Chapter Sixty-Five: Interrogation

Haifeng fixed his gaze on Pan Lun, who sat expressionless in the interrogation chair, meeting Haifeng’s eyes directly, awaiting his questioning. Zhang Mufeng took a seat beside Haifeng, ready to take notes, while the others accompanied Qiu Zhiyong to the surveillance room to observe the interrogation.

Haifeng looked at Pan Lun and asked, “Are you ready to talk?”

Pan Lun nodded and replied, “There’s really nothing more to say. You must have everything already. I admit to everything about the Pan Group, and I admit to the gambling website too. It was all me.”

Haifeng pressed further, “What exactly did you do? Why did you do those things?”

Pan Lun gave a bitter smile and said, “Are you going to make me confess every single thing one by one? There’s so much, do you think I could remember it all?”

Haifeng asked, “You can’t remember your own evil deeds? After doing so many bad things, can you sleep at night?”

Pan Lun replied, “You get used to it. The more debts you have, the less they weigh on you. When you’ve done enough, it just becomes routine.”

Haifeng said, “So you’ve made a habit out of breaking the law?”

Pan Lun sighed, “That’s right. When you do enough bad things, you stop seeing them as bad. It’s just about making money, nothing shameful in that.”

Haifeng asked, “So making money gives you the right to do as you please? Have you ever thought about how many people you’ve hurt with your actions?”

Pan Lun shook his head. “I don’t know, and I’ve never thought about it.”

Haifeng said, “Think about it now. Reflect on the crimes you’ve committed. Saying you can’t remember doesn’t excuse you from responsibility.”

Pan Lun smiled, “What crimes? Illegal detention, kidnapping and extortion? Or intentional harm, running illegal casinos? Too many to count!”

Haifeng asked, “Why did you do it?”

Pan Lun smiled again. “Why? For money, of course. To get more mines, to open more factories. But there are always people who won’t cooperate. The country is so big, there are all kinds of people. If you’re not ruthless, how can you stand your ground? The kind get bullied, the gentle get ridden—those are words of wisdom!”

Haifeng asked, “All for money? Just to make money, you disregard the lives of others? How many people have you hurt over the years? How many families? Have you ever thought about what their lives became?”

Pan Lun gave a wry smile. “Winners take all, losers lose everything. To achieve great things, there must be sacrifices. They were just sacrifices, I didn’t bother to remember them.”

Haifeng asked, “You achieve your so-called ‘great things’ by letting others be sacrificed? What kind of logic is that? What gives you the right to make others pay the price for you? Don’t you realize how much harm you’ve caused? Don’t you think your Pan Group has become a cancer? Not just your crimes, but the pollution you’ve brought to Mingnan—do you know how many people and how many years it will take to clean up that mess?”

Pan Lun said, “I’ve said already—winners and losers. Since I’ve lost to you, I admit to all those crimes. If you want me to recount each one, I can’t. There are just too many. But as long as you have evidence, I’ll confess.”

Haifeng said, “Rest assured, I wouldn’t arrest you without evidence. Since I’ve arrested you, I have enough proof. For the crimes you ‘can’t remember,’ I can help you recall.”

Pan Lun nodded, “That’s good, that’s good…”

After a sigh, Pan Lun continued, “Honestly, do you think I ever really benefited from the Pan Group? I worked hard from a young age to build it, suffered every hardship imaginable—mining, transporting materials, networking, finding connections, whatever it took. How many times have I swallowed my pride, how much suffering have I endured?”

“And in the end? My own father took a second and third wife, had a bunch of siblings to inherit the family fortune. I helped him so much, yet he still despised me. Is that fair?”

“After all that, I finally snatched the Pan Group back, and then the coal industry took a downturn. I still had to pay bribes and pull strings without cutting a single corner, but business only got worse. My own gambling dens made more money, and I made plenty of enemies.”

“Well, now it’s over. There’s nothing left to worry about. I can finally get a good night’s sleep.”

Haifeng said, “If your business wasn’t profitable, you could have chosen to transform, sell, or even declare bankruptcy. But what did you do? You hurt others! And not just the people of Mingnan—your gambling website ruined countless families across the country. Do you have any idea?”

