Lai Jianhua said in a gentle tone, "Captain Han, it's not that the museum doesn't want to cooperate. Think about it, this ancient corpse is almost two thousand years old. It's not easy to preserve it to this extent. Even a piece of iron would have rusted long ago."
"Look at it, it's fine now. Maybe when the incubator is opened, it will be irreversibly damaged. Who's going to take responsibility for this?"
Han Bin's expression was solemn as he asked, "Who are you?"
"I'm Lai Jianhua." Lai Jianhua was confused, "What's wrong?"
"What do you do?"
"I'm the deputy director of the Qingdao Museum. I'm in charge of cultural relics."
Han Bin snorted, "You still have the nerve to call yourself the deputy director of the museum? When something was stolen from the museum, the police helped you catch the thief and recover the lost item. This is already the police's responsibility. As for verifying whether the item was stolen or not, that's your museum's business. Why do you want us to take responsibility? "
"Captain Han, you can't say that. After the incubator is opened, no one can guarantee that the ancient corpse won't be damaged. We can't make this decision."
Han Bin asked, "Who said we have to open the incubator? As long as we use other methods to verify the authenticity of the ancient corpse, why do we have to open the incubator?"
"You've worked in the museum for half your life. You don't even know if your cultural relics have been swapped. Why do you have to open the incubator? What are you doing? Are you qualified to be the deputy director of the museum? "
"I …" Lai Jianhua was speechless.
Han Bin said in a strict tone, "I have a certain understanding of antiques and ancient corpses. You said that ancient corpses are the museum's most important collection, so your museum must have a deep understanding of them. I don't believe that we can only verify the authenticity by opening the incubator."
"As long as an expert who is familiar with ancient corpses carefully examines it, they will be able to tell."
Lai Jianhua wiped the sweat from his forehead, "I … I'm mainly responsible for the management. Ancient corpse appraisal is not my specialty. I'm not good at it."
"You should know who has the most knowledge of ancient corpses in your museum."
"I know." Lai Jianhua responded and continued, "Captain Han, how about this? I'll go back and call the experts for a meeting to see how to identify the authenticity of the ancient corpses without opening the incubator."
"You should have done this a long time ago. What's the use of talking to me for so long? I'm not an expert in identifying ancient corpses. Why don't you just push the responsibility to the police?"
"No, no, I definitely didn't mean that."
Han Bin said, "Verify it as soon as possible. I'll be waiting for your news."
"Then I'll leave first." Lai Jianhua stood up and prepared to leave the office.
"Wait a moment." Han Bin stopped them and ordered, "Wang Xiao, Jiang Yang, you two go with Curator Lai. Report to me immediately if anything happens."
"Yes."
Lai Jianhua's expression changed slightly. He looked a little embarrassed. "Captain Han, there's no need to trouble these two comrades. I'll inform you immediately if there's any news."
Han Bin smiled and said, "It's okay. Let them go. They are very experienced in burglaries. Maybe they can help you with something."
"But we're having an internal meeting in the museum. It's not appropriate for outsiders to be present."
"The burglary has already happened. It's no longer your museum's business. It's not inappropriate for the police to be present. If you really think they're inappropriate, why don't I go? "
"No, no. I don't dare to trouble everyone." Lai Jianhua showed a touch of bitterness. He finally saw that although this Han Bin was easy to talk to on the surface, he was not easy to deal with when there was a problem. "Let's go with these two comrades."
But thinking about it carefully, weren't all police officers like this?
In terms of position and power, a deputy curator like him could crush him to death. Usually, he was also polite to him.
However, when there was a problem, their words were more convincing than his.
Han Bin didn't care what Lai Jianhua thought and called Li Qin and Bao Xing for a meeting.
Bao Xing said, "Captain Han, I always feel that there's something wrong with this Lai Jianhua. Could he be in cahoots with Li Zhantong?"
"Your uncle also said that the preservation of ancient corpses is very particular. People without professional knowledge can't do it. Ordinary people don't have the skills to steal. Moreover, Li Zhantong was playing cards with people in the lounge that night. He must have an accomplice."
Han Bin nodded. He also agreed with Bao Xing's idea. Li Zhantong must have an accomplice. Lai Jianhua's attitude was indeed suspicious. That's why Han Bin let Wang Xiao and Jiang Yang go to the museum.
