“Ah, oh dear…” Lu Hejun paced back and forth. “Mom was just a little worried about the Liang family. Your uncle didn’t say anything strange, did he?”
“Mom, I know you’re close to the Liangs. It’s natural that you’d be concerned about Liang Yueze,” Chen Zheng said. “But the situation is complicated. Neither Little Uncle nor I can tell you how the investigation is progressing.”
“I know,” Lu Hejun said.
Now that he’d started, Chen Zheng decided not to beat around the bush. “Mom, don’t involve yourself in the Liang family’s affairs. I can’t say more than that.”
Lu Hejun was silent for a while, then suddenly laughed. “You know, you’re exactly like your little uncle when it comes to twisting what I mean.”
Chen Zheng was bewildered. “Twisting?”
“You both think I called to fish for information, because I care about Liang Yueze, because the Lu and Liang families are close, or because… what else? Because I don’t have a daughter and I’m fond of Xinqing.” Lu Hejun said, “But I’m also a police officer’s older sister and a police officer’s mother. After so many years, don’t you think I know what questions I can ask and what I mustn’t get involved in? Am I really that much of a burden to you two?”
“I…”
“All right, I’m not blaming you. How could I blame you when I have such an outstanding, handsome son?” Lu Hejun chuckled. “I really am worried about the Liangs. I watched Yueze grow up, and he was such a good friend of yours. These past few days I’ve kept wondering what’s happened to him. Yesterday I talked with some of the family and heard the Liangs were planning to approach us for inside information. Everyone knows you and your uncle are police officers. I refused them at once, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it could still affect you. If they can’t get through to me, there are other people in the Lu family they might approach. So I wanted to warn you both in advance. Your uncle holds a higher position than you do, and you’ve got enough problems of your own. I didn’t want to bother you, so I called him. Your little uncle is a blockhead, though. I don’t think he understood what I meant. I told him that if anyone comes to him or you claiming to speak for me, you should refuse them according to your rules. You don’t need to feel awkward on my account.”
At that, Chen Zheng finally understood. The weight pressing on his heart began to lift.
Lu Hejun sighed. “People can’t live in this world without personal ties and obligations. I worry about the Liang family and I hope Yueze will be all right. But you’re my son, and he’s my little brother. No matter how concerned I am for someone else, my heart is with the two of you.”
“Mom, I understand now.” Chen Zheng’s voice softened. “Did you say anything else to Little Uncle? He seemed a bit embarrassed.”
Lu Hejun thought for a moment. “I told him an older sister will always take her little brother’s side. Now, tell me. What did he do that made him look embarrassed?”
Chen Zheng simply imitated Lu Hejing’s stumbling, halting way of speaking, making Lu Hejun laugh.
Having cleared things up, Chen Zheng felt much lighter. Lu Hejun guessed he was about to leave for work and didn’t keep him long, emphasizing that she would protect not only her younger brother Lu Hejing but also her son.
Ming Han had dozed for a while in the Technical Investigation office. The more he thought about it, the clearer Liang Yueze’s image became in his mind. Nanfeng Pharmaceuticals had been making drugs from the moment it was established, and Wu Mo had long been colluding with traffickers. Now that this was confirmed, Liang Yueze should logically have been questioned immediately, but Jin Xiaoquan’s flight and killing had occupied so many officers.
Ming Han rose from the sofa. It was time to interrogate Liang Yueze.
Liang Yueze already knew Jin Xiaoquan had been killed. His face had the sickly pallor of someone who hadn’t slept. Before Ming Han could speak, he said, “I’m deeply sorry.”
“About Jin Xiaoquan’s death?” Ming Han asked.
“Whatever he may have done, our cooperation in overseas labor placements was at least very pleasant,” Liang Yueze said.
Ming Han laughed softly. “Even if he tried to make you take the blame, you’d still accept it gladly?”
Liang Yueze frowned. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Nanfeng Pharmaceuticals…” Ming Han began.
Liang Yueze cut him off, looking unbearably irritated. “Nanfeng again! I’ve told you countless times. I invested in Nanfeng Pharmaceuticals, and only once. I had no idea what Wu Mo went on to do!”
