The crackdown on organized crime began with the arrest of the mother-in-law.

Chapter 846 Zhang Jun begins to confess, Zhao Wengang is arrested.

Furthermore, Li Baoguo vehemently denied that the two men killed Liu Hua, but he did provide a valuable clue: Zhang Jun had asked him if they should have someone deal with Liu Hua. Li Baoguo disagreed, believing that Liu Hua's dispute with the factory was a public matter. He worried that involving personal matters would complicate things, and Zhang Jun's words had also frightened him. After all, how could they possibly deal with the matter? Kill him? Therefore, he didn't agree to the arrangement.

Upon learning of Li Baoguo's statement regarding Zhang Jun's mention of dealing with Liu Hua, Qin Chuan immediately arranged for a new round of interrogation of Zhang Jun. The interrogation room was dimly lit and the atmosphere oppressive. Li Ming sat opposite Zhang Jun, his gaze piercing, clutching a stack of evidence materials tightly in his hand.

“Zhang Jun, let’s have a good talk today. Li Baoguo has confessed that you mentioned to him that you wanted to ‘get rid of’ Liu Hua. How do you explain this?” Li Ming’s voice was deep and powerful, and it was particularly clear in the quiet interrogation room.

Zhang Jun's face turned pale instantly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but he still tried to remain calm and argued, "Li Baoguo is talking nonsense! I did mention that Liu Hua's matter was a headache for the factory, but I said that the handling would be through legal channels, how could it be something as illegal as murder?"

Li Ming snorted coldly and threw Li Baoguo's confession in front of Zhang Jun: "Look, Li Baoguo explained it clearly. You didn't suggest any legal means back then. Do you think we would easily believe your one-sided story?"

Zhang Jun glanced at the materials, his hands unconsciously clenching, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Even if I spoke recklessly at the time and said those things, it was just something I said in anger, and we didn't put it into action."

"Sayings in anger?" Li Ming raised his voice. "Then how do you explain your frequent meetings with Zhao Wengang at the coffee shop before the incident? Moreover, our investigation found that Liu Hua also went to that coffee shop on the same day you met. Is this just a coincidence?"

A flicker of panic crossed Zhang Jun's eyes, but he quickly composed himself and said, "I met with Zhao Wengang to discuss business. He's a key supplier of raw materials for the factory, and we often discuss cooperation details at coffee shops. As for Liu Hua going there as well, I had no idea; it's just a coincidence."

"Really?" Li Ming stared intently into Zhang Jun's eyes. "Then why did your behavior become so unusual every time you met Zhao Wengang? Furthermore, we investigated the coffee shop's transaction records. During the time you met, there was a regular customer who consistently ordered a coffee, with a different amount than the other customers, seemingly waiting for someone. Is that person Zhao Wengang? What are you plotting?"

Zhang Jun avoided Li Ming's gaze and said through gritted teeth, "I told you, we're just talking business. What could we possibly be scheming about?"

Meanwhile, the officers investigating the cafe made new progress. After carefully questioning every staff member, one of the waiters finally recalled some crucial information.

“I remember that some time before the incident, two regular customers would often meet at that same corner seat. One of them was Factory Director Zhang, and I didn’t know the other one, but from their conversation, he seemed to be a supplier. Once, when I went to deliver coffee to them, I heard them mention a man named Liu Hua, saying that he was too troublesome and they had to find a way to resolve the issue,” the waiter told the officers.

The officers quickly reported this important lead to Qin Chuan. Qin Chuan instructed: "Continue to investigate further and see if you can find more details about their conversation, as well as any other unusual behavior by Zhao Wengang and Zhang Jun when they met at the coffee shop."

The officers returned to the coffee shop and, after reviewing the surveillance footage, discovered that Zhang Jun and Zhao Wengang frequently avoided the cameras and spoke in hushed tones when they met, behaving suspiciously. Furthermore, on the day Liu Hua visited the coffee shop, Zhang Jun and Zhao Wengang's meeting lasted longer than usual, and they appeared more flustered when they left.

With these new leads, Li Ming interrogated Zhang Jun again. "Zhang Jun, now that there's more and more evidence, do you still want to keep hiding it? The coffee shop waiter has recalled that when you met with Zhao Wengang, you mentioned Liu Hua, saying you wanted to find a way to get rid of him. How do you explain that?"

Zhang Jun's mental defenses began to crumble, his hands trembled slightly, but he still tried to resist: "That doesn't mean anything. We might just be complaining about the trouble Liu Hua has caused the factory, and we don't really intend to do anything."

Li Ming showed the surveillance screenshots, which clearly showed Zhang Jun and Zhao Wengang avoiding the cameras and looking flustered in the coffee shop: "Look at this, your behavior is so abnormal, and you still say it's just complaining? Moreover, we found out that Zhao Wengang has a criminal record for theft and intentional injury. Do you think it's normal for you to meet with such a person frequently and talk about Liu Hua?"

Faced with the irrefutable evidence, Zhang Jun's face turned ashen. He lowered his head and remained silent for a long time. Finally, he sighed and said, "I...I admit that Zhao Wengang and I did discuss Liu Hua's matter in the coffee shop. I was pushed to my limit by Liu Hua's demand for high compensation and, in a moment of confusion, I asked Zhao Wengang if there was any way to shut him up. But I really didn't directly participate in the murder; I just wanted to scare him."

"You scared him?" Li Ming pressed. "And then what happened? How did things turn out this way?"

Zhang Jun slowly said, "Later, Zhao Wengang said he had a way and asked me to give him some money. I was blinded by greed at the time, so I gave it to him. But I really didn't expect him to kill someone. I thought he was just threatening Liu Hua to make him give up his demand for high compensation."

"Do you know how Zhao Wengang carried it out?" Li Ming continued to press.

Zhang Jun shook his head: "I don't know. He didn't tell me the specific plan. After I gave him the money, I didn't contact him again until after the incident, when I realized that things had gotten serious."

Having obtained Zhang Jun's confession and numerous crucial clues pointing to Zhao Wengang, Qin Chuan decisively ordered Zhao Wengang's arrest. The police quickly devised a meticulous arrest plan: one group of officers was responsible for going to Zhao Wengang's residence, while another group set up an ambush at key intersections in the surrounding area to prevent Zhao Wengang's escape. On the day of the operation, the sky was overcast, as if foreshadowing the impending tension.

The plainclothes officers tasked with reaching Zhao Wengang's residence quietly infiltrated the apartment complex. They moved swiftly and cautiously, gradually approaching the building where Zhao Wengang lived. Just as they were preparing to complete the final encirclement, an unexpected incident occurred.

Zhao Wengang happened to return home at this time. He saw unfamiliar faces loitering around the apartment building in the distance, looking wary. He also noticed that the license plates of several cars did not belong to the residents of the apartment complex. Based on his keen intuition from his past crimes, he instantly realized that the police were watching him and were very likely aware of his murder.