Chapter 54: Interrogating Yang Qi

Two days later.

Yang Qi had already been placed under criminal detention and was held in the detention center, spending his days in the company of other suspects.

He would remain there until either the evidence was insufficient and he was released, or the procuratorate approved his arrest and prosecution.

The special investigation team was working on two fronts.

First, forensic experts were meticulously examining the summer quilt, attempting to find biological traces left by a second person.

Second, investigators were reviewing surveillance footage to determine whether Yang Qi’s vehicle had appeared at any unusual times between the evening of the second day of the lunar new year and the third day, with particular focus on the early hours of the third day.

Any breakthrough would allow them to immediately bring Yang Qi in for interrogation. He might be able to maintain one lie, but not multiple ones.

Interrogation was a crucial tool in criminal investigations; once a suspect spoke, everything afterward became simpler.

Currently, the clues were sufficient for the special team to conduct prolonged questioning of Yang Qi until he told the truth.

Clues were clues, evidence was evidence. If there was enough evidence, confessions were less important; the court could convict even without a confession.

Ji Bowen was patient and had not yet visited Yang Qi in detention. He hoped for a decisive success to avoid repeated back-and-forth troubles.

The criminal detention had been communicated to Yang Qi’s family, and his parents had come.

For the parents, it was as if the sky had fallen.

Suspected of murder—one of the gravest charges imaginable for an ordinary family, alongside drug trafficking.

Whether murder or drug trafficking, the consequences were dire, with the death penalty a distinct possibility.

A lifetime destroyed.

“My son could never kill anyone… he simply wouldn’t! You must have made a mistake!” the mother cried.

“He has been so honest and obedient all his life! Can you police officers be responsible? If you can’t solve the case, you accuse the wrong person? The wife dies, so you arrest the husband!” she shouted.

…

In the adjacent room, Han Ling and Tong Feng listened as their squad colleagues negotiated with the suspect’s family.

It was futile; the mother, overcome with irrationality, refused to listen. Most of the time, the officers bore her verbal abuse.

A son arrested on suspicion of murder—parents didn’t care if they were police; they cursed relentlessly.

Tong Feng sighed, “It’s tragic. Both sets of parents are driven mad. We found the summer quilt, the used wet wipes, and a security guard saw Yang Qi throwing the quilt away… all that’s missing is a confession.”

Han Ling smoked, “Hou Jiarou’s phone hasn’t been found yet.”

Tong Feng said, “Probably thrown away?”

Han Ling nodded, “Maybe smashed and flushed down the toilet.”

Tong Feng agreed, “Good idea. By the way, our bureau’s police dogs are impressive—they can detect dried wet wipes kilometers away. Their noses are remarkable.”

He added, “But it’s also thanks to Sister Lin’s expert guidance.”

“Don’t say ‘our bureau,’ I’m not part of it… Sister Lin?” Han Ling was unfamiliar with the name. “Who’s Sister Lin?”

Tong Feng explained, “She’s the captain of the K9 unit. Haven’t you met her?”

Han Ling recalled, “Oh, the one with short hair? Very androgynous.”

Tong Feng nodded enthusiastically, “That’s right—Lin Muyang.”

Han Ling appraised Tong Feng and noticed a distinct gleam in his eyes when mentioning Lin Muyang. Suddenly, he asked, “Do you have a thing for Captain Lin?”

Tong Feng was startled, stammering, “N-no, nonsense! What if someone overhears and it gets back to Sister Lin? She might send the dogs after me!”

Han Ling chuckled, “You’re not afraid of dogs? Come on! You’ve loved dogs since you were a kid, but your family never allowed you to keep one—especially Border Collies.”

Border Collies, indeed.

Tong Feng admitted, “Dogs are mankind’s most loyal friends. Don’t you like them?”

Han Ling didn’t answer.

“So, Captain Lin leads the K9 unit and her name literally means ‘shepherd.’ It suits you perfectly. Is she single? If so…”

Tong Feng panicked, “Shut up, right now!”

