Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Will we be able to catch the person red-handed soon...
A few hours ago, at Jinghu Villa, on the third floor of the Gong family villa.
Gong Xie had been lying in bed for a whole day, feeling extremely irritable.
The desire rising from inside his body made him listless, with no appetite. His ears kept buzzing and he felt groggy, as if he was thrown into a pressure cooker on the verge of exploding at any moment.
...It would be nice if I could have a bite of "Red Dragon".
But this is the Gong family, he was afraid that his father would find out about him, and he didn't dare to confront his mother.
His graceful, charming mother, who loves aerobics, always looks at him with disdain and complains loudly:
"How could I have given birth to a loser like you!"
"We are both Gong Chenggong's sons, why can't you be as ambitious as your brother!"
"How can I compare with that dead guy Wu Tianxin if you're like this?"
Faced with these accusations, Gong Xie was unable to refute them.
Of course, he couldn't compare to his eldest brother! After all, his biological father wasn't Gong Chenggong, but a random gangster boyfriend that Wei Manli met while wandering around society.
Gong Xie lay on his side on the bed, curled up pitifully.
He is actually a very timid person. Even the incident of his eldest brother falling off a horse was caused by the instigation of his bad friends.
That day he smoked some "Red Dragon" and, while high on it, placed a few steel needles under the saddle of his eldest brother's favorite horse.
As long as the eldest brother squeezed the horse's belly a little harder, the steel needle would pierce the soft abdomen and cause the horse pain.
When the incident happened, he stood in the stands with his hands in his pockets, looking triumphantly at the grassland in front of him.
The eldest brother's figure was thrown high into the air and fell heavily to the ground. The horse's hoof stepped on his right leg, causing his whole body to move suddenly.
The staff at the horse farm ran over in panic, "Something's happened to the eldest master!" "Hurry up, help! Call Mr. Gong!" "Help! Call 120!"
Gong Xie let out a long sigh. His chest, which had been suppressed for more than twenty years, now felt more relaxed than ever before.
But soon, this feeling of joy and satisfaction slowly dissipated as the effect of the "Red Dragon" medicine wore off.
Wei Manli was the first to arrive. She was having afternoon tea with the ladies in a nearby park and arrived at the scene before Gong Chenggong.
She only needed to take one look at her son, who was sitting on the ground trembling, to guess what had happened.
"Did you do this?" Wei Manli demanded sharply, "Did you leave any evidence? Where is it?"
"...horse, under the saddle." Gong Xie answered in a low voice.
Wei Manli took the pack of "Red Dragon" from his hand, her eyes flickering.
"What's this?"
"It's powder made from hemp leaves." Gong Xie didn't dare to tell the truth, "No, it's not that!"
Wei Manli paused, "Your elder brother has no defenses against you... Next time, do it harder!"
She left a word, and while everyone was busy escorting Gong He to the ambulance, she strode towards the horse that had been tied up by the staff, stuffed the whole bag of powder into the horse's mouth, and pulled out the steel needle.
Gong He's right leg was disabled, and from then on he could no longer walk without a wheelchair or crutches.
His beloved horse also died after a convulsion.
Gong Xie thought he would be scolded by his mother, and if his father found out, he might even kick him out of the Gong family.
But Wei Manli kept the secret, and the matter was inexplicably turned over as an "accident".
He even praised him privately for his bold actions.
This kind of loving mother-son relationship did not last long.
A housekeeper discovered him in the bedroom, high on drugs, and reported the situation to the hostess.
Wei Manli then realized something was wrong and took the powder to find someone she knew in Hong Kong to find out what was going on.
After learning the truth, he was so angry that his face turned pale.
She cleared out all the "Red Dragons" in the house and threw them all into the trash can, and the cleaning lady disappeared the next day.
But for the first time in his life, Gong Xie hid a trick from his mother.
Not only does he smoke Red Dragon, he also sells it!
