Arrest Techniques

"Impressive, as expected of Captain Xu, who has cracked numerous difficult cases. Truly living up to the reputation," Old Zhou chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"I stole the gun. I really wanted to use this case to get promoted... I'm getting older, and my memory is failing. Passing the exam for promotion is out of the question, so I had no choice but to resort to this."

"Originally, I planned to let the case simmer for a couple more days before bringing out the hidden gun to claim credit. I didn’t expect Director Gao to bring you in to help solve the case, and even announce that no one could leave the police station until the case was resolved. At that point, I knew things would fall apart. Who could’ve guessed you’d trace it back to me so quickly?"

Old Zhou couldn’t help but feel unlucky.

According to his plan, once the case had gained enough attention, he would retrieve the gun he had hidden earlier, hand it over, and fabricate a story about how he found it. That would secure him the credit needed for promotion.

But then, out of nowhere, Xu Mo showed up.

After thorough investigation, it didn’t take long for Xu Mo to piece everything together and suspect Old Zhou. Through pure deduction, Xu Mo had reconstructed the entire scenario.

Since the incident hadn’t been long, Director Gao had called in Han Fei and Xu Mo to assist with the case. He also issued an order that no one could leave the station until the case was resolved. This left Old Zhou with no opportunity to move the gun. The stolen gun was still in the station, and worse, it still bore his fingerprints, which he hadn’t had a chance to erase.

This was why Old Zhou decided to confess now.

He hadn’t been able to move the gun, and Xu Mo had already deduced everything. As long as the gun remained in the station, Xu Mo would eventually find it. Combined with the fingerprints on the gun, Old Zhou would be caught red-handed.

Rather than being caught with undeniable evidence, it was better to confess now and hope it would count as a voluntary admission of guilt.

"Why did you only steal Hao Qi’s gun? There were four officers on the mission. Why not target the others?" Even though the case was solved, Xu Mo still had some lingering questions.

At this, a trace of guilt appeared on Old Zhou’s face.

"He’s a good person, well-liked in the station, and we had a good relationship. Out of the four officers, I was closest to Hao Qi. Stealing his gun was the least likely to raise suspicion. Even if he noticed I took his gun, I could’ve brushed it off by saying, 'I just wanted to take a look at it.'"

A thought flashed through Xu Mo’s mind: What kind of twisted logic is this? Just because someone’s a good person, they deserve to have a gun pointed at them?!

"Where’s the gun?" Xu Mo asked again, not dwelling on the previous question.

Old Zhou, looking defeated, answered weakly, "In the third stall from the left in the men’s restroom, inside the water tank. I wrapped it in a disposable sealed bag."

Xu Mo called Wang Dachuan and sent him to check the men’s restroom for the gun.

A short while later, Wang Dachuan returned to the interrogation room, carrying a dripping disposable plastic bag. Inside the bag was a black police-issued handgun—Hao Qi’s missing service weapon.

"Captain Xu, Captain Han, we found it," Wang Dachuan said, placing the bag on the table.

Han Fei looked at Old Zhou, who was sitting in the interrogation chair, and sighed.

"Why did you do this? You’ve ruined your career and dragged Hao Qi down with you."

"Why?" Old Zhou let out a cold laugh. "You’re the Criminal Investigation Team Leader, not a auxiliary officer. Everyone respects you, so of course you think what I did was unnecessary."

"I’ve been at the station for almost ten years. How many officers here have more seniority than me? I’m the one with the most experience, yet why am I always the one assisting them?"

"I don’t even have the authority to enforce the law. I have to follow formal officers on missions. I can only assist in law enforcement. As a veteran, I don’t even have the right to make decisions. Everything depends on the formal officers... Even interns have a higher status than me!"

"When people hear I’m an auxiliary officer during missions, they don’t treat me well... So you tell me, why did I do this?"

"You have your reasons," Han Fei said, looking at Old Zhou. "But I want to say that I didn’t become the Criminal Investigation Team Leader overnight either. I passed the exams to become an officer and worked my way up to this position. I earned it through my abilities, not by resorting to underhanded methods."

Han Fei recalled an old saying: The pitiful often have their own faults.

Failing to get promoted is a matter of personal capability. Resorting to shady tactics is just wrong.

...

"Was it Old Zhou?"

"Yes, the gun was found, and he confessed."

"Sigh..."

Upon hearing from Han Fei and Xu Mo that the thief was auxiliary officer Old Zhou, Director Gao couldn’t help but sigh.

Old Zhou was a long-time colleague, someone they had worked with for nearly a decade. That he could do something like this was heartbreaking for Director Gao, who found it hard to accept.

But the truth was undeniable.

Old Zhou had confessed to his crime, and the missing service weapon had been found in the men’s restroom water tank, as he had directed. The gun still bore his fingerprints—a clear and undeniable piece of evidence.

Director Gao took a moment to compose himself before speaking to the two.

"Thank you both for your help. If it weren’t for you, this case wouldn’t have been resolved so quickly... Are you free tonight? Let me treat you to dinner after work as a token of gratitude. If you ever need help in the future, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll do my best to assist!"

The two exchanged a glance and finally nodded.

Director Gao had already extended the invitation, and refusing would have been impolite.

The news of the solved case quickly spread throughout the station.

The officers were discussing the incident.

"Incredible! As expected of Captain Xu. The case was solved in less than a day!"

"Everyone says that cases handled by Captain Xu and Captain Han are solved within a day. I didn’t believe it at first, but now I do. They’re truly legendary detectives!"

"Who would’ve thought it was Old Zhou? He didn’t seem like that kind of person. He was always so helpful. How could he do something like this?"

"I know, right? I never expected Old Zhou to do something like this."

"I heard he was desperate to get promoted. Honestly, he’s been at the station for almost ten years. It’s no wonder he was getting impatient."

"But that’s no excuse. Hao Qi’s really unlucky. His career’s been ruined just like that."

"..."

"You’ve successfully apprehended the criminal. Reward obtained—Arrest Techniques!"