Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Grim Joy (30)

The man was tall, and judging by his build, he appeared to be male. A low-quality mask obscured his face, leaving only a pair of narrow, deep-set eyes visible, which seemed to hide a smile and a sense of mystery. He paused in front of her, but in that instant, she couldn't understand why he was staring at her.

Her thoughts drifted far away, to a time long ago, in the workers' community of the munitions factory, always shrouded in grey. Time had faded her memories, but the image of the running "Monkey King" remained vivid.

The boy wore a vest with a hole in it, dirty slippers, but draped a bright golden-red cloak over his shoulders. The mask of the Monkey King was painted so lifelike. The boy ran swiftly, because the faster he ran, the higher his cloak flew.

She laughed as she chased behind, wanting to catch the boy’s cloak, but the boy was like the wind—how could she catch the wind?

She grew tired and shouted the boy’s name. The wind gradually stopped, and the cloak fell. She laughed again, chasing after it and finally catching the cloak.

Suddenly snapped back to reality, Haishu looked closely, and the "Monkey King" was no longer in front of her. She turned around and searched; the crowd was bustling with people wearing masks and strange outfits. That tall figure seemed to have been swallowed by the sea of people or perhaps it had never appeared at all, just a figment of her imagination when her mind faltered.

She quickly finished her burger and cola, then took the subway back to the city bureau. It would have been inhumane to have other team members work with her today. She still couldn't confirm whether Liu Xiang worked at the Starfall Amusement Park or had been to Moonrise Villa on the mountain. But this gave her time to gather clues and organize her thoughts.

Only one lamp was left on in the office, and under its glow, she was browsing online for information on Moonrise Villa.

Suddenly, she saw a familiar name.

“Guang Yongguo?” Haishu stared at the screen and murmured.

He was Guang Jun's father, the deputy director of the Huiyong Glass Factory. When Haishu investigated the Wan Zeyu and Yuan Zhong cases in Zhou Ping Town, she had interacted with this deputy director a few times. She felt this man was very secretive, especially after Guang Jun admitted to killing Xu Qiao. Some of his reactions had been very telling. After Guang Jun was taken into custody, he came to the city for work and social events, never appearing in front of the police again.

Haishu didn’t expect to see his name at this moment.

It was a news article from the opening of the Starfall Amusement Park. Many local entrepreneurs attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and Guang Yongguo was one of them. The accompanying report introduced the park's situation—

The main entity of Starfall Amusement Park was a foreign amusement park, but it didn’t do well when it first entered the country. Cultural misunderstandings caused many locals to reject it. Later, the foreign company learned from their mistakes and, before entering a new city, began cooperating with local businesses to localize. So in different cities, the park had different names, and different companies operated it.

The primary investors in Starfall Amusement Park were two real estate companies, along with a dozen smaller investors, and Guang Yongguo was one of those smaller investors.

There was much less online coverage of Moonrise Villa compared to the amusement park, but it was clear that the villa and the amusement park were linked, with higher spending thresholds and limited visiting times.

Haishu continued to search, gradually uncovering scattered gossip—

“Moonrise Villa is like a high-end J institution, right? Looks nice from the outside, but who knows how wild it is inside.”

“Sounds like you’ve been there yourself.”

“My buddy went there, and the girls inside... tsk tsk tsk!”

“I worked there.”

“Wow! Tell me more.”

“You guys aren’t worthy of hearing.”

“Has anyone died there? That’s what I’m curious about.”

“You wouldn’t know if someone did. Think about it, who’s going there anyway?”

“Can still play after someone dies, right? You guys know some people have necrophilia?”

“Scared you, huh!”

All these snapshots of information were just rumors, but they at least suggested that Moonrise Villa might have problems. Haishu recalled the expression of the Crownhead when they mentioned Moonrise Villa. Like the netizens, they had also heard the rumors surrounding the villa.

If these rumors were true, Moonrise Villa’s situation might be similar to Gong Zhao and his group’s situation.

