Based on my understanding of Li Qian, this must be guiding me to do something. Judging by my experience, Li Qian is likely a manipulative schemer. She set limited conditions for me, forcing me to choose within a constrained scope. Moreover, although this appears to be my choice, if it incorporates an analysis of my personality, then the situation will most likely develop in the direction Li Qian intended.
...
At this point, the best course of action for me is to let things unfold naturally. A person named President Zhou has already been implicated, and there will undoubtedly be more. Gradually, I began to grasp Li Qian's thoughts and plans. She possessed a broader perspective than I did, and due to her identity, she couldn't directly involve herself with the Criminal Investigation Bureau. However, if that were the only reason, her choice wouldn't necessarily have to be me; a colleague from the bureau could have sufficed. But Li Qian contacted me from the very beginning of this case, so I always felt she had another motive.
...
This restaurant seemed to have been deserted for some time. Dust coated the tables, and the floor was slippery underfoot, indicating it hadn't been cleaned in a long time, with fine dust clinging to the tiles. I walked around, finding no one. The lobby was empty, the private rooms were empty, and the kitchen was also deserted. I didn't see any elaborate traps either. Just as I was racking my brain, I saw two black cars arrive outside. Five men alighted from the cars, all burly and broad-shouldered, wearing hoodies, with bluish-green tattoos visible on their necks.
Upon seeing me, they unhesitatingly surrounded me. One of them, short and seemingly the leader, asked, "Tang?"
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I nodded, puzzled.
"Grab him."
I hadn't even figured out what was going on when several men lunged at me, baring their teeth. Almost instinctively, I dodged their grasp and used their momentum. The floor was slippery, and one of them grunted and fell to the ground.
This infuriated the others. They cursed me in their local dialect and pursued me. I dodged around the tables. Facing the man charging at me, I raised a stool. He brought both hands up to his face. I smirked and kicked him in the inner knee. He yelped and fell to his knees. The one who had fallen earlier lunged at me from behind, but I dodged him and tripped him with my leg. The guy was truly unlucky, falling down again.
Fighting five against one, I wouldn't have that kind of confidence. Fortunately, I was agile, and the restaurant was large. I darted around, weaving and dodging, and for a while, they couldn't catch me. Seeing that they couldn't apprehend me, one blocked the exit while the other four, brandishing stools, slowly cornered me. I glanced at the glass, double-paned, making breaking it to escape nearly impossible.
Was I forced to fight them head-on?
Just then, we all heard the siren. Turning our heads, we saw a police car arrive outside, and two officers alighted. The police saw us fighting and went back to the car to retrieve their batons. I stood obediently. The short man also plastered a smile on his face and offered the police officer a cigarette. The officer pushed it away. "What are you doing?"
"My elder brother is with the New District police station," the short man said, without answering directly, immediately trying to leverage a connection.
"Who's your brother?"
"Wang Zhi."
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"What's going on here?"
"This scoundrel owes my brother money. He rented a place and opened a restaurant but didn't pay and ran off."
Perhaps due to the connection, the police officer's gaze fell on me, and his look didn't regard me as a victim. I offered a smile. "My brother is with the special task force, the one investigating the 107 major fraud case."
Who says I can't leverage connections? Your brother is with the New District police station, and my brother is with the special task force. Which one is more significant, can't you tell?
Upon hearing that my brother was with the special task force, the police officer offered me a cigarette. I pushed it back. "Brother, I don't smoke. I think this is a misunderstanding. My brother asked me to check on this restaurant. When I arrived, the door was open, and then this gentleman brought his men and tried to grab me after asking me one question."
Hearing me say that, the short man also chuckled and said to the police, "Yes, it was a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."
The police mediated for a bit, and I followed them out. I felt there was no need to escalate this matter, and I still didn't know what was going on. But I wouldn't let it go so easily. I remembered a name: Wang Zhi, from the New District police station.
...
"Wang Zhi?" Yu Xiaoluo asked me. I nodded. She frowned and flipped through files.
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"Don't bother looking. There's no record of Wang Zhi. He was someone temporarily assigned by the police force to help when we were searching for Zhang Keqiang."
Xiaoluo was accustomed to Luo Bo's photographic memory. I looked at Luo Bo in surprise, contemplating that this guy was not to be trifled with. Don't try any clever tricks in front of him. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"Xiaoluo, please help me pull up Wang Zhi's records. Tang Nan, come with me."
I followed Luo Bo into the computer room. Luo Bo moved the mouse and opened a video. I saw Zhang Keqiang dining with someone in a private room of a restaurant. They had a table full of dishes, yet at a lamb restaurant, they were eating seafood, which was only available in coastal cities.
"Does this restaurant look familiar?"
"It's the one I went to."
"Correct. Based on the current situation, Li Qian is an insider. She doesn't want to cooperate with the police, so she's guiding you to find evidence."
"What evidence is there at this restaurant?"
"This restaurant is owned by Wang Zhi's younger brother, Wang Jun. However, Zhang Zhiqiang installed hidden cameras there and recorded his meetings with President Zhou."
