Chapter 218 Open Relationship
Upon hearing Gong Qi's cries, "Avanti" rushed into the tent despite his assistant's attempts to stop him, and embraced Gong Qi without hesitation: "Don't cry, I'm here with you."
"I've been so badly deceived. Jiang Luchao is a beast." Gong Qi buried her face in his arms, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her usually cool and aloof face was now streaked with tears, making her look incredibly beautiful.
Shen Zhenzhu and Gu Yanzheng stood by watching their interaction. They didn't seem like friends or colleagues; they were probably having an affair.
"Nasreddin" asked her, "What exactly happened?"
Gong Qi repeated it once, and "Avanti" became furious.
He asked Chen Zhenzhu, "You saw the video camera? Can we see it with our own eyes?"
Gong Qi also looked at Chen Zhenzhu, waiting for her reply: "If it's there, it means that the explosion really has nothing to do with me and Chen Bufan."
The video recorder was in the Cherokee, but Shen Zhenzhu inexplicably said, "It's already been handed over to the leadership, so that case is over."
Gong Qi asked with concern, "What about the smuggling?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "So many years have passed, it's hard to investigate. Customs policies have also changed. Just consider it a closed chapter."
Gong Qi sobbed as she said, “Thank you for telling me all this. In those days, once you made a mistake, there was no place to hide... At that time, I naively thought that Jiang Luchao had spent a lot of money and connections to help me settle this matter. I never imagined that I had been completely deceived by him and kept in the dark for so many years.”
"Avanti" said angrily, "I told you long ago not to stay with him. You work hard outside, while he lives a life of luxury at home. Your paychecks are all deposited into his company's account, and you end up having to ask him for money to cover your expenses."
Shen Zhenzhu and Gu Yanzheng exchanged a glance.
At this point, the assistant, a plump middle-aged woman who came in later, also said, "Please keep your voices down. There are several reporters loitering outside the film set, and some even specifically asked to see Teacher Gong. I told them that Teacher Gong is doing gigs elsewhere and isn't here."
"Help me ask the crew for leave. I need to go back and find out what's going on. Get me a hot towel." Gong Qi took a hot towel and wiped her face, her rosy eyes carrying a captivating charm.
She glanced at Gu Yanzheng and said, "I need to change my clothes. What are you still doing here?"
Gu Yanzheng said, "If you want to go back to Liancheng to find Jiang Luchao, we also want to go back to Liancheng to find Jiang Luchao. We'll wait for you outside for ten minutes before we go together."
As they were talking, the makeup artist rushed in with a case and quickly applied makeup to Gong Qi's face to hide the traces of her crying.
"I won't ride in your car, I have my own." Gong Qi calmed down, but still maintained her arrogant attitude: "Anyway, I'm not going anywhere."
Gu Yanzheng said, "You'd better do that."
The assistant muttered, "What kind of attitude is that?"
Gu Yanzheng lifted the curtain and strode out, standing at the door for a while.
Inside, Chen Zhenzhu frowned and asked Gong Qi, "When Chen Bufan left the dormitory in private, he was said to be carrying a Liberation bag. Do you know where that bag went later?"
Gong Qi patted powder onto her face, and dust floated in the air.
She said dismissively, "Everyone knows he smuggled himself out of the country through Lukou, because they found his Liberation Army bag on the shore. I don't know where the bag went after that; since we're not related, he probably threw it away a long time ago."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "Do you remember who discovered it first?"
Gong Qi thought for a long time, then hesitated before saying, "I don't remember much. My mind was very confused at the time."
"Avanti" said, "I remember it was discovered by patrols of the Lukou troops. After the discovery, it was reported throughout the city, and the military region sent people to search the sea—"
Gong Qi threw a powder puff in front of the mirror and said impatiently, "You're blocking out the light, move aside."
"Avanti" quickly moved to the side.
After pondering for a moment, Chen Zhenzhu came out and said calmly, "Teacher Gong is disguised. You can leave now."
Gu Yanzheng glanced into the tent and caught a faint scent of vinegar. A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips as he patted Chen Zhenzhu on the back of the head and said, "Silly girl."
Shen Zhenzhu felt she had controlled her emotions very well and didn't know how Gu Yanzheng had noticed. Anyway, she thought Gong Qi was quite charming and exuded feminine allure.
Once in the car, the snow on the road was damp. Gu Yanzheng drove in front, and Gong Qi's car followed behind.
