70: Chapter 70 Winning Hearts and Minds

Zhao Yang was somewhat anxious and couldn't help but step on the gas, causing the car engine to roar.

"How long until you have the results?"

"I'll be as quick as I can." After Jiang Nan finished speaking, she closed her eyes to rest.

The car pulled up downstairs at the Municipal Bureau's Criminal Investigation Detachment.

Before getting out of the car, Jiang Nan suddenly leaned over and planted a quick kiss on Zhao Yang's cheek.

"Go back and get some rest. Your dark circles are practically hitting the floor."

Zhao Yang touched his cheek and watched Jiang Nan's back as she carried her forensic kit upstairs; his gaze softened from concern.

It was as if, as long as she was there, everything in the world would become beautiful.

Returning to the Integrity Education Center, Zheng Beichen and Gao Yan were in the middle of talking to Wang Lei.

The Commission for Discipline Inspection's "talks" were, to put it bluntly, interrogations meant to make the subject confess their problems.

Zhao Yang's understanding of Wang Lei was far greater than that of Zheng Beichen and Gao Yan.

Just as he was about to join the interrogation, Lu Zheng stopped him.

"Zhao Yang, go get some sleep. Even an iron man couldn't handle working at such high intensity all the time."

The first thing to do when questioning at the Commission for Discipline Inspection is to break down the psychological defenses.

This was the time when Wang Lei's mental focus was at its peak, and also when he was hardest to break.

Zhao Yang naturally knew that joining at this moment would be unlikely to yield results.

So, he went to the lounge and lay down to rest.

At 3:00 PM, Jiang Nan called.

"The autopsy results are out. The concentration of Viagra in Shen Zhentao's blood was severely excessive—over six times the standard dosage."

"Combined with his blood alcohol level and the situation at the scene, it can be confirmed that it was heart failure caused by an overdose of sexual stimulants. In layman's terms, it was 'death during sexual intercourse'."

Zhao Yang stood by the window, gazing at the bright sky outside:

"No other suspicious traces?"

"None. No signs of violence, no indications of poisoning, no characteristics of asphyxiation."

Jiang Nan paused, "From a medical perspective, this is an accident."

Her definitive tone left Zhao Yang feeling a sense of powerlessness.

Zhao Yang knew Jiang Nan's personality well; given her sense of justice and professional attitude, the conclusion she provided would not have any flaws.

Zhao Yang firmly believed this was not an accident.

He asked, unwilling to give up: "Are there really no clues at all?"

"There were only Shen Zhentao's own fingerprints on the medicine bottle, and there were no drug components in the alcohol. In other words, he took the medicine voluntarily."

Hanging up the phone, Zhao Yang sat back in his chair.

Everything was too "clean"—so clean that it felt like a meticulously staged scene.

Lu Zheng pushed the door open: "Did Jiang Nan get the results?"

Zhao Yang nodded and recounted the situation.

After listening, Lu Zheng was silent for a moment before speaking:

"The police have already checked the call records before Shen Zhentao's death; they were all normal work-related contacts, and there were no suspicious points."

"This lead is effectively broken. But the interrogation of Wang Lei must continue."

At the crime scene, there was only one work phone by Shen Zhentao's side.

At that time, there were no dual-SIM phones, and many officials were equipped with two phones; Shen Zhentao's situation was somewhat illogical.

From Lu Zheng's tone, Zhao Yang heard the subtext.

It was obvious that Secretary Gong Chengze of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection had instructed him to dig as deep as possible into the case and ferret out the mastermind behind the scenes.

Zhao Yang suddenly realized that while Gong Chengze seemed indifferent to him, in reality, from the beginning of his internship, he had placed him in the hands of his most trusted direct subordinates.

Having gone through this special inspection, he had firmly established himself within the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Judging by the current results, there was no longer much point in trying to break through via Wang Lei.

The Tongan Municipal Public Security Bureau was rotten to the core; one could see the signs from the experience of arresting Xu Biao at Haomen Nightclub.

He had to take this opportunity to thoroughly clean it up.

Lu Zheng's insistence on interrogating Wang Lei must have been based on this same idea.

