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

Zhao Lei stated that he did have a heated argument with Li Baochun over payment for goods, but he absolutely had no intention of killing her. "I've been in this business for so many years, it's not worth ruining myself for 50,000 yuan." Zhao Lei produced his travel records to prove that he was out of town purchasing goods during the period of Li Baochun's death. He had train tickets, hotel records, and witnesses from his companions, which temporarily ruled out him as a suspect.

Zhao Lei also revealed a crucial piece of information: Li Baochun not only owed him money but also borrowed from loan sharks. The debt collectors were ruthless and well-known in the scrap metal recycling circle, frequently operating in the suburbs. He'd heard they had a small gang backing them. "I heard he owes 150,000 yuan in high-interest loans and is being pressured relentlessly recently. They said if he doesn't pay, they'll dismantle his parts," Zhao Lei sighed. "Moreover, Li Baochun is very dishonest in business, often selling inferior goods and shortchanging customers, offending many people. Besides me, several suppliers have been cheated by him; perhaps one of the worst victims retaliated."

The third group, responsible for investigating Li Baochun's classmate relationships, made very slow progress. Because Li Baochun dropped out of school after junior high to work and lost contact with his classmates, the group members went to great lengths to contact more than a dozen of his elementary and junior high classmates through his junior high homeroom teacher. Through phone calls and face-to-face visits, the group members pieced together a picture of Li Baochun's school days—a bullying, domineering "problem student" who frequently harassed weaker classmates. The one who suffered the most was an elementary school classmate named Zhang Hai.

“Zhang Hai was very introverted back then. His family was poor, he wore shabby clothes, and spoke softly. Li Baochun always bullied him, stealing his pocket money, throwing his schoolbag, and often ambushing him on his way home from school and beating him,” recalled Wang Hao, Li Baochun’s elementary school classmate. “Once, during a final exam, Zhang Hai did better than Li Baochun, so Li Baochun tore up his test paper and pushed him into the river. Zhang Hai almost drowned. Later, Zhang Hai’s parents went to the school and Li Baochun’s family to argue, but Li Baochun’s father was very tough. He not only refused to apologize but also told Zhang Hai that he ‘deserved it.’ Not long after, Zhang Hai transferred schools and we never saw him again. We all thought that Zhang Hai must have hated Li Baochun to the core, and maybe he still held a grudge.”

Another classmate added, "At the recent class reunion, someone mentioned Li Baochun, saying they saw him at the building materials market and he didn't seem to be doing well. Someone else said they ran into someone who looked a lot like Zhang Hai, who was also doing business in the city, apparently in the renovation business. At the time, we joked that we should never let the two of them meet, otherwise Zhang Hai might want to take revenge. Now that I think about it, that was really scary."

The team member immediately relayed the "Zhang Hai" clue to Zhang Hui, who instantly became alert. Old grudges, possible recent interactions, and Li Baochun's unusual behavior before her disappearance—all clues pointed to Zhang Hai. He immediately ordered: "Conduct a full-scale investigation into Zhang Hai's identity information. Use the household registration system, social security records, business registration, and other channels to pinpoint his current address and occupation; retrieve Li Baochun's call records and travel itinerary before and after her disappearance to verify if the two had any recent calls or meetings; interview Zhang Hai's relatives, friends, and colleagues to understand his recent activities, especially any unusual behavior."

The investigation began overnight. Zhang Hui stayed in the office, monitoring the progress of each team in real time. He went through cup after cup of coffee on his desk, and the bloodshot eyes grew increasingly prominent. Each team member performed their duties: some were screening records in the household registration system, some were retrieving surveillance footage, and some were contacting relevant personnel in the building materials market and the decoration industry. The entire criminal investigation branch office was brightly lit, and everyone was racing against time to solve the case.

The following morning, the investigation finally made a breakthrough. Through business registration information, the team found that Zhang Hai was the same age as Li Baochun, lived in the Sunshine Garden residential area in the city, and ran a small decoration company called "Haicheng Decoration." Interviews with Zhang Hai's neighbors and colleagues revealed that he was introverted, steady, had a harmonious married life, and a relatively successful career. He rarely had conflicts with others, but occasionally, after drinking, he would mention being bullied by Li Baochun in elementary school, his words still carrying resentment, even saying things like, "I'll make him pay sooner or later."

More importantly, when the team members retrieved Li Baochun's call records, they discovered that the afternoon before her disappearance, she had spoken with an unknown number for about ten minutes. This unknown number was confirmed to be Zhang Hai's personal mobile phone number. Furthermore, a review of surveillance footage revealed that on the morning of her disappearance, Li Baochun was on a street near Zhang Hai's renovation company, and then entered a shop called "Qingya Teahouse." Zhang Hai had also visited this teahouse that morning, suggesting the two likely met there and seemingly had an argument. In the surveillance footage, Li Baochun was agitated and pushed Zhang Hai, who appeared sullen and crossed his arms. After a few minutes of this standoff, Li Baochun stormed out of the teahouse, followed closely by Zhang Hai, who walked in the opposite direction.

"Summon Zhang Hai immediately!" Upon receiving the report, Zhang Hui immediately issued the order, his tone firm. "Take him back to the branch for interrogation. At the same time, conduct a thorough search of his residence and the renovation company, collect his footprints, fingerprints, and hair samples, and compare them with the physical evidence collected at the scene. In addition, we must verify his alibi for the period between 8 pm and 10 pm three nights before Li Baochun's death. We must interview his employees and family members to confirm his activities that night. We cannot be careless in any way."

At 9:00 a.m., the detectives arrested Zhang Hai at his renovation company. At the time, Zhang Hai was instructing workers on construction. When he saw the detectives in police uniforms, a fleeting look of panic crossed his face. He quickly put down his tools, trying to appear calm, and asked, "Officer, is there something you need?" After the detectives showed him the summons, Zhang Hai did not resist and obediently followed them into the police car.

The interrogation room was dimly lit and the atmosphere oppressive. Zhang Hui sat opposite Zhang Hai, his gaze sharp as a knife, staring directly into Zhang Hai's eyes. His tone was serious: "Zhang Hai, we have verified that you and Li Baochun were elementary school classmates. He bullied you for a long time in school, stealing your things, hitting you, and even pushing you into the river. These things are true, right?"

Zhang Hai nodded slowly, his tone calm, as if recounting someone else's story: "Yes, that was over thirty years ago. So much time has passed, I don't remember it anymore." His hands rested on his knees, his fingertips slightly curled, but his gaze deliberately avoided Zhang Hui's. (End of Chapter)