"Red Dragon" was a new synthetic drug that had trickled down from the north. A few months earlier, Gong Xie and his friends were hanging out at a nightclub when someone suddenly pulled a packet out of his pocket and taught the drunken group how to smoke it.
"This stuff is really strong, and it's even better with beer and a beautiful woman!"
Gong Xie couldn't even remember who had handed him the spoon. He took his first sip of Red Dragon in a daze, and from then on, he experienced the irresistible, ecstatic bliss.
After the first time, there will be a second time, a third time... Gong Xie found that he was no longer satisfied with tasting this thing in the nightclub. He wanted more and wanted to have it at his fingertips anytime and anywhere.
Once he revealed his intention, someone would soon find him.
"Hey, buddy, this thing isn't easy to get, but I have some acquaintances in Lianghe! A bunch of them got busted by the cops this month, and everyone's eager to move to another city. If you have any ideas, I can help you connect... After all, your family has plenty of transportation channels!"
"No, I just want to get more and slowly suck it in..." Gong Xie's first reaction was to refuse. "They sell this to make money, and I'm not short of money! Besides, I'm just a sales manager at the ceramic factory. My brother controls the transportation company..."
The man smiled and put his arm around his shoulders. "Brother, is all your family's money yours? Your father is still in charge of the Gong family now, but what about when your brother takes over? Can you guarantee that Boss Gong will be on the same page with you and let you spend all the money he earns? ...Don't you want to start your own business? Be your own boss and be proud of yourself?"
Gong Xie was quite moved by these words.
Yes, he didn't look like his father and elder brother since he was a child, and their relationship was average. He always heard gossip that he was not Gong Chenggong's biological son.
When I went home and asked my mother why, she would just get angry.
But if these rumors are true, once my eldest brother inherits the company, I may not even be able to be a sales manager.
Maybe you will be kicked out.
"...Okay." He gritted his teeth and said, "I'll do it."
The delivery channels of Chenggong Ceramics were naturally unusable, but fortunately, we didn’t dare give him too much goods at the beginning. We gave him two packages first and let him try to sell them. There was no need to use a large truck at all.
Gong Xie thought for a moment and quickly came up with a solution.
…
But now, the delivery route that was established with great difficulty is no longer usable.
If you don't want to give up your business, you can only think of new ways.
Gong Xie sat in front of the window, his eyes anxiously gazing at the tall buildings in the city center, and he raised his hand to rub his temples.
The cell phone at hand has been ringing several times.
Without even looking, he knew it was his "superior" urging him to hurry to the new location to trade.
Gong Xie had been pacing back and forth in the room for a long time, pressing his ear against the door, listening anxiously.
My father was never at home. My mother finally left, but my eldest brother came in right after her.
It was getting dark outside and the agreed time was approaching soon.
He couldn't hold back any longer, so he pushed open the door and tiptoed down the curved steps.
In the living room on the first floor, Gong He was sitting on a leather sofa in his home clothes, reading a newspaper seriously and attentively.
Gong Xie thought that his figure slipping past did not attract his brother's attention.
But before he crossed the corridor, he heard a mature and steady voice behind him:
"Second brother, where are you going?"
Gong Xie coughed and turned around with a headache, "Brother, I've been at home all day and feel a little bored. I want to go out and get some fresh air."
Gong He looked at him from over the edge of the newspaper, his eyes and brows beneath his gold-rimmed glasses showing a stern look without anger.
"Um..." Gong Xie moved closer, "Brother, is your leg feeling better? The temperature has dropped again recently. Does it hurt at night?"
"It's okay." Gong He looked at him expressionlessly, "Don't worry about it."
"Brother, we're brothers, why are you being so formal?" Gong Xie touched the tip of his nose and stood up guiltily. "Then you should have a good rest tonight. I'll just walk around outside."
Seeing that Gong He didn't say anything else, Gong Xie turned around and walked towards the villa gate.
