Zhan Fuhai thought for a moment and said he could not remember exactly which year it had been. He had studied in Country A when he was young. Although he later returned to China to inherit the family business, Country A was practically his second home. He also had some investments there, so he occasionally went back to stay for a while.
He met Sui Ning at a local art exhibition. Zhan Fuhai had gone to see the show and noticed Sui Ning, dressed with the elegance of a gentleman. East Asian faces were rare there, even more so at an art exhibition. Feeling an immediate sense of familiarity, Zhan went over to strike up a conversation. He was surprised to learn that Sui Ning’s hometown was in Han Province because Zhan himself was about to go there with his elders to develop the family business.
The two got along extremely well. Sui Ning had little interest in fame or profit and was deeply learned. When he heard that Zhan Fuhai liked collecting antiques, he mentioned that before emigrating he had owned a courtyard full of antiques. There had been no practical way to take them all abroad, so he had placed them with an antique shop to wait for someone fated to take them home.
Zhan asked for the antique shop’s address and said he would definitely visit once he returned to China. Sui Ning was delighted and invited him to his home. Zhan still had other matters to attend to, so Sui Ning instead treated him to a cup of coffee, and they agreed to meet again next time.
Zhan Fuhai’s schedule in Country A was packed, and he never found the time to visit Sui Ning’s home. But once he returned to China, he did not forget to look at Sui Ning’s collection. Their interests were similar and their tastes close, so he bought more than ten pieces at once, planning to spend several days talking with Sui Ning the next time he went to Country A.
Then the Zhan family’s business in Han Province became busy, and he could not get away. By the time he returned to Country A, four years had passed. He found Sui Ning’s house, but the door was opened by an elderly white man who said his family had been living there for more than three years. The previous occupants? He had no idea.
Had Sui Ning moved away?
Zhan Fuhai had some connections locally and asked around, only to receive bad news. Sui Ning’s entire family had suddenly disappeared and was believed to have fallen victim to criminals. As a foreigner, Zhan could hardly demand that the local police find the killer, and the dead could not be brought back. In the end, he had only been someone who shared a brief connection with Sui Ning. When Sui Ning died, that connection ended with him.
“If you hadn’t brought him up, I’d almost have forgotten him.” Zhan Fuhai sighed. “I never met anyone as gentle and composed as Teacher Sui Ning again.”
Chen Zheng deliberately asked, “What kind of criminals? Drug traffickers?”
Zhan Fuhai said that if even the local police could not find out, then naturally he could not say for certain either. There were plenty of drug traffickers and gangs in the area. It was probably people like that.
Chen Zheng said, “Could someone have hired killers? For example, could someone back in China have wanted him dead?”
Zhan Fuhai looked surprised. “You think something like that could have happened?”
“I’m only speculating.” Chen Zheng watched Zhan Fuhai as he spoke. “Sui Ning was well-off and fond of traditional culture. He didn’t strike me as someone who would emigrate. Maybe someone forced him to leave, and in the end he still couldn’t escape being killed.”
Zhan Fuhai was silent for quite a while. “Maybe. But maybe his son was the one who brought trouble down on him.”
“His son?”
Zhan Fuhai said that of everyone in Sui Ning’s family, the person who had left the strongest impression on him was Sui Ning’s son, Sui Zi. He had never met Sui Zi in person, but during his brief conversation with Sui Ning, Sui Ning mentioned him several times. Each time, he sighed and said that once his son grew up, he became difficult to manage. His temperament was violent, he always seemed to harbor resentment toward the people around him, he constantly caused trouble, and he did not even want to come home.
“If Sui Zi offended someone in a place like that, the whole family might have suffered for it.” Zhan Fuhai shrugged. “But that’s only my guess.”
Sui Ning’s rebellious son? Chen Zheng thought about it briefly, then returned to the main subject. “Actually, we’ve already found out who harmed Sui Ning.”
Zhan Fuhai froze. A few seconds later, he asked in confusion, “Captain Chen, now I don’t quite understand. Are you investigating Luo Yingqiang or Sui Ning? Or… do you suspect I had something to do with both of their deaths?”
Chen Zheng smiled. “It’s a coincidence. We started out investigating the two of them, but the deeper we dug, the more we found that you had some connection to both.”
Zhan Fuhai adopted a proper tone. “Then the person you found who harmed Sui Ning wasn’t me, I hope?”
Chen Zheng said, “It was Luo Yingqiang.”
