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

Wang Shuai and Zhang Hui followed closely behind, their eyes fixed on his every move, to prevent any accidents. "Deng Chengzong, raise your head and see clearly if this is the place where you killed Zhang Tiancheng." Wang Shuai's voice was deep and powerful, carrying an unquestionable authority.

Deng Chengzong slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the familiar area by the roadside. His body involuntarily shrank, his Adam's apple bobbing, unable to utter a word for a long time. His gaze finally settled on a marker on the roadside—the spot where Zhang Tiancheng's taxi had been parked at the time of the incident. The forensic team had already outlined the vehicle's shape in white chalk. "It's...it's here," he stammered, his voice hoarse, filled with obvious fear and remorse.

“Think carefully back to how you got into Zhang Tiancheng’s car that night, and how you killed him inside. Give a clear account of every detail, don’t leave anything out.” Zhang Hui took out his notebook, turned on the recorder, and prepared to take notes. Yang Lin controlled the drone, filming the entire scene from the air, while Yang Sen held a camera, focusing on Deng Chengzong’s facial expressions and hand gestures, not missing a single subtle reaction.

Deng Chengzong took a deep breath, his gaze drifting into the distance, seemingly recalling the scene of the night of the incident. After a long while, he slowly began to speak: "That night... I was being chased for my gambling debts again. The debt collectors said they would break my arm if I didn't pay. I had no other choice but to think of robbing a taxi driver for some money. Taxi drivers usually have cash on them, and there are fewer people around at night, making it easier to succeed." His voice was choked with sobs, and his hands clenched involuntarily, the handcuffs on his wrists making a slight clinking sound.

“I started by wandering around the North Square, looking for a target. There are a lot of people and surveillance cameras in the North Square, so I thought I wouldn't be easily spotted if I blended in. I deliberately wore a black hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap, and kept my face down so I wouldn't be caught on camera. I also carried a black backpack with a belt inside, just in case I was resisted, I could use the belt to subdue the other person.” Deng Chengzong paused, swallowed, and continued, “I waited at the taxi stand at the east gate of the square for about ten minutes, and saw a red Santana taxi drive by, so I went up to flag it down. The driver was a middle-aged man. He saw that I was dressed strangely and asked me where I was going. I said I was going to Binhe West Road. He looked at me a few times and said he had to pick up a passenger who had made a reservation, so he refused to take me.”

This statement perfectly matched the testimony of Mr. Ma, the driver of the red Santana they had found earlier. Wang Shuai nodded, signaling him to continue. "After being refused a ride, I panicked a bit, afraid that if I was refused again, I wouldn't have another chance. Just then, a green Jetta taxi pulled up; it was Zhang Tiancheng's car. I quickly flagged it down. The driver rolled down the window and asked where I was going. I told him I was going to the intersection of Binhe West Road and Wanghe South Road. He didn't ask any more questions and let me get in." Deng Chengzong's gaze fell on the right rear of the vehicle's outline. "I deliberately sat by the right rear door because from that position, the driver wouldn't be able to see my face clearly in the rearview mirror, and it would be easier for me to make a move from behind."

“After getting in the car, I kept my head down, my hands in my bag, tightly gripping the belt. I was extremely nervous, afraid he would notice something was wrong. Zhang Tiancheng asked if I was going there on business, and I just hummed in response, not daring to say anything more for fear of revealing my accent. He didn't ask any more questions and focused on driving.” Deng Chengzong recalled the scene, his body trembling slightly. “I kept observing the surrounding environment, trying to find a secluded place to make my move. The car drove along Binhe West Road from east to west. There weren't many cars or pedestrians on the road, which made me even more certain that this was a good opportunity.”

"After driving for about ten minutes, the car arrived at this place, which is the west side of the intersection of Binhe West Road and Chaoyang North Road. I saw that there were residential areas and shops on both sides, and they were all closed at this time of night, so there weren't many people. I thought it was time to make my move. I pretended to get out of the car and said to Zhang Tiancheng, 'Sir, you can stop here.' He thought I wanted to pay, so he slowly parked the car on the side of the road and even asked me if I wanted a receipt." Deng Chengzong's voice grew softer and softer, filled with deep remorse. "I didn't say anything. When he stopped the car, let go of the steering wheel with his right hand, and was about to take out the receipt, I took out my belt from my bag, suddenly reached behind him, and put it around his neck."

At this point, Deng Chengzong gestured with his hands in the air as if he were strangling someone, a flicker of fear in his eyes, as if he were transported back to that bloody night. "That belt was one I bought when I was working. It was black, made of genuine leather, about 1.5 centimeters wide, and very sturdy. I gripped both ends of the belt tightly with both hands and pulled it in as hard as I could, not daring to loosen my grip even a little. Zhang Tiancheng didn't react at all; he was completely stunned, his hands frantically grabbing at the belt around his neck, his body twisting and turning, trying to break free."

“He was quite strong; I almost couldn’t hold him down at first. He grabbed the belt with his left hand and reached behind him with his right to grab me, so I used my knee to press against his back to stop him from moving. He made 'woo-woo' sounds, unable to speak, his face turned bright red, and then slowly turned pale. At that moment, I didn’t care about anything else; all I could think about was ‘I can’t let him resist; I have to subdue him,’ so I tightened the belt as much as I could. I tightened it for about three or four minutes until his body stopped moving, his hands went limp, and his head tilted to one side.” Deng Chengzong’s voice was choked with sobs. “I wasn’t sure if he was dead yet, so I tightened it for another minute before slowly letting go. I checked his nose; he wasn’t breathing. I panicked immediately and didn’t know what to do.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Shuai pressed further, "When you strangled him, did his body hit the steering wheel or anything else? Was there any intense struggle inside the car?" Deng Chengzong shook his head. "He only struggled a few times at first, and his body might have hit the steering wheel when he twisted, but there wasn't any intense struggle. I was sitting in the right rear seat, a relatively secluded position, so he couldn't turn around to fight back." This was completely consistent with the conclusion found during the on-site investigation that "no obvious signs of struggle were found inside the car, and the deceased's clothes were torn, suggesting he was attacked without warning."

"What did you do after you let go of him?" Zhang Hui continued to press. Deng Chengzong wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes. "I was terrified and wanted to run away, but then I remembered I was there to rob him, so I searched his pockets." (End of Chapter)