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Chapter 89

Evening fell as everyone returned to the South District Police Station. After hastily grabbing a bite to eat, they gathered in the office for a meeting.

Under the bright, glaring lights, Xu Yu pinned two photos onto the small whiteboard and began reporting the day's findings to the group:

“In Sun Yiyao’s assessment, Zhu Shujun is opportunistic and vain. In Liu Huirong’s opinion, Zhu Shujun is foolish and naïve, easily deceived.”

In this superficial age, few are willing to spend the time and effort to truly understand others. Judgments are often made based on a few casual remarks, leaving everyone branded with their own set of perceived flaws, a reflection of their personalities.

Xu Yu circled Sun Yiyao’s name heavily:

“Other than speaking poorly of Zhu Shujun, Sun Yiyao has revealed next to nothing. She’s tight-lipped and vague. On the other hand, Liu Huirong’s testimony indicates she had lied about several things. Not only was she Zhu Shujun’s career mentor, but she also knows which clients Zhu served in her early days. She’s deliberately withholding these key details from the police, whether out of fear of trouble or out of a guilty conscience remains to be seen.”

A colleague nodded. “We need to look into Sun Yiyao’s finances. How did she afford that house worth nearly ten million?”

Brother Huang walked over from the water dispenser, holding a cup of coffee, clearly preparing for long days of work ahead.

He took a sip, only to recoil with a grimace as the hot liquid burned his mouth. Raising a hand, he added, “Actually, the housing prices in that area only surged in the past two years. When the development first launched, it was around three million. If Sun Yiyao emptied her savings, she probably could afford it.”

“I think our biggest issue right now, and the likeliest breakthrough point, is figuring out where Zhu Shujun’s money went. Hundreds of thousands of yuan in income can’t just vanish,” a young man said, rubbing his sore neck as his expression darkened with thought. “And what about Jiang Jingcheng, who was close to her? She committed suicide not long after Zhu Shujun disappeared. If the salary at the club was so high, why didn’t Jiang Jingcheng leave any extra savings for Jiang Pingxin?”

Brother Huang shook his head. “Jiang Jingcheng’s situation was different. She used to wash dishes before moving into hostess work. She was deeply resistant to the job itself, only doing it to cover Jiang Pingxin’s tuition fees. Her work rarely extended beyond… uh, the scope of her working hours. So her income can’t really be compared to others.”

He Chuan Zhou sat away from the group, near a corner. She leaned back slightly to observe the discussion. A pen rolled off the table as she moved, hitting the floor with a soft sound.

As she bent to pick it up, she said, “Jiang Jingcheng didn’t have an ID card. Part of her earnings was deposited into Jiang Pingxin’s account, around 8,000 yuan a month. The rest was in cash, though the exact amount is unclear. The boss at the time said it wasn’t much, and Jiang Pingxin never noticed her sister bringing home large amounts of cash.”

Shao Zhixin blurted out wide-eyed, "Is there a possibility that the boss intentionally hid some of the income to avoid trouble and prevent a deeper investigation by the police?"

"We can’t rule that out," Brother Huang said, glancing sideways, his pursed lips betraying a weariness he couldn’t shake. "So, what’s the point of raising this possibility? How far has your imagination gone? Let’s hear it."

"I… I…" Shao Zhixin stammered, "I was thinking, Liu Huirong said Zhu Shujun was often scammed, right? Could it be possible that some of their clients were involved in fraud or pyramid schemes?"

Once he said it, the words flowed more freely. The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, and his voice grew louder: "Zhu Shujun and Jiang Jingcheng didn’t have much education, yet they had high incomes from a somewhat shameful source. They’re perfect targets for con artists! That kind of crowd has no scruples about making money. If they came across such an ideal opportunity while spending money, I’d bet they wouldn’t hold back."

"If you look at it that way…" Brother Huang mused before nodding slightly, affirming Shao’s logic. "There’s nothing wrong with your reasoning."

Xu Yu exclaimed, "That’s so tragic, losing both money and dignity!"

The rest of the team had harbored similar suspicions subconsciously. But having the idea laid bare left a bitter taste, as if they’d just bitten into gall. They groaned, clutching their heads.

"Are we overthinking this? How did we end up discussing scams?"

"I think it fits Zhu Shujun’s situation. Most of her clients were wealthy, the so-called high-end players. If they exploited her greed for quick money with a few slick tactics, wouldn’t it be a walk in the park?"

"Oh my god, tracing cash flow is already tough. If fraud is involved, we’ll have no clue where to even start! The club was raided years ago, and the client list we obtained wasn’t even complete. How do we investigate further?"

"Captain He, Captain He, what’s your take on this?"

He Chuan Zhou heard them calling her and gave a vague "Hmm" in response. She had started zoning out, staring at the footage from the body camera without paying much attention to their discussion.

