You're supposed to be a security officer, what case are you solving?

Chapter 176 Action! (Seeking monthly votes)

Behind the family quarters, beyond the wasteland, lies a wheat field, but not in large tracts; it is interspersed with hills or mounds, typical of the terrain in southwestern China.

Annam is located in the western part of the country, and it is difficult to find a complete plain. Even when Annam was established, many hills were leveled.

Of course, the larger mountains were left as scenic areas, with temples built next to them.

Lingmeng County is like this, surrounded by mountains on all sides, with relatively complex terrain.

It was pitch black, and after searching for about two miles, Yang Jinwen and his group were completely lost, as they were unfamiliar with their surroundings.

Qi Bin complained, "Captain Yang, how about we come back at dawn? What can we find with just a flashlight?"

Yang Jinwen nodded: "Okay, let's go back first."

That makes sense. Even though there is a golden time for homicide investigations, in remote Lingmeng County, it's impossible to investigate at 10 p.m., especially in winter.

He Jinbo and his group could only harass the residents of the family apartment building. When they went to the county center, the shops, government offices, and other places were already closed.

As for entertainment facilities, such as dance halls and nightclubs, sorry, there aren't any. Wealthy people in Lingmeng County usually go to An'nan City or Dayan City to spend their money.

There are many beautiful young women there, and they speak very gently.

If it's a hair salon, then it's still open, but the current case doesn't involve that aspect.

Otherwise, the young ladies at the hair salon would definitely be the focus of their attention.

Yang Jinwen, Maozi, and Qi Bin had just returned to their guesthouse when He Jinbo also came back immediately.

As soon as the two groups met in front of the door, He Jinbo said, "Since we can't find you, we'll have to get you a mobile phone when we get back."

Yang Jinwen frowned: "What's wrong?"

"Team Leader Zhang Yong and his team have found a lead."

"So fast?"

He Jinbo nodded: "It's an existing clue. He just called me and said that Fang Zhongtai, the guard at the gate of the family building, is a major suspect."

"How to say?"

"Get in my car, we'll talk as we drive."

Qi Bin immediately asked, "Where are we going?"

Yao Weihua, who was behind He Jinbo, yawned and replied, "We're arresting someone, where else could we go?"

The two cars from the Major Crimes Unit were parked on the side of the road near the guesthouse. After the group of six got into the cars, He Jinbo drove while speaking to Yang Jinwen, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

"Fang Zhongtai left his dormitory on the night of the 9th, and between the night of the 10th and 3 a.m., Wang Jian and his family were murdered."

Team Leader Zhang and his team found that Fang Zhongtai checked into a hotel around 4:00 a.m., and after waking up at noon that day, he went to the department store in the county center.

He ate first, then bought himself a new set of clothes, and returned to the hotel in the afternoon.

He went out in a suit at 6:30 pm tonight, after dark, and hasn't been seen since.

Yang Jinwen frowned: "Did he kill Wang Jian's family? What evidence points to that?"

If that's really the case, then it's simple.

He Jinbo replied, "Team Leader Zhang went to the staff dormitory to investigate. Fang Zhongtai's coworkers said that this man was an old bachelor, in his fifties, and his pockets were emptier than his face."

The security guard's income wasn't high, and he spent all his money on food, drink, gambling, and prostitution. It's highly suspicious that he suddenly had money to buy expensive suits and stay in luxury hotels instead of the dormitory.

Cat, sitting in the back, stuck his head over and said, "Plus, this person has been missing for two days, which makes it very suspicious."

Qi Bin also stuck his head over: "If the security guard committed the crime, then he wouldn't need to scout the place. He must be very familiar with Wang Jian's house."

Yang Jinwen remained silent, staring at the stark white headlights illuminating the road ahead.

In less than ten minutes, they drove up to a hotel with neon lights on.

Two pine trees were placed in front of the hotel as welcoming pines. The main entrance was decorated luxuriously, and the signboard was also very grand. It should be one of the few luxury accommodations in the county.

After He Jinbo stopped the car, several people hiding in the alley immediately poked their heads out, waved to him, and then retreated back into the darkness.

He Jinbo and the others got out of the car, closed the door, and walked into the alley.

"Captain He, you've arrived?"

"What's going on now?"

Zhang Yong said, "We asked about that hotel up ahead. Fang Zhongtai first checked in at 4 a.m. on the 10th and has been staying there ever since."

He left the hotel at 6:30 PM and hasn't returned yet.

Yang Jinwen asked, "Have you checked the room he's staying in?"

Zhang Yong nodded: "We went in, and the clothes he changed out of were still there. In addition, we also asked the hotel front desk, and Fang Zhongtai has not yet checked out."

"So you mean we just wait for him to come back and then arrest him?"

"We don't know where this guy went, so we can only wait here for now. Once he shows up, he definitely won't be able to escape."

"Is he alone? Is there anyone else?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yong glanced at Yang Jinwen and thought to himself that this Captain Yang was not only young but also had many problems.

At this critical juncture, can't we wait until we catch the person before asking me questions?

However, he patiently replied, "The hotel receptionist said that he was the only one there."

Yang Jinwen frowned: "He killed four people and still dares to stay in a hotel and buy clothes so brazenly. This is a bit strange."

Zhang Yong didn't say anything more. He Jinbo wanted to say something, but since it wasn't his home turf, he kept quiet.

But after a while, Zhang Yong and his group couldn't stand it anymore and started making small talk.

One reason is that the weather is too cold, the temperature is almost below zero, and my face, hands, thighs, and feet are all cold.

