070 The Arrest

Tian Li held two bottles of mineral water, handing them to Han Bin and Li Hui.

Li Hui opened his bottle and gulped down more than half in one go.

“Hui, take it easy,” Zhao Ming reminded him. “Drinking too much water at once is hard on your kidneys.”

“I don’t even have a girlfriend, what burden?” Li Hui snorted.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Han Bin took a few sips, moistening his throat. “How did your investigations go?”

“Not well,” Zhao Ming shook his head. “There are very few cameras in the urban village, and none near He Yan’s house. It’s hard to determine what transportation she used.”

“Don’t slack off, or Team Leader Zheng will chew you out,” Li Hui cautioned.

“How could I?” Zhao Ming protested. “If we really want to check, it's a huge workload—every vehicle nearby in that time frame would have to be investigated. I can’t do it alone, and our team is understaffed. What do you suggest?”

“Tian Li, how about your side?” Han Bin asked.

“I went to the local telecommunications company. Aside from those few extortion messages, there were no suspicious calls or texts,” Tian Li replied.

“What about WeChat and QQ?”

“I checked the chat records. Nothing unusual recently,” Tian Li answered.

“It seems the suspect was well-prepared, keeping in contact with the victim only through Bubble. That’s an uncommon messaging app, making it harder for the police to trace,” Han Bin analyzed.

A creaking sound came from the van door as Zheng Kaixuan entered.

“Team Leader Zheng, what did the higher-ups say?”

“They're still in contact. We’ll wait for news,” Zheng Kaixuan replied, gesturing at Han Bin. “I gave them your number, so the Pengcheng police may be in touch.”

“Understood.”

“After we got out of the car, Lu Wen called. He’s confirmed the location where the suspect sent the messages.”

“Where?” Everyone perked up.

Once the suspect’s approximate location was known, they could set up surveillance and plan an arrest.

“The cell tower places him near the train station.”

“Damn!” Li Hui slapped the table.

Qindao is a tourist city, and the area around the train station is packed with people.

“Could the suspect have already taken a train and escaped the city?” Tian Li speculated.

“This suspect has some anti-investigation savvy. Even knowing he’s at the station, it’d be hard to search for him—it would require massive police resources, and we still might not find him,” Han Bin analyzed.

“Han Bin is right. Rather than scouring the station area, we should pursue other leads and avoid wasting the golden window for solving the case,” Zheng Kaixuan stroked his chin in agreement.

Just then, their food delivery arrived.

Zhao Ming got off the van to fetch it.

Everyone was hungry, and quickly tore into the packages.

Each received a portion of lamb stew with flatbread and a meat-filled bun.

Meat, hot soup—lots of food to fill them up.

Han Bin took a sip of hot soup. “Not bad.”

Li Hui took a big bite of his meat bun. “Delicious!”

“There are some buns with hot peppers and some without. Watch out,” Zheng Kaixuan warned.

“Doesn’t matter which. As long as I’m full,” Zhao Ming said, his mouth full. “Once this case is solved, I’ll treat everyone to a good meal.”

“Step aside, I’m still waiting for Bin’s famous grilled kidneys,” Li Hui winked.

“No problem. Once the case is cracked, plenty of good food and good wine,” Han Bin grinned. He was currently single and had saved up a bit.

Han Bin’s family was fairly well-off. His father worked at the police station, his mother had a pension, his grandfather as well. Han Bin’s work kept him busy and he hardly spent any money.

A knock came at the door, and Zeng Ping entered.

“Team Leader Zeng,” everyone greeted.

“Hey, you’re all eating. Smells great,” Zeng Ping sniffed.

“We got some for you too,” Zheng Kaixuan said.

“I’ll eat later, let me report in first,” Zeng Ping swallowed. He was hungry too.

Zheng Kaixuan sipped his lamb soup. “How did the bank investigation go?”

“I ran around all afternoon, handled a bunch of procedures, but finally got the cardholder info,” Zeng Ping sighed. “Such efficiency, tsk…”

Zheng Kaixuan wiped his mouth with a wet napkin. “We have to follow protocol. Tell us what you found.”

“Team Leader Zheng, you eat faster than me!” Li Hui protested.

“Of course. I’ve been practicing for years,” Zheng Kaixuan joked.

Zeng Ping took out a document and read:

Name: Liu Jingxiang
Gender: Male
Age: 45
Contact: 134552XXXXX
Address: Qindao City, QD District, Guangming Road, Li’an Community, Building 1, Apartment 602.

“Who’s finished eating?” Zheng Kaixuan asked.

“I am,” Li Hui wiped his mouth.

“Drive us there.”

“Yes, sir.”

Zheng Kaixuan pulled out his phone, notified the tech team to head to the scene, and asked the local police station for assistance in the arrest.

As for Zeng Ping, Han Bin, Tian Li, and Zhao Ming, they continued eating.

The command van had a table, much like a mobile dining car, and the four ate in comfort.

Cases came in every day; once busy, there was no end. Eventually, everyone adapted.

The command van arrived at Li’an Community, and the local police officers arrived soon after.

Zheng Kaixuan began setting up surveillance, confirming if the suspect was home, and arranging the arrest.

The tech team arrived a bit later, bringing the summons and search warrants.

The operation officially began.

...

Li’an Community, Building 1, Apartment 602.

A man in his forties sat shirtless on the sofa watching television, with several dishes laid out on the coffee table.

Cucumber, assorted duck parts, mantis shrimp, and braised pork ribs with beans.

The man poured himself a small glass of liquor, sipping contentedly.

His name was Liu Jingxiang, the master of the house.

The sound of footsteps echoed.

A middle-aged woman entered, carrying a plate of chive and egg stir-fry. “Jingxiang, should I cook the noodles now or wait a bit?”

“Wait a little. Sit down and eat with me,” Liu Jingxiang beckoned.

The woman’s name was Cui Xiaofang, Liu Jingxiang’s wife.

Cui Xiaofang bent over, placing the plate before her husband.

Liu Jingxiang reached out and slapped her on the hip. “Smack!”

“What are you doing?” she protested.

Liu Jingxiang chuckled. “Beauty, want to have a little fun tonight?”

“Come on, we’re an old married couple,” Cui Xiaofang scoffed.

“Not old yet, I’m still young!” Liu Jingxiang flexed his arm, showing off his muscles.

“Stop messing around.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Liu Jingxiang laughed, eating a piece of chive and egg to boost his vitality.

A knock sounded at the door.

“Who is it?” Cui Xiaofang called out.

“Gas inspection.”

“Hang on,” she replied, walking to the door. “Find the gas card,” she said over her shoulder.

“Where is it?”

“In the drawer under the coffee table.”

As soon as Cui Xiaofang opened the door, a group of people rushed in.

“Police! Don’t move!”

Before the couple could react, they were restrained.

“Why are you arresting me?” Liu Jingxiang demanded loudly.

“You know why—don’t you know what you’ve done?” Zheng Kaixuan barked.

Liu Jingxiang’s face changed, his voice trembling. “I just... Is this really necessary?”

“Take him away!”