The replayed recording had a slightly distorted audio quality, and the unsteady camera movements added to the surreal feel. Liu Huirong, lounging on a sofa, was half-shrouded in shadow and light, creating an elusive, distant aura.

Xu Yu asked her, "You said Zhu Shujun was often scammed. How badly was she scammed?"

As the questioning progressed, Liu Huirong’s patience clearly wore thin. It was almost opening time, and faint, chaotic noises began filtering in from outside.

Liu Huirong picked up a strand of her long hair with her left hand, fiddling with the yellowed ends absentmindedly. "I don’t know the specifics. Go ask Sun Yiyao."

Xu Yu switched his approach, probing further: "Then how close were Sun Yiyao and Zhu Shujun? When you interacted with Shujun, did she ever mention anyone important?"

Liu Huirong chuckled. "This isn’t grade school where holding hands to the bathroom means you’re best friends. How would I know who she knew privately? Besides, with someone like her, what real friends could she have? At best, just a bunch of fair-weather friends."

Xu Yu pressed on. "Zhu Shujun had so much money, and now not a cent is left. After working together for so many years, didn’t you pick up even the slightest hint?"

Liu Huirong let out a long sigh, her voice tinged with melancholy. "All I can say is, beauty coupled with stupidity is a very unfortunate combination."

He Chuan Zhou paused the recording. When she looked up, the room had fallen into a silence so deep it was as if the sound had been turned off. Everyone was quiet, watching her with rapt attention.

Brother Huang set down his cup and asked, "What’s wrong? Did you find something?"

"Not exactly a discovery." He Chuan Zhou rubbed her face, forcing her brain to stay sharp. "Liu Huirong... if you say she wasn’t close to Zhu Shujun, she actually revealed far too many details. For instance, Zhu Shujun being proposed to by a client, being deceived by someone, or being half-coaxed, half-pushed by Sun Yiyao into the industry. I don’t think these are things a mere acquaintance would know. With Liu Huirong’s social skills, if she wanted to get close to Zhu Shujun and dig for information, it wouldn’t be hard for her. She likely knows far more than she’s letting on. However, regarding Zhu Shujun’s disappearance, she may indeed be unaware of the specifics or is too scared of causing trouble for herself, so she’s being intentionally vague."

Shao Zhixin closed his eyes, trying to recall details.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t experienced enough to see through Liu Huirong’s true intentions. He even felt her performance today seemed genuine, no excessive movements, no signs of pretense. Her actions were so flawless they could serve as a template for acting.

He Chuan Zhou said, "In fact, she’s been repeatedly emphasizing two things to you: First, Zhu Shujun was scammed. Second, you need to talk to Sun Yiyao."

Xu Yu mused, "So, we…"

"Go find Sun Yiyao. She most likely knows who scammed Zhu Shujun." He Chuan Zhou’s tone was decisive. "Tomorrow morning, I’ll go with Brother Huang."

Brother Huang, holding his cup with an exaggerated flourish of his fingers, gestured a distant “OK” sign at her.

He Chuan Zhou stood up and casually tidied the items on the table. "Tonight, gather all the information we can on Sun Yiyao. She’s currently the prime suspect in this case."

Everyone responded affirmatively.

Xu Yu turned back to the small whiteboard, adding connections between the involved parties with his pen. He removed the photo of Shen Wenzheng, who didn’t seem to fit, and hesitated as he asked, "So, could this case have nothing to do with Shen Wenzheng? He’s so wealthy; would he really need to scam Zhu Shujun for money?"

Everyone lightened their movements, sneaking glances at He Chuan Zhou to gauge her reaction.

"Even if it has nothing to do with Shen Wenzheng, we still have to investigate," He Chuan Zhou said, her expression completely neutral and her tone calm, devoid of even a trace of regret. She lifted her head, her gaze clear and resolute, and told Xu Yu, "This truth has already been delayed by more than three years."

"I understand. It’s just frustrating not being able to bring Shen Wenzheng to justice," Xu Yu exhaled a long sigh, then tried to comfort herself. "But at least with all the media attention, it might serve as a wake-up call for young women. It’s just that Tao Siyue’s lawsuit could get a lot harder. Let’s hope her lawyer doesn’t disappoint."

As He Chuan Zhou passed by her, she patted Xu Yu’s back. Another colleague flipped open a notebook, picking up the thread of the discussion to report on the day’s investigative findings.

Before the meeting concluded, there was a knock at the door. Someone came in to inform them, "Captain He, your late-night snacks have arrived."

He Chuan Zhou checked the time on her wristwatch, puzzled. "I didn’t order anything. Brother Huang?"

Brother Huang shrugged.

The person outside said, "It might have been Zhu Shujun’s mother. She was here earlier, but when she heard you were busy, she left."