Chapter 17: The Nacheng Case (Part Ten)

“You really lack any sense of fun; it’s so exhausting to talk with you,” Wen Rou said irritably as she snatched the stinky tofu from his hand and began to enjoy it herself.

Li Rui smiled. “Locals are shrewd; they’re very wary of foreign accents, making it hard for them to pick victims. That’s why they mostly target northerners, preferably people from their own hometowns. And where’s the easiest place to find them? Naturally, the train station.”

Just then, Lei Chen’s voice came through the earpiece. “Forensic Doctor Li, we’ve found a young woman with short hair and delicate features, wearing a thick sweater. She’s clearly from the north, somewhat resembling Liu Meixin, but we can’t confirm. She’s talking to a man with a local accent, who looks lecherous and is inappropriately touching her.”

Wen Rou teased Li Rui, “Didn’t you say they only target northerners?”

Li Rui’s expression turned slightly awkward but he remained composed. “Look around—are there any accomplices?”

Lei Chen replied, “Yes, three heavily dressed men not far from here.”

Wen Rou frowned. “At this time of year in Hangzhou, it’s not cold enough to wear such thick clothes.”

Li Rui explained, “People say southerners are more sensitive to the cold than northerners, but that’s not true. The damp chill down south is harder for northerners to bear.”

“Exactly. These three men stand out in the crowd and are very likely part of a honey trap gang,” Lei Chen said confidently. “I’ve already called Xiao Qi back for backup and am tailing this group.”

Li Rui said, “Good. We’re coming to support you immediately. Make sure you stay safe and don’t act rashly!”

“Don’t worry!” Lei Chen smiled confidently.

Just as he predicted, when the woman led the client into a deserted alley, the three men suddenly appeared and began to extort the client.

The client panicked and tried to resist but was held at knifepoint by one man, while another swiftly searched his pockets for cash and his phone.

The woman watched coldly, clearly accustomed to such scenes.

At that moment, a deep voice echoed from the alley entrance: “Police! Don’t move!”

The three men spun around abruptly, only to see a tall figure silhouetted against the light—it was Lei Chen. His gaze was sharp, his pistol steadily aimed at them.

“Drop your weapons and put your hands on your heads!” Lei Chen’s voice was calm yet authoritative.

One man tried to flee but Lei Chen darted forward, grabbing his wrist from behind and pinning him to the ground. The other two panicked and charged at Lei Chen with knives. Lei Chen sidestepped a slashing blow, kicked one man’s wrist, sending the knife clattering to the ground. Then, spinning around, he elbowed the other man’s chest, knocking him back several steps.

Within moments, Lei Chen had subdued all three and handcuffed them. The client sank to the ground, pale and still shaken.

Lei Chen glanced at him coldly. “You’re coming with me to the station.”

The woman tried to slip away quietly but, panicked, ran into the corner of the alley—only to collide with Li Rui and Wen Rou, who had been waiting there.

“Uh, sorry!” the woman stammered anxiously.

Li Rui blocked her firmly. “Don’t bother trying to run. You’re not going anywhere.”

Soon, backup officers arrived, took control of the four suspects, and led them to the station for interrogation.

The chill of late autumn bit through their coats as Li Rui and Wen Rou hurried toward the interrogation room.

Li Rui had long since lost count of how many cases he had handled; as a seasoned forensic doctor, he was used to dealing with all manner of evil.

Old Pan, the city bureau’s pre-interrogation officer, exited the room and said to them, “This case looks straightforward—classic honey trap. Three suspects from the northeast, two men and one woman, seemingly after quick profits. But during questioning, the three men stuck to their story, insisting they came to Hangzhou from Harbin to work, refusing to say anything else.”

“Did you mention Jia Wenming to them?” Li Rui asked.

“Yes,” Old Pan nodded. “But they all denied it. I think the key lies with the woman.”

“Has she admitted to being Liu Meixin?” Wen Rou asked.

Old Pan sighed. “We’ve told her everything we can, but she won’t talk. She’s been visibly tense since we brought her in, trembling uncontrollably, at one point too nervous to speak. When asked for her name, age, and home address, her answers didn’t match her ID at all. When we pressed further, she first fell silent, then broke down crying.”

“Judging by her appearance, she looks quite different from the photos taken when she went missing—worn out, aged,” Wen Rou said. “But fake or real, it can’t be denied; she can’t escape the truth.”

“Thanks for your hard work, Officer Pan. We’ll take it from here,” Li Rui said.

Old Pan smiled. “Never thought a casual stroll through the train station would catch the person we’re looking for. Your reputation is well-deserved, Forensic Doctor Li!”

“You flatter me, sir,” Li Rui replied politely.

“All right, no more formalities. We’ll leave it to you from here.”

After Old Pan left, Li Rui sat down and said, “Liu Meixin, silence won’t help you. Your accomplices have confessed. Even without your testimony, we can convict you.”

The woman remained silent, her gaze wandering as if hiding a secret she dared not reveal.

“After all these years, haven’t you thought of your parents, your family?” Li Rui pressed on. “They’ve searched all over the country for you. If they knew what you’ve become, how much pain would that cause them?”

Ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes passed…

She still said nothing.

Just as Li Rui was about to end the interrogation, the woman suddenly whispered in a barely audible voice, “I… I have my period. Could you please get me a pack of sanitary pads?”

Li Rui was momentarily taken aback and looked to Wen Rou, who nodded and left the room with steady steps.

When she returned, Wen Rou silently handed her the sanitary pads.

“This is your last chance,” Wen Rou said earnestly. “Don’t keep making mistakes.”

Hearing this, tears streamed uncontrollably down the woman’s face. Her voice trembled as though fearful someone might overhear. She whispered, “In the northeast, we killed many people…”

Li Rui’s heart jolted. The truth was finally surfacing. He urged her on, “What exactly happened? Take your time, tell us everything.”

The woman took a deep breath, lifting her head as if making a momentous decision. “Yes, I am Liu Meixin!”

Li Rui breathed a sigh of relief—there was the breakthrough!

Through tears, Liu Meixin confessed her identity: she was born in Nangguang City; her father was Liu Huaqiang, the president of South China Shipbuilding Group…

Sitting in the interrogation room, she longed to return to those peaceful days of comfort and security, but the past was gone. She could only replay the first half of her life again and again—

Born into privilege as her father’s late-born daughter, she had a rebellious streak from childhood, running away whenever things displeased her. Her father always gave in—except that one time.

That one time, she didn’t get what she wanted from her father and left home in a fit of anger, strangely ending up in the northernmost small county town—Nacheng.

It was there she met the devil.

“There, I met a man named Jia Wenming, a worker at the machinery factory…”

At the mention of Jia Wenming, fear and despair filled Liu Meixin’s eyes. “He killed many people. I was forced into it…”

Li Rui asked, “Start by telling us how he forced you.”

Wen Rou softened her tone. “Don’t rush. Take your time. Say whatever you want—like what you know about Jia Wenming’s past.”

“If the information you provide helps us solve the case, it will count as a meritorious act,” Wen Rou added.

Liu Meixin sobbed, “About ten years ago, Jia Wenming partnered with others to buy, slaughter, and sell cattle. Business was good. Later, with capital, he opened a candy factory, rented a workshop, got a license, and was the legal owner. But no one knew why he kept going to crowded train stations, as if searching for something.”