Haishu once again examined the capital situation of Starfall and Moonrise, but there was no mention of Moonrise Villa in Gong Zhao's disclosures.

It was already past midnight. The city, where fireworks were prohibited, was quiet. Perhaps it was because she had thought of the old factory area and the “Monkey King” at the amusement park, but as she wrote her next investigative plan, the sound of fireworks from that summer came to mind.

The fireworks were set off during the Spring Festival. But in the summer, the factory brought in truckloads of “outdated” fireworks, selling them to children at a low price. The vendors looked sorrowful, explaining that new fireworks would soon be in production. If they didn’t clear out the old stock now, they wouldn’t have the money to restock, and everyone would miss out on the best fireworks for Spring Festival. The children, hearing this, quickly “helped out.”

But the all-powerful “Monkey King” was penniless, and the only coins he had were used to buy a magic wand, which the boys mercilessly mocked.

“Real men should set off fireworks!”

“Are you a girl? Hahahaha!”

“Monkey King” sulked as he handed the magic wand to Haishu. She held it up, chasing away the annoying boy who was making sarcastic comments. The next day, she bought an entire truckload of fireworks as a gift for “Monkey King,” thinking he would be excited and happy. Instead, his face looked even more glum than the day before, refusing to accept her fireworks and threatening to cut ties with her.

She cried all the way home, and her sobs could be heard for several streets. She asked the street vendor for a refund, but how could the vendor give her any money back? She lost her money, lost her friend, and cried again all the way.

“Stop crying!” Just as she was about to faint from crying, “Monkey King” appeared again and threw a piece of paper at her. But the paper was hardly enough to wipe away her tears and snot. She grabbed “Monkey King’s” sleeve and wiped it all over.

“Monkey King” mumbled to himself as he took her to the riverbank. They spent the whole afternoon there, releasing fireworks until the sunset. By then, she was almost asleep.

After that, she never set off fireworks again. But whenever she heard others setting them off, she would turn around to look.

She had always thought that she had used up all her fireworks for a lifetime back then, but today, she suddenly felt like buying a string of them to hear the sound.

She thought about it, but where could she buy fireworks now? Haishu took a deep breath, picked up her pen, and started writing in the empty office.

On the morning of the first day of the New Year, Sui Xing returned to the city bureau. When Haishu saw her, she instinctively checked the date. “Is today the second day of the New Year?”

Sui Xing placed the New Year’s goods she had brought from home on the table. “What about you? What did you do?”

Haishu smiled. “You know my family isn’t here. Anyway, I’m by myself. What’s the difference whether I celebrate or not?”

Sui Xing had already had a New Year’s Eve dinner at home, and was now full of energy. “Hurry, give me a task!”

Since they now had an extra hand, they might as well get started. Haishu printed out the issues she had organized and handed them to Sui Xing, then called her over to the whiteboard. “What you see here are just my speculations. Now, we need to get into the details and find out if Liu Xiang was working at Starfall Amusement Park, and check her income and expenses during the summer. Moonrise Villa is hard to investigate, and Guang Yongguo’s secrets are still unclear, but Gong Zhao is in detention. We must apply to meet him as soon as possible. If we can get some information from him, it will help us investigate Starfall and Guang Yongguo.”

They went their separate ways. Investigating during the holiday season was indeed not ideal; approvals and documentation were slow. Haishu was mentally prepared for this, so she wasn’t anxious. Although it took longer, they managed to obtain Liu Xiang’s transaction records and confirmed that during the summer break of her first year in college, besides working at a certain bookstore café and a retail shop, she also danced at Starfall Amusement Park. Her daily wages ranged from 200 to 300 yuan. The last time she received payment was on July 26th of the previous year, and there was no further contact with the amusement park after that.

