Chapter 56

On the third afternoon of the incident, inside the chairman’s office at the Luxin Elderly Care Center.

Song Wen looked at the woman in front of him, Bai Luorui, thirty years old, widowed and married, and she happened to own an elderly care center under her name as well.

This Luxin Elderly Care Center was completely different from the previous Wushan Nursing Center. The one before them was an absolutely high-end, luxurious elderly care center, albeit slightly smaller in scale. Non-slip floor tiles were uniformly laid here, the windows were sealed aluminum alloy floor-to-ceiling windows, and even the curtains were automated. Outside the window was a planned garden, with pleasant scenery.

Now, Song Wen and Fu Linjiang sat in the office, while Bai Luorui sat across from them.

Originally, Song Wen wanted her to come to the police station to cooperate with the investigation, but when Commissioner Gu heard about it, he suggested they pay a visit in person.

Bai Luorui was a socialite in Nancheng City, enthusiastic about promoting the elderly care cause, and had a good reputation in the city’s upper circles. Dragging her over directly without any evidence could lead to trouble if it turned out she had nothing to do with the case.

They were just asking for her cooperation in the investigation, without any concrete evidence. A visit seemed more appropriate at the moment.

Commissioner Gu had spoken, so Song Wen could only make this trip.

According to the information, Bai Luorui got married at the age of twenty-four, and her husband passed away when she was twenty-eight. With no children, she inherited two companies and substantial assets left by her husband.

The woman before them was well-dressed and capable, with short hair. She took good care of herself, showing no wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She wore a jade-inlaid bracelet on her wrist and habitually turned it while speaking.

“I don’t know this person, Zhang Peicai,” Bai Luorui’s voice was gentle and pleasant. She tilted her head, thought for a moment, and then answered Song Wen. A dimple appeared on the corner of her lips as she spoke.

“But we have surveillance footage showing that he accompanied you to luxury stores before and bought some things for you,” Song Wen continued. He had photos stored on his phone, but he preferred to hear Bai Luorui admit it in person before showing the pictures.
Bai Luorui slightly furrowed her brows, saying, “I’ve always had suitors around me, but I really can’t recall anyone by that name.”

Song Wen’s gaze fell on the shelf behind Bai Luorui, reminding her, “Ms. Bai, that handbag of yours seems to be this year’s limited edition from the F brand.” If he remembered correctly, in the footage they retrieved earlier, this was the bag that Zhang Peicai had bought with her.

“Oh, are you talking about him?” Bai Luorui turned her head to look at the bag on the shelf, as if suddenly remembering something. She brushed her bangs with her hand, “The tall man with a bit of humor? But that person said his name was Wang Rui. Initially, he said he wanted to interview me, that’s how we met. Later, he started pursuing me, giving me gifts, inviting me to dinner, but then I found out he actually had a wife… My husband may have passed away, but I take relationships seriously. The way he treated me made me feel deceived.”

Bai Luorui then recounted the entire process. In her story, she was a woman played by a scumbag. When she discovered she had become the third party, she quickly severed ties with him.

“I think I haven’t seen him for about a month… What happened to him? Is something wrong?” Bai Luorui asked.

“He’s dead,” Song Wen uttered these three words, and his gaze rested on Bai Luorui’s face, assessing her reaction.

Bai Luorui’s expression showed a slight surprise, followed by a soft exclamation. Then she spoke, “I’m sorry to hear that. Is that why you’re here today?” She lowered her head slightly, “I may not be able to help you. In fact, when I suggested breaking up, I wanted to return the things he bought for me. But later, he seemed to disappear into thin air, and I couldn’t find him. I only learned about his death today.”

Fu Linjiang said, “Then, we’ll have to trouble Ms. Bai to provide us with the phone number he used to contact you and his residential address at that time.”

“Cooperating with the police is the right thing to do,” Bai Luorui took out her phone and provided them with a mobile number, “At that time, he said he was here on a business trip, so he stayed at the Waldon Hotel nearby. You can ask the hotel staff for the specifics.”

Song Wen copied the information and sent it directly to Zhu Xiao.

Then Fu Linjiang continued, “When you were in a relationship with Zhang Peicai, what kind of topics would you usually talk about?”

Bai Luorui recalled, “Naturally, we discussed typical couple topics—what to eat, which movies to watch, and shared interests.”

Fu Linjiang pressed further, “Did you not talk about your work? Or his profession?”

