The Case of Xiong De Hai Solved

Lian Chi immediately borrowed a phone from the restaurant to call Yang Yi Ran, who was on duty at the Bureau.
After Yang Yi Ran hung up, he brought the dagger to the 3rd Brigade.
Looking at the dagger, Xu Zheng Ye couldn't help but be stunned: "How can there be such a coincidence in this world?"
But when he heard the middle-aged man who found the dagger say that there was a large black mole on the right arm of the motorcyclist, Xu Zheng Ye’s expression immediately became serious.
Because Xiong De Hai did indeed have a large black mole on his right arm.
Immediately, Xu Zheng Ye snatched the evidence bag from Yang Yi Ran’s hand: "Technical Team, Technical Team, get over here now!"
Although the middle-aged man had washed the dagger with water after finding it, the technical staff still managed to retrieve some dried blood scales from the crevices of the hilt.
Then, they used the collected blood scales to compare DNA with the blood samples of the two victims.
Following the trail of the dagger, Xu Zheng Ye quickly discovered that this type of knife was not sold on the market but was custom-forged by the Steel Factory as an annual reward for outstanding employees.
Furthermore, the style of the dagger forged each year was different. For example, 1993 was the Year of the Rooster, so the pattern on the hilt was a large rooster.
The pattern on the hilt of the dagger found by the middle-aged man was a galloping horse, indicating it was a reward given by the Steel Factory to outstanding employees in 1990.
By checking the Steel Factory’s records, they found that the factory had selected a total of ten outstanding employees that year, including Xiong De Hai.
Xu Zheng Ye quickly found the other nine outstanding employees from that year; their daggers were still intact in their homes.
Although the DNA comparison results were not yet out, Xu Zheng Ye knew the scales of justice were tipping in their favor.
Next, they summoned the more than ten Steel Factory workers who had previously testified for Xiong De Hai.
Among these ten-plus workers, nine had a very good relationship with Xiong De Hai because he drove the factory truck. Over the years, Xiong De Hai had used his business trips to trade materials and bring items for them.
The others had an average relationship with Xiong De Hai.
Xu Zheng Ye focused his interrogation on the workers with an average relationship with Xiong De Hai.
"You must have heard that we’ve discovered the killer used a dagger issued by your factory to outstanding employees three years ago. Everyone else's daggers are accounted for; only Xiong De Hai’s is missing."
"Don't blame me for not reminding you—perjury is a crime. According to our country's laws, in criminal proceedings, a witness who helps a criminal hide evidence will be sentenced to up to three years in prison or detention; if the circumstances are serious, the sentence is three to seven years."
"Think of your parents, your wife, and your children. For the factory’s reputation or a colleague’s relationship, you don't dare speak the truth. They might acknowledge you, but if you go to prison later, how will your family live?"
"Furthermore, do you know how cruel the killer was? Of the two victims, one was stabbed in the back and died instantly, and the other had their throat slit... Do you know what slitting a throat means? It’s like killing a chicken—cutting a line across the neck. Even after death, the body still twitches until almost all the blood has drained out."
"Do you really want to spend the rest of your life working in the same workshop as such a vicious person? Aren't you afraid that if you offend him later, he’ll take revenge on you the same way?"
Sure enough, once these words were spoken, those who had been insisting that Xiong De Hai wasn't that kind of person and believing he wouldn't do such a thing all hesitated for two minutes before changing their statements.
"Actually, I didn't see Xiong De Hai at all that night, but everyone else said they did... so I just followed along."
"I did see Xiong De Hai that night. I even greeted him, and he only gave a grunt. Thinking back, that voice didn't seem quite like his normal one."
"I also saw Xiong De Hai that night. How should I put it? At the time, I felt his skills had worsened; he had to reverse several times to get it right."
"The man that night probably wasn't Xiong De Hai. Xiong De Hai’s teeth are quite even, but the man that night had crooked teeth."
At this point, Xu Zheng Ye knew they had won.
"Let's go. We’re going to see Xiong De Hai again."
At this moment, Xiong De Hai was packing his clothes.
Seeing Xu Zheng Ye arrive, he even smiled and said, "Team Leader Xu, are you here to release me?"
"I’ve already said, I didn't kill anyone. Although I loathe that pair of adulterers to the bone, I am an honest person and would never do anything illegal."
"So you’ve really wronged me."
Hearing this, Xu Zheng Ye also smiled: "Are you finished?"
Xiong De Hai was clearly a smart man, so his intuition told him things might not be as he imagined.
Xu Zheng Ye said, "Since you’re finished, it’s my turn."
"Through investigation, we have gathered enough evidence to prove you are the killer in this murder case. Therefore, we have officially filed a request with the Procuratorate for an arrest warrant."
"I believe within half an hour, the approval will be issued."
"So don't leave; save us the trouble of coming to get you."
The smile on Xiong De Hai’s face completely vanished.
By the time Xu Zheng Ye threw the dagger down in front of him and told him the DNA results would be ready in two days, Xiong De Hai’s expression completely collapsed.
Not long after, Xiong De Hai confessed everything.
As Xu Zheng Ye and his team had predicted, this was a premeditated crime of passion.
After divorcing his ex-wife, Xiong De Hai didn't feel he was wrong. In his view, a woman who isn't disciplined will go bad, so he wasn't wrong to hit her. On the contrary, after getting a formal job, his ex-wife became arrogant, stopped cooking or heating bath water for him, and frequently ordered him to pick up the kids. He only hit her a few times, and she demanded a divorce, even abandoning their four children for it. No woman in the world was that heartless.
