frightfiction Chapter 938 Arresting the Murderer Zhou Ming
Chapter 938 Arresting the Murderer Zhou Ming
Zhao Yongqiang stared at the documents on the table, sweat rolling down his forehead. His hands began to tremble, and he finally spoke, "I...I didn't intend for him to kill anyone, I just wanted him to scare Wang Xiaoyu..." As these words left his lips, Zhao Yongqiang's taut nerves completely collapsed, and he began to confess to the entire crime. Meanwhile, the operation to capture Zhou Ming had quietly begun, and a large net was being quietly drawn towards this ruthless murderer.
At 2:00 AM on the 6th, the southern suburbs of Dongchuan City were shrouded in a thick, inky darkness. The abandoned factory where Zhou Ming was hiding was located on the edge of the city, surrounded by overgrown weeds, and the rusty barbed wire groaned in the wind. Qin Chuan stood outside the command vehicle, and through his binoculars, a faint red light shone from a window on the second floor of the factory's main building, like a vigilant eye.
After Li Ning reported the situation to Qin Chuan, Qin Chuan decided to take command personally this time. Although some deputy directors felt it was inappropriate, no one could stop Qin Chuan once he had made a decision.
"Zhou Ming is armed, so proceed with extreme caution." Qin Chuan lowered his voice and instructed the approaching assault team, "One group will feign an attack from the front entrance to draw fire; the second group will scale the wall and block the back door; the third group will use the terrain to reach the side windows and prepare to break in. Snipers, take your positions and be ready to provide support at any time." The team members nodded silently, their muscles taut beneath their tactical vests, the Type 92 pistols in their hands gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
The task force approached the factory stealthily, like cheetahs. Team leader Lao Wang, along with four members, crouched low and crept to the main entrance. The rusty iron door creaked, and they stopped abruptly. Only after confirming they hadn't alerted anyone inside did they continue their slow advance. Just then, the red light on the second floor suddenly went out, plunging the entire building into darkness.
"Attention! Target alert!" Qin Chuan warned over the walkie-talkie. Before he finished speaking, the sound of shattering glass came from inside the factory, followed by a gunshot as a bullet grazed Old Wang's helmet. "Charge!" Qin Chuan ordered, and a team of soldiers quickly kicked open the iron gate, the beams of tactical flashlights piercing the darkness.
Meanwhile, the second team used a retractable ladder to scale the wall and crawled forward through the weeds. Zhou Ming appeared at the back window, holding a homemade gun. "Don't move! Police!" The second team members raised their guns and aimed, but Zhou Ming pulled the trigger without hesitation. The shotgun shells hit the wall, sending up shards of stone. The team members immediately sought cover, and the dense gunfire echoed through the empty factory area.
Three teams had already reached the side window. The sniper locked onto Zhou Ming's position using the thermal imager and reported to Qin Chuan: "The target is in the east room on the second floor, preparing to move!" Qin Chuan immediately ordered: "Three teams, break the window; two teams, provide suppression; one team, flank and encircle!"
With a loud crash, three teams of team members smashed the windows with window breaker hammers and filed in. The room reeked of gunpowder smoke. Zhou Ming, hiding behind a dilapidated desk, fired wildly. The team members advanced under alternating cover, tactical smoke grenades exploding inside, quickly filling the room with white smoke. Zhou Ming coughed from the smoke and used the opportunity to move towards the stairs.
Just as he was about to rush down the stairs, a group of team members burst out from around the corner. Zhou Ming hurriedly retreated, only to find that a second group had already blocked his escape route. His eyes were bloodshot, and he brandished his homemade gun like a trapped beast: "Don't come any closer! We'll all die together!"
Qin Chuan emerged from the smoke, his voice steady: "Zhou Ming, you can't escape. Zhao Yongqiang has already confessed everything. Surrender now, and you might get a lighter sentence." Zhou Ming's hand trembled slightly, but he still said fiercely, "Trying to catch me? Dream on!"
During the stalemate, the sniper relayed a message over the radio: "Target is holding a gun in his right hand and unarmed in his left. Precision shooting is possible!" Qin Chuan raised his hand, signaling his team to remain calm, and simultaneously gave the sniper the signal to move out.
"Bang!" A crisp gunshot rang out, the bullet striking Zhou Ming's wrist precisely. The homemade gun fell to the ground with a thud, and Zhou Ming screamed as he collapsed to his knees. His teammates swarmed him, pinning him to the ground and expertly handcuffing him. Zhou Ming, panting heavily, his face filled with resentment and despair, muttered, "You guys are ruthless..."
The incandescent light in the interrogation room was blinding. Zhao Yongqiang's hands were cuffed to an iron table, and a thick stack of evidence lay before him. His gold-rimmed glasses sat askew on his nose, and his tie hung loosely in front of his chest. He seemed to have lost all his energy. Meeting Li Ming's gaze, he suddenly coughed violently, and cloudy tears streamed down his cheeks.
“I really didn’t mean for him to kill anyone…” Zhao Yongqiang’s voice was hoarse. “Wang Xiaoyu found out about my falsifying accounts at the company. At first, she only asked for 20 yuan as hush money. But later she went too far, saying she would take a USB drive to report me. It contained all the evidence of my embezzlement of public funds over the years. I… I panicked.” He tugged at his collar, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I met Zhou Ming in the southern suburbs. He’s been to jail and has a history with the underworld. I thought I’d have him scare Wang Xiaoyu, teach her a lesson, and make her stop bothering me.”
Li Ming opened the notebook, his tone icy: "On the 25th, you gave Zhou Ming a black bag in the southern suburbs. What was inside?"
“It was 100,000 yuan, along with Wang Xiaoyu’s address and photo.” Zhao Yongqiang closed his eyes and shook his head in anguish. “I told him that as long as Wang Xiaoyu didn’t dare mention the report again, that would be enough, but who knew…” He suddenly became agitated and leaned forward. “I really didn’t make him kill anyone! I swear to God!”
In the other interrogation room, Zhou Ming leaned back in his chair with his legs crossed, seemingly unconcerned, his face still bearing lingering bruises. When Zhang Lin slammed the murder weapon, a dagger, onto the table, Zhou Ming finally stopped smiling, staring at the mottled bloodstains on the dagger, a flicker of fear crossing his eyes.
"Tell me the details on the night of the 30th." Zhang Lin's voice was devoid of any emotion.
Zhou Ming licked his dry lips and began to recount his story. “That night, I took coffee laced with sleeping pills to Wang Xiaoyu’s house. She was quite wary; at first, she wouldn’t let me in. I told her that Brother Zhao had sent me to deliver something. She hesitated for a moment before opening the door.” His eyes darted around as he recalled the scene. “Shortly after she drank the coffee, she became dizzy. I pressed her to tell me where the USB drive was, but she wouldn’t say. I only wanted to teach her a lesson, but…” He paused abruptly, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “When she collapsed on the sofa, her clothes were a little disheveled, and I… I couldn’t help myself…”
"So you violated her first, and then killed her to cover it up?" Zhang Lin interrupted him.
Zhou Ming suddenly became agitated, pulling hard on the handcuffs with both hands: "Yes! I admit it! I acted impulsively, and by the time I realized it, she was already dead! I was afraid of being exposed, so I slashed her neck with a dagger, cleaned up the scene, and wiped away all the blood." He was panting heavily, veins bulging on his forehead, "Later, I sent the photo frame over, trying to distract you, and then I threw the murder weapon into the river."