Chapter 22: The Nancheng Case (Part 15)

Inside the interrogation room of the Hangzhou Railway Police Station, dim, yellowish light spilled across the cold metal table, casting a solemn atmosphere over the space.

A young officer had just finished questioning a beautiful woman from the Northeast and was now hunched over, finalizing his report. His pen scratched against the paper, pausing occasionally as he carefully weighed his words.

Finally, he looked up, fixing a sharp gaze on the woman opposite him. His tone was calm but carried an indisputable authority: "This is your last chance. Is there anything else you need to confess?"

The woman appeared dazed, her eyes drifting. Her lips trembled slightly as if she had something to say, but at the last moment, she chose silence. Her fingers were tightly intertwined, the knuckles turning white from the pressure, her internal struggle evident.

The officer watching her shook his head slightly, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Yu Meili, we already possess sufficient evidence of your crimes. Asking you to speak is us giving you an opportunity."

"I have already said what I needed to say. I didn't kill anyone; Jia Wenming did it all. I am innocent." Yu Meili’s voice was raspy and carried a hint of stubbornness, yet her shifting eyes betrayed that she was not as resolute as she appeared.

Initially, the local police had not taken this woman seriously. They assumed she was merely a woman who used her pretty face to lure men looking for a fling, only to have them robbed. The police had preliminarily concluded that they were likely just running a "honey trap."

But then, the news from the Municipal Bureau arrived, leaving them stunned. The two officers in charge of the interrogation jerked their heads up upon hearing the news, their faces frozen in utter disbelief. The air in the interrogation room seemed to congeal, making even breathing feel heavy.

"Fine, if you won't talk, we'll just wait you out." The officer gathered his things, dropped the cold remark, and walked out of the interrogation room.

Outside, the station chief was speaking with Feng Feng from the Municipal Bureau. Seeing the officer emerge, the chief introduced him: "Old Yao, this is Captain Feng from the Municipal Bureau. They are taking over the case now."

Feng Feng shook hands with Old Yao, his tone steady: "Thank you for your hard work."

"Based on the leads you provided, we conducted a surprise interrogation. Yu Meili confessed to some criminal facts, but she kept insisting she was coerced and didn't volunteer a single detail. Her accomplice, on the other hand, spilled everything," Old Yao said, his voice weary.

"Understood, leave it to us from here," Feng Feng nodded, his expression firm.

After Old Yao left, Feng Feng turned to Li Rui and Lei Chen, his tone expectant: "Gentlemen, it's up to you now."

Li Rui flipped through the transcripts, his brow furrowed in thought. A moment later, he looked up, his tone calm yet profound: "We have been fixated on the case files and ignored her inner world. Women, no matter how hard-hearted, always have a soft spot."

"Are you saying we should break her psychologically?" Wen Rou raised an eyebrow, her tone skeptical.

"Let's give it a try, though I’m not entirely certain it will work," Li Rui shrugged, his tone light, yet his eyes held a glimmer of resolve. With that, he opened the door to the interrogation room.

Lei Chen seemed not to grasp Li Rui’s meaning and looked at Wen Rou, confused: "What does this forensic doctor mean?"

"Don't ask, I don't know either. Just get in there!" Wen Rou urged, her tone impatient.

"Oh, right, right," Lei Chen nodded quickly and followed close behind.

Inside the room, as soon as Li Rui sat down, he picked up the kettle on the floor and poured a cup of water. He walked over to Yu Meili, his tone gentle: "Are you thirsty?"

Yu Meili looked at him in surprise, her eyes filled with vigilance and confusion. After a long hesitation, she finally nodded.

Li Rui smiled slightly, his tone soft: "Here, open your mouth, let me help you."

Yu Meili complied, her lips slightly parted, her expression complex.

"Drink slowly, be careful, it's hot." Li Rui’s voice was deep and soothing, as if he were calming a frightened animal.

Parched, Yu Meili drank the entire cup. Her throat moved as she swallowed, and it seemed as if the defenses in her heart had loosened slightly.

Li Rui returned to his seat and spoke: "Yu Meili, regarding the case in Na City, is there really nothing else you want to say?"

This scene was witnessed by Wen Rou in the next room. She stared through the one-way mirror, watching Li Rui’s every move, her brow slightly furrowed.

"Sister Wen Rou, what is Dr. Li doing? He’s acting so heartwarming," Qi Wei teased with a smirk.

Wen Rou bit her lip and said coldly, "Pfft, a childish trick. Does he think this will move Yu Meili?"

Inside the interrogation room, just as Li Rui finished speaking, Yu Meili replied: "Officer, I’ve said everything I can. There really is nothing left to confess."

Li Rui remained unhurried, his tone still peaceful: "That's fine. Let's just talk about your story then. Where are you from?"