Secondly, because it was taking too long, they imagined that Fang Zhongtai would return to the hotel soon, but by 2 a.m., he was still nowhere to be seen.

The detectives guarding the lobby were much better off, since it was indoors, but they still couldn't resist dozing off.

Three groups of people were hiding outside the hotel. A car was parked at the intersection ahead, with several older men sitting inside, taking turns watching the intersection. There was another group of people behind the hotel, also hiding in a car.

He Jinbo and his group, a total of seven or eight people, were in the alley next to the hotel.

Logically speaking, it doesn't take that many people to arrest one person; usually it's three against one or four against one.

There were about twenty criminal police officers lying in ambush inside and outside the hotel; this was considered a large-scale arrest operation.

Yang Jinwen mainly speculated that there were three people involved in the crime, so Zhang Yong thought it best to be prepared.

Besides, if such a big case can be solved successfully tonight, not only will we be able to brag about it, but we'll also easily gain credit.

So, how could the old hands of the Lingmeng County Criminal Investigation Brigade not come? They'd be missing out big time if they didn't!
At this moment, He Jinbo rubbed his hands together and glanced at his men.

Yao Weihua tucked his hands into his sleeves, leaned against the wall, and dozed off.

Qi Bin's face was red from the cold. He was about to close his eyes and doze off for a while when he raised his hand and slapped himself across the face.

After waking up, he blinked, and after a few seconds, he started to doze off again, then slapped himself in the face once more.

Cai Ting wasn't dozing off, but she was dressed very lightly, and her eyes blinked repeatedly.

He Jinbo said with concern, "Xiaoting, don't stay up with us, go and wait in the car for a while."

Cai Ting shook her head: "Thank you, Captain He, I'm not sleepy."

"You're a girl, don't ruin your health. Listen to me, go now."

"Alright then," Cai Ting replied and returned to the car.

At this moment, the cat, like a groundhog, would peek out from the corner of the wall and then pull its head back in, repeating this action every minute.

He Jinbo frowned and asked, "What are you doing?"

Cat turned around: "Master, I'm keeping watch."

"Hurry up, you should go and rest in the car too."

The cat shook its head: "I'm not sleepy."

He Jinbo ignored him and looked at Yang Jinwen, who had been wandering around the alley for a while and had just returned.

Yang Jinwen met his gaze and asked, "Captain He, there are people watching from both the front and back. Is it necessary for us to stay here?"

"What if Fang Zhongtai comes out of the alley?"

Yang Jinwen took a deep breath: "This alley is a dead end."

"What?" He Jinbo was dumbfounded. He quickly looked at Zhang Yong.

"Huh? A dead end?" Zhang Yong was instantly wide awake.

"If you don't believe me, go and see for yourselves. There are buildings all around, unless Fang Zhongtai also has accommodations in the alley."

Zhang Yong scratched the back of his head: "Sorry, it's my fault. I've been busy all day and didn't notice this."

Yao Weihua opened his eyes: "I've been here in the cold for more than two hours. I'm sure I'll catch a cold tomorrow."

Zhang Yong said with a forced smile, "Go to the car, everyone go to the car to sleep. I'll have the people from the county bureau keep an eye on things, and I'll call you if there's any movement."

Yao Weihua sniffed, put his arms around himself, and as soon as he stepped out of the alley, he immediately turned back.

"What's wrong?" He Jinbo was about to ask.

Zhang Yongshou's walkie-talkie immediately crackled to life: "Team Leader Zhang, Team Leader Zhang, there's a situation. Target spotted. Fang Zhongtai is back."

Zhang Yong immediately said, "Keep calm for now. We'll block him at the hotel entrance!"

"It's not just Fang Zhongtai!"

"There are several people."

At this moment, Yang Jinwen, standing in the corner, pulled his head back and replied, "Eight people!"

"What? Eight people? What's going on?"

Immediately afterwards, He Jinbo and Zhang Yong peeked out and saw a group of people walking towards the hotel from the intersection.

It was pitch black, and it was impossible to see which one was Fang Zhongtai.

Zhang Yong immediately asked, "Group One, are you sure Fang Zhongtai is among this group?"

"Yes, yes! Captain Zhang, you make the decision: should we arrest them or not?"

Zhang Yong was a little confused about the situation. How did it suddenly turn out like this?
Eight people? So many people were involved in the family annihilation case?

This is obviously unlikely, but if they don't arrest him, how can they rule out Fang Zhongtai's suspicion?

Twenty-odd people against eight, three against one? They can catch them, but if something unexpected happens, it will be difficult to handle.

He Jinbo said, "Captain Zhang, these people don't seem like good people. You need to make a decision quickly, otherwise it will be difficult to catch them once they enter the hotel."

Zhang Yong gritted his teeth, picked up the walkie-talkie, and ordered, "Move!"

Immediately afterwards, cars at the intersections in front and behind opened, and two groups of criminal police officers got out and blocked the roads in front and behind.

The old-timers in the hotel also guarded the main entrance.

He Jinbo and Zhang Yong quickly rushed out.

Yang Jinwen pulled out his Type 54 pistol, swung the hammer, and strode after him.

On the dark street, eight gangsters were stunned when they suddenly saw several groups of people rush out.

　After midnight, there was a bonus chapter for those who won monthly tickets, along with four more chapters, totaling 16,000 words. I'd like to thank everyone for their generous donations, especially the generous donation from the patron "Pixingjianxing" (披星剑星), for which I added an extra chapter; I really felt bad about it.

　　That night I just sat at the computer and typed out the words.

　　This is also a way of giving back to the book lovers, thank you.

　　oz2
　　oz2
　　
　
(End of this chapter)