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

Chapter 953: Interpersonal Relationship Survey – Little to No Results

After leaving the crushing workshop, Xiao Zhou and Xiao Wang found Li Dejun's direct supervisor—Liu Jianguo, the deputy director of production. Liu Jianguo's office was on the second floor, relatively quieter, but the roar of the machines downstairs could still be heard. He was wearing a sharp suit and sitting in a leather office chair. When he saw the police enter, he quickly stood up to greet them.

"Officers, please have a seat. You've come to see me about Li Dejun, right? I still can't believe it. How could such a good person suddenly..." Liu Jianguo's face was full of regret.

Xiao Zhou cut to the chase: "Director Liu, you have close working relationships with Li Dejun. Do you notice any difference in his work performance lately compared to usual? Has he encountered any difficulties or troubles?"

Liu Jianguo leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest: "Li Dejun is a very responsible workshop director, and his work has always been very stable. Recently, there haven't been any changes in the factory's production tasks, and his work hasn't had any problems either. In terms of income, his salary and bonuses are paid on time, and as far as I know, there haven't been any financial disputes. It's just that he has a rather strong personality, and sometimes he insists too much on his own ideas at work, which may offend some people, but I think it's all for the sake of the work, and I don't think anyone would harm him because of it."

Xiao Wang then asked, "Does he have any particularly good or bad relationships with people in the factory?"

Liu Jianguo pondered for a moment and said, "As for those with good relationships, he's quite close to Engineer Wang from the technical department, and the two often work together on equipment improvement issues. Aside from the argument with Old Zhang from the packaging workshop that I just mentioned, I haven't heard of any other major conflicts."

After leaving Liu Jianguo's office, Xiao Zhou and Xiao Wang rushed to Li Dejun's home. It was an ordinary residential area with somewhat old buildings and cluttered stairwells. Li Dejun's wife, Zhou Meihong, had red and swollen eyes, clearly having just cried, and her body was still trembling slightly as she opened the door.

“Ms. Zhou, we are the police officers in charge of your husband’s case. We would like to ask you about some things. We hope you don’t mind.” Xiao Zhou tried to be as gentle as possible.

Zhou Meihong forced a smile, her voice choked with emotion: "It's alright, I also want to know who killed him as soon as possible. Ask whatever you want."

The three sat down in the slightly old-fashioned living room. Xiao Wang looked around and saw that the furniture was very ordinary and neatly arranged, which showed that the owner was a clean and tidy person.

Xiao Zhou asked softly, "Ms. Zhou, how has your husband been doing at home lately? Has he said anything strange, or shown any signs of anxiety?"

Zhou Meihong wiped away her tears and said, "He's been doing the same thing lately. He comes home from get off work every day, eats dinner, watches TV, and occasionally talks to me about things at the factory. I didn't feel anything was wrong. But about two weeks ago, he came back and told me he had a fight with someone in the workshop. I advised him not to take it too seriously and not to let work-related matters ruin the harmony. He didn't say anything at the time, and I thought it was over."

Xiao Wang asked, "What about finances? Are there any major expenses or incomes in the household? Has your husband mentioned any financial difficulties to you?"

Zhou Meihong shook her head: "No, our family is just an ordinary working-class family with a stable income and expenses that are all daily necessities. He has always given me his salary card, and I haven't noticed any unusual income or expenditure."

Xiao Zhou then asked, "Does your husband have any siblings? What is their relationship like?"

“He has a younger brother who works in another city. They don’t contact each other very often, but they have a good relationship. They call each other to greet each other during holidays and occasionally he will come to visit. I don’t think his brother is involved in this matter,” Zhou Meihong said confidently.

After leaving Li Dejun's home, Xiao Zhou and Xiao Wang visited Li Dejun's younger brother, Li Deqiang. Li Deqiang worked at a small company and was devastated after learning of his brother's tragic death.

"Officer, my brother was such a good person, who could be so cruel as to harm him?" Li Deqiang's eyes were red, and his voice was filled with grief and indignation.

Xiao Wang patted him on the shoulder to comfort him and asked, "Li Deqiang, have you contacted your brother recently? Has he told you about any trouble he's encountered at the factory or in his life?"

Li Deqiang tried hard to recall: "We spoke on the phone about two weeks ago. He just chatted casually about family matters and didn't mention any trouble. He even said that when I had a holiday, I could bring my child to his house to play. I really didn't expect..." Li Deqiang couldn't continue and lowered his head to sob.

Xiao Zhou continued, "In terms of finances, has your brother ever borrowed money from you, or have you ever borrowed money from him? Have you had any financial dealings with each other?"

Li Deqiang raised his head and said firmly, "No, my brother and I have always been financially independent and have never had any loan relationship. Although my brother has a good job, he is not rich, and I don't want to cause him any trouble."

For the rest of the day, Xiao Zhou and Xiao Wang visited Li Dejun's other relatives, friends, and business partners, but the information they received was largely the same. Li Dejun was a decent person, somewhat assertive, but he had no obvious enemies and his finances remained stable. The case seemed shrouded in mystery, with no breakthrough in sight, which greatly troubled Xiao Zhou and Xiao Wang. They didn't know where to begin.

The following evening, the incandescent bulbs crackled and hissed in the conference room, their noise particularly jarring in the quiet space. Xiao Zhou, pen cap in hand, unconsciously drew circles on the whiteboard; the carefully crafted relationship diagram had long since been a jumbled mess of scribbles. Xiao Wang slumped in his chair, flipping through the thick transcripts, each page worn smooth by his fingertips. From the twenty-odd pages of records, Li Dejun's image gradually became clear—a strict workshop director at work, unassuming in life, with neither deep-seated enemies nor financial entanglements, like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating barely noticeable ripples.

Li Ming stood in front of the whiteboard, his eyes behind his glasses fixed on the name "Li Dejun".

"Are there any other leads regarding the investigation into Li Dejun's interpersonal relationships?"

Xiao Zhou shook his head: "Li Dejun is just a normal, ordinary person. We have investigated his family, his work, and his relatives. He doesn't seem to have any special hobbies. He is also quite family-oriented and doesn't have any bad habits. The people he has offended are mostly workers in his workshop."

This is also the most important reason why Xiao Zhou and Xiao Wang feel somewhat unable to move forward.