Chapter 602: Chen Shi’s Progress

On November 5th, there was a breakthrough in the case. The police discovered a suspicious transaction in Zhang Haichang’s wife, Ji Hongmei’s, bank account. Additionally, a witness reported seeing a suspicious man loitering near Zhang Haichang’s building at the end of October, taking photographs.

Before entering the interrogation room, Lin Qiupu said to Chen Shi, “See? You overcomplicated this case. It’s just the wife hiring someone to kill him.”

“You should save that kind of talk for after the interrogation. Saying it beforehand might make you eat your words.”

“Haha, let’s see who eats their words… By the way, I got a stomachache from the char siu you brought. You didn’t give any to Dongxue, did you?”

“We had some, and we were fine.”

“Don’t bring me food again. I don’t like eating in the office.”

Lin Qiupu entered the interrogation room. After verifying the basic information, he said, “Ms. Ji, we found a 50,000 yuan transaction in your bank account. You previously claimed it was for a car installment, but we checked with the dealership, and there’s no record of it. How do you explain that?”

“Do I have to explain? This is my private matter,” Ji Hongmei said, frowning in her red coat.

“Your husband and son were murdered, and you stand to gain the most. At this critical juncture, everything you do needs a reasonable explanation.”

“Ridiculous. I’m not that selfish and cold-blooded. Even though our marriage wasn’t great these past two years, I would still give a significant portion of the inheritance to his mother for support.”

“Your marriage wasn’t good?”

“Don’t misunderstand. We’ve been married for ten years. It’s just a partnership now.”

“I need you to explain where that 50,000 yuan went.”

Knowing she couldn’t avoid it, Ji Hongmei hesitated before saying, “I gave it to my ex-husband, Wang Zhenlong.”

“Really? We can verify that. If you’re lying, you’ll have to come back here. I suggest you tell the truth.”

Ji Hongmei fiddled nervously with the buttons on her sleeve. “Your tone sounds like you’re interrogating a criminal. Do you suspect me of murder? I couldn’t kill anyone, I never even thought about it!”

Lin Qiupu silently picked up the phone to verify her story. Suddenly, Ji Hongmei said, “Don’t bother. I’ll tell you. I hired a private detective.”

“A private detective for 50,000 yuan?”

“It was a promised payment if he found evidence of my husband’s affair.”

“Do you have his contact information?”

Lin Qiupu had his subordinate verify this information. Ji Hongmei continued, “I’ve realized something about men. There are only two types: poor or bad. My life with Wang Zhenlong was hard because he couldn’t make money. We fought constantly over trivial matters, and my head hurt from all the arguments. When we divorced, I thought my life would improve with Zhang Haichang. But soon, he lost interest in me and saw me as just a decoration or a free maid. His pharmacy business was booming, but he was always messing around with his female employees. If they resisted, he’d find a way to fire them.

“Zhang Haichang seemed honest, but living with him revealed his true nature. He even had the nerve to say that since I couldn’t have children, it was normal for him to fool around to ensure the family line continued. I wanted a divorce years ago, but he refused because he believed I brought him good fortune. He even had a feng shui master tell him that I was a lucky charm for his business. I endured ten years of this misery. I lent money to Wang Zhenlong out of pity, but Zhang Haichang spent lavishly on his mistresses. Inspired by a TV show, I decided to gather evidence of his affairs to divorce him. The 150 square meter house you mentioned? He wasn’t buying it for our son. He was buying it for his mistress. I was furious.

“You think I hired someone to kill him? If I could find a hitman, I might have done it, but I didn’t. Hearing about his death, I felt relieved. It was karma. His inheritance is mine by right!”

After her lengthy speech, the phone in the interrogation room rang. Lin Qiupu’s subordinate confirmed that the suspicious man in the neighborhood was indeed a private detective, verifying Ji Hongmei’s story.

Lin Qiupu felt disheartened; they had investigated the wrong lead.

“Alright, I believe you. But I need your cooperation. Did Zhang Haichang have any enemies?”

“There were a few people he didn’t get along with, but I don’t think they’d kill him.”

“I heard your ex-husband Wang Zhenlong had a bad relationship with Zhang Haichang and even fought him. Could he be the one?”

“Wang Zhenlong is all talk. He wouldn’t kill anyone.”

“Did Wang Zhenlong ask you to remarry after your husband died?”

“He did, but I refused. I’ve learned my lesson. Feel free to investigate him, but I have nothing to do with him.”

“Alright, thank you for cooperating.”

After Ji Hongmei left, Lin Qiupu emerged from the interrogation room, looking defeated. Chen Shi patted his shoulder, “I told you, she wouldn’t hire a hitman.”

“Save your gloating. By the way, the Master Information Consulting Firm—your friends run that, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“They were hired to investigate Zhang Haichang’s affair. How reliable are they?”

“Don’t worry. They’re professionals. They handle dozens of cases a month. If they were also killing cheaters, there’d be a lot more deaths in Long’an… This lead is a dead end. But I’ve got another one.”

“You mean the house?”

“All three people who wanted that house died. Do you still think it’s a coincidence?”