Chapter 154 It's so nice to see you!
"Sister Pearl, that's all done over there. Xiao Liu and the others are continuing their search in the area." Xiao Bai walked over, her neck hunched against the sea breeze, and asked, "What's next?"
Shen Zhenzhu firmly remembered the woman's face from the Heavenly Eye's retrospective: "Let me see the data book."
Xiao Bai didn't ask any questions, quickly rummaged through his bag, took out a notebook, and handed it to Chen Zhenzhu.
As Chen Zhenzhu flipped through the pages, she said, "Song Zhantao, Zhang Haijun, and Lu Mintao all have one thing in common: they are all in the Wang family's profit chain."
Xiao Bai said, "Song Zhantao's identity is complicated. At first, even with Zhang Haijun, we couldn't be completely sure of the direction. Now can we be sure?"
Shen Zhenzhu remembered the victim's information very well: "Yes. Three years ago, Song Zhantao helped Wang's Enterprise's real estate company forcibly demolish a piece of land. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to act arrogantly in the city recently. He has a powerful backer. Zhang Haijun's company, Provincial Bridge Construction, was originally the employer of Wang Jieyong, who is also the former boss of Wang's Enterprise. The Sanhekou Bridge project was also secured with Wang Jieyong's help."
Xiaobai felt the fog in front of her gradually dissipating, and she said quickly and excitedly, "Lu Mintao is simply a member of Wang's Enterprise! All three of them are related to Wang Jieyong's company, and it's not an exaggeration to say that they are all in the same interest chain."
Shen Zhenzhu quickly flipped through the files of prominent wealthy people in Liancheng, and the third page contained Wang Jieyong's household registration information.
Shen Zhenzhu immediately noticed the woman's photo on the household registration, which read "Name: Wang Yafei" and "Relationship to Head of Household: Daughter".
Seeing this, Xiaobai lowered his voice and said, "Could the murderer's target be Wang Jieyong? It won't be easy to take him down."
She remembered Wang Jieyong as a well-known philanthropist in Liancheng, who frequently donated money to welfare homes, primary schools, elderly people living alone, and seriously ill patients. His reputation spread far and wide, and he was often commended by the government.
Shen Zhenzhu pointed to the name "Wang Yafei" and quickly said, "We still need evidence."
She returned to the coffee shop and instructed the agents collecting fingerprints, "Based on the circumstances of the body disposal, this place can be considered the primary crime scene. Please be extremely careful when collecting fingerprints and bloodstains."
"Understood." The agents were all excited to be involved in this nationally sensational heinous serial murder case. They were even more meticulous in their instructions, now personally delivered by the renowned Section Chief Shen.
"Section Chief Shen, don't worry, we searched every single fingerprint, even an ant, before letting it go," a young, inexperienced officer couldn't help but flatter.
With a major breakthrough in the case, Shen Zhenzhu said in high spirits, "Then I'll wait for good news."
Back at the Criminal Investigation Team after reporting the crime, Shen Zhenzhu met Gu Yanzheng in the corridor. Shen Zhenzhu was thinking of gathering everyone for a meeting when Gu Yanzheng hurriedly walked past her, saying, "We'll talk later."
"Huh?" Shen Zhenzhu stood at the office door and saw Zhou Chuanxi sitting in his old seat.
"Brother Xi, what's the matter, Brother Zheng?" Chen Zhenzhu asked.
Zhou Chuanxi held up a poster and read aloud: 'The deceased was named Lu Mintao, a greedy, lustful man who raped women and abused his ex-wife. Last year, after failing to harass a female employee, he became enraged and tried to run her over with his car, but was stopped. This February, he forced a female employee into an inappropriate relationship with him, after which she jumped to her death, leaving behind a son and a daughter... This July, a female employee sued him, but the case was withdrawn due to insufficient evidence. This November, the other party indicated that they would file a lawsuit again, and Lu Mintao was sent to the United States by the company for further studies...'
