Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Violent Joy (27)

The sound of firecrackers crackled outside the window. Hai Shu tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. She felt as though she were trapped in a huge pocket, with the top slowly tightening, while the bottom was accumulating more and more clues, soon to drown her.

She threw off the covers, suddenly sat up, grabbed her phone, and opened a news app. The app featured reruns of local TV shows, and relying on her memory, she found the "In-depth Investigation" segment from the morning broadcast on Guiyong Channel 2. She dragged the progress bar. It was a half-hour show, and in the middle, there was a segment about the real estate giant Fengman being investigated. This was the news Liang Lanjun had been watching when Hai Shu went to the Liang family’s house.

She watched the entire news clip, then dragged the progress bar back to rewatch it, all while searching for "Fengman Real Estate" on her computer.

This company was not local to Guiyong City; it originated from a developed coastal city and began expanding nationwide over 20 years ago. It came to Guiyong City, buying land and building buildings. Its peak was over ten years ago when many high-end properties in Guiyong City were built by Fengman Real Estate. In recent years, the entire Fengman Group had been on a downward slope, with no new projects in Guiyong City.

But the incident that occurred happened right within Guiyong’s team.

Hai Shu rested her chin on her left hand and zoomed in on the photo of "Fengman’s heir" Gong Zhao. He was 36 years old, looking like a well-mannered, proper person. During the heyday of Fengman, he was highly favored in both the economic and fashion circles, appearing on many magazines, regarded as a benchmark figure for Fengman’s new generation.

However, the news that broke six months ago shattered all his facades—at a club owned by Fengman, a man under 20 was assaulted by him and died. The police investigation revealed that he and several young heirs from wealthy families had been bullying and abusing young men and women, kidnapping them to the club or his home, treating them as playthings. If it weren’t for this fatal incident, their actions might have continued for who knows how long.

After the police intervention, various economic scandals within Fengman Group were exposed, and Gong Zhao gradually disappeared from the ongoing investigation. The "In-depth Investigation" report was about the economic crimes of Fengman’s top management.

Hai Shu thought for a moment, then continued searching for Gong Zhao. The first few pages were full of news about his involvement in the death of a person, and some of his fans lamenting and angrily saying they were unfollowing him. Hai Shu muttered to herself in surprise, “This kind of person even has fans?”

But as she scrolled further, she realized that not only did Gong Zhao have fans, but he had quite a number of them. Gong Zhao was sent to Europe to study before the age of 10. Later, due to his good looks—though more importantly his wealthy background and his willingness to use publicity—he became a model for fashion magazines. A small group of people in the country followed him, calling him an elegant figure and a natural aristocrat. In hindsight, these words were likely just promotional materials he had bought to gain attention.

After returning to the country, Gong Zhao became very “low-profile,” with photos only appearing when he attended high-society events. He was often featured in business reports and packaged by Fengman Group as the heir of a prestigious family.

During this stage, his fanbase grew larger, and many people genuinely felt that he was talented and handsome, wondering where such a husband could be found. As his fame grew, he used the excuse of “not being able to turn it down” to accept fashion magazine shoots once again. To his fans, his elegance was unmatched by foreign models.

After Gong Zhao returned to the country, he worked at Fengman’s headquarters for a long time, but four years ago, he was transferred to Guiyong City. However, he didn’t seem to stay in Guiyong City permanently.

Hai Shu was reading an interview about Gong Zhao’s arrival in Guiyong City when she suddenly furrowed her brows. When the reporter asked what attracted him to Guiyong City, he listed a bunch of vague advantages of the city, and finally said that he had studied at Guiyong University and had a pleasant time there.

The reporter was surprised, “But weren’t you always studying abroad?”

He smiled and nodded, then said that when he first started university, he had the opportunity to travel and study abroad. However, since he wasn’t an official student, there were no records of his enrollment.

He added, “So, I’m also kind of a half-student of Guiyong University.”

Guiyong University! Again, Guiyong University! And Gong Zhao had stayed in F Country during his time studying abroad! The project that Liang Lanjun was fighting for was also in F Country!

