169 Li Weidong

Captain Zeng, you must be joking. This kid is the one who reported the case? Li Hui asked with a surprised look.

Do I look like I am joking? Zeng Ping pulled a chair over, signaled Li Gaobo to sit down, and continued, Li Gaobo is my neighbor. He came to the precinct this morning to report that his mother has been kidnapped. Tian Li, take a statement from him.

Tian Li walked over, turned on the law enforcement recorder, and asked, Name, age, gender, ethnicity...

My name is Li Gaobo, 15 years old, male, Han ethnicity...

Li Gaobo, why did you call the police?

My mother was kidnapped.

When was she kidnapped?

Last night.

What time specifically?

Around eight o'clock last night.

Where was she kidnapped?

Near the factory where she works. My mother was working overtime yesterday, and my dad drove to pick her up. There was a traffic jam halfway there, and by the time they arrived, my mother was gone and wouldn't answer her phone. Li Gaobo's expression turned gloomy.

How do you know your mother was kidnapped rather than having run away from home?

At 8:40 last night, the kidnappers called and demanded two hundred thousand yuan from my dad, which confirmed that my mother was kidnapped.

Why didn't your dad come to report the case?

My dad didn't dare. When the kidnappers demanded the ransom, they said they were already monitoring his cell phone. If he called the police, they would kill the hostage immediately. Worried that the kidnappers might have people watching him, he sent me to the police station to report it.

After all, Li Gaobo was still just a child, and as he spoke, he began to cry. Uncles and aunts, please, I beg you, you must save my mother.

Tian Li hurriedly comforted him, Li Gaobo, be strong. Tell us the details of the kidnapping clearly so that we can officially open the case as soon as possible and rescue your mother.

Okay, please go ahead and ask. Li Gaobo wiped his eyes.

What is your mother's name? How old is she, and where does she work?

My mother's name is Gao Xiaoyun, 46 years old, and she works at the Qianjin Gate Factory. Her phone number is 1386XXXXX.

How did the criminals contact your father? Tian Li pressed further.

They used my phone to call him, and turned the phone off right after the call ended.

Zhao Ming, go find the technical team and check this phone number, Zeng Ping instructed.

Captain Zeng, the kid is still a minor. Shouldn't we first notify a legal guardian to be present for questioning before opening the case? Zhao Ming suggested.

No, absolutely do not call my dad. The kidnappers said they are monitoring his phone. As long as my father speaks with the police, they will definitely find out, and then my mother will be in danger, Li Gaobo said in a panic.

Where is your dad right now?

My dad went to raise money. He said that if he finds a suitable opportunity, he will borrow someone else's phone to call you, and then you'll know that everything I'm saying is true, Li Gaobo said.

Did the suspects mention where the ransom should be delivered?

Not yet.

Has your mother shown any unusual behavior lately?

I don't think so, at least I haven't noticed anything.

Has your mother offended anyone recently?

I don't know. I'm usually at school, and even if there are things happening at home, my parents don't tell me, Li Gaobo said helplessly.

Jingle bell... Right at that moment, a cell phone ringtone broke the silence.

Zeng Ping took out his phone and saw an unfamiliar number on the screen. He pressed the answer button, Hello?

Officer Zeng, I am Li Weidong, your neighbor from the 7th floor. Have you seen my son? a man's voice came through the phone.

Zeng Ping turned on the speakerphone, I see him. He is currently giving a statement. He said your wife was kidnapped.

Yes, I am calling you from someone else's phone right now. The kidnappers might be monitoring my own phone.

The child is still young after all, and some things are unclear. You had better come to the police station and explain the course of the kidnapping clearly, Zeng Ping said.

I don't dare go, the kidnappers said they would have people watching me. If I go to the police station to give a statement, they will definitely know I called the police, Li Weidong worried.

Then we will go to your home and take your statement face-to-face, to ask about some details, Zeng Ping proposed.

Li Weidong hesitated for a moment, Be careful when you come over, and make sure not to let the kidnappers figure it out.

We will operate in plain clothes. With that, Zeng Ping hung up the phone.

Afterward, Zeng Ping began assigning tasks, Tian Li and Zhao Ming, go to Qianjin Gate Factory to gather information and review surveillance footage.

Everyone else, come with me to Times Ark Residential Compound.

...

Zeng Ping also lived in the Times Ark Residential Compound and was very familiar with the situation there.

