Chapter 104: Chapter 47: You Underestimated Us, Overestimated Yourself (Seeking Monthly Votes and Subscriptions)_2
"Yes."
"Yes."
Sun Jun and Zhao Cheng both nodded in response.
"Wang Yong, Zhang Fan, you two first go and ask around Cheng Zhiyou’s neighbors, see if Cheng Zhiyou usually comes home around 10 PM. Then investigate the shops selling knives in the city to find out if there’s any information about Cheng Wei buying a knife. I’ll head to the Cybersecurity Unit to check Cheng Wei’s online purchase records." Luo Fei then said to Wang Yong and Zhang Fan beside him.
With the tasks assigned, the three teams mobilized together.
Luo Fei first found Zhao Donglai to have him contact someone at the Cybersecurity Unit, where Luo Fei was unfamiliar.
Zhao Donglai, without saying a word, directly called the Cybersecurity Unit’s captain and soon got in touch with their captain, Zhang Yao.
Luo Fei drove straight to the Cybersecurity Unit, where he found Captain Zhang Yao.
"Captain Zhang, I am Luo Fei from the Criminal Investigation Unit." Luo Fei introduced himself directly to Zhang Yao.
"Haha, no introduction needed. You’re quite the celebrity in Ningjiang’s public security system, capturing Jiang Sanqiang and solving the serial murder case. Ningjiang’s Police Officer of the Year—it’s hard not to know you. I’ve seen you at several commendation ceremonies before." Zhang Yao said with a smile.
"Captain Zhang flatters me." Luo Fei responded politely.
"Your Captain Zhao already informed me of the situation. I was planning to chat with you, but since you’re busy with a case I won’t take up your time. Let’s go find Xiaoxian."
Then Zhang Yao led Luo Fei to a computer room where there were four young cyber police officers working diligently online. As Luo Fei and Zhang Yao approached, nobody noticed.
"Xiaoxian, the colleague from the Criminal Investigation Team needs your help to check some things. Please assist him." Zhang Yao patted the young woman who was writing code.
The girl turned her head and only then saw Luo Fei and Zhang Yao.
"Captain, what are you doing? I’m in the middle of writing code!" The girl complained, looking a bit like the girl-next-door. Judging by her youthful expression, she seemed about Luo Fei’s age.
Zhang Yao gave Luo Fei a helpless look, then turned back to the girl, "The colleague from the Criminal Investigation Team needs you to check some things."
Only then did the girl look at Luo Fei, and her face lit up with excitement.
"You’re Luo Fei, the one who caught Jiang Sanqiang. I know you, you’re amazing for solving so many cases." She said excitedly.
"Yes, I am Luo Fei." Luo Fei nodded, sensing a bit of admiration from the girl.
"He is Luo Fei."
"Really Luo Fei, he’s great at solving cases!"
The other cyber police officers who were working attentively also turned to look at Luo Fei, whispering among themselves.
"Alright Xiaoxian, Luo Fei has a case to investigate. Help him check things online." Zhang Yao, seeing his subordinate being star-struck, quickly reminded her.
"Oh, you must be investigating a serious case. Luo Fei, what do you need to check?" The girl named An Qi promptly asked Luo Fei.
"Cheng Wei from District Six, ID number xxxxxx. Please check his online purchase records for the past three months." Luo Fei replied.
"No problem, piece of cake." Xiaoxian gave an OK gesture and then her fingers rapidly tapped on the keyboard.
After just a few seconds.
"OK, done." Xiaoxian lifted her hands off the keyboard and turned to look at Luo Fei.
"Luo Fei, take a look to see if there’s the information you need?" Xiaoxian said, standing up to let Luo Fei take her place.
Luo Fei didn’t hesitate, sat down and carefully browsed through.
There were a lot of miscellaneous online purchase records over the three months, but Luo Fei read quickly, finishing in no time and made an exciting discovery.
On January 7th, Cheng Wei purchased a knife online, the same type as Lin Gang’s.
"Can I print this online purchase receipt?" Luo Fei inquired.
"Just go ahead and print it, no problem." Zhang Yao said with a smile, then asked, "Did you find any clues?"
"Yes, this time I really have to thank you, Captain Zhang, and..." Luo Fei started, looking at the girl next to him whose name he didn’t know.
