The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 696: The Injustice Rectified!

Liu Yong, the head of the criminal investigation department, instructed the investigators to focus their investigation on the Hou family.

However, after investigation, it was discovered that the Hou family had a large number of members and extremely complex social relationships.

So who exactly is the murderer? And what is their relationship with the victim?

Liu Yong made a decisive decision: "Choose the right target and investigate the Hou family members one by one! Don't overlook any clues!"

Therefore, the criminal investigators of the special task force first invited Mr. and Mrs. Hou to the guesthouse to inquire about the situation.

Criminal investigators learned from the couple that their eldest son, Hou Fang, was 37 years old this year. He got married in 1990 and had five girlfriends before marriage, all of whom he broke up with. His relationship with his wife was also not good after marriage.

Hou Fang used to drive a taxi at Shouqi a few years ago. He was disciplined by his employer for speculating in foreign exchange and buying and selling fake invoices. Now he works as a driving instructor at Shouqi CP Driving School.

The second son, Hou Jingyuan, has a house provided by his work unit and generally doesn't go back to his parents' house. Even when he does come back, he brings his wife and children with him.

Hou Ping, the third son, is the most unreliable.

He's over thirty and still single. He has a terrible temper, loves to talk, has a wide social circle, and is often away from home.

Hou Zheng, the fourth son, is 31 years old. This young man is more promising than his three older brothers. He works as a cadre in a mining bureau of Shougang Group and is rated as an advanced worker every year. He is the most honest of the four sons.

No one knows a child better than their parents.

The investigators repeatedly explained the implications to the elderly couple, educated and enlightened them, and asked them if they knew about their sons' thoughts and activities.

The elderly couple said in unison, "The eldest and second eldest are quite honest, the fourth eldest is the best, but the third eldest is not so reliable."

It seems that the elderly couple had no idea about their sons' background.

After investigating and analyzing the situation of the four sons of the Hou family, the task force came to a completely different conclusion than the elderly couple.

Liu Yong finally decided to use the process of elimination to first understand the third brother, Hou Ping!

After analyzing the situation, he immediately issued an order.

Early on the morning of the 7th, several investigators in plainclothes went to the Yanjing Hotel.

They knocked on the door of room 3058 and explained their purpose to Hou Ping, the third son of the Hou family who lived there.

Upon seeing the police arrive, Hou Ping calmly and confidently said, "I will tell you everything I know and will definitely cooperate fully with your work."

So the investigators questioned him in this room.

But no matter what the investigators asked, Hou Ping, the third brother, answered them all logically and his expression remained normal.

The investigators then consulted people familiar with Hou Ping to get more information, and finally concluded that Hou Ping was a magnanimous, straightforward, outgoing, and loyal person, and did not have the motive to commit the crime.

Another group of people who went to investigate Hou Yuan, the second son of the Hou family, also returned and reported back: "This second son of the Hou family is usually cautious in his work and his family is harmonious."

Since getting married in 88, Hou Yuan has rarely lived with his parents, so he simply didn't have the opportunity to commit the crime.

Liu Yong was also at a loss for a moment. After all, this was not a recent murder case, and such "unidentified corpse cases" often bring a lot of difficulties to the investigation.

He was caught in a mental storm.

If two of the Hou family's four sons are ruled out, what about the eldest and the fourth?
So Liu Yong sent someone to Hou Ping's workplace to find out what was going on.

As a result, the criminal investigators discovered that Hou Ping, the fourth brother, seemed to lack confidence in front of them.

Hou Ping avoided the topic, but kept emphasizing his analysis: "It was probably done by someone who had a grudge against our family, or someone else buried the body in our house."

Liu Yong, who had extensive experience in criminal investigation, immediately sensed something was wrong with Hou Ping; Hou Ping was clearly trying to divert the investigation's attention.

Everyone on the task force immediately became excited, thinking they had found a breakthrough.

As a result, when they talked to Hou Fang, the eldest son of the Hou family, they found that he was even more abnormal.

When criminal investigators spoke with Hou Ping, he always evaded the questions by talking about other things.

Hou Fang's unusual behavior made the investigators uneasy.

Based on the unusual behavior of the two brothers, Liu Yong decided to focus the investigation and interviews on the eldest and fourth brothers while continuing to search for the identity of the deceased and control the relevant personnel.

We must adopt different policies for different targets to divide and weaken the Hou family.