The moment he stepped out of the door, he heard his brother calmly say:
"Second brother, take care of yourself."
“——Bang!”
The heavy alloy door slowly closed behind him, and Gong Xie felt a layer of eerie goose bumps on his back.
What does Gong He mean by this?
Do you know the truth about the incident at the racecourse?
Or did you know he was selling "Red Dragon"?
——You can’t know everything, right?
Gong Xie stood there in fear for a few seconds, and finally decided to let him go and enjoy himself first.
He dug out a brown paper bag from the soil of the third flower bed in front of the door, opened it, and took a sip.
After a few seconds, he felt refreshed and walked towards the ground garage with a vigorous step.
Under the night sky, a brand new black Audi is shining.
The driver who was responsible for driving him had already run out of the small bungalow in the backyard, put on white gloves, and respectfully opened the back door of the car.
"Second Young Master, where are you going tonight?"
"Pegasus Skating Rink!" Gong Xie thought for a moment and leaned forward. "If anyone asks, just say I didn't use the car tonight and was just wandering around Mirror Lake Villa."
"Okay!" The driver got into the driver's seat without saying a word.
Keeping secrets is their responsibility in this line of work. When necessary, they also have to learn to read people's expressions and liven up the atmosphere in the car.
The Audi drove onto Changjiang Road, which led to the city center. The driver secretly observed Gong Xie in the rearview mirror. Seeing that he seemed in a good mood, he took credit for it, saying, "Second Young Master, I washed all the cars today! Did you, the wife, and the eldest young master go on a picnic recently? How come all the cars in our family are covered in so many grass seeds? The chassis are almost covered in them!"
Gong Xie's originally carefree expression suddenly changed, "Old Zhao, don't ask questions that you shouldn't ask!"
The driver, Lao Zhao, was startled and quickly replied, "Okay, okay, I'm sorry!"
Gong Xie took a deep breath, took out his wallet, took out a few hundred-dollar bills, and threw them onto the passenger seat.
"Just pretend this never happened, understand?" He stared at the trembling Old Zhao in the rearview mirror with a ferocious face and warned:
"Don't tell anyone, especially the police! Otherwise... I'll let you know the Gong family's methods!"
*
Pegasus Skating Rink is one of the earliest skating rinks built in Jiangtan. The owner came back from Shanghai and is very fashionable. He renovated the entire store last year and it has become a must-visit place for all young people in the city who love excitement.
Gong Xie walked in with his briefcase and was almost blinded by the neon lights on the concrete wall.
He actually seldom comes here.
During the years when Pegasus was at its peak, Wei Manli kept a close eye on him, constantly urging him to get into university and surpass his brother. By the time she had given up hope on him, he had already passed the age of enjoying playfulness.
Rather than trying so hard to flirt with factory girls in places like this, he would rather have the young and good-looking men and women in nightclubs sit on their laps.
It's called "ice skating," but there's no real ice here. The air is sweltering, and the old-fashioned speakers on the wall make his eardrums buzz. There are a lot of people here tonight, especially couples. Hand-in-hand, men and women zip across the waxed floor. A few showy young men perform backward skating across the poles in the center of the field, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Gong Xie's eyes looked back and forth at their tight vests and flared jeans before turning to the girl selling water at the bar.
"Hey, let me ask you something. Where is the locker?"
"Back there!" the girl grabbed his arm and shouted, "Don't leave in such a hurry! It costs fifty cents to rent a locker, pay first and then go over!"
“…” Gong Xie impatiently took out a coin from the hundred-dollar bill, took the key and walked to the back.
The plastic chairs on the sidelines were crowded with people changing their shoes, but when he passed by a young couple who were picking out roller skates together, he couldn't help but take a few more glances.
The woman is tall and the man is also tall and good-looking, and they stand out in the crowd.
"Tsk, it's not a wasted trip!" Gong Xie muttered and lifted the curtain of the storage area next to him.
