"Who killed the dog?" Li Hui asked.
Li Weina looked aggrieved. "I didn't see."
"Where were you at the time?"
"I ran into someone I knew at the gate and stopped to chat. The dog ran off to play in the greenbelt. When I heard it barking and rushed over, it was already beaten to death."
"Why weren't you walking your dog with a leash?" Han Bin questioned.
"It's a small dog — a poodle."
"Doesn't matter how big it is. If it bites someone, there's still a risk of rabies."
"My dog doesn't bite," Li Weina snapped back.
"If it does bite someone, it'll be too late," Han Bin retorted.
"Worst case, the person gets a rabies shot — I'll pay for it," she replied dismissively.
"This isn't just about money," Han Bin said coldly.
"Fine, I admit I was wrong not to use a leash, but that doesn't mean someone should kill my dog."
"Yeah, a dog's a life too. Beating it to death is way too cruel," said an old man walking his dog on a leash.
Other dog owners nearby agreed.
Meanwhile, residents who didn't own dogs just watched silently, some even looking smug. It's not that they were heartless — it was just that some dog owners behaved incredibly poorly.
And Li Weina was a textbook example.
Many residents avoided walking at night due to poorly lit paths and the risk of stepping in dog poop. Complaints went nowhere. They just had to silently stew in frustration.
Han Bin didn't object to dog ownership — but it needed to be responsible dog ownership.
"Have you or your dog had any recent conflicts with others?" Han Bin asked.
"Yes," Li Weina replied quickly. "I already suspect who did it."
"Who? And what was the conflict about?"
"His name is Wei Mingzhe. He also lives in this complex. A while ago, my dog accidentally bit his mom. She's been in the hospital ever since, refusing to come out. They tried to demand tens of thousands of yuan from me in medical fees. It's clearly a scam!"
"Was the bite serious?"
"It's a little dog. How serious could it be? Just a small skin break. I even gave him 500 yuan for the rabies shot — that's more than fair. But he still wouldn't let it go," she huffed, convinced she was in the right.
"Do you have his contact info?"
"I'll never forget it." She snorted and pulled out her phone. After a moment of searching, she read off the number: "138XXXX…"
Han Bin dialed.
A man's voice answered: "Who is this?"
"I'm a police officer. Are you Wei Mingzhe?"
"Yes… Wait, are you really the police? You're not a scammer, right?"
"We're investigating a case of intentional property damage. We need your cooperation."
"Officer, you must be mistaken. I didn't steal or rob anyone — how is this property damage?"
"You know Li Weina?"
"Yes."
"Her dog was beaten to death. She suspects you. We need you to come down and assist with the investigation."
"It's just a dead dog. Even the police care about that?" Wei Mingzhe scoffed.
Han Bin quoted calmly, "According to Article 275 of the Criminal Law, deliberately damaging public or private property of significant value or with severe consequences can lead to up to three years of imprisonment, detention, or a fine. If the damage is especially serious, it could be up to seven years."
He followed up sternly, "Cooperate and things go easier for you. Resist, and it gets worse."
"…Alright. I'll come down now," Wei Mingzhe's voice lost some of its edge.
A few minutes later, a man came hurrying over to the greenbelt.
The moment Li Weina saw him, her eyes turned red and she screamed, "Wei Mingzhe, you bastard! Why did you kill my Zai Zai!"
"I didn't!" he shouted back.
"Enough!" Han Bin snapped. "We're here to investigate. Don't make a scene."
Han Bin had an air of authority that calmed the situation. Though still glaring at each other, neither Li Weina nor Wei Mingzhe made another move.
"You're Wei Mingzhe?" Han Bin asked.
"I am."
"What was the conflict between you and Li Weina?" Han Bin didn't trust just one side of the story.
After all, Li Weina had claimed her dog didn't bite — yet it clearly had.
"This woman lets her dog run around off-leash. A while back, her dog chased and bit my mom while she was coming back from shopping. My mom is 70, not as steady on her feet as she used to be, and the dog knocked her down. She ended up in the hospital for a long time."
"That's nonsense! How could a small dog knock over an adult?" Li Weina protested.
"My mom's seventy! You think she can move like a young person?" Wei Mingzhe shot back.
"She fell on her own. What does that have to do with my Zai Zai?" she argued.
"You're unbelievable! What kind of dog owner are you? You think 500 yuan makes up for everything?" Wei Mingzhe snapped.
"She's lying! He must have killed my dog. Just look how mad he is!" Li Weina jumped and pointed at him.
Han Bin now had the basic picture: a neighborhood dispute centered around a dog. While not a major crime, it had still been reported and needed resolution.
"Wei Mingzhe, come with me. I have a few questions."
They stepped aside. Wei Mingzhe asked, "What is it, Officer?"
Han Bin studied him and asked directly, "Did you kill the dog?"
"No," Wei Mingzhe blinked rapidly.
"I spoke with the security guard. There are no cameras in the greenbelt itself. But there are cameras on the roads, entrances, exits, and around the apartment buildings." Han Bin gestured at one camera. "If the killer brought a weapon into the greenbelt, it might have been caught on those."
"…Why are you telling me this?" Wei Mingzhe's voice turned dry.
"Whoever did it might've thought it wasn't a big deal and just tossed the weapon — into a trash bin or the bushes. But if we find it, we can check for fingerprints and blood. That'll tell us everything."
"I didn't kill the dog," Wei Mingzhe repeated, blinking again.
People show different signs when lying. Some touch their nose. Others repeat questions. Wei Mingzhe? He blinked a lot when nervous or lying.
His reaction only made Han Bin more suspicious.
Han Bin kept his eyes on him, aiming to break through his defense.
"There are two ways this ends. First, if you did it and confess now, we'll be lenient. If you show remorse and settle it with her, maybe you won't be punished at all."
"Second, if you deny it and force us to launch a full investigation — checking cameras, collecting evidence, testing for fingerprints and DNA — then you're wasting police resources and taxpayer money. That makes things much worse."
Han Bin's eyes sharpened. "You know your options. Think carefully."
(End of Chapter)