Zhan Fuhai’s eyes slowly widened. He absorbed that for a moment, then nodded. “Possible. After all, you said Sui Ning helped President Luo back then. Once money and the division of power are involved, even close friends can turn against one another.”
Finally, Chen Zheng took out Liu Pinchao’s photograph. “President Zhan, take another look. Does this man seem familiar?”
Zhan Fuhai examined it carefully. “I don’t think I’ve seen him. Who is he?”
Chen Zheng said, “He’s my informant. He came to Nanshan City to investigate a lead, but recently he disappeared. Someone saw him with your people.”
Zhan Fuhai’s expression turned serious. “A police informant? Then I’ll have to ask around. If I hear anything, I’ll tell you immediately.”
Chen Zheng smiled. “Then I’ll trouble you.”
Zhan Fuhai personally escorted Chen Zheng downstairs. When they reached the car, he unexpectedly said, “Captain Chen, compared with Nanshan City, Luocheng is a better place to build a career, isn’t it? So why didn’t you stay in Luocheng? Why come to Nanshan instead?”
Chen Zheng was a little surprised. “Just a new assignment. Interested, President Zhan?”
“That’s the thing about being a police officer. Stable, yes, but sometimes even less stable than people like us who make our living taking chances. You were doing perfectly well as a municipal-bureau captain, and suddenly you were transferred somewhere else, even having to personally investigate people like me.” Zhan Fuhai put on an expression of heartfelt understanding. “Captain Chen, have you ever considered changing careers?”
Chen Zheng laughed, his gaze sweeping over the silver Yunxiang Entertainment logo nearby. “At my age, I don’t think starting over in the entertainment industry would be a good fit.”
“Hahaha, now you’ve given me a new idea.” Zhan Fuhai said, “With what you’ve got, aren’t you exactly the mature-CEO type everyone loves right now? Take Lin Dong. You know him, right? That police role of his got rave reviews. Everyone says he looks exactly like a real officer. But if you played one, you wouldn’t look like a police officer. You’d simply be playing yourself.”
Chen Zheng smiled and opened the car door, but Zhan Fuhai held it in place. Few people under police scrutiny would act this proactively. Chen Zheng’s gaze on him deepened.
Zhan Fuhai said, “Go back and think about it, Captain Chen. If one day police work feels too exhausting and too unstable, come find me. You have the discipline of someone from inside the system, you follow rules when you work, and you have a natural sense of the big picture. I need an adviser like you.”
Chen Zheng said, “We’ll have another chance to meet.”
While Zhan Fuhai was extending an olive branch to Chen Zheng, Ming Han had already found the person who had been with Liu Pinchao in Apricot Tree Alley, a lane specializing in celebrity photocards and anime merchandise. His name was Ji Shun. He often boasted that he knew stars from Yunxiang Entertainment and could casually get hold of celebrity schedules and signed photographs. Groups of young fans sometimes gathered around him.
Ji Shun was fairly good-looking, tall, with long hair tied into a bun at the back of his head and a strong roguish air. At the moment, he was sprawled lazily outside a shop, basking in the sun. Business was slow throughout Apricot Tree Alley in the mornings. The moment Ming Han walked into the lane, he attracted quite a few looks. When he stopped in front of Ji Shun, several vendors craned their necks out, assuming he was some minor celebrity Brother Shun knew.
Ji Shun opened his eyes impatiently. After looking Ming Han up and down, his eyes lit up and he immediately stood. “Who sent you?”
“Sent me?” Ming Han said. “How exactly?”
Ji Shun clicked his tongue. “You made it all the way here. Don’t tell me you came to buy photocards.”
Ming Han smiled. “Buy what photocards?”
“You don’t look like you came for photocards either.” Ji Shun circled him once, visibly impressed. “Not bad. Who has such good taste and sent you my way? If you don’t tell me who it was, they won’t get their commission.”
Ming Han took out his credentials. Ji Shun went blank. “Huh? The police sent you?”
“You think I came to you because I want into show business?” Ming Han walked into the shop. “What’s your connection to Yunxiang Entertainment?”
Ji Shun could barely speak properly. “N-none. No connection.”
“Then what were you talking about just now, asking who sent me?” Ming Han saw Ji Shun inching backward as though preparing to run. He grabbed him, slammed him against the wall, and pressed a forearm across his throat. “What are you nervous about? Not offering work anymore?”
Ji Shun panicked. “Let go of me! I haven’t done anything illegal!”
Ming Han asked, “Where is Liu Pinchao?”
Ji Shun shouted, “What Liu Pinchao? I don’t know him!”