By the shoe rack, the young couple he had just praised immediately turned their gaze away.
"He went in!" Ji Yinhe frowned slightly, "What should we do? Just wait outside?"
"It would be best to catch him red-handed." Lu Zheng looked through the slit in the door curtain and saw Gong Xie looking furtively at the cabinet door, so he suggested, "He seems to be looking for something. Why don't you wait outside for me and I'll go in first—"
"No, I'll go with you!"
Ji Yinhe hasn't had enough of pretending to be a passerby yet, and how could she stand by and watch such a crucial matter as arresting someone! ?
Lu Zheng agreed, rubbing his palm against his coat thoughtfully. "Then shall we still play lovers?"
"Right!" Comrade Xiao Ji glanced at him as if it was a matter of course, and openly clasped his left index finger with his pinky finger. "Let's go!"
Lu Zheng exhaled silently, and his slender right arm went around her from behind and lifted the curtain.
The storage area couldn't accommodate more than just the three of them. The room was filled with cabinets, one inside the other, and was much larger than they had imagined.
It was the 1990s, a time when people were becoming more open-minded. In a corner, a man and a woman were hugging each other and kissing passionately. Ji Yinhe looked away embarrassedly. When he rolled his eyes, he saw Gong Xie sitting alone on a shoe-changing bench between two rows of cabinets.
She calmly pulled Lu Zheng's finger, and the two of them understood what she meant. They found a hidden place, held their breath, and watched silently.
Gong Xie slowly changed his shoes on the stool, but he didn't leave after changing his shoes. His arms, as thin as a firewood stick, fumbled under the chair for a long time before he took out a small piece of paper that was stuck under the seat cushion by chewing gum.
He unfolded the note, took out the brass key wrapped inside, then stood up shakily and slid forward a few steps with difficulty, holding on to the cabinet.
Ji Yinhe and Lu Zheng didn't even dare to breathe.
After more than ten seconds, Gong Xie stopped in front of a cabinet, squatted down while panting, and opened the bottom door with a key.
"Row 4, No. 17." Comrade Xiao Ji, who has excellent eyesight, reported to Lu Zheng in a low voice.
The man next to him made a slight groan and uttered an "hmm".
Ji Yinhe looked delighted. "Then can we immediately seize the criminals red-handed—"
"Ding-ling-ling!"
Gong Xie, who was squatting next to the cabinet, had just opened the door when the mobile phone in his trouser pocket started ringing!
Gong Xie cursed impatiently, took out his cell phone and called out "Hello".
I don't know what the person on the other end said, but his face changed. He slammed the cabinet door shut, pulled off his difficult-to-take-off roller skates, and walked over with big strides.
Ji Yinhe and Lu Zheng were startled and quickly took a few steps back, turned around and pretended to figure out how to wear the shoes.
Fortunately, Gong Xie didn't pay any attention to them. He walked through the corridor like a gust of wind and went straight out of the storage area.
After making sure that everyone had left completely, Ji Yinhe and Lu Zheng turned their heads back.
Lu Zheng walked over quickly and pulled the door of cabinet number 17 in the fourth row, which was motionless, and shook his head.
Ji Yinhe immediately stood up and went outside to the bar to show his ID.
The girl who collected the money took a ring of keys and opened the cabinet door according to the number. But it was empty inside. It was obvious that Gong Xie had not put his things in before he received a call and left.
Lu Zheng and Ji Yinhe looked at each other and sighed deeply.
Just now in the car, they had already come to a conclusion:
Gong Xie left the house with only a small clutch, which looked like it couldn't hold much. This suggested he was either coming to Pegasus tonight to deliver money, or perhaps the drugs he was transporting weren't large enough to fit in a small bag.
