Volume Twelve: The Invitation from Hell Chapter Thirteen: The Bronze Pillar Hell

Arriving at the traffic police station, He Mingchen was already waiting.

“Old He, sorry to bother you again. Can you help me retrieve the records for this case?” Chu Tianyou handed over the documents.

“The ‘519 Drunk Driving Collision’ case? Why do you want to look into this one?” He Mingchen exclaimed in surprise.

“Is there something wrong with the case?” Chu Tianyou asked.

“No, no problem exactly. It’s just that this case caused quite a stir back then. Wait here, I’ll pull up the files for you.” With that, He Mingchen turned and left. After a while, he returned holding a stack of documents. “Take a look yourselves.”

Yaoguang opened the folder suspiciously, and numerous photos slipped out. She examined them one by one, growing increasingly alarmed. The scenes in the pictures were unbearably grim. “Tianyou, take a look at this.”

Chu Tianyou took the photos and paused in shock. “Isn’t this the crash on Highway 519? I know this case well. A private car deliberately cut off others on the highway, causing a truck carrying steel bars to overturn. The steel bars slid out and pierced through the body of a passenger bus behind it. Several passengers inside were impaled. The accident caused eleven deaths and over twenty injuries. The car owner was sentenced to life imprisonment and is still in prison.” His eyes widened with astonishment. “Phoenix, do you think this might be connected to Jiang Yufei’s death?”

“What do you think?” Yaoguang fixed her gaze on Chu Tianyou. “Captain He, please tell us more about this case.”

“The black Mercedes involved was registered under Jiang Group. The driver was the personal chauffeur of the group’s executive president. On the day of the accident, surveillance footage showed the black Mercedes maliciously cutting lanes on the highway, causing the steel bar truck to swerve and overturn, crashing into the guardrail. The steel bars slid out and pierced the bus behind it, which also overturned. Two vehicles behind couldn’t avoid the crash and collided in a pile-up. After the accident, the Mercedes fled. When we located the owner, the car was parked in front of a private villa, and the driver was unconscious from alcohol. Breathalyzer tests confirmed drunk driving. The driver was criminally detained. Normally, the severity of the accident would have warranted a death penalty, but Ms. Cheng, the executive president of Jiang Group, paid a huge compensation amount, causing the families of the victims to withdraw their lawsuits. The final sentence was life imprisonment. That’s the gist.” He Mingchen explained.

“Do the original surveillance videos still exist?” Rock Brother asked.

“Yes, just a moment.” He Mingchen retrieved the footage on his computer. Yaoguang played the video, which clearly showed the black Mercedes speeding, weaving between lanes, and making reckless overtakes. During the final lane change, the speeding truck behind failed to avoid it and crashed into the guardrail.

“Look at this video. Doesn’t the black Mercedes look more like it’s street racing? Let me ask you—would a drunk driver engage in street racing? The footage shows a very skilled driver, as if an experienced racer, yet the suspect, Qian Xinjian, as the executive president’s personal chauffeur, should be a smooth and steady driver. Such professional drivers have years of experience; they are cautious and precise, especially on highways. Street racing and drunk driving? Does that make sense to you?” Yaoguang questioned. “Isn’t street racing more like something a reckless rich kid would do, just seeking thrills?”

“When we investigated, this person’s story was very clear, not something made up.” He Mingchen admitted that Yaoguang’s words planted a seed of doubt in his mind.

“Captain He, please pull up the interrogation footage for me.” Yaoguang requested.

“Right here.” He brought up the video.

In the footage, Qian Xinjian answered every question calmly and clearly, with no hesitation.

“See, during the interrogation, Qian Xinjian was very coherent. Even the details were precise. But think about it—he was drunk driving when the accident happened. Drunk driving means the brain is muddled. Even the most resistant to alcohol would have impaired motor coordination, and they wouldn’t be able to perform such skilled maneuvers as shown in the video. Drunk drivers usually have no recollection afterward, but he remembers every detail perfectly. Don’t you find that strange? It’s like rehearsed lines prepared in advance. No matter how you question him, there are no cracks. This flawless performance and the expert driving are the biggest inconsistencies. I’m certain Qian Xinjian wasn’t the real driver; he’s taking the fall for someone else.” Yaoguang concluded.

“You’re right. When we found Qian Xinjian, he was sleeping soundly, as if waiting to be arrested. Anyone else would be terrified after causing such a disaster. Even drunk, no one sleeps that peacefully.” Captain He recalled.

“Xuanchen, take A Xu and investigate Qian Xinjian’s movements and other information from that night. Yun’er and A Kun, check the deceased’s travel records for that night. Captain He, please arrange for me to meet Qian Xinjian. Tianyou, come with me.” Yaoguang instructed.

Captain He nodded and made the calls. Soon after, he said, “Let’s go. It’s all arranged.”

Yaoguang followed Captain He to the First Prison of Yecheng City. In a private interview room, she met Qian Xinjian. His hair was shaved short, as per prison regulations, and his complexion was dull. Yet his overall demeanor was deep, reserved, steady, and gentlemanly. Yaoguang could hardly imagine this man as the reckless driver from the highway.