Pan Lun gave a bitter laugh. “How could I declare bankruptcy at this point? As long as the company didn’t fold, the banks would lend me hundreds of billions each year. If anyone found out the Pan Group was done for, I’d never repay those loans in this lifetime. If I didn’t hurt others, I’d be left with nothing—not even a grave.”

“What’s more, do you think I did all this alone? How many people in Mingnan haven’t taken my money? Even if it wasn’t me, don’t you think someone else would’ve filled my shoes and done exactly what I did?”

Haifeng said, “You and the vermin behind you will all pay for your crimes. Your greed has brought tears to this country and its people. Your deeds are too many to recount. Don’t you regret it?”

Pan Lun gave a bitter smile. “What’s the use of regret? What’s done is done. Even if I regretted it, you wouldn’t let me off. Sometimes I wish I’d just been an ordinary person, living happily with my family. Poverty wouldn’t be so bad—better than being trapped like this.”

With that, Pan Lun bowed his head and fell silent. After a while, he lifted his head and said to Haifeng, “You have all my company’s ledgers now. In my home safe, there are records of all the bribes I’ve given over the years. You’ve won—it’s all yours now. But as for those people, whether you can deal with them is out of my hands.”

Haifeng said, “The net of justice is vast and lets nothing through. No one escapes the law. I’ll make sure everyone who took your money is brought in.”

Pan Lun smiled, “I hope you succeed.”

Haifeng replied firmly, “I will.”

The two men lapsed into silence again.

Seeing Pan Lun had nothing more to say, Haifeng continued, “Who’s been laundering money for your gambling website? How did the funds come into the country?”

Suddenly, Pan Lun’s expression twisted in pain. He bit his lip, avoided Haifeng’s gaze, and said with difficulty, “It was all people I met online who laundered the money for me. I don’t know exactly who.”

Haifeng pressed, “Would you really entrust such huge sums to people you don’t know?”

Pan Lun said, “It was all Wang Zhi and his people handling it. I don’t know the details.”

Haifeng asked, “‘Teacher Song’—who is that?”

At the mention of “Teacher Song,” Pan Lun’s heart jolted, and a deeper hatred flashed across his face. He could not say how much he hated Song Xin, but his real hatred was for the people behind Song Xin. At that moment, Pan Lun wished he could tear Xu Wei limb from limb. In his eyes, Xu Wei was a devil, tempting him into running the gambling site and laundering money. Now that everything had fallen apart, Xu Wei had gone after his wife and child. Pan Lun desperately wanted to tell Haifeng all about Xu Wei, to let him deal with Xu Wei, but his family was in their hands. Pan Lun knew Xu Wei was no saint, and that Xu Wei’s eyes and ears were likely everywhere, so he held his tongue.

He said to Haifeng, “I don’t know any ‘Teacher Song.’”

Haifeng felt puzzled. Pan Lun had admitted freely to his own crimes, and was willing to point out his accomplices and the corrupt officials who colluded with him. But when it came to “Teacher Song” and the money laundering, he claimed ignorance. Where had things gone wrong?

Looking at Pan Lun, whose face was twisted with rage, as if he wanted to tear someone apart, Haifeng knew he wouldn’t get any more information about “Teacher Song.” So he switched tactics and “helped” Pan Lun remember his crimes.

Five hours later, exhausted, Haifeng and Zhang Mufeng left the interrogation room.

The White Tiger Squad and Qiu Zhiyong gathered once more at their secret base to discuss the case.

Haifeng said, “Pan Lun confessed to all his crimes—both those of the Pan Group and the gambling website. But whenever ‘Teacher Song’ is mentioned, he clams up. Something is off there.”

Zhang Mufeng hesitated and said, “Before the interrogation, Pan Lun went to the restroom. When he came back, there was something strange in his eyes.”

Haifeng immediately became alert. He asked, “Who escorted him to the restroom?”

Zhang Mufeng replied, “I did. No one else had contact with him.”

Haifeng asked, “You went alone?”