Shen Zhenzhu repeated, "She left behind a son and a daughter who jumped to their deaths... just like the person who made the phone call."
If I'm not mistaken, Wang Yafei was impersonating a victim and specifically named someone with the surname L.
Xiao Bai leaned closer and saw a large, colorful, bloody handprint, covered with countless records of Lu Mintao's crimes: "Where did you get this?"
Zhou Chuanxi said, "You haven't seen the other side yet." As he spoke, he turned over the A4-sized color-printed poster, which featured photos of Lu Mintao and Wang Jieyong making public appearances together at various events at the Wang Group.
In addition, the document also includes photos of Song Zhantao, Zhang Haijun, Lu Mintao, and Wang Jieyong in contact, all secretly taken in private clubs and upscale restaurants. They are seen clinking glasses with rosy cheeks, and behind them hangs a plaque that reads "Great Ambitions Achieve."
Zhou Chuanxi said, "You really didn't see it when you came back? These posters are everywhere. Many people are talking about Wang Jieyong's relationship with them. Some say it's true, some say it's false. After all, he is a great philanthropist and a great benefactor."
Shen Zhenzhu knew that she had met a formidable opponent this time.
By openly guiding public opinion toward Wang Jieyong, they are trying to shatter the positive image he has maintained for many years.
"Lu Mintao's death ignited the anger of many people, not because he was killed, but because he committed so many heinous acts. Some people are willing to believe that Wang Jieyong has nothing to do with them, while others do not believe Wang Jieyong. Those who do not believe him have already gathered downstairs at Wang Jieyong's company to demand an explanation."
Zhou Chuanxi had been sitting there the whole time and knew much more about the case than Shen Zhenzhu, who had handled it: "Director Liu was afraid of problems arising, so he hurriedly called the boss over for a meeting. He probably wanted him to deal with it promptly to prevent a major disaster."
Although he had already reported to the Information Technology Department, Zhou Chuanxi still felt a strong sense of belonging to the fourth team and was unwilling to change his mind.
“No wonder Brother Zheng didn’t even have time to say a word just now.” Chen Zhenzhu came to her seat and flipped through the phone book. “It’s gotten so big overnight. I feel like someone is pushing things along.”
Xiao Bai said indignantly, "Who says otherwise? We hid Lu Mintao's body perfectly well, and then these posters are everywhere. The impact is terrible. This doesn't seem like they're trying to get back at Wang Jieyong; it's more like they're trying to incite a riot."
“Maybe it’s not a riot, but an attempt to create chaos.” Shen Zhenzhu said through gritted teeth, “They’re trying to provoke us, they don’t take the Liancheng Public Security Bureau seriously.”
Lu Ye, Zhao Qiqi, and Wu Zhongguo returned to the office one after the other, each carrying a poster.
"Are you all here?" Director Liu walked over, his face not looking too good, and said, "I need to take twenty minutes for an emergency meeting."
"yes."
......
Wang Yafei wandered aimlessly down the street.
She sniffed the long-lost warmth of the scarf, her eyes filled with coldness.
Seeing the whispers and discussions everywhere on the street, she curled her lips into a smile.
Beep beep beep—
Beep beep beep.
Wang Jieyong smashed his old mobile phone with a hammer, so this time he didn't bother to buy a new one. Instead, he took out the old Han Xian Wang mobile phone that was not in use at home.
She didn't return home all night, and Xu Lan didn't send a single message. Perhaps she was still fantasizing about intimately embracing Lu Mintao, who had long since died.
Wang Yafei took out a Han Xian Wang (a type of ancient Chinese paper), on which was written only a simple sentence: Your mother was hit by a car, hurry home.
"Oh, so they know I'm not with Lu Mintao anymore, after all, he's already died a tragic death." Wang Yafei said to herself, "I'm going back, I want to see everything you have destroyed, just like you destroyed us."
She hailed a taxi, while the BMW that had been following her pulled over to the side.