Bai Luorui adjusted her hair in front of her forehead, seemingly a habitual gesture. “He seemed to be a journalist. Although he said he wanted to interview me, in reality, we didn’t have much communication in that regard.”

After addressing Zhang Peicai’s matters, they showed no intention of leaving. Song Wen continued the conversation, “Ms. Bai, you’ve been managing this elderly care facility for three years?”

Bai Luorui nodded, “Yes. When my husband was still alive, we operated a high-end sanatorium. I persuaded him to transform it into the most upscale elderly care facility in Nancheng.”

Bringing up this topic seemed to invigorate her, and she quickly shifted the focus away from Zhang Peicai’s death. “We currently have seventy beds here, ensuring each elderly resident has an independent room. We cooperate with local doctors, providing regular check-ups for the residents. We have over eighty caregivers, offering one-on-one services to the elderly.”

Song Wen squinted slightly, “With such excellent facilities, including a professional swimming pool, gym, library, and rehabilitation room, the cost of staying here must be considerable.”

“What’s this? Officer Song is interested in elderly care facilities?” Bai Luorui’s lips curved into a smile, and her dimple became more noticeable.

Song Wen said, “People all have elders at home and will experience old age themselves.”

Leaning back in her chair, Bai Luorui’s hand continued to rotate the bracelet on her wrist. “In fact, for an elderly person to stay here, including accommodation, care, and nursing, it only costs around ten thousand yuan per month. This price is comparable to the living costs of hiring caregivers at home. Contrary to what many people may think, it’s much more affordable here. I basically don’t rely on profits from here. In fact, I use profits from other ventures to subsidize this place.”

“Business is about making money, so what is your business philosophy?” Song Wen furrowed his brows slightly, finding it challenging to understand. While some business people might make concessions for charity, this pure dedication to public welfare was hard to grasp.

“Do you think I’m just throwing money away?” Bai Luorui chuckled. “More than one person has had your thoughts, but I have reasons for doing this. I see potential in the elderly care market. Our country is rapidly aging, and with the increasing severity of issues like unmarried individuals, depleted pension funds, and lack of children, the future elderly care problem is a significant one. Maybe I’m not making money now, but my market presence and the reputation I’m building are valuable in themselves.”

She paused for a moment before continuing, “Secondly, I enjoy interacting with the elderly. They are the wisest and most intelligent. Just being with them makes time feel serene, and providing better services to these elderly people brings me joy.”

Song Wen proceeded with questions, “One more question for Miss Bai. We checked your company’s accounts earlier and found an irregularity. Periodically, there are some transactions of thirty thousand yuan transferred from those family accounts to the company. May we inquire about the nature of these transactions?” This question was discovered by Zhu Xiao before their visit, and more importantly, after reviewing the list of deceased elderly residents, they observed that families making substantial payments had their elderly family members pass away shortly after, ranging from a few days to a week. This situation led the police to consider a possible connection between the money and the deaths.

“Why?” Bai Luorui’s expression changed slightly, indicating heightened caution. “How did Officer Song find out about these? Our company is legal, and we’ve never engaged in tax evasion. We’ve always cooperated with inspections from various authorities.”

“No, Ms. Bai, you’re overthinking it. We just want to understand the nature of the services covered by these funds,” Song Wen stared directly into Bai Luorui’s eyes.

Under his probing, Bai Luorui took a step back and lowered her head, saying, “You know, life, aging, illness, and death are all part of the human condition. Although I’m reluctant to discuss it, I must admit that in our industry, we become involved in matters related to the deceased elderly. As a professional institution focused on customer needs, we provide follow-up services.”

Bai Luorui shifted the focus of this expenditure to funeral matters. Song Wen acknowledged with a sound of agreement and did not press further. However, in his mind, Bai Luorui’s response seemed flawed. If what she said was true, this charge should occur when the elderly person passes away. There’s no reason to collect the money while the person is still alive. Once or twice might be a coincidence, but several times seemed like foresight.

Furthermore, upon further consideration, the sum of thirty thousand yuan, if meant for buying a life, seemed insufficient. This money appeared more like… a deposit. The fact that this money was accounted for in the company’s records indicated they were making those families feel at ease. Bai Luorui probably had prepared this explanation in advance.

At this point in the conversation, Fu Linjiang posed another question, “Have there been cases of elder abuse in the elderly care facility you run?”