Looking at the number of videos, I asked in confusion, "I remember I took more than one hard drive, right?"
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"Yes, we only collected videos related to President Zhou."
"None of others?"
"These hard drives recorded a vast amount of information, capturing all the daily videos. The people here are complex, and the workload is immense. We need to identify the target individuals before we can filter."
I looked at them. "I'll take on this task, Brother Luo."
"Who are you looking for?"
"I don't know, but I think I'll find out soon. Oh, and I'll need some other colleagues to help with a few things."
...
I pinned Wang Zhi's photo in the center of the task force's whiteboard. He looked like an ordinary person. Below sat the task force members, including Yu Xiaoluo and Luo Bo. Everyone was a professional criminal investigator, yet they were now focused on me, awaiting my instructions. I was actually a little nervous. I took a deep breath, and my peripheral vision caught Yu Xiaoluo's slightly smiling face. My spirits lifted, and I focused on what I needed to say. Pointing to Wang Zhi's photo, I said, "I discovered an issue at Jufu Hot Pot Restaurant. This city places great importance on interpersonal relationships. Even if it doesn't directly concern them, people are cautious due to connections. Therefore, we must uncover the relationship between Wang Zhi and President Zhou."
After speaking, I also pinned President Zhou's photo.
"President Zhou and Wang Zhi have no direct relationship, but I believe they are connected."
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After adding that, I pinned the photo of the short man. "This person claims to be Wang Zhi's younger brother, his name is Wang Jun. He has some associates in society. He told the police that the operator owed him rent. However, in reality, Wang Jun is the legal representative of this restaurant. After Zhang Keqiang disappeared, this restaurant closed down. Therefore, I suspect the actual operator of this restaurant was not Wang Jun but Zhang Keqiang. But since Zhang Keqiang is dead, it cannot be verified."
"Zhang Keqiang is dead, but it's not impossible to verify. For such a large hot pot restaurant, the waitstaff, chefs, and lobby manager—if you question them, you'll definitely find out the true operator."
The Criminal Investigation Bureau consists of true elites; they are certainly stronger than a novice like me. Yu Xiaoluo also added, "Wang Zhi and President Zhou have no direct connection, but investigating through their workplaces and mutual friends and family won't be difficult. I'll work overtime, and I can give you an answer tomorrow."
I stood in front of the whiteboard feeling a bit awkward, like I was showing off in front of an expert. Luo Bo chuckled at me. "Tang Nan, don't get any ideas. The person who discovers the clue is also very important."
"Thank you, Brother Luo."
"Everyone pay attention. Zhang Keqiang's autopsy report indicated numerous injuries on his body, suggesting he was subjected to abuse in the past two months. Investigate whether Wang Jun and his associates have any connection to this matter."
Luo Bo had already started assigning tasks, and I obediently stepped down from the whiteboard, quietly asking Yu Xiaoluo, "Is Brother Luo the team leader?"
"He's the head of the 'Black Gold' special task force in the Inner Mongolia region, the captain. We all call him Captain Luo."
No wonder.
Luo Bo is truly capable, a well-deserved leader of a special task force division.
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The investigation will proceed in four steps: President Zhou, Wang Zhi, Wang Jun, and my side. I watched all the videos, fast-forwarding through them for an entire night, fueled by three cups of coffee, my eyes blurry.
However, it wasn't entirely fruitless.
I showed the videos only to Luo Bo. A woman, not particularly attractive, often dined with various people. Sometimes Zhang Keqiang accompanied her, sometimes Jin Bengui. These dining companions appeared to be either immensely wealthy or highly influential officials. The guests often changed, but Zhang Keqiang, Jin Bengui, and this woman were regulars.
"It seems necessary to investigate who she is."
A moment later, Yu Xiaoluo arrived with a printed photograph. "We've found the relationship between Wang Zhi and President Zhou. Sun Jinhua, a staff member under President Zhou, is Wang Zhi's cousin."
The woman in the photo was the same one I had shown Luo Bo. Luo Bo smiled and rubbed his tired eyes. "Notify the action team to make arrests. President Zhou, Sun Jinhua, Wang Zhi, Wang Jun."
Yu Xiaoluo asked curiously, "President Zhou and Sun Jinhua have financial dealings with Zhang Keqiang. What about Wang Zhi and Wang Jun? They need some justification."
Luo Bo glanced at me, and I understood. "Fighting and brawling, and attempting to use connections to smooth things over. I can go in with him."
...
Of course, I wasn't needed. A legitimate reason was sufficient. Dragging my exhausted body, I prepared to return to the dormitory to sleep. Just then, I received a text message from Li Qian.
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'Sorry, Tang Nan, I lied to you. I was an insider in the 107 major fraud case. To solve the case, I involved you. I assume you have already apprehended the culprits. I should also make my departure. I have a flight to Hohhot at nine o'clock today. Goodbye.'
She left? Just like that?
I still had many things I wanted to ask. I quickly hailed a taxi: "To the airport."