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

Sunlight streamed through the office glass, illuminating Wang Shuai's face as he looked at the evidence bag in his hand—containing Zhang Lei's DNA sample, surveillance screenshots, and WeChat payment records—keys to the truth. Although previous leads had stalled multiple times, they hadn't given up investigating Qin Yanming's interpersonal relationships. From a neighbor's remark, they finally uncovered the crucial element of the case.

As Wang Shuai escorted Zhang Lei out of the office building, Zhang Lei's head hung low, his previous arrogance completely gone. Meanwhile, the Beihe River in the distance rippled calmly, as if awaiting the murderer's repentance and a belated justice for Qin Yanming.

The incandescent lights in the criminal investigation team's interrogation room were blindingly bright. When Zhang Lei was brought in, his leather shoes dragged on the cement floor with a dull thud. He wore a neatly ironed gray shirt, and the mole on his left cheekbone was particularly noticeable under the light. The bandage on his right index finger was frayed at the edge, but he deliberately hid his hand under the table. Wang Shuai sat opposite him, slamming a folder full of evidence onto the table with a "thud." The surveillance screenshots and DNA reports inside made a soft, grating sound in the quiet room.

"Name, age, occupation." Wang Shuai's voice was flat, his gaze fixed on Zhang Lei's eyes. Zhang Lei's Adam's apple bobbed, his head hung low, his bangs covering most of his face. "Zhang Lei, 39 years old, sales at a building materials company." His voice was muffled, as if he were speaking through his mouth, and his fingers unconsciously scratched at the wood grain on the table leg, leaving white marks.

"Where were you on the night of June 13th?" Wang Shuai opened the folder and pulled out the first surveillance screenshot—a view of the convenience store in Wanghai Community. A man in a black jacket was scanning a QR code to pay, and a mole on his left cheek was faintly visible. Zhang Lei's body suddenly stiffened, his fingers stopped moving, but he still didn't speak, only pursing his lips until they turned white.

The clock in the interrogation room ticked away, each second feeling like a taut pull on a nerve. Wang Shuai didn't urge them, and pulled out a second screenshot—a blue Volkswagen Lavida parked on the banks of the Beihe River, with a hand sticking out of the passenger window; the timestamp showed 10:02 PM on June 13th. "This car is yours, isn't it?" he pointed to a scratch on the car body in the screenshot. "It's below the right front door, about 15 centimeters long. It was left last year when you backed up and scraped against a utility pole. Although it was transferred to Liu Wei, you've always been the actual user."

Zhang Lei's shoulders trembled slightly, but he remained silent, his hands clenched into fists until his knuckles turned white. Wang Shuai produced a third piece of evidence—a WeChat payment receipt. At 8:32 PM on June 13th, an anonymous account spent 28 yuan at a convenience store in Wanghai Community, purchasing two cans of beer and a pack of Yuxi cigarettes. "Although you canceled the real-name authentication information for this payment account, we found that the mobile phone number linked to the account was a secondary card you obtained using a relative's ID," Wang Shuai pushed the receipt in front of Zhang Lei. "The time and place of the transaction perfectly match the man in black seen in the surveillance footage."

At this moment, Zhang Lei's breathing became rapid, his chest heaving noticeably, but he still gritted his teeth and remained silent. Wang Shuai changed his angle and took out Qin Yanming's taxi GPS track map; the red line abruptly ended near the Beihe River embankment. "At 10:15 PM on June 13th, Qin Yanming's GPS signal disappeared, located 300 meters downstream from where your vehicle was parked," he pointed to the end of the track. "You said you were drinking at a friend's house that night, but your friend said you left at 8 PM. Where were you during that time? What were you doing?"

Zhang Lei's head was lowered even further, fine beads of sweat beading on his forehead, dripping onto the interrogation record paper and spreading into a small puddle. Wang Shuai didn't stop, continuing to produce the fourth piece of evidence—Zhang Lei's mobile phone signal location record. From 9 pm to 11 pm on June 13th, the signal hovered near the Beihe River embankment, completely overlapping with the area where Qin Yanming's GPS disappeared. "Your phone switched signals 13 times that night, which means you were moving back and forth on the river embankment, not staying in one place," Wang Shuai's tone became more serious, "You were waiting for Qin Yanming, weren't you?"

These words pierced Zhang Lei's heart like a needle. He jerked his head up, his eyes bloodshot, yet he remained defiant: "I didn't wait for him! I just went for a walk by the river, is that so wrong?" His voice trembled, clearly showing his panic. Wang Shuai seized this opportunity, producing the most crucial evidence—the DNA comparison report. "The skin tissue under Qin Yanming's fingernails, after testing, completely matches your DNA profile, a 99.99% match. How do you explain this?"

The words "match" on the report struck Zhang Lei like a hammer blow, shattering his last psychological defenses. He slumped into his chair, covering his face with his hands, his shoulders trembling violently. A full five minutes passed before a sob escaped through his fingers. "It was...it was me who killed Qin Yanming," his voice hoarse as if sanded, tears streaming from between his fingers onto the table leg, "but I didn't do it on purpose, he forced me to!"

Wang Shuai didn't interrupt him, but simply handed him a glass of warm water. Zhang Lei took a sip, his emotions gradually calming down, and began to intermittently explain his motive for the murder. "I met Liu Min at the company three years ago. She was in administration, and I was in sales," he said, his fingers tracing aimlessly on the table. "After we reunited last year, I knew she wasn't doing well. Qin Yanming was always out early and back late, and he rarely cared about her, so I... I got a little closer to her."

He paused, a hint of guilt in his voice: "At first it was just chatting, but then it gradually crossed the line. I know it's wrong, but I can't control myself. I even thought about divorcing my wife and marrying her. Two months ago, Qin Yanming found our chat history. He came to my office building, cursed at me in front of my colleagues, and even punched me, saying he would ruin my reputation and make sure my wife and children knew about it."

Zhang Lei became agitated again, slamming his fist on the table and shouting, "I begged him not to make a fuss, I said I was willing to pay compensation, any amount, but he wouldn't agree! He said he wanted to divorce Liu Min and make her leave with nothing, and he even threatened to cause trouble at my house and my company, ruining my life! My wife is in poor health, and my child is only in elementary school. If I lose my job, this family will fall apart!"

When confessing to the murder, Zhang Lei's voice was filled with fear, as if he were back in that night. "On the afternoon of June 13, I called Qin Yanming and said I wanted to talk to him and resolve the matter," he gestured on the table with his fingers. "We agreed to meet at the Beihe River embankment. I knew there were few people there at night and few surveillance cameras. I prepared two cans of beer in advance, hoping to smooth things over with him, and I also brought five thousand yuan, hoping he would take it and not pursue the matter any further."

"Around 10 p.m., Qin Yanming arrived in his taxi," Zhang Lei said, his body beginning to tremble. (End of Chapter)