"An Qi, my name is An Qi, remember it." The girl emphasized.
"Got it." Luo Fei nodded in agreement.
After printing the purchase record, Luo Fei left the Cybersecurity Unit and returned to the Criminal Investigation Team.
He immediately reported this finding to Zhao Donglai. Around three in the afternoon, good news came from the tech department: they extracted a set of footprints from the lawn outside the community, which were confirmed to be Cheng Wei’s after comparison.
The team, Wang Yong and Zhao Cheng also brought back good news. They found that Cheng Zhiyou usually goes running at the plaza and has a habit of returning at 10 PM.
Another piece of good news: Luo Fei and Sun Jun checked all surrounding surveillance of District Six and spotted Cheng Wei. On the night of the crime, around 1 AM, Cheng Wei hurriedly left on a nearby street of District Six.
With all this evidence, at 5 PM, Luo Fei and Sun Jun re-interrogated Cheng Wei.
"I’ve already told you everything I know. I admit I’m guilty. I shouldn’t have sent Lin Gang to steal the money." Cheng Wei said with a calm expression on his delicate face.
Luo Fei didn’t speak, just continued staring at Cheng Wei.
After several minutes, a trace of annoyance flickered across Cheng Wei’s calm face, "Why are you staring at me like that?"
"I’m thinking about what someone must have experienced or become to the extent of killing their own father?" Luo Fei finally said in a flat tone.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about?" Cheng Wei looked at Luo Fei with a slightly grim expression.
"You don’t know? But heaven knows. There’s an old saying: ’If you don’t want others to know, don’t do it yourself.’ Do you think your plan is flawless? Don’t be naïve; perfect murder doesn’t exist. We have concrete evidence proving you murdered your father." Luo Fei said coldly.
Hearing this, Cheng Wei frowned at Luo Fei, unsure of the truth behind his words.
"Officer, are you joking?" Cheng Wei’s expression also turned cold.
"Joking? I never joke. You thought you could fool everyone by pinning the crime on Lin Gang as a scapegoat? Your objective in sending Lin Gang to steal money wasn’t the money; it was to kill your father. Lin Gang was the scapegoat you chose. You instructed Lin Gang to go to the room around ten to steal the money, knowing your father always went jogging at the plaza, used to returning at ten."
"You had Lin Gang carry a knife, partly to increase chances of him killing your father, but mainly to pin the charge on Lin Gang to clear yourself, because you planned to kill your father with a knife identical to Lin Gang’s."
"On that New Year’s Eve, you waited for Lin Gang to leave, then stealthily climbed over the wall into the community, entered the room. Your plan was to kill your father if Lin Gang failed. However, you found your father stabbed and lying on the sofa. Things progressed better than you imagined, but he hadn’t died. Worried he wouldn’t die, you took out another prepared knife and stabbed your father twice before leaving the scene."
"That’s how the crime went down. I don’t think anything is inaccurate, right?" Luo Fei said while staring fixedly at Cheng Wei.
Cheng Wei’s delicate eyebrows were now furrowed. He prided himself on executing a flawless plan, so why could the police so clearly reconstruct and describe every detail of his crime?
"Officer, your story-spinning skills are impressive. It’s a pity for you not to be a novelist, being a policeman instead." Cheng Wen replied coldly.
"Haha, writing novels? Reality is more thrilling. The most exciting plots happen in real life, and I enjoy catching villains." Luo Fei sneered and then asked Cheng Wei, "Do you know what your biggest mistake was?"
Cheng Wei said nothing, just looked at Luo Fei.
Luo Fei smiled and said, "You underestimated the intelligence of the police, overestimated yourself, and as you’ve said, writing novels and reality are not the same. The ’flawless’ script you imagined exists only in novels; perfect crime doesn’t exist in reality."
Cheng Wei looked at Luo Fei and after a while finally said, "Officer, did you forget what I told you? On the night of the crime, I was with my girlfriend the whole time. How could I appear at the crime scene?"
"That’s a nice reason, but also very selfish. You’re pulling your girlfriend into crime for your sake. Do you think you’re selfish?" Luo Fei gave Cheng Wei a calm glance, then coldly said, "You claim to be with your girlfriend all night, then how do you explain this surveillance footage?"
As Luo Fei spoke, he handed the surveillance video to Cheng Wei.