National Forensic Doctor

Chapter 1308: Chapter 1234 Vendor

Mu Zhiyang stood silently a little in front of Jiang Yuan.

"It’s my box, used to store pancakes." The pancake vendor wasn’t tall, but appeared quite sturdy.

Xiao Si lightly tapped the plastic strap on the box with his hand, feeling a similar texture. Then, intentionally waiting until the other two officers were behind the vendor, he said, "I bought pancakes from you before. Do you remember?"

"I remember, you bought a lot." The vendor chuckled twice, "Thanks for your business."

"Yours are quite tasty," Xiao Si said, looking at the ingredients in front of the vendor, "This crispy thing, it’s deep-fried, right?"

"Yes, I make all of it myself," replied the vendor.

"You make it yourself?"

"Of course. We’re a small business, save where we can."

"And the sauce?"

"The sauce is my own mix, several ingredients, a secret recipe."

"It can’t all be your own mix, right?"

"Couldn’t do it all by myself, too many types. Some things are more conveniently bought and taste just as good."

"Is that so." Xiao Si nodded slowly. He had done his homework — something like sauce, if bought, would commonly use benzoic acid as a preservative.

Jiang Yuan, protected by Mu Zhiyang, also approached the stall.

Xiao Si didn’t even glance, but focused on the short, wrinkled, sturdy pancake vendor, showing a photo. "Have you seen this girl?"

"I haven’t." The vendor denied it with just a glance.

"Take a closer look," Xiao Si insisted. "Maybe she’s one of your regulars."

"No. My customers are mainly factory workers, few women around," the vendor stated logically.

What Xiao Si really wanted wasn’t a tearful confession from the vendor.

Xiao Si simply took out his phone, "Alright then, please leave your number."

Though surrounded by a few more police officers, the vendor could only think positively and obediently left his number with Xiao Si.

Xiao Si dialed on the spot, and after confirming it rang the vendor’s phone, forwarded the number to the Technical Investigation team.

The Technical Investigation team had records of all phone numbers that intersected in time and space with the victim’s phone. However, the victim took the subway then cycled to Jin Mountain, with many phones intersecting for short durations along the way even after leaving the subway station.

Just like letting vendors describe their situations, investigating suspects based on phone intersections in this manner is difficult. However, the increase in suspicion for the pancake vendor allowed for a reverse deduction.

Jiang Yuan and others stood quietly behind, understanding Xiao Si’s intentions.

Quickly, Technical Investigation’s results came back. It wasn’t typical for such speed, but Jiang Yuan’s special case team had them ready.

Jiang Yuan took out his phone to see that Technical Investigation had reported two time-length intersections between phones: a total of 18 minutes, in two segments.

Details were uncertain, but this result suggested that the pancake vendor’s claim of not knowing the victim was mostly nonsense.

He sold pancakes in the factory district, not at the subway. The long intersection put them on a suspect list.

However, the special case team hadn’t pursued this information before. Perhaps it wasn’t needed; after Jiang Yuan found the blue plastic strap, further physical and chemical analysis would take about a day. Any Level 2 technician could easily conclude.

"Are you sure you don’t know her?" Xiao Si asked again, emphasizing the suspect’s situation.

The vendor firmly shook his head.

"Alright, come with us and explain," Xiao Si stepped forward, separating the vendor from his tricycle.

Though it was just a breakfast stall, if he resisted, both the hot griddle and cutting knife could be dangerous.

No policeman underestimates these small tools.

In movies, cops avoid bullets unscathed, but in reality, a cop falling can break two legs.

The atmosphere tensed at the scene.

Everyone knew this was the most likely time for conflict to occur.

Only the pancake vendor held on to a fluke, stepping back under Xiao Si’s tough stance, and asked, "I really don’t know her. I sell so many pancakes daily, how can I remember each customer?"

"You interacted with her for more than just a few minutes." Xiao Si said as he moved forward, taking hold of the vendor’s arm.

