pjbooks Chapter 36 Street Arrest
Chapter 36 Street Arrest
"Grasp!"
At Wang Weiguo's command, everyone in the room immediately sprang into action.
Gu Huai turned and walked out, his steps quick, but his heart was beating even faster.
He wasn't nervous, he was excited.
This was the first time in my two lifetimes that I had participated in a capture operation, and the target was a serial killer.
This feeling was even more exciting than when he signed his first million-dollar order in his previous life.
"Ah Huai, wait." Ling Yue caught up from behind. "Wang Zhi said you stay on the outside and don't rush in."
Gu Huai paused, "Why?"
"You haven't been officially hired yet, who will be responsible if something happens?" Ling Yue lowered her voice, "Chief Wang is protecting you."
Gu Huai opened his mouth, as if to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back.
He knew Ling Yue was right.
Strictly speaking, Gu Huai is not a police officer yet and does not have law enforcement authority.
Besides, arrest operations aren't like movies. If something goes wrong, forget about getting a permanent position; you might not even be able to stay in the police force.
"Okay, I'll stay on the outside."
Gu Huai responded and turned to walk out of the hotel.
Downstairs, several police cars were already running.
Hou Hao, sitting in the passenger seat, waved to Gu Huai, "Get in the car."
Gu Huai opened the back door and got in, and Ling Yue followed him into the car.
The three cars were in the middle of the convoy, neither at the front nor at the back.
Hou Hao gripped the steering wheel, his fingers trembling.
Gu Huai noticed and reached out to pat him on the shoulder. "Don't be nervous, just follow the plan."
"I'm not nervous," Hou Hao said stubbornly, but his voice was trembling.
Gu Huai didn't say anything more and turned to look out the window.
People were already leaving the taxi company.
Dozens of drivers gathered in twos and threes, some smoking, some chatting, and some squatting by the roadside eating boxed lunches.
Luo Zhenbang was in the middle of the crowd.
He was wearing a dark blue jacket, his hair was neatly combed, and he had a smile on his face as he talked to the person next to him.
Looking at him, no one would guess that this man might be the Rain Night Butcher.
"Attention all units, target spotted," Wang Weiguo's voice came through the walkie-talkie. "Proceed as planned."
As soon as he finished speaking, several police cars in front and behind opened their doors at the same time.
A dozen plainclothes officers approached the crowd from different directions.
Luo Zhenbang sensed something was wrong almost instantly.
His smile froze, and he took a step back.
But it was too late.
Two plainclothes officers flanked him from the left and right, their movements so fast it was as if they had rehearsed it countless times.
"Don't move, police!"
Luo Zhenbang did not struggle, nor did he show any sign of panic.
He simply glanced calmly at the people around him and said, "Officers, you've got the wrong person."
"Luo Zhenbang?"
"Yes."
"Then we haven't come to the wrong person." After saying that, he took out handcuffs and cuffed Luo Zhenbang.
The entire process was smooth and quick, taking less than ten seconds.
"Who are you? What are you doing!" shouted a driver wearing glasses nearby. "What did Lao Luo do wrong?!"
"That's right, what right do you have to arrest people!"
"So the police can just arrest people arbitrarily!"
The crowd erupted in uproar.
A dozen or so drivers surrounded them, and some started shoving the plainclothes officers.
"Get out of the way! This is police work!" Squad leader Jiang Cheng blocked the way, his voice loud. "Anyone who takes another step forward will be treated as obstructing official duties!"
But these drivers are on the road every day; they've seen all sorts of things.
I'm not afraid at all.
"Obstructing official business? You're arresting people without cause, and you still think you're in the right!"
"I know your bureau chief. Believe me, I can make a phone call to him!"
"Release Lao Luo! Otherwise, none of us are leaving!"
When it comes to unity, taxi drivers are the most united.
They brave wind and rain all day long and encounter all sorts of things. If they don't work together, they are likely to be bullied.
Therefore, when faced with a problem, their first choice is not to call the police, but to use a walkie-talkie to call for help.
More and more people gathered to watch.
Not only taxi drivers, but also passersby stopped to watch the commotion, quickly blocking the company entrance.
Gu Huai sat in the car, watching this scene, and frowned.
"I'll go down and take a look." He pushed open the car door.
"Ah Huai!" Ling Yue tried to stop him, but couldn't.
Gu Huai walked through the crowd to Jiang Cheng's side and said, "Captain Jiang, leave it to me."
Jiang Cheng gave him a meaningful look, nodded, and did not stop him.
Gu Huai turned around and faced the crowd. His voice was not loud, but every word was clear.
When he was in business, he often held meetings with his workers, so this situation was just a minor one and he could handle it.
"Gentlemen, this is from the Criminal Investigation Division of the Municipal Public Security Bureau. Today's operation is to summon Luo Zhenbang to cooperate with the investigation in accordance with the law, not to arrest him."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the crowd. "According to the law, every citizen has an obligation to cooperate with the police investigation. Luo Zhenbang is only there to assist with the investigation. If it's found that he has nothing to do with it, we will definitely bring him back safely."
"You think we'll just cooperate like that?" someone shouted. "What if you detain them and won't release them?"
"Yeah, who knows if you're telling the truth!"
Gu Huai laughed, "You drivers are on the road every day, so you should know the rules best. When we police officers handle cases, there are procedures and signatures for every step. If we really mess things up, you can just find a reporter to report it, and we'll be in big trouble."
