Chapter 155: The Killer in Police Uniform

A new nightclub had just opened in Yuexiu, boasting a fresh crop of beautiful women.

Yuan Jianhui was a man who loved novelty. With a gorgeous woman in his arms, he walked out of the club, heading toward the parking garage to get his car.

Officer Guo, dressed in full police uniform, stepped into their path alongside Xia Yubing, who was similarly attired in police uniform, blocking the obnoxious pair.

"Get lost!" Yuan Jianhui barked irritably upon seeing his way blocked.

Guo Yanzhi produced his police badge, holding it up before them. "Please come back with us to assist with an investigation. Uninvolved parties, please move along."

Of all things, patrons feared police sweeps the most. The young woman Yuan Jianhui had brought with her panicked the moment she saw the police and bolted, abandoning him without a second thought.

"Investigate your old mother!" Furious that his freshly hooked date had been scared away, Yuan Jianhui was ready to throw punches.

"Please come with us."

"Go with your old mother! Are you cops something special? You dare arrest me—did you ask your bureau chief before targeting me? Believe it or not, one phone call from me will cost you both your jobs!" Yuan Jianhui pointed straight at Guo Yanzhi's nose, spewing venom continuously.

Guo Yanzhi possessed an exceptionally mild temper and showed not a trace of anger.

Xia Yubing, however, had reached her limit. When Guo Yanzhi had first asked her to pose as a police officer, she had flatly refused. But since Yuan Jianhui recognized Lu Feng, she was the only viable choice, and she had reluctantly agreed.

Listening to Yuan Jianhui's endless ranting, Xia Yubing snapped, sweeping him off his feet with a single kick that sent him crashing to the ground.

Collapsing onto the pavement, Yuan Jianhui clutched his leg and howled, "You fucking dare hit me! If I don't teach you how to spell the word 'death', you damn well won't know who I am!"

Without wasting words, Xia Yubing delivered another kick to shut him up, then twisted his arm behind his back and dragged him away.

"No violence! No violence! We are police officers, we must practice civilized law enforcement," Guo Yanzhi remonstrated, trailing close behind and urging restraint.

Utterly sick of Guo Yanzhi's neurotic routine, Xia Yubing shot him a glare and snapped, "I have zero interest in playing games with you, old man. One more useless word and I'll butcher him!"

Guo Yanzhi immediately clamped his mouth shut. He was thoroughly convinced that Xia Yubing wasn't joking; if she said she would kill someone, she meant it. After all, she was already accustomed to murder—let alone Yuan Jianhui, who looked like a walking public menace no matter how you sliced it.

Xia Yubing shoved Yuan Jianhui into a vehicle. Occupying the driver's and front passenger seats were Lu Feng and Yao Chuchu.

Today's interrogation of Yuan Jianhui encompassed not only the Yun'an theft case but also the cold case from five years ago, which was why Lu Feng had brought Yao Chuchu along as well.

A soundproof partition separated the front cabin from the back, preventing the people in the rear from seeing who was upfront.

Yet Yao Chuchu could observe Yuan Jianhui clearly through the one-way glass. As her eyes fell upon him, a flicker of deep-seated hatred surfaced in her gaze; in her heart, she was entirely convinced that Yuan Jianhui had caused her mother's death.

"Aren't we going to the police station?" Yuan Jianhui surveyed the interior of the car, suspicion creeping into his voice.

"We'll question you right here in the car. Once we're done, we'll let you go, and we'll all save some time," Guo Yanzhi said, pulling out a notebook and preparing to take notes.

Though the situation felt slightly bizarre, Guo Yanzhi's demeanor carried an air of absolute authenticity.

Guo Yanzhi produced a photograph, holding it up before Yuan Jianhui. "Do you know this person?"

"Never seen him!" Yuan Jianhui couldn't even be bothered to look at the photo properly, dismissing it with a cursory glance.

"The man in the photo is Du Bin, a jewel thief who was captured a few days ago at a Macau casino. According to his confession, you paid him fifty thousand to infiltrate the Yun'an Group headquarters and commit the theft. Do you have any explanation for this?" Guo Yanzhi demanded.

Yuan Jianhui instantly bristled, pointing a finger at Guo Yanzhi's face and cursing, "If he says I instigated it, then I instigated it? Well, I say you're the one who told me to do it—does that make you a criminal too?"

