Diary of a Criminal Investigator-Chapter 272: Time Is Life

"Tiger, we’ve known each other for more than a year or two. We met when you first went in."

Although Chen Feng doesn’t have much experience in criminal interrogation, he’s dealt with people at the station just as much, if not more, than the Criminal Investigation Team.

There is naturally an effective set of communication methods at the police station.

There are different approaches for dealing with first-time offenders and repeat offenders.

Wang Guojun nodded: "The first time I went in, thanks to you, you took care of my mom for two years, and I’ve always remembered that."

"It’s just... Director Chen, in this life, I can’t repay your kindness. I’ll have to repay you in the next life."

"There’s no need for that in the next life. We’ve taken care of many elderly people at the station."

"If you really care about your mom, just tell me where the person is hidden."

"As long as the person is okay, your kidnapping won’t get you too many years, and you can still come out and take care of your mom."

Wang Guojun obviously felt more at ease talking to Chen Feng than to Ren Qiang, without showing much hostility.

"Director Chen, you don’t need to try to fool me with that."

Wang Guojun pointed to his own head: "I was in prison for those years, and I didn’t do much else."

"I read a lot of books, especially on criminal law, Director Chen. You might not believe it, but I can recite criminal law by heart now."

Not caring about Chen Feng’s astonished look, Wang Guojun continued: "The charge of kidnapping is different from murder or sexual assault."

"Murder has attempted murder, and sexual assault has attempted sexual assault."

"As long as it’s attempted, it means the crime hasn’t been completed, so the sentencing is lighter."

"There’s no such thing as attempted kidnapping, Director Chen. The minimum penalty for kidnapping, according to the criminal law, is ten years."

"If the circumstances are serious, it’s life imprisonment."

"Only if the circumstances are minor can it be between five and ten years, but in my situation..."

"Heh."

Wang Guojun looked up: "Director Chen, can I have a cigarette?"

Chen Feng didn’t refuse Wang Guojun’s request. He took out his own cigarette, lit it, and handed it to Wang Guojun, who was strapped to the interrogation chair.

The other party took the cigarette and took a deep drag: "These things, you smoke one less each time..."

"I deliberately orchestrated it, bribed someone close to Liu Bai, trapped the manager of the guest room department at Haotai Hotel, and collaborated with others to kidnap a public figure. These circumstances can’t be linked to leniency."

"Plus the eighty million ransom... if I don’t get a life sentence, even a fool would think I have connections with the judge."

"Director Chen, what difference does it make if I confess at this point?"

Chen Feng was genuinely surprised at how thoroughly Wang Guojun had studied the charge of kidnapping.

Kidnapping is indeed more heavily penalized compared to other crimes.

For instance, general grievous bodily harm could result in a sentence ranging from three to five years, or even ten to eight years, depending on the situation.

However, if violence causes grievous bodily harm during the kidnapping process, it’s at least a life sentence, or possibly the death penalty.

Wang Guojun’s kidnapping is a fact, and even if he disclosed the victim’s location, the judge would certainly impose a severe sentence.

This doesn’t qualify for leniency, especially since the guy was caught with a grenade in his pocket.

He’s certainly a desperado, with a significant criminal intent.

"However, Director Chen, considering you took care of my mom back then, I’ll tell you something."

"I told my two brothers this morning. If I’m not back by nine tonight, they’ll kill the hostage and then run away."

"You don’t have much time..."

Nine o’clock tonight?

Ren Qiang, who was watching the interrogation process via monitor in the next room, instinctively glanced at the wall’s quartz clock.

It’s now twelve twenty in the afternoon, leaving less than nine hours until Wang Guojun’s deadline.

"Is he... telling the truth?"

Qin Yong’s expression was grave: "Better believe it might be true!"

Meanwhile,

In a flat, the windows were already covered with black plastic sheets.

On a makeshift wooden bed, a middle-aged man was curled up in the corner, his hands and feet wrapped in heavy iron chains, one end locked onto the wall’s radiator.

"Liu Bai, I really like your songs. When I was in middle school, I listened to them every day."

The person locked on the bed was Liu Bai. In front of him, a chubby kid was eating instant noodles and chatting with Liu Bai.

"Is that so? Which song do you like the most?"

"The Forest of Power! Let me take your heart off and try to melt it slowly, watch me..."

The chubby kid sang a few more lines: "I love this song. When I heard you were coming to Haizhou City for a concert, I wanted to buy a ticket."

"I also like this song the most. You sang it well just now. With practice, you could have a bright future."

"I don’t have the money to practice singing, I’m just singing randomly."

Slurping, the chubby kid seemed a bit bashful from his idol’s praise, and took another bite of his noodles.

"You mentioned going to my concert, did you buy a ticket?"

"No, it’s too expensive, five hundred yuan each, and that’s near the entrance, they say you might not even see you."

The chubby kid shook his head: "You have all this money, why are your concert tickets so expensive?"

Liu Bai also shook his head: "I’m just working. I have no say over the concert ticket prices."

"You sing, and you have no say?"

"Yeah, just like you, you have to listen to your big brother, we don’t have a say."

The chubby kid nodded: "I definitely listen to my big brother, he gives me money."

Hearing the chubby kid mention money, Liu Bai shifted his body: "Pang, let me ask you something. You asked my manager for eighty million, how much do you get?"

"Big brother said Erpi and I get twenty million each!"

When talking about the twenty million, the chubby kid’s eyes seemed to light up.

He didn’t know exactly what twenty million meant, only that he could never spend it all in his lifetime.

He could use the money to get married, buy an apartment, get a car, travel, and do whatever he wanted.

"He asked for eighty million and only gives you twenty million each, don’t you feel shortchanged?"

"Not at all, he’s the big brother, of course, he takes more."

The chubby kid slurped up the last of his noodles: "Are you really not eating?"

Liu Bai shook his head: "I’m not hungry."

"Pang, are you guys going to kill me?"

"Big brother said, after we get the money, we’re going to kill you right away."

"But... that’s not what you said on the phone."

"That was to trick them into sending the money. Killing you is because you’ve seen us, if we don’t kill you and you report us after we let you go, we won’t enjoy the money."

"Pang, can you let me go?"

"I can give you three thousand... No, I can give you fifty million, just let me go, I promise not to report, and I’ll wire you the money as soon as I get back."

"No no no... I can’t."

Creek.

The sound of the door opening interrupted their conversation.