Ning Yuan stood there, expressionless, watching the direction he had left, a nameless anger rising in her chest.
She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth: "Bastard!"
...
Zhou Yan turned onto the deserted street, his expression as cold as winter.
At the street corner, two police cars were already parked there, and several people, including Bao C, who were also dressed in police uniforms, were waiting for him beside the two police cars.
When they saw Zhou Yan approaching from afar, they couldn't help but exchange bewildered glances.
Because their boss's face was so ugly, the chill emanating from his very bones was almost tangible.
The boss was questioned by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for over an hour. He didn't look good when he came out, but he didn't look like this before.
After hesitating for a moment, Explosive C still mustered up the courage to step forward and try to comfort his leader.
“Inspector Zhou, don’t take it to heart. The ICAC staff are just going through the motions. What can they really do to you? You’re a senior superintendent, and they don’t have any real evidence. At most, they’ll just ask you some questions!”
Ah K nodded in agreement, his voice much lower than usual.
"Yes, Officer Zhou, we've cooperated fully, we've handed over all the witnesses and evidence, who would have thought... sigh, who would have thought that just a month later, Pei Yong would be unable to withstand the pressure and jump off a building?"
A month ago, Pei Yong, accompanied by members of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), aggressively seized key evidence and witnesses from the Racine case, including the elderly woman, as if he were about to make a big move.
But who could have imagined that a month later, Pei Yong himself would become a cold corpse.
Zhou Yan tilted his head expressionlessly, lit a cigarette with the lighter that Bao C handed him, and took a deep drag.
A bluish-white mist slowly rose, blurring the murderous intent surging in his eyes: "Do you think Pei Yong looks like someone who would commit suicide?"
BaoC and AK exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes.
C shook his head with a complicated expression: "The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) hasn't released its final investigation report yet, so we can't say anything rash. But it's really strange that he and Racine committed suicide... Moreover, the old lady who found Racine's belongings is missing, and the key witness has disappeared. I suspect that she is also in grave danger."
Fortunately, the documents proving that Chen Jingsong was suspected of loan fraud are still available.
But having fewer witnesses is never a good thing.
Three people have died in this case in just two months.
A foreign bank investigator who came to investigate Jialin Group for illegal lending, a senior legal manager of Jialin Group, and now even a senior investigation officer from the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) couldn't withstand the pressure and died.
There is also a witness, Grandma, whose fate is unknown.
Zhou Yan took a deep drag on his cigarette, his gaze gloomy and cold: "The documents are still there... the witness is missing... Pei Yong is dead, do you know where his body is?"
Bao C paused for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "It should... it should be in the government's public mortuary, right? They just finished the autopsy."
Zhou Yan stubbed out his cigarette on the trash can and said casually, "I'm going to take a look."
Both C and A-K were stunned: "What?"
Ah K couldn't help but remind him, "Inspector Zhou, you're officially on leave to avoid Jia Lin's case! Going to see Pei Yong's body... isn't that against the rules? What if the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) gets hold of it?"
Zhou Yan coldly interrupted him: "Rules? When have I ever followed the rules? Are you planning to just watch the trail go cold and Chen Jingsong get away with it?"
Everyone felt uneasy under his gaze and dared not say another word.
Ah K frowned, stepped forward and whispered, "Inspector Zhou, do you want to investigate Pei Yong's specific situation? Although this requires the cooperation of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, we can find a way to go to the mortuary under the guise of another case."
Zhou Yan's gaze was deep, and his voice carried a ruthless determination to achieve his goal: "K, you need to figure something out, and be quick about it, don't leave any loose ends."
Ah K immediately straightened his back and saluted: "YES, SIR!"
Watching Zhou Yan get into the car, and then glancing at Ah K beside him who had already started making phone calls, Bao C couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Damn, the boss is up to something big..."
...
Not long after, about two hours.
As dusk fell, Zhou Yan, Bao C, and A K appeared in the corridor of the government's public mortuary, where the metal gleamed coldly.
A-K walked to the window of the duty room with practiced ease and knocked on the glass.
A middle-aged man in uniform, who was idly reading a newspaper, looked over.
Ah K pulled a small wad of Hong Kong dollars from his pocket, stuffed it into the window, and spoke with a familiar, slightly gangster-like tone—
"Uncle Qian, we've arrived. We'll just take a look. I know the rules. It'll be quick. We won't cause you any trouble. I'll treat you to tea next time."
Uncle Qian looked at the stack of money, then at the imposing, tall man behind Ah K who looked like someone not to be trifled with.
He accepted the money for the tea, then pulled a bunch of keys from the drawer: "Alright, alright, hurry up! We'll talk about tea another time! Get done and get going!"
The O-Division gang doesn't play by the rules; if you offend them, you'll suffer the consequences.
Ah K thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Uncle Qian!"