The man rolled down the car window and quietly looked at her.
Wang Yafei also turned around and stared at him blankly.
After a brief eye contact, Wang Yafei said firmly, "Things went very smoothly. Go ahead. They definitely won't have the energy to look for us this time."
The man nodded: "Okay, I'll wait for you. Soon we'll go to a place where no one knows us, and we'll be siblings, friends, family..."
“Okay.” Wang Yafei met his gaze, then looked away with difficulty and said softly, “...Let’s talk about something else in the next life.”
......
When Wang Yafei returned home, she found a large number of media and strangers gathered at the entrance of the villa.
Xu Lan stood by the living room window, pulling the curtains to cover half of her body, looking around: "She's back, our daughter is back."
Wang Jieyong, barely suppressing his anger, said, "Quickly explain things to her. We'll have to make a public statement soon, and it has to be perfect!"
Knowing this was the outcome of her return, Wang Yafei thought to herself with a self-deprecating smile, "How could Xu Lan possibly be in any danger? Even if she were hit by a car, the one who would be injured in the end would probably be the car that hit her."
"Where's Auntie?" Wang Yafei asked.
Xu Lan said, "He's so old, who knows which security guard he ran off with."
Wang Yafei curled her lips into a smile. Xu Lan was also a master at spreading rumors.
Xu Lan hurriedly grabbed Wang Yafei's hand and headed upstairs: "Hurry up and change your clothes. I have something to tell you. Listen carefully to what I'm going to say later."
The clothes she would wear to face the media later were already laid out on the bed: an elegant and sophisticated wool coat, a high-quality shirt, and tailored suit trousers. She truly looked like a pampered heiress.
“You went to put on makeup, and your eyes and face are all swollen. What happened?” Xu Lan said affectionately, cupping Wang Yafei’s face in her hands. “You’re not pretty at all.”
Wang Yafei said, "Why don't you ask me if I've seen the murderer? After all, Lu Mintao is dead, isn't he?"
Xu Lan paused, then said in a panic, "I was just about to ask you that. I suppose Lu Mintao died protecting you."
"Lu Mintao is protecting me?" Wang Yafei laughed and said, "You're absolutely right, you're really good at judging men."
Xu Lan sighed, "I knew he was a good person. But he's dead, so be it. Even if you're old, you can find a divorced woman with children."
Wang Yafei was no longer bothered by the harsh words. After changing her clothes, she said, "Don't you remember you hit me yesterday?"
Xu Lan said awkwardly, "I can't remember, but if I were to hit you, it would be you who would feel the pain in my heart."
Wang Yafei said with a smile, "That's right. If I die, you can have another big, fat son to compete with Qian Hui for the family fortune."
Xu Lan suddenly became agitated: "What do you mean, 'give birth'? My uterus was removed because of giving birth to you!"
Wang Yafei said, "Oh, so why did you have to have an abortion eight months after giving birth to my younger brother?"
Xu Lan was stumped and speechless.
She stared coldly at Wang Yafei, like a venomous snake eyeing its prey: "Go downstairs once you've changed. If the family gets through this difficult time, I won't care if you die outside."
Is it really necessary to keep saying this?
“Your dad will be running for representative next year. Once he’s elected, he’ll be set for great things. Our family will no longer be just a bunch of business people. Think about the future. When we get old, all of this will be yours.”
"Isn't he powerful enough already?" Wang Yafei sneered. "He's all hypocrisy and has done all sorts of bad things. Who can shake him? He always says he's our sky, how could the sky possibly fall?"
Xu Lan suppressed her anger and said, "Stop saying such sarcastic things. We're family, after all."
When Wang Yafei came downstairs and walked hand in hand with Xu Lan into the courtyard, the media reporters were already there enjoying the Da Hong Pao tea that President Wang had personally brewed.
The family of three, each with their own ulterior motives, presented a warm and happy family image to the media, with Wang Yafei and Xu Lan expressing their deep affection for Wang Jieyong's kind character and noble sentiments.
