1993, Pengcheng Police Affairs

Chapter 89 Cunning and Intrigue

"I admit it," Chen Yunbiao sighed heavily, "I did indeed engage in smuggling."

Seeing that Chen Yunbiao's guard had relaxed, Gu Huai's voice softened slightly, "Continue."

"Continue what?" Chen Yunbiao feigned ignorance and said, "Officer, I usually just smuggle some fruits, vegetables, and seafood, and I really don't know anything else."

Gu Huai stared intently at Chen Yunbiao. His story was very standard, even the smuggled goods were standard.

The most common shield used by smugglers is to push everything onto smuggling, since smuggling is handled by customs and criminal investigation can't reach that far.

After being arrested, Chen Yunbiao looked around and must have seen something, which is why he knew which department the police who arrested him belonged to.

"Officer." Seeing that Gu Huai didn't speak, Chen Yunbiao said with a smile, "Just now in the dance hall, I hit you with my luggage. It was wrong of me, but I really didn't know you were a policeman at the time. I thought I had run into an enemy."

Although Gu Huai knew that Chen Yunbiao was being eloquent, he didn't care. He wasn't afraid of Chen Yunbiao's sophistry during the interrogation; the real challenge was dealing with someone who remained completely silent.

"Do you have many enemies?"

"In business, you deal with all sorts of people. Sometimes, if payments are delayed, it's normal for customers to come knocking on your door..."

Gu Huai leaned back in his chair, not interrupting him.

He'd seen plenty of cunning old foxes like Chen Yunbiao in his past life.

He had a smile on his face the whole time he spoke, and every sentence he uttered was delivered smoothly, as if he had prepared it in advance.

"Officer, I admit to what happened earlier. Hitting someone is wrong, and assaulting a police officer is even more wrong. But I really didn't know you were a police officer. Can this be considered a misunderstanding?"

Gu Huai did not answer his question, but picked up the folder on the table and walked towards Chen Yunbiao.

"Of course, no problem. I believe it's a misunderstanding."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yunbiao's face broke into a bright smile.

"Yes, yes, yes! It's all a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding..."

"Don't be so happy yet," Gu Huai said, placing the folder in front of him. "Take a look at this first."

The document contains little information, but it is crucial.

The record shows the times of disappearance of the five taxi drivers and Chen Haoyu, as well as the locations where the bodies of Wang Jun and Chen Haoyu were found.

He didn't explain what these contents meant; he simply left them there for Chen Yunbiao to see for himself.

He said that on purpose to stir up Chen Yunbiao's emotions and excite him.

Once his emotions are at their peak, present the evidence to him and see how he reacts.

When a person's emotions are fluctuating wildly, it is difficult to remain calm. That is when Gu Huai will break through.

Gu Huai used this tactic frequently when negotiating business deals to test people's bottom line on prices.

Therefore, after placing the documents on the interrogation chair, Gu Huai stopped speaking and instead took a half step back to observe Chen Yunbiao's reaction.

At first, Chen Yunbiao had a bright smile on his face, but as he delved deeper into the contents of the document, his smile faded.

Until the very end, the smile on his face completely disappeared, replaced by utter astonishment.

"Officer, why are you showing me these?"

Seeing Chen Yunbiao's surprise, Gu Huai raised an eyebrow and said, "What do you think these things have to do with you?"

"What does this have to do with me?" Chen Yunbiao leaned back, looking at Gu Huai with a blank expression. "I don't know any of these people."

Gu Huai could tell from Chen Yunbiao's micro-expressions that he genuinely didn't know what was on the screen.

Of course, Gu Huai didn't blindly trust his own judgment and continued to ask, "You don't know these people, but you should recognize their car."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yunbiao's eyelids twitched.

"Six cars: five taxis and one Cherokee," Gu Huai said, observing Chen Yunbiao. "After these cars went missing, they were dismantled into parts and transported out of Guangdong Province by waterway."

Just as Gu Huai was saying these things, Chen Yunbiao's facial muscles twitched noticeably, and his body tensed up.

"You're the one in charge of disposing of the stolen goods, aren't you?"

Chen Yunbiao's hand trembled involuntarily. He stared at Gu Huai for two seconds, lost in thought, before a smile returned to his face.

"Officer, what you're saying doesn't make sense. You're accusing me of receiving stolen goods, but where's the evidence?"

"Evidence?" Gu Huai asked calmly. He knew this was Chen Yunbiao's last stand. Once this barrier was broken, his psychological defenses would completely collapse.

"Chen Yunbiao, let me remind you, if we can find you, we can find your men. They might be willing to take the risks of smuggling, but I don't think they'd be willing to take the crime of aiding and abetting murder."

Chen Yunbiao's smile finally crumbled.

His mouth opened and closed again, his Adam's apple bobbed, as if he was trying to say something but couldn't.

Chen Yunbiao opened and closed his mouth several times, finally managing to choke out a sentence, "I was just helping someone move those goods, I didn't know they were..."

"Whose side are you helping?" Gu Huai's spirits lifted, and he immediately pressed for an answer.

"A man named Asheng," Chen Yunbiao said, his face ashen. "He used to steal cars. After he got the cars, he would ask me to sell them. I was greedy and helped him with a few transactions."

"But I had no idea those cars were obtained through murder! He told me they were stolen!"

When he said the last sentence, his speaking speed was much faster than at the beginning, as if he was afraid that Gu Huai would interrupt him.

"Who is that Ah Sheng?" Gu Huai quickly grasped the key point in the question.

"Ah Sheng, he..." Chen Yunbiao didn't answer Gu Huai's question, but looked at Gu Huai guiltily and asked, "Did he really kill someone?"

Gu Huai frowned, knowing that Chen Yunbiao was still clinging to a sliver of hope.

He took half a step forward and pointed to the documents on the table, specifically to Wang Jun's entry.

"This man's name is Wang Jun, a driver for Penggang Taxi Company. He went missing last December and was found a couple of days ago in a drainage ditch in an orchard next to Yangpeng Highway. He was strangled to death. His car was a Toyota Crown 130, which you should know if you've handled it before."

As Chen Yunbiao listened to Gu Huai's words, he recalled them in his mind.

Upon hearing the specific car model, he deflated like a punctured balloon and shrunk back in the interrogation chair.

"Officer, if I say it now..."

"It doesn't matter whether you say it or not," Gu Huai interrupted him. At this point, he needed to completely eliminate Chen Yunbiao's wishful thinking and make him understand the seriousness of the matter.

"The money you received is in your hands, and not only do you know it, but your subordinates also know it. As for who Ah Sheng is, where you meet, and how many trips you've made, we have ways to investigate these things. By speaking out now, you're giving yourself a chance to earn merit."

Gu Huai paused for a moment, then added, "And I suggest you tell the truth. If you lie and we find out, you'll lose your chance to earn merit!"

Chen Yunbiao fell silent.

"Chen Yunbiao, I advise you to think this through carefully." Gu Huai made a final effort. "Things have come to this point. Is it really necessary for you to continue hiding things from someone who has lied to you?"

Gu Huai's last words finally broke through Chen Yunbiao's psychological defenses, and he let out a long sigh.

"I'll tell you everything."