"Didn't I already tell you that?" Yu Meili asked, sounding resistant.

"Then tell us again!" Lei Chen slammed the table, his tone harsh. "You answer whatever the officer asks you to answer. Since when do you get to ask 'why'?"

Yu Meili shrank back, a flicker of fear in her eyes, and whispered, "Fangzheng County."

"What did you do back home?" Li Rui asked kindly, his tone filled with concern.

Perhaps because of the contrast with Lei Chen’s attitude, Yu Meili felt a sense of rapport and stopped hiding: "I was a coal miner."

"Then why did you go to Na City?"

"To find work. The coal mine went bankrupt, so I had to leave to make a living." Yu Meili’s tone was filled with helplessness and bitterness.

Li Rui took notes while continuing to ask: "Yu Meili, we don't mean to discriminate against you, but by 'making a living,' do you mean sex work?"

Seeing Li Rui’s sincere attitude, Yu Meili relaxed her guard slightly and whispered: "You guys already know anyway, so there's no point in hiding it. I was shameless enough to enter that trade."

"So, that was also when you met Jia Wenming?" Li Rui’s tone remained peaceful, as if they were just chatting about daily life.

Yu Meili pondered for a moment and nodded, "Yes."

"You two have been together for over a decade, haven't you?" Li Rui continued, his tone reflective.

At this, Yu Meili’s eyes shimmered with tears; she seemed to feel pain and regret over the memories. Her fingers subconsciously rubbed the edge of the table as she said in a low voice, "Yes."

"Would you mind telling me how you two ended up together?" Li Rui coaxed, his tone gentle.

Yu Meili looked at Li Rui, her eyes scrutinizing him as if judging whether this man was worthy of trust. After a while, as if she had made an important decision, she whispered, "I can."

"I met Jia Wenming in the summer of '06. I had been in Na City for over two weeks and couldn't find work. I happened to meet Jia Wenming; we flirted at first sight, and then we shamelessly ended up together." Yu Meili’s tone carried a hint of self-deprecation, as if she no longer felt shame about this irregular relationship.

"To avoid his wife finding out, Jia Wenming rented a place outside, right across from the Seed Bank—a single-story house with a courtyard. That was where he later killed people and buried their bodies. The Third Police Station of Na City was less than 100 meters north of that house."

"What?" Li Rui’s eyes widened, his tone shocked. "What did you just say? Jia Wenming had a wife?"

Yu Meili gave a self-mocking laugh, her tone bitter: "Heh, yes. I’m just that shameless—I knew he had a wife and still lived with him."

Hearing another key figure surface, Wen Rou immediately instructed Li Rui through the intercom: "Li Rui, ask her who Jia Wenming’s wife is."

Li Rui nodded and kept his tone calm: "Jia Wenming having a wife is an important clue. Since you are the first to confess it, we will count it as a meritorious service."

Upon hearing this, Yu Meili grabbed onto it like a straw, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes as she looked at Li Rui, her tone urgent: "Really?"

Lei Chen continued to play the "bad cop," his tone stern: "Would an officer joke with you? Speak!"

"Okay, okay, I'll talk," Yu Meili immediately confessed. "After Jia Wenming graduated from high school, he started working. He married around the age of 20. His wife’s name is Li Junyan, and she works at a brewery. They have a daughter, and their life was quite stable, with no major troubles."

Wen Rou immediately ordered Qi Wei: "Quick, have the local station investigate this Li Junyan."

"Right!" Qi Wei responded and hurried away.

Inside the interrogation room, Li Rui feigned confusion: "Logically, with a wife and child, Jia Wenming shouldn't have turned to a life of crime."

Yu Meili sneered, her tone filled with sarcasm: "Heh, someone like him was born to commit crimes."

"Oh? What do you mean by that?" Li Rui followed up, his tone curious.

"Back then, Jia Wenming’s factory was struggling, and they couldn't pay wages. What could you do? The factory gave an order: those with ideas or skills could go out and make a living on their own—they’d keep your job status open—but if you didn't want to leave, you could stay, but there would be no money. Jia Wenming, who was just over 20, was high-spirited and determined to jump into the sea of business, so he walked out the factory gates." Yu Meili’s tone was reminiscent, as if those past events were still vivid.

"At first, he started slaughtering, buying cattle and sheep in the countryside, then killing them himself to sell. He told me that for the first year, business was good. I wouldn't say he made a fortune, but he certainly wasn't short on money."

"Then, if he was doing so well, why did he turn to murder and robbery?" Li Rui pressed, his tone puzzled.

Yu Meili remained silent for a moment, complex emotions flashing in her eyes, as if she were recalling those unbearable past days.

Outside the window, the night deepened, and the distant neon lights flickered in the darkness, as if whispering the untold secrets of the city.