The two were relatively free at the moment; Ji Bowen hadn’t assigned any tasks.

More specialized personnel were investigating the surveillance footage. According to Fang Zhou, these people would soon be transferred to the newly established Image Investigation Unit.

With the rapid development of surveillance technology and the gradual enhancement of video networks, public security agencies nationwide had begun forming image investigation teams to better combat crime.

The municipal bureau had set up an image investigation brigade this year, while subordinate district and county bureaus were progressing more slowly.

Police officers who joined image investigation teams needed keen observation skills and video operation abilities—a challenging job.

Extracting precise physical characteristics of suspects from blurry or poorly angled footage was quite difficult.

In the future, image investigators might also be required to enhance video clarity.

As technology advanced, so too would criminal investigation techniques.

“Detection confirmed!” Suddenly, Yang Rui’s voice rang out from outside.

“We detected Yang Qi’s DNA on the summer quilt! No mistake! It’s definitely Yang Qi’s!”

Yang Rui’s voice was filled with excitement. She clearly understood the significance of this result—this was nearly the case’s conclusion.

In this case, the forensic experts played a pivotal role.

Their job wasn’t just extracting DNA from both parties—that would only prove the victim had contact with the quilt—but determining whether the quilt was the murder weapon.

This was a complex, meticulous, and difficult process.

Han Ling and Tong Feng quickly got up and left the room.

Outside, they saw Ji Bowen rushing with the test report, apparently ready to head straight to the detention center to interrogate Yang Qi.

Seeing Han Ling, Ji Bowen didn’t stop, “Han Ling, come with me. Gain some experience. See how a murder suspect cries when they see the coffin.”

“Go too,” Fang Zhou passed by Tong Feng and lightly tapped him.

The final interrogation involved only a few people, depending on leadership’s arrangements. Since there were newcomers in the team, naturally they had priority.

Two police cars arrived at the detention center and parked. Ji Bowen got out and strode inside.

Unlike a detention center, the detention facility had designated interrogation rooms to facilitate questioning suspects in custody at any time.

Ji Bowen submitted the interrogation materials, and Yang Qi was soon brought into the interrogation room.

After two days, Yang Qi had changed little—just more disheveled and listless. As time passed, he would grow increasingly haggard.

“Yang Qi, let’s have a talk,” Ji Bowen said, sitting across from him with his legs crossed, confident.

All clues and evidence pointed to Yang Qi; he couldn’t bluff his way out.

Yang Qi remained silent.

Bang bang bang!

Ji Bowen tapped the table sharply. Yang Qi looked up.

“If we hadn’t found evidence, do you think I’d come to the detention center? Take a look—recognize this?” He held up a transparent evidence bag containing a white tissue.

Seeing the tissue, Yang Qi visibly startled, his gaze shifting rapidly.

“Surprised?” Ji Bowen slammed the evidence bag on the table. “This was found a few kilometers from the dump site. Wondering how we found it? It carries your wife’s scent! And the same wet wipes were found in your car! Didn’t you say you never went near the toy factory?”

Yang Qi swallowed but remained silent.

Ji Bowen said, “A security guard saw someone throwing away a quilt late at night on the third day of the lunar new year. Care to explain? Spin the lies you told me before—I’m listening.”

Yang Qi’s eye twitched; in a low voice, he said, “Maybe… maybe Jiarou went there and threw away the wet wipes.”

Ji Bowen raised an eyebrow, “What about on the third day?”

Yang Qi said, “The guard must have been mistaken. That wasn’t me. Did he get a good look at the face?”

Ji Bowen laughed bitterly, “Alright, you’re something else.”

He tossed the DNA test report in front of Yang Qi.

“Can you read?”

“Your DNA is on the murder weapon—the summer quilt. You had the courage to kill, but not the courage to admit it?”

“Come on, explain it again.”

Faced with the DNA report, Yang Qi was unprepared and finally panicked.