The night before, when Liu Jiaming and Uncle Jiu returned with the interrogation records, Fang Zhenyue had already informed Zhang Dafu that the victim had spoken up. Wu Shanrong, with her remarkable memory, clearly remembered everything Zhang Dafu had said. The police had gone to exhume the body overnight, and Zhang Dafu was told to wait for good news.
Then they let Zhang Dafu return to his corrugated iron shack to sleep, without revealing anything more or pressing him further.
You think you’re so smart, don’t you, Zhang Dafu? Didn’t you guess that the detectives didn’t have enough evidence since you saw them working tirelessly? Thought you were in the clear?
Now we’re not interrogating you anymore, even letting you sleep. Let’s see how you handle that.
Sure enough, the next morning, the guard told Fang Zhenyue in detail:
“He probably didn’t sleep at all last night. Every time I made my rounds, I saw him either sitting there deep in thought or tossing and turning on his hard bed, like he was rolling out dough.”
Hearing this, Fang Zhenyue felt relieved.
He was worried that Zhang Dafu really wasn’t afraid. As long as Zhang Dafu couldn’t sleep, he could.
The body excavation last night was successful; many fragmented remains were unearthed. Forensic officer Xu Junhao, after organizing all the body parts, finally wiped the sweat from his forehead and stretched his shoulders—the body was finally pieced together.
These victims could now be properly laid to rest.
During work hours, Liu Jiaming and Gary each ordered a bowl of abalone porridge with char siu.
When they brought in Zhang Dafu for questioning, he hadn’t slept all night and sat listlessly in front of them, handcuffed.
Meanwhile, Liu Jiaming and Gary were rather excessive, sitting side by side, savoring their porridge and char siu as if no one else was there.
The porridge was cooked to a soft consistency, the abalone tender yet crisp, and the vegetables fresh and juicy, creating a sweet and refreshing taste that blended perfectly with the thick, mushy rice. Each spoonful was mildly hot and rich in flavor, making one squint with delight.
The char siu, fresh out of the oven and coated with honey, was golden and tender. Each bite was juicy and slightly salty, a perfect mix of fat and lean meat, so enjoyable that one would chew slowly to savor the taste before reluctantly swallowing and feeling the satisfying fullness.
The happier they ate, the more restless and agitated Zhang Dafu became on the opposite side.
His venomous gaze, the annoyed expression from clenching his teeth, his increasingly agitated emotions, and his tightly clenched fists—all these reactions served as a delicious side dish for Gary and Liu Jiaming, making their porridge even tastier and the char siu even more aromatic.
The prolonged torment finally ended when Gary went out to throw away the garbage, and Fang Zhenyue walked in with Jiayi.
He faced Zhang Dafu again and smiled:
“You must really like Wu Shanrong, huh? Such a clean and pure girl, a rare beauty in this world, right? You told her everything, thinking you had finally met someone who isn’t vain, doesn’t look down on others, and isn’t stupid—someone who truly understands you?”
“However, it’s really pitiful.”
“You poured out all your secrets to her, baring your soul, and the first thing she did upon waking up was to spill all your secrets to us, the police. She said she only trusts us, believes that we can punish you, you filthy, disgusting piece of trash.”
“You’re talking nonsense!” Zhang Dafu slammed his hand on the table fiercely, the handcuffs clanging loudly against it.
Liu Jiaming looked at him, so familiar with this desperate fluster. Good, now it was not him, but the criminal who was losing his cool.
He stood up and firmly gripped Zhang Dafu’s shoulder, disdainfully scolding, “Behave yourself!”
Liu Jiaming could feel the tension in the muscles under his hands as the owner of the shoulders tried to suppress his emotions, a slight trembling that made him smirk coldly: What, you’re finally scared?
“Wu Shanrong said you’d wag your tail like a dog just for a little act of compliance from her. She said although you look fierce and have killed many, seeming strong, you’re actually just craven at heart.”
“You’re really just a pitiful creature craving attention and recognition, crying and begging her to listen to you talk, grateful she would even smile at you as one would at a dog.”
Fang Zhenyue’s voice was resonant and filled with contempt.
“No! You’re lying!” Zhang Dafu roared angrily, struggling to leap from his chair, but Liu Jiaming firmly held him down, rendering him immobile.
