Chapter 20: The Mysterious Family Massacre (4)

Hu Gang’s voice trembled as he spoke urgently, “One day, Ma Changgui came to me and said the company had a batch of steel that needed to be ‘handled.’ If I helped, he’d pay me 10,000 yuan… The steel was sold to a factory in another province. I knew Zhu Gongyou was involved too because the deal was supposed to be split three ways. Zhu Gongyou was the finance manager—he was the one who issued the invoices. The money had to go through him.”

“That fire was suggested by Zhu Gongyou. He said it would be safer that way… But… but… no one pursued the matter afterward, and I never even considered killing anyone…”

Zhao Leiting immediately pressed on, “So you’re saying that you, Ma Changgui, and Zhu Gongyou did steal and sell off the company’s steel, but Zhu Gongyou’s murder has nothing to do with you?”

“I admit to selling the steel! But why would I kill Zhu Gongyou? I had no personal grudge against him. What would I gain from killing him?” Hu Gang’s lips trembled as he spoke.

Zhao Leiting exchanged a look with Han Changlin.

Han Changlin did not respond immediately. He still had his suspicions about Hu Gang, but without direct evidence, it was difficult to confirm. Moreover, Hu Gang claimed that Zhu Gongyou himself had suggested setting fire to the finance office to destroy the invoices. Given Zhu Gongyou’s attitude when he was investigated in July, this seemed to support the idea that he was a willing participant in the scheme. If that were the case, there was no clear motive for his murder.

Furthermore, there was no sign of missing valuables from Zhu Gongyou’s home, which ruled out the possibility of a dispute over stolen money. There simply was no apparent reason for the killing. Han Changlin gave Zhao Leiting a confirming nod.

Receiving this signal, Zhao Leiting said firmly, “Hu Gang, we will verify everything you’ve said.”

“I didn’t kill anyone, officer! Please, you have to believe me!”

Han Changlin stood up and said sternly, “Stealing company property is no minor offense!”

He immediately ordered the detention of both Ma Changgui and Hu Gang. After returning to the office, he assigned the task of thoroughly investigating their whereabouts on the night of the murder. Without clear proof of their alibi, they could not be cleared of suspicion.

After two days of extensive investigations, multiple witnesses confirmed that Ma Changgui and Hu Gang were in separate locations at the time of the crime. It would have been extremely difficult for them to reach Zhu Gongyou’s home between 8 and 9 PM.

With the investigation at a dead end, Han Changlin appeared increasingly frustrated. Meng Siqi noticed that after a meeting with Director Liu, his temper became noticeably short.

With no new leads, the team expanded their search efforts, but the murderer’s movements that night seemed airtight. There were no clues left behind.

Then, a breakthrough came. Meng Siqi received a call from the telecommunications bureau, delivering a record of the phone calls made from Zhu Gongyou’s home in the month leading up to the murder. Han Changlin tasked her with organizing the data.

As she sorted through the records, she noticed something unusual. One particular number had called Zhu Gongyou’s home multiple times over the past week, even during the daytime when Zhu Gongyou was at work. This meant the calls were directed at his wife, You Meihua.

Meng Siqi recalled that You Meihua had been found with her tongue cut out. This suggested that the target of the crime might not have been Zhu Gongyou at all, but rather his wife. If they could track down the person who made those calls, they might be able to identify the killer.

Her eyes lingered on a call made on the day of the murder. Using her pen, she circled a record of a nearly ten-minute-long phone call.

She quickly contacted the telecommunications bureau, and within minutes, they traced the call’s origin.

Taking the report to Han Changlin, she cautiously said, “Captain Han, I found a number that called You Meihua multiple times over the past week.”

Han Changlin took the paper, noticing that Meng Siqi had marked several entries. The frequent calls were indeed suspicious. Looking up, his eyes glinted with realization. “Do we know who it belongs to?”

“The call came from a hotel. Most likely a public phone.”

“Xiao Meng, contact the hotel immediately and check their records.”

“Understood, Captain.” Meng Siqi returned to her desk and quickly dialed the hotel. The staff confirmed that the number was from the front desk’s public payphone but could not identify who had made the calls.

Just then, Zhao Leiting walked in and saw her biting the end of her pen in deep thought. He grinned and asked, “What’s on your mind?”

She briefly explained the situation. Hearing this, Zhao Leiting slapped his thigh and said, “That’s it! We need to head to that hotel right now.”

After informing Han Changlin, the two drove straight to the hotel. It was located not far from Zhu Gongyou’s home, bringing them one step closer to the truth.

At the front desk, a small window separated the receptionist from the guests. Right beside it sat a red landline telephone.

The hotel owner glanced up and asked, “Checking in?”

