Chapter 63: Aim Clearly

Liu Maolin replied, "I came back at half past ten last night, and the hall attendant can vouch for me. Then I went back to my room to shower and sleep. I was still asleep when your people woke me up this morning, and that's when I found out something happened downstairs. I stayed in a single room, so no one can vouch for me, but you can check the room card records; I didn't go out at all."

Huang Jiehao asked a few more questions, and Liu Maolin answered them fluently. This piqued Huang Jiehao's interest. Even if this kid was experienced in business, he should have shown some reaction to the more pointed questions. Liu Maolin's composure was suspicious.

Huang Jiehao listed Liu Maolin as one of the more suspicious targets. Just as he was about to let Liu Maolin go and question the next person, Du Long called out loudly from the hotel reception desk, "Captain Huang, come over here. I've found some clues."

Huang Jiehao noticed a fleeting look of panic in Liu Maolin's eyes. He patted Shen Bingqing's shoulder and said, "I'll go take a look. You continue asking a few more questions."

Shen Bingqing nodded in understanding. Huang Jiehao walked to the reception desk and asked, "Du Long, what clues did you find?"

Du Long handed a hotel check-in record to Huang Jiehao and said, "Captain Huang, take a look."

Following Du Long's finger, Huang Jiehao saw a check-in record from a month ago. A familiar room number and name caught his eye.

Room 318, Liu Maolin... Could there be such a coincidence in the world? If it wasn't a coincidence, then it was a meticulously planned murder!

Huang Jiehao asked the duty manager, "Who was on duty that day? Bring them in for questioning."

The duty manager checked the records for that day and said, "Xiao Mei was on duty that day. She's not here today, but I can call her to come in."

Huang Jiehao nodded and asked Du Long, "Did you find anything else?"

Du Long said, "Captain Huang, the room the victim booked is usually not occupied because it's in a remote location. The attendant said the victim specifically requested Room 318, which he had stayed in last month. I checked the check-in records for the past two months and only found one record for Liu Maolin. Perhaps the person who stayed with Liu Maolin last month is today's victim. I think Liu Maolin is highly suspicious. We should immediately search his room and personal belongings; there's a high chance we'll find solid evidence."

Huang Jiehao nodded and said, "It seems he is indeed a major suspect. Let's keep him calm for now. Lao Wei, come over here..."

Huang Jiehao called Wei Xingbang over and asked him to contact the police in Wanlin Town to investigate Liu Maolin's background, especially his recent interactions with women. He also asked them to send the victim's photo to see if they could identify the victim.

After Wei Xingbang left, Huang Jiehao returned to the waiting area. Shen Bingqing was still questioning Liu Maolin. Huang Jiehao asked, "Did you find anything?"

Shen Bingqing shook her head. Huang Jiehao waved at Liu Maolin and said, "Liu Maolin, you can go now. Next person."

The pace of the subsequent questioning and screening accelerated. Half an hour later, the first round of screening was complete. Huang Jiehao organized the materials in his hand and asked Du Long and Shen Bingqing, who were sitting on either side of him, "What did you find after the initial screening?"

Du Long said, "I think Liu Maolin is a major suspect. I suggest we immediately search his room and personal belongings for evidence."

Huang Jiehao looked at Shen Bingqing and asked, "What do you think?"

Shen Bingqing said in a deep voice, "I also think Liu Maolin is a major suspect, but I believe we should not alarm him yet. We should not forcibly search his room and personal belongings to avoid unnecessary legal disputes. It's better to be cautious. We can gather more clues from other angles. If the evidence still points to Liu Maolin, we can apply for a search warrant then."

Huang Jiehao said, "Yes, you both noticed. Liu Maolin is indeed a major suspect. Xiao Shen is right; we cannot act rashly and alert him. Besides, we have a few other suspects who also have the potential to be the culprit. We cannot focus solely on Liu Maolin and ignore them."

Shen Bingqing asked, "Captain Huang, what should we do now?"

"Wait," Huang Jiehao said. "Wait for the forensic results, wait for Meng Hao and the others to process the crime scene, and wait for Lao Wei's information... In short, just wait."

Huang Jiehao took out a pack of soft Honghe cigarettes from his pocket and was about to light one when he suddenly reached out to Du Long and said, "Lighter, the one you took from that fat guy."

Du Long laughed and said, "Captain Huang, your eyes are sharp. I didn't take it; I just picked it up. Here, let me light it for you."

Huang Jiehao snatched the lighter without hesitation, looked at it, and lit his cigarette. Then he threw the lighter back to Du Long and said, "This thing is worth over a thousand yuan. What did you catch that fat guy doing? He was so scared."

Du Long laughed and said, "I've seen him before. He's a minor official from another place. When he recognized me, he was terrified. I love Zhao Yun from the Three Kingdoms, so I picked up the lighter out of excitement. I didn't expect it to be so expensive. That guy might bully ordinary people, but he definitely wouldn't have the nerve to kill anyone, so I suggested letting him go."

Huang Jiehao nodded and said, "Return the lighter to him next time. If this gets out, it could cause trouble for you."

Du Long said, "Sure, I'll compensate him for it."

Huang Jiehao knew this kid had no intention of doing so. He frowned, thinking about how to advise him, but then decided against it. He was puzzled by his leniency towards Du Long, wondering if it was due to first impressions. In comparison, he was much stricter with Shen Bingqing.

Huang Jiehao took a few puffs of his cigarette and turned to Shen Bingqing, "Xiao Shen, do you think I'm too strict with you?"

Shen Bingqing shook her head and said, "No, I just started, and it's for my own good that the captain is strict with me."

Huang Jiehao smiled and said, "It's good that you understand. At first, I was indeed a bit dissatisfied with you because you weren't personally chosen by me. However, your performance has been good, and I no longer have any prejudice against you. I had no idea about your brother's transfer request, and Du Long's transfer wasn't his request either. We only found out about it when it was a done deal. I know you're upset, but I hope you don't let these feelings affect your work. Du Long has joined the criminal investigation team, and you are now teammates. Let's put the past behind us."

Shen Bingqing nodded and said, "Captain, don't worry. Life is life, and work is work. I won't mix them up. The fact that I came here in Du Long's car shows that I can work with him."

Huang Jiehao said, "Very good. Du Long, it's your turn to speak. Extend your hand, and let's shake on it. Let's put the past behind us."

Du Long smiled and extended his hand to Shen Bingqing, saying, "I'm Du Long. Please take care of me in the future."

Shen Bingqing glared at Du Long and mimicked him, "I'm Shen Bingqing. Please take care of me in the future!"

Their hands gripped tightly, and both tried to outdo each other, wanting to make the other look foolish. Seeing the veins bulging