“Still pretending?” Ming Han held Liu Pinchao’s photograph in front of his face. “You don’t know this man?”
Ji Shun’s face immediately turned pale, and he stopped struggling. “Y-you mean him?”
Ming Han asked, “Where is he?”
Ji Shun lowered his head and stammered, “I don’t know. I-I was only following orders from above. I took him to the th-theater.”
Ji Shun had an older cousin named Tu Bin who had followed Zhan Fuhai for years and worked as a security captain at Yunxiang Entertainment. Supposedly he had quite a bit of authority and often sent Ji Shun on private internal errands. Ji Shun was lazy and fond of easy pleasures, but he knew how to flatter people. He kept Tu Bin happy, and Tu Bin frequently passed him celebrity merchandise. Ji Shun spotted a business opportunity and began selling photocards and similar items. Everyone in Apricot Tree Alley knew that “Brother Shun knows celebrities and has connections.”
Sitting dejectedly in the municipal bureau’s interrogation room, Ji Shun said the entertainment industry was dirty and Tu Bin handled the dirty work. If some minor celebrity refused to cooperate, someone had to “teach” them a lesson. Ji Shun acted as Tu Bin’s thug and frightened them into obedience. Then Yunxiang Entertainment’s upper management stepped in, one side playing the bad cop and the other the good cop, and the problem disappeared.
Some time earlier, Tu Bin gave him another assignment, this time with far more caution. He told Ji Shun to receive a man named Liu Pinchao, make him change all his clothes and shoes, wash himself thoroughly, and then deliver him to Yunxiang Theater.
At first Ji Shun assumed Liu Pinchao was some fresh young heartthrob who had caught the eye of someone higher up. But when he saw the photograph, he frowned. What kind of fresh young meat was this? More like old cured meat.
He waited for Liu Pinchao at Scissors Bridge. The area was full of all kinds of people, making it easy to disappear into the crowd. During the morning rush hour, a drab-looking man came up to him. A cap and mask hid his face, leaving only his eyes visible.
Just remembering those eyes made Ji Shun shudder involuntarily. He considered himself a tough man and had seen plenty of vicious eyes, but the newcomer’s gaze was full of hatred, almost like that of a murderer. Ji Shun swallowed, unwilling to show fear, and asked who he was. When he heard the name “Liu Pinchao,” he looked around, opened the car door, and shoved him inside.
In the car, Ji Shun made Liu Pinchao remove his cap and mask, then compared his face with the photograph for a long time. Liu Pinchao sat motionless like a statue, his whole face remarkably ordinary. After staring long enough, Ji Shun’s vague fear finally eased. He took Liu Pinchao home to wash and change clothes.
Tu Bin had made Ji Shun “escort” plenty of people before, but Liu Pinchao was the only one he had ever been told to bring into his own home. Ji Shun asked why, and Tu Bin told him to stop worrying and just do the job. Naturally, Ji Shun grew curious about who exactly this man was.
After washing, Liu Pinchao remained thoroughly unremarkable. Ji Shun tried talking to him, but Liu Pinchao behaved almost like a mute. Tu Bin had not told Ji Shun to lay a hand on him. Unable to figure out what sort of person he was dealing with, Ji Shun could only feed him well and keep him comfortable.
Before long, the foot-spa murders became the talk of the entire city. Waving the remote control, Ji Shun said to Liu Pinchao, “Damn, who dares kill our richest man? Do they have a death wish?”
Normally anyone seeing news like that would at least show some surprise. Liu Pinchao gave no reaction at all. After Ji Shun talked for a while and bored himself, he joked, “Don’t tell me you’re the killer.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Ji Shun frightened himself. Liu Pinchao looked at him, and cold sweat immediately broke out all over his body. “I-I was kidding! How could you possibly kill someone? Hahaha…”
After that, Ji Shun hardly dared talk to Liu Pinchao again. He did not dare ask Tu Bin anything either. All he wanted was for Tu Bin to take the man away as soon as possible. Fortunately, instructions came quickly: deliver Liu Pinchao to the theater at night. Ji Shun breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly cooked him a good meal, afraid the man might somehow refuse to leave. Yet when he heard he was being transferred somewhere else, Liu Pinchao even thanked him.
Only Area A of Yunxiang Theater was currently open to the public. Area B was under construction. Ji Shun parked his car outside Area B, where Tu Bin came to take Liu Pinchao away and stuffed a thick red envelope into Ji Shun’s hands. Ji Shun grinned so widely his mouth nearly reached his ears, went home, and slept soundly. He never saw Liu Pinchao again, and Tu Bin never mentioned him again either.