Zhao Leiting immediately flashed his police badge. “We’re officers from Jinyang City Public Security Bureau. We need to see your guest records from the past week.”

Mistaking their purpose, the hotel owner quickly retrieved the records and explained, “Officer, I keep everything properly documented. I assure you, there’s no prostitution or illegal activities here…”

Meng Siqi: “…”

Zhao Leiting gave the hotel owner an unimpressed look. “Did I ask you about that?”

The owner quickly fell silent.

Flipping through the records, Meng Siqi’s eyes suddenly stopped on a particular name—it stood out immediately.

The name was “You Shenghua.”

It was only one character different from the victim’s name, You Meihua. This could not be a coincidence. It had to be a relative of hers.

Staying at a hotel while repeatedly calling a family member seemed highly suspicious.

When asked about the events of that afternoon, the hotel owner furrowed her brows, deep in thought. After a moment, she suddenly recalled, “Oh! Yes! There was a man who made a call that afternoon. He was on the phone for at least ten minutes. I remember they even got into an argument.”

Zhao Leiting asked, “Do you remember what he looked like? What were they arguing about?”

“I don’t remember his face. I was watching TV the whole time.” The sound of a drama played from the small room behind her. “But I remember he spoke in a dialect, and sounded like he was from Yangxi. After the call, he checked the bill, saw how much it cost, and started cursing about the price. If he thought it was too expensive, he shouldn’t have made the call in the first place…”

The owner continued to complain, but Zhao Leiting had already lost interest. He simply thanked her and left.

Meng Siqi thought to herself—family disputes turning deadly were not uncommon. If You Shenghua had gone to You Meihua’s home that night, he would have had no trouble entering without arousing suspicion.

But what exactly had they argued about?

Could this be the motive for the murder?

By the time they finished their errand, the sky had already darkened. Zhao Leiting asked if she wanted to grab a bite to eat. Meng Siqi was indeed hungry, so she bought a pancake from a roadside stall and got one for Zhao Leiting as well. “No need to thank me. Consider this pancake my token of appreciation for your help these past few days.”

Zhao Leiting took the pancake and let out a dramatic sigh. “So this is all I’m worth? Just a single pancake?”

Meng Siqi pretended to look pitiful. “This pancake costs as much as my entire day’s bus fare. Do you think I can afford more than this?”

Zhao Leiting smirked. “Ah, so it’s a pancake full of heartfelt gratitude. I shall cherish it dearly.”

There was no saving him. Meng Siqi rolled her eyes in feigned disgust.

While taking a big bite of his pancake, Zhao Leiting used a payphone next to the stall to call the station. He ate as he updated Han Changlin on their findings. After hanging up the phone and paying the coins, Zhao Leiting said, “It’s getting late. I’ll take you home. Captain Han said they’ll look up You Shenghua’s address at the station, and we’ll head there first thing in the morning.”

Inside the car, Zhao Leiting grinned. “By the way, Captain Han praised you just now.”

“Really?” Meng Siqi was skeptical.

“Why would I lie? He said you have a keen eye for details and a knack for spotting key clues. He even said you have a bright future ahead.”

Meng Siqi shot him a look. “You’re making that up.”

Even as she dismissed his words, a small warmth bloomed in her chest. What if Han Changlin really did say that? She enjoyed hearing his praise. She was about to become a full-time officer and would be more than happy if Han Changlin complimented her every day.

When she got out of the car and stepped into her family’s courtyard, she heard lively conversation and laughter coming from the living room. It sounded like multiple people were inside.

Upon entering, she saw a group gathered around a mahjong table, the tiles clacking as they played. Her older brother, Meng Tingzhe, was among them, while her mother, Ye Xiuhui, stood behind him watching the game.

There were two men and one woman, all around Meng Tingzhe’s age. One of them wore a tailored suit, his neatly styled hair giving him a polished look. His sharp features and composed demeanor made him stand out. He held a cigarette in one hand while shuffling the mahjong tiles with the other.

As he spoke, his expression suddenly froze. His gaze locked onto Meng Siqi. The intensity in his eyes made her instinctively adjust her coat. She usually wore casual clothes after work, but now she suddenly felt self-conscious.

The others also noticed her arrival. The elegantly dressed woman with striking red lips smiled brightly. “Who’s this beauty? Tingzhe, aren’t you going to introduce us?”

The second man turned around, his eyes widening slightly. “Is this your sister? She looks even prettier in person.”

Caught off guard by the compliments, Meng Siqi felt a little awkward. She considered offering a polite smile before heading upstairs.

However, Meng Tingzhe turned to the suited man beside him and said, “Brother Sheng, this is my sister, Meng Siqi.”

