"I'm really not the center of the tomb!" Hou Cheng kept twisting on the interrogation chair, looking very annoyed, "What do you want me to say? When I said I was the center of the tomb, you forced me to say that I was not the center of the tomb. Now I admit that I am not the heart of the tomb, but you don't believe me!"
Xiao Yuan sat upright and his voice was warm, but he felt oppressive, "The story you made up is not convincing."
Hou Cheng glanced at it and asked, "Why is it not convincing?"
Xiao Yuan looked into his eyes silently, he frowned at first, but after half a minute he couldn't hold back, and his eyes began to flicker and dodge.
"From your point of view, this is not a fabricated story. You can't ask 'why is it not convincing'." Xiao Yu'an said: "You should deny it violently. This is the logical response."
The masseter muscles on Hou Cheng's cheeks stirred, "I'm not the tomb heart, I just help the tomb heart. If the tomb heart does something, you go to him, to him! Let me go, please?"
"I want to find him too, but where is he?" Xiao Yuan's tone was always unhurried. Normal people listened comfortably, but people with ghosts were particularly uncomfortable.
"I said I don't know!" Hou Cheng said, "I regret helping him, don't force me!"
Xiao Yu'an said: "I don't force you, but I want to hear from you, the first time you met Tomb Xin, and what he said to you, so that you are willing to sign a contract with Xinyun Publishing House for him."
"I've already said it!" Hou Cheng said loudly.
"But I didn't hear it." Xiao Yuan said, "I have the right to ask you to say it again. Of course, you can also choose to be silent."
Hou Cheng's eyes rolled with anger, and the sound of heavy breathing echoed in the interrogation room.
"Choose silence, right?" Xiao Yuan smiled.
Hou Cheng did not answer.
"You have realized that you made a mistake when setting up the game. This mistake is irreparable." Xiao Yuan said: "You also know that if you talk too much, you will lose. You choose to be silent because you are worried about facing me at this time. , will say things that contradict the details of the previous narration."
Hou Cheng's slack eyelids were drooping, and his gloomy gaze shot out from under his eyelids, without any brilliance.
Mingshu stayed in Qingyue Village to preside over the search of Hou Cheng's house, but he did two things. He thought of Hou Jianjun, the old village chief, and Hou Pao, the unfilial son of the villagers.
In fact, in the eyes of the relatives of the Ming family, he should also be regarded as a son without filial piety. When I was a child, I was not close to my parents, grandfather and grandmother, but instead looked like the youngest son of the Xiao family. Later, when he was seventeen or eighteen years old, his wings were not completely hardened, so he ran away from home and did not go on the paved road. He focused on driving Xiao Yuan to run away.
In the Ming family, men like men, which is an undeserved stain.
When he was a child, he was afraid of his grandfather and grandmother, and he endured being beaten. The increase in age has forced the arrogance out, and he will not bow his head, nor will he be beaten or scolded, and he will leave the cage-like home behind him, and he will chase his dreams and his people as soon as his legs are long.
But even if he is not as filial as he is, he is not without affection for his parents.
After the stalemate in the previous few years, his father came to see him in Dongye City, conveyed his mother's thoughts, and implicitly invited him to go home empty-handed.
Back then, he and Xiao Yuan went home for a New Year's Eve dinner. And then still live a life of non-interference.
With that blood relationship, although he and his parents cannot be the closest relatives, they will not hate each other.
Pushing himself and others, he felt that Hou Pao's actions were not normal.
According to the villagers, Hou Pao was brought up by Hou Jianjun with all his hard work. Hou Pao is very promising now. Even if he looks down on his father, he will not shut his father out when he brings gifts to meet him.
In the year when the relationship with his family broke the ice, his father gave him a famous watch, which he never wore, but he said "thank you" to his father when he took it.
Hou Pao refused to see Hou Jianjun, could there be other reasons
Just thinking about it, I suddenly heard Fang Yuanhang's voice, "Master, what are you doing there? We're going to the basement!"
He had to pull away from Hou Jianjun and Hou Pao's clues, walking into the house and saying, "Come on."
