The crackdown on organized crime began with the arrest of the mother-in-law.

Chapter 867 I didn't kill anyone, I stole the ring.

The task force continued searching for Tian Song in the village and issued an arrest warrant. After several days of effort, they finally found Tian Song in an abandoned factory. When the officers surrounded him, Tian Song tried to escape but was quickly subdued.

"Tian Song, do you know why we arrested you?" Li Ming asked sternly.

The atmosphere in the interrogation room instantly became as tense as a taut bowstring. The light shone directly on Tian Song's face; his eyes darted around, yet he feigned composure. Li Ming and the experienced interrogator, Lao Zhang, sat opposite him, their gazes piercing.

"Tian Song, stop pretending to be confused. The evidence that you sold the deceased's jewelry is conclusive. Quickly confess to the murder!" Li Ming spoke first, his voice cold and powerful, carrying an unquestionable authority.

Tian Song's Adam's apple bobbed, and he hurriedly said, "Officer, I really didn't kill anyone! I just stole something. I stole this ring, I swear!"

Old Zhang snorted coldly and leaned forward: "Steal? Makes it sound so easy! Do you know how serious this case is? Two lives! You think you can just get away with this so easily?"

Tian Song was so anxious that fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his voice trembled slightly: "I'm not lying, I really haven't killed anyone. That night I was wandering around outside, and I passed by a house. The door wasn't closed properly, and I was so possessed that I sneaked in. It was dark inside, and I didn't even notice if anyone was there. I just rummaged through drawers and cabinets looking for valuables, and I grabbed this ring and ran away."

Li Ming stared intently into Tian Song's eyes, trying to catch a trace of a lie: "Then why did you sell the ring? If you hadn't done anything wrong, why were you in such a hurry to dispose of it?"

Tian Song lowered his head and said softly, "I...I owed gambling debts and was in a hurry to pay them off. When I saw that this ring could be exchanged for money, I took it and sold it. I know that stealing is wrong, but I really didn't kill anyone."

The interrogation reached a stalemate. Tian Song insisted that he had only stolen the ring and firmly denied any connection to the murder. The police quickly collected Tian Song's fingerprints and DNA, hoping they would match with traces at the crime scene and thus confirm his guilt. However, the result was astonishing: the fingerprints and DNA at the scene did not match Tian Song's at all.

"How could this be? Could there really be a mistake?" Li Ming frowned, his face full of doubt, and looked at Old Zhang beside him.

Old Zhang also looked grave and shook his head: "This matter is too strange. Logically speaking, he has the deceased's jewelry, making him a prime suspect, but the evidence doesn't support it."

The interrogators didn't give up and continued their relentless questioning of Tian Song. "Tian Song, you'd better tell the truth and don't take any chances. We police officers value evidence in our investigations and won't wrong an innocent person, but if you've really committed a crime, we will never let you go. Now you say the ring was stolen, so tell me in detail, from which house did you steal it, and exactly where?"

Tian Song, as if grasping at a straw, quickly said, "It's a house on the east side of the village, not far from the main road. There's a big locust tree in front of the door, so it's easy to spot. I climbed over the wall from the backyard. It seems like that family doesn't have a dog, so I boldly went in and started rummaging through their things."

To verify Tian Song's statement, the police immediately organized personnel to investigate the location Tian Song mentioned. Meanwhile, the interrogation continued. "Tian Song, you said you've never been to Lijia Village, so how do you explain seeing you riding a motorcycle in that area on surveillance footage?" Li Ming produced a screenshot from the surveillance footage and placed it in front of Tian Song.

Tian Song glanced at the screenshot, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes, but he quickly calmed down: "I was just passing by that day, really just passing by. I often ride my motorcycle around, and I can't remember the exact route. I probably just accidentally passed by there."

Old Zhang tapped the table: "Your reason is too far-fetched, isn't it? What a coincidence!"

Tian Song was so anxious that tears were about to come out: "I'm telling the truth, I really didn't go to that family's house, let alone kill anyone."

Meanwhile, the police officers who went to investigate the location Tian Song described reported back that they had indeed found signs of a burglary at the house, and the stolen items roughly matched Tian Song's description. However, this could not completely rule out his connection to the murder case in Lijia Village.

The police were in a dilemma. On the one hand, Tian Song was a prime suspect, but on the other hand, the evidence couldn't conclusively point to him. Li Ming convened another meeting with the interrogators and technicians. "Comrades," he said, "the situation is very complicated now. Although Tian Song has committed theft, the chain of evidence regarding the murder is still incomplete. We can't let any possibility slip by. We must continue to dig deeper into the clues and re-examine the case. At the same time, we need to conduct a more in-depth investigation into Tian Song's social connections to see if there are any new discoveries."

Over the next few days, the police conducted a thorough investigation of Tian Song's social connections, interviewing his relatives, friends, gambling buddies, and former cellmates. Finally, during a conversation with one of Tian Song's gambling buddies, they obtained a crucial clue. The gambler revealed that on the night of the incident, Tian Song was indeed gambling with them, leaving for a short time but returning quickly, looking flustered and carrying a small package.

This clue brought a new turning point to the case. The police interrogated Tian Song again, presenting him with this clue. "Tian Song, do you still want to hide it? Your gambling buddies said you left midway through the night of the incident, and when you returned, you looked flustered and were carrying something in your hand—was it that ring? Where did you go, and what did you do? Confess now!"

Tian Song's psychological defenses finally crumbled completely. He slumped into a chair, sobbing uncontrollably: "I...I'll tell you the truth. I did steal something that night, from that house on the east side of the village. I stole a ring and some cash. Just as I was about to leave, I heard a noise outside and ran away in fright. Later, I was afraid of being discovered, so I went to the casino to lay low for a while. I really didn't go to Lijia Village, and I didn't kill anyone."

Based on Tian Song's confession, the police re-verified the relevant clues and confirmed his movements on the night of the incident. Although Tian Song had committed theft, after extensive investigation and evidence comparison, it was largely determined that he was not directly related to the Lijiacun murder case.

After a thorough investigation of the household at the eastern end of Lijia Village, the police discovered a faint but crucial glimmer of light in the darkness. It turned out that several relatives had visited the family on the day of the incident, but coincidentally, they left hastily the next day. This was why the police had overlooked these individuals when collecting DNA and fingerprint information earlier. This discovery rekindled hope for solving the case within the entire criminal investigation team, while also reminding them that they must proceed with extreme caution and avoid alerting the suspects.