Chapter 115: Deep Bonds of Brotherhood (Requesting Monthly Votes)

After hearing this, Ning Zhiheng finally understood why Chen Yanqing’s expression had been so grim earlier. The woman he admired was already spoken for, and as a mistress at that—it was easy to imagine how he felt.

However, Ning Zhiheng knew Chen would have to work through such personal matters on his own; he had no interest in meddling with affairs of the heart.

The three criminals had interrogated and killed two habitual thieves the night before last, which meant they must have occupied this secluded residence by the day before yesterday at the latest. If they had broken in and forcibly taken over the property, Guo Ruxue would have been captured or killed by then. Yet, since it was confirmed that she was still alive yesterday, the logic didn't hold. There was, of course, another possibility: Guo Ruxue had handed over the house to the criminals herself to facilitate their activities.

She was their accomplice.

"Do you know this man's name?" Ning Zhiheng asked next.

"Miss Guo never spoke about her man. You see, for a girl to be someone's mistress, it's not exactly a glorious thing, so I never asked. I only ever heard Miss Guo call him 'Old Dai.' I don't know which 'Dai' it is, though," the middle-aged woman replied.

Ning Zhiheng nodded. He glanced at the street, where the lockdown was still in effect, and saw many citizens had been trapped for a long time. He turned to Shi Hong and Liu Datong. "The suspects are caught. Lift the blockade and call off the men."

Upon receiving the order, the two men immediately gathered their subordinates. The police withdrew, and the action team members returned to Ning’s side. As soon as the blockade was lifted, the street quickly filled with people, returning to its usual bustling state.

Ning Zhiheng immediately had someone bring paper and a pen. Guided by the middle-aged woman’s descriptions, and through constant adjustments, he finally completed a portrait of the man named Dai.

Seeing the finished sketch, the woman clicked her tongue in amazement. "My, little officer, you have quite the talent! It looks just like the real person!"

Ning Zhiheng gave her a sharp look. An officer was an officer—what was with this "little officer" business? Forget it; a gentleman doesn't argue with women. After asking a few more details, such as the location of the jewelry shop where she had seen Guo Ruxue, he politely sent her on her way.

With this part of the mission successfully concluded, Ning handed the portrait to Liu Datong. "The priority is finding this man. I'm leaving this to you. We have his likeness now, and according to the woman, he is about 1.7 meters tall. As for his name, whether it is the 'Dai' for 'hat' or the 'Dai' for 'substitute' isn't certain, though it is likely the former. He must be wealthy; otherwise, he wouldn't have spent a fortune buying such a large house for a mistress. He usually has bodyguards with him."

"Focus your search around the jewelry shop on South Street where Guo Ruxue appeared. Pay special attention to the shop assistants and the manager. People in business are sharp and likely pay close attention to wealthy customers; they might even know him. Take plenty of men. If they are ignorant and try to hide his identity, arrest them immediately and interrogate them harshly. Finding him will lead us to Guo Ruxue. However, as a lone woman with little contact with the outside world, the chance of her knowingly helping these criminals is slim. In fact, I am now almost certain that this man is the one who has been in contact with the three criminals. He may have even dispatched them to find the family seal."

"It is already five o'clock in the afternoon. You must move quickly. Once you find him, do not alert him—report to me immediately!"

"I am going to the detention center now to interrogate the three criminals. I will get their testimony directly. If we attack this from both sides, we should be able to find the mastermind soon!"

Liu Datong took the portrait and nodded. "Don't worry, Officer Ning. With this many clues, if I still can't find him, I, Liu Datou, won't have the face to follow you anymore! I'll find him for you in two hours at the latest!"

Ning Zhiheng nodded, gave a few final instructions, and Liu Datong quickly departed.

Ning Zhiheng then hurried his team to the police detention center, where Sun Jiacheng was already prepared to interrogate the Zuo siblings.

Entering the dim interrogation room, Ning looked at the siblings, who were tightly bound to heavy wooden pillars. He walked straight up to Zuo Gang and asked coldly, "Name?"

Zuo Gang stared at him, saying nothing. Ning did not repeat the question; he did not have the patience to waste time with desperadoes. He waved over the head jailer, Old Liao. "Use whatever effective methods you have. Do not touch the woman—I know you have some despicable tricks for female prisoners, but I don't like it. Do as you please with the other two, but I want them to answer my questions honestly!"

