Chapter 111 [VIP] Demons in the Human World (10)

Chapter 111 [VIP] Demons in the Human World (10)

In the morning, Lu He hastily ate a few bites of bread and drank some water, then immediately took Liang Yunfeng and Lin Tao to the interrogation room, with Cai Shuangxi responsible for taking notes.

As soon as they left, Luo Xiaoguo walked over to Yan Chun's desk and said, "Captain Lu doesn’t even take a break, doesn’t eat or drink, he’s turned into an iron man."

"That's just Captain Lu for you, working day and night without rest, not married, not looking for a partner. He’s getting on in years, and sooner or later, Xiao Liang will be influenced negatively."

"You don't understand; does Captain Lu even have time to look for a partner?"

"He’s nearly thirty, and the children of other colleagues in the bureau can already run errands."

Luo Xiaoguo smiled. "For the past two years, I’ve had a good feeling about Captain Lu and Chen Jierong. I heard that Old Liu also intended to matchmake them, but for some reason, there was no progress."

"Chen Jierong is quite beautiful, but she’s a bit older."

"What are you saying?" Luo Xiaoguo gave him a sideways glance. "Isn’t Chen Jierong a good match for Captain Lu? They make a perfect couple."

"Deputy Luo, I have a new idea. I think Meng Siqi might be a better match for Captain Lu."

"Hmm?" Luo Xiaoguo leaned forward. "Tell me, what do you mean?"

"During the joint operation between the first and second teams last time, I noticed that Captain Lu took good care of Meng Siqi. You know how Captain Lu treats girls? He treats them like brothers. But I feel Meng Siqi is different; even his eyes are different."

"You kid." Luo Xiaoguo became interested. "Now that you mention it, I feel the same way."

"Deputy Luo, are you suggesting we should try to help them?"

Luo Xiaoguo seemed to think carefully for a moment, but then he left his seat. "Captain Lu treats cases and people who can solve them with the same level of dedication. Your speculation is excessive. If Captain Lu finds out, you’ll be in hot water. Wait for the bureau’s direction and Old Liu’s opinion; don’t speculate randomly. Get on with the tasks assigned by Captain Lu; don’t slack off, as it affects my work."

Yan Chun licked his lips. Wasn’t it Luo Xiaoguo who initiated the idle chat? Now it seemed like he was the one affecting the work.

In the interrogation room, Lu He entered, found a chair, and sat down. He let Lin Tao take charge of the interrogation.

For Team One, Lin Tao was the most steady, though his investigative thinking was a bit slow. However, he was reliable in execution. Therefore, he would add questions as needed during this interrogation. Liang Yunfeng was a new recruit, a graduate from a prestigious school, with a good attitude and proactive in his work, but still in need of growth.

This reminded him of last May when the bureau assigned two new recruits: one was Liang Yunfeng, and the other was Meng Siqi. He didn’t even look at their files and left the decision to Luo Xiaoguo. Luo Xiaoguo ultimately chose Liang Yunfeng and explained that Liang came from a prestigious university and had strong learning abilities. Indeed, Liang Yunfeng had progressed rapidly over the past year.

The other recruit was a girl. At that time, Lu He glanced at her photo; she had a delicate appearance and a hint of innocence in her eyes. Actually, he had no particular preference regarding gender. Although criminal investigation work was tough, he had always hoped the bureau would assign a female to Team One. After all, with only male criminal investigators, many detailed tasks were left unattended, and the team atmosphere was somewhat rough.

Luo Xiaoguo's suggestion was that Meng Siqi wasn’t suitable. Not only did her school not compare to Liang Yunfeng's, but she also appeared delicate. He even investigated her background and said she came from a wealthy family, estimating that she wouldn’t be able to endure any hardship. Having her in Team One would only hinder their progress.

Lu He thought Luo Xiaoguo's words were biased. Those weren’t real reasons. However, there was only one spot available for Team One. If there were two, he would have taken both. But with limited spots and Luo Xiaoguo having already prepared the application, he didn’t want to make things difficult by asking for another one, so he signed it immediately.

Nearly a year had passed, and looking back, Lu He had a different perspective. Meng Siqi was truly unique. Although he acknowledged that Liang Yunfeng was excellent, if he had to choose, he would choose Meng Siqi without hesitation and without any reason.

"Zeng Haoqiang, do you know why we summoned you here?"

