CHAPTER 58: CHAPTER 58 MAJOR SITUATION!

The zhajiang noodles were served, and the police officers enjoyed them immensely.

The aroma was truly fragrant!

Moreover, they saw other colleagues from their bureau come over, and even spotted two people from the courthouse.

The zhajiang noodles from this stall were so fragrant that word had spread throughout their unit, and there were always people wanting to try them.

Ma Ran felt incredibly refreshed after finishing his zhajiang noodles. He stood up and said to the others, "I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll head back first."

The others knew he was busy, so they replied, "Work hard!" and "Keep it up!"

Ma Ran left Jiang Feng’s stall carrying a plastic bag with five steaming hot portions of zhajiang noodles. He hurried back, as his colleagues were still busy with the interrogation.

Jiang Feng remained busy at his stall. He had no idea where his delicious food was going; he just focused on making each serving as good as possible.

「At the city’s Public Security Bureau, Criminal Investigation Division.」

Ma Ran handed the zhajiang noodles to his colleagues in the break room and first asked, "Did he confess yet?"

His colleague shook his head.

Ma Ran added, "Have some noodles; I’ll keep an eye on things."

"These zhajiang noodles are really tasty. Better eat them while they’re hot."

"Have the captain and the others come out for some noodles too."

His colleague nodded tiredly. "Okay."

Soon after, Captain Yang Hao of Criminal Investigation Squad Two and another officer came out.

Ma Ran immediately went up and said to Yang Hao, "Captain, these zhajiang noodles are really good."

"That guy has been hungry for a long time. Let’s eat in front of him. We can use the food to tempt him."

"Offer him some, and maybe he’ll talk."

Yang Hao’s eyes were bloodshot; he hadn’t slept all night either. The criminal had already been convicted and sentenced to death; all that remained was to go through the procedures. But for this last case, the criminal was adamant about not disclosing the location of the body. The victim’s elderly parents came to the bureau crying every day. Their only hope now was to find their daughter’s body so she could be laid to rest.

Chinese people have a deep attachment to their homeland. It’s believed that only when laid to rest by family can the deceased find peace underground. Otherwise, they become lonely, wandering spirits.

Seeing the haggard faces of the elderly couple, the leaders of the Criminal Investigation Division had ordered them to find a way to get the information. Yang Hao felt a heavy responsibility, so he had been in a standoff with the criminal all night. But the criminal was even more stubborn than he had anticipated.

Yang Hao thought Ma Ran’s suggestion was a good one, and he nodded. "Let’s try it."

With that, Yang Hao asked another officer to bring the zhajiang noodles in with him. The two arrived at the interrogation site. They said nothing, just placed the zhajiang noodles on the table, opened the disposable containers, unwrapped the disposable chopsticks, and prepared to eat.

Ma Ran went to the adjacent monitoring room to watch the situation in the interrogation room. The criminal sat in the chair, initially looking dejected, but as he smelled the aroma of the zhajiang noodles, his spirits lifted slightly.

Yang Hao ignored him and simply picked up his chopsticks, thoroughly mixing the zhajiang sauce. The zhajiang noodles looked incredibly appetizing. The thick meat sauce was topped with a layer of cucumber strips; mixing it well with the chopsticks ensured every noodle was enveloped in sauce, making it look even more delicious.

The aroma was overwhelming.

The criminal could see every detail of the zhajiang noodles. He had been hungry for a long time. His eyes were somewhat dull. He knew he was going to die, and his body seemed to have entered a state of ’premature death’; he had no desire to say anything. But this bowl of noodles managed to rekindle some sensation in his numbed senses.

Yang Hao didn’t say a word because after a full day and night of interrogation, everything that could be said had been said. It was all futile. Violent interrogation tactics were now forbidden—the precedent set by "Endless Journey (2023)" was a clear reminder. So, they were at an impasse with a criminal who seemed to welcome death. They could only resort to psychological tactics.

Yang Hao had been keeping watch and was already hungry. Now, with the aroma of the noodles wafting over, he couldn’t resist any longer and immediately scooped up several strands, stuffing them into his mouth. His mouth had felt bitter for days, and nothing tasted good.

But this bowl of zhajiang noodles was entirely different.The noodles tasted exceptionally good, the aroma of the zhajiang sauce potent and inviting.