“I have never harmed anyone, nor have I made any mistakes. The biggest mistake of my life was having dinner with the three dead men. They said I was their idol and insisted on inviting me. I naively believed their sweet talk and gave them business opportunities and classes. They took advantage of my kindness, and now I am furious at what they have done.”
I earnestly request that my friends in the media not be swayed by rumors. I, Wang Jieyong, take full responsibility for my actions. Those who wish to persecute me, please stand up and confront me face to face. Do not harm my beloved wife and daughter.
Wang Jieyong concluded by saying, "This must be a deliberate smear campaign by my business rivals. I have lived a life of selflessness and dedication, and I believe that a righteous person has nothing to fear, that evil will not prevail over good, and that justice will never die!"
Several of the media reporters were business journalists he had specially invited, and they often interacted with each other privately.
"I trust Mr. Wang!"
"Mr. Wang is right!"
The reporters applauded first, their eyes filled with anticipation for how big the red envelopes would be for this appearance.
"Why are the police here?" A sharp-eyed reporter spotted Shen Zhenzhu and others appearing outside the courtyard.
Shen Zhenzhu led four teams of people to stand outside and said, "Major Crimes Unit, come and protect President Wang and his family. Please open the door."
"I don't need your protection!" Wang Jieyong said shamelessly in front of the media. "I've already said that, and I have a clear conscience!"
Media reporters quickly took out their cameras to capture his righteous and awe-inspiring attitude, which was much more genuine than his previous fake performance.
"I believe Mr. Wang. He would refuse police protection if he had nothing to hide."
“I also believe Mr. Wang. I’ve heard that many bosses can’t even hire bodyguards, and now even the serious crime unit is turning down their offers. It seems that what Mr. Wang said earlier was true.”
"Section Chief Shen, is it?" Wang Yafei walked to the courtyard gate, opened it, and unexpectedly stretched out her hand: "I didn't expect to see you here. You are my idol."
"Really?" Chen Zhenzhu extended her hand and said with a smile, "I'm also very happy to see you."
Wang Yafei glanced at Chen Zhenzhu in surprise.
As their hands clasped together, Chen Zhenzhu clearly saw a fleeting glimpse of a wrist-cutting mark on Wang Yafei's lowered left wrist.
Wang Yafei nonchalantly tugged at her sleeve, smiled slyly, and said, "'Justice never dies' is Wang Jieyong's catchphrase. Do you find it laughable?"
Shen Zhenzhu said calmly, "I don't find it laughable. Everyone has the right to pursue justice, but it must be based on upholding the bottom line of the law. Otherwise, his justice is just hypocritical and selfish justice. What do you think?"
Wang Yafei, with her cool and aloof demeanor, smiled gently and said warmly, "You are truly my idol, you are absolutely right."
After Wang Yafei opened the door, Xu Lan instructed her to go to the kitchen to cut fruit for the reporters. Before entering the living room, she glanced at the trash can.
"Brother Xizi, watch out for what's in that trash can over there," Chen Zhenzhu whispered quickly in Zhou Chuanxi's ear as she entered.
Zhou Chuanxi accompanied him on the mission and glanced over to see damaged recording equipment piled up next to a large green trash can in the yard.
The nanny isn't here, and there's been no time to clean up the trash.
“There was editing and recording equipment, mixed in with electronic musical instruments, disguised, but I still recognized it at a glance.” Zhou Chuanxi reported the discovery to Shen Zhenzhu immediately.
"Here, you can confiscate all the equipment in the yard," Shen Zhenzhu said, walking over to watch Wang Jieyong and Xu Lan's "performance."
Zhou Chuanxi acted immediately.
Although Wang Jieyong did not welcome Shen Zhenzhu and the others, he reluctantly allowed them to come in and take a look around at Wang Yafei's invitation, to see if there were any hidden dangers.