Haishu thought this was strange because the amusement park’s summer festivities lasted until the end of August. Since it was such a good job, why would Liu Xiang quit? Additionally, Liu Xiang’s electronic transportation card showed that she went to the amusement park on July 30th, but there was no record of her returning.

After the third day of the New Year, the bookstore café reopened. Haishu found the manager and asked if she remembered Liu Xiang. The manager became nervous as soon as she heard the name. “The girl who committed suicide?”

The bookstore café was next to the University of Science and Technology and mainly served students. Liu Xiang’s suicide had been widely talked about in the school, and the manager had been worried for a long time. At the time, some police had come to ask about Liu Xiang, and the manager recalled that his mind had been in a mess and he couldn’t remember what he had said.

Haishu asked, “Did Liu Xiang show any unusual behavior after August?”

The manager calmed down. “I remember now. She started taking leave frequently from the end of July. She took even more leave in August and made a few mistakes. I asked her what was going on, whether something had happened, and she said nothing was wrong, just that she was too tired. Later, she just stopped coming, and I didn’t pay her for her last day.”

The manager said she couldn’t understand why Liu Xiang became so slack. Liu Xiang had worked here in the first semester, and she had always been diligent and enthusiastic, helping to move books and tallying them quickly. If a customer wanted a book, Liu Xiang was always eager to assist.

Haishu asked, “Did you notice anyone coming to look for her?”

At first, the manager said she didn’t remember, but then she suddenly exclaimed, “The missing girl from the university, she treated Liu Xiang to coffee!”

Haishu: “Xue Ninglin?”

The manager nodded vigorously. “Yes, Xue Ninglin was a member here. She came almost every week to have a drink. The police came a few times to verify her whereabouts, so I remember.”

Haishu asked, “Why did Xue Ninglin invite Liu Xiang for coffee?”

The manager said, “I don’t know. If you hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t have remembered. Our bookstore and the consumer area are separate, and Liu Xiang mainly worked in the bookstore. When she went to the consumer area, I thought she was there to collect books left behind by customers, but she just sat down.”

Haishu asked, “How long did they stay together?”

The manager said, “Maybe just about fifteen minutes? Not long. I asked what they talked about, and Liu Xiang said it was nothing, just an older student she knew.”

It seemed that Liu Xiang and Xue Ninglin had indeed interacted, Haishu thought. Shortly after, Liu Xiang’s behavior became abnormal.

Next, Haishu visited the retail shop where Liu Xiang had worked. A team leader there gave a similar account to the bookstore manager—Liu Xiang performed well in July, and the team leader thought she had hired a good employee. But in August, Liu Xiang stopped coming without even notifying them.

Haishu looked at the timeline. July 30th must have been a turning point. Liu Xiang had clearly arrived at the amusement park by subway that day, but there was no record of her receiving her salary or returning.

“We... how do we know? This girl might not have even worked here,” the amusement park manager, the glasses-wearing woman who had previously been friendly with Haishu, answered evasively. “I don’t know her, but if there’s a salary record, she must have worked here. But I wasn’t here at the time. I only transferred here last year. Oh, so you’re a police officer?”

Haishu took out her badge. “Then who was in your position back then?”

The glasses-wearing woman replied, “I don’t know.”

Haishu said, “Then please find someone who can answer my questions.”

After waiting for a long time, no one came. It was unlikely that they still had footage from the previous summer, but Haishu stayed in the office. The actors and extras coming in and out looked at her, knowing she was a police officer, and discussed in small groups whether something had happened.

The glasses-wearing woman, worried about the bad impression, came to her with official words, saying, “It’s the holiday season, and the leaders aren’t here. Waiting until dark won’t help. After the holiday, I might be able to find out if Liu Xiang came that day.”

Haishu said, “That’s fine, but by the time the holiday is over, I will have the paperwork I need, and I may need you to accompany me to Moonrise Villa then.”

The glasses-wearing woman’s face turned pale, and she hesitated for a while before saying, “That’s definitely not me. I’m not responsible for the upper-level work.”