Lin Tao began the questioning, bringing Lu He back from his fragmented thoughts.

Zeng Haoqiang was completely different from his state the previous day. Yesterday, at the bank, he was enthusiastic and reciting poems. Today, he seemed to realize something was happening, his face showing a hint of nervousness, but perhaps due to his professional demeanor, his expression seemed strange.

He wanted to relax but involuntarily tensed up. He tried to show the enthusiastic smile he would give to clients, but he couldn’t quite manage it. Thus, his face displayed a strained, forced smile.

"I know. You leaders must want to know about Ruan Mengying. Rest assured, I will tell you everything I know, without any lies."

"Alright," Lin Tao continued, "Did you know that Ruan Mengying had a younger brother?"

The subject of Lin Tao's interrogation was provided by Lu He, who believed Lin Tao could handle it well. Thus, Lu He observed Zeng Haoqiang's reactions. Although Zeng Haoqiang was socially adept and skilled at controlling his facial expressions, in the interrogation room, no one could escape Lu He's eyes.

"I know that Ruan Mengying has a younger brother, but I didn't know if they were full siblings. Let me put it this way: I know her parents are divorced. I once drove her home after a gathering. She had drunk some alcohol, and on the way, she told me these things."

"How did you know about her plan to buy a piano for her brother?"

Zeng Haoqiang paused, scratching his temple as if in thought, and after a moment, he said, "I remember now. We were having lunch at a fast-food restaurant. She sat opposite me and asked, 'Brother Qiang, how much does a regular piano cost?' I casually asked why she wanted to buy a piano and if she liked music. Since pianos are expensive and her salary was low, Ruan Mengying told me that her brother had a musical talent and she planned to buy him a piano after his college entrance exam. That was all we talked about. Do you find my answer satisfactory?"

Lin Tao continued, "Did she save money to buy the piano?"

"I don't know. Honestly, a bank employee's salary isn't high, so buying a piano wouldn't be possible in a short time. Her brother is taking the college entrance exam this year, so when she resigned, I thought she had found a higher-paying job since she had her own goals."

Lin Tao asked, "What job do you think she found?"

Zeng Haoqiang replied, "I don't know. We lost contact after that, and I only learned something had happened to her this year."

Lu He suddenly interjected, "Would she resort to desperate measures to buy the piano?"

His low, powerful tone injected a massive shock into the otherwise dull interrogation room.

Zeng Haoqiang jerked his neck around, as if confirming who had spoken. A brief flash of panic crossed his eyes.

The panic was barely noticeable, but from Lu He's angle, he precisely sensed the unnatural reflection of the light in Zeng Haoqiang's eyes. There was a moment of panic.

For Lu He, that was abnormal, meaning his question had been effective. This implied that Ruan Mengying must have done something desperate for the piano, and it had something to do with Zeng Haoqiang.

Zeng Haoqiang licked his peeling lips and nervously fiddled with the water cup on the table, answering, "I don't know. Our interactions were strictly professional. Either we spoke during work or occasionally when I drove her home. If she hadn't been drunk, I wouldn't have driven her home. We only had a regular colleague relationship."

Lu He listened carefully to his answer and felt that Zeng Haoqiang had explained too much. He seemed to be trying too hard to prove there was no intimate relationship with Ruan Mengying, which wasn't necessary.

Lin Tao glanced at Lu He, confirming he had no further questions, and then asked, "What did Ruan Mengying tell you when she resigned? Zeng Haoqiang, this isn't your bank. I need an honest answer."

Zeng Haoqiang licked his lips again, as if they were dry. He picked up the cup and sipped the water, unsure if he was trying to hide his nervousness or if his lips were just dry.

He didn't look at anyone but stared at the cup in his hand. "It was just a simple resignation letter, stating personal reasons. She handed it to me one morning, and I approved it without asking anything because, in the past, girls like her often resigned to pursue other opportunities."

Lu He suddenly said sternly, "Zeng Haoqiang, you've been lying!"

Zeng Haoqiang looked up in shock, his face pale, showing a stiff expression.

"I didn't lie!" Zeng Haoqiang's cheeks were tense, and his Adam's apple was rapidly moving.

Lu He's voice was stern and forceful, "Do you want me to speak your inner thoughts aloud, or will you say it yourself?"