“Went on to do? What if it wasn’t later at all?” Ming Han asked. “We’ve established that before Wu Mo approached you for assistance, he had already made contact with drug traffickers. His drug workshop was operational while Nanfeng’s factory complex was still being built. Mr. Liang, can you explain whether that investment went into legitimate pharmaceuticals or illegal drug production?”
Liang Yueze stared at Ming Han, his lips pressed into a thin line.
“I have reason to suspect your money was the drug capital Wu Mo used, and that you effectively assisted his operation,” Ming Han said. “While those drugs were being made, six children from Huyun Tea Factory families discovered Wu Mo’s secret and were brutally murdered. Nanfeng Pharmaceuticals, the company you invested in, wasn’t merely involved in drugs. It also has six lives on its conscience.”
Liang Yueze covered his face with both hands and let out a long, heavy breath. “I didn’t know. The money went directly into Huyun Tea Factory’s account. How am I supposed to prove I didn’t know Wu Mo was making drugs?”
Ming Han ignored the emotion that was nearly overwhelming him. “And by an extraordinary coincidence, you invested only that once, while Wu Mo’s first round of drug production lasted less than a year.”
“None of that proves I participated in drug production!” Liang Yueze said.
“Didn’t you tell Chen Zheng last time that someone was steering us toward suspecting you?” Ming Han asked. “There’s a strong possibility that person was Jin Xiaoquan.”
Liang Yueze fell silent.
“Yunquan Group was in such terrible shape back then, yet you found a way to save it. Jin Xiaoquan went out of his way to do business with you, and you never sensed a problem?” Ming Han circled behind Liang Yueze twice. “And who do you think got rid of Jin Xiaoquan?”
Liang Yueze’s expression grew calmer. “I don’t know. It wasn’t me.”
“Your movements last night were under police surveillance, that’s true,” Ming Han said. “But do you know how Jin Xiaoquan died?”
“You’re going to tell me anyway.”
“How convenient.” Ming Han formed a shooting gesture with his hands, then pointed his finger at his heart. “Right here. A sniper’s bullet straight through. You know this killer very well. He’s the one who attacked Chen Zheng at his home before, and the one who killed Bin Fa.”
Liang Yueze shook his head, doing his best to preserve his dignity and composure. “I understand you want to solve this case quickly. But I have responsibilities to my family too. I had nothing to do with Jin Xiaoquan’s death. As for Wu Mo, we haven’t had dealings for a very long time. That’s all I can tell you.”
Ming Han saw a gray, defeated look in Liang Yueze’s eyes. The man seemed to be waiting for some opportunity. Until that opportunity came, he was as good as dead.
This was proving far too difficult. Ming Han was considering his next move when Tang Xiaoli suddenly called. Technical Investigation had recovered a piece of data containing an unexpected lead.
Over the previous year, Jin Xiaoquan had visited Junan City and Junan Lake many times, and he’d had contact with Liu Xun. What they discussed was still a mystery, but the mere fact that Jin Xiaoquan knew Liu Xun was strange enough.
Liu Xun was the founder and current owner of “lake.” She and her younger sister, Liu Qing, had depended on each other for years, and her entrepreneurial journey had been anything but easy. Liu Qing was a devoted fan of Lin Dong. She had thrown a beer bottle at Huo Yewei on Lin Dong’s behalf, and on the night Huo was murdered, the killer had manipulated Liu Qing and then killed her.
In the Weimo Mountain Resort cases, Liu Xun had assisted Mei Feng. Without her help, Mei Feng might not have been able to kill Lu Feng, Gong Xiaoyang, and Zhu Xiaodi.
Chen Zheng’s words from the night before echoed in Ming Han’s ears. There might be an even more deeply concealed drug-production site in Junan City. Nanfeng Pharmaceuticals had been pushed into the spotlight specifically to conceal it.
Could that place be “lake”?
The information was relayed to Junan City. Chen Zheng was on his way to Yongshen Law Firm and hurriedly pulled over. “Liu Xun?”
“Bro,” Ming Han said, “if there’s something wrong with Liu Xun, then her sister Liu Qing might not have been simply used by Killer A and silenced.”
Liu Xun had already been transferred to the procuratorate to await prosecution. She was a participant in Mei Feng’s suspected murders of Gong Xiaoyang, Lu Feng, and Zhu Xiaodi. Chen Zheng had two particularly vivid memories of her: her friendship with Zhu Yi, and her collapse into sobs when she learned her younger sister Liu Qing had been killed.
