Chapter 95

The internet has memory; even if people may forget at times, the words spoken online, the uploaded images, and videos remain.

Cheng Xiaobing sipped her water and said, “I was able to find that photo because this broadcaster was once rumored to be dating a male celebrity. Some starstruck fans dug up this photo and speculated whether it was that celebrity’s car. Later, someone seemed to have found out the real owner…”

“With so much information to compare, based on the list of purchases provided by the Traffic Bureau, we can basically confirm the original license plate number, and the owner should be this person,” Zhu Xiao said, pulling out the list. “Huo Shaoqing.”

This time, Lu Suyu, who had been silent on the side, interjected, “I seem to know this person; he’s a rich second-generation from a wealthy family.” He didn’t like gossip, but he wasn’t closed off to it either.

“Yes, yes,” Zhu Xiao nodded quickly. “His father is a well-known developer. He relies on his family’s wealth, indulges in all sorts of vices, and enjoys sleeping with various internet celebrities. For someone like him, getting into a car accident after a night of drinking at a bar is just too normal, and… it’s highly likely to involve drunk driving or driving under the influence.”

Song Wen turned to Lu Suyu and said, “Regardless, it’s good news. Perhaps Chen Yanqiu’s side has obtained some evidence about this car owner, and the owner, in order to silence them, killed him. At least now, the case is finally moving forward, and we have a decent suspect.”

“I still think there are some issues with this, but I believe he should at least have some connection to Chen Yanqiu’s death,” Lu Suyu rubbed his temples and concentrated his energy to say to Song Wen, “Now, the most crucial thing is to quickly find Huo Shaoqing and ask him about the situation.”

Song Wen and his team followed the newly discovered leads. In the afternoon, as they passed by the interrogation room, they happened to encounter Fu Linjiang delivering some files. Song Wen glanced into the interrogation room and asked him, “Is Gu Zhibai still being detained?”

Nancheng Bureau was not that big; the news of Gu Zhibai’s arrest had already spread through the grapevine. Song Wen estimated that Lu Suyu should also be aware of it. He and Lu Suyu had met this person once before, and he still remembered that he was a dangerous yet interesting individual.

Fu Linjiang nodded quietly and said, “Yeah, he was arrested yesterday afternoon after work. It’s been almost a day and a night now, and the whole team over there hasn’t rested. I heard there’s been a request to extend the detention.”

From what it sounded like, they were not aiming for a quick resolution but rather engaging in a prolonged struggle.

“The longer it drags on, the worse it gets,” Song Wen said. “Once it turns into a prolonged battle, without new evidence, old foxes like Gu Zhibai will be able to figure out Xu Changying’s cards.” He shook his head afterward, feeling like he was worrying over nothing. “Forget about them; let’s focus on our case.”

Then Song Wen called out, “Before we leave, let’s have a meeting to summarize the information.”

The team members began to work on their respective tasks, investigating various leads.

Lu Suyu still looked unwell, with discomfort in his stomach and irregular heartbeat. Seeing his poor complexion, Song Wen didn’t assign him any tasks.

Lu Suyu rested his head on his desk for a while. When it was almost time to leave, they held a meeting together. He took a pen and notebook to record, but Song Wen came over and whispered, “If you’re not feeling well, don’t bother taking notes. Just listen, and I’ll organize it later.”

Lu Suyu pursed his lips stubbornly. “I’m not so unwell that I can’t even write.”

These past few days, he had been trying to reduce his medication through almost self-harmful means, but the aftermath followed suit. Sometimes, walking felt like stepping on cotton.

Lu Suyu felt like this was a war he couldn’t afford to lose.

Seeing his determination, Song Wen didn’t say anything further.

Xu Changying was still occupying the small meeting room, but the forensic center was empty.

Song Wen led his team inside. Before leaving for the day, they received the preliminary results of the analysis from Cheng Xiaobing. It was confirmed that some of the bloodstains on the car belonged to Zhao Yanlan, while several concealed bloodstains in the car were determined to be from a male, but with a different blood type from Chen Yanqiu.

Song Wen flipped through the test results of the blood samples with his pen. “So, if we can get a blood sample from Huo Shaoqing, we can compare it and confirm whether he is directly linked to the car accident?”

Fu Linjiang replied, “However, it might be difficult to find Huo Shaoqing now. In February of this year, Huo Shao suddenly went abroad to Country A.”

“Crossing international borders does make it a bit challenging. Without solid evidence, we can’t involve Interpol,” Lao Jia said, recalling something. “No wonder I felt like Huo Shao has been keeping a low profile online recently.”

Zhu Xiao sneered, “What low profile? If you don’t look at his Instagram, he’s flaunting foreign girls every day. This guy is also a regular drunkard abroad, really annoying.”

