Chapter 165 Is He a Human or a Ghost?
The sudden appearance of a man named Wu made Guan Xia think of many things in a short period of time.
Her emotions were in turmoil and her mind was in a mess. For a moment, Guan Xia didn't care what Pang Le and the others were discussing. She didn't even react when they arrived at the dining place. It was not until Pang Le patted her on the shoulder and called her several times that she came back to her senses.
Guan Xia met Pang Le's worried gaze with a dazed look. She was stunned for a few seconds before shaking her head when Pang Le asked again, "I'm fine. I just thought of something and I don't know how to put it into words. Wait for me to sort it out. I'll tell you once I've figured it out."
Pang Le didn't ask any further questions, but patted Guan Xia's shoulder again to comfort her. Perhaps because he was afraid that she would fall, he helped her out of the car before letting go.
"Let's go, let's eat at this place," Guan Xia heard Zhong Xiaoyu say, "I just took a look at the reviews, there aren't many bad ones, and those that do mention the long wait times and takeout times. I think the food should be pretty fresh."
No one else had any objection. Guan Xia's mind was full of doubts about some things in the past, so naturally she had no objection either. She followed the others while thinking.
It was the peak time for dinner, and the few of them waited for a while before they got a seat.
After sitting down, Guan Xia fell into deep thought again.
She tried to calm down and began to recall and analyze the situation in her mind.
Guan Xia first recalled her experience in the orphanage for more than ten years. Although she had been sponsored, she had never seen the sponsor. She thought about it carefully. She knew of other orphans who were sponsored like her, but she had never heard of anyone who had seen the sponsor. Another point was that it seemed that after leaving the orphanage, most people never went back. Instead, she heard that they often sent money or donated supplies, which was not right.
Guan Xia suddenly paused as she remembered something. In her memory, some people did come back. She vaguely remembered that it seemed to be the completion of a building and the opening ceremony. There were several people who came back. They were all dressed very brightly and looked successful people.
She vaguely remembered someone saying that she wanted to become like that in the future. Although she was abandoned, she would definitely live a good life. When the time comes, she would find the relatives who abandoned her and make them envious, jealous, and regretful.
Who whispered these words in her ear at that time? Was it Meng Lan? Or was it another child who was raised by Mother Chen like her?
When Guan Xia thought of this, she recalled what Meng Lan had told her before: the scene where she met Wu Yang at the opening ceremony after the training center was completed and had dinner together.
Guan Xia couldn't quite remember whether Meng Lan had mentioned that it was the first time she and Wu Yang met, but it was that meeting that made Meng Lan particularly admire him, and also made him officially known to Guan Xia, which sparked her curiosity.
Guan Xia was sorting out the timeline in her mind.
She vaguely remembered that Mother Chen had told her that the training center seemed to have been completed and put into use last year. If Meng Lan did not lie, it meant that she had also met Wu Yang for the first time last year. However, it was 23 years ago when Meng Lan wanted to commit suicide and met Wang Huiqin by the lake in the park. The time she came into contact with the criminal organization was obviously earlier than the time she met Wu Yang. Based on this timeline alone, Guan Xia's previous speculations seemed a bit unreasonable.
There is also Guan Xia's guess that Meng Lan's persistence in searching for her relatives might have been guided by someone. Guan Xia thought about it over and over again, but she couldn't figure out that there was someone like this around them since they were young.
Perhaps it was because time had passed and her memory was fuzzy, but in Guan Xia's impression, although there were not many employees in the orphanage, each of them was quite dedicated and responsible. At least in front of her, they never said anything inexplicable.
And last time when he was investigating a case, he went back to the orphanage to take a look. Guan Xia recalled it for a long time but couldn't think of anything strange or out of place. Could it really be just a coincidence?
Guan Xia thought so, but her intuition reminded her that it was not a coincidence.
After thinking for a long time without any clue, Guan Xia just felt upset and unconsciously turned the teacup in his hand. Perhaps because of the big movement, some water splashed out.
The water had just been poured and was still a little hot. Guan Xia was suddenly startled by the heat and pulled his hand back sharply.
Everyone sitting around Guan Xia noticed it. Some handed her tissues, some moved cups, and even Jiang Yingyao, who was the farthest away, asked, "How's it going? Did you get burned?"
Guan Xia shook her head subconsciously, and then realized why Jiang Yingyao was here.
Guan Xia thought of something and turned around, and sure enough, she saw Xu Nian. He first glanced at her hands, then picked up a tissue and wiped the splashed water on the table in front of her to prevent it from dripping.
Guan Xia hadn't noticed when Xu Nian and the others came in. She was very surprised, even startled, and asked, "When did you come? Why didn't I see you?"
