kvmb Chapter 989 The Arrest of Chen Liqiang, and the Whereabouts of Sun Wenbin
Chapter 989 The Arrest of Chen Liqiang, and the Whereabouts of Sun Wenbin
“The underground power distribution room at the cold storage plant is still operating.” Xiao Sun pulled up the power data, his finger sliding across the fluctuating current curves. “Every day at 2 a.m., there’s an abnormal power consumption of 500 kilowatts, lasting for forty minutes.” Li Ming spread a map on the table. Within three kilometers of the cold storage plant were two railway tunnels and a natural cave, an excellent escape route. He heavily circled the factory’s back door in red: “It leads directly to the national highway; we must cut off all escape routes.”
The arrest operation was scheduled for late at night. The SWAT officers donned waterproof and cold-weather gear and lay in wait in the sub-zero temperatures of -20°C. Xiao Zhou led a team of special agents, lying prone at the north ventilation shaft of the cold storage plant; their exhaled breath condensed into ice crystals on their gas masks. "Thermal imaging shows a heat source on the second basement level, six people," Xiao Sun's voice came through the walkie-talkie. The image showed six orange-red dots moving, one of which remained centered, consistent with the habit of Chen Liqiang's bodyguards never leaving his side.
"Action!" Li Ming's command shattered the silence. The demolition team instantly froze the door locks with liquid nitrogen guns, and hydraulic shears silently cut through the steel bars. The assault team infiltrated like black ghosts, their anti-slip boots barely making a sound on the icy ground. As they approached the second basement level, an infrared alarm suddenly triggered, its sharp beeping echoing through the confined space.
"Scatter!" Xiao Zhou shouted. Bullets pierced the ceiling instantly, and cement debris rained down. Chen Liqiang's bodyguards used the shipping containers to fight back, their modified shotguns emitting white smoke in the low temperature. Xiao Wang led the second group to flank from the side, only to find the passage ahead blocked by a heavy fire door—someone had activated the emergency sealing system.
Li Ming raised the megaphone: "Chen Liqiang, Zhao Hu has confessed! Continuing to resist will only worsen your crimes!" He was met with even more intense gunfire, bullets sparking as they grazed the refrigeration pipes. Suddenly, Xiao Sun spotted a drain in the corner: "This leads to the underground parking garage!" Several SWAT officers immediately crawled forward, only to be attacked with Molotov cocktails midway through the pipe; the flames raged fiercely even in sub-zero temperatures.
"Use carbon dioxide fire extinguishers!" At Xiao Zhou's command, a white mist instantly enveloped the passageway. The assault team seized the opportunity to advance, only to encounter Chen Liqiang's modified armored vehicle at the garage entrance. With a roar of its engine, the vehicle crashed through the wall like a wild beast, sending debris flying. Li Ming's sniper team was already waiting at their pre-set positions; armor-piercing rounds accurately hit the tires, but the armored vehicle still managed to break through the encirclement due to its momentum.
The chase unfolded on the icy national highway. Chen Liqiang's driver swerved wildly, attempting to shake off the police car. Xiao Wang's SUV suddenly accelerated, ramming the rear of the other vehicle at a bend. The armored car skidded out of control, but just as it was about to overturn, Chen Liqiang climbed out of the sunroof and threw a homemade bomb at the pursuers. The violent explosion kicked up snow and mist, causing the police cars behind to swerve to avoid it, creating a gap in the formation.
"Activate the drone jamming system!" Li Ming ordered. In the sky, multiple drones formed an electromagnetic barrier, cutting off Chen Liqiang's communication with the outside world. As the vehicle entered the tunnel, SWAT officers, who had been lying in wait, successfully forced the armored car to stop using tire deflation devices. The moment the car door opened, smoke grenades were thrown inside, and the pungent smell of CS gas quickly filled the air.
"Don't move!" The SWAT officers charged into the smoke, guns drawn. In the ensuing melee, Chen Liqiang's bodyguard lunged at him wielding a machete, sparks flying as the blade clashed against his stab-proof vest. Xiao Zhou delivered a side kick that knocked him to the ground, but Chen Liqiang seized the opportunity to escape deeper into the tunnel. Li Ming gave chase, blocking his path at the end of the tunnel near a cavern.
“You can’t escape.” Li Ming pointed his gun at Chen Liqiang’s trembling chest. Suddenly, the other man pulled out a remote control from his pocket: “We might as well die together!” Before he finished speaking, Xiao Sun’s stun rope accurately wrapped around Chen Liqiang’s wrist. A flash of blue electricity, and Chen Liqiang collapsed to the ground. At that moment, a ticking sound came from deep within the cave—the time bomb he had prepared was counting down.
"Everyone evacuate!" Li Ming shouted. The team members helped the wounded retreat quickly, the explosion behind them shaking icicles off the cave ceiling. As dawn broke over the eastern suburbs again, Chen Liqiang was put into a police car, his sunglasses shattered on the ground, revealing fear and despair in his eyes. This thrilling arrest finally brought a temporary end to Song Houdong's wrongful conviction case.
The air in the interrogation room seemed to freeze. Chen Liqiang stared down at his reflection on the table, his Adam's apple bobbing slowly beneath his pale skin. Li Ming pushed the interrogation video of Zhao Hu in front of him for the third time. The distorted expression on Zhao Hu's face as he described the details of the murder looked particularly ferocious under the cold white light.
“At 11 p.m. on the 15th, when Song Houdong drove the truck into the warehouse, he greeted Zhao Hu and said, ‘The goods are really heavy tonight.’” Li Ming’s voice was like an ice pick. “Two minutes later, he was stun-gunned.” Chen Liqiang’s shoulder trembled imperceptibly, and his right hand unconsciously rubbed the web of his left hand—there was an old scar there that would always turn pale red when he was emotional.
Suddenly, Xiao Zhou spread photos of the scene all over the table. The charred corpse was curled up in a bizarre position, its carbonized fingers still in a grasping motion. "Do you know why his right palm was facing up?" Xiao Zhou's pen tip poked at the photo. "Zhao Hu said that when Song Houdong was tied to the steel frame, his hand, wearing a wedding ring, was constantly reaching into his pocket. There was a photo of his daughter hidden there."
Chen Liqiang's eyelashes trembled violently, and he finally looked up: "He deserves it!" His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping against sheet metal. "He withheld 30% of the steel without permission and even wanted to report it with evidence! I gave him a chance, but he didn't take it!" He suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, the metal handcuffs clanging against the iron table. "Do you know who the buyer he contacted is? It's our mortal enemy! He's trying to cut off everyone's livelihood!"
Li Ming turned to a new page of the transcript: "Describe the details of the murder."
"After Zhao Hu knocked him out with a stun gun, I told him to tie him to the steel frame." Chen Liqiang leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling. "When Song Houdong woke up, he started begging for mercy, saying he was willing to hand over all the embezzled goods. I heard it all clearly in the monitoring room," he suddenly laughed, with a hint of neurosis. "He said his daughter won a gold medal in her piano exam and he wanted to take her to the provincial capital for a competition."
The interrogation room fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the echoing sound of the recording device. "I told Zhao Hu to do it," Chen Liqiang's voice suddenly calmed. "First, he made three cuts in the stomach, watching him writhe in pain against the steel frame. Blood splattered everywhere, like a pig being slaughtered for the New Year." He gestured with his handcuffed hands. "Finally, he dragged the man into the car and poured gasoline on him. When the flames reached his hair, his screams..." He suddenly covered his face, tears welling between his fingers.
"Tell me, what role did Sun Wenbin play in this?" Xiao Wang's voice broke the silence.