A black sedan parked at the community entrance, and Li Hui and Sun Xiaopeng got out to check the community surveillance at the property management office. Zeng Ping drove directly into the underground parking garage, followed closely by the technical team's vehicle.

The car parked in a designated slot for Building 4, and the group split into two parties to take the elevator up to the 13th floor. Li Weidong's apartment was 1302.

Captain Zeng, the facilities in your residential compound are quite nice, Han彬 smiled.

It's alright. My home is in this same unit, 903. Feel free to drop by sometime, Zeng Ping invited warmly.

Will do, Han彬 acknowledged. However, everyone was extremely busy, so opportunities to visit were few and far between.

Just like today, even when working on a case nearby, Zeng Ping didn't have the time to go home.

Arriving at the thirteenth floor, Zeng Ping knocked on the door of 1302. Knock, knock.

Creak... The door opened, and a middle-aged man poked his head out, Officer Zeng, you're here. Please come in.

Leave the door open. We have colleagues coming up behind us, Zeng Ping said.

The man acknowledged and invited the two men to sit on the sofa.

This man was precisely Li Weidong, the husband of the abductee. He and Zeng Ping were neighbors in the same building, and when they ran into each other in the elevator, they would exchange polite greetings and pleasantries, though they weren't particularly close.

Please sit down first, both of you. I'll pour you some tea, Li Weidong said.

No need for formalities. Let's get straight to work; saving people is urgent, Zeng Ping said.

Alright, alright, Li Weidong replied, sitting down on the side as well. Officer Zeng, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Creak... The apartment door opened once more.

Li Weidong stood up abruptly, looking toward the entryway.

Don't be nervous. It's just people from our technical team. Didn't you say your phone might be monitored by the criminals? I asked them to come and check it, Zeng Ping explained.

After Li Weidong handed his phone over to the technical team, Han彬 began taking his statement.

At the very beginning, it was still routine questioning, repeating the same inquiries previously put to Li Gaobo, while also introducing some new questions.

What is the exact time your wife was kidnapped? Han彬 asked.

I'm not quite sure about that either. When I arrived at the main gate of Qianjin Gate Factory, it was a little past 8 o'clock, Li Weidong said.

Why didn't you call the police at that time?

I didn't know she had been kidnapped. She is somewhat willful and has a temper; I thought she was annoyed that I arrived late and took a taxi home, Li Weidong sighed, continuing, Who would have thought that as soon as I arrived home, I received a call from the kidnappers demanding I prepare two hundred thousand yuan, warning that if I were even a cent short, I would never see my wife again.

Fifteen hours have passed from eight o'clock last night until now. You should have chosen to call the police much earlier, Zeng Ping frowned. Kidnapping cases were a race against time; the longer it dragged on, the lower the survival rate of the hostage.

The criminals were monitoring my phone, so I didn't dare call the police. I was also afraid of being noticed if I went out to report it, so I thought about gathering the money first. Perhaps the culprits would release my wife once they received the cash, Li Weidong explained.

Then why did you finally choose to call the police?

The culprits told me to hand over the ransom tomorrow, but when I carefully calculated my finances, there was simply no way I could scrape together that much money in such a short time. I had no choice but to call the police.

How much ransom did the criminals demand?

Two hundred thousand.

They only asked for two hundred thousand? Han彬 verified.

Officer, two hundred thousand is not a small amount. Where would an ordinary person scrape that together? Unless I sell my house, there's no way I can come up with this kind of money. But the culprits want the ransom tomorrow, and a house can't be sold just like that on short notice, Li Weidong lit a cigarette and took two heavy puffs.

Criminals mostly operate in syndicates, usually consisting of at least two perpetrators. If the two hundred thousand yuan ransom is split, each person gets only one hundred thousand yuan. While this is still a considerable sum, it is hardly proportional to the danger level of committing such a crime, Han彬 noted.

Officer, what are you trying to say? Li Weidong's mind was a bit scattered and he didn't quite grasp the implication.

Although your family's financial situation is not bad, it can only be described as average. Why would kidnappers take such enormous risks to commit a crime, yet not target someone truly wealthy who could pay a much larger sum? Han彬 pointed out.

How would I know what goes through a kidnapper's mind? You tell me, out of so many workers in the factory, why did my wife have to be so unlucky? Li Weidong slammed his palm heavily against his forehead.

The loud smacking sound made it painful just to listen.

Zeng Ping grabbed the man's arm to stop him from self-harming and asked, Weidong, have you or your family offended anyone recently?