The four investigation teams cast a wide net and soon discovered many more cases.

The investigation revealed that Hou Fang, the eldest son of the Hou family, had an immoral lifestyle and used his position as a taxi driver to seduce several women.

Even after marriage, Hou Fang continued to have affairs, often staying out all night and fooling around with other women.

Hou Ping, the fourth son of the Hou family, is particularly good at disguising himself. He appears kind on the surface, but is actually cunning at heart, and he does things without revealing his true intentions.

Later, after a thorough investigation, the task force also learned that after being questioned, the leader, Hou Fang, returned home dejected, unable to sit or stand still, and refusing to eat or drink.

Hou Fang also changed his previous rebellious attitude and told his family, "These remains were dug out from the yard of our earthquake-resistant shed. It makes sense for the investigators to ask us about the situation."

Let's not go against the task force; let's patiently wait for the test results!

After being summoned, the fourth brother, Hou Ping, quickly came to the eldest brother to plot something.

As soon as Hou Ping entered the room, he lowered his voice and said, "Brother, the situation is not good."

I just saw the criminal investigation team going through my file at work, and they even retrieved my attendance records.

Hou Fang's face was grim, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table: "Fourth brother, do you think that corpse... could it be..."

"Shh!" Hou Ping suddenly looked out the window alertly, and after confirming that no one was eavesdropping, he leaned closer and said, "It's no use talking about this now. The key is that we need to stick to one story and not panic."

……

That afternoon, the technical appraisal work of the Municipal Bureau's Appraisal Center made a major breakthrough.

Based on technical analysis of the deceased's bone length and shoe/sock size, the deceased's height was estimated to be between 1.65 meters and 1.70 meters.

The trench coat buried with the remains was model 8902 (a trench coat with a hood), produced by the "Fashion" Garment Factory in Liujiazhuang.

This trench coat was produced by "Fengshang" Apparel Co., Ltd. between 1989 and 1993, and it was especially popular in the Yanjing area during those years.

Liu Yong immediately sent someone to Liujiazhuang "Fashion" Clothing Co., Ltd. to invite the designer who originally designed the trench coat to help identify it.

The company's fashion designer, after seeing the trench coat on site, said that the trench coat was 113 centimeters long, with a belted waist, and was suitable for slender young women. Moreover, the person wearing this trench coat would not weigh more than 55 kilograms and would be around 20 years old.

The black mid-heel leather shoes were produced by a manufacturer in northern China. They are 23.5 centimeters long and were a popular style in the early 1990s.

Photochromic glasses and hair clips are products from Shunde, Guangdong Province. These kinds of small items, made in the south, sell quite well in Beijing.

Thus, Liu Yong led the task force to reach two relatively certain conclusions through criminal science and technology work.

Judging from the timing of the popularity of trench coats and leather shoes, the victim was murdered sometime between 1991 and 1993.

Secondly, judging from the clothes and items the deceased chose, she must have loved dressing up and keeping up with fashion in her life, but her economic conditions seemed to be not very good. She looked like an unemployed or a young woman who had just started working.

These two inferences provide important evidence for characterizing the victim, identifying the deceased, and screening key individuals.

This thorny case of "unidentified remains" provided a stage for portrait expert Jiang Xin to showcase her skills.

Coincidentally, it had been two months since Liu Yongcheng invited Jiang Xin to the Yanjing Municipal Bureau for technical exchanges.

During this period, Jiang Xin, with her superb skills and rich practical experience, opened a brand new door for her colleagues in the Yanjing Municipal Bureau, allowing everyone to witness the unique charm of criminal sketching technology.

Just as Jiang Xin was about to end her exchange and prepare to return to Shanghai, this bizarre "unidentified corpse case" suddenly surfaced.

Faced with this rare opportunity for practical experience, Jiang Xin volunteered to participate in the case investigation, hoping to impart her years of experience to these eager "apprentices" through "case-based training" and give them a vivid practical lesson.

With Jiang Xin's strong support, this case, which had been at a standstill, made a breakthrough.

His eyes, which could see through bones, seemed to give the dead new life, allowing the silent skeletons to begin "telling" the truth.

In the following days, the case made significant progress. Through mobilizing the public, publicizing the case details, and conducting investigations and interviews, the task force obtained three more leads.

Neighbors discovered that Hou Fang, the eldest son of the Hou family, frequently brought strange women to the earthquake-resistant shelter for illicit affairs.