She immediately wrote down the approximate time when Gong Zhao arrived at Guiyong University, and by calculating his study time abroad, she deduced that during his time at Guiyong University, it was likely around the same time Liang Lanjun was expelled.

He and Liang Lanjun might have crossed paths!

But what did this mean? Hai Shu reminded herself to stay calm and not to be carried away by the clues.

The firecracker sounds outside had subsided, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder. In the early morning, she made a decision. Tomorrow, she would leave Zhou Ping Town and head to Guiyong City. She couldn’t let the pocket keep tightening; she needed to take control of its looseness.

When Wen Xu heard that Hai Shu was returning to the city, he smiled and said, “Do you need me to be the driver?”

Hai Shu shook her head. “I’ll leave this to you guys, and contact me if needed.”

Wen Xu said, “Don’t worry, with the captain out, I can relax a bit.”

Hai Shu was speechless for a moment but quickly asked, “What about Cheng Wei?”

“He went to the old workshop again,” Wen Xu said. “He’s had a quarrel with them over there.”

Hai Shu drove through the town, passing Yin Canxi’s cosmetics shop. It was a busy time on the commercial street, but the cosmetics shop was tightly shut.

At the city bureau, in the criminal investigation team leader's office.

All the procedures for the new team leader were waived. After listening to Hai Shu’s analysis, Qiao Heng remained silent for half a minute. “So you think Fengman might be related to the missing university students?”

Hai Shu said, “Right now, it’s still just a hypothesis. Since Gong Zhao and his group of rich playboys opened a club to abuse young men and women, showing no respect for life, it’s possible they targeted good-looking university students. The disappearances of Ping Sheng, Xue Ninglin, and Li Hui are suspicious. Since the investigation into their personal relationships hasn’t turned up any clues, they might have become targets for these people.”

Qiao Heng’s expression became serious. “You make a good point, but we’ve already verified over ten victims from Gong Zhao’s case. Later, the higher-ups took over the case. Gong Zhao and his accomplices shouldn’t have hidden anything. Moreover, the incident with Gong Zhao happened in June last year, but Ping Sheng disappeared in July.”

Hai Shu fell silent.

Qiao Heng added, “But your thinking is reasonable. Perhaps Gong Zhao and his friends aren’t the only ones using malicious methods to target young people. But the group that was targeted this time is quite intriguing.”

Hai Shu raised her head. “Hmm?”

Qiao Heng said, "Think about it, similar cases nationwide—whether it's those who voluntarily got involved or those who were forced—almost all of them are people struggling in life with no background. But the three missing university students, none of them lack money. Ping Sheng’s father is even a deputy director. Why them?"

Hai Shu was also pondering this question. Why them? Gong Zhao's appearance had opened up a new line of thought for her, but the backgrounds of Ping Sheng and the other two were the most illogical part of that line of thinking.

Qiao Heng said a few words of encouragement and then took Hai Shu to the criminal investigation team’s office. He apologized, "There are so many cases; I haven’t had a chance to throw you a welcome party. Not many people from the office are around."

Hai Shu smiled. "I’ve met most of them. Solving cases is the best welcome party."

There were three officers who hadn’t gone to Zhou Ping Town. Hai Shu greeted them with Qiao Heng accompanying her. She was about to head to Guiyong University when Sui Xing rushed into the office, holding a cup of coffee.

Hai Shu nearly collided with her, but thankfully she dodged just in time, or else she would have to go back to the dorm and change.

"Captain Hai?" Sui Xing exclaimed. "You’re back without saying anything? The Wan Ze Yu case…"

Hai Shu shook her head. "It’s not solved yet."

Sui Xing handed her the coffee. "This one’s for you. You’ve just returned, I’ll treat you."

Hai Shu smiled and accepted it. Sui Xing added, "Drink up, and then analyze this for me. I think something’s off with that Ju Ning."

