Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 971: Chapter 15: Lost (5)

There is a special interrogation room inside the airport.

At this moment, Han Bingjiang was brought to this interrogation room. Undoubtedly, as a suspect, Han Bingjiang’s hands were already cuffed.

Two SWAT officers stationed at the airport were conducting a temporary interrogation of Han Bingjiang, with everything recorded by surveillance cameras to prevent any illegal interrogation methods.

Han Bingjiang was clutching his hair with both hands, and after just over half an hour, his face started to look a bit pale.

“I’ve said it many times, it really wasn’t me, I’m being framed.”

“Then why did you leave with the weapon wrapped in clothes?” The interrogator obviously had many doubts about believing Han Bingjiang.

“I…” Facing this kind of question, Han Bingjiang really wanted to slap himself… why would he do such things?

Deceived by his own cleverness?

No, it was just a natural human instinct for self-preservation… he just never expected to run into these airport SWAT officers the moment he was leaving — the timing was like a written script, giving Han Bingjiang no time to react.

“I choose to remain silent,” Han Bingjiang suddenly said at this time: “I should be able to hire a lawyer.”

The two interrogators exchanged a glance, and then one of them suddenly walked out. Shortly after, this interrogator returned with a bag of items.

He pulled the items out of the bag, revealing a burnt cigarette box sealed in a transparent bag, along with a matchbox.

The interrogator suddenly asked coldly, “Are these yours?”

“No.” Han Bingjiang glanced at them and directly denied it.

But his expression betrayed him — as interrogators, it was easy to notice a trace of panic in Han Bingjiang’s expression at this moment.

He continued calmly, “We found a cleaning lady. She clearly stated that she saw you staying in the smoking room for a long time. Undoubtedly, you are someone with a smoking habit. There must still be cigarette butts left by you in the smoking room, right? As long as we test the saliva residue on the filter, and compare the types of tobacco, it should be easy to find out something, shouldn’t it?”

Han Bingjiang’s eyebrow twitched at this, biting his teeth, he said, “I still choose to remain silent.”

“And the matches, the security checkpoint clearly states that no flammable or explosive items are allowed inside.” The interrogator stared intently at Han Bingjiang, “Why did you bring matches in?”

Han Bingjiang turned his head away.

The interrogator suddenly shouted, “Because you premeditated this incident long ago! Cigarettes and matches were your timers for creating a firebomb, weren’t they! You cruelly murdered the victim, didn’t you! You planned to create chaos with this explosion, allowing yourself to escape, right! Say, why did you kill the victim!”

“Nonsense! This is conjecture and framing! I’ll sue you!!” Han Bingjiang, driven to the edge of his nerves, retorted, “I’ve already said it many times, I’m being framed! If what you say is true, why would I wait to leave only after the explosion! Why not leave early! What’s wrong with your brains!”

“That’s your cleverness!” The interrogator sneered, “You deliberately used a method that normal people wouldn’t use, disguising yourself as someone being framed! Yeah, it doesn’t seem to make sense, but what if it was you directing and acting all along? No one is framing you at all?”

“Damn it!” Han Bingjiang angrily pounded the table with both hands, “Are you blind! I’ve told you, besides me, there was also Qiao An! Aren’t you watching the airport’s surveillance cameras? The surveillance footage?!”

“I’m sorry, we’ve already reviewed the surveillance footage.” Another interrogator said calmly, “We did not find the person you mentioned, in fact, the footage never captured you entering the bathroom. Only footage of you coming out, there is nothing of the Qiao An you mentioned. Moreover, your Qiao An was indeed in the airport, but according to the explosion’s timing, she was in the security room at that time. We have at least two airport guards to testify. And according to what you said, you and Qiao An heard the broadcast and then went directly to security room 47! Please, how is it possible for Qiao An to be at your side and in the security room at the same time?”

“Impossible! Impossible!!” Han Bingjiang, upon hearing this, stood up, his mind blown, and impulsively grabbed one of the interrogators by the collar, “Liar! You are defaming me! You are colluding to frame me! I’ll sue you!!”

Due to Han Bingjiang’s breakdown, two guards quickly rushed into the interrogation room, pressing Han Bingjiang down onto the table.

