Chapter 100: Chapter 44: I Really Didn’t Kill Him (Please Subscribe, Please Bookmark, Please Vote)_2
At the time, Lin Gang heard Cheng Wei’s suggestion and thought Cheng Wei must be joking. Who steals money from their own house? But then Cheng Wei said Zhao Yi was pregnant and needed money for an operation, but Zhao Yi didn’t want her family to know. So Cheng came up with this idea.
Initially, Lin Gang didn’t take it seriously, but after hearing Cheng Wei, he started to take it seriously.
He asked Cheng Wei if it was true, and Cheng Wei nodded. Then Lin Gang was tempted—after all, it was 100,000 yuan. He thought that since Cheng Wei wanted him to steal it, even if he got caught, Cheng Wei’s father would never send his own son to jail.
Then Lin Gang asked how he should steal it. Cheng Wei told Lin Gang that on the night of the second day of the Lunar New Year, his dad would be out visiting and wouldn’t be home. He gave Lin Gang a key to the house, instructing him to climb over the iron fence at the back of the compound at ten o’clock, open the door, go into his dad’s room, and take the 100,000 yuan from the bottom drawer of the wardrobe.
Cheng Wei also instructed Lin Gang to wear gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints and make it seem like a burglar had broken in by tampering with the peephole and door handle.
Lin Gang agreed.
On the night of the second day of the Lunar New Year at ten o’clock, he climbed over the iron fence at the back of the compound, used the key to open the door, and indeed, Cheng Wei’s father wasn’t home. In the bottom drawer of the bedroom wardrobe, Lin Gang found the bag with 100,000 yuan in cash.
Everything was as Cheng Wei said; he successfully got the money. But just as Lin Gang was about to leave with the money, the door suddenly opened, and the room lights were turned on—the next moment, Lin Gang and Cheng Zhiyou’s eyes met.
In that instant, Lin Gang’s mind went blank. He was extremely flustered and, without thinking, reflexively took out the knife he’d brought to intimidate others and rushed toward Cheng Zhiyou, stabbing him fiercely in the stomach.
Cheng Zhiyou hardly reacted before he was stabbed, but this knife was only one Lin Gang used to scare people, and the blade was short, so the stab didn’t cause substantial harm to Cheng Zhiyou.
Cheng Zhiyou held onto Lin Gang’s shoulder tightly. In a panic, Lin Gang withdrew the knife and began stabbing him wildly, slashing chaotically.
When Cheng Zhiyou lost too much blood, lost consciousness, and released his grip, Lin Gang fled the room in a panic and ran back home.
Upon reaching home, Lin Gang’s first thought was to escape before the police could react. After all, he had killed someone, and if caught, he would either be executed or spend his life in prison.
Just as Lin Gang was about to pack and flee, Cheng Wei’s call came through unexpectedly.
Lin Gang originally planned not to answer it, after all, he’d just killed Cheng Wei’s father. But then he reconsidered. Cheng Wei knew he was there to steal money; if he told the police about it, Lin Gang would become a wanted criminal, and fleeing would be impossible. Moreover, Cheng Wei was responsible for Lin Gang stealing the money; now, with his father dead, both he and Cheng Wei shared the blame. If he got caught, Cheng Wei wouldn’t be let off easily either.
Thinking this, Lin Gang answered Cheng Wei’s call and took the initiative to tell Cheng Yuan about it.
However, when Cheng Wei heard Lin Gang say he had killed his father, he didn’t react too dramatically. Instead, he calmly asked Lin Gang what he planned to do now. Seeing Cheng Wei’s attitude as not seeking revenge, Lin Gang told Cheng Wei he was planning to run away.
The next moment, Cheng Wei said he shouldn’t escape just yet. If he fled now, the police would immediately focus on him; once they were on his trail, he’d be caught no matter where he fled. Cheng Wei advised Lin Gang to stay calm and do nothing, as the police might not connect him to it, and he shouldn’t panic prematurely.
Lin Gang thought about it and realized it made sense, so he discarded his escape plan.
"This is the whole process." Lin Gang recounted the entire crime in one breath.
After listening, Luo Fei, linking it to the black aura and the sinister figure above Cheng Wei’s head, was almost certain that Cheng Wei’s real intention in sending Lin Gang to steal money was to get Lin Gang to kill his father.
"By the way, today when you ran away, was it because you discovered something?" Luo Fei suddenly remembered to ask.