Sui Xing went into detail about her two meetings with Ju Ning. "If you were in his shoes, coming from a poor background and every step toward university was earned through your own effort, even though your grades weren’t top-tier, your overall abilities were high, and you urgently needed an opportunity to study abroad. Then, in the competition for that opportunity, there was someone who had better grades than you. In the end, you beat him. Would you feel that it was your rightful win?"

Hai Shu said, "Of course."

Sui Xing continued, "Now, this person who lost to you is unwilling to accept it and goes to the academy to complain. When the academy doesn't take action, he goes mad and swings a knife at you. You can’t say he’s a murderer, but at that moment, he certainly wanted to kill you."

Hai Shu pondered, "I see."

Sui Xing said, "He obviously didn’t succeed, and you got into the project and later even got the chance to study abroad. Your life changed because of it, and you became a respected scholar after returning to China." Sui Xing paused for a moment. "I’ve been thinking for a long time. If I were Ju Ning, I would feel no guilt. Even if Liang Lanjun was expelled because of it, that would be what he deserved."

Hai Shu said, "And what I got was what I deserved. I worked hard and didn’t hurt anyone."

Sui Xing was a bit excited. "That’s exactly it! So when I first met Ju Ning and mentioned the project and Liang Lanjun, he might have been surprised, but he wouldn’t have been shocked to that extent! And there was fear in his eyes too. These were all real reactions from him, unprepared. But when we met for the second time, he had completely calmed down. What I just said was from our second meeting, and that’s what he told me."

Hai Shu had finished the coffee and stood up to throw away the cup. "If his first reaction wasn’t a lie, then his second story is probably a rehearsed lie. He doesn’t feel innocent about that project. He doesn’t fully own what he has now, so when he suddenly heard about Liang Lanjun, that’s why he panicked and became fearful."

Sui Xing asked, "So how do we investigate next?"

Hai Shu’s gaze fell on her notebook, and she flipped to the page about Gong Zhao, the words "F Country" standing out. "Right now, we lack evidence. Getting too close to Ju Ning might backfire, so we should avoid showing up in front of him for now. But take a look at this person."

Sui Xing asked, "Gong Zhao?"

Hai Shu said, "Have you been involved in investigating him?"

Sui Xing shook her head. "His case had a big impact, but it’s not complicated. The district police are leading the investigation."

"It’s fine. If you have time, keep an eye on this person. He studied abroad at Guiyong University and lived in F Country for a long time. The man he killed was named Zhang Gu. I need all the information about him."

"Leave it to me!"

With Sui Xing’s help, Hai Shu felt relieved. She began reviewing the investigation files on the three missing university students.

In the cases, the only female, Xue Ninglin, had the thickest file because her social relationships were the most complex. She had a large circle of friends both inside and outside the school. Her personality was also multifaceted—she was an excellent, outgoing, and enthusiastic student at school, but outside, she was a mature and beautiful woman who could navigate nightclubs with ease.

Hai Shu couldn’t help but spend more time on her file, noticing a name that appeared frequently—Huang Yiya.

This girl was Xue Ninglin’s schoolmate, the same age but from a different major. The file didn’t explain how they met, but they had a very close relationship, often attending each other’s classes. Xue Ninglin wouldn’t go to nightclubs with her classmates, but she frequently went with Huang Yiya.

In other words, Huang Yiya was a friend who existed in Xue Ninglin’s double life.

Because of their close relationship, the district police had questioned Huang Yiya multiple times. Initially, she had been emotional, but later calmed down and said that although she was very close to Xue Ninglin, they had stopped talking a week before Xue Ninglin disappeared due to some conflict.

She didn’t specify what the conflict was. The district police had suspected that Xue Ninglin’s disappearance might have something to do with her, but after the investigation, they found that just before Xue Ninglin went missing, Huang Yiya had gone to her hometown to accompany her grandmother, who was critically ill. After her grandmother passed away, she returned to Guiyong City after the funeral, leaving little opportunity for her to have committed the crime.

