Attending ex-girlfriend's wedding, arresting the groom's officer on the spot

The searchlights in the demolition area flickered in the thick fog. As Lü Shan buried the body in the unfilled foundation, the vibration of the shovel hitting the stones traveled up his arm. "I deliberately dug out a few cement slabs from the construction waste pile to cover it, and then shoveled two truckloads of construction debris to cover it up." He looked up, his eyes blankly staring at the ceiling. "When I got home, I found blood splattered on my jacket, and I couldn't wash it off, so I had to hide it under the bed."

Wang Shuai noticed subtle movements in Lü Shan's narration: his right shoulder would involuntarily twitch whenever he mentioned the moment of the murder; when describing the burial process, his fingers repeatedly made shoveling motions. "Why didn't you just destroy the evidence?" Zhang Hui suddenly asked. Lü Shan gave a bitter laugh, squeezing out the answer through gritted teeth: "I kept those things to have a backup plan. If I get caught someday, I can use them to negotiate with the police."

As the interrogation ended, the first light of dawn appeared outside the window. As Lü Shan was led away, he suddenly turned back to the interrogation table: "Before Zhou Kun died, he mumbled, 'The ledger is here.' I didn't hear the rest." This made Wang Shuai and Zhang Hui exchange a glance—Li Huili's ledger might hold an even deeper secret. With Lü Shan's confession, this murder case, which had lasted for days, finally revealed its full outline before dawn.

The morning after Lü Shan's complete confession, Lu Chuan led his team to knock on Li Huili's door again. A light drizzle hung in the damp air. When Li Huili opened the door, she looked even more haggard than before. Her gaze swept over the search warrant in the police officer's hand, and she silently stepped aside to let them in.

Wang Shuai went straight to the bedroom, lifted the bed board, and in a hidden compartment under the bed, besides the ledger found last time, there was also a black USB drive. When the technicians inserted the USB drive into the computer, densely packed electronic documents and transaction records were presented to everyone. This data was like the key to opening Pandora's box, gradually making the entire criminal chain clear.

Lu Chuan put on gloves and opened the creased ledger. Each line of record on the yellowed pages held hidden secrets. March 15, 2022, "Yongsheng Building Stone rebate 80,000 yuan"; July 20, 2022, "Hongda Coatings false quality inspection fee 50,000 yuan"... These shocking figures closely linked Yongsheng Building, Hongda Coatings, and other companies with Zhou Kun's building materials store.

Zhang Hui meticulously checked the records in the ledgers and discovered that in several projects of Yongsheng Construction, Zhou Kun's building materials store had been using substandard materials, with the stone, paint, and other materials provided falling far short of the standards required by the contracts. Furthermore, Hongda Paint Company colluded with Zhou Kun, repackaging expired products, affixing false environmental certification labels, and releasing them into the market. In return, Zhou Kun provided huge kickbacks to the relevant personnel.

"So that's how it is!" Lu Chuan pointed to a record in the ledger and said, "Zhou Kun had leverage over these people, and that's the real reason he was killed!" Following this clue, the group dug deeper and discovered that Lü Shan was not only involved in the smuggling of inferior goods, but was also an "insider" in Yongsheng Construction's building materials procurement process. He used his position to help Zhou Kun smooth things over at various points, reaping huge profits in the process.

As the investigation deepened, police discovered that the criminal network was far more complex than initially thought. Senior management at Yongsheng Construction and the management of Hongda Coatings Company colluded to form a vast network of interests. Through fraudulent bidding and falsified quality inspection reports, they used large quantities of substandard building materials in municipal projects and residential construction, seriously threatening public safety.

Zhou Kun, a crucial link in this chain, began collecting evidence of crimes committed by all parties after a dispute over the division of spoils, attempting to use it to blackmail them for more profit. His actions terrified his accomplices, ultimately leading to his murder. Under immense pressure, Lü Shan chose to take a desperate gamble and personally ended Zhou Kun's life.

After gathering sufficient evidence, the police swiftly launched an operation. Several individuals involved, including the project manager of Yongsheng Construction and the quality director of Hongda Coatings Company, were subsequently apprehended. Faced with overwhelming evidence, they could no longer deny their crimes and confessed to their offenses.

When the truth came to light, the members of the task force finally breathed a sigh of relief. But they knew this victory was just the beginning. The substandard building materials had already entered the market, causing incalculable harm. Next, they would continue their investigation to ensure that every violator was severely punished by law and that justice was served. And that ledger stained with their crimes would serve as crucial evidence, forever recording the numerous crimes committed by this criminal gang.

On the morning of the 15th day after the incident, a thin mist shrouded the demolition site in Dongguan Village. The roar of the excavators had long since ceased, leaving only the broken walls and ruins standing silently in the cold wind. Wearing handcuffs and leg irons, Lü Shan was slowly escorted out of the police car by two officers. His steps were unsteady, each step feeling like walking on cotton, his eyes vacant as he stared at the spot where the body had once been buried.

“Let’s begin.” Lu Chuan stood outside the cordon, his voice low and cold. Lü Shan took a deep breath, his Adam’s apple bobbing as if he were swallowing immense fear. He raised his hand and pointed to a building with only half a wall remaining: “That night… I knocked on Zhou Kun’s door in front of that building.” His voice was hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor.

Following Lü Shan's directions, the group arrived at the apartment building where Zhou Kun had lived. The hallway was cluttered with miscellaneous items, and the smell of mildew was pungent. Lü Shan stopped in front of apartment 302, staring at the worn security door, memories flooding back. "He opened the door a crack, saw it was me, and then let me in." Lü Shan closed his eyes, seemingly recalling the scene. "The living room light was dim, and he was sitting on the sofa, a cigarette between his fingers, looking wary."

Pushing open the door, the room was already empty, but the tense atmosphere of that night seemed to linger. Lü Shan walked into the living room, pointing to the TV cabinet in the corner: "We argued right here. He said Zhao Liang and I caused him to lose his business, and he grabbed an ashtray and threw it at me." He reenacted the action, leaning back slightly, as if he could still feel the ashtray brushing against his cheek. "I instinctively raised my hand to block, and the steel rod in my hand swung out..."

Lu Shan's voice suddenly choked up. He pointed to a slightly darker area on the floor: "The first blow was here. His head slammed heavily against the TV cabinet, shattering the porcelain everywhere." He crouched down, his fingers trembling as he traced the floor. "He tried to crawl to the door for help, and I... I was afraid of being exposed, so I chased after him and hit him several more times." His voice trailed off. "Blood splattered on the walls, the floor, and my clothes, everywhere..." (End of Chapter)