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

“There are also clues about funds!” Zhang Hui pulled up Zhang Jianjun’s bank statements. “On August 18, he transferred 5000 yuan from his wife’s account to Li Zhiguo’s bank card, which was the ‘hush money’; on August 23, he transferred 100,000 yuan to an overseas account with the note ‘payment for goods’, but this account’s flow of funds is consistent with the ‘illegal transportation’ funds mentioned in Li Wei’s previous ledger, and it is very likely that it is transferring illegal proceeds.”

The two also found a key witness—Zhang Qiang, the head of the renovation team. Under pressure from policy explanations and evidence, Zhang Qiang finally confessed: "Zhang Jianjun is 'Brother Zhang.' Starting in March of this year, we transported smuggled cigarettes and counterfeit alcohol to other places through the ventilation ducts of the Haotian Building's underground parking lot. Li Wei was responsible for the loading and unloading each time, while Zhang Jianjun was responsible for providing blind spots in the surveillance and facilitating the passage. On August 20, Li Zhiguo discovered our transportation activities. Zhang Jianjun asked me to give Li Zhiguo 5000 yuan to keep quiet, but Li Zhiguo disagreed and said he would call the police. Zhang Jianjun then said, 'We have to get rid of him, otherwise we'll all be in jail.'"

At this point, the chain of evidence was completely closed: Zhang Jianjun was "Brother Zhang." To cover up his crime of illegal transportation, on the evening of August 22, he drove an unlicensed Toyota Camry to the underground parking lot of Haotian Building, where he met with Li Zhiguo under the pretext of "negotiation." During the argument, he strangled Li Zhiguo with a cotton rope, disposed of the body, and drove away. He returned to the residential area in the early morning, then burned the vehicle to destroy evidence. He also detained Li Wei, who was aware of the situation (later, it was discovered that Li Wei was hiding in an abandoned warehouse in the suburbs).

At 3 p.m. that day, Wang Shuai and Zhang Hui returned to the Criminal Investigation Detachment and reported the investigation results and evidence to Lu Chuan: "Zhang Jianjun is suspected of intentional homicide and smuggling of ordinary goods. The evidence includes DNA matching, vehicle traces, financial transactions, witness testimonies, and the murder weapon (cotton rope). We recommend that he be arrested immediately."

Lu Chuan immediately convened a meeting with Wang Shuai, Zhang Hui, and the heads of each group, pointing to the location of the "old haunt" restaurant on the map: "According to our preliminary investigation, Zhang Jianjun goes to this restaurant for dinner around 8 p.m. every night. The environment is enclosed, making it easy to control. Now let's discuss the specific plan. Wang Shuai, you are experienced, what's your plan for the internal arrest?"

Wang Shuai leaned forward and pointed to the restaurant floor plan: "I suggest we assign four people to be in charge of the internal arrest. They can disguise themselves as diners and be scattered across different tables. Once Zhang Jianjun sits down and orders, we'll surround him from all sides at the same time to prevent him from reacting and resisting. I'll take one group. What do you think?"

Lu Chuan nodded: "Okay, we have enough manpower inside, but we need someone to guard the entrance and the surrounding area. Zhang Hui, you'll be in charge of guarding the entrance. How many people do you need?"

Zhang Hui thought for a moment: "Three people are enough. One guards the main entrance, and two guard the side entrance. If he tries to run out of the entrance, we can stop him immediately. In addition, the area around the restaurant should be cordoned off within 50 meters to prevent him from having accomplices to meet him. I suggest sending five people, divided into two groups to patrol, focusing on suspicious vehicles."

“That’s a good idea,” Lu Chuan said, turning to the team leader in charge of surveillance. “The four of you go and keep an eye on Zhang Jianjun’s residence. If he doesn’t go to the restaurant tonight and goes straight home, you have to notify us immediately so we can arrest him at his residence. You’ll be in charge of breaking down the door. Be quick and don’t give him a chance to destroy the evidence.”