Song Wen redirected the conversation, “Zhu Xiao, tell us what information you found.”

Zhu Xiao continued, “It’s true that Huo Shao is abroad, but he’s about to return. Because his previous application for a long-term visa was unsuccessful, he only has a six-month visa. I just calculated the days, and there are only a few days left. So I checked the flight information and unexpectedly found something…” As he spoke, he projected the query results onto the screen. Huo Shaoqing’s flight information was all there. “It’s the day after tomorrow. This playboy is coming back.”

For the current case, this was undoubtedly good news. Being able to directly question Huo Shaoqing would shed more light on the case. It felt like catching sight of the finish line during a long-distance race, and for a moment, everyone was excited.

Zhu Xiao continued, “In addition to the bloodstains from Cheng Xiaobing’s analysis possibly belonging to Huo Shao, I also found some other evidence. The Porsche is registered under the name of Huo Shaoqing’s father, Huo Chen, purchased two years ago, and has always been driven by Huo Shaoqing. According to the system, he has two records of drunk driving, but later these records mysteriously disappeared from the system. I had to check the change logs to find out.”

At this point, Fu Linjiang and Song Wen exchanged a meaningful glance, showing that Huo Shaoqing was a habitual drunk driver, but due to his family’s connections, he had never been dealt with.

Next was Lao Jia’s report, as he was responsible for collecting information on Zhao Liu’er.

Lao Jia began, “I just watched some of Zhao Liu’er’s live broadcast recordings. I have to say, her voice is pleasant, and she sings quite well. Recently, Zhao Liu’er has been topping the live broadcast rankings…”

Zhu Xiao added, “Yeah, and it seems like she has attracted a few new rich patrons, who often give her big tips.”

Lao Jia nodded, “Yeah, one of the richest ones is this guy, Moon Shadow Voice, who ranks first in tipping. After Huo Shao went abroad, this person quickly replaced him in the top tipping position, tipping over a hundred thousand this month, and this person often watches her live broadcasts…” As Lao Jia spoke about these gossips, excitement appeared on his face. He and Zhu Xiao collaborated, discussing the images projected on the screen.

Song Wen couldn’t help but cough to interrupt, “Talk about something relevant to the case.”

Lao Jia then wiped the smile off his face and solemnly continued, “I also found some clues here. Huo Shaoqing had a relationship with Zhao Liu’er about a year ago. He had multiple girlfriends at the same time, and Zhao Liu’er seemed to be one of the more prominent ones. They had an on-again, off-again relationship, jokingly referred to as the main consort of the Huo family. I found several photos taken by Zhao Liu’er at their home, and the pets, the floor, and the mirror cabinet all resemble photos previously posted by Huo Shao himself.”
Shao – young

Lao Jia projected several photos of Zhao Liu’er onto the screen and then opened a video clip. It was recorded on a phone, so the lighting was poor and there was a lot of background noise. In the frame, a bar scene unfolded with music playing and people dancing to the beat. In the center of the frame, Zhao Liu’er held a glass, smiling at the camera. She didn’t strike one as stunning like a star, but among the ordinary folks, she appeared approachable and down-to-earth. Behind her, a young man with a backward cap pulled her closer and kissed her on the cheek.

Lao Jia pressed pause, freezing the frame on the young man’s face. Part of his face was obscured by the cap, but you could still see an earring dangling from his earlobe, reflecting a glint under the bar’s lights.

Lao Jia summed up, “Last Christmas Eve, Zhao Liu’er had an offline event at a bar, which lasted until early morning. Someone posted a related video online. Although it’s a bit blurry, judging by this earring, this man should be Huo Shaoqing. That means he was at a bar near Changshou Road at the time and was drinking.”

Song Wen, stroking his chin, followed up, “Perhaps Zhao Liu’er was also in the car during the accident…”

Zhu Xiao sighed, “It’s a good thing we didn’t call Zhao Liu’er directly to ask about the situation. If we had, and she passed on a message to Huo Shao, he might have gone into hiding…”

“Everyone did a good job investigating, and I’ll add a bit more.” Song Wen projected a document onto the screen, displaying a middle-aged man. “This person is Huo Shaoqing’s father, Huo Chen. He invested heavily in his early years and has been in real estate business in Nancheng in recent years, owning numerous assets and a wide network. In this matter involving Huo Shaoqing, he must be aware, and he’s probably pulling the strings behind the scenes.”

The subordinates nodded repeatedly. It made sense. Even though Huo Shaoqing was wealthy, his foundation in Nancheng was still shallow. To handle the blame-shifting matter quickly, it must have been the handiwork of his desperate father. Huo Shao probably called his father for help, and his father contacted other people on his behalf.