Fang Zhenyue ignored Zhang Dafu’s interruptions and continued:
“She told us everything: the locations where you dumped the bodies, how you killed them, and all your fragile inner thoughts. Everyone at the police station listened, and we couldn’t help but laugh. Do you know? It was hilarious! You’re just ridiculous!”
“Shut up! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you—” Zhang Dafu’s roar grew fiercer, his earlier calm and mocking demeanor gone, replaced only by the coarse breathing and frenzy of a wild beast.
“She said that after every murder, you would cry and wail in front of the bodies, groveling like a dead rat, apologizing and begging for forgiveness from the dead—”
“No! I haven’t cried! I haven’t cried for decades! It wasn’t me crying! It was them! They were the ones sobbing and begging me not to kill them! They were like dogs, bitches! I should have killed her! Just like I strangled those other whores, tightly wringing her neck! Watching her turn—”
Zhang Dafu’s rage reached its peak, his rationality scattered, as flames of fury burst forth along with his descriptive outburst.
These screams and shouts were recorded by the camera in the interrogation room, becoming the most powerful confession footage.
Finally, Fang Zhenyue stopped speaking, leaned back, and squinted his eyes.
Standing by his side, Jiayi could no longer hold back, imitating the earlier actions of Sir Fang, she fiercely kicked the table leg. The table, upon impact, moved forward and hit Zhang Dafu in the chest, stopping his next words.
After a cry of pain, Zhang Dafu paused for a few breaths, then glared fiercely at Jiayi.
Jiayi was unafraid, narrowing her eyes and staring back with an intensity that surpassed even that of a seasoned murderer.
One should never underestimate a woman’s fury, nor should they belittle the force of justice.
Zhang Dafu, trapped and frustrated, gasped for air after being stifled for a while and then began to curse angrily again. The investigators watched him coldly, and finally, after a few minutes, his rant ceased, and he slumped in his chair like a deflated ball.
Zhang Dafu had said too much, enough to serve as conclusive evidence in court.
By this moment, he finally realized that the situation was beyond his control.
Fang Zhenyue stood up, ready to leave. By now, the murderer had completely lost his will to fight. Liu Jiaming and Gary would be able to extract enough confessions; there was no need for Fang himself to interrogate any further.
As Fang Zhenyue reached for the door handle, Zhang Dafu raised his head, his eyes listless, and asked in a hoarse voice, “What is your name?”
“Planning to curse me day and night for the rest of your life?” Fang Zhenyue scoffed. “Fang Zhenyue.”
Fang Zhenyue’s “Yue” is 嶽, like a prison beneath Mount Tai.
Mount Tai, the place where souls return in the grass, is also known to suppress demons and evil spirits.
Fang Zhenyue then pointed to Gary:
“Zhang Zeyuan.”
His finger moved again:
“Liu Jiaming.”
Finally, he pointed to Jiayi:
“Yi Jiayi.”
Remember these names, naturally destined to overcome criminals. Harbor your hatred, for if we are to suppress evil spirits, why should we fear?
As the interrogation room door closed behind him, Fang Zhenyue saw Jiayi come out with him and said,
“Let’s go, there’s still a lot of material to organize.”
Jiayi hurried to keep up, thinking for a moment before asking, “Brother Yue, did Wu Shanrong really say those things?”
“Those? Of course not,” Fang Zhenyue chuckled. “A naive young girl, how could she think of so many hurtful things to say? It was all made up by me, just to infuriate Zhang Dafu.”
He was really furious yesterday, but he held back until today to strike back. He was really considering the bigger picture.
“Oh, I see,” Yi Jiayi said, somewhat embarrassedly scratching her head and then praising him, “Brother Yue is really amazing. Just a few words and he made him panic and spill everything.”
“It’s not me who’s amazing, it’s you! With Ding Baoshu, you made Wu Shanrong talk. Once I had enough information, of course I could make Zhang Dafu talk. Before Wu Shanrong provided her testimony, imagine how arrogant Zhang Dafu was,” Fang Zhenyue shook his head and patted Yi Jiayi on the back, “I’ll treat you to lunch today to celebrate the successful completion of our major case work. Also, to celebrate your repeated outstanding achievements. Choose whatever you want to eat.”
“Does that mean I’m pretty awesome too? Hehe.” Yi Jiayi chuckled and curiously pressed on, “But, once criminals are caught and questioned, don’t they usually feel guilty and confess easily? Why was Zhang Dafu able to keep his mouth shut? He hasn’t been to the police station often before, is he really that smart? Or is there something psychologically unusual about him?”
