eurekapd Chapter 1057 Arrest of Liang Kuan
Chapter 1057 Arrest of Liang Kuan
Even more suspiciously, the freezer at Liang Kuan Hot Pot Restaurant suddenly started consuming abnormal amounts of electricity in the early hours of the 13th. The maintenance records showed that the compressor burned out due to prolonged overload operation, and the maintenance personnel found what appeared to be human tissue residue in the condenser.
“Mr. Liang, explain this.” Xiao Wang pushed the freezer inspection report onto the interrogation room table. Liang Kuan’s fingers suddenly began to tremble violently, knocking over a water glass that spilled dark water stains on the table. “That’s…that’s processing expired duck blood…” His voice trailed off until Xiao Wang pulled up the bank statement—at 9:17 pm on November 12, Liang Kuan’s account transferred 20,000 yuan to Li Biao’s driver with the note “cleaning fee”.
"Clean what?" Xiao Wang's voice suddenly turned cold. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Liang Kuan's forehead, dripping down his cheeks onto his trousers. The light in the interrogation room cast crisscrossing shadows on his face, much like the wall of his hot pot restaurant covered in debt-collecting graffiti. Just then, an urgent call from the technical department broke the silence: "Team Leader Wang, the DNA comparison results for the freezer residue are in—it's a perfect match for Zhao Dehan's gene sequence."
Liang Kuan's shoulders slumped abruptly, his hands burying their faces in his disheveled hair. The sky outside the window gradually darkened, the neon sign of the hot pot restaurant flickering in the rain and mist. The red glow of the five characters "Liang Ji Hot Pot" shone through the iron bars of the interrogation room, casting an eerie, blood-red hue on his pale face. Xiao Wang knew that this thread, intertwined with loan sharks, betrayal, and death, had finally revealed its most crucial link between Liang Kuan's trembling eyelashes.
Given the current situation, the police have decided to arrest Liang Kuan.
The late autumn night rain drizzled, and Liang Kuan's hot pot restaurant gleamed coldly under the neon lights. The "Liang Ji Hot Pot" sign was blurred by the rain. Xiao Wang and five SWAT team members lay in ambush in the alley across the street, raindrops dripping from the edges of their tactical helmets, soaking their collars. They kept a close watch on the hot pot restaurant's every move, waiting for the perfect opportunity to make the arrest.
"Attention all groups, Liang Kuan is inside the restaurant. The operation must be swift and decisive, avoiding any harm to innocent bystanders," Xiao Wang whispered the order over the walkie-talkie. His hand gripped his service pistol tightly, his eyes fixed intently on the hot pot restaurant's roller shutter door. The warm yellow light emanating from inside the restaurant appeared particularly hazy in the rain.
Two team members quietly approached the back door of the hot pot restaurant, where piles of kitchen waste reeked of sour odor. Wearing soundproof gloves, they carefully turned the doorknob. Fortunately, the door wasn't locked; with a slight click, it slowly opened, releasing a rich aroma of hot pot broth. Holding their breath, the team members tiptoed into the kitchen. The steam inside blurred their goggles, and the soup pot on the stove was still bubbling away.
At the same time, Xiao Wang led the rest of his team to the store entrance. After nodding to his team, he kicked open the roller shutter door, the loud clang of metal shattering the street's tranquility. "Police! Don't move!" Xiao Wang shouted, gun raised. Liang Kuan, who was doing his accounts at the counter, was startled by the sudden noise, his calculator falling to the ground with a thud. He looked up and saw the dark muzzle of a gun pointed at him; his face instantly turned deathly pale, and his legs began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Liang Kuan, you are suspected of being involved in the death of Zhao Dehan. You are now being arrested in accordance with the law." Xiao Wang's voice was cold and firm. Liang Kuan opened his mouth, as if he wanted to argue, but in the end he only let out a few intermittent sobs. His eyes were filled with fear and despair, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, mingling with the rain and sliding down his cheeks.
Several team members quickly stepped forward and skillfully handcuffed Liang Kuan. Liang Kuan did not resist, mechanically allowing the team members to control his body. As he was being escorted out of the hot pot restaurant, he suddenly turned his head and looked at the photo of his daughter on the wall, tears welling up in his eyes. In that photo, the little girl smiled brightly, but at that moment, Liang Kuan knew that his life was about to plunge into a dark abyss.
As Liang Kuan was being escorted into the police car, the onlookers stopped and stared, whispering amongst themselves. The siren pierced the rainy night as the police car slowly drove towards the police station. Inside, Liang Kuan watched the rain rushing past the window, his mind replaying the scenes of his journey down this path of no return. Regret, fear, and helplessness intertwined, completely overwhelming him.
The incandescent light in the interrogation room crackled overhead. Xiao Wang observed Liang Kuan through the one-way glass for ten minutes—the once spirited hot pot restaurant owner was now huddled in an iron chair, his fingernails digging deep into his knees, his work pants still stained with unwashed hot pot broth oil. The moment the metal door opened, Liang Kuan jerked his head up, his pupils contracting sharply in the bright light, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down like a startled quail.
"At 9:17 PM on November 12th, you transferred 20,000 yuan to Li Biao's driver, with the note 'Cleanup fee.'" Xiao Wang slammed the bank statement on the table; the sound of the papers hitting each other startled Liang Kuan, who shrank back. "At the same time, Zhao Dehan was murdered at the Hongxing Machinery Factory, while your daughter," he paused deliberately, flipping through her medical record, "was quietly receiving an IV drip at the Municipal Children's Hospital."
Liang Kuan's knuckles turned white instantly, and the veins in his neck bulged: "That's...that's the hot pot restaurant's working capital! Li Biao sent people to smash the shop, and I was forced to pay protection money!" He suddenly loosened his collar, revealing a dark red bruise on his collarbone, "Go ask Li Biao! He's the real ruthless devil who eats people without spitting out the bones!" Sweat dripped from his chin onto the table, spreading dark water stains on the transfer record.
Xiao Sun suddenly shoved the freezer inspection report in front of him: "The human tissue in the condenser tube matched Zhao Dehan's DNA perfectly. At dawn on November 13th, your hot pot restaurant's electricity consumption surged 37 times; the repairman found meat scraps in the compressor." The technical jargon in the report transformed into twisted venomous snakes in Liang Kuan's eyes. His breathing became rapid, and his right hand unconsciously groped for his pocket, where he should have kept the strawberry-flavored candy to comfort his daughter.
"Machine malfunction!" Liang Kuan suddenly slammed his handcuffs on the table, the clinking of them against the metal surface echoing loudly. "The frozen beef and mutton in the shop have expired! I'll have the kitchen handle it!" His eyes darted around nervously, but he never dared to look directly at the crucial data on the test report. Xiao Wang noticed his repeated swallowing—a typical physiological response to lying.
"What did Zhao Dehan say when he guaranteed your loan at exorbitant interest rates?" Xiao Wang suddenly changed the subject, and Liang Kuan's pupils dilated instantly. This unexpected question exposed his weakness. Memories flooded back: three months ago, late at night, Zhao Dehan patted him on the shoulder, his lighter illuminating the sinister grin on the other's face: "Brother, Li Biao has a 'good deal,' you lend the money, I'll guarantee it, and we'll split the profits..."