funbook-pk Chapter 1282 and the Murderer
Chapter 1282 and the Murderer
These words were like a sharp knife, instantly piercing Zhang Jianjun's last pretense. His crying abruptly stopped, his hands fell from his face, his eyes were bloodshot and filled with fear and remorse. "I was wrong... I shouldn't have killed him... He forced me to!" His voice was broken, his body shaking violently with agitation, the handcuffs clanging against the armrests, the sound particularly jarring in the silent interrogation room. "That bastard Zhao Baotian, renting my house, dared to negotiate with me, threatening to report me for raising the rent a little! If I didn't kill him, he would have ruined my business!"
“Tell me in detail how you conspired with Zhou Hao? How did you lure Zhao Baotian to the parking lot? And how did you kill him?” Xiao Wang handed over a tissue, his tone softening somewhat—he knew that Zhang Jianjun’s psychological defenses had collapsed, and now was the best time to obtain the complete facts of the crime.
Zhang Jianjun wiped away his tears, took a deep breath, and began to recount his story haltingly, his voice thick with nasal congestion: "Zhou Hao and I are distant relatives. Last year, he owed me 5 yuan for gambling and hasn't been able to pay it back. Zhao Baotian rented my shop to open a barbershop, and the contract is about to expire. I wanted to raise the rent, but he disagreed and said, 'This building is illegally renovated. I'll report you to the Housing and Construction Bureau and make sure you can't rent it out.' I panicked when I heard that. That shop is my main source of income. If I get reported, I'm finished."
He paused, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes: "I thought of Zhou Hao. I asked him out for drinks and told him, 'That barber Zhao Baotian messed with me. Help me teach him a lesson so he won't dare to act so arrogantly towards me again. The 5 yuan he owes me will be wiped clean, and I'll give you an extra 2 yuan.' Zhou Hao hesitated at first, saying, 'It's just a lesson, I can't kill him.' I wasn't thinking of killing Zhao Baotian at the time, so I agreed."
"Why did you decide to kill him later?" Xiao Wang pressed, his pen scribbling rapidly in his notebook while closely observing Zhang Jianjun's expression to determine if he was concealing crucial details.
Zhang Jianjun's body began to tremble again, as if recalling the terrifying scene: "Three days before the incident, I asked Zhou Hao to go to the barbershop to find Zhao Baotian and tell him, 'I've thought it through. I won't raise the rent, and I even want to give you some extra money for renovations. Meet me tonight in the parking lot of the Oriental Building, and I'll give you the money.' Zhao Baotian might have been a little suspicious, but he still agreed. On the night of the incident, I went to the parking lot early and prepared a bottle of mineral water laced with sedatives in my car—I had bought those drugs when I had insomnia, thinking that if Zhao Baotian drank them, he wouldn't have the strength to resist, making it easier for us to teach him a lesson."
"Around 9:15, Zhou Hao arrived with Zhao Baotian. When Zhao Baotian saw me, he was quite wary and asked me, 'Where's the money?' I told Zhou Hao to hand the bottle of water to Zhao Baotian and said, 'Drink some water first. The money is in my car. Come with me to get it.' Zhao Baotian didn't think much of it and took the bottle, drinking most of it. About 10 minutes later, he started to feel dizzy and was unsteady on his feet. Zhou Hao and I helped him to the fire escape."
Zhang Jianjun's voice trailed off, his eyes filled with terror: "I originally just wanted to beat him up to stop him from reporting me. But Zhao Baotian suddenly came to his senses and pointed at me, cursing, 'Zhang Jianjun, you bastard, you're trying to harm me! I'll never let you go, even if it kills me!' I panicked when I heard that, afraid he would really report me later. In a moment of madness, I told Zhou Hao, 'We can't let him go, if we let him go we're finished.' Zhou Hao even advised me, 'Don't kill him, it'll cause a huge problem.' But I was already out of control, so I pushed him away and used the sleeve of Zhou Hao's hoodie to strangle Zhao Baotian's neck, choking him hard."
“After strangling him for a few minutes, Zhao Baotian stopped moving. Zhou Hao and I were both stunned and stood there for a long time without reacting. Later, Zhou Hao came to his senses first and said, ‘Hurry up and deal with the scene so that no one finds out.’ We dragged Zhao Baotian’s body to the corner of the parking lot. I took a fake business card that I had prepared beforehand from the car and stuffed it into his pocket, trying to mislead the police. Zhou Hao opened Zhao Baotian’s tool bag, took out his ID card and bank cards, and threw them into the trash can. Then we went our separate ways. I told Zhou Hao not to tell anyone, or I would kill his whole family.”
"Why did you choose the parking lot of the Oriental Building as the crime scene? Why did you forge a fake business card with the name 'Chen Feng' on it?" Xiao Wang noticed the key details and further confirmed the premeditated crime.
Zhou Hao's tears flowed again, his voice filled with regret: "I used to rent an office in the Oriental Building, and I knew the surveillance cameras on the B2 level were broken, so no one would find out; I made the fake business cards at a roadside stall, thinking that if the police saw the cards, they would check 'Chen Feng' and wouldn't suspect me. I thought I had done it flawlessly, but I didn't expect you to find out anyway..."
The interrogation lasted for more than five hours. Zhang Jianjun fully confessed to the entire process, from his conflict with Zhao Baotian over a rent dispute, to his recruitment of Zhou Hao to conspire, to luring Zhao Baotian to the parking lot, his impulsive murder, and the staged scene. Every detail was completely consistent with Zhou Hao's confession, the results of the on-site investigation, and the forensic autopsy conclusions—the source of the sedative drugs, the characteristics of the strangulation tool, the location where the fake business card was forged, and even the detail of "discarding the ID card and bank card" matched the items found by the police in the parking lot's trash can.
When Xiao Wang asked him to sign the interrogation record, Zhang Jianjun's hand trembled violently, the pen tip leaving crooked marks on the paper, almost tearing it several times. After signing, he suddenly bowed deeply to Xiao Wang, his voice choked with emotion: "I know I have committed an unforgivable crime. I am sorry to Zhao Baotian and his family. I am willing to accept the punishment of the law, I only ask to give them an explanation."
Looking at Zhang Jianjun's remorseful expression, Xiao Wang knew that no amount of repentance could bring Zhao Baotian back to life. However, Zhang Jianjun's complete confession finally revealed the truth behind this murder case hidden in the underground parking lot of the Oriental Building. He put away the interrogation record and said to the police officer at the door, "Take Zhang Jianjun downstairs and process his detention according to procedure."
As Xiao Wang stepped out of the interrogation room, darkness had fallen. Standing in the corridor, gazing at the night outside the window, he knew that the success of this case was inseparable from the efforts of every team member and the meticulous handling of evidence. Zhang Jianjun and Zhou Hao, for their own selfish gain, had taken another's life, and would ultimately pay a heavy price for their crimes. As police officers, their duty was to uphold justice, ensuring that every crime received its due punishment and that every victim found solace.