“However, I suggest that we hold off on Huo Chen’s case until we get a confession from Huo Shaoqing. Zhu Xiao, keep an eye on Huo Chen’s recent activities. In any case, Huo Shaoqing is a key figure in this case, and we must ensure that he is detained for interrogation. By uncovering the truth behind the previous framing case, we’ll get closer to the truth about Chen Yanqiu’s death.”

Song Wen chose the relatively weaker link, Huo Shaoqing, as the breakthrough point in the case. After a moment of thought, he continued, “Find another reason to summon Zhao Liu’er to the City Bureau tomorrow, and then Fu Linjiang will lead the team to arrest Huo Shaoqing directly at the airport.” This approach would undoubtedly prevent Zhao Liu’er from passing on a message to Huo Shao, ensuring a smooth operation.

On the side, Lu Siyu leaned against his forehead, listening to Song Wen analyze the case while jotting down notes on paper.

Arresting Huo Shao at the airport would catch him off guard. By the time Huo Chen found out, it would be too late for him to react.

After summarizing the information and making arrangements for the next day, Song Wen announced the end of the meeting. The case finally made progress, and the officers returned to chatting about the live streamers.

“So, Captain Song, I think I can interrogate Zhao Liu’er and maybe get a photo with her later…” Lao Jia rubbed his hands together. “Hey, do you think these streamers would feel more natural if we put a phone in front of them?”

Zhu Xiao scoffed, “Come on, I’m afraid you’ll forget all your questions once you sit across from her.” With that, Lao Jia and Zhu Xiao left first.

Lu Siyu packed up his things on the side, and Fu Linjiang approached Song Wen, asking, “Do you think Huo Shaoqing could be the one who killed Chen Yanqiu?”

Song Wen replied, “It’s not certain. Based on our current investigation, Huo Shaoqing might just be a suspect in the framing case.” So far, the true cause of Chen Yanqiu’s death was still unknown, and everything depended on the results of the investigation.

Fu Linjiang lowered his head and said, “But what if the framing case has nothing to do with Chen Yanqiu’s case? Shouldn’t we overturn everything we’ve done so far?”

Song Wen nodded. “If it’s proven that the two cases are completely unrelated, we may need to readjust our investigation direction.”

Fu Linjiang half-jokingly remarked, “Well, then wouldn’t we be helping out the Traffic Bureau? If we solve the framing case, does that count towards our case closure rate?”

Song Wen replied calmly, “The police and the law exist to set things right. Since we’ve discovered Zhao Youlan’s wrongful accusation, how can we not investigate further? In my opinion, it’s crucial to ensure that the bad guys are punished. Even if Chen Yanqiu wasn’t killed by Huo Shaoqing, if Huo Shaoqing breaks the law, he should be arrested.”

Lu Siyu, who was nearby, closed his notebook, paused slightly upon hearing this, feeling a slight resemblance. It seemed he was forgetting his original intentions, thinking that what Song Wen said now was right.

Lu Siyu’s eyelashes trembled, surprised by his own change and somewhat afraid. His worldview had shifted. If one day, his enemies stood before him, he wondered if he could still grasp the knife in his hand and stab without hesitation. But when that moment arrived, if his malice faded and his heart softened, perhaps he would be the one to die?

As Song Wen turned around, he met Lu Siyu’s eyes. He couldn’t quite decipher what was in those eyes, but they made him feel a little heartache. Their gazes met for a moment before Lu Siyu lowered his head first. Song Wen handed him the notebook. “Take this back for me. I’ll go report to Commissioner Gu.”

Lu Siyu made a sound of agreement.

Song Wen leaned closer and whispered in his ear, “Don’t wait for me. You go back and rest first. I’ll be in a meeting later. Be careful if you’re driving.”

Lu Siyu nodded.

Song Wen returned to his office, quickly drafted an action plan on his computer, and submitted it to Commissioner Gu for approval according to the procedure.

Commissioner Gu seemed to feel indebted to Song Wen from the previous case. After listening to Song Wen’s report this time, he said, “Regardless of whether Huo Shaoqing is involved in Chen Yanqiu’s case, I support your investigation into Zhao Youlan’s car accident. When Huo Shaoqing lands, bring him over with your team. However…”

At this point, Commissioner Gu paused, his brows furrowing slightly as if weighing something. “Huo Shaoqing is a well-known figure in Nancheng. Various parties will inevitably ask questions. Since we’ve found out that the hit-and-run car belongs to the Huo family, it’s safer to use the charge of hit-and-run to arrest him.”

