Animal Detective

Chapter 263 Outdated People
He Wei glanced at Shen Xin speechlessly, his eyes seeming to say, "You've given me a hard time."

"Master?"

He muttered something to himself, thought for a moment, and then said with a sigh, "Kid, you really don't need to come to me."

“I came in early, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s going on outside. I watch the news every night, and I’ve never missed a single one.”

"To be honest, after all these years, our generation is already outdated."

He changed his posture again and continued, "I won't talk about what's going on online. Our generation was more rule-abiding, but this generation is more individualistic, doesn't care about morality, and acts recklessly."

"But there's a reality: our generation is generally getting old. You know, I'm almost sixty."

“The lads who followed me before I came in, more than ten years have passed, they must be in their forties or fifties by now, with families and households.”

"Those who did well back then, to be honest, are all in jail. I know a few who were executed. They're probably in middle school now."

He even played a little trick on me.

"What about those who aren't doing well? At this age, what else can they do? Are they going to fight and kill like young people?"

"This approach isn't working anymore, so I really don't think you're reliable if you come to me."

Shen Xin thought for a moment and said, "Uncle Wei, alright, since you put it that way, I won't ask anymore."

"Now that we've met, I'll ask the prison ward when you're coming out. I'll remember this, and if I'm free six years from now, I'll come pick you up."

After saying that, he got up and started packing his things, preparing to leave.

He Wei glared at him: "Hey, you little brat, you think I'm some kind of genius?"

"Fine, since you want to know, I'll tell you. But it's been so many years, I can't guarantee it will be useful."

Shen Xin then sat down and gestured for He Wei to speak.

He Wei gestured for another cigarette to be lit, and said, "Anyway, I'm not afraid for you to know about these things. I've already confessed everything I could back then."

"Most of the time back then, we wouldn't go all out. It was mainly because it was troublesome. We would just find some people to teach you a lesson."

"I know a few who are indeed quite ruthless and capable fighters, but they've all probably gotten in."

As he spoke, he rattled off eleven names in one breath.

He's not young, but his memory is still pretty good.

They also mentioned roughly where he was from, so that Shen Xin could investigate further.

"As for when it really comes down to a life-or-death situation, they usually hire people from other places, finish the job and run away, not afraid of you investigating."

“I’ve heard about some cases and know a bit about the situation. Anyway, you can investigate as you see fit. I don’t know much about it.”

Then, he mentioned seven more people in one go.

He could only name two.

He didn't know the names of the rest; they were all from different places, and he described them by nicknames, ruthlessness, and so on.

"correct."

He Wei then remembered something and said, "Back in the day, we had a forum in Nanjiang called Night Pearl. Do you know it?"

Shen Xin nodded, indicating that he did indeed know.

I remember in the early 2000s, internet cafes were becoming more common, and I often went out to go online with my classmates on weekends.

I used to chat on this Night Pearl forum back then.

He Wei said with a smile, "I heard that some outsiders look for work on this forum. The owner of this forum, Ah Xing, might know some things you want to know."

Shen Xin nodded and noted it down, then asked He Wei if there was anything else.

"Gone."

He Wei shook his head and then said, "Kid, let me tell you, the person I hate most in my life is a traitor who informs on others."

"I only told you this because I thought you were a good guy, good at handling things, and I knew you guys really had an emergency."

"You better remember this favor, kid. Go back and find that guy, Du Yong, yes, that's the one."

"That guy's made it big now, hasn't he? He's the one who arrested me back then. Talk to him properly, don't try to fool me."

Shen Xin smiled and nodded, indicating that the guards could take the person away.

He Wei casually stuffed the pack of cigarettes into his hand, gave Ding Yuwei a knowing wink, pointed at Shen Xin with his finger, and then walked out of the interrogation room.

Ding Yuwei ignored him, glanced at the recorded name, and said, "Shen Xin, this should be considered a bit of a gain."

"reward?"

Shen Xin snorted and stood up, saying, "If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have bought such expensive cigarettes. It's such a waste."

Ding Yuwei was taken aback and asked what she meant.

Shen Xin didn't explain. He went outside, thanked Xie Guohu first, and then took his leave.

After leaving the prison, Shen Xin didn't rush to get in the car. Instead, he called Zhang Hancheng and told him all the names He Wei had mentioned.

"Zhang Zhi, this guy never tells the truth."

Upon hearing his choice of words, such as "I heard," "I know," and "it seems," Shen Xin understood that even if this guy really knew something, he wouldn't say it.

The people he mentioned are probably all people the police know about and have cracked down on.

Clearly, He Wei was saying he was good, but he was always keeping his wits about him.

He probably didn't completely believe his own words, and suspected that he might be trying to trick him into revealing information, and then digging up some old cases that hadn't been investigated back then.

Moreover, Shen Xin felt that Zhang Hancheng might have anticipated this outcome.

That's why Shen Xin said it was a waste.

On the phone, Zhang Hancheng seemed quite speechless, saying, "That Night Pearl Forum, just as he said, did have some people doing transactions on it back then."

"However, in the second year after he went in, we raided the forum. Their boss, Yang Xing, was also arrested long ago. I remember he was sentenced to ten years. He should be out by now."

At this point, Zhang Hancheng chuckled and said, "Little Shen, that's enough. The old man did reveal some things."

"It's those eleven names he mentioned. I don't know how many there are. This shows that you've done your job well and found the right method."