The file briefly mentioned Huang Yiya’s family background. She was from Guiyong City, with parents in business, and her family situation was similar to Xue Ninglin’s. This might have been why they became close friends. She didn’t live on campus and had an apartment near the Science and Technology University. She also shared some similarities with Xue Ninglin—she got along well with her classmates and was willing to help others.

Hai Shu noted down Huang Yiya’s contact information and planned to visit her next.

She made the call, and a gentle female voice came through. Hai Shu introduced herself, and after a brief pause, Huang Yiya hung up. Hai Shu was about to head to Huang’s house when Huang Yiya called back. "Are you... a police officer? You’re not like them."

Hai Shu said, "Yes, I’m a police officer. I’m the captain of the criminal investigation team at the city bureau, Hai Shu."

Huang Yiya replied, "You... you’re a woman?"

"Yes."

"I've never met you before."

"Well, how about we meet now?"

Huang Yiya hesitated. "I don't want to go to the district police station again."

Hai Shu understood her reluctance. There weren't many female officers in the criminal investigation team, and some of them were just as blunt as the male officers when interrogating people. "It's fine. I just want to chat with you, no need to come to the station. Send me your address, and I'll treat you to milk tea nearby."

Half an hour later, Hai Shu and Huang Yiya sat in a dessert shop in a large shopping center. Huang Yiya had her curly hair styled and pinned with a hair clip, looking like a princess, with a designer dress and bag. When she saw Hai Shu, she seemed surprised. "You’re Captain Hai?"

The shop was noisy, so no one could overhear their conversation. Hai Shu gestured for her to sit down. "What would you like to drink? I’ll treat."

Huang Yiya seemed a little embarrassed. Hai Shu patted her shoulder. "Don't be tense. I need your help."

The milk tea and cake arrived. Huang Yiya cautiously asked, "What do you want to know? Actually, you've asked me about Ning Lin many times. I've already told you everything I can about her."

Hai Shu asked, "How did you two meet?"

"Huh?" Huang Yiya was quite surprised.

Hai Shu smiled. "Today isn’t an interrogation, just a casual chat."

Huang Yiya looked around. There were many groups of two or three girls in the dessert shop, gossiping intimately. In such an atmosphere, she finally relaxed a bit.

"We met during our first-year club activities."

The busiest time during the first year was the club recruitment, and after classes, all the clubs would gather in the student plaza, with the seniors showing off their talents, "persuading" the freshmen who were full of excitement about university life.

Huang Yiya had already decided to join the Guzheng (Chinese zither) club. She had studied Western music since she was young, but after the college entrance exams, she became interested in traditional instruments and started learning the Guzheng. The Guzheng club and other music clubs competed for space. Just as Huang Yiya was about to sign up, she was distracted by the sound of a drum kit.

Of course, she wasn’t the only one attracted. When the drums started, the sound was so loud that it drowned out all the other music, and in the middle of the drum set was a short-haired girl.

It was Xue Ninglin.

At first, Huang Yiya thought Xue Ninglin was a senior, but later realized she was also a first-year student like herself.

Before Xue Ninglin finished, the sounds of Guzheng and Pipa (Chinese lute) echoed, one Chinese and one Western, one soft and one wild, yet they combined perfectly, stirring up people's emotions.

Xue Ninglin ran to the Guzheng club and hugged the senior who was playing. Huang Yiya, standing there, caught her eye, and she sincerely said, "You play really well."

Xue Ninglin said, "You’re joining Guzheng? Alright, let’s play together in the future!"

After joining the Guzheng club, Huang Yiya found out that Xue Ninglin didn’t join any other club, but she was seen at many club events and welcome parties from different departments. She was like an untiring genius—good at calligraphy, street dance, billiards, and, of course, musical instruments.

Soon after, Xue Ninglin came to the Guzheng club to play, pulling Huang Yiya along. She said there was a performance at the Physics department’s welcome party the next week and asked if Huang Yiya wanted to come play Guzheng, with payment.

Huang Yiya didn’t care about the payment, and she knew that Xue Ninglin’s family was wealthy, so the performance fee was nothing to her. Xue Ninglin’s enthusiasm infected her, and she was also eager to show off her Guzheng skills.

