Interrogation Once Again

Interrogation room.

Zeng Ping was in charge of the main questioning, while Tian Li handled the record-taking.

“Name, gender, age, place of origin...”

“He Hefeng, male, fifty years old...”

“Officer, I’ve told you everything I know. I really am innocent,” He Hefeng said.

After He Hefeng was arrested, the victim received another extortion letter, which indicated that He Hefeng was likely not involved in the extortion case. Of course, there was also the possibility of an accomplice, so He Hefeng couldn't be completely cleared of suspicion.

“He Hefeng, are you getting used to life in the detention cell?” Zeng Ping asked.

“Not at all.”

“Well, you should have thought about that before. If you hadn’t secretly filmed or tried to blackmail, you wouldn’t be here.” Zeng Ping’s voice was stern.

“Officer, I admit I filmed the video, but I truly didn't blackmail anyone.” He Hefeng looked aggrieved.

“The video was found on your computer. If you didn't send the extortion letters, who did?” Zeng Ping pressed.

“I honestly don’t know,” He Hefeng replied.

“Have you ever copied the videos from your computer?” Zeng Ping asked.

“No, I always just watched them on the computer,” He Hefeng answered.

“Has anyone else used your computer?” Zeng Ping continued.

“I... I just remembered, my computer broke down a while ago and I had someone repair it,” He Hefeng recalled.

“Why didn’t you mention this crucial detail during the last interrogation?” Zeng Ping snapped.

“I was terrified during the last interrogation—I couldn't think straight,” He Hefeng sighed.

Being arrested for secretly filming, especially in front of his wife and daughter, had left his mind blank and overwhelmed with shock.

“When did you have the computer repaired?” Zeng Ping asked.

“More than a month ago, I think,” He Hefeng replied.

“Where was it repaired?”

“Weiming Road, at Huijie Computer Repair Shop.”

“What’s the name of the person who fixed your computer?”

“I can’t remember, but there’s only one guy working at that shop,” He Hefeng said.

“Listen, staying in the detention cell isn’t meant for your comfort. Think carefully—are there any other leads?” Zeng Ping said.

“Yes, Officer.”

With this important information, Zeng Ping left the interrogation room, intending to summon the computer repairman.

As soon as he stepped out, Lu Wen approached him.

“Captain Zeng, I was just about to look for you,” Lu Wen said.

“What’s the matter?”

“I collected fingerprints from the computer. Besides He Hefeng’s, I found another person’s prints.”

“Did you run a comparison?”

“The database had no match,” Lu Wen replied.

“Is the other person’s fingerprint found in many places on the computer?” Zeng Ping asked.

“There are prints from the second person on both the keyboard and mouse,” Lu Wen said.

“This is an important lead. Good work,” Zeng Ping said.

With a new suspect, Zeng Ping immediately gathered his team to prepare for the arrest.

...

Half an hour later, the second team regrouped on Weiming Road.

Zhao Ming’s eyes were even darker than Han Bin’s, after staking out Anyang Apartments all night without any results.

“Captain Zeng, you called us here in such a hurry. What’s going on?” Li Hui asked.

“This morning, I questioned He Hefeng again. From him, I learned of a new suspect. Captain Zheng has already gone to apply for a search warrant and a summons,” Zeng Ping said.

“Who’s the suspect?” Li Hui asked.

“He Hefeng’s computer was repaired about a month ago. The repairman most likely saw the video,” Zeng Ping explained.

“Then this computer technician is highly suspicious,” Li Hui said.

“Captain Zeng, is the repair shop nearby?” Han Bin asked.

“Huijie Computer Repair Shop. According to the GPS, it's just five hundred meters ahead,” Zeng Ping replied.

“Why don’t Han Bin and I check it out first?” Li Hui suggested.

“You two go in and keep the suspect occupied. Once the summons and search warrants arrive, we’ll move in,” Zeng Ping said.

“Yes, sir.”

...

Han Bin and Li Hui walked along the sidewalk.

“What did you do this morning?” Li Hui asked.

“Looked into the photos and videos,” Han Bin replied.

“You’ve been at it all morning?” Li Hui commented.

“What are you getting at?” Han Bin glanced at him.

“I... I mean, did you find anything?” Li Hui changed his tone.

“Of course.”

“What did you find?” Li Hui asked.

“We’ll talk about that later. Let’s focus on the arrest first,” Han Bin said, nodding towards the computer repair shop ahead.

“Huijie Computer Repair Shop,” Li Hui muttered.

Han Bin headed inside. The shop was small, just over twenty square meters, and a man was wiping down the glass counter.

“What can I help you with?” the man asked.

“Are you the owner?” Han Bin inquired.

“Yes.”

Han Bin glanced at the counter. “How much is this mouse?”

“Do you want a wireless one or a wired one?” the man asked.

“Which kind works better?” Han Bin replied.

“Are you using it for work or gaming?”

“Does it make a difference?”

“If you’re working, wireless is more convenient. For gaming, wired is more stable,” the owner said.

“I’ll take a wired one, then.”

“For wired, I recommend these three models: this one is sixty, this one eighty-nine, and this one one sixty-eight,” the owner said.

“Wow, that's expensive,” Li Hui interjected.

“These are all well-known brands—more expensive, but they last. Cheap ones don’t hold up,” the owner replied.

“By the way, do you do computer repairs?” Han Bin asked.

“Of course. Desktop or laptop?” the owner asked.

“Laptop.”

“No problem, just bring it in,” the owner said.

“How do you charge?” Han Bin continued, stalling as they waited for the warrants.

...

After a few more minutes of conversation, the owner started to get impatient. “Are you buying the mouse or not? The original price is one sixty-eight, I’ve already dropped it to one forty. Any lower and I’m losing money.”

At that moment, Zheng Kaixuan entered with Zeng Ping and three others.

“Are you here to repair a computer or to shop?” the owner asked.

“We’re police officers. We have a case and need your cooperation,” Zheng Kaixuan said.

“What case?”

“Do you know this man, He Hefeng?” Zheng Kaixuan showed the owner a photo.

“He looks familiar, but I can’t say for sure.”

“He brought a computer here for repair over a month ago,” Zheng Kaixuan said.

“Now that you mention it, I remember—a white Apple laptop,” the owner said.

“Good. Come with us, please,” Zheng Kaixuan said.

“You can’t just take people away. Do you have any identification?” the owner asked.

“Here are my badge and the summons,” Zeng Ping presented the documents.

Seeing the official paperwork, the owner looked flustered. “What’s this about?”

“We suspect you’re connected to an extortion case. Please come to the station to assist in the investigation,” Zheng Kaixuan said.

“Extortion case!” The owner’s face filled with surprise. “How could I possibly be involved in that?”

“Here’s the search warrant,” Zheng Kaixuan showed the document and gave a wave.

“Search the place!”