Large drops of cold sweat fell from Zeng Haoqiang's forehead, revealing his underlying tension. He still insisted, "I didn't lie, I really didn't!"

In fact, Lin Tao, Liang Yunfeng, and Cai Shuangxi couldn't understand Lu He's line of thought. Lin Tao and Liang Yunfeng had been following this case, and Zeng Haoqiang seemed like someone who had no connection with Ruan Mengying. Perhaps today's interrogation was just to learn about Ruan Mengying, but Lu He seemed to know something already.

"Zeng Haoqiang!" Lu He said sternly, "You drove Ruan Mengying home, and she told you about wanting to buy a piano. You easily approved her resignation without asking anything. Don't you think something's missing? What happened between you and her? Do you want me to tell you?"

Zeng Haoqiang's lips trembled slightly, and his fingers unnaturally gripped the water cup, causing the water to ripple slightly. Lin Tao suddenly felt that Zeng Haoqiang had major issues, and Lu He had definitely spotted something suspicious.

"Ruan Mengying is dead," Lu He said, "This is a serious criminal case. There's one thing we can't overlook: the piano. Zeng Haoqiang, I'm giving you one last chance. If you try to hide anything, you'll be defying the police. Do you understand the consequences?"

"I'll tell you everything..." Zeng Haoqiang's hand holding the cup trembled violently, spilling a few drops of water.

However, Lin Tao, Liang Yunfeng, and Cai Shuangxi were somewhat stunned. Lin Tao thought, could Zeng Haoqiang be the murderer of Ruan Mengying? Or had he taken those heinous photos?

Liang Yunfeng had similar suspicions, but considering Ruan Mengying's letter, he felt it wasn't that simple.

Last night in the car, Captain Lu showed everyone one of the photos. At the time, Liang Yunfeng was still driving and was so angry that he said, "Captain Lu, I’ll help you catch this murderer! I really want to tear him apart!"

"Yes, what kind of monster would do such a thing!" Lin Tao also cursed from the back seat.

Lu He finally reminded them, "The photos are important evidence. I will keep them safe. Keep this confidential for now, got it?"

Liang Yunfeng, of course, understood that this was important evidence and it involved the privacy of a young woman who had already been killed. These photos must be securely stored within Team One and at the police station. There must be no leaks. This was crucial for the case and for Ruan Mengying.

Reflecting on it, Liang Yunfeng felt that Zeng Haoqiang didn’t seem to pose such a threat to Ruan Mengying. If Zeng Haoqiang had really taken those photos, Ruan Mengying could have reported it to the police.

This suggested that Zeng Haoqiang was involved in something else, and Liang Yunfeng was particularly eager to uncover the truth.

Zeng Haoqiang said hoarsely, with a few sobbing sounds, "I like Ruan Mengying. I admit I liked her. She was very beautiful. She had always been the object of my secret admiration, but I knew that with my appearance, she would never like me. Besides, I have a family, so I always kept it inside. I just wanted to see her every day, say a few words to her, and occasionally flirt, which would be enough to satisfy me."

His tone suddenly became heavy, "Until one day, I noticed something was amiss with a bank account. I thoroughly checked the records and found that Ruan Mengying had handled it. She had embezzled a sum of money from the bank!"

"The amount wasn’t much, just seven or eight thousand yuan. Honestly, only new employees like her would take such risks, just skimming a bit from a client’s account. If I had just turned a blind eye, it would have been over, but I was driven by greed and decided to confront her."

"I remember finding a private room in a tea house, closing the door tightly, and acting as though this was a serious matter. I told Ruan Mengying that I had discovered her misconduct. It was a crime, and if I reported it, she would face imprisonment."

"Ruan Mengying cried and explained that she had embezzled the money to buy a piano for her brother. A friend had invited her to invest, promising that if she put in some money, she could quickly double or triple it, so she embezzled the money. But later, her friend’s investment failed, the person vanished, and the money was never returned. Ruan Mengying had to keep robbing Peter to pay Paul, constantly covering up her tracks."

"I was blinded by greed and threatened to report her. At that moment, Ruan Mengying begged me not to. She feared her mother and brother would find out and wouldn’t know how to view her in the future. She promised to repay the money as soon as possible and pleaded for leniency."

"I agreed, but I set a condition. I said I liked her very much, and she had to sleep with me once, or I wouldn’t let this go."