Xia Yubing kicked Guo Yanzhi's chair and interjected, "Cut the crap! Does it matter whether he instigated it? We didn't come here to discuss that today, get straight to the point."

Somewhat intimidated by Xia Yubing, Guo Yanzhi pivoted to the other case. "Five years ago, a Ms. Zhao Yuemei worked as a domestic helper at your residence. Do you remember her?"

At the mention of that name, Yuan Jianhui's expression shifted subtly, though he immediately denied it. "Never heard of her!"

Guo Yanzhi pulled out a thick stack of case files related to Zhao Yuemei, slapping them onto the table and tapping the photograph on top. "The records clearly show that Zhao Yuemei worked at your home as a maid for a year and a half. You're telling me you don't have the slightest recollection?"

Unwilling to look at the photograph, Yuan Jianhui shoved the files away. "That damn thing happened five years ago! What do you people want?"

"Evidence indicates that you were the one who ordered Zhao Yuemei to carry the antiques outside to air them out in the sun. What do you have to say to that?" Guo Yanzhi pressed.

"I don't understand a single word you're saying." Reluctant to dwell on events from five years ago, Yuan Jianhui reached for his phone. "I'm calling my lawyer! I won't answer a single one of your questions!"

With a swift motion, Xia Yubing snatched the phone from his grip and hurled it out the window, where it shattered against the pavement with a sharp crack.

"You're fucking asking for it!" Enraged, Yuan Jianhui lunged at Xia Yubing.

Xia Yubing twisted his arm viciously, slammed his head against the car door, and then tossed him onto the floor before pressing her boot down hard upon him.

"You cops actually dare hit me! Do you know who my uncle-in-law is? Just you wait!" Yuan Jianhui continued his frantic howling.

Xia Yubing ground her heel down mercilessly into the palm of his hand.

Agh!

"You vicious bitch! Let go! My hand! My hand..." Yuan Jianhui shrieked in agony.

"Officer Xia, no violence, please, no violence..." Guo Yanzhi attempted to play the peacemaker.

Shooting Guo Yanzhi a murderous glare, Xia Yubing snapped, "Shut your trap! Your interrogation methods are completely useless! From here on out, I'm running the show. Utter one more useless word and I'll butcher him!"

Wisely choosing self-preservation, Guo Yanzhi clamped his mouth shut and sat back down to resume note-taking.

Drawing a dagger from her belt, Xia Yubing traced the blade lightly over Yuan Jianhui's body. "Now, I ask a question, you give an answer. Dare to tell a single lie, and I'll carve a piece out of you."

"Interrogating suspects like this is illegal," Yuan Jianhui whimpered, clutching at straws.

Tossing her police cap aside, Xia Yubing sneered, "Do you still think I'm a cop?"

A cold shiver ran down Yuan Jianhui's spine. Staring at her in stunned terror, he couldn't help recalling how devastatingly alluring she had looked earlier when she wore the uniform.

Pulling the case file from five years ago toward her, Xia Yubing skimmed the pages while demanding, "Five years ago, Zhao Yuemei did not steal the antiques from your house. Who was the real thief?"

"I... I don't know," Yuan Jianhui hesitated, shaking his head.

Without a moment's hesitation, Xia Yubing slashed the tip of her dagger across the back of Yuan Jianhui's hand, opening a clean gash.

The blade moved so fast that it was already back in its sheath before the wound even parted. Initially, Yuan Jianhui didn't feel much pain; he merely stared in horror as the skin on the back of his hand split open, followed by a rush of warm blood. Only seconds later did the searing agony finally hit him.

Clutching his bleeding hand in sheer panic, he roared furiously, "You actually fucking cut me!"

"I'll ask you once more: who stole the antiques?" Xia Yubing's voice was ice cold.

"It was my mother! It was my mother who stole them!" Yuan Jianhui blurted out instantly.

This answer caught everyone completely off guard.

Xia Yubing pressed on, "Why would your mother steal antiques from her own home?"

"My mother lost a fortune gambling in Macau and didn't dare tell my old man, so she secretly replaced the real antiques with counterfeits and smuggled them out to sell," Yuan Jianhui confessed in a rush.