The crackdown on organized crime began with the arrest of the mother-in-law.

Chapter 1494 Interrogation of Tian Liang

The clock in the interrogation room ticked away, each tick like a blow to Tian Liang's heart. Ten minutes passed, and Tian Liang remained silent, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead, and his previously tense body beginning to sway slightly. Xiao Zhou knew that with a suspect whose psychological defenses were hardened but whose heart was already in turmoil, a direct attack would be useless; only irrefutable evidence could completely shatter his illusions.

"It seems you're determined to put up a fight to the end." Xiao Zhou slowly picked up an inspection report, gently placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Tian Liang. "Then let's start from the beginning. This is the comparison report of the footprints at the scene. The size 43 diamond-patterned rubber-soled shoe footprints extracted from the shallows of the Zhangjiagou River dam match perfectly with the tread pattern and pressure distribution of your usual shoes, even down to the subtle wear marks on the soles. You've been a carpenter for many years, so your center of gravity is forward when you walk, and the pressure on your forefoot is heavy. This characteristic is clearly reflected in the footprints. How do you explain that?"

Tian Liang's gaze fell on the report, his pupils suddenly contracted, his body stiffened abruptly, and the fierce look in his eyes instantly dimmed. He hurriedly looked away and lowered his head again. But he still didn't speak; his shoulders trembled even more violently, and cold sweat slid down his cheeks, dripping onto his clothes and spreading into a small, dark stain.

"It's alright if you don't speak, we have more evidence." Xiao Zhou picked up another DNA comparison report, his voice calm but every word piercing. "This is the DNA comparison result from the cigarette butts. The saliva DNA remaining on the cigarette butts extracted at the scene matches your DNA profile precisely. We've investigated; you've been smoking this kind of cheap flue-cured tobacco for years, and the brand is exactly the same as the cigarette butts at the scene. And that dark coat you discarded—the DNA on the cuffs is yours, the bloodstains are Zheng Guobin's, and the fibers match the samples extracted at the scene perfectly. How do you explain all this?"

Tian Liang's body began to tremble uncontrollably, his breathing became heavy, and his face gradually turned from pale to ashen. He bit his lip tightly until he tasted a trace of blood, then slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with fear and struggle, and squeezed out a hoarse sentence: "So what? I've been to his warehouse, and I've smoked by the river. The blood on my coat might have been from an accidental smear. That doesn't prove I killed him!"

"Accidentally scratched it?" Xiao Li sneered, taking out a photo of the murder weapon and placing it on the table. "What about this woodworking knife? The single-edged woodworking knife found in your rented apartment has a blade length, width, and material that perfectly match the sharp weapon identified by the forensic doctor. There's Zheng Guobin's blood and skin tissue on the blade, and the metal residue on the blade is the same as the scratch residue on the bluestone at the scene. This knife is one of your frequently used tools, and there are your fingerprints on it. You can't exactly say that this was also accidentally scratched, can you?"

Upon seeing the photo of the woodworking knife, Tian Liang seemed to have all his strength drained away. He instantly slumped into his chair, his eyes vacant, and all color drained from his face, leaving only a deathly pale complexion. His lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't utter a single word. His hands were clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, leaving several bloody marks.

Seeing this, Xiao Zhou knew that Tian Liang's psychological defenses were on the verge of collapse, so he softened his tone: "Tian Liang, there's no point in making excuses now. Confessing your crime is your only way out. According to the law, confessing can lead to a lighter or reduced sentence. Do you want to spend the rest of your life in prison with this secret? Your sister, Tian Yajuan, is still waiting for you. Can you bear to let her live a life of pain and guilt?"

“Sister…” Tian Liang murmured the name, tears finally welling up and streaming down his face. He covered his face with his hands, his shoulders heaving violently, suppressed sobs escaping through his fingers, his previously strong psychological defenses completely crumbling. After a long while, he lowered his hands, his face streaked with tears, his eyes filled with regret and despair, and said in a choked voice, “It was me…it was me who killed Zheng Guobin…”

Xiao Zhou and Xiao Li exchanged a glance, nodded slightly, and took out paper and pen to take notes. Xiao Zhou's tone softened a bit: "Tell me slowly, explain the whole story clearly, including your motive and the entire murder process."

Tian Liang took a deep breath, wiped away his tears, and stared blankly ahead, as if lost in memories. His voice was hoarse and low as he began to speak: "I hate Zheng Guobin, I've hated him for ten whole years... In these ten years, not a single day has gone by that I haven't thought about taking revenge on him and making him pay for what he did."

“Ten years ago, my sister and Tian Guobin were still husband and wife. They worked hard together, from selling vegetables at a stall to opening a supermarket. Only we know how much hardship they endured. But who knew that after Zheng Guobin became rich, he changed his heart. He not only hooked up with Zhang Guilan, the cashier at his supermarket, but also wanted to kick my sister out of the house with nothing.” Tian Liang’s eyes blazed with anger again, his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white. “My sister asked for a share of the property, but he not only disagreed, but also verbally abused her and even hit her. When I went to reason with him, he beat me black and blue and humiliated me in front of everyone, calling me a poor wretch, a good-for-nothing, and someone who could only rely on my sister for the rest of his life.”

"Later, during their divorce proceedings, Zheng Guobin transferred assets beforehand and bribed supermarket employees to testify. In the end, my sister only received a small amount of money and didn't even get a house. Zhang Guilan, on the other hand, married Zheng Guobin in a grand ceremony not long after, moved into the house my sister and he had worked so hard to build, and became the supermarket owner's wife." Tian Liang's voice was filled with resentment and bitterness, and tears streamed down his face again. "You can't even imagine how hard my sister has suffered all these years. She lives alone in a rented room, makes a living by doing odd jobs, and often cries in bed, but she never shows a trace of it to me. Every time I see her like that, my heart aches like it's being cut by a knife. I swear, I will make Zheng Guobin pay the price."

“For the past ten years, I’ve been keeping a close eye on Zheng Guobin’s movements, watching his business grow bigger and bigger, and his life get better and better, while my sister was living in misery. My hatred grew deeper and deeper. I’ve thought about taking revenge on him countless times, but I never had the chance, and my sister kept telling me not to do anything foolish, so I held back time and time again.” Tian Liang paused, his eyes turning sinister. “Until half a month ago, I accidentally learned that Zheng Guobin owed suppliers a large sum of money, and recently he’s been frequently going to the warehouse in the suburbs alone to take inventory of goods. I knew my chance had come.”