At these words, the Zuo siblings felt a great weight lift from their hearts. Among the three, Zuo Rou was clearly the weak link. In this era, prisons were the darkest, most depraved places in society, especially for women. Many female prisoners could not endure the interrogation, suffering immense humiliation and often ending their lives in suicide. The three siblings had relied on each other in these chaotic times; Zuo Gang and Zuo Qiang could disregard their own safety, but they were deeply worried about Zuo Rou. That was precisely why they had surrendered during the arrest—to prevent her from being harmed.

When they were first brought into the interrogation room, they were terrified that the officers would subject Zuo Rou to vile punishments. Ning’s decision to exclude her from the start earned a flicker of genuine appreciation from them, despite the cold, vicious aura he radiated. While Ning was naturally calm and suspicious, rarely feeling close to others, he had been well-educated. His upbringing, coupled with the influence of his past life, gave him a sense of respect for women that was rare for this era. If Zuo Rou were truly guilty of some heinous crime deserving of death, he would rather execute her himself than allow her to be humiliated or tortured. That was his bottom line.

Old Liao’s eyes lit up. A few days ago, during the Cui Er case, he had hoped to impress Officer Ning, but the suspect had confessed before he could even lift a finger. This was another chance, and he was determined to perform brilliantly.

"Don't worry, Officer Ning. Even if the prisoner is made of stubborn iron, I can make them speak. Just watch!" Old Liao boasted, patting his chest.

As a seasoned jailer, he had his methods. He went all out, first lashing Zuo Gang and Zuo Qiang with salt-water-soaked whips until they were covered in blood. When they still refused to talk, he brought out the "Paper Masking" technique he had prepared for Cui Er.

When he brought out a basin of cold water and a stack of thick kraft paper, the siblings' expressions shifted; they clearly knew the severity of this torture.

Old Liao glanced at Ning, who was sitting in a chair. Ning nodded. Old Liao waved his hand, and several guards stepped forward to pin Zuo Gang’s head. A piece of cold, wet kraft paper was pressed over his face. Zuo Gang immediately felt his breath hitch; sweat poured down his head. He struggled violently, but it was futile. He let out a muffled groan as another sheet was added. He struggled even harder, but to no avail! Then, a third sheet followed!

Zuo Rou, who had been silent until now, finally broke down. "Let my brother go! I know! Ask me! I'll tell you everything!"

No one paid her any mind. As long as Officer Ning didn't speak, no one dared to stop.

Amidst Zuo Rou's pleas, more time passed. Watching Zuo Gang’s increasing agony—the suffocating, death-like terror that no ordinary person could endure—Ning finally spoke in a cold voice. "It is always like this. Only after tasting bitterness do they realize what's what."

He waved his hand to stop Old Liao. "Pause."

Zuo Rou cried out, "Take it off! Hurry, take it off! My brother is dying! Please! I beg you!"

Seeing Ning nod, Old Liao reached out and peeled the paper from Zuo Gang’s face. The moment it was removed, Zuo Gang gasped for air. The sudden, violent intake of breath caused his lungs to ache, his facial muscles contorting and twitching as he groaned in agony.

Ning Zhiheng turned his cold gaze to Zuo Rou. "My not touching you doesn't mean I am soft-hearted. I have my own bottom line as a man, but I have no such reservations regarding your brothers! Now, are you willing to answer my questions honestly?"

Zuo Rou looked at Ning, who seemed to radiate a chill, and felt all resistance vanish.

"Ask... I'll tell you everything," Zuo Rou replied, her voice filled with despair.

"Names?" Ning asked.

"We are siblings. My brother is Zuo Gang, I am Zuo Rou, and my younger brother is Zuo Qiang."

"Why did you illegally occupy someone else's house? And who killed the two men in the courtyard?"

"It was me!"
"It was me!"
"It was me!"

The three siblings spoke in unison, scrambling to take the blame. Ning nodded to himself. Though they were vicious and desperate, their bond was undeniably deep; that much, at least, was commendable.

"Xiao Rou, this isn't something you can just claim! Are you crazy?" Zuo Gang scolded his sister, then turned to Ning. "Officer, I killed them. My sister is afraid to even kill a chicken; how could she possibly commit murder?"

Zuo Qiang chimed in, "That's right, that's right! My sister is timid—she couldn't have killed anyone. I did it!"

The three began to bicker incessantly. Annoyed, Ning slammed his palm against the table with a deafening thud.

"All of you, shut up!"