He found that every time he interrogated the pale and refined pharmacist, the pharmacist would lower his head and constantly pick at his fingernails, as if he wanted to say something but dared not.
So, the pharmacist’s method of resisting the police was to remain silent, not uttering a single word.
A colleague who had interrogated this pharmacist had also suspected that the man was mute a couple of days prior. After a professional doctor examined his vocal cords, they found no issues.
Su Kangxi repeatedly watched the man’s unusually conflicted expression in the surveillance video, feeling that he would be the breakthrough in their interrogation.
Su Kangxi closed the video on his computer, found a trustworthy colleague, and decided to re-interrogate the man late at night without alerting anyone else.
He carefully reviewed the man’s resume. He was a postgraduate graduate from the chemistry department of a renowned university, with a bright future ahead. He was also a local from Lancheng. However, years ago, he told his family he was going to develop his career at a pharmaceutical company in Southeast Asia. After going abroad, he lost contact with all his friends and relatives in China.
If he hadn’t been apprehended in the hidden factory this time, his family and friends would have thought he had met with an accident and disappeared abroad.
Before interrogating the man, Su Kangxi drank a cup of coffee to energize himself.
The young pharmacist was brought to the interrogation room, appearing as if he hadn’t woken up, his head slumped and yawning.
Su Kangxi didn't ask him the same repetitive questions again. Instead, he spoke as if having a heart-to-heart talk: "Lu Wencai, judging by your academic achievements, your name truly suits you. Why did you stray from the right path and do something that could cost you your life? Even if it wasn't in Lancheng, manufacturing drugs in those Southeast Asian countries is also a capital offense. Don't you know that?"
Lu Wencai ignored Su Kangxi’s words, his head bowed and eyes closed, as if intending to continue sleeping.
The police officer sitting next to Su Kangxi lost his patience and shouted at him, "You're not mute, why aren't you speaking! Our captain is talking to you, can't you hear?"
Lu Wencai opened his eyes, sat up straight, glanced at them, and then extended his little finger to clean his ear.
"This is outrageous!" Su Kangxi's colleague moved to hit him but was pulled back by Su Kangxi, who told him to go out for some air.
After his colleague temporarily left the interrogation room, Su Kangxi continued, "Four years ago, after you graduated, you went on a trip to Southeast Asia with your girlfriend. Only you returned, but your girlfriend disappeared. You said at the time that you were shopping together, but she suddenly vanished, and you couldn't find her anywhere. Her family confronted you, and they also reported it to the police. However, the police here inquired with the police abroad, but no clues were ever found. What exactly did you encounter then, what happened? Is this matter related to your subsequent work in Southeast Asia? Your girlfriend isn't missing and isn't dead, is she?"
Lu Wencai stopped pretending to sleep. He raised his head, his eyes showing a glimmer of light as he looked at Su Kangxi.
Su Kangxi felt a spark of hope and boldly voiced his guess, "Are you taking such a huge risk all for your girlfriend? Did you encounter something related to a drug trafficking group in Southeast Asia back then, and your girlfriend is still in their hands?"
Lu Wencai slowly lowered his head, as if nodding in agreement.
Seizing the opportunity, Su Kangxi pressed on, "You can choose not to speak. I have some photos here. Take a look, are the people threatening you among them?"
Lu Wencai still kept his head down, neither confirming nor denying, seemingly engaged in an intense internal struggle.
Su Kangxi took out a stack of photos he had prepared beforehand, which included pictures of Lü Yuanhong and Jia Nanfang.
He directly placed them in front of Lu Wencai, on the interrogation chair he was sitting on. "The colleague who interrogated you with me is very reliable. Whatever you tell me tonight, whatever you do, no one else besides the two of us will know. Moreover, only by helping us catch those criminals can you help yourself and your girlfriend."
After speaking, Su Kangxi stepped aside, waiting to see if he would be moved.
The entire interrogation room fell silent for nearly a minute. Lu Wencai finally began to look at the photos one by one.
When he saw Jia Nanfang's photo, he recoiled to the side, indicating he didn't recognize Jia Nanfang.
It was only when he saw Lü Yuanhong's photo that he pointed a trembling finger at it and then dared not look again.
Su Kangxi excitedly picked up Lü Yuanhong's photo and asked him loudly, "Is this person in the photo the leader of the drug trafficking group?"
Lu Wencai turned his face and nodded.
At this moment, Su Kangxi's colleague returned to the interrogation room. Su Kangxi immediately told his colleague, "Go and turn off all the surveillance and recording equipment. I want to talk to him alone."
"Captain Su, this is against regulations," the colleague said with some hesitation.
"Just do as I say," Su Kangxi commanded. "No one is to know that we interrogated him again tonight, understand?"
"Understood." Su Kangxi's colleague had no choice but to leave the interrogation room again.
When the interrogation room door was closed once more, Su Kangxi dragged the chair he had been sitting on closer to Lu Wencai and spoke to him frankly, "Now you can speak with confidence. No one will know what you say tonight. Don't you trust me yet?"
"I trust you," Lu Wencai finally uttered a muffled word. For years, for his girlfriend, to protect their lives, he had mostly remained silent and focused on actions.
"Then tell me what happened between you and your girlfriend," Su Kangxi asked, as if chatting with him.
Lu Wencai clenched his fists tightly. Before he could speak, tears streamed down his face, and he choked out, "Everyone calls him Mr. Lü. He also has two capable assistants, one named Kun Sang, and another named A Cheng... They, they are truly terrifying, all ruthless killers who don't blink at murder..."
Su Kangxi comforted him, "I know all this. You don't need to be afraid anymore. You should be grateful that you were caught, rather than being shot and killed like the other pharmacist who resisted."
"He... I know his entire family is in Mr. Lü's hands, from his grandmother down to his two-year-old child," Lu Wencai said. "He would rather die than risk his family's lives. A few days before you police found this factory, Mr. Lü and his subordinates killed two people right in front of us. Who wouldn't be scared?"
"Tell me what happened to you and your girlfriend, where is she now? See if our police can help her," Su Kangxi asked with concern.
Lu Wencai said mournfully, "The cause of all this was her moment of recklessness. We had planned a trip after graduation, and she chose Southeast Asia. She insisted on a self-guided tour. She booked the flights and rooms online. I was only responsible for paying and accompanying her for the fun..."
Lu Wencai finally opened his heart to him, recounting how he became Lü Yuanhong's accomplice and the process of researching and manufacturing formulas for him.