“Qian Xinjian, I have only two questions. Where did you drink on the day of the accident, and who was with you? Repeat it for me.” Yaoguang asked.

“At the bar on Seventh Avenue in Haicheng City, with a few friends. I’ll give you their names.” Qian Xinjian replied.

“Good. Second question: why did you race on the highway?” Yaoguang continued.

“I drank too much and wanted to let loose. I’m usually so disciplined; I just wanted to be wild for once.” he answered.

“Thank you.” Yaoguang nodded and left the room. “Tianyou, compare this with his earlier statement.”

“Phoenix, not a word differs. It’s exactly the same as during the original interrogation.” Chu Tianyou said, astonished.

“How is that possible? I haven’t worked in criminal investigations, but I know the same person can’t repeat answers word for word in two separate interrogations a year apart. It just doesn’t add up.” Captain He was also puzzled.

“If these statements were arranged in advance, rehearsed thoroughly, then your question can be explained.” Yaoguang looked at them. “He and the real culprit colluded, practiced multiple times, and with self-deception, he remembers everything clearly with no flaws. But he overlooked one thing—the memory of hatred. This incident turned his life upside down. No matter what deal he made with the real perpetrator, during his long imprisonment, that would have fermented into hatred. The original words and memories would grow clearer in his mind. So it’s not strange he can recite them perfectly. Now I’m certain this person inside is fake. The deceased is the real one. This meeting was both confirmation and a test. Once we gather enough evidence, we’ll meet Qian Xinjian again; his mental defenses will collapse. Tianyou, inform the bureau to check Qian Xinjian and his family’s private bank accounts. Captain He, thank you. We’re leaving now.” Yaoguang said as she departed the prison.

Back at the station, Yaoguang and Tianyou began checking Qian Xinjian’s and his family’s accounts. They discovered that one month after Qian Xinjian was imprisoned, his wife’s account received a five-million-yuan transfer. Then in June this year, another 500,000 yuan transfer came from an unfamiliar private account. Tracing this account revealed both sums originated from the deceased’s mother, Ms. Cheng’s, personal account.

“Silence money?” Chu Tianyou asked.

“Exactly. Five and a half million to buy the deceased’s silence. Not a bad deal. Besides, Ms. Cheng saved Qian Xinjian’s life too. Tianyou, contact the victims’ families and ask why they withdrew their lawsuits.” Yaoguang instructed.

The investigation and evidence gathering began in earnest. To uncover the truth from years ago, Qian Xinjian was the key, but without solid evidence, he wouldn’t confess.

“Master, a new discovery,” Huo Mingkun pointed at the computer. “Here are the flight records from that day. Qian Xinjian took a plane leaving the city at 1 p.m. and returned around 5 p.m. But the accident happened at 3 p.m. So at the time of the crash, Qian Xinjian was on the plane. How was he drinking at the Seventh Avenue bar and racing on the highway then?” Huo Mingkun looked at Yaoguang in surprise.

“I checked the deceased’s mother’s phone. At 3:30 p.m. on the day of the accident, the deceased called Ms. Cheng. Then at 3:40 p.m., Ms. Cheng called Qian Xinjian. What were these calls about?” Jiang Yun pondered.

“The first was the deceased telling his mother he was in trouble. The second was Ms. Cheng instructing Qian Xinjian to take the blame.” Yaoguang smiled grimly.

“Sis, I’m back.” Chen Haoxu burst in, dusty and excited. “You won’t believe what I found.” With a mysterious smile, he plugged in a USB drive and played a surveillance video. In a private room, a group was drinking exuberantly. “Look who this is.” Chen Haoxu pointed to a man on the screen.

“Jiang Yufei?!” Everyone gasped.

“Yes. I went to the Seventh Avenue bar and found the owner. He took me inside and quietly said that after the accident, he saw news mentioning his bar. Worried, he copied the day’s surveillance footage and deleted it from the system. The next day, a woman came asking about the footage, claiming it was broken, and left. Later, police came with a photo asking questions. The owner couldn’t remember many patrons, and the system was malfunctioning those days, so the matter was dropped. However, he felt uneasy and only gave me the footage after I explained the situation. I showed him photos of Ms. Cheng and Qian Xinjian, and he nodded.” Chen Haoxu recounted.

“A Kun, great work. We now have enough evidence to prove Qian Xinjian is taking the fall. We only need proof that Jiang Yufei drove the car that day.”

“Heh, here’s the second piece of footage.” Chen Haoxu grinned mysteriously. The new video showed a black Mercedes entering the frame at noon. Jiang Yufei stepped out, and at 2:40 p.m. he took the wheel. The timing perfectly matched the crash.

“Where did this footage come from?” everyone asked, astonished.

“The bar owner overlooked one thing: the outside entrance camera is linked to the interior system. When he copied the footage, this was included, though he didn’t know it.” Chen Haoxu explained.

