Diary of a Criminal Investigator

When Song Junwu heard Qin Yong say that Wang Fugui had pinned four murders on him, his expression changed dramatically, face turning ashen, and cold sweat breaking out.

Hearing the death penalty... haha.

This is a great start, Song Junwu... there’s hope of cracking him today.

Every day, Qin Yong personally interrogated Wang Fugui and Song Junwu, witnessing the changes in them from the day they were captured until now.

On the first day they were caught, both appeared calm and composed, showing no fear, and were as steady as a rock.

The same demeanor persisted on the second and third days; they responded to Qin Yong’s interrogations with a single phrase—waiting for their lawyer, and nothing more.

It was not until yesterday morning that they met with the lawyer from Songbei Mining Group.

Upon learning from the lawyer that they couldn’t avoid imprisonment, their emotions and attitudes changed significantly.

During yesterday afternoon and this morning’s interrogation, Wang Fugui didn’t look well, yet his emotions remained relatively stable.

When asked about the case during interrogation, he simply stated that whatever they said would be fine.

He was in a state of being unbothered by the boiling water.

Or maybe he still held on to some delusions about people outside, or perhaps he still had a trump card of his own.

During the following two days of interrogation, Wang Fugui’s performance was fairly stable, and he did not, as Qin Yong claimed, throw all the blame onto Song Junwu.

Song Junwu was different. When he found out about his inevitable imprisonment yesterday, his emotions became unstable, seemingly aging overnight.

During yesterday’s interrogation, his hair was still neat, but today it looked like a bomb went off in a henhouse.

From morning to now, his emotions have been on the verge of collapsing, and he no longer trusts Wang Fugui, filled with worries about his future.

This was the emotion Qin Yong most wanted to see. With this foundation of emotions, breaking through Song Junwu and uncovering the truth of all the cases wouldn’t be difficult.

"Of course, Wang Fugui hasn’t completely come clean yet. Out of the eight bodies, there are still four bodies he hasn’t confessed about."

"He claims not to know."

"But let’s set aside the other four remains and talk about Zhang Chi, Wang Yajuan, Wang Mingshan, and that police officer. How long do you think you’ll be staying in prison?"

"Or rather, do you think you’ll even have a chance to stay in prison?"

Is there even a chance to stay in prison?

This sentence was like a sharp knife piercing through Song Junwu’s last line of defense.

"Are you... saying I might be sentenced to death?"

"Might?" Qin Yong sneered, "Song Junwu, you really don’t understand the law at all."

"You are suspected of intentionally killing two police officers, along with two other lives. Four lives on your shoulders, and you think you won’t get the death penalty? Do you take the country’s laws as a mere decoration?"

"What’s more, we now have the surveillance video left by Wang Mingshan as evidence, and Wang Fugui’s testimony pointing you out as the mastermind."

"Your case is extremely severe and will certainly result in an immediate death sentence."

Death penalty...

These two words were like a grim reaper.

Song Junwu was dumbfounded for a long time, looking like his mind was emptied, slumped in the interrogation chair. If not for the restraints, he would have slipped down.

After a good ten minutes, it seemed like Song Junwu came back to life.

He looked silently at Qin Yong, slowly opened his mouth, voice hoarse.

"Captain Qin, I have to admit, you’re really skilled in interrogation."

Song Junwu’s voice at this moment compared to just now sounded like he had swallowed glass shards, utterly displeasing to the ear.

"But I’m not a three-year-old. Whether Wang Fugui really testified against me, the fact that you’re still here interrogating me means there’s room for negotiation, right?"

After the extreme blow, Song Junwu seemed to have come to his senses.

If the evidence Qin Yong had could sentence him to death, would he bother interrogating him again?

Or maybe they’re still hoping to get something from him.

And that information is Song Junwu’s bargaining chip.

"Song Junwu, you’re very clever. To be honest, you’re not our primary target. Whether you die or not doesn’t have a big impact on solving the case. What’s crucial is getting Wang Fugui, getting Songbei Mining Group."

"So I might not get the death penalty, right?"

"Song Junwu, as a police officer, I can tell you this: if you can provide major clues or show significant merit, your case will definitely be dealt with leniently."

"Such as commuting an immediate death sentence to a reprieve."

"Then you might have a chance to walk out of prison in your lifetime."

Death penalty... to a reprieve?

Song Junwu was silent.

This state of Song Junwu was exactly what Qin Yong wanted; only through the fear of death can one appreciate the value of life.

The eight skeletons under the Lion Mountain Bridge date back as far as 20 years, with the most recent being 5 years ago.

Finding evidence to solve the case over such a long time span is extremely difficult, hence, it’s essential for the involved parties to recount the events truthfully to restore the truth of the cases to the greatest extent.

Song Junwu was clearly one of the most crucial figures.

If he’s cracked, then the others can’t escape.

Thus, finding a way to get Song Junwu to volunteer information and cooperate is the most advantageous outcome.

"Song Junwu, you can think it over. I’ll give you one night. After thinking it through, tell me tomorrow whether you choose death or life."

"You’re actually luckier than Wang Mingshan and others because they had no choice over their life and death, but you... still have a chance."

With that, Qin Yong stood up, ready to end today’s interrogation.

"Wait!"

Qin Yong, who hadn’t yet stepped out of the interrogation room, was interrupted by Song Junwu’s voice.

"No need to ponder overnight, I understand the difference between life and death quite clearly. I choose to cooperate with you and expose all the crimes of Wang Fugui and the other original members of Songbei Mining Group."

"Not just the skeletons under Lion Mountain Bridge you’ve found; I also know the truth about the mining disaster of Songbei Mining Group back then, what’s reported outside that no one died isn’t the truth."

"Back then, 11 people died inside, all buried under the mine, and someone deliberately helped Songbei Mining Group cover it up, I know who that person is."

"I know all the secrets of Songbei Mining Group, and I want to trade these secrets for my life!"

Song Junwu wasn’t foolish; on the contrary, he was very clever.

He knew better than anyone what Songbei Mining Group had done over the years. If he didn’t expose Wang Fugui but took all the blame, sentenced to death...

The truly guilty remain unpunished while he himself dies, never to see his parents or children again.

Is it worth it?