“Liars… all lies… it can’t be real… can’t be real! Lies…”

“Look for yourself, this is the surveillance footage we retrieved from back then.” The interrogator turned a chair around.

On the TV in the corner of the interrogation room, footage from the security room appeared directly.

The time… was correct.

Han Bingjiang blankly watched the footage from the security room… Paul, and the two young men and women with him were clearly there, along with Qiao An and a foreign young man, as well as two guards.

Qiao An and the foreign young man suspected to be her boyfriend… this information completely matched with Han Bingjiang’s reason for coming to the airport!

“How… why, this can’t be… can’t be…”

Han Bingjiang struggled fiercely, “This can’t be!! It can’t be! Right! The clothes are different! The clothes are different! The Qiao An I met wasn’t wearing this outfit; she was wearing a headscarf!! Their clothes are different! Different! They are not the same person, not the same person! Believe me, believe me! I am innocent, believe me!!”

“Hmph! Han Bingjiang! At one moment you claim Qiao An was with you and framed you, next you claim her clothes are different, that she’s a different person! You can’t even give yourself a consistent story!” The interrogator heavily smacked the table, “Just confess! Why kill the victim in such a cruel way! Who exactly was the victim!”

“Not me… it really wasn’t me… not…”

Han Bingjiang suddenly closed his eyes, his whole body collapsing, and fainted onto the ground.

“He seems to have fainted.” A SWAT officer pinched a point on Han Bingjiang’s face, finding no reaction.

Seeing this, the interrogator frowned and glanced at the surveillance camera in the interrogation room, everything now demands transparency… even though there’s a suspicion that Han Bingjiang was faking his faint, they can’t employ violent methods.

“Call a doctor.” The interrogator shook his head, helplessly saying, “Wait until he wakes up to continue questioning.”

The two SWAT officers took Han Bingjiang out, while the two remaining interrogators in the room both frowned… this matter was, just as Han Bingjiang said, filled with doubts.

However, the surveillance footage couldn’t be faked.

“Still can’t find the identity of the victim?”

“Too little time has passed, the victim didn’t have any identification on her, we can only speculate she was a young woman, dead for less than three hours.”

The questioned interrogator shook his head, “We also haven’t received any missing reports, it seems we’ll have to wait for a DNA match.”

“Hmm… by the way, do you think there really could be two Qiao Ans?”

“How is that possible, do you think this is a movie, using a double? Let’s wait for the city’s criminal investigation team to come over… they should be arriving soon. For now, we can only continue questioning.”

“That’s true too… let’s go over the footage again, not capturing Han Bingjiang entering the bathroom is somewhat inexplicable as well.”

“Alright.”

The two interrogators then quickly began to analyze the case within the interrogation room again.

…

…

Two Qiao Ans.

Song Ying could be absolutely certain that she wasn’t seeing things… yet the notion of two Qiao Ans was hard to believe — but she was not alone here.

There was also Luo Qiu, Song Haoran, and Old Master Song, even the receptionist Mr. Aqi, and others.

“Maybe they are twins or something.” Mr. Aqi was not very surprised at this moment: “Although they look the same, their temperament is somewhat different, so they should not be the same person.”

Since Qiao An’s matter did not involve the safety of the Song family’s group, it was entirely outside of Aqi’s mission this time, so he wasn’t interested at all.

“Little Ying, stay out of other people’s affairs for now.” Old Master Song spoke up at this moment, “Since there’s been a murder here, the police will likely intervene soon… Aqi, if possible, make arrangements for us quickly.”

“Don’t worry, Old Master Song.” Aqi said, “I’ll take you back to the hotel soon, and rest assured, as long as you stay in the room, no one will bother you.”

“That’s good.” Song Tianyou nodded and then pounded his shoulder, “Mm, it’s been a tiring day, these old bones can’t take it anymore.”

“Grandpa, are you okay?” Song Ying asked with concern as she approached Song Tianyou.

Her concern for her grandfather’s health had already outweighed her curiosity about Qiao An’s situation. Song Ying quickly started to massage Old Master Song’s shoulders.

Because of the uncertainty around the explosives issue, flights were temporarily halted from now until the morning, and the airport quickly arranged a large number of staff to deal with the stranded passengers.

