Taboo Mage - Chapter 70 - Interrogation Scene

By chance, Jue Chi was standing not far away, being questioned by a police officer. He looked very serious-probably because he, with his rather low emotional intelligence, wasn’t very good at dealing with police.

I hurried over, intending to help out. As I approached, the police officer patted Jue Chi on the shoulder and said to me, “Master Jue Chi, is this Gu Qingshu you mentioned?”

Jue Chi nodded. I glanced at him, surprised at how well he seemed to be getting along with the officer. It seemed his social skills had improved dramatically in just a few hours.

Jue Chi turned to me and said, “Da Liu is dead-the one who was talking to Li Jianjun during the day.”

Da Liu? I frowned and thought hard, then vaguely remembered a driver with yellowed teeth standing and chatting with Li Jianjun by the supermarket entrance earlier today. Their conversation had not been pleasant, and Li Jianjun had even chased after him to beat him.

“He’s dead? What does that have to do with Li Jianjun?”

Although I didn’t want to get involved, Li Jianjun was the only one who could take me to Shenyang, and now he was locked up. Even for my own sake, I couldn’t just stand by.

The officer, who seemed quite familiar with Jue Chi, glanced at me and said, “Because when Da Liu died, there were eyewitnesses who saw him having a verbal altercation with Li Jianjun, who even threatened to kill him.”

“A verbal altercation? That’s considered a motive for murder? I tease Jue Chi every day; does that mean if he disappears one day, I’ll be the prime suspect?”

I was utterly dismissive of the police officer’s reasoning. Too many officers, eager to solve cases quickly and boost their success rates, were recklessly searching for evidence, leading many innocent people to be wrongfully accused for life.

The officer rolled his eyes at me and said coldly, “Please do not insult our professional competence. The reason Li Jianjun is considered a suspect is not solely based on that…”

“Enough, I have no interest in these things; they have nothing to do with me anyway.” I waved my hand, tired of listening to him speak, “Jue Chi, it looks like we can’t count on Li Jianjun anymore. Should we find another driver? There are so many drivers around here; surely we can find one who’s heading to Shenyang.”

I’ve always thought Jue Chi was a lazy person. For instance, he could squat at Chan Guang Monastery for an entire year without stepping out once, or even hide in his meditation room for a week without coming out.

But this time, as I turned to leave, Jue Chi suddenly grabbed my arm and said in a deep voice, “This time, you need to help.”

“Damn it! I’m not a police officer; I’m just a… seller of medicinal herbs! Why should I have to help?” I pulled Jue Chi aside and hissed at him.

Jue Chi shook his head, “This time it’s different. If Li Jianjun doesn’t show up, you simply can’t go to Shenyang.”

“Damn! I…” I clenched my fist, hesitating. Although I had to admit Jue Chi was right, I was still somewhat annoyed.

All I wanted was to make a trip to Shenyang. How did I end up in the middle of all these problems!

An hour later, I sat in a temporary interrogation room provided by a fast food restaurant, with Jue Chi and a police officer next to me, and Li Jianjun, his eyes bloodshot, sitting directly across.

“Speak up, what exactly was your relationship with the deceased, Liu Hong?” the police officer asked coldly, his hands resting on the table.

I couldn’t help but shudder. Despite the playful banter earlier, this officer was dead serious when questioning a suspect.

Li Jianjun’s hands were shackled together, shaking his head vigorously, “I didn’t kill anyone… I didn’t kill anyone…”

“I didn’t say you killed anyone. I’m just asking, what was your relationship with the deceased!” the police officer slammed his hand on the table and bellowed.

“I… I just knew him from long-haul trips. We met on the road a few times and got to know each other,” Li Jianjun coughed violently a few times before continuing hoarsely.

“And then what? Someone saw you having a conflict with Liu Hong before he died. What was that about?”

Upon hearing the police officer’s question, Li Jianjun suddenly looked up at me, his eyes flashing a sinister expression.

“Why the hell are you looking at me? I didn’t talk to the police!” I slammed the table and stood up. Here I was, sitting here in the middle of the night, trying every possible way to bail him out, and this guy actually suspects that I snitched on him!

“What, you saw it too? Then you tell me, what did you see?” The police officer suddenly pointed his gun at me.

I swallowed and, holding my cup of water, said, “I was just hungry, so I went to the supermarket to get some food…”

“Cut to the chase.”

“That’s the background, the incident is next! Why the rush… I, well, I was coming out of the supermarket and happened to see Li Jianjun chatting with Da Liu at the entrance. As they talked, Li Jianjun got angry, and then I was afraid he would take it out on me next, so I just stayed away. I don’t know what happened after that.”

I honestly recounted what I had seen, and the younger police officer quickly took notes while the officer in charge turned to Li Jianjun to verify if my story was accurate.

Li Jianjun nodded, “He deserves it. The things he says are stinkier than the shit in a cesspit.”

“Hey, watch your tone.”

Looking at Li Jianjun, who still dared to speak recklessly at such a time, I was worried he might blurt out something inappropriate, so I quickly tapped on the table to interrupt him.

“Are you the police officer or am I? You’re allowed here because Master Jue Chi requested it, otherwise, you might be considered an accomplice and detained.” The police officer slammed the table and glared at me.

I pursed my lips and withdrew my hand.

“Continue answering, what was the conflict with Liu Hong about?”

Seeing that I had calmed down, the police officer turned back to Li Jianjun.

Li Jianjun’s face was instantly covered in shame, his hands clenched together, bones cracking under his own grip.

“Speak!”

“That bastard… that bastard, he said my wife was cheating on me behind my back!” Li Jianjun suddenly stood up from his chair, struggling as he roared.

I was momentarily stunned, quickly recalling the conversation between Li Jianjun and Liu Hong during the day. At the time, it seemed odd and confusing. Now that I think about it, Liu Hong’s insinuations were clear: Li Jianjun hadn’t been home in two months, and he was oblivious to the fact that his wife had been sleeping with someone else…