"There's another possibility." Ji Yinhe came out of the Pegasus skating rink and got into the passenger seat of the Santana. He analyzed in a deep voice, "Before Gong Xie's drug trafficking, Qi Hang was the only one helping him deliver drugs. After Qi Hang's death, he and his superiors and subordinates must have been eager to find a new way to transport the drugs. Otherwise, the goods wouldn't be able to circulate, and no one would make any money... I guess he might come to the skating rink tonight just to discuss this deal."
Lu Zheng drove onto the road and nodded in agreement with her thoughts. "That's right, so we're not at a loss. After all, it's hard to say whether the cabinet contains drug money. But with this meeting place, we can have plainclothes officers stake out the area. They'll definitely come back."
"You're right, but I still feel it's a pity... that Gong Xie got away!" Ji Yinhe looked frustrated.
But after a few seconds she suddenly slapped her thigh.
"Teacher Lu, you said he received a phone call just now. Did someone tip him off?"
"Hmm...it's possible."
Ji Yinhe's expression suddenly became nervous, and he lowered his voice and asked, "Is there a traitor among our comrades?"
"...It's hard to say, but we can't speculate about others, and we can't lose our composure."
Just as they arrived at the traffic light, Lu Zheng stepped on the brakes, looked at her serious expression, suddenly laughed, and picked up two paper bags from the back seat.
"Is this something you bought for your uncle and aunt?"
"Ah!" Ji Yinhe looked at the Montagut polo shirt and tie and touched his head, "I almost forgot! Thank you, Teacher Lu!"
"Don't be polite with me." Lu Zheng said with a smile, "It's late, I'll just take you home."
*
"I don't know if the child is busy today, when she will be home, or if she has eaten dinner yet. I'm afraid this little pizza won't be enough for her to eat as a midnight snack..."
In the kitchen, Ji Jianguo washed the dishes and worriedly took out a plate of bacon cheese pizza from the refrigerator. After thinking about it, he was afraid that it was not enough, so he opened the freezer and took out a bowl of candied persimmons and placed them on the dining table.
Lian Qiao had just finished a shower and walked out of the steaming bathroom, holding a towel wrapped around her head. She smiled and said, "Come to my shop to pack your lunch at noon. I'm keeping an eye on it with Teacher Lu, so you don't need to worry about it."
Ji Jianguo shook his head. "Even if you have a boyfriend, it won't work. Let me tell you, if Teacher Lu wants our little Yinhe to have a relationship, he has to get past me first!"
"You're not overthinking it. I'm saying that Mr. Lu is a steady person and he definitely wouldn't let Yinhe go hungry!" Ms. Lian stood in front of the mirror cabinet, applying Olay to her face. "Besides, don't you know what's going on with your daughter? She hasn't figured it out yet, and she's only focused on solving the case..."
"Wife, please don't be like those parents who urge you to get married!"
"That's not what I meant." Lian Qiao frowned and said, "I think Yinhe can find a handsome guy and enjoy the pleasure of love after the busy work--"
"Dad! Mom! I'm back!"
There was a jingle of keys, and Comrade Xiao Ji pushed open the door with two bags in his hand.
As she changed her shoes, she asked curiously, "I just heard you two talking in the hallway... What handsome guy is in love? Which handsome guy is in love?"
"No, your dad and I were just talking about a TV series!" Ms. Lian lied calmly. "Have you had dinner? There's a midnight snack on the table—Huh? Did you and Teacher Lu go shopping? What did you buy?"
"No shopping..." Ji Yinhe scratched his head and took out the clothes from the bag.
"Yesterday, Teacher Lu and I went to the Xinbai Building to look for clues. We saw Montagut opening, so we bought one... Hehehe, I've already thought about it. The polo shirt is for Mom, and the tie is for Dad. Come try it on and see if you like it!"
Lian Qiao and Ji Jianguo received the gift from their daughter and forgot to ask anything.
The two of them excitedly went into the room to try on clothes.