But beneath that pain, another face might have been hiding.
After the necessary formalities were completed, Chen Zheng met Liu Xun in the detention center. She looked thinner than before and stared at him with lifeless eyes.
Chen Zheng produced a photograph of Jin Xiaoquan. “Do you know this man?”
On the other side of the glass partition, Liu Xun slowly leaned forward. When she saw the person in the photograph clearly, her extended neck went still. She quickly looked away, lowering her gaze. “No.”
“His name is Jin Xiaoquan. He’s a national of Country K, but he’s been active in Southeast Asia for a long time,” Chen Zheng said. “Last night, he tried to escape police pursuit and was killed along the way.”
At the word “killed,” Liu Xun couldn’t stop herself from looking up. Her eyes were full of terror, and her lips trembled.
“We found evidence in his communications records that he had extensive dealings with you,” Chen Zheng said. “And now you say you don’t know him?”
Liu Xun shook her head. “I-I really don’t know who he is.”
“He’s a criminal. A drug trafficker too.” Chen Zheng frowned as anger stirred inside him. The woman before him had presented him with two false impressions. The first time, he’d believed she was a self-made entrepreneur who cared passionately about building her business while supporting her younger sister. The second time, he’d learned the story of her friendship with Zhu Yi. She’d hidden behind Mei Feng, using other people while also being used herself.
Now, the layers of disguise were finally being stripped away.
Liu Xun’s shoulders tightened. She trembled. “A d-drug trafficker? Then there’s even less chance I’d know him.”
“Your sister Liu Qing was pretty bold,” Chen Zheng said. “She went to Huo Yewei’s home all by herself. I suppose her big sister spoiled her, didn’t you? She thought she could do anything, no matter how reckless.”
An uncontrollable flash of disgust crossed Liu Xun’s face. “I failed to watch over her properly.”
“There’s something else you should know,” Chen Zheng said. “The man who killed Jin Xiaoquan is the same man who killed Liu Qing.”
Liu Xun gave a small involuntary jerk. Her expression was blank and confused.
“Can you explain why that might be?” Chen Zheng asked. “You did have dealings with Jin Xiaoquan, after all.”
After a long moment, Liu Xun became extraordinarily agitated. “I don’t know! I don’t know Jin Xiaoquan!”
Chen Zheng watched her for a while, then stood. “All right. My colleagues have already gone to ‘lake.’ I’ll come back later. I hope you’ll have collected your thoughts by then.”
The murders had left Weimo Mountain Resort in Junan Lake’s western district much quieter than before. When police cars appeared again, business owners came outside to ask what had happened.
“lake” had been closed since its owner was arrested. Many employees had found jobs elsewhere, leaving just a few guards and managers. Research and production had stopped completely, but a considerable quantity of stock remained. Selling it off could recover some of the company’s funds, and that was what the remaining employees were chiefly doing.
Li Shu arrived with an investigation notice. The manager was frightened. “W-what are you investigating now? Didn’t you already go through everything last time?”
Li Shu asked, “Do you know Jin Xiaoquan?”
The manager looked completely puzzled. “Who?”
Li Shu simply showed her Jin Xiaoquan’s photograph. “I think I’ve seen him,” she said. “He wanted to take some of our products, but they couldn’t agree on terms.”
The manager was fairly young and had joined only after “lake” became successful. She handled public relations. According to her, Liu Xun treated “lake” like her own child. Whenever she had time, she personally received even the smallest clients. The manager had seen Jin Xiaoquan around the middle of the previous year. He’d seemed to be negotiating a major deal with Liu Xun. They talked behind closed doors for more than an hour, but no contract was signed in the end. Such things were common, so the manager hadn’t paid any attention.
Li Shu had been in charge of the Weimo Mountain Resort case from the beginning. He’d visited “lake” many times and dealt with quite a few of its employees. Liu Xun’s arrest had nothing to do with the company’s legitimate operations, so the police hadn’t interfered when employees resigned. But now, if “lake” was the hidden drug-production site, everyone who’d worked there could be involved.
Li Shu asked the manager for the register of departed employees and immediately dispatched officers to verify each one. Then he went to search the warehouse and production buildings. The manager hurried after him. “Officer Li, what’s happened?”