“That’s really all that happened!” Ji Shun was so anxious he was almost crying. “I really don’t know where Liu Pinchao is now. I just took money to do a job!”
Chen Zheng said, “You just said Liu Pinchao looked like a murderer?”
Ji Shun hiccuped. “It was just a feeling! I don’t know anything!”
Chen Zheng said, “You think he killed Luo Yingqiang?”
“I… I…” Ji Shun clasped his hands together pleadingly. “Please spare me. I wouldn’t dare say something like that carelessly.”
Chen Zheng said, “Then take a guess. Why did Tu Bin tell you to hide Liu Pinchao in your home?”
Ji Shun’s face crumpled. He looked genuinely frightened now. “How would I know? Brother Bin, he… he just trusts me more than most people.”
Chen Zheng stood. “Then stay here for a while and think it over carefully.”
Ji Shun: “Huh?”
“What are you huh-ing about?” Chen Zheng said. “We’re not letting you go back right now because we’re protecting you.”
Ji Shun could only lower his head. “Then… my phone…”
“Obviously we can’t give it back to you.” Chen Zheng left the interrogation room.
Meanwhile, Tu Bin had already arrived in Apricot Tree Alley with several trusted men from Yunxiang Entertainment’s security team. They barged into the shop Ji Shun usually frequented, and the owner stammered, “Brother Shun… Brother Shun has already been taken away!”
Tu Bin’s face darkened. He rushed to Ji Shun’s residence and was in the middle of searching it when his phone rang. His attitude instantly turned respectful. “President Zhan… yes, yes… I’ll come back immediately.”
“Tu Bin has been to Ji Shun’s home. He knows Ji Shun is with us now.” Ming Han said, “Should we bring Tu Bin in too?”
Chen Zheng leaned against the chair with his arms folded. “Bringing Tu Bin in may not be much use. He’ll probably just say he doesn’t know where Liu Pinchao is.”
Ming Han looked up at Chen Zheng. “So we hit the place directly?”
Chen Zheng frowned. “First update Captain Tang on what’s happening here. Let me think.”
Ming Han did so. After listening, Tang Xiaoli said, “Wen Wu and Zhou Jue don’t have any assignments right now. I’ll send them over to join you. As for how you proceed, follow Chen Zheng’s lead.”
After hanging up, Ming Han was slightly surprised. Wen Wu and Zhou Jue were both teammates he knew extremely well and had worked with on many operations. Knowing they were coming naturally eased him somewhat. He had assumed Tang Xiaoli did not trust Chen Zheng, yet Tang had actually told him to follow Chen Zheng’s lead. It seemed that while they had been away from Luocheng, the Provincial Department and the Mobile Unit might have received other information.
Chen Zheng stared at his notebook in thought. On the surface, Zhan Fuhai appeared gentle and good-natured, yet several times he had been unable to resist provoking Chen Zheng. The police currently knew very little about his relationship with Sui Ning, but Zhan had volunteered that he and Sui Ning had met once in Country A, that they had shared similar interests, that Sui Ning had a rebellious son named Sui Zi, and even that Sui Ning might have died at the hands of local criminals.
There had been no reason for him to say so much. The only explanation was that he was an extremely arrogant man pretending to be humble, one step away from simply saying, I know Luo Yingqiang killed Sui Ning.
Following that line of reasoning, he might very well have had something to do with Luo Yingqiang’s death. And he had also hidden Liu Pinchao. Had Zhan Fuhai instructed Liu Pinchao to kill Luo Yingqiang?
Chen Zheng’s mind was full of questions. He found time to visit the detention center. He had not seen Zhao Zhi for several days, and Zhao’s chin was now covered in beard. He looked utterly haggard. Chen Zheng pushed Zhan Fuhai’s photograph in front of him. “Have you had dealings with him?”
Zhao Zhi reacted a little slowly. He stared at the photograph for a long time. “President Zhan.”
“Yes. Zhan Fuhai of Yunxiang Entertainment.” Chen Zheng said, “Did Luo Yingqiang ever try to take a bite out of his business?”
Zhao Zhi slowly raised his head and smiled indifferently. “Not really. President Luo paid quite a lot of attention to him for a while and had me keep an eye on him at all times. But later… President Luo said to forget it.”
Chen Zheng asked, “Forget what?”