Even in the days following his wife's childbirth, Hou Fang secretly brought over a woman dressed in a very glamorous manner.

When Hou Fang heard the news that the construction team was going to demolish the earthquake-resistant shed, he became very unusual, often pacing around the shed, looking preoccupied.

On the night of June 28th, before the earthquake shelter was dismantled, Hou Fang and his fourth brother, Hou Ping, borrowed flashlights and shovels from their neighbors and began furtively digging things in the shelter's yard after midnight...

The truth is about to come to light...

That afternoon, Liu Yong decided to reorganize his forces and interrogate the eldest Hou Fang and the fourth Hou Ping of the Hou family again. The Hou brothers were probably well-prepared for the second interrogation, which lasted until 3 a.m. the next day.

The interrogators explained all the policies, laws, future prospects, and ways out to the Hou brothers, but the two brothers remained unmoved.

Hou Fang simply mumbled, "It's the same whether you take the initiative or not."

Interrogating Hou Ping was quite difficult. No matter how the pre-trial investigators explained the policies to him, he only said one thing: "I've said everything I need to say, I don't know anything else."

Seeing that Hou Ping, the fourth brother, was lying, the interrogator tentatively asked, "What did you do at midnight on June 28th?"

This question struck Hou Ping like a thunderbolt, leaving him terrified and pale.

Hou Ping's body was trembling, but he tried to remain calm and said weakly, "I...I didn't do anything!"

At this point, things become quite clear.

The Hou brothers are prime suspects in the murder.

After careful consideration, Liu Yong and the special task force decided to "take Hou Fang and Hou Ping into custody for questioning."

Subsequently, Liu Yong quickly convened the heads of each group to study and analyze the specific situation of the two Hous.

Indirect evidence suggests that Hou Fang, the eldest brother, is very likely the principal offender.

However, there is too little direct evidence that Hou Fang committed the murder, and his methods were cruel and the consequences were particularly serious. He must have made full preparations for counter-investigation.

Without solid evidence, Hou Fang would certainly not have confessed to the crime so easily.

Based on various indications, Hou Ping, the fourth brother, may be an accomplice or someone who knew about the crime.

However, dealing with such criminals is no challenge for Liu Yong, who has an extremely rich experience in criminal investigation.

Liu Yong told the investigators in the task force, "As long as we grasp Hou Fang's weaknesses, choose the right time, strike at his vitals, and dispel his wishful thinking, we will definitely be able to subdue him."

The interrogation plan was quickly finalized.

Liu Yong believes that the best approach to dealing with the Hou brothers should be to first win them over through policy and persuasion.
Then, by using evidence at the appropriate time, we can completely destroy the two marquises'侥幸心理 (侥幸心理 refers to a mentality of taking chances or relying on luck).
Focus your efforts on getting a breakthrough from the leader, Hou Fang, and get him to confess his crimes.

……

The night is deep, but it's anything but peaceful.

Two experienced interrogators sat on high chairs in the interrogation room, while Hou Ping, the fourth brother, sat below in a state of panic.

A battle between law and evil, a psychological warfare, is about to begin.

The two presiding judges were a seasoned and charismatic individual with an air of sophistication.

A young, astute man whose words carry weight and are irresistible.

One played the good cop, the other the bad cop; one was firm, the other gentle. Their firmness carried authority, while their gentleness conveyed reason. They cooperated perfectly.

They seized upon Hou Ping's conflicted feelings, bombarding him with questions one after another, like a series of heavy bombs striking the depths of his soul.

Inside the interrogation room, the glaring incandescent light made Hou Ping's pale face appear even more ashen.

He kept rubbing his hands together, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead, his eyes darting around as he scanned the ground.

"Hou Ping, what were you and Hou Fang digging in the earthquake-resistant shed on the night of June 28th?" The young pre-trial investigator suddenly raised his voice, his sharp gaze piercing like a knife.

Hou Ping shuddered and stammered, "It's...it's just some old stuff."

“Old stuff?” The old investigator sneered, pulling a photo out of the folder. “And this one?” The photo clearly showed the butterfly hair clip that the deceased had worn, evidence dug out from under the earthquake shelter.

When Hou Ping saw the photo, his pupils contracted sharply, and he slumped into his chair like a deflated balloon.

Seeing this, the veteran interrogator softened his tone: "Young Hou, you're only in your early thirties, you have a bright future ahead of you. If you confess now, we can still try to get you lenient treatment."