Pang Le looked down at her hand carefully. Seeing that it was only slightly red, he smiled and said with relief, "You just came in not long ago, and Xu Nian even greeted you, but you were so lost in thought that you completely ignored him. What's the matter? Are you finally done with your thoughts?"
Pang Le's words brought Guan Xia's attention back to where it had been diverted. Guan Xia shook her head with a headache and said, "I've been thinking very hard, but I still can't come up with any clues. But there's no need to rush. Everything is just my guess. As for whether it can be confirmed, we'll have to investigate to find out."
"What are you looking for?" Xu Nian casually threw the wet tissue into the trash can and looked at Guan Xia and asked, "Did you find anything new today? That's why you look so worried."
Guan Xia thought about what Pang Le had just said about Xu Nian having just come in, and knew that they hadn't had time to share information yet. She simply said, "We did find a suspicious person in the parking lot of the Kangjian Physical Examination Center today. He gave me a very dangerous feeling, and he was at the entrance of the Kangjian Physical Examination Center. I suspect he is related to that criminal organization, and it is very likely that he is a relatively core figure."
As Guan Xia spoke, she took out the sketchbook from the bag hanging on the back of the chair, turned to the page with the blond man, and handed it to Xu Nian.
Xu Nian took it and looked at it for a few seconds. While taking pictures and sending messages with his mobile phone, he asked, "What was the scene like when you found him? Was he alone? Was there anyone with him?"
Guan Xia nodded and replied, "Yes, I noticed several cars drove into the parking lot. He wasn't sitting in the driver's seat at the time, but in the back seat on the left. Because he was closest to me, I could see him more clearly. As for the others, it was raining so hard that I couldn't really see them clearly. But I think the people he was traveling with were most likely members of that organization."
After two minutes of work, Xu Nian finally put down his phone and said, "I've already sent Captain Zhou the portrait of the blond man. As a local detective, he should be able to confirm his identity quickly. By the way, didn't you guys review the surveillance footage all day yesterday? Did you find anything?"
Although they were only apart for two days, when Xu Nian asked this, Guan Xia suddenly felt that they had gained a lot in these two days.
Guan Xia gave the main narration, and Pang Le and Ji An supplemented it. It took about twenty minutes, and all the clues discovered in the past two days were finally shared with Xu Nian.
Xu Nian's face, with increasingly distinct dark circles under his eyes, revealed a look of relief. With a faint smile, he said, "This is truly a great haul! With this piece of irrefutable evidence, Liu Xiang's guilt can be firmly established. It can also serve as a breakthrough point, allowing us to secure her confession. Then, once Geng Jing is fooled, Captain Zhou and his men can catch him in the act. This way, the peripheral personnel of the criminal organization centered around the Kangjian Physical Examination Center will be wiped out. And coincidentally, you've discovered another key figure today."
As Xu Nian spoke, an excited expression appeared on his face. Guan Xia was infected and felt that her heavy mood became a little relieved.
However, when Liu Xiang was mentioned, Zhong Xiaoyu asked, "By the way, Captain Xu, how is Liu Xiang now? Has she not become suspicious of us? Has Geng Jing been released? And what is the plan of the task force? Can you tell me?"
Not only Zhong Xiaoyu was curious, but Guan Xia, Pang Le and others were also curious, including Lu Tingfeng. They all stopped what they were doing and looked at Xu Nian seriously.
Xu Nian didn't hide anything and said very frankly, "Fan Ya was released last night. Of course, Captain Zhou sent someone to follow her. She rested all night and went to the hospital this morning to take care of Liu Xiang. Although Liu Xiang's wound didn't hurt her vitals, it was very deep and had injured her intestines, causing contamination of the entire abdominal cavity. She woke up but was very weak. Coupled with the pain, she had no energy or mind to think. Anyway, as of now, judging from her performance, there is no doubt at all. As for Geng Jing, he has not been released yet. Captain Zhou and his team plan to release him after 48 hours, which is almost tonight. If all goes well, Captain Zhou and his team will be able to close the loop on Geng Jing by this weekend at the latest."
Xu Nian spoke in great detail and everyone listened attentively. Fortunately, there were many of them and they had requested a private room. As long as they didn't speak too loudly and there were no waiters around, they didn't have to worry about secrets being leaked.
After talking about Liu Xiang’s situation and Geng Jing’s current situation, Xu Nian talked about the task force.
Xu Nian poured out the tea in Guan Xia's cup and refilled it while continuing, "As for the task force, we held a meeting for two days, mainly to understand the situation here. Then we took over the entire interrogation of Liu Xiang and the task of following the clues to arrest other accomplices. The meeting also emphasized the need for a comprehensive investigation of the Kangjian Physical Examination Center. In the past two days, a group of colleagues have arrived from Dingyuan Province. I estimate that major actions should be taken within three days at the latest."
