Zhang Bin collapsed dramatically to the ground, making it look like we had injured him. However, he miscalculated one thing. The doctor’s office was soundproof. After he shouted his throat raw, Zhang Bin rather awkwardly stood up from the ground and went to sit on the couch.
Based on Zhang Bin’s state, he didn’t look like a rapist. He was too cavalier. The fact that he came up with all this buffoonery proved that he believed he wouldn’t be arrested or at most he would only be detained for days like last time. Or was this front that Zhang Bin showed us just an act?
Zhang Bin finally took us seriously, like the whole charade earlier was just a joke. He grabbed the armrest until the veins on his arm popped, “Why would I do that? What crime have I committed? Why should I follow you? Have I killed someone? Raped someone? I didn’t do anything that was not consensual.”
Before we even asked anything, Zhang Bin already provided us with a lot of information. Zhang Bin’s blabbing helped us aplenty. I had already decided that we had to interrogate him further at the station but of course I didn’t show that on my face. Because most of the time, while we were observing the criminals, the criminals were watching us as well. During interrogation, it was vital that the criminal didn’t see through you. Maintaining a poker face was very important. We had to act like an omnipotent god, that was the way to apply pressure on the subject. Gu Chen grabbed Zhang Bin by his shoulders. “Come on.”
…
In the interrogation room, Zhang Bin frowned with displeasure but he was not a bit anxious. In fact, Zhang Bin had been in this room many times, but most of the time he was here for petty thefts. This time though, he was here due to a suicide and rape. Either of those cases would be enough to send him away permanently.
“Well, indulge me.” I looked at Zhang Bin. “Why do you think you’re here?”
Zhang Bin grumbled, “It’s because of a girl being fucked, isn’t it? But I wasn’t the one who did it. Why did you arrest me? You should arrest the person who did it.” I frowned and sank into deeper thought seeing how insouciant Zhang Bin was. Zhang Bin clearly didn’t know that we knew incredibly little about these cases and he assumed we knew more than we actually did. Zhang Bin was so vague that I couldn’t even tell which case he was referring to.
Was it Fang Xiao Qi’s suicide which was caused by a potential rape or Zhao Xiaoli’s? Why would Zhang Bin say that he wasn’t the culprit? We did believe that the ‘he’ mentioned in Fang Xiao Qi’s will wasn’t Zhang Bin but then Zhao Xiaoli’s rapist was definitely Zhang Bin! We had both material evidence and witnesses to support that. Or Zhang Bin believed we hadn’t found Zhao Xiaoli and his secret hideout yet?
Gu Chen and Guan Zhenglin didn’t respond, they waited for me to lead the interrogation. Personally, I wasn’t quite sure what Zhang Bin was talking about so I only said, “Just how much you must have hated Hao Ren to have done something like this? You did all these simply because he sent you to the detention centre?”
Zhang Bin glanced at me and huffed venomously, “Who told him to mind other people’s business?! I know people like him, he said he did what he did for the sake of justice but his real purpose is really to gain fame. Take a look at those videos on the internet and the news articles, see how they have painted him and me!” Zhang Bin sounded so indignant that one would forget that he was a thief, he was the one in the wrong.
While Zhang Bin made his complaint, Guan Zhenglin already went online to search for the news at Elm Town from 1 and a half month ago. She showed me her phone and the title of the article was, Internet Café’s security bravely took down the thieves, his greatest wish is merely to restore the glory of martial arts.
I looked through the article slowly, it had many pictures and all of them were of Hao Ren in his uniform detaining the thieves. Looks like many people had taken pictures and videos back at Serendipity Online Café. All the comments praised Hao Ren and cursed Zhang Bin’s group.
Seeing that we were looking through his news, Zhang Bin commented, “Now everyone at Elm Town knows who I am. When we came out from the detention centre, people kept pointing at us, even the drug addicts looked down on us. We didn’t dare to show our faces around town for so long.”
“Are you serious?” Gu Chen scoffed hearing that, “You’re a repeat offender. Someone like you needs face? Plus, the moment your group got out from detention, you went to Serendipity Online and splashed shit on the shop window. That is not the sign of someone afraid of showing their faces around town. If not for you, Hao Ren wouldn’t be fired.”