The man called “Brother Sheng” kept his gaze fixed on her, his movements slowing. He took a long drag from his cigarette before curving his lips into a faint, unreadable smile.

Standing behind them, Ye Xiuhui beamed as she waved at Meng Siqi. “Ah, Siqi, come here. These are your brother’s friends. They came over as guests today. Say hello.”

Meng Siqi wasn’t one to be impolite in social settings, so she stepped forward with a polite smile. “Welcome.”

Her brief response seemed to momentarily surprise everyone. Sensing the awkward pause, Ye Xiuhui quickly stepped in. “Let me introduce you. This is President Jiang. He’s well-known, not just in Jinyang but across the entire province—”

“Mom,” Meng Siqi interrupted politely, “I just got back from a case. I’m exhausted. I’ll be heading to bed now. Excuse me, everyone.”

Before she could leave, Meng Tingzhe reached under the table and pulled out a box. “I got you a scarf.”

“Thank you.” Not wanting to make a scene, Meng Siqi stepped forward and accepted it.

Just as she turned to go, the suited man’s voice rang out. “Miss Meng, please wait.”

He leisurely extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray, then pulled a silver case from his pocket. Taking out a business card, he stood up slightly and extended it toward her with both hands. “This is my card. Jiang Sheng.”

His gesture felt deliberate, carrying a deeper implication. As Meng Siqi hesitated, Ye Xiuhui’s smile widened. “Siqi, take it.”

Setting down the scarf box, Meng Siqi accepted the business card with both hands. “I’m sorry, I’m still an intern, so I don’t have a business card to offer in return.”

“No need. Feel free to contact me anytime,” Jiang Sheng said, his tone smooth, his gaze carrying an unreadable glint.

“Of course. If you ever need assistance, you can call our police station,” she replied.

The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward. Something about her words seemed off in this setting. Jiang Sheng’s expression stiffened momentarily before he forced a smile.

The other two at the mahjong table also looked slightly uncomfortable. Only Ye Xiuhui and Meng Tingzhe’s smiles faltered.

As soon as Meng Siqi went upstairs, she faintly heard a man laughing downstairs. “Brother Sheng, is this the first time you’ve hit a wall?”

“My apologies,” Meng Tingzhe said with a chuckle. “My sister has always been like this. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I actually like this kind of personality,” the woman said, giggling. “President Jiang always likes a challenge, doesn’t he?”

The lively conversation continued downstairs. Meng Siqi closed her door, shutting out the noise.

The next morning, when she came down, the faint scent of cigarette smoke still lingered in the air. She wasn’t particularly fond of the smell.

She grabbed a steamed bun from the table. “Aunt Chang, I won’t be eating at home this morning. I need to head to work.”

“Aren’t you leaving a little early?” Aunt Chang asked.

“I have a case to handle.”

At that, Aunt Chang didn’t press further. Before Meng Siqi left, she handed her a hard-boiled egg.

Just then, Ye Xiuhui entered the living room, yawning. “Meng Siqi, stop right there. You have no manners—hey, I’m talking to you! Stand still, you brat!”

Meng Siqi was already out the door.

At the station, she arrived to find Zhao Leiting already preparing their gear. He glanced up at her. “Get ready to head out. We found You Shenghua’s address—he’s in a town in Yangxi County.”

Meng Siqi’s first thought was that the place was quite far from Jinyang City, which explained why You Shenghua was staying in a hotel in the city.

“Are you ready?” Before long, Feng Shaomin walked over.

“All set, Brother Feng,” Zhao Leiting responded.

Meng Siqi also nodded. This time, her mentor was leading the team, and she followed him into the car. On the way, Feng Shaomin reminded them in a serious tone, “If You Shenghua is indeed a suspect, we need to be extra cautious today. No one is allowed to act without my orders!”

Meng Siqi took note of his words, but Feng Shaomin still turned his head to look at her and asked, “Got it?”

“Understood, Master!”

Once the car left the urban area, it entered a mountainous road. Meng Siqi had done her research—Jinyang City was not among the wealthiest in the province, and many of its counties were located in mountainous regions, making them relatively poor. Transportation was a major issue, and this trip to Yangxi County was proving to be quite a challenge for her.

Fortunately, she had prepared a plastic bag in advance. During the ride, she ended up throwing up once. Zhao Leiting, looking concerned, asked, “Do you want to stop and take a break?”

“I’m fine now,” Meng Siqi forced a smile. “Just keep driving!”

“Next time, bring some motion sickness medicine in the car,” Feng Shaomin advised.

Zhao Leiting nodded firmly. “Got it, Brother Feng. I won’t forget next time.”