Looking in the rearview mirror, Shen Zhenzhu saw that the car was full of people and exclaimed, "Teacher Gong's entourage is quite impressive."
Gu Yanzheng said with a smile, "If this continues, Sister Qing will have to travel with gongs and drums and eight-person sedan chairs."
The box containing the video camera was still in the trunk. After thinking for a moment, Chen Zhenzhu asked Gu Yanzheng, "Does the military regularly clean up lost items?"
As Gu Yanzheng drove, he said, "It depends on the type of things. Chen Bufan's things might not have been cleared out. After all, they were smuggled out, and at the time, they might have been involved in treason. His personal belongings would have to be sealed up."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "I need to contact the Lukou military unit to look for Chen Bufan's lost items."
Gu Yanzheng said, "Don't go looking for something that's not close by. I have comrades over there who can put in a good word for you."
Shen Zhenzhu turned her head with a smile and reached out to massage Gu Yanzheng's shoulder: "You've worked hard, Director Gu. You've been out with me on this case, and you haven't been able to eat or sleep well. You even have to be my driver."
Gu Yanzheng said, "I'm willing. Is there a problem?"
“No problem.” Gu Yanzheng said so confidently that Chen Zhenzhu replied with a smile.
Gu Yanzheng smiled and said, "We'll talk about the reward after the case is solved."
Chen Zhenzhu leaned back in her seat, pretended to pick up the map and start looking at it, and as she looked, the tips of her ears turned red.
They traveled non-stop to Liancheng, to the Victoria Villa community. Before even reaching Gong Qi's house, they passed a badminton court and saw Jiang Luchao holding a racket and talking to a woman.
The Cherokee stopped not far away. Through the window, Shen Zhenzhu saw Jiang Luchao slam his badminton racket heavily on the ground, almost getting into a fight with the woman.
Shen Zhenzhu quickly got out of the car and ran over to pull Jiang Luchao away. Jiang Luchao was still cursing and swearing: "Get lost, stop bothering me, I have nothing to do with you."
Gong Qi, bundled up tightly, ran over and grabbed Jiang Luchao's arm, saying, "She's bothering you again?"
Shen Zhenzhu looked at the woman with a livid face. She was plain-looking with some freckles. She looked to be around forty years old and had no presence as she stood to the side. Especially compared to the aloof and beautiful Gong Qi, she was even less appealing.
"Fine, get out! You'll regret it!" The freckled woman left, giving Gong Qi a sidelong glance.
“Her name is Huang Dan. She’s been pursuing Jiang Luchao for years, and we’ve even moved several times because of her.” Remembering why she’d come, Gong Qi shook off Jiang Luchao’s arm and slapped him across the face: “You liar!”
Jiang Luchao was dumbfounded by her sudden change in attitude, and covered his face, saying, "What's wrong with you?"
"Ah, why are you hitting people!" A young starlet carrying a small bag rushed over, and upon seeing that it was Gong Qi who had hit her, the flames of a fight instantly vanished.
Gong Qi pointed at Jiang Luchao's nose and said, "You shameless slut! How could you lay a hand on such a vulgar woman? Tell her to get lost."
Despite being scolded by Gong Qi in front of her, the young starlet wasn't angry. She awkwardly straightened her miniskirt, wrapped her wool coat tighter, and said, "She has such a bad temper. I was just passing by. I'm leaving now."
Jiang Luchao said in a muffled voice, "Didn't you have affairs with other women?"
Gong Qi stopped pretending to be affectionate and grabbed Jiang Luchao by the collar, saying, "Don't embarrass yourself in public. I'll settle the score with you when we get home."
Jiang Luchao appears to be an upright and honest old cadre, but it's unexpected that his private relationships are so complicated.
"Avanti" drove Gong Qi's car, rolled down the window and said, "Teacher Gong, what should we do?"
Gong Qi said, "You guys go to the hotel first."
Shen Zhenzhu and Gu Yanzheng arrived at Villa No. 5.
The villa was filled with the chaotic smell of smoke and alcohol from the party. Gong Qi's Persian cat lay lazily on the back of the sofa, yawning.
The house was a complete mess, and cleaning it up would be a huge undertaking.
The nanny was stuffing beer cans into a snakeskin bag, making a clanging sound as she vented her frustration.
