met free Chapter 1277 Arrest of Suspect Zhou Hao
Chapter 1277 Arrest of Suspect Zhou Hao
"Have you found Zhou Hao's identity information? Did he leave any contact information?" Xiao Wang asked. The clerk took out the customer registration book and pointed to a record: "This is the phone number Zhou Hao left. We tried calling it, but it's not in service. The address is listed as 'Chengxi Community,' but the specific house number isn't written."
Xiao Wang immediately arranged for his team to conduct a search in the Chengxi residential area, and at the same time contacted the household registration department to retrieve Zhou Hao's identity information. The household registration system showed that Zhou Hao was 35 years old, had no fixed occupation, had been administratively detained for gambling, had multiple loan records, and was a distant relative of the landlord, Zhang Jianjun!
This discovery led to a major breakthrough in the case—Zhou Hao not only had a debt dispute with Zhao Baotian, but was also related to Zhang Jianjun. It was highly likely that Zhang Jianjun instructed Zhou Hao to pressure Zhao Baotian, or even participate in the crime. Xiao Wang immediately reported the situation to Li Ming: "Captain Li, we've found a major clue! Zhou Hao has a 3 yuan debt dispute with Zhao Baotian, had a secret meeting with Zhao Baotian the day before the incident, and is a distant relative of Zhang Jianjun. His height and build match the 'man in the black hoodie,' making him a prime suspect!"
Li Ming decisively gave the order over the phone: "Immediately launch a full-scale investigation into Zhou Hao's whereabouts, retrieve his activity trajectory from the night of the incident, and at the same time strengthen surveillance of Zhang Jianjun to prevent the two from colluding! Zhou Hao must be found within 24 hours!"
Follow-up investigation: Connecting and verifying clues
At 5 PM, the team investigating Zhou Hao's whereabouts reported that Zhou Hao had bought cigarettes at a convenience store near the Oriental Building at 9 PM on the night of the incident. Surveillance footage showed him driving a black Volkswagen Lavida sedan with its license plate obscured, matching the description of the "black sedan with obscured license plate" that Xiao Wang had previously identified! Furthermore, Zhou Hao's fingerprints matched the fingerprints partially extracted from the fire hydrant at the scene!
Looking at the clues in his hand: Zhou Hao's debt dispute with Zhao Baotian, his kinship with Zhang Jianjun, the suspicious secret conversation before the incident, matching physical characteristics and vehicle information, partially matching fingerprints... all the clues pointed to Zhou Hao and his connection with Zhang Jianjun. He immediately organized his team to formulate an arrest plan and prepare to arrest Zhou Hao.
As the sun sets, the lights of "Fashion Hair Salon" gradually come on. The barber chairs inside are empty; only Zhao Baotian's photo hangs on the wall, seemingly silently awaiting justice. Xiao Wang stands at the shop entrance, watching the passing crowds. He knows that with the emergence of Zhou Hao as a lead, the case is getting closer and closer to the truth. If they can catch Zhou Hao, they can uncover the whole truth behind Zhao Baotian's murder and give the deceased and his family a just explanation.
At 7 PM, Xiao Wang led his team to the rented room in the western part of the city where Zhou Hao might be hiding. Night was falling, the windows of the room were dark, and the surroundings were quiet. Xiao Wang signaled to his team to prepare, then knocked on the door. A few minutes later, the door slowly opened, and a man wearing a black hoodie poked his head out—it was Zhou Hao!
At 7 p.m., the Chengxi residential area was shrouded in a thick night. A few lights shone from the windows of the old-style apartment buildings, and the dim streetlights cast dappled shadows on the ground. A gentle breeze rustled the fallen leaves in the corners of the buildings, emphasizing the stillness of the surroundings. Xiao Wang and three team members crouched at the entrance of the building opposite Zhou Hao's rented apartment. Each was dressed in dark plainclothes, with miniature body cameras clipped to their cuffs, their fingers resting on the handcuffs and batons at their waists, their eyes fixed on the dark window on the second floor—according to preliminary investigations, Zhou Hao was hiding in room 201.
"One team goes up the stairs on the left and controls the left side of the door; the second team flanks from the right to prevent him from escaping through the window; I'll knock on the door, show my identification, and immediately take control, being careful he might be carrying a weapon." Xiao Wang lowered his voice, issuing instructions to his team via walkie-talkie, his fingertips lightly tapping on the cold wall to ease the tension before the arrest. The team members nodded slightly, and under the cover of night, silently circled to either side of the stairwell, their footsteps almost inaudible.
With everything ready, Xiao Wang took a deep breath and slowly walked up the stairs to the second floor. The security door to room 201 was tightly closed, a faded Chinese knot hanging on the doorknob, and the "福" (good fortune) character on the lintel was already mottled. He raised his hand and gently knocked three times on the door with his knuckles, in a steady rhythm: "Is anyone home? I'm here to check the water meter."
A few seconds of silence followed, then the sound of dragging footsteps and a hoarse voice from behind the door: "Why are you checking the water meter so late? We'll talk about it tomorrow!" It was Zhou Hao's voice, tinged with obvious wariness.
"We are from the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment. We need your cooperation in the investigation of a case. Please open the door!" Xiao Wang immediately revealed his identity and took out his police ID from his pocket, ready to show it the moment he opened the door.
The footsteps inside suddenly stopped, followed by a flurry of noise, as if someone was packing something or searching for something. "I haven't broken the law, you've got the wrong person!" Zhou Hao's voice trembled slightly, but he still refused to open the door.
Xiao Wang's eyes sharpened, and he whispered into the walkie-talkie, "Prepare to break down the door!" As soon as he finished speaking, two team members stepped forward. One held the door open, while the other pulled a breaching tool from his toolbox and aimed it at the gap below the lock. "Zhou Hao, we have evidence of your involvement in the case. If you don't open the door, we will break it down according to the law!" Xiao Wang warned again, his tone carrying an undeniable authority.
The noise inside the room stopped abruptly. A few seconds later, the door lock clicked. The door slowly opened a crack, revealing half of Zhou Hao's face—he was wearing a black hoodie, the hood pulled low, covering most of his face except for the stubble on his chin. His eyes darted around, avoiding looking at Xiao Wang outside the door.
"Zhou Hao, we're from the Criminal Investigation Division. Come with us!" Xiao Wang immediately stepped forward, holding up his police ID in front of Zhou Hao. The badge on the ID gleamed coldly under the hallway lights. The instant Zhou Hao's gaze fell on the ID, Xiao Wang slammed his left hand on the door panel, grabbed Zhou Hao's wrist with his right hand, and forcefully pulled him out.
"Why are you arresting me? I haven't broken the law!" Zhou Hao reacted, struggling violently. His left hand gripped the door frame tightly, his nails digging into the cracks of the wooden door, leaving deep scratches. He leaned back, trying to break free from Xiao Wang's grasp. The hood of his hoodie slipped down, revealing cold sweat on his forehead. His eyes were filled with fear, yet he still stubbornly roared, "Let me go! I'm calling the police! You're fake cops!"
"Behave yourself!" The teammate on the right immediately stepped forward, grabbed Zhou Hao's other wrist, and twisted his arm behind his back. Zhou Hao was quite strong, and he twisted his body wildly, kicking his feet on the ground, trying to trip the teammate, while cursing incessantly: "You bunch of bastards, what right do you have to arrest me! I'm going to sue you!"