Zhao Yang nodded: "Master, I will participate in the interrogation from here on out."

He picked up his notebook and recording equipment and walked toward the interrogation room.

The corridor was long, and the lights were cold white.

It seemed that every step Zhao Yang took would trigger a massive earthquake within the Tongan Police.

The talk—a long, drawn-out talk.

Wang Lei had not wavered in the slightest, insisting on taking all the responsibility upon himself.

He stubbornly insisted that it was a judgment error on his part, that he was too eager to solve the case, and had used improper methods.

But regarding the point of extraction of confession by torture, he had already received the punishment he deserved.

As long as he didn't implicate his superiors, he might still have a chance to make a comeback in the future.

There were plenty of officials who resigned to take the blame; which one of them wasn't reassigned after a period of time?

Three days and three nights of continuous talking yielded no progress whatsoever.

Wang Lei was like an airtight wall, blocking all questions from the outside.

Two days later, Zhao Yang estimated that Wang Lei's endurance had reached its limit; this was the best time for a breakthrough.

He slowly walked into the interrogation room and sat down opposite Wang Lei.

He didn't ask questions directly like the previous two days, but instead slowly opened a file.

"Wang Lei, you entered the Tongan Municipal Public Security Bureau in 1988, starting as a grassroots police officer."

Zhao Yang's voice was as calm as if he were stating facts.

"During the June 11 Case, you captured four criminal suspects and were awarded an individual third-class merit."

Wang Lei had originally been hanging his head, but upon hearing this, his eyebrows twitched imperceptibly.

"In 1994, while investigating the jewelry store robbery, you subdued two thugs single-handedly while they were armed and resisting arrest, earning another second-class merit."

Zhao Yang continued turning the pages; the paper made a harsh sound in the silent room.

"After being promoted to Captain of the Criminal Investigation Detachment in 1998, the detachment's case clearance rate that year rose to first in the city."

Zhao Yang closed the file and looked up, staring straight at Wang Lei.

"Would such an outstanding veteran criminal police officer implement the extraction of a confession by torture against a director-level cadre when evidence was clearly insufficient? Would you make such a low-level mistake?"

Wang Lei's Adam's apple bobbed, but he remained silent.

Zhao Yang suddenly stood up, his chair scraping against the floor with a sharp sound.

He walked a few steps to stand in front of Wang Lei, pressed his hands onto the tabletop, and leaned forward, creating an oppressive posture.

"You insist on taking the responsibility upon yourself—who exactly are you trying to protect?"

His voice was very low, yet it struck Wang Lei's heart like a hammer.

"Now that the perpetrator of the June 11 Case, Zhou Zhiqiang, has been caught, and Sun Hongwei was framed, do you know what you are doing by extracting a confession from him through torture?"

Zhao Yang said word by word: "You—are—treating—human—lives—like—grass!"

He practically roared these words out.

Wang Lei's body noticeably stiffened, and fine beads of sweat seeped out on his forehead.

"There is only one explanation for you doing this."

Zhao Yang took a step back, his voice as cold as ice.

"You are in league with the person who framed Sun Hongwei. You are helping him silence witnesses and helping him seal the case."

"I did not!" Wang Lei finally spoke, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse.

"You didn't?" Zhao Yang sneered.

"Then tell me, why would you make such a common-sense error? Why, when the evidence was clearly insufficient, were you so impatient to close the case?"

Zhao Yang sat back down, his movements slow yet filled with a sense of oppression.

"Do you know what this means? This isn't a work error; it's intentional criminal behavior!"

Zhao Yang stopped abruptly at this point.

Beside him, Gao Yan was quickly taking notes.

The tip of her pen rubbed against the paper, making a clear rustling sound.

Wang Lei's breathing gradually became heavy, and sweat slid down his temples.

Gao Yan looked at Zhao Yang in surprise: When did this guy's interrogation skills become so formidable?

He had only been at the Commission for Discipline Inspection for a few months, yet he had already far surpassed her.

In the midst of Gao Yan's surprised gaze, Zhao Yang watched every single change in Wang Lei.

He knew that Wang Lei's psychological defenses had begun to collapse.

However, it was still missing one spark.