"Wait until we finish questioning them before you two confront each other again." Gu Yanzheng forcefully separated the two, and seeing that the air in the back corridor was relatively fresh, he waved to Chen Zhenzhu.
Shen Zhenzhu said to Gong Qi, "Wait here for a moment, and then go over after you've finished talking over there."
Gong Qi, who had been holding back her temper the whole way, walked to the stairwell and said, "Then I'll put on a face mask."
Shen Zhenzhu truly admires the professionalism of female celebrities.
"Why is everyone blaming me? I only heard it from others." After some tugging, the old cadre's parted hairstyle was messed up. He was wearing sportswear on the badminton court, and when he got home, he was shivering from the wind in the back corridor: "Hey, why did you turn off the heating?"
The nanny replied irritably, "It stinks like a cesspool, doesn't it need some fresh air?"
"Look at me, I have absolutely no standing in this family." Jiang Luchao rubbed his hands, his anger subsiding, leaving only frustration. "No wonder she hit me; she thought I cheated her. Do I even have that kind of ability? Didn't I get cheated out of money myself?"
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "Who told you about the bombing?"
Jiang Luchao thought for a moment and said, "I can't remember clearly. It seems to be something a female friend I was hanging out with back then said. I don't even remember what she looks like now."
Gong Qi's voice came from the upstairs bedroom: "Jiang Luchao! Did you bring a woman to my bed?"
Jiang Luchao stuck his head out the window and shouted, "Haven't you ever slept in my bed with a man? Stop pretending!"
Gong Qi stopped talking, then quickly threw a piece of women's underwear down by the window and slammed the window shut.
Jiang Luchao quickly reached out and grabbed it, stuffing it forcefully into his pocket: "Don't talk nonsense, this is just a little fun between my husband and me."
Shen Zhenzhu listened to the sound, pointed to the corner and said, "Let's talk over there."
Once in the corner, Jiang Luchao spread his hands, smiled at Shen Zhenzhu, and said, "Beautiful lady, please don't mind. As actors, we often have no choice in what we do. For example, the two of us, in fact, still have feelings for each other, but it's a kind of relationship that you don't understand. In foreign terms, it can be called an 'open' relationship."
Shen Zhenzhu said coldly, "They just pretend to have a great relationship on screen to gain public favor and make money, while they each do their own thing in private, right?"
“What you said is so… right.” Jiang Luchao sighed and said, “Actually, I’m not a womanizer. It was Gong Qi who cheated on me in the first place. I knew she didn’t want to be with me. If it weren’t for the incident, she would never have married me. I knew she often went to the film set and didn’t want to stay at home. Wasn’t it because there were other people on the film set?”
"Let's leave the matter of your private life here." Gu Yanzheng interrupted him, then asked, "Since you were also deceived, who did you give the money you used for your connections to?"
Jiang Luchao said, "So many people gave money back then. I was young and wanted to spend all my savings to help her. Some said they would help, some pretended not to hear, and some took the money and then went back on their word. They were a bunch of animals."
Chen Zhenzhu asked, "Did you arrange all of these yourself, or were they introduced by others?"
Jiang Luchao said, "Yes, we have both."
Shen Zhenzhu nodded, made two notes in her notebook, and said casually, "You really liked Gong Qi back then, didn't you? Could you have imagined it would turn out like this?"
Jiang Luchao sighed and said, "How could anyone have imagined? She's like a fairy from heaven; every man would be captivated by her."
Shen Zhenzhu added, "She has so many suitors; it must have taken a lot of effort to win her over, right?"
Jiang Luchao said, "That's right."
Chen Zhenzhu said, "Overcome all difficulties?"
Gu Yanzheng stood to the side, his eyebrows slightly raised.
Jiang Luchao followed up on Shen Zhenzhu's words, saying, "Then we must overcome all difficulties."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Was it you who introduced Chen Bufan to the contact person for his smuggling trip?"
Jiang Luchao smiled and said smugly, "Of course, excluding Wan... no, his death has nothing to do with me!"
"Enough with the nonsense, just tell me everything you know." Gu Yanzheng glanced at his watch and urged, "You don't want to be interrogated in front of reporters, do you?"
Jiang Luchao, his lips drooping, leaned against the wall, curled up, and said regretfully, "It wasn't me who introduced them—"
Shen Zhenzhu raised her voice and said, "You'd better tell the truth."