Guan Xia couldn't help but ask, "You only mentioned these, and nothing else? Didn't we report a lot of clues before? You didn't mention the follow-up? For example, Wang Huiqin, Yao Qingyan, and the other suspected member of the organization in the Zhang Weiyan case, Feng Xingping?"
Although several months have passed, Guan Xia was still deeply impressed because it was the first time that the criminal organization was investigated. Even now, he clearly remembers how he bewitched Zhang Weiyan on the bridge in the system's video interface, which led to the tragic murder of Zhang Weiyan's uncle and his family of four.
There is also Lu Manqing who was silenced, and a police gun that was lost from the Yongquan City Xicheng Branch.
Guan Xia had too many questions, but Xu Nian couldn't answer any of them. He shook his head and said, "The task force didn't mention any of this at the meeting, but Director Ren called me. Although he didn't say it explicitly, I heard him say that after this case is completed, I might have the authority to know the follow-up results of some clues."
Guan Xia sighed in her heart, but was not disappointed. After all, she knew in her heart that neither she nor Xu Nian was important enough to know these core clues.
By this point in the conversation, their dishes were finally served. Everyone tacitly stopped talking and focused on eating.
After the meal, the rain had not stopped yet. Lu Tingfeng drove them back to the Kangjian Physical Examination Center as he had said before.
But this time they were not so lucky. Lu Tingfeng parked the car in an inconspicuous place and waited for nearly two hours. It was almost dawn, but he still found nothing. Not only the blond man, but no other figure showed up. Then everyone returned to the hotel.
As soon as they entered the room, Pang Le pulled Guan Xia to sit on the bed, and asked with a serious look on his face, "What on earth have you thought of? Your expression hasn't relaxed at all all night. Look in the mirror, your brows are so furrowed that they can kill a mosquito. Are you suspecting Wu Yang is related to that criminal organization? Or are you suspecting Meng Lan?"
Guan Xia lay on the bed in a daze, staring at the ceiling for a moment before saying, "I'm doubting everything now, but I can't really explain what I'm doubting."
Pang Le suddenly put his face in front of Guan Xia and looked at her seriously.
An enlarged face suddenly appeared in front of her, startling Guan Xia. Before Guan Xia could say anything, Pang Le suddenly smiled and said nonchalantly, "If you doubt everything, then investigate everything. Anyway, we have been investigating cases with Xu Nian and the others for so long. Both Xu Nian and Sister Ji trust you very much. If you think there is a problem, then there is a problem. You don't have to explain, they will do their best to investigate."
Pang Le stretched out a finger and pressed Guan Xia's brow, saying, "Don't be so sad. Listen to me. If you can't figure it out, just stop thinking about it. Once the case in Shangshuang City is over, we will investigate all the things you suspect. Let me think about where to start..."
Pang Le pretended to think for a few minutes, then said with sparkling eyes, "How about we start from the orphanage where you were born? I just thought about it. Whether it's Meng Lan, Wu Yang, or Wu Yingze's father with the surname Wu, if he is really related to Wu Yang, it means that all the sources come from the orphanage. When the time comes, with so many of us investigating thoroughly, as long as there is a problem, we will definitely find clues. Don't forget that there is also a special task force. When the time comes, we will report the clues. No matter how powerful Wu Yang is, he will still be arrested."
Pang Le's suggestion of cutting the Gordian knot did make Guan Xia feel a little relieved, but then an idea suddenly struck her. She sat up abruptly and said, "You have a point. We..."
Guan Xia stood up without any warning, and even someone as quick-witted as Pang Le was unable to dodge in time, and their foreheads collided head-on.
With a thud, Guan Xia swallowed the rest of her sentence in pain. She covered her head for a moment before speaking again, "We really should investigate from the source."
Pang Le also covered his head and looked at Guan Xia with a twisted expression, which was both funny and a little helpless, but he still took the opportunity to say, "Have you figured it out? I told you not to keep it to yourself. You have a lot of friends now, and three cobblers are better than one Zhuge Liang. With so many of us, we can always get to the bottom of what you are worried about."
Guan Xia couldn't help laughing at Pang Le's grinning expression but serious tone. He nodded and said, "I figured it out. Although the matter is complicated, as long as we can find the source, we don't have to worry about not being able to find it out."
While Guan Xia was making the decision, she also made a simple plan in her mind. She planned to go back to the orphanage after the case in Shangshuang City was over.
The last time she went back, the system in her head had not been upgraded, so she naturally couldn't tell if there was anything wrong with the orphanage. But now it's different. She has a system that reminds her that if there is really a problem with the orphanage, no matter who it is, they will be exposed in front of her. Then she can check them one by one and get to the bottom of it.
Another point is that she plans to find an opportunity to take a look at Wu Yang from a distance. Any suspicion would not be as effective as her taking a look.
Whether it is a human or a ghost, the system can always give her the most accurate answer.
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