"When Cao Dong and I returned, I saw police outside the compound, and it was a detective. I thought it must have been exposed, so I fled."
"Who was it? How did you know it was a detective? Do you know him from before?" Luo Fei inquired with a frown.
Lin Gang thought for a moment and said, "It was the tall and skinny one. I saw him before at a gathering, and a friend introduced him to me, saying he worked in the detective unit."
Tall and skinny, Luo Fei didn’t even need to think to know it was Zhaocheng. Only Zhaocheng was tall and skinny.
Outside the interrogation room
"So Cheng Wei can’t escape responsibility for Cheng Zhiyou’s death," Zhao Donglai said with a frown to Yang Su beside him.
"Indeed, from what Lin Gang said, there are many doubts about this home invasion case. Firstly, Cheng Wei told Lin Gang that Cheng Zhiyou wouldn’t be back on the second night, but Cheng Zhiyou did return. Was this an accident, or did Cheng Yuan do it on purpose? If Cheng Wei did it on purpose, then..." Yang Su paused at this point.
"Exactly, from Lin Gang’s testimony just now, Cheng Wei’s purpose in sending Lin Gang to steal money is highly suspicious."
At this moment, Luo Fei and Sun Jun finished their interrogation and walked out of the interrogation room.
"Zhao, Team Leader." Luo Fei greeted Zhao Donglai and Yang Su.
"Luo Fei, what do you think about the victim’s son, Cheng Wei?" Zhao Donglai asked Luo Fei.
Luo Fei thought for a moment and then said, "Director Zhao, actually, I have a feeling that the killing of Cheng Zhiyou was not an accident but a premeditated murder."
"You mean, Lin Gang’s home invasion and the killing of Cheng Zhiyou were all premeditated by Cheng Wei?" Zhao Donglai asked.
"Yes," Luo Fei nodded. Based on the ominous figure above Cheng Wei’s head, Luo Fei was nearly certain Cheng Wei had long planned for Lin Gang to invade the home and then use Lin Gang to kill Cheng Zhiyou.
"If Cheng Wei really murdered Cheng Zhiyou, then the hatred must run deep," Yang Su remarked.
Zhao Donglai pondered for a while and then said, "Luo Fei, take your team and immediately arrest Cheng Wei and interrogate him."
Luo Fei frowned. Based on what they currently had, they could only prove Cheng Wei instigated Lin Gang to steal money. As for Cheng Wei planning the murder of Cheng Zhiyou, there was no evidence. Even if they arrested Cheng Wei, he probably wouldn’t confess.
Zhao Donglai immediately looked at Yang Su, "Yang Su, take your team to investigate any conflicts between Cheng Wei and Cheng Zhiyou and also clarify where the victim went and what he did on the second day."
"Director Zhao, didn’t Cheng Wei say Zhao Yi was pregnant and needed money for an operation, so he asked Lin Gang to steal money? We can check if Zhao Yi is really pregnant?" Luo Fei suggested.
"Yes, we need to check that as well." Zhao Donglai nodded and confirmed.
On Zhao Donglai’s instructions, Luo Fei led a team to first arrest Cheng Wei.
And then conducted an interrogation.
"Do you know why you were brought here?" Luo Fei asked Cheng Wei, who appeared calm and composed, with a gentle face, in a light tone.
Cheng Wei shook his head.
"We have arrested Lin Gang. Lin Gang explained everything—you’re the one who told him to steal money from your house, and that led to your father’s death. Do you admit that?" Luo Fei asked.
"Yes, I’m the one who told Lin Gang to steal the money, but I didn’t expect such a thing to happen. If I had known, no matter how bad I am, I wouldn’t have asked Lin Gang to steal money." Cheng Wei said, his eyes instantly reddening, looking truly saddened.
Luo Fei felt that Cheng Wei’s sadness wasn’t entirely feigned; there seemed to be genuine sorrow there.
"You said it was because Zhao Yi was pregnant and needed an operation, that you didn’t want the family to know, so you urgently needed money and asked Lin Gang to steal it. Is that true or false?" Luo Fei continued to ask.
Cheng Wei shook his head, "That was my lie to Lin Gang. Zhao Yi wasn’t pregnant. I needed money. I had asked my father for it, but he didn’t give it to me. So, I made up a story to trick Lin Gang into stealing the money, and we’d split it."