Zhang Hancheng thought Shen Xin was already very capable to be able to deal with a seasoned veteran like He Wei and extract information from him.

Shen Xin was surprised and quickly looked at the eleven names.

That means He Wei actually believed part of what He Wei said.

Or rather, he dared to mention these names because he was certain he wouldn't be implicated, and he also hoped for a chance to get a reduced sentence through meritorious service. Shen Xin asked what to do next, and whether these people should be investigated.

“I see there’s one nearby, why don’t Xiao Ding and I go take a look first?”

Of the eleven names, one is nearby, probably three or four kilometers away, not far.

Zhang Hancheng thought for a moment and said, "Okay, take a picture of the list and send it to me. We'll verify it as soon as possible."

"Then you two shouldn't act alone, I'm worried about you. As for Wang Yinshan, right? I'll contact Lishan and have them arrange someone to go with you."

He wasn't sure if these people were the murderers, but he always wanted to be on the safe side.

Zhang Hancheng was not entirely comfortable letting the two young policemen investigate on their own.

Shen Xin nodded and made a note of it. He and Ding Yuwei then set off by car to Jiewan Village, where Wang Yinshan lived.

On the way, Ding Yuwei used a police PDA to check Wang Yinshan's situation.

She is 47 years old, and her most recently updated address is still Jiewan Village.

His parents are still alive, he is married, and has a son and a daughter. In 03, he was sentenced to 5 years in prison for intentionally causing serious injury to another person.

He didn't get a reduced sentence and wasn't released until 08.

Shen Xin turned his head and glanced at the ID photo.

She has single eyelids and not much fat on her cheeks; she looks quite ordinary.

But according to He Wei, this man was once a well-known figure in Nanjiang, the number one henchman of a certain boss in Lishan District.

He said he had practiced Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) and even won awards, so that two or three ordinary people couldn't get close to him.

After driving along Qian'an Avenue for about ten minutes, turn left onto a village road, and you'll find Jiewan Village ahead.

The two didn't rush into the village; they waited at the village entrance for a while.

A short while later, a police car drove up.

They are colleagues from Lishan.

It was still an older man leading a younger one, both dressed in casual clothes. The older one was called Xi Fenghua, and the younger one was called Chen Benxuan.

Xi Fenghua knew it was a special case with a deadline for resolution, and time was of the essence. Without further ado, he and his four companions went directly to the door.

It's a very ordinary, even somewhat dilapidated, residential house.

It's a little past three in the afternoon, the sun is setting, and there's hardly anyone to be seen in the village.

Wang Yinshan's front door was closed. He knocked, but no one answered.

His eldest son is 21 years old, which is the age for him to go to college.

My daughter is 17 years old and should be in high school. Today is Thursday, so it's normal for her not to be home at this time.

Just as Xi Fenghua was about to knock on the door next door, Shen Xin grabbed him and pointed to some miscellaneous items piled up in the corner under the eaves.

There were many blue fruit baskets and a tattered billboard that read "Peach".

“I remember there was a fruit stand selling strawberries at the intersection where you turn into Qian’an Avenue, and a man was guarding it. Could that be Wang Yinshan?”

Along Qian'an Avenue, to the south lies a row of mountains, collectively known as Lihu Bay.

So there are quite a few fruit picking farms and such here.

Xi Fenghua was somewhat surprised by Shen Xin's observational skills and suggested that he ask the neighbors.

When they knocked on the neighbor's door and asked, sure enough, Wang Yinshan's wife worked in a factory, while Wang Yinshan sold seasonal fruits at a roadside stall.

At that moment, the group returned.

The stall at the intersection was still there, a car was parked on the side of the road, and a woman was picking out strawberries in front of the stall.

A thin, middle-aged man is greeting guests.

Shen Xin got out of the car and saw that it was Wang Yinshan.

When the two police cars pulled up to the side of the road, Wang Yinshan was clearly taken aback. He had been arguing with the woman that he wouldn't make a profit at 25 yuan a box, but now he immediately agreed to sell it for 20 yuan a box.

After the woman got into the car and left, Wang Yinshan hesitated for a moment and looked at Shen Xin and the others.

"Officer."

His voice was slightly hoarse.

Shen Xin noticed a faint scar near his Adam's apple.

Perhaps his throat was slit?
Wang Yinshan asked calmly, "Do you need something from me?"

He had just seen the police car drive in; he hadn't expected it to be there to see him.

Shen Xin stepped forward and said, "It's nothing, I just wanted to ask you about something."

Wang Yinshan seemed somewhat angry and said, "Officer, I've been out of prison for a full ten years."

“I served five years in prison. I have atoneed for my crimes, reformed myself, and am ready to live a peaceful life.”

“You can’t keep coming over and questioning me over the smallest thing.”

"Besides, what else can I do in this state?"

He lifted his right leg slightly.

Shen Xin then realized that his right leg was straight and seemed unable to bend.

As for his agitated state, it's probably because the local police station frequently comes to question him.

He has been to prison, so he is definitely a key person to be monitored and suspected.

Shen Xin gestured for him to calm down: "Don't get agitated, we haven't even said what we want to ask you yet."

His complaints seemed quite pitiful, as if he had been wronged.

But the reason he was arrested back then was because he beat someone severely in front of his wife and children.

They even threatened the mother and child, saying that if they called the police, they would burn their house down.

They were all high and mighty back then, and now they're complaining?

Shen Xin didn't waste any words and asked in a deep voice, "Where were you on March 19th, and last night?"

(End of this chapter)