073 Weijia Hotel

Cui Xiaofang panicked and quickly tried to stop him, “Don’t—don’t go.”

“If I don’t go, how will I find out which hotel the suspect is staying in?” Han Bin countered.

Biting her lip, Cui Xiaofang hesitated for a long time before finally confessing, “I know which hotel it is.”

“Speak.”

“It’s the Weijia Hotel on Changfeng Road.”

“Which room? Who booked it?” Han Bin pressed.

“I booked it, Room 408.”

“When did you book the room?”

“The morning of August seventeenth, at ten o’clock.”

“Why did you help him book the room?”

“We met on Bubble. He said he was in a bad mood because of some guarantee issue and wanted to come to Qindao City to get away for a while. He asked me to help him reserve a hotel room.”

“When I asked you earlier, why didn’t you say anything?” Han Bin demanded.

“I…I didn’t want to get too involved with him.”

“You should have thought about that earlier.” Han Bin snorted. “Is he still at the hotel now?”

“I just chatted with him on Bubble. He said he’s still at the hotel.”

“Besides him, is there anyone else in the hotel room?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you know He Yan?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Is there anything else you know about this Xiao Kai?” Han Bin asked.

“No.”

“Cui Xiaofang, you are now suspected of obstructing official duties. If you are hiding any more information, your charges will be compounded. Do you understand?” Han Bin scolded sternly.

“Officer, I really haven’t lied this time. Everything I said is true.”

Han Bin stood up and left the interrogation room.

Zeng Ping came out from the observation room nearby as well.

“Captain Zeng, you heard everything. Should we apprehend the suspect?”

“There’s no time to lose. Let’s go now. Bring Cui Xiaofang along to identify the suspect.”

“Yes, sir.”

…

Ten minutes later, Zheng Kaixuan personally led the team to Weijia Hotel to apprehend the suspect.

In addition to the second group of the third criminal investigation team, he also called on colleagues from the technical team on duty.

Liu Jingxiang had already been released. Seeing Cui Xiaofang being escorted by the police and seated in a police car, he hurried over to ask, “Officer, what happened to my wife? Where are you taking her?”

“Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t. Finish your paperwork and wait at home for news.”

“Bang bang bang…” Liu Jingxiang pounded on the police car, shouting to Cui Xiaofang inside, “Wife, what did you do? Why are the police taking you away?”

Cui Xiaofang bowed her head, not daring to look outside the window, let alone meet Liu Jingxiang’s gaze.

The police pulled Liu Jingxiang away, and the car soon left the Qindao branch.

Liu Jingxiang struggled free and ran after them.

…

In the police car, Han Bin contacted the hotel manager and asked detailed questions, confirming that Room 408 had not yet been checked out.

This suggested that the suspect might still be at the hotel.

Zheng Kaixuan urged the convoy to speed up and get to Weijia Hotel as soon as possible.

It was already nearly eleven at night. There were few cars on the road, and traffic was light, so it only took about ten minutes to reach the hotel.

Tian Li was tasked with watching over Cui Xiaofang and waited in the car with the technical team members.

Zheng Kaixuan led the second group in to make the arrest.

With the hotel lobby manager leading the way, Han Bin and the others went up to the fourth floor, drew out their flashlights, loaded their pistols, and took positions outside Room 408.

When the staff unlocked the door with a spare key card, Zeng Ping led the way as the team quickly burst into the room.

“Police! Don’t move!”

The lights came on. Han Bin and the others quickly searched for the suspect, but found no one in the room or bathroom.

“Be careful. Check the wardrobe and under the bed,” Zheng Kaixuan instructed.

Han Bin and Li Hui worked together—one opened the wardrobe, the other covered him with his pistol—but the wardrobe was empty. “Wardrobe is clear.”

“No problem under the bed either.”

“Bang!” Zheng Kaixuan punched the wall in frustration. “He slipped through our fingers!”

Li Hui scanned the room. “No sign of the suspect’s luggage. He probably already left.”

“Close the door. If the suspect returns, we don’t want to scare him away,” Zheng Kaixuan ordered.

“Captain Zheng, should we bring the technical team up?” Zeng Ping suggested.

After a moment’s thought, Zheng Kaixuan instructed, “Han Bin, Li Hui—you two go to the surveillance room and check the security footage.”

“Zeng Ping, you go to the lobby, ask the staff and receptionists if they remember anything about the guest in Room 408.”

“Zhao Ming, you and Tian Li bring Cui Xiaofang up here to confirm if this is the right room, and call the technical team up as well.”

“Yes, sir.” Everyone acknowledged and went about their tasks.

…

Weijia Hotel surveillance room.

The security guard in the surveillance room had apparently been notified in advance. When Han Bin showed his police badge, he was allowed to take over the surveillance system.

“Bin, how should we approach this?” Li Hui asked.

“Start from ten a.m. on August seventeenth.”

“I’ll check the fourth-floor cameras, you check the lobby,” Li Hui joked.

“Whatever, you’ll have to help me anyway when you’re done. Don’t think you can slack off,” Han Bin retorted.

With the security guard’s help, Han Bin pulled up the lobby footage from around ten in the morning on August seventeenth.

Before long, he spotted Cui Xiaofang entering alone. She lingered in the lobby for quite a while before heading to the front desk to book the room.

However, after booking the room, Cui Xiaofang left without going upstairs.

At two in the afternoon on August seventeenth, a man identified as Xiao Kai arrived at the hotel, carrying a travel bag.

Han Bin then pulled up the footage from the morning of August eighteenth. Around ten o’clock, a woman of short stature, resembling He Ru, entered the hotel—this was He Yan, the abducted woman.

He Yan went to the front desk, spoke a few words, and then entered the elevator, vanishing from the lobby cameras.

“Hui, check the fourth floor cameras for ten a.m. on the eighteenth,” Han Bin reminded him.

“OK,” Li Hui replied.

Pulling up the footage, they soon spotted He Yan on the fourth-floor cameras, entering Room 408.

“Bin, what do you think they were doing in there?” Li Hui winked.

“Playing cards,” Han Bin guessed.

“Cards?”

Li Hui rolled his eyes. “A man and a woman, alone in a hotel room… That’s like a spark to dry tinder. No way they were playing cards. They were definitely doing what people do.”

“So why bother asking?” Han Bin ignored him.

Li Hui snickered but didn’t mind. “How long do you think He Yan stayed inside?”

Han Bin almost laughed. “Just focus on the footage and stop asking such nonsense.”

“Tch.” Li Hui pursed his lips and kept checking the video.

But he couldn’t keep quiet and muttered from time to time:

“She’s already married. Is this really okay?”

“No wonder her husband is so disheartened—he’d rather go to the betting shop than look for her.”

…

“Tsk tsk, it’s been two hours and she still hasn’t come out. This young guy’s got stamina.”

Li Hui sped up the playback. No one entered or left the room; he was surprised. “It’s been all afternoon.”

“Stop!” Han Bin called out. “Xiao Kai just came out.”

Li Hui kept playing. “But He Yan still hasn’t come out.”

“Maybe she stayed overnight. Keep watching,” Han Bin said.

Li Hui continued to monitor the footage, but after Xiao Kai’s exit, only his comings and goings were seen—He Yan never reappeared…