If there were any connections between this elderly care facility and the one in Wushan, this question might trigger certain thoughts. Fu Linjiang’s question was very direct, and undoubtedly, it would receive a denial; no business owner would admit to having problems. However, often, the police could discover more details from the person’s attitude, revealing more about the truth.

Bai Luorui, upon hearing the question, showed some displeasure. “Absolutely not. Our caregivers and nurses here undergo rigorous assessments before being assigned duties. We also conduct satisfaction surveys among the elderly residents every month. Not to mention abuse, even a bad attitude towards the elderly is strictly prohibited here.”

As the conversation reached this point, Bai Luorui glanced at her watch. “Officers, have you finished with your questions? I have another meeting later, and time might be tight.”

“May we take that bag then? You mentioned earlier that you wanted to return it to Zhang Peicai?” Song Wen probed.

Bai Luorui reached for the bag on the shelf and handed it over. “Certainly, he’s no longer alive. It’s not suitable for me to keep this bag.”

Wearing gloves, Song Wen took the bag and passed it to Fu Linjiang, signaling him to put it in the car later. Fu Linjiang felt the questions weren’t thoroughly answered yet, and now was the time to press on. He raised his head and continued, “Ms. Bai, may I ask if you are familiar with an organization called Wushan Nursing in Nancheng?”

Bai Luorui hesitated for a moment before answering, “Isn’t that institution closed many years ago?”

Fu Linjiang said, “Nothing, just asking casually. How about the name Xia Weizhi? Have you heard of it?”

“I think, in Nancheng, there’s no one who hasn’t heard that name, right? Have you caught her?” Bai Luorui raised her eyes, seemingly casually asking.

Song Wen also pretended to casually reveal, “No, we are currently reviewing previously unsolved cases. As residents of Nancheng and colleagues, we’d like to hear Ms. Bai’s opinion on that matter. If Ms. Bai has any clues, you can provide them to us.”

Bai Luorui leaned slightly forward, “She is a disgrace among our peers. It is precisely because of the existence of such individuals that our current work is difficult to advance. I regret that you haven’t caught her yet. In my opinion, people like her should face the judgment of the court.”

In their records, Bai Luorui and Xia Weizhi, besides sharing the same profession in elderly care institutions, showed no apparent connections. Yet now, Bai Luorui had expressed strong disapproval of Xia Weizhi, seeming to despise her deeply.

In many cases of imitation crimes or cases involving the influence of one criminal on another, senior members would instruct, indoctrinate, or even control new members, forming an organized and coordinated system.

However, Bai Luorui’s current attitude didn’t quite fit this scenario.

Fu Linjiang said, “Thank you for your answers, Miss Bai. Later, we will be questioning other personnel here and hope for your cooperation.”

Bai Luorui smiled, “Sure, feel free if you have the time.”

Suddenly, Song Wen remembered something and asked, “Ms. Bai, are you in such a hurry to attend a meeting related to the Longyue Elderly Care City project in Nancheng?” The Longyue Elderly Care City project had recently gained significant attention, with various promotions visible everywhere, and it was nearing its opening.

Bai Luorui took out a promotional flyer from a drawer and handed it to him, saying, “Yes, it is related to this. I’ve been very busy lately. In a few days, the Longyue Elderly Care City will be officially completed, and there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This project mainly involves creating public facilities for elderly care in Nancheng, building a modern elderly care city that will house some elderly care institutions.”

In Nancheng, institutions established for ordinary citizens or children were common, but those specifically built for the elderly were scarce. With the acceleration of the aging population, this had become a key development focus for the city government.

Fu Linjiang complimented, “Ms. Bai, accomplishing such a project at such a young age is truly remarkable.”

Bai Luorui replied with a smile, “I’m just fortunate to be involved in this project.”

Song Wen looked down at the promotional flyer on the table, depicting a large building. It was evident from the drawing that it was a significant project. He flipped through it and casually put the promotional flyer into his pocket.

At this point, Bai Luorui handed two ticket cards to Song Wen, saying, “By the way, these are admission tickets for the event. If you are interested, you can come and take a look.”

Song Wen took the two thin admission tickets, squinted slightly, judging the credibility of Bai Luorui’s words, and contemplating what kind of person she truly was.

TN:
To me, this world is nothing but evil, and my own evil just happened to come out because of the circumstances of what I was doing.”