"It looks good!" Lian Qiao, wearing the lake blue polo shirt that Ji Yinhe wore on the runway, paired with a white tennis skirt, turned in front of the mirror. "You know what, even though the color is bright, it's quite retro!"
Ji Jianguo changed into a black shirt to match his new tie, and rolled up his sleeves. The good family man who had just been working in an apron immediately revealed the temperament of a relaxed and handsome middle-aged man.
Ji Yinhe looked at the satisfied expressions on his parents' faces, his clear and bright eyes filled with smiles.
But she didn't forget the anonymous phone call!
While Old Ji was absorbed in admiring himself in the mirror, Police Officer Young Ji tentatively told him the details of the case.
"...Someone anonymously reported Gong Xie, the sales manager of Chenggong Ceramics, for drug trafficking. Director Rao asked me and Teacher Lu to investigate this lead. We've been staking out the area at Jinghu Villa today. Gong Xie only emerged in the evening and went to Pegasus Skating Rink. However, he didn't do anything; he just took a phone call and left."
She pretended to be chatting casually, but her eyes were always observing the expressions of Old Ji and Ms. Lian.
When the word "drug trafficking" was mentioned, Ji Jianguo showed a somewhat deliberate expression of surprise, his eyes widened and he shouted: "Oh my God! How scary!"
"Oh my, drug trafficking!" Lian Qiao said, "This world is so chaotic. There was a crackdown in 1983, and I think there might be a second one soon!"
"you do not say!"
Ji Yinhe watched the two of them singing in unison, grabbed the pizza from the plate and ate it slowly.
——How unnatural! She was almost 90% certain that Gong Xie was the rich second-generation drug dealer, and the person who made the anonymous call was her dear father.
As expected, Old Ji couldn't help but ask worriedly, "What are your plans for this case? Are you still targeting Gong Xie?"
Ji Yinhe didn't hide it, "Keep an eye on him! My personal guess is that although Qi Hang didn't take drugs, he was very likely involved, or he heard some important secrets and was killed."
"Yeah, that's quite logical."
Comrade Lao Ji said nothing more after listening to this. He waved his hand and went back to his room to change clothes.
Comrade Xiao Ji felt a little frustrated and began to eat the bowl of candied persimmons attentively.
The letter from Su Yue was still on the table, and was put into the bamboo plate with fruit by Ms. Lian who made room before dinner.
Ji Yinhe's eyes inadvertently raised and stayed on the photo for a second, his pupils narrowed.
The next second, she stood up suddenly and pulled out the photo.
I spent the whole morning looking at it at the Dupont counter yesterday, and I definitely won't make a mistake -
Ding Tongguang did not lie. The lighter he bought was indeed given to Su He, and then taken to Europe by Su Yue!
Furthermore, if he is cleared of suspicion, then the lighter at the crime scene—
It can only belong to Gong Xie!
Gong Xie is the biggest suspect in the Qingyi River corpse case!
Ji Yinhe's heart was pounding. He quickly picked up the phone and dialed the city bureau number.
It was almost nine o'clock and no one answered the phone in the office. She bit her lower lip and thought for a moment. She wanted to call the paging station to leave a message on Tang Ci's pager, but after thinking about it, she gave Lu Zheng's number.
Soon, the call came back.
Ji Yinhe was so excited that he couldn't wait for the other end to speak. He told all his findings like a bamboo tube pouring beans, and then happily added: "This way, Brother Cheng and Xiao Wu don't have to waste time looking for Ding Tongguang's line!"
Lu Zheng listened quietly and said softly, "This is good news, but I have some bad news for you. Director Rao suspects someone in the Municipal Bureau has leaked the details of the case. It's unclear whether it was intentional or unintentional, but we must ensure confidentiality."
Ji Yinhe: “?!!”
How come her intuition is so accurate? There really is a mole in the bureau!
Old Ji and Ms. Lian would definitely not say anything nonsense, so... who else could it be?
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