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

Chapter 1122 Eliminating Liu Bin's Suspicion

“He had no financial motive to kill,” Xiao Wang analyzed in the investigation report. “A dispute of 5 yuan was not enough to make him take the risk, especially when his wife urgently needed the money.”

The most crucial evidence came from Liu Bin's mobile phone base station location. From 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on July 3, his mobile phone signal remained at the suburban warehouse and on his way home, without any signal interaction with the base station where Zhang Lei's house was located. "This shows that he never even approached the crime scene," Xiao Wang pointed to the base station distribution map. "The overlapping area of ​​the signal coverage is less than 0.5 square kilometers, making it impossible to commit a crime without switching base stations."

When all the investigation results were compiled, Xiao Wang drew a big X next to Liu Bin's name, with the note "No time to commit the crime, no fingerprint match, no motive, sufficient alibi." Although Liu Bin had a dispute with Zhang Lei and his features matched the surveillance footage, the overwhelming alibi completely ruled him out. As Xiao Wang closed the file, the sunlight streaming through the window shone on the description of the "heart-shaped birthmark," a feature once considered a crucial clue, which ultimately turned out to be just a coincidence. The investigation was once again at a standstill, but Xiao Wang knew that eliminating incorrect options was also a step closer to the truth. Next, he should turn his attention to the mysterious woman in the trench coat, Chen Mei.

While Xiao Wang ruled out Liu Bin as a suspect, Xiao Zhou's investigation into Chen Mei was also in-depth.

Xiao Zhou's finger paused on Chen Mei's household registration information. The photo on the screen was somewhat blurry; the woman had short, ear-length hair and a small mole on her left eyebrow. "The number ending in 6789 belongs to her," he said, printing out the call log. The call at 10:15 PM on July 3rd was circled three times in red pen. "Calling Zhang Lei at this time is too suspicious." Sunlight streamed through the window onto the words "Chen Mei, 34 years old, unemployed," and the rough edges of the paper trembled slightly in the wind.

When they found Chen Mei's address, the walls of the old residential building were peeling, and faded floral curtains hung in the third-floor window. Xiao Zhou knocked on the security door, and dragging footsteps came from inside. The chain was pulled open a crack, revealing half of Chen Mei's face, her eyes warily scanning the man in police uniform. "We're from the Public Security Bureau. We have some questions," Xiao Zhou said, flashing his police badge. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the still-steaming glass on the coffee table in the living room. "You called Zhang Lei on the evening of July 3rd?"

Chen Mei's hand tightened abruptly on the doorknob, her knuckles turning white. "Wrong number," her voice trembled slightly, though she tried to suppress it. "I wanted to call my cousin, but I dialed the wrong number." Xiao Zhou noticed a fresh scar on her right wrist, about 3 centimeters long, the scab not yet completely fallen off. "How did you get this?" He pointed to the scar, and Chen Mei instinctively pulled her sleeve down slightly. "I accidentally cut myself while chopping vegetables, it's nothing serious."

When investigating Chen Mei's social connections, Xiao Zhou first went to the garment factory where she used to work. The sound of sewing machines in the workshop was deafening. Team leader Sister Li was trimming loose threads with scissors. When she saw the photo of Chen Mei that Xiao Zhou showed her, her brows immediately furrowed. "She quit at the end of last year," Sister Li said, pinning a pin to the fabric, the tip gleaming coldly under the light. "She was always late for work, saying she was going to bring breakfast to her husband. Later we found out that Zhao Gang was gambling all night, and she was going to the casino to recruit people." Sister Li remembered that once Chen Mei cried in the workshop, saying that Zhao Gang had pawned her dowry gold bracelet. "That bracelet was given to her by her mother. She was heartbroken and gasped for breath, saying she couldn't go on living like this."

After leaving the garment factory, Xiao Zhou found the owner of the convenience store in the neighborhood. The compressor in the freezer hummed, and the lollipops on the counter shimmered with iridescent colors in the sunlight. The owner counted her change, her fingertips stained with the patina of the coins: "Chen Mei and her husband Zhao Gang don't get along. They've been arguing every day lately," she said, putting soy sauce into a plastic bag. The label on the bottle was already wrinkled. "One night, they were arguing the worst. I was woken up and heard Chen Mei yell through the window, 'If you gamble again, I'll die!' Zhao Gang called her a jinx, saying that if she could have children, he wouldn't be gambling."

The proprietress suddenly lowered her voice and moved closer to Xiao Zhou. A mixture of soy sauce and cigarette smoke wafted over: "Zhao Gang lost a lot of money gambling and owes loan sharks. People often come to collect debts. Last month, a group of people blocked his way downstairs. They were wearing black vests and had dragon tattoos on their arms. They said they would break Zhao Gang's leg if he didn't pay back the money." She pointed to the security camera at the convenience store entrance. "That day was July 2nd. The camera should have captured it. Chen Mei was so scared her face turned pale. She dragged Zhao Gang upstairs, and one of her heels even broke off."

Speaking of rat poison, the shop owner pulled an empty box from the bottom shelf; the words "bromadiolone" on it were already blurred. "This is it," she said, scratching at the box with her fingernail, "Chen Mei bought this on the 15th of last month, saying she had a rat infestation and kept hearing rustling noises at night. I advised her not to use it, saying it wasn't safe, especially since there are children in her building; what if they accidentally ingested it?" The shop owner flipped through her purchase records, "That day she also bought a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), saying she wanted to soak some in it to rub on her joints. Now that I think about it, who soaks medicinal herbs in Erguotou?"

Following the clues, Xiao Zhou found Chen Mei's neighbor, Aunt Wang. The old lady was picking cucumbers at a vegetable stall downstairs, gently snapping the cucumber stems with her fingertips; the crisp snapping sound was particularly clear in the noisy market. "Chen Mei used to be quite cheerful," Aunt Wang said, putting the cucumbers she had chosen into a cloth bag. "Ever since Zhao Gang started gambling, she's like a different person, hiding from everyone. A while ago, I saw bruises on her arm and asked her what happened. She said she accidentally fell, but the bruises looked like she had been beaten." Aunt Wang also said that Chen Mei's mother had visited her last month, and the two of them cried for a long time in the hallway. "Her mother cursed Zhao Gang, saying he was a scoundrel and told her to get a divorce immediately. Chen Mei just cried and didn't say anything."

Near the casino Zhao Gang frequented, Xiao Zhou found a homeless man squatting in a corner. The man took the cigarette Xiao Zhou offered, lit it, and took a deep drag, smoke leaking from a hole in his mouth. "Zhao Gang owes Brother Leopard 7 yuan," he spat on the ground. "Brother Leopard said that if he doesn't pay by July 5th, he'll chop off his fingers as a wager. Zhao Gang was hanging around here a few days ago, saying he wanted to 'borrow' some money from a rich person. I thought he was joking." The homeless man remembered that when Zhao Gang said this, Chen Mei stood not far away, her eyes cold, without saying a word.

Xiao Zhou also found out that Chen Mei has a younger sister named Chen Lan, who works as a kindergarten teacher in a neighboring city.