The dilapidated building of Hou Cheng's house has three floors in total, two above ground and a basement below. The furniture in each room is very old, and the paint is almost peeled off, and Hou Cheng has not been seen to repair it. The first floor was a little messy, but the second floor was neatly tidy. Of the three bedrooms, the one that was locked was the cleanest, and it could even be said to be spotless, but to outsiders, it was somewhat gloomy.
Because there are black and white photos of a middle-aged couple hanging on the wall.
Hou Cheng lost his parents when he was young. The people in the photo are Hou Cheng's parents, and this bedroom is also their residence.
"In this comparison, Hou Cheng is really a dutiful son." Fang Yuanhang said, "It has been decades since his parents died, and Hou Cheng has not forgotten to clean every day. The sheets and quilts are all new. The gap with Hou Jianjun's son is also too big."
This is indeed a strong contrast, Mingshu thought for a while and called Xiao Yuan.
"Maybe I overreacted," he said. "I now suspect that something may have happened to Hou Pao."
Xiao Yuan listened patiently, "Why?"
"Intuition." Mingshu paused for two seconds, then changed his words: "It's not entirely intuition. If I were Hou Pao, I shouldn't have done so much. No matter what, Hou Jianjun has always cared about him, and this time he With a gift, he shouldn't even see a single face."
"Reasonable suspicion." Xiao Yu'an said, "I'll report to the flower team. If he thinks it's necessary, he may send someone to Los Angeles University to have a look."
Mingshu made a "hmm" and was about to hang up when Xiao Yuan suddenly said, "Wait."
Mingshu put the phone back to his ear again, "Xiao Bureau?"
"After the case is solved, go home and stay for two days." Xiao Yuan said.
Mingshu was slightly startled and lowered his eyelashes, "I was emotionally fluctuating just now?"
"It's not obvious, maybe only I can feel it." Xiao Yuan smiled, "Don't use 'unfilial' to define yourself, you and your parents just get along differently from many families, this does not mean that you are 'unfilial' ',Understand?"
Mingshu's heart warmed, "I understand."
"Go." Xiao Yu'an said, "Complete the task at hand with peace of mind."
Mingshu went down the rusty iron ladder to the basement and smelled an indescribable strange smell.
"It smells so bad!" Fang Yuanhang hurriedly covered his mouth and nose, "What kind of smell is this?"
The basement is not big, square, without partitions, with an area of about 70 square meters, dimly lit, and piled with dusty boxes and farm implements.
Mingshu walked to the wall, squatted down and looked, "It's rotten watermelon and vegetables."
"What?" Fang Yuanhang said in shock, "I put the watermelons here, and there are still such a big pile. Are you sick?"
"The basement is cool, so it's not surprising to store fruits and vegetables." After Mingshu said, he felt something flashed through his mind, but he couldn't catch it.
"Oh, that's it." Fang Yuanhang began to turn the box, "then let's start looking for it - hey, why is this place so messed up, there are all kinds of junk. The top two floors still look like people live, and the bottom is just garbage. Let's go!"
Mingshu also noticed that most of the things in the basement are useless, and there are even rubbish such as torn cardboard boxes and crushed cans.
"Hou Cheng is covering up something." Mingshu patted the board on the wall, "What we saw is exactly what he wants us to see."
"We can see everything here..." Fang Yuanhang responded quickly, "The money is not here!"
"But it won't be too far away." Mingshu stepped on a broken cassette, and there was a crisp sound from the sole of his shoe, "There are only two safe areas for Hou Cheng, his home, and his fields—here !"
With that said, Mingshu turned around, "Find me a starter!"
Fang Yuanhang looked left and right, "I'll go up and get it!"
"Forget it." Mingshu took a few steps back, his right leg quickly lifted, and he kicked forward sharply, only to hear a muffled "bang", and the sturdy wooden board broke from the middle, just like the cassette on the ground.
"This is..." Fang Yuanhang saw the dark space behind the wooden board, "Dark room?"
The wooden board collapsed, and the layers of thick ash were thrown up. Mingshu used his hands to disperse it. Looking through the light, he found that there was a small space of less than 10 square meters.
"Master, you stay outside." Fang Yuanhang jumped in first and almost slipped.