Is it some kind of special criminal psychology?
“It’s not exactly an unusual psychology,” seeing the young policewoman’s eager and diligent demeanor, Fang Zhenyue took a deep breath, organized his thoughts, and patiently explained, “Actually, it’s very similar to the reason you proposed for consolidating the cases. Zhang Dafu’s murders spanned a long time. After his first murder, he felt exhausted and panicked, obviously afraid of being discovered by the police. And he left many clues and mistakes after both the murder and disposal of the body, which he knew about, making him more fearful the more he thought about it. But since it was a stranger he killed and he was a homebound adult child, the police couldn’t trace any leads to him, allowing him to temporarily escape.”
“The reason he appeared calm after being captured is consistent with your reason for consolidating the cases. After two months, his initial panic had numbed. The tension was overridden by a bloody desire; since he continued committing crimes, he had two months to contemplate counter-surveillance tactics and how to deal with the police if caught.”
“He continuously reflected on the mistakes he made during his first murder and disposal of the body, constantly improving. Plus, the police not capturing him boosted his confidence, which inflated day by day.”
“So, unlike other criminals when captured, he wasn’t panicked or fearful.”
“This is also one of the adverse consequences of the police missing the 72-hour golden window for investigation.”
“But his calmness, like a balloon, is not actually sturdy. No one isn’t afraid of death, afraid of severe punishment. When the evidence really hits him in the face, the balloon will just—”
Fang Zhenyue clenched and then explosively opened his fist:
“With a bang, it exploded.”
“Oh!” Yi Jiayi listened with utmost seriousness.
She was secretly delighted when she heard him agree with the rationale she had previously proposed for combining the cases, feeling that he articulated the logic more clearly and smoothly in just a few words.
Although Fang Zhenyue explained it in a casual manner, as if the analysis was something very easy to deduce.
However, to the earnest young female officer, it was an especially professional and detailed criminal psychological analysis. It helped Yi Jiayi gain a deeper understanding of Zhang Dafu and the entire progression of the criminal case.
A few minutes after Fang Zhenyue finished speaking, she asked him about the concept of the critical 72-hour window for solving cases, to which Fang Zhenyue responded with utmost seriousness.
After fully digesting his explanation, Jiayi immediately walked over to Fang Zhenyue, looked up, and said:
“Sir Fang, I understand now. Thank you, Sir Fang, you are truly impressive!”
Her tone was particularly solemn, and she even changed from the familiar ‘Brother Yue’ to the more respectful ‘Sir Fang.’
Faced with such earnest thanks and admiration from the young officer, Fang Zhenyue was momentarily stunned, unsure how to react.
Being a rough man for so long, he was taken aback by the heartfelt treatment from such a young lady, making him feel all tingling inside.
When the two turned into the B team’s office together, the bright indoor light highlighted the newly dressed Yi Jiayi, making her appear even more charmingly rosy and delicate.
Fang Zhenyue not only failed to find the right words to respond to her respect and admiration, but he also found it dazzling just to look at her.
Feeling somewhat uneasy, he turned away and walked to the water dispenser to pour a cup of water. He wasn’t thirsty, but he inexplicably drank a whole cup of warm water.
With his stomach gurgling and his mind still somewhat foggy,
Fortunately, Yi Jiayi was still immersed in the sense of achievement from learning important interrogation and criminal analysis skills from him, focusing on sitting back at her desk and taking notes.
She didn’t notice his peculiar behavior.
Fang Zhenyue put down the cup, and while she was not paying attention, he observed her for a while.
The sunlight was just right, shining on the left side of Jiayi’s cheek, making her skin look tender and translucent, more delicate than the roses in the vase on the desk.
It was only when Qiu Sushan suddenly knocked on the door that Fang Zhenyue abruptly came back to his senses, withdrawing his gaze which he didn’t realize had lingered for so long, and turned towards the door.
“In Heidi Wa KTV in Kowloon City, someone died in a private room,” Qiu Sushan leaned against the door, her gaze sweeping over him and Yi Jiayi before she continued:
“Everyone gather, we’re leaving immediately.”
The planned lavish lunch was ruined, and the freshest steamed dace fish from Yi’s shop would also go uneaten.
Hehehe