Chapter 143: Casting the Fisherman’s Net

Interrogating him wasn’t as difficult as expected. Xiao Yu simply outlined the potential penalties the suspect could face. Then, he added a crucial point.

“If you confess, you can make up for your crimes. If you refuse, your sentence will be extended.”

Zheng Yong spilled everything.

He had a wife and child. If he didn’t confess, although he wouldn’t face the death penalty, he would spend the rest of his life in prison, unable to see his wife and child again.

What Zheng Yong didn’t know was that Xiao Yu had understated the penalties. Even if he confessed, Zheng Yong would still never leave prison.

Xiao Yu was just that kind of person. His honesty only extended to humans. 

Would you seriously trust someone who dealt with scum?

“I don’t know Dong Qi personally. I only know he’s our boss. Above him, there’s a bigger boss. The guy I report to is Liu Xingang. He should be one of Dong Qi’s underlings and is in charge of the beggar gang in our province. ‘Beggar gang’ is what we call ourselves internally. Without that term, we wouldn’t be able to control the begging business in this province. 

“As for the income… in good years, it’s a few million a year; in bad years, it’s still around one or two million. I know there are about eight groups like mine. Each group has six beggars, two overseers, and one person in charge of transportation, managing these people. The money collected is deposited into a bank the next day, then transferred to Liu Xingang’s designated account.

“What happens if someone withholds money? Liu Xingang randomly sends people to inspect the beggars. If he finds out someone is skimming money and not handing it all over… they die. There was someone in charge of a group before… and they died.

“As for where Liu Xingang lives… I’m not really sure. He hardly ever interacts with us unless there’s an issue that needs addressing. He has a lot of informants. Whenever we slack off, he finds out and calls to warn us. His phone number is never the same. Every time he calls, it’s from a new number. The only constant is the account we use to transfer funds. That’s all I know!”

With that, the interrogation ended, and Zheng Yong had said all he knew.

After Zheng Yong was taken away, Xiao Yu sat in the chair, deep in thought. 

An organized, disciplined system with supervisors and informants, running like a well-oiled machine… and extremely cunning.

His scalp tingled with frustration.

There was no need to guess. Xiao Yu knew that Liu Xingang’s account was undoubtedly fake. The money would be transferred in a way that evaded detection, ending up in the real account.

Could they track it?

It would be incredibly difficult.

To give an example. Funds could be used to buy foreign goods directly.

Was it really buying goods?

No, it was buying virtual items. After deducting fees, the converted money would be deposited into your designated account.

Wasn’t this money laundering?

Exactly, these methods were indeed money laundering. But abroad, this way of handling money was actually legal.

How else did you think the money from online gambling got moved around?

If there was a fixed account, do you think the police wouldn’t be able to trace it?

Never underestimate criminals. Their methods often defy ordinary expectations.

The tech team used Zheng Yong’s testimony to create a composite sketch of Liu Xingang. According to Zheng Yong, it was about 80% accurate.

Was an 80% likeness useful?

It was useful, but not hugely.

How many people were there in the whole country?

There were too many people who looked similar. Even a slight difference made it hard to track someone down.

In TV shows, some plots relied solely on a sketch to identify someone, figured out where they were, and what their name was, then directly arrested them. Whose intelligence were they insulting?

So, was there any use for a sketch?

Yes, there was. Knowing the general appearance helped the police narrow down suspects, it was just a matter of time.

But Xiao Yu had another idea. A quicker way to catch the suspect.

He glanced out the window.

The operation had been going for just three hours. It was only 6 AM.

Xiao Yu ordered Zheng Yong to continue begging with his crew while the police set up surveillance.

Did this sound foolish?

Didn’t Zheng Yong say that Liu Xingang’s informants would be watching them?

Exactly, Xiao Yu aimed to catch those informants.

***

At 6:30 AM, a pale-faced Zheng Yong drove a van, dropping off six disabled beggars and two deaf-mutes at designated spots on the city streets. He then drove off and was taken away by the police.

The two deaf-mutes were also secretly taken away by the police.

Plainclothes officers watched the surroundings of the six beggars from a distance. Their focus was on capturing suspected informants of the criminal gang.

Xiao Yu changed into plain clothes, smiling like a bright and cheerful college student. With such an appearance, no one would suspect he was a cop. Yet, he went up to one of the beggars and started chatting with them.

What was Xiao Yu up to?

He was there to catch the informants.

Someone as bright and cheerful as Xiao Yu chatting with a beggar would definitely draw attention.

On the street, most people were just passersby, at most giving a curious glance. 

But if some of those people were informants? Do you think they would just glance over?

Wouldn’t they be suspicious, wondering why someone was approaching these beggars?

So, they would subconsciously observe Xiao Yu. They would try to figure out what Xiao Yu’s intention was

Xiao Yu, with his ‘Psychology Expert’ skills, understood human nature all too well.

As a result…

There was indeed someone standing by a nearby snack stand, eating fried stinky tofu while squinting at Xiao Yu chatting with the beggar. He watched for a good ten minutes. This was a young man, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old.

Xiao Yu stood up, turned his head, and walked towards him with a bright smile.

The young man was first stunned, then his expression changed drastically. Just as he was about to turn and leave, a gun was pressed against his head.

“Don’t move, or I’ll shoot.”

Holding the gun, Guo Qiang’s expression was cold as he spoke in a stern voice.

The young man’s face instantly turned pale.

Xiao Yu walked up to him leisurely, ignoring the onlookers around. The sunny smile was gone, replaced by sharp eyes staring at the young man.

Several plainclothes officers gathered around, all staring coldly at the young man.

“I don’t have time to waste, so you’d better tell me what I want to know quickly.”

Xiao Yu’s voice was icy as he stared at the young man.

“Where is Liu Xingang?”