"Be careful." Mingshu noticed that the ground inside was different from the basement. It was a piece of mud. People walking on it would fall if they were not careful.
"I saw it!" Fang Yuanhang strenuously walked to the left corner, "Master, you shine for me!"
In the corner, three locked iron boxes are neatly stacked.
The iron box was moved to the courtyard, the lock was broken, and all the hundred-yuan bills were inside.
"Finally found it!" Fang Yuanhang said, "If Hou Cheng is not at the heart of the tomb, why would he hide so much money in the basement of his home, and hide it so covertly? Let's show him the scene and see how he can quibble!"
Mingshu also felt relieved, but something was still stuck in his chest.
He pressed his temples, trying to make out what had flashed before. Intuition told him that it was important. But after thinking about it, I still couldn't figure out what it was.
The banknotes in the iron box have been counted, a total of 2.67 million. 90,000 less than the after-tax manuscript remuneration.
Hou Cheng watched the video shot by Ming Shu at his home, his face changed gradually, the dullness in his eyes disappeared, as if the clouds had disappeared without a trace, revealing his true colors.
"Yes, the heart of the tomb is me." He leaned back on the chair, looked at Xiao Yu'an sloppily and sullenly, and sneered, "The more than two million yuan is my legal income, I can store it in the bank, or take it For investment, you can put it in your basement. Is that weird?"
"It's not surprising." Xiao Yu'an said calmly: "The purpose of me looking for this money is to prove that you are indeed the heart of the tomb. Now you have admitted it."
Hou Cheng snorted, "Oh, then you have proved that I am the heart of the tomb, what do you want to do to me? What can you do to me? I signed a contract legally, published a book legally, and did not evade taxes, so what do you do? catch me?"
"It's the security detachment who arrested you, and it's also the security detachment who detained you, not me." Xiao Yu'an said, "You lifted a stone and wanted to play a game of turning a stone into gold, but unexpectedly hit yourself in the foot."
"You!" Hou Cheng clapped his hands on the table, his expression grim, but he soon laughed again, "Yes, it's my fault to find a prostitute. I was wrong, I don't dare anymore, okay? Prostitution is against the law, but it doesn’t constitute a crime. I haven’t done anything terribly wrong, so let me go back after you’ve finished educating me, ah? I promise to write books honestly in the future, and I’ll never sleep with women again.”
"Write a book honestly?" Xiao Yu'an said, "Incite potential criminals by writing a book?"
"Huh—" Hou Cheng smacked his lips, turning his eyes to the recorder beside him, "Listen, listen, does this sound like what the contemporary police say?"
The recorder glanced at Xiao Yuan, his eyes were a bit complicated, and he seemed to think that Xiao Yuan's statement was inappropriate.
"The little policemen know they can't say that." Hou Cheng said, "I have the freedom to write and publish. What's the matter with you law enforcement officers? Instead of catching the real criminals, you will frame me instead. Suspense writer?"
Xiao Yu'an said, "I never let the real criminals go, no matter how upright and innocent they pretend to be."
The atmosphere in the interrogation room gradually solidified, and an invisible pressure enveloped Hou Cheng.
After a brief pause, Hou Cheng shook his head, "It makes no sense for you to say that. I didn't commit a crime, and I don't need to wrap myself up at all. If my book is an illegal publication, then you say that I am inciting potential criminals by writing the book. I agree. But what about the truth? Is my book an illegal publication? No! I signed a contract with a serious publishing house, the black and white text is there, and there is no problem with the review process of the book. You are a layman, and you don’t understand that a book is published now. How difficult is the book, if there is any problem with my book, the publisher will kill me, and it will be my turn to be listed?"
This makes a lot of sense, and the recorder nodded his head.
"If you think there is something wrong with my book and the content is unhealthy, then you should also check Xinyun Publishing House, check the 'Mystery' studio, what's the point of catching me and not letting it go?" Hou Cheng continued: "I just write Books, the publishing process has nothing to do with me, I don't even know what content will be killed by the publishing house. Since they are not killed, they can publish it, right? My book is sold in various bookstores, I can know who read it My book? Could it be that some criminals have read my book, and my book is responsible? They committed a crime and killed people. What does it have to do with me, the person who wrote the book? It seems too much for you to talk about me. Incompetent? Punishing murderers and maintaining social order are not your police's job? If you can't do well, you will embarrass us creators?"