Wang Jieyong was still talking loudly in the courtyard, promising to donate medical equipment to the children's hospital. He also said that he had recently taken a liking to an old commercial street and would definitely consider the livelihood of the people and reduce the living pressure on the surrounding residents.
After listening for a while, Chen Zhenzhu went to Wang Yafei's bedroom on the second floor with a blank expression. There was a large balcony with a view of the small square in front of the community.
Not far from the small square is the east gate of the residential area. Two hundred meters straight ahead from the east gate is the back of People's Square, near the musical fountain.
Xu Lan was still downstairs exchanging pleasantries with the media reporters, acting like a loving couple with Wang Jieyong.
Wang Yafei came up with a bottle of cola and a few disposable paper cups, saying, "Want some of this?"
Shen Zhenzhu turned around, gave her a deep look, and said, "Do you want to come with me, or should I take you away?"
The cola in Wang Yafei's hand slipped instantly, but Lu Ye, who was standing not far away, caught it with his large hand and firmly held the bottle opening: "Be careful."
Wang Yafei said in a low voice, "I've been careful enough."
She had a computer in her bedroom. Instead of answering Chen Zhenzhu's question, she said, "I'll just take a look at the stocks, just one look."
“You see,” Chen Zhenzhu said.
Wu Zhongguo walked around the yard and ran into Zhou Chuanxi, who was coming downstairs. Together, they cleaned up the "trash" next to the trash can.
Xu Lan said impatiently, "What would we do with these things?"
Wu Zhongguo said, "What if there are listening devices? Do you understand electronic stuff?"
Xu Lan was intimidated by Wu Zhongguo, so she quickly went over and said in a gentle tone, "Could there be a recording of our conversation? My daughter likes to play with these things; she's just willful."
Zhou Chuanxi said, "Without testing, I cannot give you an answer."
Xu Lan said, "Then don't take it. We can make some money selling junk."
Zhou Chuanxi stopped what he was doing, stood up straight, and said, "Does a family like yours still need to sell junk? Is there something you're hiding that you're afraid of being discovered? Don't worry, we'll have confidentiality measures in place."
Xu Lan turned around and found that the reporters drinking large red envelopes were observing their every move.
She swallowed uncomfortably, then smiled and said, "Anyway, they're all unwanted things, so why would we have anything to hide or be afraid of being overheard? My husband and I are both upright people, so take them if you want."
Looking at the pile of scrap metal, Wang Jieyong chuckled and stepped forward, his beer belly protruding, to help Zhou Chuanxi pick it up: "Is the Municipal Public Security Bureau's finances so tight? Will we even be able to use these things back home?"
Zhou Chuanxi glanced at him, gathered all the remaining parts into the snakeskin bag, stood up, clapped his hands, and said, "We will not take a single needle or thread from the people. If you are reluctant to part with these, I will return them to you after you have used them, so that you two will not worry."
Wang Jieyong smiled kindly and said, "You've misunderstood. I was thinking of donating some good stuff to your criminal investigation team. Money should be used wisely, and you are the blade for Liancheng."
Wu Zhongguo squatted on the ground, pulling at the snakeskin bag, and said cheerfully, "Everyone says that Mr. Wang is a master at doing charity. He is willing to donate to our criminal investigation team in front of so many media friends. On behalf of our leaders, I would like to thank Mr. Wang for his generosity."
He beckoned to the reporters who were peeking in and said, "Do I need to take pictures at the donation site? I need to comb my hair."
Wang Jieyong had never seen anyone so shameless as to accept money so readily, and awkwardly said, "I haven't thought about the specific amount yet, I'll think about it later—"
Wu Zhongguo suddenly realized and exclaimed, "The amount that even General Manager Wang couldn't figure out must be quite large. I must report it to the leaders of the Municipal Bureau when I get back, and then I'll invite the media friends from today as well."
Wang Jieyong, having been outmaneuvered, forced a smile and said, "Fine, fine."
After Wang Jieyong left, Zhou Chuanxi whispered, "You're getting more and more cunning as you get older."