"I... I need to call home," the vendor, unsure who to seek help from, took out his phone to dial.

Cui Qishan quickly snatched the phone, saying, "You’ll have time for calls later. Come with our guys now."

"No... I..." The vendor squirmed, instinctively trying to break free, but Xiao Si held him, and within seconds, Cui Qishan also gripped his arm.

"Don’t get yourself hurt, don’t force us to cuff you," Cui Qishan said, though not wanting to waste time arguing on the street.

The vendor could only turn, shouting to the stall next door, "Call my wife, call my wife..."

The nearby vendor reluctantly nodded.

"Thanks, be sure to tell my wife..." the pancake vendor shouted out again.

Liu Jinghui, hearing the repeated yells, felt moved internally, saying, "Check his residence, his wife’s location, and any property back home."

Jiang Yuan agreed, and Wang Chuanxing promptly arranged it.

Half an hour later.

An interrogation room with one-way transparent glass.

Wang Chuanxing, holding a PAD, returned to Jiang Yuan’s side.

"How is it?" Liu Jinghui drew his gaze away from the vendor in the interrogation room.

"It’s him," Wang Chuanxing nodded emphatically, "He rents a small top-floor apartment nearby in ’Huayang New Garden’, one bedroom, one living room. His wife prepares sauce and dough at home. We found a 14 cm long knife at his place, suspected to be the murder weapon; it’s been sent over. His wife was also scared senseless, Captain Cui brought her in."

"Let Team Meng know," Liu Jinghui smiled then quickly composed himself.

In the interrogation room, Meng Chengbiao adjusted the direction of his questioning after briefly listening with headphones.

"Wang Chunge, your wife has been brought in too!" Meng Chengbiao’s tone was calm. The simple statement exerted great pressure.

The pancake vendor instantly broke into a cold sweat.

"Let me explain some policy to you," Meng Chengbiao began explaining what constitutes voluntary surrender, what adds to a crime, and the distinctions between immediate execution, suspended sentence, life imprisonment, and fixed-term imprisonment.

Wang Chunge couldn’t utter a word. He didn’t even want to listen to Meng Chengbiao, but his nervous demeanor ensured Meng Chengbiao’s words sank in—far more intently than he ever studied.

"Why did you kill?" Meng Chengbiao, finishing the policy explanation, veered off sequence to directly ask motive.

Wang Chunge’s lips trembled, succumbing to pressure, and finally, he lowered his head, "I thought she was rich."

"Did you intend to rob her?" Meng Chengbiao asked. noveldrama

"Yeah..." Wang Chunge’s voice was low, but gradually grew higher. Speaking the secret he intended to keep buried, Wang Chunge let go of any reservations, saying, "She held an iPhone and dressed well. I asked if she worked; she said she didn’t need to, preferring hiking. I thought she was a well-off lady and wanted to borrow some money..."

"She didn’t carry cash; what was your plan to get money?"

"I wanted to sell her phone for some gold, then melt it down. Couldn’t stay in Beijing, not safe setting up the stall, and costs were high. I planned to return home with some gold, live a better life..." Wang Chunge’s voice was disoriented.

"Why didn’t you buy anything in the end?"

"Her phone had no money, couldn’t use Huabei either." Wang Chunge sighed, "Her phone balance wasn’t even as much as I make in a day, yet she dared to travel around..."

Meng Chengbiao asked further, "Why didn’t you release her after failing to rob?"

Wang Chunge promptly replied, "To serve 10 years for nothing?"

Meng Chengbiao didn’t correct the suspect’s distorted views, only continuing, "How did you kill her?"

"I made her wire some money first, then pretended urban management was coming. I led her to an alley to hide. Deep alley, surrounded by factories, couldn’t be seen or heard from outside. When we entered, I threatened her with a knife, bound her with plastic rope, gagged her, and took her home by tricycle."

Ignoring the law, Wang Chunge spoke without shame, only showing slight regret.