Zhang Mufeng said, “There was one more person, someone from the backup team.”

Haifeng asked, “Who?”

Zhang Mufeng replied, “Wang Xueyi from Mingtan.”

Haifeng fell silent, bowing his head, deep in thought.

As everyone grew quiet, Qiu Zhiyong asked, “What’s the status of the arrests? Is everyone in custody?”

Zhao Zhijie replied, “We’ve checked—everyone is accounted for. No one has escaped.”

Qiu Zhiyong then asked, “Where is Pan Lun’s family?”

His question snapped Haifeng out of his thoughts, and Haifeng looked at Zhao Zhijie.

Zhao Zhijie said, “His father, his father’s women, and Pan Lun’s siblings have all been brought in as related parties. But we’ve lost contact with his wife and child. The investigation team we sent reported that they lost the tail.”

Haifeng asked, “Which city’s team?”

Zhao Zhijie answered, “Mingcheng. The team leader is He Qian from Mingtan.”

Haifeng was startled—Mingtan again. He began to suspect something about Mingtan. Why was Pan Lun unwilling to talk about “Teacher Song,” and why did his wife and child disappear right under the investigators’ noses? Could there be a connection?

Haifeng said nothing in front of the others, but his doubts only deepened.

Qiu Zhiyong noticed Haifeng’s concern and said, “Let’s not focus on that now. There’s still a lot to investigate. The White Tiger Squad knows the case best—work with the other teams on evidence gathering and interrogation. You’ve all worked hard these past days, don’t overthink it. Tomorrow, help the others sort through the cases, and get some rest.”

The group stopped their intense brainstorming and began to prepare to leave.

“Haifeng, Liu Zhiyang, wait a moment. I have something to say to you,” Qiu Zhiyong called out before they left.

“Let’s talk as we walk,” Qiu Zhiyong said, and the three of them left together.

As they walked across the sports field at Mingcheng University, Qiu Zhiyong glanced at the troubled Haifeng and asked, “You suspect the people from Mingtan are involved in the disappearance of Pan Lun’s wife and child, don’t you?”

Haifeng nodded, “Pan Lun has confessed to everything—to his crimes and the corruption behind him. But when it comes to ‘Teacher Song,’ who helped him launder money, he refuses to talk.”

“His wife and child vanished inexplicably, and the investigation team was from Mingtan. After the restroom, the only people who had contact with Pan Lun were Zhang Mufeng and Wang Xueyi, and Wang Xueyi is from Mingtan. It’s hard not to be suspicious.”

“I really do suspect someone in Mingtan is colluding with this ‘Teacher Song.’ That’s why Pan Lun won’t talk about it.”

Qiu Zhiyong asked, “Do you have any evidence connecting Wang Xueyi or He Qian to Pan Lun’s silence?”

Haifeng shook his head, “Just a feeling, no proof.”

Qiu Zhiyong said, “Investigate, then. Everyone who’s had contact with Pan Lun should be checked. Aside from Wang Xueyi, there’s also Zhang Mufeng. I don’t believe Zhang Mufeng passed on any messages, but it’s best not to let him near Pan Lun again. Avoid involving him in the investigation as much as possible.”

Liu Zhiyang said, puzzled, “Senior, surely we don’t need to doubt Zhang Mufeng? He’s one of us in the White Tiger Squad. If he were passing messages, we’d never have caught Pan Lun!”

“He’s been involved from the start—he could’ve passed on information at any stage, so why wait until Pan Lun was caught? If you suspect everyone who’s had contact with Pan Lun, you’ll have to include Haifeng and me as well. Haifeng spoke to him first at the arrest—I was second. If you’re going to suspect Zhang Mufeng, you might as well include us all.”

“Ever since the White Tiger Squad was formed, Zhang Mufeng has helped us crack so many cases, infiltrate so many dangerous places. He’s always the one going deep for intel. If you doubt a comrade like that, I can’t accept it.”

“If you ask me, it’s all Wang Xueyi’s doing. No need to investigate. Did you know there was once a cop named Shen Lian—incorruptible and just, hated evil, reported everyone, no matter rank. He should’ve had a hard time in the system, but his boss, Lu Bin, always protected him.”