Zhang Bin gritted his teeth. “Fine, I did do that, but he did it first. Why would he get into my business when the victims themselves had decided to not place the charges?’
Gu Chen shrugged, “I should have known logic wouldn’t work on someone like you. Did you ask for Hao Ren’s home address from the internet café’s boss? You were not satisfied with making the man lose his job, you have to make him lose his home and family too?”
“Of course not!” Zhang Bin said, “He had all the praises but our name is completely ruined.”
“So you went to his home and threatened his two kids?” I leveled at the angered Zhang Bin. Gu Chen added, “But you failed and were injured by a boy instead.”
Zhang Bin’s face immediately burned. When he visited the hospital, Zhang Bin told the doctor that he was chopped by a madman. Zhang Bin was too embarrassed to tell the truth. Well, I would be embarrassed too, if a boy from primary school had managed to cut me. Zhang Bin turned his shame into anger, “The boy is clearly not a good thing either. He’s lucky I didn’t find him again.”
Hearing that, Gu Chen slammed on the table, “What else do you plan to do? After burning down Hao Ren’s home, you’re still not satisfied?”
“Wait, burn down Hao Ren’s home?” Zhang Bin frowned and looked at us with disbelief, “When did I do that?”
Gu Chen huffed and glared at Zhang Bin, “You’re still playing dumb? The boss at the internet café told us that you swore to burn down his house.”
Zhang Bin cried, “He lied, I never said those things!”
Gu Chen almost cracked the table with his slams, “You dare to do it but don’t dare to admit it? If you didn’t do it, then Hao Ren burned down his house himself? You harbored that hatred after you were injured by Wang An. So you found the moment when they were not home and burnt down their house. Have you been back to the place? The place is now a ruin. Where do you expect Hao Ren’s whole family to stay over the New Year?” Gu Chen was emotional and he demanded, “And Zhao Xiaoli, is just a girl of 18, how could you do those things to her?”
“Zhao Xiaoli?” Zhang Bin was stunned. “What about Zhao Xiaoli? I’m still looking for her, I haven’t even seen her.”
That angered Gu Chen further. He walked to Zhang Bin and picked up the man by his collar. “You better stop playing tricks. Tell us how you kidnapped Zhao Xiaoli and raped her, or else you’ll suffer.” Zhang Bin was handcuffed. He tried his best to struggle but was firmly caught in Gu Chen’s vise.
His calmness and composure at the start had disappeared. He panicked and screamed, “I know, I know. You are trying to find a scapegoat because you can’t solve this case! You people always do this! You know I am an easy target so this is a set up!” He shouted, “Help, help! I am not the killer, they are forcing me to admit something I’ve not done!” He shouted until his voice was hoarse.
Studying Zhang Bin, I did feel something was off. The attitude change was too drastic. Thankfully Zhao Xiaoli was still at the police station. If we could get Zhao Xiaoli and Wang An in here, things should clear up. With that in mind, I told Gu Chen, “Gu Chen, let him go, I still have many questions for him.”
Zhang Bin’s body was convulsing. He stuttered, “You are trying to set me up! I know before the victims are shot, their vocal cords would be ruined so they couldn’t defend themselves anymore! You have received money from someone to set me up, haven’t you? I, I can give you money too, I don’t want to die…” Zhang Bin was flustered. I had no idea where he got this kind of fantasy novel stuff, but it was clear that his fear was real, it couldn’t be faked. Could there really be something more behind this, was Zhang Bin framed? But all the witness statements and evidence pointed towards him.
Also where were the others? Where were Du Zigui, Hao Ren, Zheng Shuai and Cheng Yiming?
I told Gu Chen, “Bring Wang An and Zhao Xiaoli in here separately. We will have them square this out with Zhang Bin in person.”
Gu Chen nodded and walked out from the interrogation room.
After Gu Chen was gone, I told the frantic Zhang Bin. “Thievery will only at most get you into jail but arson and rape, I’m sure you know the consequence if the conviction sticks. Plus, you still have so many secrets on you. Where did you get the drug? What happened to Du Zigui?”
With every question that I posed, Zhang Bin’s hand went involuntarily to touch his nose.
“I hope,” I looked into the man’s eyes and said slowly, “You’ll be able to answer everything.”
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