These words were quite true, and the drivers' expressions relaxed somewhat.
"Besides," Gu Huai changed the subject, "if everyone's obstructing us like this delays the real investigation, who will be responsible if something goes wrong?"
The crowd fell silent for a few seconds.
The driver with glasses asked again, "Then you need to explain clearly, what case is Lao Luo involved in?"
Gu Huai shook his head. "The case is still under investigation, and I can't reveal the details, but I can tell you that this case involves a life."
The moment the word "human life" was uttered, the crowd fell completely silent.
Some people started backing away.
The drivers, who were just moments ago filled with righteous indignation, looked at each other, none of them wanting to move forward anymore.
Just kidding, if it really got involved in a murder case, who would dare to step forward?
Finally, the man who had been tightly gripping Luo Zhenbang's hand gradually released him: "Old Luo, don't worry. If they don't release you the next day after you go in, I'll immediately go find the reporters. They won't dare do anything to you!"
Luo Zhenbang nodded slowly and replied in a low voice, "Then I'll have to trouble you."
"Alright, alright, everyone disperse." Jiang Cheng waved his hand, seizing the opportunity. "Go do what you were doing."
The crowd gradually dispersed.
Luo Zhenbang didn't say a word from beginning to end, and his expression remained frighteningly calm.
As he was being put into the police car, he even glanced back at the crowd of onlookers, his lips twitching slightly as if he were smiling.
Gu Huai noticed this detail, and his heart sank.
This is not how a normal person would react when arrested.
Too calm.
He was so calm, it was as if he had long anticipated this day, rather than someone who was innocent.
"Let's go." Jiang Cheng closed the car door, and the convoy started moving.
Gu Huai returned to his car, and Hou Hao started the engine and followed behind the convoy.
The atmosphere in the car was very tense throughout the journey.
No one spoke.
Upon arriving at the Municipal Public Security Bureau, Luo Zhenbang was taken directly into the interrogation room.
Gu Huai stood in the corridor, looking inside through the glass window.
Luo Zhenbang sat in a chair, his handcuffs removed, his hands resting on the table, looking very relaxed.
There was no fear, no anger, and not even any expression on his face.
Like an ordinary person who comes to do business, sitting there waiting for someone.
"This guy has a really good mentality," Ling Yue said softly, standing next to Gu Huai.
Gu Huai didn't reply.
He was thinking about a problem.
A serial killer who has murdered so many people should be afraid when he is caught by the police.
Unless he feels he will not be convicted.
Unless he is certain that the police cannot obtain evidence.
"Any news from Hunan Province?" Gu Huai asked.
Ling Yue shook her head, "Not yet."
Gu Huai frowned and turned to walk towards the conference room.
Pushing open the door, the room was filled with smoke.
Wang Weiguo, Wu Feilin, Jiang Cheng, and several other squadron leaders were all there.
"Ah Huai is here." Wang Weiguo pointed to a chair. "Sit down."
Gu Huai sat down and got straight to the point: "Wang Zhi, has Luo Zhenbang spoken yet?"
"No," Wu Feilin replied. "He hasn't said a single word since he came in."
"Didn't say a word?"
"Yes." Jiang Cheng flicked his cigarette ash. "He says he doesn't know anything when asked anything, and he won't answer when asked his name."
Gu Huai was silent for a moment. "Have you checked his wife's situation?"
"I checked." Wu Feilin pulled out a document. "Luo Zhenbang's wife is named Li Xiumei. She is from Macheng, Hunan Province. She came to Shenzhen with Luo Zhenbang in 1987. She went missing in November 1989. Luo Zhenbang reported it to the police at the time, saying that his wife had run away with someone else."
"What did the police station say?"
"After interviewing the surrounding neighbors, some people said that Li Xiumei was indeed getting close to a man, but no one had seen the man's face. Later, the matter was dropped."
Gu Huai pressed further, "Where are Li Xiumei's family members?"
"We checked too," Wu Feilin said. "Li Xiumei's parents passed away a long time ago. She only has a younger brother who farms in their hometown. He said his sister calls occasionally, but she has never come home."
"Where did the call originate?"
"I don't know. His brother said he was too busy talking to his sister to ask any questions."
Unlike later telephones, telephones in the 90s did not automatically display the location of the number when a call came in.
Back then, telephones didn't even have caller ID. In some poorer areas, only the village committee had a telephone.
Gu Huai leaned back in his chair, his mind racing.
Li Xiumei went missing in November 1989.
Although the earliest date on the diary is 1991, in Gu Huai's memory, the Rain Night Butcher's crimes began in 1990 and lasted until he was arrested in 1994.
The timing matches up!
"There's one more thing." Wu Feilin turned to another page of the document. "Luo Zhenbang's neighbors all say that he is left-handed."
Gu Huai's eyes lit up. "Are you sure?"
"Confirmed. Back in his hometown, he ate and worked with his left hand."
Gu Huai stood up. "I'll interrogate him."
"You?" Wu Feilin frowned. "You haven't been officially hired yet, so you're not qualified to conduct interrogations."
"Is it alright if I just sit in on the conversation?" Gu Huai said. "I won't say anything, I'll just watch from the side."
Wang Weiguo pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, let Lao Wu preside over the trial, and you can sit in on it."