HC CH138
After Sun Jing pleaded guilty, the urgent task remaining for the Serious Crimes Unit was to crack the Luo Manchai case. Ji Chenjiao returned from outside, saw a tuft of hair bobbing above his chair, walked over, and without even looking at who it was, swatted at the hair.
Ling Lie leaped up instantly. “What is wrong with you? Isn’t hair part of the face? Can you just smack hair whenever you want?”
Ji Chenjiao thought to himself, Who asked you to pay no attention to your appearance in the office and tie a fountain ponytail? Can you blame my hand for itching?
“What are you watching?” However, Ji Chenjiao did not voice his lively internal monologue.
On the monitor, there were live streams from some broadcasters directed at Chaoxia County. Although the series of events at Rongmei had found a reasonable explanation, the North District of Rongmei had not yet opened, and the people of Chaoxia County were still discussing the fire that happened there. The police announcement seemed to have little effect; people believed what they wanted to believe—that Sun Jing was a scapegoat pushed forward to take the blame, and the truth must be that the Yu Group had angered the spirits, causing the wronged souls to haunt the place.
Otherwise, why wouldn’t they dare to open the North District? Were they afraid another incident would occur?
Ling Lie nodded as he watched. “There is some logic to it.”
Ji Chenjiao: “…Superstition has logic now?”
Ling Lie tilted his head to look at him. “But the Yu Group’s land acquisition, Yu Qin’s abnormal apology… we really haven’t found answers to these questions.”
Ji Chenjiao half-circled him between his arm and the desk. “So what are your thoughts?”
“Sun Jing was an accident. The establishment of Rongmei definitely has problems. I always feel that I’m not the only one wanting to dig up Rongmei; there is someone else deliberately guiding me into the Rongmei vortex.”
He paused, then added, “Just like back at my house, when they put my kung fu robe on Liu Yixiang’s corpse.”
At the other end of the city, the person peering into Rongmei had also received the news of Sun Jing’s guilty plea.
Zhuo Suyí held his phone, standing behind the curtains. The floor-to-ceiling window beside him reflected the myriad lights of the city homes.
“That Rehabilitation Scholar did all my work. Mr. ‘Grey Peacock,’ have I lost my usefulness?”
A low voice came from the phone: “Not necessarily. The ‘Evil Queen’ has made a move; keep an eye on her.”
“Very well, Mr. ‘Grey Peacock.'”
Ling Lie had been trending towards laziness recently and refused to cook. Ji Chenjiao took him to McDonald’s to settle dinner and packed a few pairs of chicken wings to take home.
After falling in love, Ling Lie actually started caring about his figure. After eating burgers and chicken wings, he knew enough to go run furiously on the treadmill. Ji Chenjiao went to the study after showering. The Sun Jing case had come to a temporary close, but Rongmei and Luo Manchai were still stuck in a giant web. He had been distracted by the Sun Jing case recently, and many clues regarding Luo Manchai had not been systematically organized.
Ji Chenjiao opened his notebook and reviewed the contents recorded during the early investigation.
In the eyes of Luo Manchai’s father, she was skilled at fighting for what she wanted, so offending people in the circle was expected. The range of suspects could be expanded to the entire entertainment industry, but the “Killer” card narrowed the scope.
Unless the person who placed the card and the person who hired the killer were not the same, meaning more than one person wanted to kill Luo Manchai and took action.
Jiang Hui, Qiu Yubei, and Luo Manchai formed a closed loop. If the seemingly unrelated Ye Ruige was added, the number of involved female stars reached four.
Searching for witchcraft in Country N revealed that quite a few celebrities were involved with it, showing that using witchcraft to become famous had become a consensus in the circle.
At this moment, Ling Lie finished his run and wandered in. As soon as he reached the door, Ji Chenjiao smelled a fragrance. He looked back, and his gaze changed immediately.