The monitoring team leader responded, "Don't worry, Captain Lu, we'll stake out the area beforehand and make sure we spot him the moment he shows his face."

"There are also emergency situations," Lu Chuan added, his gaze sweeping over everyone: "What if Zhang Jianjun is carrying a weapon? Wang Shuai, the people in your team who are making arrests must wear stab-proof vests and carry batons. If they resist, control them first and avoid causing any casualties."

Wang Shuai nodded: "We will check the equipment in advance to ensure safety. In addition, the body camera must be on throughout the arrest, and his cell phone, keys, and other items must be protected, as they may contain ledgers for illegal transportation." Zhang Hui continued: "I think we should also arrange a mobile team, four people will be enough, to be on standby near the restaurant. Whether internal support is needed or he runs to the surrounding area, the mobile team can fill in in time to avoid any loopholes."

Lu Chuan made the decision: "Go with this plan. There will be 20 people in total, divided into 5 groups: 4 for internal arrest (led by Wang Shuai), 3 for gate security (led by Zhang Hui), 5 for perimeter control, 4 for residence monitoring, and 4 for mobile support. Deploy the operation one hour in advance. Technical personnel will monitor Zhang Jianjun's cell phone signal and vehicle trajectory in real time to confirm his movements. Once he enters the restaurant and sits down, Wang Shuai will give the signal, and we will take action. After taking him into custody, take him directly to the branch office without delay."

Everyone nodded, noted down their tasks, and prepared to split up and take action.

At 7 p.m., all teams were in position as planned. Inside the restaurant, Wang Shuai and three plainclothes officers were already seated in a corner, menus spread out, but their eyes were constantly on the door. At 7:50 p.m., Zhang Jianjun, dressed casually, walked into the restaurant alone, went straight to his usual seat by the window, and ordered his usual braised pork and rice.

At 8:4 AM sharp, Wang Shuai saw Zhang Jianjun pick up his chopsticks to eat and immediately sent an "action" signal on his cell phone. The four arresting officers simultaneously stood up and quickly surrounded Zhang Jianjun's table. "Zhang Jianjun, Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment, cooperate with the investigation!" Wang Shuai flashed his badge, placed his left hand on Zhang Jianjun's shoulder, and swiftly pulled out handcuffs with his right hand, locking his right wrist.

Zhang Jianjun's expression changed drastically. He tried to get up and resist, but the officers on both sides held his arms firmly down. "Don't move! Resistance is useless. We have all the evidence!" Zhang Hui stepped forward and pointed his body camera at Zhang Jianjun's face. "You are hereby arrested on suspicion of intentional homicide and smuggling of ordinary goods. This is the arrest warrant."

The entire arrest took only one minute. While the other diners in the restaurant were initially surprised, they quickly calmed down after the officers reassured and explained the situation. As Zhang Jianjun was led into the police car, his eyes were glazed, and he kept muttering, "Impossible...how could you have found evidence..."

The police car drove away from the restaurant, heading towards the Criminal Investigation Division. Wang Shuai, sitting in the passenger seat, took out his phone and reported to Lu Chuan: "Zhang Jianjun has been successfully apprehended. There were no casualties. He's being escorted to the division for interrogation tonight." Lu Chuan replied on the other end of the phone: "Okay, be careful. During the interrogation, focus on getting to the details of his murder and body disposal, as well as Li Wei's hiding place. Make sure he confesses truthfully."

In the darkness, the flashing lights of the police cars illuminated the road ahead. Wang Shuai looked out the window at the passing street scenes, recalling the grief-stricken expressions of Li Zhiguo's family. He knew that the arrest was only the first step; the subsequent interrogation and evidence gathering would be key to unraveling the final mystery of the case. And this crime hidden beneath the Haotian Building would ultimately face justice under the judgment of the law. (End of Chapter)