Chapter 278: The Bloodstained Robe

The slaughterhouse owner was slightly chubby and well-fed, with a rounded face.

The interrogation chairs at the case center were all widened; even he fit snugly inside, giving a sense of perfect space utilization.

When speaking of the murder case, the slaughterhouse owner was nervous yet carried a hint of relief. Liu Jinghui immediately grew serious.

He wasn't an actor; ordinary people can't fake such expressions unless they're truly burdened.

Liu Jinghui judged him to be a key witness, and the information he possessed was likely far from simple.

Liu Jinghui quickly glanced around and, seeing Jiang Yuan and the others were present, turned to the slaughterhouse owner and said, "Li Hui, you claim you're not the murderer—then do you know who is?"

After a few seconds of hesitation, the slaughterhouse owner Li Hui said, "I know."

Liu Jinghui took a deep breath. Sure enough—this man was involved even deeper than he'd suspected.

Liu Jinghui immediately asked, "Did you participate in the murder, or did you witness it?"

Li Hui said, "Neither. But I know who did it."

Liu Jinghui asked, "Who?"

"Li Tangyi," Li Hui said. "He's a distant nephew of mine."

His eyes fixed earnestly on Liu Jinghui, waiting for a response.

Liu Jinghui understood a little, but still asked, "What are the three characters for Li Tangyi? What are his physical features?"

"Li from the Li family, Tang from the Tang dynasty, yi meaning 'meaning.' He's a cripple, quite sturdy, wears specially made shoes…" Li Hui listed a long description.

But upon hearing "cripple," Liu Jinghui and the others had already confirmed it.

With millions of people in the world, the odds of encountering another suitable cripple were extremely low.

Moreover, this detail was unknown to the special task force before Jiang Yuan's involvement. Whether Li Hui fabricated it or not, his status as a credible witness was now solidified.

Liu Jinghui slowly nodded, confirmed that Wang Chuan had taken notes, then asked, "Do you know where Li Tangyi is?"

"He went to Qiongnan. That's what I heard." Li Hui said.

Liu Jinghui grunted, "Any contact?"

"None."

"Do you have proof?"

Li Hui fell silent again for several seconds, then said, "Yes."

The officers watching the monitor exchanged glances, looking bewildered. This wasn't just a witness—they'd found the special task force's own lead investigator.

Liu Jinghui was equally surprised and skeptical. "What proof? Where is it?"

"The bloodstained clothes Li Tangyi wore during the murder—I wrapped them in a plastic bag and hid them behind the plaque in the ancestral hall." Li Hui described the location in detail.

The ancestral hall in Dawan Village resembled that of Jiang Village—a permanent structure within the village, with many plaques hanging inside upon entry.

Li Hui hid the bloodstained clothes behind a plaque reading "Filial Piety and Integrity," where no one would likely search.

Liu Jinghui immediately dispatched people to retrieve it.

Without being asked, Li Hui continued, "After Li Tangyi committed the murder, he and his wife came to the back courtyard of the slaughterhouse to find me. He had blood on him then, claiming he'd fallen."

Li Hui paused, then spoke slowly: "I'm a pig butcher by trade. I know what blood looks like from a fall versus what it looks like from a spray. Seeing Li Tangyi's condition, I immediately called his father and told him, 'Your distant nephew has arrived—I'll take care of him.'"

Li Hui closed his eyes briefly, then added, "You see how fat I am now, but back then, I could lift a pig with one hand. I was the night watchman in the slaughterhouse courtyard, and right beside me was an iron bar. I pulled open the drawer, dumped out all the cash inside—several thousand yuan, meant for buying pigs—and gave it all to Li Tangyi. I told him, 'You and your wife went through a lot—this is for setting up your home.'"

Here, Li Hui sounded both proud and wistful. "Li Tangyi discussed it with his wife, then asked me for a change of clothes and left. When the slaughterhouse workers arrived, I took one of them and searched the nearby trash bin—we found the bloodstained clothes."

"What's the worker's name?"

"Li Jinzhou. I had him write a statement and placed it with the clothes." Li Hui sighed. "Later, I learned he'd killed a taxi driver. But the man had already fled. Then his father called again, talking nonsense, even asking after my parents and children. I thought about it… and said nothing."

Li Hui's preparation left Liu Jinghui feeling disappointed.

Frankly, the standard interrogation process for active cases is exactly this: painstakingly investigating clues, finding a suspect, making him confess, then listening to his trivial excuses…

Here, "trivial excuses" are particularly important—because in modern society, trivial motives for murder have become common components of homicide cases.

This isn't an era of passionate idealism, but an era of passionate murder. Most people don't kill after carefully weighing interests or emotional conflicts—they simply lose control.

And murders committed in such fits of rage are often even cruder than thefts.

Yet some cases, by sheer coincidence, happen to receive justice.

Like Li Hui's retreat.

Liu Jinghui looked at Li Hui and applied slight pressure: "Do you know what you've done? You're shielding a criminal."

"He threatened to kill my whole family. What could I do? And…" Li Hui glanced at Liu Jinghui, a faint sneer on his lips. "Li Tangyi's aunt is the mistress of a leader in Shahe Town. That leader later got promoted to Changyang City. Li Tangyi's aunt even came to see me herself. You guess why I stopped doing business?"