At that moment Chen Zheng arrived. “Since Liu Xun was arrested, how many shipments have you sent out? Who handled them?”
Sweat poured off the manager’s forehead. “I-I handled some. And… and Teacher Zheng handled some.”
“Teacher Zheng?” Chen Zheng remembered the man. His full name was Zheng Feilong. He was a longtime employee at “lake” and a distant relative of Liu Xun. He’d stayed with her through the hardest years of starting the business. Liu Xun devoted herself to research and development, so she had largely entrusted distribution channels to Zheng Feilong.
The manager said Zheng Feilong had shipped one batch of products and entered the proceeds in the company’s accounts. Then he’d disappeared. She’d tried to contact him, but his phone number was no longer in service.
Police immediately began investigating Zheng Feilong. He owned an apartment in Junan City, but it had been abandoned. According to the manager, he more often lived at the factory or stayed with the Liu sisters. All the houses at Weimo Mountain Resort were villas. Their home was large, and Zheng Feilong had his own room there.
The last time Chen Zheng had visited the Liu home, Liu Qing had still been missing. What stood out most in his memory was that the villa was packed with things, with many guest rooms. Liu Xun had explained that “lake” was inside a scenic area and commuting was difficult. Although the factory had staff dormitories, sometimes there weren’t enough rooms, so anyone who needed to stay could always come to her place.
Now the villa was empty. Even the housekeeper who’d cared for the two sisters had left.
The municipal bureau found no drugs at “lake,” but while checking former employees it discovered that six people couldn’t be contacted, including Zheng Feilong. The other five were two sales staff, two production workers, and an accountant.
“These two are strange,” the manager said, pointing to the names A Wu and A Xiao. Both had worked at “lake” before she joined and should have been veteran employees, yet she seldom saw them at work, and their sales results were always near the bottom. They seemed like people hired through connections.
As for the two production workers, the manager knew little about them.
While searching for the missing people, the police discovered that the accountant, Sister Gu, hadn’t resigned at all. She’d vanished.
Sister Gu was in her forties, divorced, and lived alone. Before her disappearance she’d begun seeing a man surnamed Zhang, who was also divorced. They were together mostly for companionship. They had some affection for each other, but not a great deal.
Once “lake” got into trouble, Old Zhang had become anxious, afraid Sister Gu would get dragged into it. He said she’d grown suspicious and jumpy around that time. Whenever he asked what she knew, she refused to tell him. They had several arguments, and eventually he moved out of her home and back into the apartment he’d bought for himself.
A few days later, he decided they ought to sit down and talk properly. If they could make the relationship work, they’d stay together. If not, it was better to split up sooner rather than later. But Sister Gu’s phone was switched off. He went to her home and found no one there.
His heart sank. Sister Gu wasn’t like the other employees at “lake.” She was the accountant. If a company had something wrong with it, the accountant usually knew. Had she run away?
Later, he called her again and visited her home several more times. She never returned. By the time the police came to see him, he’d already concluded that she’d gone on the run to escape punishment.
But the leads police possessed suggested that Sister Gu hadn’t escaped at all. Something had happened to her. Unlike the other missing employees, who were using forged identities, Sister Gu’s identity was genuine.
“After Liu Xun was arrested, Jin Xiaoquan’s men temporarily withdrew and moved all the drugs,” Chen Zheng analyzed. “Sister Gu, as the accountant, was a loose end. Jin Xiaoquan must have eliminated her. But we already searched ‘lake’ last time and didn’t find any traces of drug production.”
“Then maybe we were looking in the wrong place?” Li Shu asked. “‘lake’ has more than one site.”
Chen Zheng nodded. Jin Xiaoquan evidently didn’t need a large volume of drugs, and these weren’t even drugs in the conventional sense. He mainly used them to control people. The manufacturing site didn’t need to be large, but it had to be well concealed.
“The logistics depots,” Chen Zheng said. “Check ‘lake’s’ logistics depots!”
The investigation was temporarily at an impasse. Chen Zheng remembered he’d originally intended to visit He Mei today, and there was still time. He let Li Shu know and drove down the mountain toward Yongshen Law Firm.