Jiang Luchao said with deep regret, "It was because I saw Chen Bufan always using smuggled goods to make Xiaoqi happy that I got drunk and started bragging like others, saying that I could not only smuggle goods but also people. Who knew that it would reach Chen Bufan's ears, and he begged me for help. He wanted to do something big, and if he succeeded, it would be incredible, but if he failed, he would regret it for the rest of his life."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "Are you telling the truth?"
Jiang Luchao pointed out the window and said, "Chen Bufan is standing right there. How could I lie? I didn't want to help him at first, but after hearing about the bombing and knowing that he was going to run away, I looked down on him from the bottom of my heart. So, I introduced him to him without any hesitation. Who knew what would happen later?"
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "Who did you introduce? How do you know them?"
Jiang Luchao said, "He was an older brother I drank and hung out with, so I started bragging like him. At first, I thought that if Chen Bufan left, it would be easier for me to pursue Xiaoqi, so I was willing to give it a try. You don't know, he was an orphan who wanted to smuggle himself out of the country, and I secretly gave him two hundred yuan. In the countryside, two hundred yuan is enough to get married. Later, when I found out he really did smuggle himself out, I was even envious. I thought to myself, if I had just spent money to run away, I could have made a lot of money washing dishes abroad."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "Where is my elder brother? What's his name? What are his distinguishing features?"
Jiang Luchao closed his eyes tightly, struggling to recall, and said, "I... I really can't remember people's faces. Sometimes I don't even recognize someone when they greet me to my face, let alone someone I knew twenty years ago. After Chen Bufan left, that guy disappeared. I guess he also smuggled himself out. Hmm... He looked very ordinary. Was his name Old Ma, Old Donkey, or Old Lü? My memory is really bad."
"Who else knows him?" Shen Zhenzhu observed his expression and felt that the case was puzzling.
Thinking that the forensic lab should be almost done, although I didn't want to watch the mummification process closely, I still wanted to go back and observe it carefully.
Jiang Luchao said, "There was also a group of people from the film crew, but they were all unknown juniors. After dinner, they went off to make their own way in the world. Who remembers who is who?"
That makes sense; back then, these were probably the people who had relatively more freedom of movement.
While Jiang Luchao was giving his statement, his landline rang.
The nanny answered the phone and walked over impatiently, saying, "Miss Lulu is asking if you have time to go out for Western food tonight."
Jiang Luchao said, "No, Western food is so expensive, what's the point of eating there? Ask her if she wants a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger)."
The nanny muttered as she left, but returned a moment later: "Miss Lulu said she wants a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), and it has to be hot."
Jiang Luchao said angrily, "Tell her I'll bring it to her after I've warmed it up under my armpits. Damn it, a bunch of debt collectors."
Gu Yanzheng said casually, "Running a film and television company isn't easy. You must have quite a few actresses under your management, right?"
Jiang Luchao chuckled dryly, his eye bags and dark circles looking quite prominent. He honestly said, "Even a superman like me can't resist in this world of pleasure every day. I've even gotten medication from the hospital, and Xiaoqi even laughed at me for not being as good as her other woman."
"'Avanti,' right?" Gu Yanzheng asked. "How long have they been together?"
Jiang Luchao lowered his voice and said, "I suspect he was already involved with Chen Bufan back then."
Chen Zhenzhu tilted her head and asked, "Was there anyone else outside with Chen Bufan at that time?"
Jiang Luchao said, "Does he dare? He'll be drowned in spittle."
Gu Yanzheng said, "Then how did you dare to do it?"
Jiang Luchao scratched his face and said, "She can't have children, and she cheated on me—"
"So you're standing on the moral high ground now, is that it?" Shen Zhenzhu said.
Jiang Luchao nodded, then quickly shook his head, and said seriously, "It's a case of one party willing to hit and the other willing to be hit."
......
Liancheng Criminal Investigation Brigade, Fourth Team Office.
After arranging for personnel to monitor Jiang Luchao and Gong Qi, Chen Zhenzhu was making instant noodles while Gu Yanzheng peeled some King Kong instant noodles for her. The two of them remained silent, slurping their noodles while staring at the video camera.
"Boss, you're so biased! There were only three hard-boiled eggs, and you gave them all to Sister Pearl!" Zhao Qiqi came back from working outside. There was instant noodles, but the King of Kings instant noodles and the hard-boiled eggs were gone. She grabbed a bag of alphabet cookies and hugged it to her chest, complaining bitterly.
