kvmb Chapter 954 Cement Plant Job Competition, New Clues
Chapter 954 Cement Plant Job Competition, New Clues
Li Dejun is a serious person at work. Although he offended some people at work, it was all for work purposes. Moreover, he had conducted relevant investigations on the offended people in the early stages and ultimately ruled them out as suspects. At the time of the incident, none of them had the opportunity to commit the crime.
Murder is usually motivated by money, personal grudges, or love; there's always a reason or motive. But Li Dejun doesn't seem to have any of these motives.
"By the way, we also found a clue during our investigation. The cement plant is going to hold a public competition for the position of deputy plant manager in a month or two. Li Dejun is a strong contender, and several other people have also signed up to participate."
"Oh? There's such a thing?"
"We have also investigated this situation. It's only the registration stage now, and we don't know what will happen next. But based on the feedback from these workers, it's more likely that there's a workshop director named Li Dejun. However, these two have a good relationship in private, so there shouldn't be any major problems."
Li Ming nodded after hearing this.
"Regardless of whether there are any problems now, since we have this clue, we should dig deeper. So, the two of you go to the cement factory first thing tomorrow morning and investigate this clue thoroughly. The key is to find out whether Chen Yahua had the opportunity to commit the crime when it happened."
The next morning, Xiao Zhou and Xiao Wang stood at the entrance of the raw material workshop where Chen Yanhua worked. Amid the roar of the machines, Chen Yanhua, wearing a safety helmet, was directing workers to dispatch trucks. She neatly tucked stray hairs behind her ears, and her work pants had mud splattered on the knees. "Looking for me?" She removed her protective mask, her gaze warily sweeping over the police badges on the two men. "I heard about Li Dejun's situation. It's such a pity."
Xiao Wang opened his notebook: "Director Chen, we're investigating his social connections. We heard that you and he are both popular candidates for the deputy factory director position?"
Chen Yanhua's fingers pinched the edge of her mask, creating wrinkles, before she released them and laughed, "It's just a competition. Who in the factory doesn't want to move up? But Director Li and I have always had a healthy competition." She turned and pointed to the production reports on the wall, "Last month, his workshop exceeded its output target, so I even organized people to go and learn from him."
Xiao Zhou suddenly leaned closer: "Where were you around 7 p.m. on the night of the incident?"
The roar in the workshop suddenly became piercing. Chen Yanhua's pupils contracted slightly, and she immediately took out her phone from her pocket: "I have a complete alibi. That night I was attending an industry exchange meeting in the city. After the meeting, I had a late-night snack with some colleagues. Here are the restaurant's surveillance cameras and payment records." In the video she pulled up, Chen Yanhua was wearing a light blue shirt, holding a wine glass and talking to someone next to her. The digital clock on the background wall showed 20:17.
However, when the police reviewed the surveillance footage along the route, they discovered a strange time discrepancy. Chen Yanhua's silver sedan entered a city parking lot at 18:45 and didn't reappear on surveillance footage near the restaurant until 20:05. For a full two hours, her whereabouts were completely unknown. Even more strangely, the organizers of the exchange meeting confirmed that the meeting had ended at 18:30.
“Chen Yanhua is lying.” Li Ming projected the two surveillance videos side by side onto the big screen, with red arrows circling the time period that had disappeared. “Xiao Zhou, Xiao Wang, check her call records and driving trajectory for those two hours, focusing on the GPS data of her car. Yang Lin, lead a search of her office and vehicle, don’t overlook any details.”
As the technicians disassembled Chen Yanhua's car navigation system, Xiao Zhou and Xiao Wang were already standing downstairs at her apartment building. The security guard frowned as he flipped through the register: "Director Chen did come back that night, around seven o'clock. I remember she was carrying a file bag and seemed to be in a hurry." He pulled up the surveillance footage, and Chen Yanhua's figure flashed past the entrance of the building, her white sneakers stained with brown mud.
Prying open Chen Yanhua's desk drawer, Xiao Wang found a USB drive in a hidden compartment at the bottom. After plugging it into the computer, dozens of documents revealed insider trading in the cement plant's raw material procurement—the supplier was a distant relative of Chen Yanhua, and the quoted price was 30% higher than the market price. "If Li Dejun becomes the deputy factory director, the first thing he'll investigate is the procurement loopholes," Xiao Zhou thought, staring at the screen, his nails almost digging into his palms.
Under the interrogation room lights, Chen Yanhua's makeup was ruined. She repeatedly wiped the wedding ring on her ring finger: "Those procurement contracts were a misunderstanding, I can explain..."
“Let’s explain those two hours first.” Li Ming slammed the GPS track map on the table. The red line ended abruptly near the Dongchuan Cement Plant. “From 18:45 to 20:05, you went back to the cement plant and then went to the restaurant to forge an alibi.”
Inside the interrogation room, the incandescent bulbs crackled with electricity, casting crisscrossing shadows on the cold, hard walls. Chen Yanhua sat upright in a stainless steel chair, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the wedding ring on her ring finger, the metal band gleaming from wear. Xiao Zhou slammed a stack of documents heavily on the table, the rustling sound of the papers particularly jarring in the confined space.
"Where did you go between 18:45 and 20:05? Don't tell me you were processing workshop reports." Xiao Zhou's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, intently watching Chen Yanhua's every subtle expression.
Chen Yanhua suddenly chuckled, her laughter tinged with mockery and helplessness. She pulled a room key from her pocket, the gold lettering of "Emperor Hotel Executive Suite" gleaming ambiguously in the cold light: "Go ask Liu Jianguo, ask that hypocritical Factory Director Liu what kind of deal we're making."
When the news reached Li Ming, he was reviewing the case details in front of the whiteboard, his marker hovering over the name "Liu Jianguo" for a long time. Twenty minutes later, Liu Jianguo was brought into the interrogation room next door. His once-sharp suit was wrinkled, his tie was crooked around his neck, and there was still some dust on his forehead. He looked flustered and disheveled.
“Chen Yanhua and I... had already reached an agreement.” Liu Jianguo loosened his tie, his Adam’s apple bobbing, his eyes darting around. “As long as she cooperates with me on the procurement projects, the position of deputy factory director will be hers.” His voice trailed off. “On the night of the incident, we were discussing the bidding plan for next month at the hotel.”
Li Ming didn't respond immediately, but silently turned on the projector, projecting the hotel's surveillance footage onto the wall. At 18:50 PM, Chen Yanhua's silver sedan drove into the underground parking garage, its headlights illuminating her tense profile. Ten minutes later, Liu Jianguo's black Audi slowly followed, pausing slightly at a corner, as if the driver was observing the surroundings. The two entered the elevator one after the other, deliberately maintaining a half-meter distance. Chen Yanhua's fingers nervously twisted the hem of her clothes, betraying her unease. At 20:05 PM, Chen Yanhua hurriedly left alone, her high heels clicking erratically on the marble floor, nearly twisting her ankle at the corner.