“Haoxu, you’re a genius.” Yaoguang smiled, then stood up. “Let’s go. We can visit Qian Xinjian again now.”

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In the interrogation room of Yecheng’s First Prison, Yaoguang laid out the newly gathered evidence before Qian Xinjian and calmly said, “You took the blame for Jiang Yufei at Ms. Cheng’s request to protect him. But the son Ms. Cheng spared is now a corpse. Do you still want to protect him? Sacrificing your entire life for a dead man? This is no longer loyalty; it is foolishness.”

Qian Xinjian showed little expression until he heard Jiang Yufei was dead. His eyes narrowed, and his expression shifted. “He’s dead?”

“Yes. Murdered.” Yaoguang set the files before him.

As Qian Xinjian examined them, tears streamed down his face through his laughter. “Dead. Finally dead. That spoiled second-generation heir. Now Ms. Cheng is stuck, huh? Haha. Serves him right. The world is peaceful now. He was a disaster—drinking, gambling, womanizing, cheating, stealing. No vice he didn’t indulge in. A troublemaker who fought and even used drugs. If not for his father, he’d be a wreck already. Heaven has eyes. Haha...” After his hysterical outburst, he wiped his face. “Yes, I took the blame for Jiang Yufei. That day I flew home to visit family. In the afternoon, Ms. Cheng called and said Jiang Yufei had caused major trouble and wanted me to return. When I got back, I found out they wanted me to take the fall. I refused, but Ms. Cheng knelt and begged, even threatened me—if I didn’t agree, they’d have someone harm me. If I agreed, I’d get 5.5 million yuan. I had no choice. I couldn’t refuse Ms. Cheng, so I agreed and rehearsed the story with them. But I was unwilling; no amount of money could buy my life back. I drove to a convenience store, bought two bottles of cheap liquor, drank them in front of the villa, then slept in the car. Actually, Jiang Yufei hadn’t drunk much that day. I got drunk on purpose to leave a false impression. Drunk drivers can’t street race, but no one noticed this contradiction. Heaven truly has eyes—you found the problem, so I wasn’t doomed. Though I’ve been in prison a year, it was worth it, the price for taking the fall. Officer, thank you.” Saying this, Qian Xinjian suddenly knelt before Yaoguang, only to be pulled up by Chen Haoxu.

“Hang on a few more days. Once we refile charges, you should be released.” Yaoguang said, leaving the prison. “Requesting Director Jia to authorize the arrest of Jiang Group’s Executive President, Cheng Lili.”

“Understood, Sis.” Chen Haoxu replied.

“Collusion, perjury, framing others, deceiving police, and cheating the law—these charges alone are enough to sink Cheng Lili.” Yaoguang said coldly.

Back at the station, Yaoguang awaited instructions. When the arrest warrant arrived, she felt a pang of melancholy.

The police car stopped beneath Jiang Group’s building. When Yaoguang presented the warrant to Cheng Lili, the woman was still protesting.

“Officer, there must be some misunderstanding.” Mr. Jiang, chairman of Jiang Group and Cheng Lili’s husband, looked stunned at the warrant.

“Chairman Jiang, no misunderstanding. We started investigating your son’s case but uncovered something even more shocking. We didn’t want this either. You can come with us; you’ll see the evidence.” Yaoguang sighed.

“My son is dead, and you come to arrest me? What kind of logic is that?” Cheng Lili’s mind seemed to fail her when faced with her son’s death.

“Do you not understand, Ms. Cheng? The ‘519 Highway Case’ two years ago—you can’t say you didn’t know. Jiang Yufei was street racing, cutting off vehicles, causing a steel-carrying truck to flip, steel bars piercing through the bus behind. Do you realize several passengers were impaled and killed on the spot? Eleven lives lost. Can that buy back your conscience? You even let Qian Xinjian take the blame. For your son, you could disregard other lives? Do you think money can buy back fresh life? Your son’s life matters, so why not others? We are all children of parents. You think money makes you superior? There is no such justice. True nobility is inner. No matter how rich you are, you are a spiritual pauper.” Yaoguang was furious. “The law won’t tolerate your tantrums. Face your crimes yourself, explain to the souls who died unjustly. Take her away.”

Sirens pierced through the city.

When the evidence and photos were laid before Cheng Lili and Chairman Jiang, they fell silent.

During interrogation, Cheng Lili confessed that she paid large sums to the victims’ families to withdraw lawsuits. At that moment, Yaoguang’s heart turned cold—no amount of money can buy a living soul.

The case concluded. Qian Xinjian was released, standing outside the prison, crying like a child. Cheng Lili received a combined sentence of three years’ imprisonment.

Yaoguang looked at the accident scene photos with a heavy heart. Jiang Yufei was a spoiled child coddled by his mother, a chick living under the hen’s wing, thinking his mother would shield him no matter what. Yet in this world, a mother cannot protect you from the consequences of your sins. The punishment of the sixth level of hell—the Copper Pillar Hell—might be the only solace for those who died.

The Sixth Level of Hell: Copper Pillar Hell.