Eleven years is enough time to change many things.

Liu Jinghui decisively paused the interrogation. "If what you've said is true, someone will be punished. I'm from the provincial bureau—Changyang City can't touch me. I'm contacting the prosecutor now…"

Seeing Liu Jinghui wasn't lying, Li Hui's expression sagged again.

For him, there was almost no perfect solution. From the moment Li Tangyi appeared before him in bloodstained clothes, Li Hui had no option to walk away unscathed. Every step he took seemed like a choice—but no one ever cared about him.

Even Liu Jinghui was much the same.

…

In the monitoring room, Jiang Yuan and the others remained silent.

Liu Jinghui came out, made several calls, then tucked away his still-warm phone and smiled at Jiang Yuan. "Don't worry—we're just preparing a foolproof strategy. I've handled far more complex cases than this. A mud eel won't stir up a storm."

Jiang Yuan asked, "What's next?"

Liu Jinghui said, "Yu Wen's team will go arrest Li Tangyi and question the worker. Everyone must maintain strict confidentiality."

When there was work to do, Liu Jinghui called Yu Wenshu "Yu Zhi"—very practical.

After a while, Yu Wenshu himself arrived.

He first met with Liu Jinghui and the others, then smiled: "Don't carry any psychological burdens. Bad apples exist everywhere. Of course, the case isn't over yet—we won't yet define the nature of the 'horse.' But the investigation has been executed beautifully. An eleven-year cold case solved in one stroke—I'll recommend everyone for commendation."

His words lifted everyone's spirits.

Wan Baoming, who had come along, beamed with pride. "This case was hard because we had to identify the slaughterhouse—and its owner. The previous task force never even looked here; the slaughterhouse was operating normally."

The previous task force had been made up of their own detectives. Wan Baoming still gave them a few kind words, but everything he said subtly praised Jiang Yuan.

Yu Wenshu looked at Jiang Yuan with clear delight.

Solving cold cases is something every detective team must do—and the more they do, the more rewarding it becomes.

Many detective teams don't attempt them—not because they dislike it, but because they lack the ability or confidence.

For a Changyang City-level detective team, the cost of solving a cold case doesn't matter—as long as it's legitimate. Even if it takes thousands of officers to screen, Yu Wenshu would accept it. As long as the case is solved, such expenses become proof of resolve.

But most detective teams simply can't guarantee a resolution—in other words, they can't bear the cost of spending immense time, energy, and money with nothing to show for it.

Having a subordinate who can solve cases is an invaluable asset to any detective team.

"By the way, Jiang Yuan—how are you adjusting to daily life here?" Yu Wenshu ignored everyone else and walked over to Jiang Yuan, asking after his well-being.

Jiang Yuan smiled. "I'm used to it. Life here is similar to home."

"Being away from home always brings discomfort—especially on business trips. Oh, almost forgot—write a report and apply for a travel allowance." Yu Wenshu looked at Jiang Yuan, unsure how to treasure him, and all he could think of was sending money.

Jiang Yuan said, "The team already gives me a travel allowance…"

"That's theirs. Ours is ours. Our Changyang City Detective Branch's staffing and benefits are quite good." Yu Wenshu glanced at Jiang Yuan's rank and added, "With your rank here, promotions will come much faster."

Jiang Yuan pretended not to understand and changed the subject: "Changyang City has a large population and many murders—it's definitely challenging to work here…"

"That's right, our Changyang City…"

"Yu Zhi, I've finished my part in this case. Can we take a few days off before starting the next one?" Jiang Yuan interrupted Yu Wenshu.

Yu Wenshu still wore a doting smile. "Of course, of course. A few days' rest is deserved. I'll notify you once the suspect is in custody."

"Li Tangyi was just lucky," Liu Jinghui said now, calm and composed. "Li Tangyi's family conditions were far better than those of ordinary slaughterhouse workers, yet he chose to work there—likely due to his family background and physical condition. This is a point the active case task force overlooked."

Liu Jinghui drew everyone's attention again. "Li Tangyi came to work at the slaughterhouse with his wife—that's unusual for ordinary workers. I suspect he had some intention toward this industry."

"Likely because of his limp, Li Tangyi took taxis. For some reason, he killed the taxi driver, then abandoned the car and walked several kilometers back. Given his mobility, he must have reached his limit."

"Under such extreme conditions, he still sought out the slaughterhouse owner, Li Hui. Either he was desperate and turned to the only person he knew, or he needed a place to change clothes—or perhaps he even planned to eliminate Li Hui. Li Hui was the only person who knew he was coming. Kill Li Hui, and Li Tangyi would effectively cease to exist."

"It's unclear whether Li Tangyi's wife played any role during this time, but logically, they must have discussed it."

Liu Jinghui grunted. "Once we catch Li Tangyi and his wife, we can ask them."

Yu Wenshu smiled and said "good," but his affection for Liu Jinghui clearly didn't match his fondness for Jiang Yuan. Whether he guessed right or wrong now didn't matter—he wasn't running an amusement park.

He wanted solved cases and evidence. Whether the process was perfect? He didn't care at all.