“Lu Bin later assigned Shen Lian to Mingtan to gain grassroots experience for future promotion. In Mingtan, Shen Lian couldn’t stand Xu Wei’s ways, investigated him, and even gathered a lot of evidence. But they discovered him before he nailed them. Soon after, Shen Lian was transferred to a local station, and less than two years later, he committed suicide, leaving a family behind.”

“Shen Lian’s direct superior at the time was Wang Xueyi. After such a scandal, the station chief was punished, but Wang Xueyi was promoted—became captain of criminal investigations in Mingtan. Xu Wei promoted him, and He Qian too. I’m sure Wang Xueyi’s in on the money laundering, so is He Qian, and Xu Wei is the mastermind. It’s all his doing.”

Qiu Zhiyong said, “You need evidence, not just conjecture. Investigate first, and speak when you have proof.”

He turned to Liu Zhiyang, “You’re a good officer, but you need to watch your mouth. We’re police—we need evidence. Without it, don’t make wild accusations.”

Liu Zhiyang stopped speaking, though he still looked angry.

Qiu Zhiyong continued, “I believe Zhang Mufeng is innocent too, but we can’t let personal feelings get in the way. He was among the last to contact Pan Lun, so he should be treated the same as anyone else. No one is above suspicion. If you really want to help Zhang Mufeng, clear his name as soon as possible. That’s what you should do.”

Haifeng said, “You’re right, senior. We’ll do as you say—keep Zhang Mufeng from contacting Pan Lun, and avoid involving him in the investigation until he’s cleared. For now, he and Wang Xueyi will both be considered suspects.”

Qiu Zhiyong nodded, “Let’s do that. Also, hand over the Pan Group investigation to the other teams quickly, then focus on this ‘Teacher Song.’ You mentioned before that several of our cases involved someone with that codename?”

Haifeng nodded, “I don’t know if it’s the same person, but the codename ‘Teacher Song’ has appeared in several cases. Zhao Zhijie reviewed our criminal records and found some bank accounts that repeatedly showed up—they likely belong to ‘Teacher Song’ and are used for laundering.”

Qiu Zhiyong said, “We absolutely can’t let ‘Teacher Song’ escape. Dig as deep as it takes to find him.”

Haifeng nodded, “I understand.”

Qiu Zhiyong glanced at Liu Zhiyang’s still-angry face and couldn’t help but laugh, “Still mad? Don’t tell me you’re angry with your old mentor! At your age, almost fifty, how can you still be so hot-tempered?”

“Don’t be upset. To close the Pan Lun case and investigate the laundering, we need to find Pan Lun’s wife and child. Once we know who passed the message to Pan Lun, everything will be clear. If it wasn’t Zhang Mufeng, his name will be cleared.”

“So if you want to prove his innocence, don’t get mad—focus on finding Pan Lun’s wife and child, and all the answers will be revealed.”

Liu Zhiyang sighed and nodded, “That’s all we can do.”

Qiu Zhiyong smiled at him, “Don’t lose heart. True gold fears no fire. I’m sure you’ll soon uncover the truth.”

Liu Zhiyang said nothing more. Haifeng added, “I’ll get everyone to hand over their work soon, aim to finish in three days, then let Zhang Mufeng follow up. After that, I’ll take the White Tiger Squad to track down Pan Lun’s family.”

Qiu Zhiyong nodded, “You’re the leader, you decide.”

He looked at Liu Zhiyang, who seemed to have something else to say, and encouraged him, “If you have something to say, speak up. What can’t you say to your old mentor?”

Liu Zhiyang said, “I’m just afraid they’ll kill to silence witnesses. If they’re capable of kidnapping, there’s nothing they wouldn’t do…”

Haifeng cut him off, “They won’t. If they wanted to silence Pan Lun, they wouldn’t kill his family—they’d risk Pan Lun turning on them. But they might try to contact Pan Lun. That’s our chance.”

Seeing Haifeng so confident, Liu Zhiyang said no more. The three of them strolled out of the campus together.