Chapter 371: Tremors of the Past

Chapter 371: Something Big Is About to Happen

Inside the bathroom.

Woken by a splash of cold water, Fang Jie trembled uncontrollably as he stared in panic at the officers before him.

“Do you recognize these men?”

Xiao Yu raised his hand, displaying two photographs.

One showed the victim Cao Xude and the other revealed the victim Lu Shun.

“…”

Fang Jie examined the photos, his face etched with confusion and blank disbelief.

But why that expression?… Xiao Yu frowned.

It all made sense now.

Too many years had passed, and their appearances had changed drastically.

People are such forgetful creatures.

After years apart, one could easily forget a familiar face.

After ten or twenty years apart…

They might not even recognize each other when they meet again.

“They’re Cao Xude and Lu Shun. You really don’t remember them?”

Xiao Yu asked in a low, deliberate tone.

What no one expected was…

Though Fang Jie didn’t recognize the photos, the moment he heard the names his expression darkened—almost as if he’d heard a word of terror.

It felt like he had just heard something horrifying.

Panicked and terrified, he even struggled to swallow.

Such a reaction immediately caught the attention of Xiao Yu and the veteran members of the Criminal Investigation Team.

Something was definitely wrong!

But what exactly was it?

If he couldn’t place the photos, it surely meant he hadn’t seen them in many years.

That could only imply that something terrible had happened in the past.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t forget someone to the extent that even the mention of their names sent him into a panic.

Had Cao Xude and Lu Shun done something unspeakable?

Or did you all commit something together?

“I’m sorry.”

Xiao Yu looked at the two anti-narcotics officers with no trace of remorse. “I’m taking you in.”

This was an order, not a negotiation!

“No problem,”

Cheng Shuai and Li Helong nodded, their smiles strained.

If anyone from another unit spoke to their Sub-Team like that,

there wouldn’t have been a second before the situation turned sour.

Isn’t it basic to respect the chain of command?

But in Bincheng, the Criminal Investigation Team operated differently.

In Bincheng, who hasn’t heard of Xiao Yu, the man who once commanded a notorious breakout case over half a year ago?

Remember him as the mastermind behind that prison break?

With the entire city’s police force at his command, Xiao Yu’s name had long echoed throughout Bincheng.

Needless to say,

a 22-year-old Inspector First Class—impressive, isn’t it?

Truly shocking.

But are you really capable of crossing someone like him?

Alas, they would never know.

Xiao Yu was no longer even an inspector.

If his true rank and position were revealed,

it would terrify everyone to no end!

…

Interrogation Room, Criminal Investigation Team.

“We tracked you down and even showed you the photos of Cao Xude and Lu Shun.”

Xiao Yu fixed his icy gaze on Fang Jie sitting in the interrogation chair. “You know why, don’t you?”

Using intimidation is a standard tactic in police interrogations.

Some criminals simply can’t handle the pressure.

A little scare, and they confess everything.

Clearly, Fang Jie wasn’t mentally strong enough.

After Xiao Yu’s words,

Fang Jie’s face paled, his body shuddered, and he bowed his head in silence.

This behavior only deepened the suspicions.

Xiao Yu had a very bad feeling about this.

In the past, Fang Jie, Cao Xude, and Lu Shun—or even more people—

must have been involved in something truly horrific.

Such deductions were not far-fetched.

Those with dark secrets tend to panic, tremble, and fear when cornered.

Usually, minor transgressions only cause a bit of panic.

But what could possibly induce such sheer terror?

Could this really be something minor?

“Resist harshly, confess fully—you’ve got one chance.”

Xiao Yu spoke coldly, “Moreover… you’re not the ringleader. Are you really willing to take the fall for them? Are you sure you want to close off any way out and force yourself down a dead end?”

It was still a bluff.

Yet it was a well-calculated one.

The reason he insisted that Fang Jie wasn’t the mastermind

was due to the suspect’s weak mentality and character.

Such a person simply lacked leadership and charisma.

Still, Xiao Yu’s words shattered Fang Jie’s resolve completely.

They created a false certainty that the opposition knew everything.

He believed they had every detail.

They even knew he wasn’t the mastermind.

Fang Jie’s inner defenses crumbled…

“Alright, alright, I admit it.”

Overwhelmed and visibly terrified, Fang Jie stuttered, “I—I was involved. They forced me. I didn’t want it to be that way. Back then, if I refused, they beat me and even threatened to kill me. I had no choice but to… go along.”

Though it wasn’t yet clear what Fang Jie had done,

Xiao Yu’s investigative expertise suggested otherwise.

He knew something monumental was about to unfold!

“Very well. You haven’t lied, and your version matches our findings…”

A faint smile played on Xiao Yu’s face as he continued, “Now, tell me every detail from beginning to end. If your account lines up with our evidence, I can offer you a chance to make a useful confession and secure leniency.”

Guo Qiang, sitting silently as part of the jury, remained mute.

With an impassive expression, he turned and shot Xiao Yu a scrutinizing glance.

That look was as if he were staring at a demon.

Could such tactics really work?

If Xiao Yu ever turned to swindling, Guo Qiang shuddered just at the thought.

“It all started when we graduated from high school,”

Fang Jie, visibly drained and with his head bowed, slowly began, “Back then, I—”

Damn… Xiao Yu and Guo Qiang almost cursed under their breath.

High school graduation? You mean when you were seventeen or eighteen?

Seventeen or eighteen?

Brother, you’re already 41.

Weren’t you about to confess that the incident

must have happened at least twenty years ago?

What Fang Jie confessed next

completely changed the expressions on both Xiao Yu’s and Guo Qiang’s faces…

Over twenty years ago, there were five teenagers—boys and girls.

Not only close friends, they formed a tight-knit group.

They even gave their little circle a name.

Brotherhood!

They skipped recounting all the petty brawls and mischief.

Let’s get straight to the point.

After the college entrance exams, the five gathered together.

Some went on to university, while others entered the workforce.

Even those who went to college ended up in different schools, drifting apart.

After heavy drinking, one of the boys claimed he was still single and urged the girls to set him up.

The girl then called her closest friend—back then, not ‘best friend’ but ‘close sister.’

She invited one of her close friends over.

But everyone was extremely drunk—

and in the end…

The four boys gang-raped the girl who had arrived later.

And that wasn’t all.

Throughout the ordeal, the girl screamed and pleaded for help.

Someone covered her mouth.

They were all too intoxicated.

It wasn’t until the girl went limp

that they realized she was dead.

The five were terrified.

In the end, someone suggested hiding the girl’s body to avoid detection.

Otherwise, they were all doomed.

They found an iron box and a bicycle,

and went to a reservoir in Bincheng to dump the body into the water…