Before she could finish complaining, she noticed a video camera on the coffee table and perked up: "Boss, did you send us a big package?"
Gu Yanzheng said, "Don't get excited, it's physical evidence."
Holding a bowl of instant noodles, Zhao Qiqi continued to sob, "I have nothing at all."
Unable to bear it any longer, Shen Zhenzhu gave each of the three hard-boiled eggs one, successfully silencing Zhao Qiqi.
Gu Yanzheng then poked his own braised egg into Chen Zhenzhu's instant noodle cup, but Chen Zhenzhu refused, saying with a smile, "I want to give you the good stuff too."
Gu Yanzheng said in a low voice, "At least you ate abalone at my house before, how come the quality drops so suddenly when you come to your place? You don't know how to cherish it now that you have it?"
"You're quite good at turning the tables." Chen Zhenzhu felt Gu Yanzheng's shoulder close to hers, so she moved to the side and started eating instant noodles: "After you finish eating, take a look at the machine. The forensic team will be ready soon."
Gu Yanzheng glanced at the distance between the two and wondered why it seemed to be greater than before they got together.
"Captain Chen, what do you mean? Cold violence?" Gu Yanzheng asked.
Shen Zhenzhu pretended nothing was wrong: "Who's being cold-blooded?"
Gu Yanzheng was amused by her words: "Fine, it's nothing."
Shen Zhenzhu touched her nose, glanced at the doorway where people often came and went and at Zhao Qiqi who was eating noodles with gusto, and then lowered her head to bite into her noodles.
Gu Yanzheng squinted, analyzing whether Shen Zhenzhu was embarrassed. Impossible, the people from Team Four all had the nerve to handle the situation.
The top priority right now is handling the case.
After finishing his instant noodles, Gu Yanzheng put all his romantic thoughts aside and started prying open the video camera with a screwdriver, while Chen Zhenzhu and Zhao Qiqi squatted in front of the coffee table watching. They couldn't offer any help.
"Mine." Shen Zhenzhu reacted quickly, grabbing another screw in her palm to prove she was still of some use.
Zhao Qiqi waited for a long time, clutching the alphabet cookies in her hand and chewing them one by one.
After disassembling the VCR, the brown main circuit board is next to the power board, as well as the motor, belt, and videotape loading chamber.
"The interior space is compact, with almost no extra room." Gu Yanzheng pressed the loading button, and the loading chamber slowly popped out. There were no videotapes inside. The black rubber belt was on the verge of aging and breaking, and the lubricant had dried and become sticky.
“There are words here,” Chen Zhenzhu said, squatting on the coffee table, tilting her head and pointing to the area under the loading pod.
The loading capsule popped out and then stopped; it couldn't return to its original position unless someone pressed it.
Gu Yanzheng carefully flipped the video recorder over and saw two rows of letters engraved on the loading compartment: "CBF, DCYY" and "LLH0229".
"Chen Bufan?" Chen Zhenzhu pointed to "CBF" and said, "That's his initials, right? What does the rest mean?"
Zhao Qiqi immediately said, "'I was here'! When I was a kid, I would write that when I went out to play, afraid of being scolded for being rude."
Shen Zhenzhu said happily, "Brother Aqi is amazing! I had no idea what to do, but you figured it out at a glance."
Zhao Qiqi smiled sheepishly and said, "Then you must have been very well-mannered when you were a child."
Gu Yanzheng chuckled: "It really is, 'Chen Bufan was here.' Is he trying to prove that he got his hands on the video camera himself?"
“Possibly. What do the letters and numbers at the end mean?” Shen Zhenzhu asked, puzzled. “It looks like an account or password.”
Gu Yanzheng said, "At that time, it was certain that it was not used domestically, and it might be related to his illegal immigration."
The three people stood around the video camera, looking worried. Chen Zhenzhu sighed and said, "Chen Bufan is really extraordinary. This case is quite difficult."
"Sister Pearl, good news! The forensic team found half a fingerprint on the metal frame and has already sent it to the information department." The junior forensic doctor who came to deliver the forensic report felt that the forensic department had done something big and came over to report it with great joy.
Shen Zhenzhu immediately ran out: "I'm going to take a look!"
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Author's note: See you tomorrow, there are 100 red envelopes waiting for you! [Let me see]
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