I told Huang Jiayou, "Mishandling a corpse carries a sentence of 3 to 5 years, or at least 1 year if a sentence is imposed."
"Ah, thank you, officers. I really didn't participate in the murder. I just helped them dispose of the body for money!"
"We will confirm this later, and if it's true, we'll consider the sentencing. Additionally, we need you to pretend you weren't arrested and lure Brother Hong out. If you succeed, your chances of a lighter sentence will increase significantly!"
When Liu Yuning made the suggestion, Huang Jiayou suddenly hesitated. Mentioning Brother Hong seemed to make him fearful and unwilling to cooperate. I approached him again, took out a cigarette, and asked, "Do you want one?"
Huang Jiayou shook his head. "I don't smoke, sorry Officer He!"
It was the first time I'd encountered a criminal who didn't smoke. However, seeing Huang Jiayou's perfectly white teeth, he really didn't look like a smoker.
"Then would you like a drink?"
Huang Jiayou gave a wry smile and looked at me. "If you give me a nice drink, will you let me confess?"
"Heh, you're the one who wants to confess. We won't force you. It's your choice!"
"Alright, I'll agree. But if anything happens, you have to protect me! If Brother Hong finds out I'm working for the police, he'll kill me. He has many people backing him!"
"Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you. Your ability to get a lighter sentence this time depends on you. You know better than anyone what needs to be done." I smiled at him.
Huang Jiayou also smiled, as if he'd made up his mind, and nodded vigorously.
Around 7 PM, we faked Huang Jiayou's "release" and then secretly contacted him via radio. He proactively messaged Brother Hong on WeChat, saying he was short on cash and hoped Brother Hong could find him some work. He Xin had installed a software on Huang Jiayou's phone, allowing our provincial department to view his chat logs with Brother Hong.
"Brother Hong, where are we meeting tonight?"
"The usual place, it's safer. Are you sure the police aren't watching you lately?"
"Of course not. I've almost spent all the money you gave me last time, but at least the family matters are sorted."
"That's good. But you're quite quick with your spending. Two million gone in just a few days."
"It's my old mother back home. Her medical expenses are astronomical."
Seeing this, Liu Yuning grumbled, "Why does this guy always use the same excuse wherever he goes?"
I shook my head. "Maybe this time it's true."
We continued to check the chat logs and discovered they were to meet at 9:30 PM. Liu Yuning and I immediately discussed it, and we set up surveillance at Haodu Wharf around 8:30. We couldn't get too close and instead hid in a nearby forest, remaining extremely concealed. Since we didn't bring many people, we wouldn't be discovered.
Some other officers were disguised as dock workers near the wharf. But our Punishment Squad couldn't do that. We've become too well-known now. This is why I mentioned before that I didn't want to be famous. Once people in our line of work are widely recognized, it brings a lot of inconvenience to our work.
With the surveillance in place, Liu Yuning and I sat in a car not far from the wharf, pretending to be a couple. We sat there calmly, staying vigilant until suspicious individuals appeared.
I don't know how long we waited, but time seemed to fly by, and it was suddenly 9:30. I instructed each team to get into position and remain alert. Everyone responded softly. I noticed Huang Jiayou pacing back and forth on the wharf. I whispered, "Don't be too nervous. Just act normal!"
"I know, but this time is different. I can't control my emotions!"
"The more you feel like this, the more you need to relax. You don't want Brother Hong to find out, do you?"
Huang Jiayou took a deep breath before saying, "I understand!"
It was 9:35 PM on June 24, 2022.
After a few minutes of waiting, we saw a burly man arrive at the wharf on a motorcycle. As soon as he dismounted, he walked towards the edge of the wharf. He was heading in Huang Jiayou's direction. We immediately became alert. Several officers quietly asked if we should move in, but I told them not to act impulsively and to wait. When the burly man reached Huang Jiayou, he walked past him as if he didn't know him.
I saw Huang Jiayou's expression and realized he didn't recognize the burly man either. I pressed my earpiece and said, "I told you, we almost tipped him off!"
The officers responded softly. Then, for some reason, the burly man moved a little closer to Huang Jiayou. It was then that Huang Jiayou realized something was amiss. Before he could react, his heart erupted with blood. The burly man suddenly attacked, stabbing Huang Jiayou through the heart with a dagger, then kicked him into the sea! He then turned and jumped into the sea himself!
With a loud splash, waves surged across the sea. Liu Yuning and I rushed out of the car like madmen. The officers hidden in the forest and those on the wharf rushed towards the sea. Blood seeped across the surface of the water. The burly man had vanished into the sea. I cursed, telling people to retrieve Huang Jiayou's body, but we had no tools. We had to wait for the forensic team.
However, by the time they arrived, Huang Jiayou's body had slowly floated to the surface. He was clearly dead. Judging by Huang Jiayou's reaction when he first saw the burly man, the attacker was likely not Brother Hong, but someone sent by him to murder Huang Jiayou. His identity must have been exposed. He pretended not to know anything and invited him to meet here tonight, which was just a trap to ensnare Huang Jiayou and eliminate him.
Without Huang Jiayou, finding Brother Hong became even more difficult. Although we saw the burly man's figure earlier, he was wearing a black ski mask. Wait. If that's the case, it's understandable that Huang Jiayou couldn't recognize him immediately.
But then again, doesn't Brother Hong have many people backing him? If he wanted to silence someone, he wouldn't do it himself.
As Huang Jiayou's body was placed on the wharf, I took a cursory look. The cause of death was cardiac arrest due to massive blood loss from the aorta. I didn't want to look further. Everyone knew how he died and when. There was no value in an autopsy.
The body was quickly taken away. We watched the sea with some disappointment. The burly man had long since escaped. In fact, Xiao Yuande had dived into the sea earlier to search, but he wasted half an hour without finding anything.