Ling Lie had just showered but looked as if he hadn’t dried off; his hair was dripping water. He was wearing a pair of big boxers and a tank top that belonged to Ji Chenjiao. It was a size too big on Ling Lie, hanging loosely and not covering much.
Ling Lie walked in with a swagger, bent down, and planted a loud kiss on Ji Chenjiao’s forehead, smacking his lips with a crisp sound.
Ji Chenjiao: “…”
Ling Lie spread his legs, turned on the oscillating fan, and made purring noises in rhythm with the fan blades.
The study already had the air conditioning on, so the wind from the fan felt particularly cold. Ji Chenjiao felt that Ling Lie would catch a cold blowing cool air while soaking wet, so he found a large towel and threw it over his head.
Ling Lie popped his head out. “There is a type of cold called ‘your boyfriend thinks you’re cold.'”
Ji Chenjiao: “…”
Every time Ling Lie finished showering, his eyes appeared particularly bright. He stared at Ji Chenjiao. Ji Chenjiao savored the phrase “your boyfriend” from a moment ago, the corners of his lips naturally curving up. He walked back, hooked his arm around Ling Lie’s neck, and shared a somewhat long kiss.
After being affectionate for a while, Ling Lie asked, “Any progress on your case?”
The two then began to discuss the case details.
Currently, the Serious Crimes Unit’s focus remained on the entertainment industry, especially the film crew itself. Ji Chenjiao arranged for team members to investigate Luo Manchai’s love life. They found she had scandals with several rich second-generation heirs and popular stars, but it seemed both sides were just taking what they needed; it hadn’t reached the point of a crime of passion. The Zhuiting Group originally didn’t feature in this.
But last time, Ji Chenjiao saw a netizen’s tip-off saying Luo Manchai was related to a certain young master of the Zhuiting Group. He had Shen Qi check it, and they actually found something.
The Zhuiting Group was owned by the Fu family and was massive in scale. The chairman was a household name, and other Fu family members often appeared in the news. Regarding scandals, the Zhuiting Group had a habit of paying media to shut up. Although Shen Qi didn’t find out who the scandal partner was, he found another interesting piece of news—in April of this year, Fu Chunxing committed suicide.
Ling Lie asked, “Who is that? Never heard of him.”
Fu Chunxing—not only did Ling Lie find the name unfamiliar, but Ji Chenjiao also felt it was unfamiliar when he first heard it.
“He was Fu Huizhi’s youngest son,” Ji Chenjiao said. “You know Fu Huizhi, right?”
Ling Lie: ” The younger brother of the current head of the Fu family?”
Ji Chenjiao: “Right. The Zhuiting Group is currently controlled by these two brothers. Fu Huizhi manages the internet sector of Zhuiting Group.”
Ling Lie thought for a moment. “Did this Fu Chunxing’s suicide have anything to do with Luo Manchai? Did they have a scandal?”
Ji Chenjiao said, “It’s uncertain if there was a scandal, but according to clues online, Luo Manchai might have had some relationship with Zhuiting. However, all relevant posts were deleted. And the only major private event to happen within Zhuiting in the last year was this Fu Chunxing’s suicide.”
Ling Lie listened while searching on his phone. “Oh, he was quite good-looking. Twenty-six years old this year. Unlike most of the Fu family who aspire to inherit the family business, he was a photographer.”
In the news reports, Fu Chunxing appeared uninhibited, indeed possessing the air of an artist. Ling Lie scrolled down. This article was written three years ago when Fu Chunxing was just starting as a photographer. In the second half of the interview, the reporter asked him what kind of subjects he liked to photograph. He said Luo Manchai was the representative of female beauty in his heart.
However, Luo Manchai hadn’t become famous back then. The reporter likely didn’t even know who Luo Manchai was, so they didn’t dig deeper, passing over the topic with a single sentence.
But by this point, Ling Lie somewhat understood Ji Chenjiao’s meaning.