Moreover, when Han Bin interrogated Li Zhantong, he found that Li Zhantong was fearless. He seemed to be sure that the museum wouldn't admit that the ancient corpses were stolen.
If he was sure that Lai Jianhua would cover for him, then it would make sense.
As long as the museum didn't admit that the ancient corpses were stolen, and the police couldn't find the ancient corpses, the theft case wouldn't be established.
…
In a black car.
Ma Jingbo sat in the back, watching the video. "Turn right at the intersection in front."
"Captain Ma, turn right and you'll enter Sanqiao town."
Ma Jingbo nodded to indicate that he understood.
Half an hour ago, Ma Jingbo brought his men to search Li Zhantong's car and pulled out the car's driving recorder.
From the video, Ma Jingbo found out that Li Zhantong had gone to a brick kiln. From Ma Jingbo's experience, this kind of place is often used by suspects to hide stolen goods.
Following the video, Ma Jingbo and his men followed the video and found a brick kiln ten minutes later.
The brick kiln was abandoned. It wasn't in operation, and no one could be seen.
Ma Jingbo got out of the car with his men and called them over. He whispered a few words to them and then started to search the kiln.
The interior of the kiln was connected. After entering, it was very spacious. At the entrance of the kiln, there was a tricycle and a container.
Zhang Shungu walked over to take a closer look. "Captain Ma, this tricycle looks like it was used by the suspect to steal the corpse."
Ma Jingbo nodded and walked straight to the container.
The container was locked. Ma Jingbo knocked on it, but there was no movement inside.
"Pry open the lock."
One of the team members ran back to the car and took a pair of pliers to break the lock.
Ma Jingbo made some arrangements and told everyone to be careful.
Someone opened the door of the container, and Zhang Shungu and his men went in to search.
The container wasn't big. After opening the door, they saw an incubator inside. There was a corpse in the incubator, wearing Han Dynasty clothing. It looked a little strange.
Ma Jingbo smiled and patted the incubator. He said to He Yingsheng, "Take a picture and send it to Han Bin."
…
After receiving the picture, Han Bin immediately called Ma Jingbo to understand the situation.
Then, he interrogated Li Zhantong again.
City Public Security Bureau, Third Interrogation Room.
Han Bin looked at Li Zhantong. "Li Zhantong, what's your relationship with Lai Jianhua?"
"Curator Lai." Li Zhantong smiled. "We don't have any relationship. If I must say, he's my leader."
"How do you know that Lai Jianhua won't admit to the theft of the ancient corpse?"
Li Zhantong shrugged. "Because the ancient corpse wasn't stolen. How could he admit to something that didn't happen?"
Han Bin continued to ask, "Do you have a black modern car?"
"Yes."
"What's the license plate number? Where is it kept?"
"It's in the underground garage in Baishi District. The license plate number is Lu B372CD."
"Where have you been recently?"
Li Zhantong frowned. "I've been to work. Where else could I have gone?"
"We checked your dashcam and found that you've been to a brick kiln recently. Our captain brought some people to search the kiln." Han Bin took out a photo and put it on the table. "This ancient corpse was found in the kiln. How do you explain that?"
Li Zhantong's hand reached forward and then retracted it. He looked down at the photo, and his expression became more and more unpleasant.
"Li Zhantong, you said you wanted to fight for a reduced sentence. I gave you a chance, but you didn't cherish it. Now, the evidence we found is enough to convict you. You've been lying. Your previous testimony is not credible, and the court will not accept it. "Han Bin's tone became more and more severe.
"You can keep quiet, but that doesn't mean your accomplices won't. When they all confess, we can still convict you. At that time, you can just stay in jail. "
Li Zhantong's breathing was a little rushed, and a lot of sweat appeared on his face.
"Officer, if I confess now, can I still get a reduced sentence?"
"That depends on whether the things you confess are valuable or not. As long as your attitude is good enough, I will help you fight for it. "
Li Zhantong was silent for a while. He seemed to know that he couldn't hide anymore. He gritted his teeth. "I admit … I stole the female corpse from the funeral home. Han Weilong is not the mastermind. I am the mastermind."
"Where is the female corpse from the funeral home?"
