Bin hadn’t even had a chance to drink water; he grabbed a cup of cold water and gulped down several mouthfuls.

“Clap, clap…” Zeng Ping clapped his hands to gather everyone’s attention. “Everyone’s back, let’s consolidate the clues.”

Tian Li handed out packs of chewing gum to everyone.

“Hey, Sister Tian, you’re impressive. Others give out cigarettes, but you hand out gum,” Li Hui joked.

“Take it or leave it,” Tian Li said, brushing past Li Hui.

“I think chewing gum is a good idea. First, it’s healthy; second, it doesn’t bother others; third, if anyone gets a craving for a cigarette at the scene, they can chew gum instead,” Zeng Ping said.

“Look at Captain Zeng’s awareness,” Tian Li snorted.

Li Hui was not offended; he went to the table, popped two pieces into his mouth—why not, after all?

Chewing gum in his mouth, Zeng Ping asked, “Zhao Ming, how did your investigation go today? Any leads on the suspects?”

“Wang Deli took a taxi home. Based on his description and comparisons, we found that taxi,” Zhao Ming said, pulling out a tablet and connecting it to the projector to display the surveillance footage:

“This is near Qingyuan residential area. At 6:27, the taxi passed by a shop, only for a few seconds, but a motorcycle followed closely behind. There were two people on the motorcycle—one wearing a black helmet, the other a red helmet.”

Li Hui pointed at the projection. “Following so closely, they’re very likely the suspects in the robbery. Wang Deli admitted during interrogation that the attacker wore a red helmet. This matches closely.”

“Did these two suspects enter the residential complex?” Zeng Ping pressed.

“This is an old-style complex. The front gate’s surveillance camera was broken and never repaired in time, so we don’t have footage of the motorcycle entering,” Tian Li said with some frustration.

“When did the motorcycle start following them?”

“We checked the city’s surveillance network and found the motorcycle tailing them all the way. It’s very likely the attackers,” Zhao Ming replied.

“Do we have footage of the motorcycle leaving?”

“Yes.” Zhao Ming switched to another clip:

“At 7:35, the motorcycle returned along the same route. This time, the rider with the red helmet carried a woven bag, which likely contains the stolen money.”

“Where did the motorcycle go last?”

“It headed to Hanjiacun, turned into an alley, and then vanished from the nearby cameras,” Zhao Ming said.

“So the two suspects are probably hiding near Hanjiacun,” Li Hui concluded.

“Hanjiacun is an urban village with the Hanjiacun market. The area is complex, with many migrant workers. Investigating there won’t be easy,” Zhao Ming explained.

“Motorcycles aren’t like cars; if they take twisting alleyways, it’s really hard to track them. We’d need a large-scale search, and our team alone isn’t enough,” Tian Li shrugged.

“I’ll apply to the precinct leaders to issue a joint investigation notice to the local police station. They know the area better and can look for the motorcycle and suspects,” Zeng Ping said.

“Do we have a clear image of the motorcycle’s license plate?” Han Bin asked.

Zhao Ming zoomed in on a photo of the motorcycle. “Look carefully—it doesn’t have a license plate at all.”

“What? No plate? How did it get into the city?” Li Hui was astonished.

“Actually, the city of Qindao long ago banned motorcycles from entering the urban area. But that’s just on paper. In practice, enforcement is lax. As long as you don’t ride along the coastal strip, the chance of being caught is low,” Zhao Ming explained.

“Sounds like you’ve got some experience with this,” Li Hui teased, winking.

“No way I’d do that,” Zhao Ming hurried to clarify, “I just heard it from a friend. As long as you don’t race around or hang out downtown, it’s fine on the outskirts.”

“If you ask me, it doesn’t matter if it’s regulated or not. Now electric bikes aren’t any slower than motorcycles, they dart everywhere and cause more accidents. Imagine trying to register electric bikes—no one would agree,” Tian Li said.

“That’s a traffic police matter, not ours. Let’s get back to the case,” Zeng Ping interrupted the pointless discussion and pointed to Li Hui. “What did you find at the scene?”

“That foolish woman, Xie Rong, cleaned the hallway spotless. What could I find?” Li Hui shrugged.

“So, a wasted trip?”

“Not really. I talked to the neighbors around. An elderly man named Mr. Chen was coming back from his morning exercise and saw a man wearing a red helmet walking toward the complex gate. It was hot that day, and he wondered why someone would wear a helmet in such weather. He looked again,” Li Hui described.

“Did Mr. Chen have any impressions of the suspect?”

“He said the man wore a blue T-shirt and was about the same height as his son, who’s around 1.8 meters tall. Other details he couldn’t recall,” Li Hui said.

“The clothing matches the footage, but the height estimate is probably off. The suspect wore a helmet, which makes him appear taller. His actual height is likely just over 1.7 meters,” Han Bin analyzed.

“Ordinary citizens aren’t police officers and lack professional training. Their clues may be subjective and need careful verification before use,” Zeng Ping shared some experience, then pointed to Han Bin: “Tell us what you found from the telecom company.”

Han Bin stood up, holding a document and placed it under the projector. “After getting the registered phone number from WeChat, I checked the phone owner’s identity at the telecom company.”

Name: Zhou Tianrong
Gender: Male
Age: 31
Ethnicity: Han
Phone Number: 1383XXXXXXX
Address: No. 107, Hanjiacun, Qindao City

“Damn, Zhou Tianrong lives right in Hanjiacun, matching where the motorcycle disappeared. He’s highly suspicious,” Li Hui said.

“Brother Bin, why didn’t you mention such an important lead earlier? We could have arrested him directly,” Zhao Ming said eagerly.

Zeng Ping smiled. “Han Bin sent me Zhou Tianrong’s info as soon as he got it. I’ve already applied for a search warrant and a summons. Once the paperwork’s done, we can arrest him.”

Li Hui gave a bitter smile. “Captain Zeng, so the three of us were just along for the ride?”

—End of excerpt—