“Don’t recruit him, and don’t interfere with him.” Zhao Zhi shrugged. Recalling the past, he said that Zhan Fuhai had actually been in Nanshan City for many years, but it was only in recent years that Luo Yingqiang began to take him seriously. Luo Yingqiang was much like Nanshan City itself, lacking much cultural sophistication and looking down on anything connected with entertainment. In his eyes, Zhan Fuhai had been nothing more than a man who managed performers.
But in recent years, the cultural industry had developed faster and faster. A livestream host could make more from a single evening of sales than a traditional company earned from a full year of marketing. Luo Yingqiang had no choice but to take a serious look at the leader of Nanshan City’s cultural industry, Zhan Fuhai.
No one thinks they have too much money. Once Luo Yingqiang realized the cultural industry was profitable, he wanted a share. But Yingqiang Group had no talent in that field, and Luo was too accustomed to looking down from above. He could have discussed cooperation properly with Zhan Fuhai, but instead, with the air of granting a favor, he demanded that Zhan join the chamber of commerce he was planning. Zhan refused. Luo was angry at first, but after organizing a team to study the cultural industry, he gradually realized it was not an area Yingqiang Group should enter.
Luo Yingqiang was domineering and became even more stubborn and arbitrary as he aged, but on major matters his mind remained fairly clear. He abandoned the plan to enter the cultural industry and thereafter stayed out of Zhan Fuhai’s way.
Zhao Zhi shook his head. “He never harmed Zhan Fuhai’s interests. As far as I know, Zhan Fuhai never intended to move against Yingqiang Group either.”
Chen Zheng thought for a moment. “But Zhan Fuhai’s relationship with Sui Ning wasn’t simple.”
At that, Zhao Zhi’s expression changed instantly. “What?”
Chen Zheng stared into Zhao Zhi’s eyes. “Zhan Fuhai once met Sui Ning in Country A. Maybe more than once. One meeting is only what he told us.”
The confusion in Zhao Zhi’s eyes grew heavier. “I…”
“You never knew about this?” Chen Zheng said. “Zhan Fuhai also guessed that the Sui family’s ‘disappearance’ might have happened because Sui Zi offended local criminals and got the entire family killed.”
Zhao Zhi’s eyes flew wide open. From the exaggerated reaction, Chen Zheng sensed something strange. What exactly had caused Zhao Zhi to react this strongly? Sui Zi?
“What’s wrong?” Chen Zheng asked.
Zhao Zhi covered his forehead and kept shaking his head, his voice hoarse. “N-nothing. I just never expected Sui Ning and Zhan Fuhai to know each other.”
Chen Zheng probed, “What kind of person was Sui Zi?”
Zhao Zhi’s shoulders jerked violently. He turned his eyes away, as though he strongly did not want to discuss the subject, or perhaps simply was not prepared. “I don’t know much. I only know he usually didn’t live with Sui Ning.”
“He didn’t live at home?” Chen Zheng said, “Then when Sui Ning’s family was killed, are you sure Sui Zi died too?”
Zhao Zhi’s face turned pale. “D-dead. Of course they all died!”
When Chen Zheng returned from the detention center, instead of finding answers to the questions in his mind, he had uncovered even more. Why had Zhao Zhi reacted so strongly to Sui Zi? Was there some special connection between them? Or… had Sui Zi escaped back then?
If it was the latter, the current case had suddenly branched into several more possibilities. The ball of yarn that had never been untangled was becoming even more hopelessly knotted.
Chen Zheng spent some time sorting through the clues alone, then pulled his focus back to Zhan Fuhai. They could now have Major Crimes investigate him directly, but with Zhan this brazen, they might struggle to find evidence. Chen Zheng tapped his pen lightly against the notebook and saw the reference Ji Shun had made to Area B of the theater.
According to official information released by Yunxiang Entertainment, the land for Area B had been acquired at the same time as Area A. Because of planning and funding issues, however, it had remained unused for years and construction had only begun in the first half of this year. Unlike Area A, Area B would not be another theater. It was being built as a comprehensive entertainment complex where celebrities of every level would appear regularly and where fan meetings and similar events would be held.
Perhaps the company deliberately wanted to preserve an air of mystery before the official opening, because almost no information about Area B’s construction progress could be found online. And precisely because outsiders knew so little about it, the place made an ideal hiding spot for Liu Pinchao.
The only question was whether what they were hiding inside was a living man or a corpse.
Ming Han returned and told Chen Zheng that teammates were coming to reinforce them. Chen Zheng was a little surprised too. “Captain Tang is taking this seriously.”
Ming Han said, “Old Tang also told me to follow your lead. Bro, how do you plan to move?”