“It was a long time ago, and it wasn’t a declaration of love or paparazzi gossip, so maybe even Zhuiting ignored this report,” Ji Chenjiao said. “From our search, among the rich second and third generations of Zhuiting, only this Fu Chunxing has this sliver of a connection to Luo Manchai. And now he’s dead, by suicide. This clue stands out significantly.”
Regarding Zhuiting, the Serious Crimes Unit still had a lot of investigative work to conduct. Ling Lie was a bit tired. He stood up from the bay window and yawned. “I ate too many chicken wings; it hurts.”
Ji Chenjiao: “Who told you to eat them all?”
Ling Lie: “Captain Ji, it was you who gave me too many.”
In the morning, Ling Lie was still fast asleep when Ji Chenjiao left. Thinking about Ling Lie saying his stomach hurt from overeating last night, he cooked a bowl of poached eggs with small sticky rice balls and left it on the dining table; if it got cold, it could just be reheated. Then, he ate the remaining chicken wings for breakfast.
Fast food was already bad, and cold fast food was even worse. If he didn’t hate wasting food, he absolutely would have thrown them away.
“Never buying McDonald’s again,” Ji Chenjiao muttered, gritting his teeth as he stared at Ling Lie, who was sleeping sprawled out.
At the Serious Crimes Unit, Shen Qi shouted enthusiastically as soon as he saw Ji Chenjiao, “Captain-Brother, why didn’t my brother come with you?”
Ji Chenjiao was still not used to Shen Qi calling him “Captain-Brother,” but he couldn’t fight Ling Lie for the title of “Brother,” right? He had to silently accept it.
“Ling Lie has half a day off today,” Ji Chenjiao said. “How is the check on Luo Manchai’s communications going?”
“I was just about to talk about that!” Shen Qi’s investigation into Luo Manchai’s communication and internet footprints had moved progressively backward in time, and he finally discovered when she crossed paths with the witchcraft of Country N.
Four years ago, she wasn’t famous yet and was at the lowest point of her life. She began frequently searching for so-called secrets to change one’s destiny and went to Country N under the guise of traveling. After returning to China, she had brief contact with a sorcerer; the person she introduced to Jiang Hui on paper was this very man.
But from the few conversations between her and the other party, it could be seen that she was repeatedly considering it, hesitating for a long time unable to make up her mind. Shortly after, she took on Rain on the West Ridge. After that, for some unknown reason, she finally gave up on relying on witchcraft, seemingly wanting to give it one last shot on her own.
She succeeded, becoming hugely famous through a puzzle-solving variety show.
Since the sorcerer involved was in a foreign country, it was difficult for the Serious Crimes Unit to investigate from his angle. Ji Chenjiao placed this evidence into the known logical chain; it could explain why Luo Manchai knew about the fate-exchange surgery, but it still couldn’t explain why Luo Manchai instigated Jiang Hui.
If Jiang Hui’s testimony didn’t hold up, then the cause and effect of the entire event might not hold up.
Ji Chenjiao: “Check the contact between Jiang Hui and the Country N side. I suspect Luo Manchai never tricked Jiang Hui at all.”
Multiple leads were advancing simultaneously. Far away in Country N, Qiu Yubei was critically ill with slim chances of waking up. Jiang Hui insisted that Luo Manchai plotted to kill her but accidentally harmed Qiu Yubei. Meanwhile, the “goddess” she mentioned, Ye Ruige, had turned from a star into a civilian after a car accident. Initially, there were rumors she committed suicide because she couldn’t accept reality, but now she seemed to have adapted to the life of an ordinary person.
Jiang Hui said Luo Manchai admitted personally that she harmed Ye Ruige—if not for the fate-exchange surgery, Luo Manchai wouldn’t have exploded in popularity, and Ye Ruige wouldn’t have had the car accident. Now that Luo Manchai was dead, there was no proof, but Ye Ruige was still alive.
Ji Chenjiao felt it was necessary to meet Ye Ruige; the key to whether Jiang Hui was lying might lie with her.