"In the museum." Li Zhantong sighed. "Captain Han, I really admire you. You're really amazing. You've guessed it all. I did use the female corpse to make an ancient corpse. Then, I swapped the corpse from the funeral home. This way, the museum won't find it, and I can sell it for a high price. "
"How did you guess it?"
"How I guessed it is not important. Tell me about your accomplices, and how did they transport the ancient corpse?"
"In addition to Wei Hongxi, I have three accomplices, Ma Xiaojun, Fang Yong, and Chen Yuexi. Among them, Ma Xiaojun and Fang Yong were mainly responsible for the transport, and Wei Hongxi covered for them. Chen Yuexi is a technician in the museum. He can provide technical support to ensure that the ancient corpse won't be damaged during the transport. "
"What about Lai Jianhua? Isn't he one of your people? "
"No."
Han Bin asked, "Then where did you get the confidence that the museum won't admit that the ancient corpse was stolen?"
"I guessed." Li Zhantong showed a touch of self-mockery. "I think I'm quite stupid. I worked so hard to choose a target, but in the end, it was all for naught. So stupid."
"We had already contacted the buyer. The day after the ancient corpse was stolen, I contacted the buyer to inspect the goods. Who knew …" Li Zhantong slapped his head hard, showing a look of regret. "The buyer inspected the goods and found that the ancient corpse was fake. He thought we were trying to cheat him of money, and almost killed us."
"Fake?"
"Yes. We stole a fake ancient corpse from the museum, and there were traces of modern chemicals on the corpse. It was only a few years earlier than the female corpse we imitated. These bastards from the museum almost killed us. "
Han Bin sorted out his thoughts. He had not thought about this before. "Are you lying to try to hide the whereabouts of the real ancient corpse?"
Li Zhantong raised three fingers. "Captain Han, I can swear to God that what I said is true. The ancient corpse that was stolen from the museum is indeed fake. If you don't believe me, you can ask the other accomplices. They can all testify."
"What's the name of the buyer?"
"I don't know his real name. I only know that others have seen him called Master Fan. He's a ruthless character. When he saw that the corpse was fake, he immediately ordered his men to hold us down."
"What does he look like?"
"I don't know. He was wearing a mask and a hat. He's about 1.8 meters tall."
"How old is he?"
"I'm not sure. About 30 or 40 years old."
"How did you get in touch with him?"
"I've heard of his name a long time ago. I know he's a rich buyer. I got in touch with him through the internet. He's very careful. He asked for a lot of information from me, but I don't know much about him."
"Where is he now?"
"He should be overseas. When he contacted me, he always used a foreign phone number. After the transaction, he destroyed all his contact information. I can't get in touch with him now. "
"The technician called Chen Yuexi doesn't know that the ancient corpse is fake?"
"I don't know."
"How long has he been working at the museum?"
"Should be two or three years."
Li Zhantong sighed. "Actually, I've heard that many of the exhibits in the museum are fake. That's why I didn't steal the porcelain and jade that are easier to move. First, they are not as valuable as the ancient corpse. Second, I think the possibility of them being fake is very high."
"Who knew that the target that I picked out so many times was still a fake. This is so disgusting."
Han Bin made a note in his notebook and asked a few more questions. Li Zhantong did not hide anything and explained everything clearly.
…
After returning to the office, Han Bin called Ma Jingbo to report the situation, but Ma Jingbo was still at the scene and had not returned.
Han Bin then went to Ding Xifeng's office to report in person.
After understanding the situation, Ding Xifeng ordered, "Call Lai Jianhua over. Let's make a statement together."
"Yes." Han Bin responded. With Ding Xifeng's support, Han Bin felt a lot more confident.
Half an hour later, Lai Jianhua was taken to the police station. As soon as he entered the interrogation room, he panicked.
"Why did you bring me here? I'm the deputy director of the museum. Even if our museum lost something, you can't interrogate me, right? "
Han Bin did not talk nonsense with him. He pointed to Ding Xifeng who was sitting in the main seat. "Director Lai, this is Captain Ding Xifeng of our Qindao City Criminal Investigation Division."
Lai Jianhua looked at Ding Xifeng. "Hello, Captain Ding. Why did you bring me here? Can't we talk nicely? "
Ding Xifeng didn't answer. Instead, Han Bin said, "I want to talk nicely with you. Do you have any truth in your mouth?"