Not long after, the airport temporarily lifted some of the warnings, allowing the Song family group to return to the hotel.

But after freshening up, Song Ying couldn’t fall asleep, thinking about the two Qiao An’s, she went to knock on Luo Qiu’s room.

But the door was knocked on for a long time without any response.

“This dead head, has he fallen asleep?” Song Ying frowned, intending to leave with a helpless expression, when she found Song Haoran smiling as he stood behind her.

Song Ying was immediately startled.

“Little Ying, planning a late-night raid this late?” Song Haoran asked suddenly.

“Mind your own business… No wait! Say it again if you dare! Song Haoran!!!”

“Shh!” Unexpectedly, Song Haoran made a silencing gesture, and magically pulled out a room card from his sleeve.

Song Haoran placed the room card at the door, and only heard the electronic lock click open.

Song Ying stared wide-eyed, pointing at Song Haoran, “You, you, you… how do you have this!”

“When I checked in, I got an extra one.”

Song Haoran shrugged, and then opened the room door with a smile, not entering but saying directly: “Little Luo Qiu, want to hear a bedtime story? Comes with a beauty serving you~”

“Don’t say such things! And keep your voice down, what if you wake someone up, won’t you be embarrassed!” Song Ying grabbed Song Haoran’s ear, warning him in a lowered voice.

“Eh, where’s the person?” But Song Haoran looked puzzledly into the room—there was no one inside.

The bed was made, looking unused, and there was no one in the bathroom either—it could only be said Luo Qiu was not here anymore.

…

Got a paper cup of warm water from the water dispenser.

Qiao An, wearing a black trench coat, was carefully holding the paper cup, fearing the water inside might spill.

She was currently in a members-only lounge set up by the airline in the boarding hall.

There was no one in the lounge at this time because most travelers had been arranged to a unified place.

“Paul, drink some water first.” Black-clad Qiao An handed the paper cup to Paul, then stroked Paul’s face, “Paul, behave, okay? I’m your mother, you know?”

Paul timidly nodded his head.

“If you’re hungry, eat these.”

Black-clad Qiao An pointed to the food on the table—these were prepared for members in the lounge. Seeing Paul nod again, she smiled.

Then she stood up, gritting her teeth, then began to twist the emerald green ring on her hand.

She seemed to be planning to do something with the ring—but the ring did not accomplish what black-clad Qiao An hoped. It made her frown, gradually becoming anxious.

“Why doesn’t it work…” Black-clad Qiao An’s anxious expression intensified, and at last, she even took off the ring and wiped it with her clothes, “Move… please, just move!”

“Hmm, you don’t seem to know how to use this thing?”

Suddenly, a third voice echoed in what was supposed to be an empty members-only lounge—this made black-clad Qiao An turn around in terror.

It was that young man!

“Is this the tool you use for moving?”

The young man… Luo Qiu now looked at the emerald green ring held by black-clad Qiao An.

“What… what are you trying to do?” Black-clad Qiao An retreated fearfully.

As she retreated, she shielded Paul behind her.

Luo Qiu shook his head: “I’m not planning to do anything. Especially to a mother who protects her child first, I absolutely don’t want to do anything… It’s just that Paul dropped something I took by mistake, and I’m here to return it.”

As he spoke, Luo Qiu took off the backpack on his shoulder, looked at black-clad Qiao An and said: “This is Paul’s backpack, you left in such a hurry and forgot to take it.”

Seeing his backpack, Paul immediately walked out from behind black-clad Qiao An, but the next second she held him down.

“I’ll take it.”

Black-clad Qiao An quickly walked to Luo Qiu, reached out and grabbed the backpack, then cautiously retreated.

“Besides, I was planning to take him back.” Luo Qiu said calmly, “But things don’t seem to be that simple.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Black-clad Qiao An still looked at Luo Qiu warily.

She was cautiously watching Luo Qiu’s movements—suddenly, she directly picked up Paul, intending to flee with her head down.

Luo Qiu suddenly asked, “What year is it there now?”

Black-clad Qiao An froze.

Luo Qiu slowly turned around and said, “Precisely speaking, what year is it where you originally came from?”

“How could you…” Black-clad Qiao An turned around in terror: “Know that…”