Another police officer in charge of the interrogation got angry, "Hou Cheng, don't be too arrogant!"
Hou Cheng shrugged, "Why, do you want to torture to extract a confession?"
Xiao Yu'an smiled and didn't get angry, "You are a very interesting person. Relying on real talent and learning to write books, sales are not bad, but you have to make up a fake identity for yourself, and play with our police and then reverse."
"Is this suspicious?" Hou Cheng said: "I am a suspense writer, I need inspiration, and I don't mind transforming my life into a suspense drama. On the premise of not hurting others, I play suspense games with myself. What's wrong?"
"I didn't say it was wrong, I just said, you are very interesting." Xiao Yuan stood up and looked down at Hou Cheng.
Hou Cheng raised his head, the light from the top poured on his face, and the Adam's apple twitched without warning.
Xiao Yuan took a panoramic view of all his subtle expressions and said with a smile: "For interesting people, I don't mind digging up more interesting stories about him."
Hou Cheng's shoulders stiffened.
"For the time being, you still have to stay in the security detachment." Xiao Yuan's expression turned cold, "Since you are good at writing suspense, you should be clear that the more the murderer wants to cover up the crime, the more cover-ups he arranges at the scene, the easier it will be exposed to the police's sight. Tomb Heart, you have done too much and said too much. I got another inspiration from your words just now."
Hou Cheng's face turned cold.
"Is it Cha Xinyun Publishing House?" Xiao Yu'an said, "That's what I mean."
Mingshu rushed back to Luocheng Bureau from Qingyue Village and saw Xiao Yuan was boiling water to make tea.
"Officer Xiao!" Mingshu ran up, making sure there was no one around, and then whispered, "How do you make tea?"
"Change the taste." Xiao Yuan rarely drinks tea, but the way of making tea is very beautiful.
When Mingshu lived in the old house of the Xiao family, he saw Xiao Yuan entertaining distinguished guests with tea, and his slender hands shuttled between the ancient tea sets, which were powerful and full of rivers and lakes, which was pleasing to the eye.
Although it is only brewing tea bags now, it is not the same as when others brew tea bags.
"Are you tired?" Mingshu's heart ached. "Only when you are tired will you take the initiative to make tea and drink it. You usually only drink plain water."
Xiao Yuan put the teacup aside and said with a smile, "As long as you pay attention to the case, you will be tired. Aren't you still holding on?"
This can't be refuted, Mingshu pursed his mouth and reached for the tea cup, "I just came back, I'm thirsty, give me... ouch!"
"Give me a drink." Before he could finish speaking, he was hit on the back of his hand. He quickly retracted his hand and stared at Xiao Yu'an, "It hurts, brother!"
"The boiling water just poured, it's hot." Xiao Yuan took half a cup of warm water with a paper cup, "Drink this."
Mingshu glanced at it and didn't answer, "It's tasteless, I want to drink something tasty."
Xiao Yuan looked at him, and he said, "It's alright, the tea will be cold in a while, I'll blow it."
Xiao Yuan turned to look out the window, it was night, "Come."
"Huh?" Mingshu was about to blow tea.
"Go out for a walk." Xiao Yu'an said, "I'll buy you something tasty."
Ten minutes later, Mingshu held a cup of latte smoothie, and walked with Xiao Yuan on the street where the heat was fading.
"If Hou Cheng insists on his current statement, it will be difficult for us. We can only let people go until the end." Mingshu said: "There is no concrete evidence to prove that he instigated the crime. Damn' one sentence, it's too far-fetched. But I don't believe it if he didn't instigate a crime ."
"Hou Cheng has a 'throwing pot' behavior today, pointing the finger at Xinyun Publishing House." Xiao Yuan said: "I now suspect that there are certain problems in the publishing of the tomb heart."
Mingshu immediately thought of Liu Zhiqiang, the director of the "Mystery" studio, who reacted very strangely when he learned that the police were investigating the tomb.