coobybook Chapter 304 Accomplices of the Underworld
Chapter 304 Accomplices of the Underworld
"Officer, Chen Dali is dead. Any grudges between us should have been forgotten by now."
"Yes, officer, we believe in respecting the dead; let bygones be bygones."
"Officer, with righteous police officers like you protecting us, no one will dare to collect protection money on Laodong Street."
"Officer, it's better to make enemies than to resolve them. We should be forgiving when possible. We have no conflict with Chen Dali."
"Officer, I have a question. Will Old Zhang's son be executed?"
Qi Tongwei could tell that everyone was afraid of offending someone or being reported, and dared not tell the truth.
“I understand your concerns. Then go to the interrogation room one by one and talk about them. Now that someone is standing up for you, don’t just complain in private. You’ve come into this world for a while, so you should show courage when it’s time to do so.”
"Everyone should think this through carefully. Don't just stand by and watch others stand up for you. If you can unite, what are you afraid of from the underworld? Just pick up a knife and fight!"
"Pick up a knife and fight!" The merchants found it unbelievable that a policeman would say such a thing, but it did sound very inspiring. They felt that they had worked hard to earn money and paid taxes to the country, so they should be protected. Why should they have to pay protection money to the underworld?
If you didn't have a wife and kids at home, who wouldn't want to grab a knife and rush up to kill one by one? Damn it, they're all hot-blooded men, how could they swallow this insult? But they've all been forced by life to bend their backs and grow into people with patience.
Once they were in the interrogation room, they all confessed. Chen Dali had collected protection money, refused to pay for food and drinks, and harassed female staff members—the list of his crimes was endless.
The restaurant owner at the crime scene, in particular, had a lot of grievances. Chen Dali would come over every few days to eat and drink lavishly without paying a penny, and he would act like a big shot, bossing everyone around.
The restaurant owner wanted to rush into the kitchen, grab a boning knife, and chop Chen Dali up many times, but he could only endure it when he thought of his wife and children. Damn it, he always acted like a grandson in front of the gangsters, and he couldn't even respect himself.
After listening to these merchants complain for over an hour, Qi Tongwei realized how difficult it was to do business. He felt that with his volatile temper, he definitely couldn't run a business. If anyone dared to come and collect protection money, he would probably get angrier and angrier, and in the end, it would be a fight to the death.
Lan Ying felt sorry for these merchants. Being called "boss" sounded glamorous, but behind it all were untold hardships.
The case must be solved within three days, and Qi Tongwei is extremely busy. "Lan Ying, come with me to the hospital immediately."
"Yes, Qizhi."
Qi Tongwei sped all the way to the hospital. Now that it was confirmed that Chen Dali was a gangster who collected protection money, and since two scumbags survived the shooting, he had to interrogate them properly.
The two scumbags were lying in the hospital bed, looking very weak. They were really lucky to survive, having been shot in the chest, back, and abdomen.
Qi Tongwei showed his identification, took a stool, and sat down by the hospital bed.
"Chen Dali is dead. We already know he was collecting protection money on Laodong Street. He's now considered a member of organized crime, and you, as his underlings, are members of that criminal gang."
"This case has a significant impact now; the provincial party committee, the municipal party committee, and the Ministry of Public Security are all paying close attention to it. I hope you seize this opportunity to atone for your crimes through meritorious service."
The two scoundrels were stunned. They had just escaped death, and now they had transformed from community security guards into gangsters.
Qi Tongwei continued his interrogation, "Think carefully before you speak, whether Zhang Jian's wife was raped by Chen Dali. You only have one chance."
The two scumbags were so nervous they were trembling.
"Officer, I don't know."
"Officer, I don't know either."
Qi Tongwei stood up abruptly, furious. "You must have heard of the 83 crackdown. I'll ask you one last time: Did Chen Dali rape Zhang Jian's wife?"
The crackdown in 83 was a nightmare for hooligans and petty criminals. Anyone who dared to collect protection money was shot on sight, and crowds of people gathered to watch the target practice.
The two scumbags were terrified. Chen Dali was dead. Surely they wouldn't be blamed entirely for collecting protection money.
Seeing the fear on the faces of the two scoundrels, Qi Tongwei continued to pressure them, "If you want to take the blame for Chen Dali, I can grant your wish."
These words broke down the two scumbags' defenses. All that talk of brotherhood and loyalty was bullshit. Chen Dali made so much money, and they only got a tiny share. That little bit of money wouldn't even be enough to go to a nightclub to see prostitutes a few times.
"Officer, I confess, I confess, Chen Dali did indeed rape Zhang Jian's wife."
“Officer, I also confess. Because Zhang Jian had a fight with Chen Dali, Chen Dali held a grudge. He raped Zhang Jian’s wife because she was pretty. It was all done by Chen Dali alone.”
This completely overturned the investigation results of the Municipal Criminal Investigation Team. Of course, even a fool could see that there were problems with the previous investigation. If Zhang Jian really was a madman, he would not be able to kill him according to the law.
After interrogating the two scumbags, Qi Tongwei went on to question the three injured police officers from Yonghua Police Station.
The three policemen all showed a sense of resistance towards Qi Tongwei, which was a sign of their guilty conscience. After all, Chen Daji was indeed protecting Chen Dali. As police officers at Yonghua Police Station, they could only listen to their station chief, Chen Daji. Sending Zhang Jian to prison was, in effect, making them accomplices.
To say they were wronged wouldn't be entirely true, because they simply couldn't comprehend Zhang Jian's pain at losing his wife and children, and of course, they didn't believe Zhang Jian could possibly defeat Chen Dali.
It's rare to find someone who's completely reckless and willing to risk their life; they're just unlucky to have encountered such a person.
Qi Tongwei didn't intend to break through these three people in one go. After all, protecting gangsters would mean losing his job, and causing such a big incident would probably land him in jail.
"Comrades, you must be aware of what has happened recently. I bet you never imagined that Zhang Jian, just an ordinary person, would dare to storm into a police station and commit murder."
"We have already investigated and confirmed that Chen Dali collected protection money on Laodong Street and raped Zhang Jian's wife. Chen Dali is now classified as a member of organized crime."
"Chen Daji was the head of the police station, and he protected his younger brother. This was Zhang Jian's motive for killing the policeman; he wanted to make a big scene to attract the attention of the entire society."
"It seems that Zhang Jian has achieved his goal, far exceeding expectations. I wonder what the three comrades think?"
To the three policemen, Qi Tongwei's words seemed like a sarcastic remark, implying that they were Chen Dali's accomplices, gradually driving Zhang Jian to this deadly path of mutual destruction.
"Chief Qi, what do you mean by that? Do you think Zhang Jian was right to kill a policeman?"
Qi Tongwei laughed. It seemed they were scared. Public opinion was not on their side; everyone sympathized with Zhang Jian.
"Killing is definitely wrong, but I won't push someone to the brink. As police officers, we should always remember our mission to serve the people and never help gangsters bully the people. Am I right?"