He took the key and skillfully opened the door to the morgue.
The heavy metal door slowly opened, and a stronger, colder aura mixed with the smell of formaldehyde rushed out.
Rows of cold metal freezers are neatly arranged.
A-K led the two to one of the freezers, checked the label on it, and then opened the drawer.
The drawer slid out, the body bag was opened, and Pei Yong's body lay quietly inside.
Under the light, his face was ashen, his eyes were wide open, his pupils were dilated, and he stared straight at the cold ceiling.
Bao C frowned, looking at Pei Yong's face filled with resentment and anger, and felt a little sorry for him.
“A month ago, he said that our police force was not monolithic, but what about the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)? Now the witness is gone, and he is dead.”
Chen Jingsong was a powerful and influential businessman from Singapore, whose influence was terrifying.
In just two years, how did they manage to weave such a powerful network?
No wonder his nickname is "Crossing-the-River Dragon".
He handed the preliminary forensic report to Zhou Yan: "The forensic report says that Pei Yong had no alcohol or drug residue in his body, and there were no obvious signs of a struggle. He fell from the ninth floor of his apartment building in Kowloon Tong, and the scene does indeed look like a suicide..."
A-K looked at Zhou Yan and said in a deep voice, "But I think this kind of 'suicide' is more like being silenced and disguised as suicide, just like lawyer Li Baoshu from Jialin. Moreover, it's a kind of provocation!"
Zhou Yan took the forensic record, quickly scanned it, and remained expressionless.
He handed the record back to Bao C, his gaze falling on Pei Yong's corpse: "You guys go out, I'll compare it."
C and A-K exchanged a glance, both hesitant.
Bao C couldn't help but speak up: "Inspector Zhou, we should do this..."
Zhou Yan's voice was devoid of any warmth: "Get out!"
C and K dared not say anything more and could only leave the morgue as instructed, closing the door behind them.
Only the bodies of Zhou Yan and Pei Yong remained in the morgue.
Zhou Yan stood quietly in front of the freezer, looking into Pei Yong's dull and silent eyes.
He closed his eyes, as if suppressing some emotion.
A few seconds later, Zhou Yan raised his hand, which was wearing a latex glove, and gently stroked Pei Yong's wide-open eyes, closing his eyelids for him.
Then, he took a step back, stood with his legs together, and gave a proper salute to Pei Yong's corpse.
However, this gesture is not quite the same as the Hong Kong government police gesture.
After a brief greeting, the last trace of emotion in Zhou Yan's eyes vanished completely.
He bent down, his sharp gaze sweeping over Pei Yong's corpse, not missing a single detail.
Suddenly, he reached into the back of his hand and pulled out a thin, gleaming blade from the hidden compartment of his gun holster.
His movements were precise and steady, his fingers gently tracing above Pei Yong's elbow, as if searching for something.
A moment later, his eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, he slashed down with the blade in his hand.
The blade was sharp, silently slicing through Pei Yong's corpse...
...
Half an hour later, the morgue door opened again.
Bao C and A K immediately went to greet them, only to see Zhou Yan walk out from inside with a blank expression.
"Zhou Sir, what was the result? Was it suicide or..." Bao C tentatively began.
Zhou Yan wiped his hands with a clean handkerchief and said indifferently, "We'll talk about it when we get back."
C and K exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion and bewilderment in each other's eyes, but neither dared to ask any further questions.
They silently followed Zhou Yan as they left the oppressive morgue.
...
In Central, neon lights shimmer outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of high-rise office buildings, outlining the unique and bustling nighttime scene of Hong Kong.
Chen Jingsong stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, enjoying the night view.
A hoarse, eerie voice came from the shadows behind him: "How's the matter with the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) going? You're in a pretty bad situation right now!"
Chen Jingsong's fat face twitched slightly. He turned around, smiling broadly, "What's the rush? Pei Yong and Li Baoshu's matter was handled very cleanly, so you can rest assured?"
The figure in the darkness sneered, "No evidence? But those documents are still with the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). So many people have died, and it involves senior ICAC officials. Even Evan couldn't hold back anymore. What are you going crazy about!"
The other person's voice was low and tinged with impatience.
"Since you've already had someone deal with that ICAC director who's been watching you like a wolf, why not take the opportunity to snatch the documents back?"
The neon lights outside the window cast a strange and distorted smile on Chen Jingsong's face—
“I have my own pace. Since the documents have already reached the Independent Commission Against Corruption, it means that more than one person has seen them. Whether those documents are still there or not is no longer important. It’s better to keep this kind of evidence.”
The person in the darkness was silent for a moment before asking in a hoarse voice, "What exactly are you planning?"
Chen Jingsong raised his glass, gazing at the night view outside the window—
"This is just the beginning. Just wait and see. The Independent Commission Against Corruption and the police can prosecute if they want. I'm not afraid they won't prosecute."
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