“I’ll go! I’ll go!” Ling Lie ran to the Serious Crimes Unit before noon, full of energy, as if he hadn’t pulled an all-nighter for the Sun Jing case at all.
Ji Chenjiao had let him rest because he thought he had worked hard, but the guy wasn’t grateful. instead, he grinned and teased, whispering in Ji Chenjiao’s ear, “Xiao Ji, the poached eggs were delicious. It’s different when a man has a wife, huh? I’m so happy.”
Ji Chenjiao: “…”
Clearing his throat, Ji Chenjiao said, “I think I’m the happier one.”
Ling Lie: “Eh?”
Ji Chenjiao: “My wife can make spicy crayfish, sour radish duck soup, seafood in sauce… what can your wife do besides poached eggs?”
Ling Lie’s brain spun rapidly. Damn it, I actually can’t think of anything.
But Ling Lie wouldn’t admit defeat on such a matter. Remembering the long kiss last night, he revealed a satisfied and slightly sly smile.
Ji Chenjiao was alert. What is this rascal plotting now?
With an expression of “I’ve already won big time,” Ling Lie said, “My wife also knows how to kiss. The kissing… tsk tsk tsk!”
Ji Chenjiao: “.”
An Xun had business with Xi Wan. Watching these two from a distance, he asked suspiciously, “Sister Wan, what are they doing? It doesn’t look like arguing, but it doesn’t look like they’re talking normally either.”
Xi Wan turned little An Xun’s head. “I talk to your brother-in-law like that too.”
An Xun: “?”
Ling Lie received the business trip assignment and left the office humming a song, but noticed a gaze sticking to his back. He thought it was his power-worshipping fanboy Shen Qi, but turned around to see it was actually An Xun.
The usually honest and simple forensic assistant’s gaze was a bit hard to describe at this moment.
Ling Lie: “Hmm?”
An Xun’s face immediately turned red.
Ling Lie, who was usually an expert at prying into people’s hearts, failed to understand why An Xun would blush at him this time.
Ye Ruige now lived with her parents in a small northern city. Ling Lie arrived at night and, after communicating with the local police, arranged to visit Ye Ruige’s home the next day.
When Ling Lie was slacking off, he had watched quite a few TV dramas, including ones starring Ye Ruige. This “goddess” had a gentle persona, no scandals, seemed not to compete with others, and had solid professional skills. Many sighed with regret when she retired.
Now a civilian, she wore no makeup, yet she possessed an air of temperament even more refined than when she was a star.
Seeing the visitor was a police officer, Ye Ruige was somewhat nervous. She invited Ling Lie into the sunroom on the top floor. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
Ling Lie noticed she was holding a string of prayer beads, counting them at a steady pace while speaking.
His arrival didn’t seem to disrupt the rhythm of her life.
After simple pleasantries and reassurance, Ling Lie said, “Have you watched the news recently? Do you know that a female celebrity in the circle was murdered?”
Luo Manchai’s news had long become the most followed gossip recently. Ye Ruige’s eyes showed regret as she nodded. “It’s a pity.”
Her sorrow felt genuine. Was she thinking of herself back when fate clipped her wings? At that time, she, like Luo Manchai, was at the peak of her acting career.
Ling Lie said, “Then I don’t need to recount the incident. It’s like this: while investigating Luo Manchai, a witness mentioned you.”
Ye Ruige was somewhat surprised. “It actually involves me?”
“It’s about a rumor regarding your retirement,” Ling Lie said tactfully. “Someone said that the reason Luo Manchai became famous was that she borrowed your luck.”
Ye Ruige’s almond eyes widened. It took her more than ten seconds to comprehend. “You mean Luo Manchai used superstitious methods to steal my popularity and caused my car accident?”
The woman in front of him was gentle and demure. Ling Lie saw a bearing in her different from others in the crew. “What do you think?”
