met free Chapter 1183 Arrest of Zhou Jianming
Chapter 1183 Arrest of Zhou Jianming
As he reached the door, Li Ming glanced back at the photos of the scene on the screen. The black plastic bag stood out like a silent exclamation mark in the yellow mud. He remembered the cries of Deng Yong's wife, Liu Lan, and the words, "He's just too meticulous; he wouldn't curse even if he didn't get his freight payment back." His fingers clenched tightly in his pocket—no matter how hidden the truth, he had to ensure that this meticulous dump truck driver received justice.
Soon, the DNA verification results for Zhou Jianming came out.
Confirmed!
Zhou Jianming is the murderer!
"Arrest Zhou Jianming immediately."
The afternoon sun slanted across the temporary prefabricated houses at the Oriental Garden construction site, scorching the concrete outside. Several construction workers were squatting under the shade of trees, eating lunch; the clinking of enamel mugs and their laughter echoed across the site. Meanwhile, three police cars were silently parked in a concealed spot at the site entrance, their flashing lights covered by dark blackout tarpaulins, revealing only narrow gaps.
"Group one, flank the prefab house from the left and control the back door; Group two, guard the front door to prevent Zhou Jianming from escaping; Group three, follow me in and make the arrest." Li Ming gave the orders in a low voice over the walkie-talkie, his hand on the handcuffs at his waist, his eyes fixed on the window of the prefab house—Zhou Jianming was sitting behind the desk, holding an account book, occasionally scribbling something on a piece of paper, completely unaware of the approaching danger.
Xiao Wang led a group of team members, crouching low as they circled around to the back of the prefabricated house. The back door was a makeshift door welded from sheet metal, its hinges rusty and creaking softly with the slightest push. "Be careful, don't disturb him," Xiao Wang whispered. The team members quickly positioned themselves on either side of the back door, their hands on their batons, ready to respond to any unexpected situation.
Meanwhile, the second team dispersed near the main entrance of the prefabricated house. Upon seeing the police, the construction workers stopped what they were doing, their faces showing confusion. "Everyone, please remain quiet and cooperate with our work," team member Xiao Li gently reassured them, signaling the workers to stay put to avoid any confusion that could hinder the arrest.
With everything ready, Li Ming said "Action" into the walkie-talkie, then led the way to the main entrance of the prefab house. As he pushed open the door, Zhou Jianming was looking up at the entrance, his pen paused on the ledger, his expression shifting from confusion to panic in an instant, and he instinctively tried to stand up. "Zhou Jianming, don't move!" Li Ming shouted sharply, quickly stepping forward, pressing Zhou Jianming's shoulders with both hands, and pushing him back into the chair.
Zhou Jianming struggled violently, flailing his hands wildly across the table, sweeping the ledger to the floor and scattering papers everywhere. "What are you doing? I'm the site manager, what right do you have to arrest me!" His voice was filled with panic as he tried to push Li Ming away, but Li Ming held him firmly down. Xiao Wang and a group of team members rushed in through the back door, quickly restraining Zhou Jianming's arms and twisting his hands behind his back.
With a "click," the handcuffs tightened around Zhou Jianming's wrists. The cold metallic touch sent a shiver through him, and his struggles instantly weakened. "Zhou Jianming, we are from the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment. We are now arresting you in accordance with the law for suspected intentional homicide of Deng Yong." Li Ming took out the arrest warrant and handed it to Zhou Jianming. "This is the arrest warrant. Please take a look."
Zhou Jianming's gaze fell on the arrest warrant, his pupils instantly contracted, his lips trembled, unable to speak, and his face turned deathly pale. "No... I didn't kill him, you've got it wrong, Deng Yong and I only had a dispute over freight fees, I didn't kill him!" His voice was choked with sobs as he tried to explain, but his body trembled uncontrollably with fear.
Construction workers gathered at the entrance of the prefabricated house, their voices rising and falling. "How could Manager Zhou kill someone?" "That's right, he always seemed so amiable, how could he be involved in a murder case?" Xiao Wang stepped outside and addressed the crowd, "Please don't panic, everyone. We are simply carrying out our duties in accordance with the law. We will provide further updates on the case later. Please cooperate with us and do not spread unverified information."
The team then began a preliminary search of the prefabricated house. In Zhou Jianming's desk drawer, they found a yellowed ledger detailing the embezzlement of project funds, the amount matching the previously investigated 500,000 yuan. In a corner of the wardrobe, they found a gray shirt with faint bloodstains on the cuffs; preliminary testing confirmed a match with Deng Yong's blood type. "Keep all this evidence safe and clearly marked," Li Ming instructed the team, placing the ledger and shirt into an evidence bag.
When Zhou Jianming was escorted out of the prefabricated house, his head was hanging low, and he dared not look at the construction workers around him. His steps were unsteady, and he was almost half-carried by the team members to the police car. The construction workers watched him being taken into the police car, their faces full of shock and confusion, and they whispered among themselves, discussing this sudden change.
“Zhou Jianming, is there anything else you want to say? You can confess truthfully on the way back to the branch office and try to get leniency.” Xiao Wang sat in the passenger seat of the police car, looking back at Zhou Jianming in the back seat. Zhou Jianming leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and gripped the handcuffs tightly with both hands, his nails turning white from the force. After a long silence, he said in a low voice, “I…I have nothing to say. You’ve arrested the wrong person.”
The police car slowly drove away from the construction site, its flashing lights attracting the attention of passersby. Zhou Jianming stared blankly at the scenery rushing past the window, his mind replaying the scene of killing Deng Yong on the night of October 1st—Deng Yong's angry face, the force with which he had strangled Deng Yong, the fear as he disposed of the body… These images cycled through his mind like a movie, sending chills down his spine.
During the journey, Zhou Jianming suddenly spoke up: "I...I want to smoke." Xiao Wang took a cigarette out of his pocket and handed it to a teammate, asking him to light it for Zhou Jianming. Zhou Jianming took a deep drag, the smoke filling his vision. His emotions calmed down slightly, but he remained silent, only occasionally glancing furtively out the window, seemingly looking for an opportunity to escape. However, upon seeing the team members waiting outside the window, he quickly lowered his head again.
Forty minutes later, the police car arrived at the Criminal Investigation Division. As Zhou Jianming was taken out of the car and led into the division building, his steps noticeably slowed, his eyes filled with fear and unease. "Go in. Cooperate fully with the interrogation and truthfully confess your crimes. That's your only way out," Li Ming patted Zhou Jianming on the shoulder and handed him over to the interrogation room staff.
Watching Zhou Jianming being led into the interrogation room, Li Ming breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Xiao Wang, saying, "Notify the technical department to conduct a detailed examination of the ledgers and shirts found in the prefab house, especially the bloodstains on the shirts; make sure they are Deng Yong's. Also, arrange for someone to search for shovel handles in the stream outside the construction site; find this crucial piece of evidence as soon as possible."