We chatted, and the mobile phones were handed over to He Xin and others to deal with. I, along with Gao Mingqiang and Xiao Yuande, investigated Tianyan on the side, trying to find Du Qitai's recent whereabouts as much as possible.
At the same time, I had to go to Longdu Prison, where Du Qitai had been held before. I still hadn't figured out how he escaped.
Liu Yuning was still in the hospital, so I had to ask Gao Mingqiang to accompany me. The others stayed at the police station to continue with other matters.
Gao Mingqiang drove us toward the prison. He had already called the prison warden in advance. Upon our arrival, we quickly met the prison guard who had been in charge of Du Qitai at the time.
The prison guard told us, "I was on patrol right here that day. Who knew Du Qitai said he had a stomachache and needed to use the restroom, so I let him go with an escort. Unexpectedly, on the way, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my neck and passed out. I don't know how long it was before I woke up. At that time, I didn't know Du Qitai had left. I only found myself wearing a prisoner's uniform!"
"I asked the people in the surveillance room and checked the footage, but it was all black. The prison's surveillance had been tampered with. At that time, an armored vehicle also charged in, smashing through a wall of the prison. Many inmates took the opportunity to board an armored vehicle with Du Qitai. Several of them were murderers, and the others were bank robbers."
Given the severity of his mistakes, this prison guard probably would be fired soon. Seeing his dejected appearance as he recounted the events, I didn't know how to respond. Gao Mingqiang, however, said, "You didn't even realize he swapped your clothes?"
"I must have been drugged. Afterward, someone took my blood, and they found ether in it. I know I've committed a grave sin. I don't expect to be a police officer again in my life. I have already resigned in disgrace. Today is probably my last day!"
Actually, I wanted to say that you couldn't be entirely blamed for this. Anyone else would have likely faced a similar fate, but I felt it was better to remain silent at such a moment.
As we left, Gao Mingqiang asked me, "Team Leader He, I rarely see you so quiet. What was wrong just now?"
"Nothing. The organization was clearly behind Du Qitai's escape, even deploying an armored vehicle. Let's go to the traffic management bureau and ask if they found that armored vehicle!"
We arrived at the traffic management bureau. A traffic policeman told us that although there were many armed police officers stationed at various checkpoints, the armored vehicle broke through and couldn't be intercepted. There were also many figures in black robes providing cover, making the situation quite chaotic. I don't need to elaborate on what happened afterward, do I?
I carefully examined the footage from the road and found that the police had indeed clashed with the armored vehicle, but the organization's people pushed through, and the police were unable to stop them.
Otherwise, we wouldn't have had to find Wangyue Lake later. If I hadn't witnessed this situation firsthand, I wouldn't have known the specific details. Gao Mingqiang watched them charge recklessly, smashing through many guardrails, and slammed his desk, cursing, "How did these people get an armored vehicle?"
"That's unclear. I heard that the organization has many technical personnel. Perhaps bombs and such are child's play to them."
"Enough said. I plan to see Du Qitai again!"
"Is that useful? Didn't he already confess everything?"
"That's not necessarily true. I can tell the organization values him quite a bit."
As I spoke, an idea formed in my mind. Du Qitai intentionally claiming he was insignificant within the organization might have been a deliberate attempt to prevent us from investigating him. However, the more he said this, the more it proved his importance within the organization.
Driving back to the police station, I didn't ask anyone to accompany me to see Du Qitai. This time, it wasn't in the interrogation room, but directly through the bars of the detention cell.
Seeing me, Du Qitai seemed curious and asked, "Officer He, did you find the person who sent me the message?"
"Tell me, how exactly did you escape from prison?" I asked, not answering his question.
"Why don't you ask the people at the prison? Do you think I'd believe you if I told you?"
"You lied to me before. Do you know many things about the organization but are deliberately pretending not to?"
"I didn't! Officer He, why are you acting so strange? I told you everything during the interrogation. Oh, did you investigate my escape? Is that your new conclusion? I'm telling you, Officer He, you can't just jump to conclusions based on your own assumptions. I..."
I interrupted Du Qitai and cursed, "By doing this, you're just making us focus all our attention on the person who contacted you, but in reality, you are the true mastermind."
I almost roared it out. Although Du Qitai masked it well, I could tell from a slight tremor in a nerve in his face that his heart rate had increased slightly.
He said with a slight hesitation, "Police officer, why are you saying this to me? I've confessed everything. There's no benefit for me to conceal anything. On the contrary, if I knew anything, I would definitely say it. You promised to help me get a suspended sentence before. Would I refuse such a good thing?"
"No! You think differently from ordinary people. You'd rather die than lie to me, all because you think your intelligence is slightly superior to mine. This way, you'll be the ultimate victor when you die. Du Qitai, am I right? But you're truly pathetic. For something you can no longer see, you've given up your chance to live. Even just one month, that would be hope for you. You've just given it up. Don't you think you're foolish?"
"I didn't..." Du Qitai seemed to be holding on desperately, his face growing paler. Without waiting for his reaction, I continued, "This isn't an interrogation room. You can freely tell me everything. You can help us find more members of the organization, right? You hold some internal information. As long as you reveal it, I guarantee you'll live much better!"
"Whether you can be sent to that detention center during this period depends on your attitude. If it's Huiming, the environment is extremely harsh, with no independent restroom, near a pig farm. Every night when you sleep, you'll smell a foul odor, and the food there often contains hair and sand..."
"Conversely, if you cooperate with us, you'll be sent to the Central Detention Center. The situation there is completely different. The internal environment is comfortable, with lush greenery everywhere, and the food is also very plentiful. Additionally, I can let your family send you adult toys..."
I spoke to Du Qitai in a rapid-fire barrage. His eyes were filled with confusion and a hint of struggle. He gripped the bars of the detention cell tightly and said solemnly, "Can I really go to the Central Detention Center?"