Ye Ruige smiled and shook her head. “I’m not clear on what Luo Manchai did. We weren’t friends, just met once during work. However, examples of using superstition in our circle are too numerous to count, so once you mention it, I can imagine it. But…”
Ye Ruige paused. “My car accident had nothing to do with Luo Manchai. It was my own bad luck; the driver was fatigued. It was just an ordinary car accident. It was my fate.”
“I am someone who believes in fate, but I believe fate is only related to oneself. It’s impossible for someone else’s fate to be borrowed. I chant Buddha’s name now to give myself an explanation for my future life.”
Ye Ruige spoke very candidly, not blaming god or man. Even Ling Lie couldn’t detect any trace of concealment.
Ling Lie thought of Sun Jing’s description of Luo Manchai—when filming Rain on the West Ridge, Luo Manchai had no fame, but in a crew like Rain on the West Ridge, she was already considered a “star.” Sun Jing was initially very dissatisfied with Luo Manchai joining, but later, Luo Manchai’s dedication, humility, and professional ability eliminated her prejudice. When Sun Jing was abandoned by the entire film industry, the only person who contacted her offering help was Luo Manchai.
In Sun Jing’s eyes, Luo Manchai was an ambitious, down-to-earth, good person who deserved her later achievements.
And now, in the eyes of Ye Ruige, the person who was “possibly” harmed by Luo Manchai, the so-called fate exchange didn’t exist at all. She and Luo Manchai were unrelated individuals, and she admired Luo Manchai’s knowledge and ability.
Ling Lie chatted with Ye Ruige for a while longer about the witchcraft prevalent in the circle. Ye Ruige also felt very helpless about such behavior. “Sometimes I feel that we actors can’t help ourselves. I say this not to whitewash those stars who use witchcraft to harm people, but I feel there is a deeper cause and effect within this, a power we cannot see, pushing these dirty things that shouldn’t exist.”
Ling Lie frowned slightly. Ye Ruige was talking about the darkness in the entertainment industry. It existed in high places. What was it?
As the inquiry was about to end, Ye Ruige suddenly said, “I saw on the news that something happened to Teacher Wei’s film?”
Ling Lie asked, “You know Wei Sheng?”
Wei Sheng was the director of Mist on the Water. In the initial screening, Ji Chenjiao had marked him as a key figure. He had friction with Luo Manchai but dared not speak out due to her status. He was one of the people with the opportunity to place the “Killer” card.
Ye Ruige’s tone held some regret. “Teacher Wei isn’t very famous, but he is a very talented director. I’ve watched his films and felt they matched my style quite well. We met a few times at work, chatted, and agreed to collaborate on a project. I was the one who broke the promise.”
“What project was it?”
“It never materialized. Teacher Wei said he would tailor a script for me, but unfortunately, I never waited for it.”
Ling Lie suddenly caught a thread. “Are you still in contact now?”
Ye Ruige: “No. After leaving the circle, I cut off contact with former friends. Besides, we didn’t have a personal friendship to begin with.”
Before Ling Lie left, Ye Ruige said emotionally, “Officer Ling, if possible, I hope Luo Manchai’s tragedy can become a turning point.”
“A turning point?”
“A turning point for the entertainment industry to get better.” Ye Ruige moved the prayer beads. “I taste my own cause and effect, but many young people enter this circle, whether chasing dreams or profit… they can pay the price, but some prices shouldn’t be borne by them alone.”
On the way back to Xiarong City, Ling Lie repeatedly pondered Ye Ruige’s words. Ji Chenjiao asked him to contact Ye Ruige to see if she also suspected Luo Manchai tampered with her car accident, yet Ye Ruige revealed a sorrow he couldn’t quite understand.
Ye Ruige mourned for herself and also for Luo Manchai. There seemed to be something between them that only the same gender could understand. Then was there also such an unspoken thing between Luo Manchai and Sun Jing? Luo Manchai abandoned the so-called witchcraft after taking on Rain on the West Ridge.