The performance was a great success, and Huang Yiya's relationship with Xue Ninglin became even closer. After that, Xue Ninglin frequently invited her to perform, not only at welcome parties but also at bars off-campus. At first, Huang Yiya was a little shy, but after performing a few times, she completely loosened up.

"We weren’t doing it for money, it was just fun," Huang Yiya emphasized the money part, then continued.

Xue Ninglin was very measured in her actions. Although she played wildly during the first year, after New Year’s, she suddenly focused, stopped accepting performances, and stopped hanging out in various clubs. Instead, she buried herself in the library studying.

Huang Yiya, still not able to pull herself together, was immersed in the whistles and cheers at the bar. She asked Xue Ninglin when her next performance was, but Xue Ninglin pulled her by the arm and said, "Forget performances, let’s go study!"

Huang Yiya said she was an easily influenced person—if the people around her were indulging, she would follow, but if they were uplifting, she would improve as well. After half a month of studying with Xue Ninglin, her final exams went well, and her parents rewarded her with a sports car.

Xue Ninglin’s grades were even better—she was in the top three of her department and could get a scholarship.

After that, her relationship with Xue Ninglin improved even more. She felt they were soulmates. Their similar family backgrounds meant she didn’t have to worry about money. Their interests aligned, so they could study together and party together—such a friend was hard to come by.

Her parents liked Xue Ninglin a lot. In the summer of their first year, Xue Ninglin stayed at her house, and her parents praised her for being polite and elegant, saying she lacked the grandeur that Xue Ninglin had.

In their second year, Xue Ninglin got tired of the club life, rarely performed at nightclubs anymore, and focused more on her studies and the student union. However, she still went to bars to relax. Huang Yiya had gotten used to following Xue Ninglin around. After she stopped performing, she had more time and often went to attend classes at Xue Ninglin’s school. Xue Ninglin also often stayed at her apartment near her university.

Huang Yiya’s voice gradually became very low. "I don’t understand. Why did she suddenly disappear?"

Hai Shu waited for a moment and said, "I heard from the colleagues in the district police that before Xue Ninglin disappeared, you had a conflict with her and stopped seeing her."

Huang Yiya's shoulders suddenly shook, and she lowered her head, clearly reluctant to mention this, "I never thought of hurting her. I never did, it wasn’t me..."

Hai Shu said, "I know. She wasn’t in Guiyong City when it happened. Take a break, I’ll use the restroom."

After Hai Shu left, Huang Yiya covered her face, and soon bent down on the table. Hai Shu didn’t actually go to the restroom; she stood outside the dessert shop for a while, watching Huang Yiya through the glass door.

Five minutes later, she returned to her seat. "Feeling better?"

Huang Yiya raised her head. "Mm."

"I'm not suspicious that you did anything to her. It's clear you didn’t have the opportunity to commit the crime," Hai Shu's tone was gentle, but there was a subtle force behind it. "But I need to understand what happened between you two, because for Xue Ninglin, this was a change in her life. Could this change have indirectly caused her disappearance a week later?"

Huang Yiya shook her head sadly, murmuring, "How could it be? We just had an argument..."

Hai Shu asked, "What was it about?"

Huang Yiya's eyes reddened. "Could Xue Ninglin's disappearance really have been caused by me? I..."

Hai Shu said, "I don't know, that's why I need you to tell me. If there’s a clue, it might help us find Xue Ninglin. If there isn’t, we can rule it out and focus on other things. Either way, just telling me will help with the investigation."

Huang Yiya took a deep breath, her voice trembling, "It really was just a small thing. I don’t understand why she reacted so strongly, saying she wouldn’t talk to me anymore. Last year, there was a girl in our department who committed suicide. It was so tragic, and the student union was planning to organize a charity performance, with all the proceeds going to her family. I thought it was a good thing, and I knew Xue Ninglin would definitely participate. But she refused, and she didn’t even want me to participate."

Hai Shu immediately caught that disturbing word. "Suicide? Who was it?"