Wu Zhongguo said in a low voice, "It can't be just you who makes progress. Money doesn't matter, as long as he's suffering, I'll feel at ease."
“I feel much better now,” Zhou Chuanxi said, and the two of them laughed together.
Ring ring—
Ring ring.
The living room phone rang urgently. Xu Lan was about to call the nanny to answer the phone when she remembered that the nanny had quit. She could only walk to the living room to answer the phone herself. After saying a few words, she hurriedly ran to the door: "Old Wang, it's a call from the company."
Wang Jieyong politely told the reporters, "You all have your drinks first, and we'll have lunch together at the private restaurant near the entrance of the community."
He calmly went to the living room, picked up the phone, listened for a few minutes, and then plopped down on the sofa: "It's hit the daily limit down? It's only been open for a short time, and the stock has already hit the daily limit down? This is a newly listed stock!"
He covered the microphone and said to Xu Lan, "Quick, turn on the radio! No, contact my son right now, he's smart, have him come over!"
Xu Lan angrily said, "I won't allow him to come into the house at this time!"
Wang Jieyong said angrily, "It's come to a critical moment!" He didn't waste words with Xu Lan, pressed the receiver down and picked it up again to quickly dial.
He first called Wang Xihua's mobile phone, but no one answered. He then called the office, but still no one answered. Finally, someone from the company told him, "Manager Wang didn't come to work today."
"Where has he gone?!" Wang Jieyong's forehead and nose were covered in sweat. He saw reporters peering into the living room and whispered to Xu Lan, "Quick, bring the tape recorder! Something terrible has happened!"
Meanwhile, Shen Zhenzhu also received the message on the second floor. Zhao Qiqi ran back to the car and took the car radio upstairs to play it:
On the radio, during the time slot that should have been airing the "Healthy Eating Experts Talk" program, the calm and composed voice of the "deceased listener" came through: ["Lu Mintao, who instructed you to do all this?"]
"It's...it's Wang Jieyong...he also sleeps around with women, and I'm left to clean up his mess!"
What is the relationship between Wang Jieyong and Song Zhantao?
"Stop pouring... Ah... Ah... Song Zhantao is his hired thug, he helps him seize land. A few years ago, when Wang Jieyong was building roads in the countryside, it was Song Zhantao who helped him clear out those old farmers."
What is the relationship between Zhang Haijun and Wang Jieyong?
"Ugh!!... Waaah, please let me go... Waaah... Zhang Haijun gave a large portion of the money he got to Wang Jieyong. Wang Jieyong can just pretend he doesn't know anything. If something goes wrong, Zhang Haijun will find someone to take the blame. So many projects, so many have problems."
['You've done so many heinous things, aren't you afraid that one day your crimes will be exposed?']
[“At first I was scared... Then Wang Jieyong said he was going to run for the city's people's representative. If he won, he would have everything he wanted in Liancheng, and we could make money and acquire land without worry. He recently went public through a backdoor listing and was planning to fleece a bunch of shareholders. Then he would take us overseas to live... to live a good life.”]
[...]
The voice of the "death listener" resonated clearly from the radio throughout every corner of Liancheng City. He provocatively declared, "Song Zhantao, Zhang Haijun, Lu Haitao, and Wang Jieyong are all cancers in Liancheng City. They oppress and exploit us. The first three are already dead. How long will it take for the dawn to break in Liancheng?! Eliminate Wang Jieyong, eliminate the Wang family enterprise, utterly destroy him! Followers of justice, now we need you to uncover Wang Jieyong's crimes. I'm waiting for you in the skies above Liancheng! Justice will never die! Justice will never die!!"
-----------------------
Author's note: Happy National Day! [Sprinkling flowers]
See you tomorrow! There are 100 little red envelopes waiting for you! [Let me see]
***
Thank you for the nutrient solution, everyone! Wishing you a happy and lucky National Day holiday! [Sprinkling flowers]
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