Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Who can make up such a detailed lie? The details are perfect, and he can answer both direct and reverse questions without hesitation. Is he really a doctor? With this ability, he could be sent out as a spy; even the CIA would kneel before him.
Outside the interrogation room, Lin Zhiwei once again shook her head at Deputy Director Wei. “I can’t see any signs of lying. If you ask me, I can only tell you it’s the truth.”
Wei Zheng scratched his head helplessly, then tentatively asked, “Should we give him a lie detector test now?”
Lin Zhiwei looked at the flawless Pei Yuming on the big screen, thought for a long time, and finally shook her head with a sigh. “I don’t recommend doing it now. A lie detector test not only requires the consent of the person involved, but the results can’t be used as evidence for charges. If we bring it out, it will definitely affect the interrogation rhythm. Moreover, we don’t have enough evidence chain right now, and there’s no need to eliminate or narrow down suspects. If we do it, we might waste this opportunity.”
It must be said that as a professional, Lin Zhiwei’s suggestion was very pertinent. Of course, Wei Zheng knew all this, but the suspect had been making up stories from the moment he entered, and they were so detailed that they couldn’t ignore them. If this continued, wouldn’t they be led by the nose by him?
The two deputy directors exchanged a glance across the table, nodded in agreement, and Wei Zheng picked up the headset and quietly called Cao Lei out.
Cao Lei was racking his brains to find a new breakthrough. He didn’t believe that after interrogating so many tough people before, he would be stumped by someone like Pei Yuming, who looked honest.
But his determination was eventually interrupted by the leader’s voice in his earphone. He gave Pei Yuming a deep look and instructed, “Take a break first, I’ll come back later.”
When Cao Lei entered the meeting room, Wei Zheng had just finished discussing with Zhou Zheng and the others. He gestured for Cao Lei to come over and said directly, “We need to change the interrogation strategy now. Old Zhou and I have come up with two options. Since you’re the lead interrogator, we all agree we should consider your opinion before finalizing the follow-up plan.”
It was supposed to be a discussion, but since the leaders had already proposed it, Cao Lei naturally nodded in agreement.
“Alright.”
“The first option: shift the focus to questioning the murderer. No matter what, Pei Yuming is the sole survivor. He must provide useful clues to the police. Whatever method you use, soft or hard, just get him to talk. If we can solve the case within 24 hours and give an explanation to the families and the public, that will be enough.”
Hearing this, Cao Lei couldn’t help but frown. If this approach were suitable for Pei Yuming, he wouldn’t have had to go to such lengths to gain his trust from the start. If he refused to speak, let alone 24 hours, even 48 hours might not be enough to crack the case.
But Cao Lei didn’t rush to give his opinion; he waited for the second option.
“The second one is what we just discussed with Professor Lin. It seems the suspect is very keen on fabricating that ‘Flashback’ story. Although it sounds absurd, from the several rounds of questioning so far, his statements have actually provided a lot of useful information, especially about the relationships and conflicts with the victims. If we approach from this angle, it might be easier to figure out the murderer’s motive-”
“Hey, Old Wei, your bias is too obvious. You might as well just let Captain Cao go back in and listen to his stories!” Deputy Director Zhou was displeased with Wei Zheng’s thinly veiled preference.
“I’m just analyzing objectively,” Wei Zheng said. “We just need to figure out what happened among the seven victims, plus the one in the interrogation room-eight people in total-during this period, their past grudges and emotions. Then we can eliminate suspects and reason it out one by one. I’m sure we’ll quickly lock onto the murderer. And there’s no need to worry that if Pei Yuming isn’t the murderer, we’ll have to start all over again. Although on the surface this plan takes longer, it also reduces the risks of variables.”
Zhou Zheng snorted and waved his hand dismissively. “Alright, that’s enough. Let Lao Cao decide.”
Though Cao Lei’s rank was one level lower, his years of frontline work gave him more practical experience than even a veteran detective like Wei Zheng.
The group had worked together for years and often clashed fiercely in the conference room over case strategies, but outside the public security bureau, they’d immediately get together for tea and chat. Since it was all for the case, Cao Lei didn’t hold back. He rubbed his chin, then slapped the table. “I agree with the second option!”
Deputy Director Zhou shot him a look of displeasure but said nothing.
Wei Zheng asked again, “What’s your reasoning?”
Cao Lei chose his words carefully. “I’ve been fixated on getting the suspect to tell the truth, so I’ve been resistant to the stories he’s fabricated. But from another angle, what if he’s actually telling the truth?”
“What do you mean? You believe his ‘Flashback’ story?” Wei Zheng looked incredulous.
Cao Lei shook his head. “I’d sooner believe in ghosts. What I mean is, maybe these things really did happen, but not all today as he claims-maybe on some past day, and he’s just using this format to recount them.”
“If these are events that actually occurred, then some of his behavior makes sense,” Lin Zhiwei picked up. “Like his reactions when telling the truth.”
“But in his account, he’s already killed Bai Xue and Lu Dong. And earlier, didn’t he also say his brother accidentally injured him? Are those things true too?” Deputy Director Zhou couldn’t help interjecting.
“Perhaps the killings are just psychological projections. He thought about doing it, but in reality didn’t dare, so he uses this form to give each conflict a resolution,” Lin Zhiwei hypothesized.
This supposition sounded far more reasonable than Pei Yuming’s “Flashback” story, and everyone in the room nodded unconsciously.
“Then when necessary, you can also feed him some clues as a guide,” Wei Zheng instructed. “Time is tight. Before midnight tonight, we must make some progress.”
“Mm.”
Back in the interrogation room, Cao Lei was much more relaxed. He handed Pei Yuming the folder he’d brought in earlier.
“You said your brother confessed to losing money in stocks, but our investigation says otherwise.”
“Then what?” Pei Yuming opened the folder and saw a police bulletin.
“This is a gambling case our bureau cracked last week, involving an app called ‘Galaxy Esports’-a platform the criminal gang developed specifically for online gambling. According to the activity log extracted from your brother’s phone, he downloaded it six months ago. In the following month, he transferred over five hundred thousand yuan in batches, and over the next five months, he gradually transferred another four hundred thousand. Up until the case was busted last week, he’d even transferred thirty-six thousand more. Adding it all up, the total comes to nearly a million yuan. The ‘one million lost in stocks’ he mentioned-that’s probably what he meant.”