Haishu said, “Sister, if you remember something, contact me in time. It's better to take the initiative to contact the police than to have the police find you, right?”

As Haishu was about to leave the door, the glasses-wearing woman suddenly said, “Wait!”

“Hm?”

“If... I mean, if the night shift atmosphere is too good and the hours are extended, then... then there might not be a subway ride back.”

Haishu turned around, “So?”

The glasses-wearing woman said nervously, “So sometimes we arrange for a car to send the staff back to the city center.”

Haishu said, “So, Liu Xiang did come to work on the 30th, but it wasn’t the day shift, it was the night shift?”

The glasses-wearing woman nodded, “It should be that way.”

Haishu said, “That makes it even stranger, right? She came, and she worked the harder night shift, but she didn’t get paid.”

The glasses-wearing woman’s eyes widened.

Haishu continued, “So there must be something else going on. But thank you, at least you gave me a lead—working too late, with a car arranged to send them back.”

At the city bureau, the Criminal Investigation Unit had finished their holiday break, and most of the team members were back at work.

“After the 30th, there were no more subway records for Liu Xiang going to the amusement park. This so-called night shift, she was probably working at Moonrise Villa, right?” Sui Xing had gathered more information about Moonrise Villa over the past couple of days. There were signs that this villa was indeed a grey area—on the surface, it offered legitimate high-end services, but internally, its membership system involved illegal services.

A chilling possibility began to surface—Starfall Amusement Park, in the greedy eyes of those up on the mountain, was a tempting “hunting ground.” The parade floats were filled with beautiful, vibrant faces—young girls with dreams of the future, yet unaware of the malicious and dark sides of the world. Many of them were financially struggling, and money easily tempted them.

The girls—perhaps even boys—targeted would be taken to a separate area in the management office, where the manager would recommend them better work, like performing shows at Moonrise Villa.

Given Liu Xiang's looks and her dancing skills, she was likely to have been chosen. She didn’t know about the dangers of the villa. She needed more money to improve her sister's life and to work fewer hours in the new semester so she could focus on her studies.

On the 30th, she packed herself up, feeling nervous yet excited as she arrived at the amusement park, ready to take on a new job. But that day, she witnessed or experienced a painful scene.

She didn’t return to school, or perhaps she was sent back by private car. Her reward was cash, or something else. From that day on, she began doubting herself and the world. She wanted to talk about it, to escape, but the threats from the other side made her afraid to do anything. She became distracted at work, no longer needing the meager pay from the bookstore café or the retail shop.

In August, she maintained her contact with the villa. A private car was responsible for picking her up and sending her back. She received a handsome salary, but her mental state had been crushed. After school started, for some reason, she seemed to have stopped going to the villa, but the shadow remained. Under the heavy pressure, she took her own life.

“But this speculation doesn’t quite match the facts,” Sui Xing said. “We thought about this last time too—Liu Xiang wasn’t assaulted.”

Haishu said, “Assault doesn’t necessarily have to be physical, right?”

Sui Xing nodded, drawing a line between Liu Xiang and Xue Ninglin, “The time they met at the bookstore café was before the 30th. It’s hard to say if Liu Xiang was the one to lure Xue Ninglin to the amusement park. Xue Ninglin’s background and knowledge don’t seem like the type to fall for traps. What could they have talked about?”

Haishu asked, “Has the approval for interrogating Gong Zhao come through?”

Sui Xing had just complained about how slow the higher-ups were when Qiao Heng called with the news that the detention center had arranged everything.

Haishu stopped Sui Xing, instructing, “Focus on testing his reactions with Ju Ning, Liang Lanjun, and Liu Xiang.”

Sui Xing replied, “Got it!”

Gong Zhao, with a scruffy beard, sat opposite Sui Xing, his eyes vacant. He didn’t even recognize the police officer who had interrogated him last year. Sui Xing remembered how arrogant he had been back then. Even when the police had thrown the solid evidence of his murder in front of him, he had never thought that the police could do anything to him, boasting, “Windfull Properties are your bread and butter.”