Song Wen also understood that there was a lack of primary evidence in Chen Yanqiu’s case for now. He spoke up, “Commissioner Gu, what do you think is appropriate? You make the decision…”

After a moment of contemplation, Commissioner Gu swiveled his chair armrests with his hands. “But if we use the charge of hit-and-run, we can’t avoid involving the Traffic Bureau. After all, it’s all one system…” Then he discussed with Song Wen, “How about this? I’ll take the lead and contact the Traffic Bureau for a joint operation. Later, I’ll have them send two people over to meet with you.”

Commissioner Gu had already made his decision clear. It would be a bit excessive for Song Wen not to agree now. He nodded. “That’s the arrangement then.”

Coming out of Commissioner Gu’s office, Song Wen checked the time. It was almost 7 p.m. He picked up his things from his desk, greeted Zhu Xiao, and left the office. Only Zhu Xiao remained, making a phone call to arrange for Zhao Liu’er to come over.

Her real name was quite simple, Liu Fang. Zhu Xiao unconsciously tightened his voice as he spoke into the phone. “…Miss Liu Fang, I’m a police officer from the Nancheng City Bureau. We suspect that one of your fans may have misappropriated public funds with their donations. We hope you can come to the Nancheng City Bureau tomorrow afternoon at 2 o’clock to assist us with our investigation.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. The voice of the girl came through, “You’re not a scammer, are you?” As expected of a streamer, her voice was indeed pleasant to listen to.

On this end of the phone, Zhu Xiao couldn’t help but clear his throat. “Miss Liu, I think scammers wouldn’t invite you to a police station for a face-to-face conversation.”

“But public funds? I don’t really know about this. Shouldn’t you go to the platform?” The girl’s voice sounded timid and a bit scared.

Zhu Xiao said, “We just want to inquire about some details of your communication with the other party to see if there are more clues. We also hope that these matters won’t affect your livestream.”

After a moment of silence, the girl on the other end finally said, “Alright, I’ll come over tomorrow afternoon.”

Zhao Liu’er hung up the phone. It was indeed a strange call. The police called her, asking her to go to the City Bureau for an investigation. She tried to calm herself down. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t remember which of her fans might be suspicious.

Could it be related to that incident?

Although more than half a year had passed since that incident, Zhao Liu’er still felt a chill in her heart when she recalled it. At first, she had nightmares every day. However, as time passed, she gradually calmed down, treating it as if nothing had happened. Under this numbness, she almost forgot about the incident, but deep down in her heart, the fear still lingered.

It shouldn’t be… It has been so long. If they wanted to find her, they would have done it a long time ago. The longer the time passed, the safer they became. Zhao Liu’er thought, pressed the phone off, pursed her lips, and retracted her thoughts. Regardless, the appointment was for tomorrow. Right now, she had to handle this important date well and not let these trivial matters affect her state.

It was a high-end Spanish restaurant with orange-yellow lighting, music playing softly in the hall, creating a low-key and ambiguous atmosphere. Zhao Liu’er sat in the secluded booth, waiting for her date. She adjusted her hair through the glass prism in the middle of the booth, wondering if she should touch up her makeup.

Although Zhao Liu’er had been on many dates, this one felt particularly nerve-wracking. Tonight, Moon Shadow Voice had invited her to meet. This person had been continuously donating to her for six months, more generous than Huo Shaoqing before. He rarely spoke, treating her with cold detachment, but the numbers of his donations kept jumping. Zhao Liu’er had hinted openly and secretly that she could agree to some of his requests, but he just responded with an “mm” and never made any demands. The more he acted like this, the more it gave Zhao Liu’er a strange feeling. He was different from the other men constantly surrounding her.

Zhao Liu’er was well aware that being a livestreamer was not a long-term plan. Those rich second generations were just playing around. Now, while she was young and beautiful, she should find a reliable and honest man to marry. This mysterious Moon Shadow Voice appeared at the right time and walked into her heart.

Yesterday, Zhao Liu’er finally received a message from Moon Shadow Voice, inviting her to meet. Without hesitation, Zhao Liu’er agreed.

But now, it was already a few minutes past seven, and the man was late, still not showing up…

Unable to help herself, Zhao Liu’er wondered what kind of person Moon Shadow Voice could be. Although separated by the internet, she could feel something about him. He spoke very little, extremely reserved, a bit mysterious, a bit indifferent. He was often online, probably having more time. He never paid attention to other streamers, only staying in her livestream, sometimes for an entire day without saying a word.

One or two days were normal, and there were often new visitors, but as time went on, that person remained persistent.

Lost in her thoughts, a shadow cast over the table in front of her.

Zhao Liu’er looked up at the person in front of her. Her eyes widened, and her heart suddenly chilled. Before Moon Shadow Voice arrived, she had assumed countless images of him, but the person in front of her was none of them.

Could this be a joke? No… perhaps, it’s a scam, or even more terrifying than a scam…