Chapter 141 Evidence

Chapter 141: Evidence

Yue Lingchuan narrowed his eyes. "Each time it's sums ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions—how has she avoided police attention?"

Da Lin paused before replying, "I'm not sure about that. But she operates across multiple jurisdictions, moving between several neighboring provinces and cities. She doesn't work alone either—she seems to have many accomplices. Plus, she’s extremely cautious and probably keeps an eye on police movements."

He then asked, "Zhou, I don’t know much about that area. Want me to look into it further?"

Zhou Qiming glanced at Yue Lingchuan and nodded. "Sure. But be careful—safety first. Don’t tip them off."

Da Lin chuckled. "Don’t worry, Zhou. They won’t suspect a thing!"

After the call ended, the team exchanged looks. Captain Yang was the first to speak. "The Public Security Management Department comes down hard on illegal activities like gambling and drugs. If this She woman's racket is really that big, they'd have her on their radar."

Yue Lingchuan pondered for a moment before pulling out his phone and calling Captain Cao from the Public Security Management Division.

The call connected quickly, and without pleasantries, they cut to the chase:

"Captain Cao, among the people your department has been monitoring recently, is there a woman with the surname She?"

"A woman surnamed She? You mean She Manqing?" Cao Anguo’s voice was firm. "Yes, there is such a person."

The team visibly reacted at his words. Captain Cao asked, "What? Does this relate to your case?"

Yue Lingchuan replied gravely, "We suspect that the suspect in our case may have some connection with this 'Snake Sis.'"

"How much information do you have on her so far?"

The Liang family case had caused a major stir, leading to the formation of a special task force. Though Cao Anguo wasn’t part of the Criminal Investigation Division, he was somewhat familiar with it. Without holding back, he gave them the rundown:

"Snake Sis, real name She Manqing, born in 1973, left school after elementary, originally from An Province. She started working at seventeen, traveling to multiple provinces and cities. In 1996, she arrived in Pingjiang and met Chen Zhaowei and Lin Chenghui. Later, the three of them ran organized scams to cheat people."

"At first, they were small-fry operators, personally participating in gambling scams. But after a few years, they accumulated some money and recruited many underlings. They got bolder, and so did the scale of their crimes, spreading across several neighboring provinces and cities, forming one of the biggest crime rings in this region."

"We started monitoring this group in the first half of this year. After six months of undercover investigation, we’ve mostly figured out their MO."

"They usually send young women to high-end bars and clubs to case wealthy marks. Once the time is right, they lure them into gambling."

"At first, they control the odds, letting the targets win more and more. Most people can’t resist the rush of winning and gradually fall into the trap. Eventually, the stakes get higher, and they arrange for the targets to win a large sum first. When they’re on a winning streak, they push for a second round."

"And this time, the outcome is already predetermined."

"Many people are wiped out in this kind of scheme, losing everything. Even if some realize afterward and try to report it, the group is always one step ahead—by the time the police arrive, the place is already empty."

"It took us six months just to identify the core members of their organization. Among them, She Manqing, as one of the earliest members, holds a special position. She rarely gets her hands dirty, but when she does, it’s always a big-money play. Because of her ruthless methods, outsiders call her 'Snake Sis.'"

"She uses many aliases and is camera-shy, rarely leaving behind photographic evidence. Since she operates across different regions, few people know what she really looks like."

He then asked, "I do have a copy of her ID photo here. Do you need it?"

Yue Lingchuan immediately replied, "Yes."

·

Captain Cao quickly arranged for the photo to be delivered. Luo Kaiyang and Wei Zhengyi took it to revisit the bars and clubs they had previously investigated. After over two hours of inquiries and reviewing surveillance footage, they finally hit paydirt with a bartender at one of the bars:

"This woman… I think I’ve seen her before."

The bartender stared intently at the photo before nodding. "That's her, no doubt!"

"I may not be good at much, but I never forget a face. This woman definitely looks like the one who used to hang around Mr. Liang."

"Of course, back then she was far more fashionable than in this photo. But while other things can change, eyes don't. Her eyes are identical to that woman's!"

Luo Kaiyang quickly asked, "When did you see her with Liang Wenjun?"

The bartender hissed lightly, thinking for a moment. "Probably... around April? Yeah, roughly that time."

"I still remember—that night, Mr. Liang was drinking alone, looking gloomy, and this woman was sitting not far away. She was the one who went up to him first and started talking. They got along really well, and by the end, he even paid for her drinks."

"After that, they’d show up every couple weeks, maybe two or three times in total. Then I never saw them again."

"Did they only drink? Nothing else?"

"Not that I recall..." The bartender paused, then added, "Oh, wait—I think once when they came, Mr. Liang was playing with a die in his hand. I was curious so I watched for a bit."

A die?

Wei Zhengyi’s interest was piqued. He pressed further, "Was it always just the two of them?"

The bartender nodded. "Yeah. I never saw anyone else with them."

Luo Kaiyang and Wei Zhengyi exchanged a glance. "Alright, we understand the situation now. Thanks for your cooperation."

The bartender waved it off. "No trouble at all, officers. Happy to help..."

......

Inside the conference room of the Municipal Bureau, both the Criminal Investigation Detachment and the Public Security Detachment had gathered. Dir. Gao Zhengming and the head of the task force, Yan Haifeng, were also present.

Yue Lingchuan laid out the known leads before concluding, "...There's no doubt that Liang Wenjun and She Manqing had a close relationship. This significantly strengthens the earlier speculation about Liang Wenjun’s motive for murder."

"Therefore, I propose making the arrest of She Manqing now to get more information about Liang Wenjun."

Yan Haifeng also turned to Dir. Gao. "The evidence is solid. She Manqing is a crucial link in this case and could be pivotal to its progress. Dir. Gao, should we make the arrest now?"

Dir. Gao drummed his fingers on the table thoughtfully, then looked at Old Cao. "Old Cao, you’ve been tracking She Manqing. What’s the latest? Are we ready for an arrest?"

Old Cao pondered briefly. "According to our informant, Chen Zhaowei is holding an event in the next couple of days, and She Manqing will be there. It’s the perfect opportunity—we plan to nab everyone involved at once!"

"Good!" Dir. Gao sprang to his feet, scanning the room. "For this operation, the Criminal Investigation Detachment will give their full backing. Ensure every suspect involved is taken into custody!"

The officers rose in unison, their expressions resolute. "Yes, sir!"