"I … What's wrong with me?"
"Let me ask you. Is the female corpse in the museum a real ancient corpse?"
"This … I don't know. I'm still asking the experts to find a way to identify it without opening the incubator. Give me some time. I believe I can figure it out. " Lai Jianhua asked, "You don't think I'm with those thieves, do you?"
"I'm innocent. I'm not a bad person. You've got the wrong person. "
Han Bin walked over and took out a photo and put it on the interrogation chair. "Look at this yourself. What's this?"
Lai Jianhua looked surprised. "This … Isn't this the Han Dynasty female corpse in our museum? Where was this taken? It's not in our museum. "
Han Bin said, "This corpse was found in an abandoned brick kiln. According to Li Zhantong, this corpse was stolen from the museum. The female corpse in the museum is fake. The owner of the corpse is Lu Yue-er. It was stolen from the funeral home a few days ago. "
Lai Jianhua squeezed out a smile. "This … This matter … We didn't even know that the ancient corpse was stolen. Captain Han, thank you so much."
"Don't thank me so quickly. According to Li Zhantong, the Han Dynasty female corpse stolen from the museum is also fake. It's a modern replica. Curator Lai, you should have known about this long ago. " Han Bin's tone was solemn. "Think carefully before you answer. If you deliberately lie to the police, you'll have to bear legal responsibility. You can't afford the consequences. "
Lai Jianhua let out a long breath. Han Bin was right. He couldn't afford the consequences of lying. He was different from Li Zhantong and the others. He didn't want to ruin his own future.
"You're right. The Han Dynasty female corpse in the museum is a replica."
"What about the real Han Dynasty female corpse?"
Lai Jianhua scratched his head. "It's long been damaged. After the female corpse was unearthed, it began to rot from the inside. It was useless to put it in an insulated box. By the time we discovered the problem, it was already too late."
Han Bin questioned, "So you used a fake Han Dynasty female corpse to cheat the tourists?"
Lai Jianhua lowered his head. "Actually, many of the collections in the museum are replicas. We didn't deliberately deceive the tourists, but some of the collections have higher requirements for preservation, such as light, temperature, climate, oxygen content, and so on. It's impossible to display them for a long time. Otherwise, the cultural relics will be damaged. This is also a rule in the industry."
"We didn't mean to deceive the tourists. It's because of various reasons. We decided to make a replica and display it in the exhibition hall. Although the female corpse is a replica, it looks no different from the real one. "
Han Bin asked, "Where did you get the corpses you used to imitate the Ancient Corpses?"
Lai Jianhua pursed his lips and remained silent.
Han Bin directly ordered, "Bao Xing, go and investigate the missing people, especially the young woman who went missing near the museum."
"Yes." Bao Xing agreed very quickly.
Lai Jianhua hurriedly stopped him, "Don't, Captain Han, we are cultural relics workers and have a stable job. How could we kill people?"
"Where did the corpse come from?"
Lai Jianhua was silent for a moment and said, "We got it through body donation."
"The museum can also get body donation? Why haven't I heard of it? "
"Of course we don't. This corpse was borrowed from the Qindao Medical College."
Han Bin frowned, "Cadaver?"
"Yes."
"When did you get it from the medical college?"
"Five years ago."
Upon hearing this, Han Bin immediately remembered the cadaver that the Qindao Medical College lost five years ago. There had always been such a rumor, but the school officials had never admitted it.
Now it seemed that the cadaver from five years ago was indeed not stolen, but was given to the Qindao Museum as a replica ancient corpse.
Han Bin asked, "Do you know why the donated corpse is called a cadaver?"
Lai Jianhua lowered his head and didn't speak.
Han Bin continued, "Those corpses are for medical students to learn how to dissect the human body. It's to promote the development of medicine, so they are respectfully called cadavers. The donor's selfless contribution is for the benefit of all mankind. "
"And your museum, in order to attract more tourists and sell more tickets, privately imitated cadavers as ancient corpses for exhibition. This is a kind of blasphemy to cadavers. Are you worthy of their contribution?"
"Can you live with your own conscience?"
Han Bin's words made Lai Jianhua feel ashamed. He also knew that what he did was wrong.
But some things were not up to him alone.
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