Just moments before, Yang Hao had felt exhausted and had no particular appetite. But after just one bite of the noodles, the hunger in his stomach intensified. It felt as if this single bowl of noodles had reawakened his entire body.

"Hm?"

Yang Hao’s eyes lit up. These noodles are really good!

The zhajiang noodles Ma Ran had brought were excellent; both the sauce and noodles were still hot, and the noodles maintained their firm texture.

Yang Hao took two more bites, his mouth full of sauce. The officer beside him was also heartily devouring his zhajiang noodles.

The sight of them eating was incredibly appetizing! Any ordinary person who saw such a scene couldn’t help but salivate, especially for a criminal who had been starved and cold for a day.

He stared at Yang Hao’s zhajiang noodles, a bitter taste filling his own mouth as his stomach rumbled incessantly. His bodily functions had grown sluggish, but they were forcibly reawakened by this bowl of noodles.

"Captain Yang, Captain Yang."

"Can I have a bowl of noodles?" the criminal finally couldn’t help himself and begged.

Hearing the criminal speak, a flicker of excitement appeared in Yang Hao’s expression, but he quickly concealed it. If he’s willing to talk, there’s a chance.Not like before, when the fellow was completely silent.

Yang Hao took another bite of noodles and said with feigned composure, "Of course, it’s no problem to give you a bowl of noodles. But you and I have been locked in this standoff for a whole day and night. You know what I want to find out."

"Just tell me where the body is hidden. What’s so hard about that?"

"I really don’t understand why you insist on hiding it."

"It’s just the location of a body. Tell us, and everyone can be at ease."

Hearing Yang Hao’s words, the criminal lowered his eyes, his voice hoarse. "I was just thinking... could I drag someone down with me before I die?"

As soon as the criminal finished speaking, Yang Hao’s eyes instantly widened, his fists clenched tightly. In the surveillance room, the colleagues who were eating noodles also froze mid-bite.

To drag someone down with him before death...

"You mean... that girl, she’s not dead?" Yang Hao felt his breathing quicken.

This criminal possessed strong counter-surveillance awareness. He had killed three people, with the cases spanning over a year; the most recent murder occurred just three days ago. When the police captured him in a run-down residential complex, the only thing found in his room was a long knife he hadn’t had time to dispose of. Forensic analysis confirmed the bloodstains on the knife matched the missing girl’s DNA. The criminal had also confessed to killing and burying her, admitting his guilt without reservation. But he just wouldn’t reveal where she was buried. The police traced his movements and found he had gone to a mountain area—specifically near Fengqi Mountain—but they couldn’t find where the body was buried.

But now, the criminal suddenly changed his story, claiming the girl wasn’t dead after all. This also explained why the criminal had been so adamant about not revealing the burial site. Because the girl wasn’t dead at all. He wanted to drag someone down with him before his execution by lethal injection.

"Since I’m definitely getting the death penalty, why should I let her live?" the criminal said again.

"Captain Yang, just give me a bowl of noodles, and I’ll tell you where she is."

"I want to eat noodles now."

Yang Hao gritted his teeth, desperately wanting to curse, You bastard! but he managed to hold it in.

"Ma Ran!" Yang Hao shouted.

They happened to have one portion of zhajiang noodles left because a colleague hadn’t been present earlier. Ma Ran immediately came in with the noodles, opened the container, and placed it in front of the criminal.

Yang Hao’s face was extremely serious as he asked the criminal in a deep voice, "Where is the girl?"

The criminal, wrists cuffed, picked up the disposable chopsticks and began to mix his noodles. Ma Ran stood beside him, watching his every move, ready to intervene instantly if he tried anything.

"On the sixth floor of the building where you caught me. That building has no tenants upstairs. I changed the lock on the sixth floor and used it as a hiding place," the criminal confessed.

His previous hideout was in a dilapidated residential area, full of old six-story buildings. The criminal lived on the fourth floor, and the fifth and sixth floors were unoccupied. Everyone had assumed he’d killed the girl and buried her in the mountains; no one imagined he had hidden her upstairs in the same building complex.

"Yang Ge, Liu Tong, keep an eye on him!"

Yang Hao shot up from his seat and rushed out. He took out his walkie-talkie and shouted, "Squad Two, all units, move out! We have a major situation!"