Chapter 28: Can I Just Turn Myself In?

At the entrance of the shop where the crime occurred, the man with the crew cut stood surrounded by several senior officers, his expression deeply uneasy.

Deputy Director Zhao and Zhu Yue had also arrived. They had been busy directing officers and conducting interviews with the public, unaware of what had transpired.

"What's going on?" Deputy Director Zhao glanced at the clearly suspicious man, his face full of confusion. He wondered why the criminal investigation team, who were supposed to be examining the scene, had suddenly apprehended someone.

A local station officer leaned in and whispered an explanation. Upon hearing it, Deputy Director Zhao and Zhu Yue both turned their heads to look at Han Ling, who was standing by the police cordon.

"Why were you running?" Ji Bowi stared at the man with the crew cut and asked for the second time.

The man dared not look at the senior investigators, mumbling, "I wasn't running. I just remembered something I had to do, so I needed to leave in a hurry."

Ji Bowi countered, "What thing?"

A spur-of-the-moment lie is easily unraveled, requiring further lies to cover it up—a feat impossible to manage in such a short time. The man remained silent.

At that moment, Fang Zhou grabbed the man's hand. Realizing what was happening, the man resisted violently, shouting, "What are you doing? What are you doing?!"

The investigators on either side tightened their grip, shouting sharply, "Stop struggling! Behave yourself!"

As the man's palm was forced open, everyone saw fresh abrasions and bruises in long, narrow strips—clear evidence of having pulled on something like a rope with great force for a prolonged period. The victim on the second floor of the shop had been strangled.

Ji Bowi’s expression darkened at a single glance. He said coldly, "What is your name?"

The man stammered, "Qian... Qian Zhifeng."

"ID number!"

The man recited his ID number. A nearby investigator typed it into his portable police terminal and immediately retrieved the man's detailed file. "Captain Ji, he has a criminal record for robbery."

It matched. The team had previously concluded that if the crime was committed by a stranger, the perpetrator likely had a prior record.

Ji Bowi pointed to the man's feet. "Take off his shoes and give them to the forensics team on the second floor. Have them compare them to the prints at the scene immediately."

The squad officers acted at once, removing the shoes and hurrying into the seafood shop. The man grew increasingly restless, his panic evident as his face turned pale.

Fang Zhou, being more direct, asked on the spot, "Does the death of the shop owner’s wife have anything to do with you?"

"No, no! Absolutely not!" the man blurted out. "I never even went inside! I don't even eat seafood!"

Fang Zhou turned and walked a few steps, pointing toward the shop's front counter. "Even though the surveillance hard drive is gone, taking it would have required touching other surfaces, leaving fingerprints. Furthermore, if the weapon and the hard drive are close by, a thorough search will find them sooner or later. If they are far away, the use of transportation will leave traces on traffic surveillance. If they are hidden at home or in a familiar place, they will be even easier to locate. Think carefully before you answer my next question."

The man began to sweat.

Soon, the investigator who had left returned, reporting that the forensics team had confirmed the man's shoes perfectly matched the size and pattern of the footprints left on the second floor. The footprints served as circumstantial evidence, proving the man had been at the crime scene—he had lied.

"Not talking, are you?" Ji Bowi couldn't be bothered to waste more breath. "Fine. Cuff him, take him back to the station. We have plenty of time."

The man was now a prime suspect. Once the interrogation period expired, he would be formally criminally detained; if fingerprints were found, it would meet the criteria for an arrest warrant. Ji Bowi didn't believe the man could withstand the interrogation, and even if he did, the investigative team had more than enough time between detention and formal arrest.

Following orders, the officers pulled the man’s arms in front and cuffed his wrists. Front-cuffing was appropriate for scene identification, while back-cuffing was used to maximize the restriction of a suspect's movement.

The man panicked. Realizing he had left too many traces at the scene, his sense of false hope collapsed. "Wait, wait... Officer! I was wrong! I did it! Can this count as a surrender?"

Seeing the man confess, Tong Feng, who had been watching from the sidelines, was stunned. He looked toward Han Ling. *Holy cow, is he really that good?*

Ji Bowi snapped, "Cut the crap! You call this a surrender?!" He had turned and run the moment his suspicious behavior was noticed, and he hadn't confessed until pressed twice—this didn't qualify as a surrender in any sense. If this were a surrender, every suspect would be a "surrenderer."

The man felt despair. Murder was a capital offense; even with a commuted death sentence, he would face years of darkness in prison. He had been inside before and knew how precious freedom was, but it was too late. People only feel regret when they are forced to face the consequences.

"I'll kill you!"

At that moment, the victim's husband lunged forward, trying to attack the man. The surrounding officers quickly restrained him and led him away to calm him down. The husband kept shouting, "You animal! Why did you kill my wife!"

The crowd was in an uproar, having finally understood the situation. It was a murder case! Whether it was kept confidential or not didn't matter; the case would be announced eventually. The man stood in silence, consumed by regret.

"Where is the stuff?" asked Squad Leader Hu Lihui.

The man went limp, knowing what was being asked. "I threw it into a trash can near Qingchang University while I was on the bus," he said weakly.

Hearing this, Hu Lihui signaled several officers to go and retrieve it. Once the scene investigation was complete, they could have the suspect reenact the crime. As for motives and other details, those would be handled back at the branch station—there was no rush.

The case was essentially solved in less than half an hour. Apprehending the suspect directly at the scene was remarkably swift—a rare occurrence that would surely lead to a commendation and perhaps even become a well-known case within the force.

Thinking of this, everyone turned to look. Han Ling was still standing there quietly, his back to the shop entrance, as if what had just happened had nothing to do with him.

Zhu Yue, sensing the moment, called out, "Han Ling! Come here!"

Han Ling turned and walked over, finding himself under the gaze of the senior leaders. Hu Lihui, who didn't know Han Ling well, examined him closely.

The man with the crew cut felt deeply frustrated, unable to fathom why Han Ling had singled him out. If not for that, even with the traces he had left, he would have had plenty of time to escape. What did a wanted notice matter? There were murderers who had been on the run for decades; if they could do it, he could too. Anything was better than rotting in prison.

"What is your name?" Fang Zhou asked first, confirming his identity.

"Han Ling."

Fang Zhou nodded in understanding and continued, "How did you spot him?"

Han Ling replied, "His expression was wrong, he was overly focused on the situation at the scene, and his palms were injured. There was definitely something wrong, though I wasn't certain he was the killer."

Fang Zhou nodded. Excellent observation skills, strong analytical ability, and, most importantly, the initiative to use them. Under normal circumstances, a local station officer assigned to maintain order wouldn't concern themselves with matters outside their duty.

"Not bad. A real talent." Ji Bowi was concise and didn't say much more; there was still work to be done on the case.

The case wasn't difficult, and they likely would have caught the killer even without Han Ling. However, Han Ling had drastically shortened the investigation time, eliminated the possibility of the suspect fleeing, and prevented further adverse consequences. The credit was significant. Ji Bowi would report this to his superiors; at the very least, it would be a commendation, and with any luck, it might even lead to an individual third-class merit award.

Deputy Director Zhao and Zhu Yue beamed with pride. The Wolou Police Station’s profile would be significantly raised, and their monthly performance ranking would surely improve.

Tong Feng quietly gave Han Ling a thumbs-up. He hadn't realized his colleague possessed such skills. He wondered if the branch leaders would take an interest in him. Perhaps, in the future, they might even become colleagues in the Criminal Investigation Division? He suddenly felt a sense of anticipation; he had been feeling a bit lonely in the division.