Later, when he went to apologize, she not only refused to listen but also rushed to go on blind dates with other men, one after another, cuckolding him countless times.
The most important thing was that she failed those dates because she wasn't satisfied with the men.
Meanwhile, his later blind dates failed because the women looked down on him.
He suspected his ex-wife had gone around badmouthing him to those women, which is why they didn't want to marry him. Otherwise, given his status as a formal worker at the Steel Factory, why would those women dare to reject him?
It reached the point where he could only go back to the countryside to find a wife, but the women there were uneducated and crude, and it was obvious they were only after his money, so he didn't like them at all.
But for the sake of his four children, he had to endure the disgust to meet them.
So, when he learned his ex-wife was very satisfied with a man introduced by a leader—a man who was a small leader at the Tax Bureau—and that they were starting to plan their marriage, Xiong De Hai’s eyes turned red with rage.
He decided to go all the way and kill both his ex-wife and that man.
During his years at the Steel Factory, he had traveled to many places, even Gang City, so he had seen much and quickly thought of a good way to kill them.
First, he found his younger brother, Xiong De Jiang, and told him to disguise himself as him and work the night shift at the Steel Factory to give him an alibi.
Then, he sent a message to his ex-wife and the man, inviting them to walk along the Fengshui River in the evening to discuss the marriage.
Sure enough, they fell for it.
What happened next was predictable. He lay in wait by the Fengshui River, and while they weren't paying attention, he suddenly rushed out from the trees and killed them both.
He thought his plan was perfect, but he didn't expect to accidentally drop the murder weapon on his way back.
However, he quickly calmed down. As long as he didn't say anything, who would know the weapon was missing?
Besides, with so many people passing through Chang City every day, perhaps the dagger had been picked up by someone from out of town and taken home.
But he didn't expect the dagger to be picked up by a local thug, who just happened to be arrested by the police, leading the weapon right into their hands.
Xiong De Hai completely broke down.
"Hahaha."
Xu Zheng Ye felt a sense of triumph.
Then, he hurriedly checked his watch.
It was only seven in the morning.
They had received the report at nine in the morning the day before yesterday. All in all, it took them less than two days to solve the case.
His old face was saved.
Thinking of this, the smile on Xu Zheng Ye’s face grew even brighter.
But he quickly realized something.
The reason this case was solved so quickly was mainly thanks to Lian Chi and that other comrade helping them find the weapon...
Xu Zheng Ye immediately felt even more embarrassed.
After all, he still hadn't apologized to Lian Chi, yet Lian Chi had not only held no grudge but had also proactively helped him with such a big favor.
But he knew he couldn't delay any longer.
He had to solemnly apologize to Lian Chi, then go see Bureau Chief Cheng to request Lian Chi’s transfer to the 3rd Brigade.
So, he turned to his long-time comrade beside him: "Hurry up and scold me a bit."
The Vice Leader of the 3rd Brigade, Lu Yong Yuan, guessed his intention almost immediately, so he raised his hand and slapped Xu Zheng Ye, making him stagger: "Just go already. A grown man being as hesitant as a woman."
The motivation in Xu Zheng Ye’s heart immediately surged: "Fine, I’ll go apologize to Comrade Lian and Comrade Shen first."
Thus, three minutes later, they arrived at the Security Brigade’s office building.
Lian Chi happened to have no assignment. After seeing their figures, Xu Zheng Ye knocked on the door.
Lian Chi looked up: "Team Leader Xu, Vice Leader Lu?"
Xu Zheng Ye asked, "Is it convenient for us to come in?"
Lian Chi replied, "Of course."
Shen Jian She asked, "Do you two have some business?"
"Ahem."
Xu Zheng Ye couldn't help but cover his mouth and cough twice before saying, "Actually, I came to apologize to you two."
Then, he and Lu Yong Yuan bowed deeply to Lian Chi and Shen Jian She: "Comrade Lian, Comrade Shen, I apologize for my previous words looking down on you."
Lian Chi and Shen Jian She looked at each other and then stepped forward to help them up: "It’s just a small matter. If you hadn't mentioned it, we would have forgotten."
"Besides, the situation of the Militia Team is indeed quite complicated. It’s normal for you to misunderstand us."
Hearing Lian Chi say this, Xu Zheng Ye immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Comrade Lian! Thank you, Comrade Shen! You two are truly great!"
He pressed his advantage: "Actually, besides this, we have something else to discuss with you."
Lian Chi asked, "What is it?"
Xu Zheng Ye said, "I wonder if you two still want to join our 3rd Brigade? Our 3rd Brigade is clean, the members are harmonious and united. I think with your abilities, you can definitely reach your full potential in the 3rd Brigade..."
But before he could finish his sentence, a light cough sounded.
Xu Zheng Ye instinctively turned his head and found that the person interrupting him was Team Leader Wu of the 2nd Brigade.
So, he almost blurted out: "Why are you here?"
Team Leader Wu said, "...So you two were in here for so long and didn't even see me?"
An uneasy thought flashed through Xu Zheng Ye’s mind.
Team Leader Wu smiled and said, "When Little Yang handed over the evidence yesterday, didn't he tell you that Lian Chi and Shen Jian She were having dinner with me at the time?"
"Guess why I suddenly invited Lian Chi and Shen Jian She to dinner?"
Xu Zheng Ye was completely stunned.