"..."

"..."

The following afternoon, the rain came and went, washing the bluestone on the artificial hill in the yard clean and revealing its original appearance.

After a long and heated debate, Hou Ping's neck stiffened, his eyes stared blankly, and his mental defenses completely collapsed.

He had no choice but to confess to the crime he committed seven years ago, dismembering and burying the body of his boss, Hou Fang.

At 5:30 p.m., based on Hou Fang's confession, criminal investigators unearthed the torso of the victim's remains in the courtyard of the already dismantled earthquake-resistant shed.

The torso and shoulder bones face north, and the coccyx faces south, in a prone position.

Then, the excavation personnel immediately sent the part to the identification center for comparison.

The testing center also knew that time was of the essence, so the technical experts there worked through the night.

Ultimately, after comparison and examination, the saw marks matched those on the deceased's skull and limb bones, confirming that it was the same person.

In addition, a black elastic nylon thermal shirt, a white women's underwear, a disposable white carbon pen, and three coins were also found in the pit.

At this point, Liu Yong understood that the case was basically clear, and it was time to interrogate the main culprit, Hou Fang.

At midnight, the three interrogators, full of energy, began questioning Hou Fang: "Hou Fang, tell me, how many times have we interrogated you?"

Hou Fang stubbornly insisted, "This is the third time."

Officer, I've already said I'm innocent. I have no idea why there was anything like that in my earthquake-resistant shed...

The veteran interrogator, seeing that he remained stubborn and unfazed, wasn't in a hurry. He leisurely picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then said, "Heh, do you know why I'm still trying to keep you awake at this hour?"

Hou Fang's heart skipped a beat, and he fell silent, a bad feeling creeping into his heart.

"Hou Fang, I advise you not to stubbornly deny it. It's better to confess voluntarily."

do you know?

This midnight hour signifies the start of a new day, and the sky will grow brighter and brighter...

Delaying won't save you; abandoning wishful thinking and fully confessing is the only way out.

We're giving you a chance..."

Upon hearing this, Hou Fang completely abandoned his illusions and nodded in agreement.

"If you don't confess, do you not believe you have a way out?" the interrogator asked.

Hou Fang replied in a hoarse voice, "A little."

Seeing this, the veteran investigator went straight to the point: "Since you don't deny that you did wrong, why are you hesitant to speak?"

Actually, your crimes were established seven years ago, and now your fourth brother, Hou Ping, is behaving better than you.

At this moment, Hou Fang realized that Lao Si Hou Ping had confessed. He was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat, his face turned pale, and his handcuffed hands trembled. He collapsed to the ground.

The two officers helped him to a chair and sat him down.

"Hou Fang, tell the truth!" The interrogator pressed on, seeing that his defenses had crumbled.

With things having come to this point, Hou Fang, the vicious and ruthless murderer, seeing that all was lost, had no choice but to truthfully confess the entire process of killing, dismembering, burying the body, and destroying evidence.

It was the afternoon of April 20, 4. When Hou Fang was driving his taxi through West D of Yanjing City, he encountered a beautiful, simple, and naive young woman named Sun Lingling.

At that time, Hou Fang, seeing an opportunity, used deception to lure the naive Sun Lingling to his dormitory...

Afterwards, Sun Lingling threatened to report him.

Fearing exposure, Hou Fang conceived the evil idea of ​​killing Sun Lingling to silence her, and strangled her to death.

That night, Hou Fang colluded with his younger brother Hou Ping to dismember Sun Lingling and bury her body in two separate locations in the courtyard of the earthquake-resistant shed. They then poured gasoline on Sun's jeans, polyester shirt, and other belongings and burned them.

After the incident, the brothers Hou Fang and Hou Ping formed a pact of silence.

According to Hou Fang's account, the investigators who were searching for the identity of the deceased worked tirelessly, day and night.

Despite their fatigue, they immediately drove to the Municipal Bureau of Household Registration to look for Sun Lingling's household registration card.

An investigation revealed that there were over 200 eligible young women in Beijing born after 1970 named Sun Lingling. Which one was the missing victim?
That afternoon, investigators found a young woman named Sun Lingling at the XW District Public Security Bureau who had gone missing on April 20, seven years ago.

Further investigation revealed that her disappearance time, age, height, and clothing matched those of the deceased.

(End of this chapter)