At that time, Rain on the West Ridge hadn’t aired yet; there was no storm, nor did it bring her prospects of skyrocketing fame. But she changed anyway. Was it because she was infected by Sun Jing’s past passion during filming? Before Sun Jing “fell,” did she once save Luo Manchai?
Ling Lie closed his eyes. Only the dead knew what the truth was.
At the Serious Crimes Unit, Shen Qi was sprinting down the corridor again. “Captain-Brother, you are so wise! It wasn’t Luo Manchai who was in close contact with the sorcerer, it was Jiang Hui! And she made a huge transfer using virtual currency!”
Shen Qi ran too fast, panting like a dog from the K9 unit. He took a long time to catch his breath before dropping another even heavier piece of news—
“And! The dark web she accessed was ‘Fuguang!'”
Ji Chenjiao’s eyes turned cold. “What?”
“Fuguang.” Since the cases of Xu Jiajia and季諾城 (Ji Nuocheng), it had loomed over the Serious Crimes Unit. It drifted near and far, sometimes sprinkling a few drops of filthy rain, sometimes vanishing without a trace, but the shadow it cast had always existed, following Ling Lie like a ghost.
Ling Lie, the overseas organization “Chenjin” that should have been destroyed, the hallucinogen “Xuetong” that quietly entered the country, the newborn organization “Fuguang,” and those dark figures behind each murder case.
Thinking of Ling Lie’s relationship with “Fuguang,” thinking of Ling Lie’s panic last time when he learned “Fuguang” was the successor to “Chenjin,” Ji Chenjiao’s heart contracted fiercely.
The Special Action Team was closely tracking “Fuguang.” That a user of the “Fuguang” dark web appeared again in a case he was investigating… Ji Chenjiao couldn’t help but wonder, was this accidental? Or did someone deliberately “airdrop” this clue here?
Seeing Ji Chenjiao’s expression change suddenly, Shen Qi hurriedly asked, “Captain-Brother, what’s wrong?”
Ji Chenjiao pressed his brow and shook his head. “Nothing. I’m going to interrogate Jiang Hui. You check again to see what else she did using ‘Fuguang,’ and pay special attention to whether she contacted ‘Xuetong’.”
“Yes!”
“By the way.” Ji Chenjiao stopped Shen Qi. “Don’t tell Ling Lie about Jiang Hui’s relationship with ‘Fuguang’ for now.”
Shen Qi walked towards the technical investigation office in a daze, then suddenly turned around halfway, looking in the direction Ji Chenjiao disappeared. He punched his right fist into his left palm heavily, suddenly realizing, “Captain-Brother, you are so petty!”
Shen Qi turned back to whisper to An Xun, “I have an important clue here. I told Captain-Brother first, and he won’t let me tell my brother. Why do you think that is?”
An Xun was dizzied by his string of “this brother, that brother.” He said dizzily, “Why?”
Shen Qi puffed his nostrils in anger. “This is men’s damn competitiveness at work! Captain-Brother wants to hog the credit, afraid that once my brother knows the clue, he’ll find the solution before him.”
An Xun sobered up instantly and patted Shen Qi’s shoulder. “Although I don’t know why the Captain won’t let you tell Brother Lie, I know it’s definitely not for the reason you said.”
Hearing this, Shen Qi went “Huh?” Why is little An Xun acting so mysterious? Does the Serious Crimes Unit have some secret I don’t know?
“Why? Why?” Shen Qi chased after An Xun asking.
An Xun still had work to do and was pestered to the point of breakdown. Finally, he said, “Would there be damn competitiveness between Sister Wan and her brother-in-law? Would there be damn competitiveness between Brother Liang and his sister-in-law?”
Shen Qi was dumbfounded. “?”
After a long time, he walked several steps with same-side limbs. Huh? Why does this Serious Crimes Unit feel so unfamiliar? What nonsense was little An Xun spouting just now?
Ji Chenjiao was completely unaware of the rumor-mongering gossip happening in the corner of the Serious Crimes Unit. At this moment, he was facing Jiang Hui once again.