He Mei was wearing a black business suit today. She’d cleared her schedule and stayed in her office. When her assistant brought Chen Zheng in, she turned with a smile. “Officer Chen, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
“You knew I’d come today?” Chen Zheng asked.
“If not today, then tomorrow or the day after. With your intelligence, sooner or later you’d come looking for me.”
Chen Zheng became serious. “The Weimo Mountain Resort cases are still connected to you.”
“You mean ‘lake’?” He Mei asked.
“You already knew what ‘lake’ was doing?”
He Mei was silent for a moment. Then she walked to the display cabinet, pulled a face-down photograph from a drawer, and turned it over. It showed her standing beside Gu Qiang, looking spirited and full of confidence.
“Gu Qiang was indisputably a scumbag as a man,” He Mei said. “But he was excellent at his work. That was how he kept rising through the ranks in the organization called the Heaven-Measuring Ruler.”
“So you do know about the Heaven-Measuring Ruler,” Chen Zheng said.
He Mei managed a strained smile. “Gu Qiang knew too many secrets, including ‘lake’s’ secret. That’s why he had to die.”
“Then you…”
“They thought I was just one of Gu Qiang’s countless lovers. How much of a threat could an ignorant mistress pose?” He Mei said. “Gu Qiang really didn’t tell me that much. I worked out the broad outlines from guesses and my own investigations.”
“So you used Si Wei and the others to set things up and draw us to Weimo Mountain Resort?” Chen Zheng asked.
“Unfortunately, you solved the murders without discovering that Liu Xun was a drug trafficker.” He Mei frowned slightly. “I didn’t expect her to have a desire to avenge Zhu Yi too.”
“You refused to tell us anything back then, and now you’re eager to hand me answers. What’s your purpose?” Chen Zheng asked.
He Mei laughed. “My purpose? Officer Chen, do you think I’m trying to avenge Gu Qiang? No. I’m only trying to protect myself. There was affection between us. Gu Qiang gave me a foothold from which to climb. Without him, I wouldn’t be who I am today. But I don’t have much capacity for sentiment. Certainly not enough to avenge anyone. ‘lake’ and Liu Xun have always been threats to me, along with the people behind her. The Heaven-Measuring Ruler has committed untold crimes. It’s unfathomable, and I could never fight it. The higher I climb in the legal profession, the more visible I become. They’ll notice me and wonder whether I was really as ignorant as I seemed back then. I might be the next person sacrificed.”
“So I needed to prepare before any of that happened. If something happened at Weimo Mountain Resort, perhaps a large-scale police investigation would uncover ‘lake’s’ problems. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? You’d catch drug traffickers, and I’d be rid of a danger hanging over me. What a shame. ‘lake’ had already been cleaned out, so you couldn’t find anything.”
He Mei sighed. “Something happened in Luocheng yesterday. I have my own sources. Liu Xun’s protector is gone. Only now do I dare lay my cards on the table.”
Chen Zheng heard the implication. “You know where Liu Xun was producing drugs?”
“Liu Xun has an assistant called Zheng Feilong. Officially he works for her. In reality, he controls her. Apart from Weimo Mountain Resort, he spends most of his time on Xinlian Road. You can go have a look there.”
“Lawyer He, thank you for the lead. But since you were so deeply involved in the Weimo Mountain Resort cases, I’m afraid we’ll have to invite you to the bureau for the time being.”
He Mei gave a long, quiet sigh. There was even a trace of relief and release in her expression. “I knew this day would come.”
The six missing people hadn’t yet been found, but Li Shu had located several of “lake’s” logistics depots. Chen Zheng looked at the map. One was on Xinlian Road.
Xinlian Road was an utterly ordinary street in Junan City. Many of the shops along it were travel agencies, print shops, or convenience stores. “lake’s” logistics depot had its doors tightly shut. Nearby shopkeepers said they almost never saw it open.
Police forced their way inside. The place looked as though it had been stripped bare. Only empty desks, worktables, and storage shelves remained.
Chen Zheng and the trace-evidence technicians carefully collected residues from equipment and corners. Li Shu obtained surveillance footage from nearby shops. On February 9 and 10, Zheng Feilong and the other missing people had appeared several times, loading goods onto a van.
Later, testing of the residues brought back to the bureau detected drug components matching Black Mark.