His misdeeds had drawn the wrath of the higher-ups, and Windfull Properties had been thoroughly investigated. Now, with no protection left, he was a shell of his former self—his face hollowed, no longer the handsome darling of fashion magazines.

“Have you been to Moonrise Villa?” Sui Xing asked.

Gong Zhao reacted slowly, “What?”

Sui Xing enunciated clearly, “Moonrise Villa, the one connected to Starfall Amusement Park.”

Gong Zhao shook his head in confusion, “I don’t know, never been there.”

Sui Xing observed his reaction and then said, “That villa is similar to your clubs. It also offers young men and women for services.”

Gong Zhao suddenly seemed to wake up, “What? Are all the silver nests in Grey Surge City mine?”

Sui Xing sneered, “It’s not impossible.”

Gong Zhao’s emotions flared up, “I’m telling you clearly, that place has nothing to do with me! I’ve already confessed everything. You’ve arrested all the people you needed to. Don’t try to pin other things on me!”

His anger showed no signs of being faked. Sui Xing then tested further, “Do you know Guang Yongguo?”

Gong Zhao: “What kind of stray cats and dogs do you think I know?”

Sui Xing then mentioned a few more names, all small investors in Moonrise Starfall. Two of them Gong Zhao said he knew, but not well—they weren’t in his circle of friends.

After this round of questioning, Sui Xing felt that Gong Zhao might really have nothing to do with Moonrise Villa. Gong Zhao, dissatisfied, said, “Isn’t it possible that something happened at this place, something similar to what happened to me before? You can’t catch the people involved, so you just pin it all on me, like a broken drum getting beaten by a crowd?”

Sui Xing snapped back, “If we can catch you, there’s no one we can’t catch.”

This wasn’t a nice thing to say, but Gong Zhao surprisingly seemed to take it well. Sui Xing continued, “Do you remember Liu Xiang and Xue Ninglin?”

Gong Zhao shook his head. Even after seeing their photos, he still shook his head.

Sui Xing had no choice but to temporarily set this aside. “Let’s talk about something else. You’ve been studying in countries F and G since middle school, right?”

Gong Zhao: “Yes.”

Sui Xing: “But when you were in university, you came back to China and studied at Huiyong University?”

Gong Zhao’s expression changed subtly. “Yes.”

Sui Xing: “Did you hear about the expulsion incident during your time at Huiyong? The agricultural…”

“No,” Gong Zhao interrupted.

Sui Xing raised her eyebrows. “I haven’t finished speaking, how did you know?”

Gong Zhao impatiently said, “How many years ago was that? Of course, I don’t remember.”

Sui Xing finished her sentence, “…The student who was expelled was named Liang Lanjun, who was stabbed by him. The person who got his position was named Ju Ning. It caused a big stir. You should have some memory of it.”

Gong Zhao seemed very unwilling to continue this topic. His urgency and anxiety were starkly different from how he acted when Moonrise Villa was brought up. Talking about Moonrise Villa seemed like discussing something unrelated to him, but the past at Huiyong University was something he subconsciously wanted to escape.

“Why should I remember that?” he asked.

“As I understand it, students on study exchange wouldn’t miss out on any new events happening on campus.”

“Stereotype!”

“You’re not wrong, it is a stereotype. However...” Sui Xing’s tone shifted slightly. “Before coming to meet you, I’ve already met with Professor Ju three times.”

Gong Zhao’s breath hitched, and he immediately tensed up.

“I didn’t expect you to be so interested in scientific research,” Sui Xing said. “Did you provide project funding for Professor Ju’s team because you two are such good friends?”

Gong Zhao had clearly not expected this female police officer to mention Ju Ning. Caught off guard, he blinked more frequently.

Sui Xing waited for a while before hearing him speak: “I didn’t know Ju Ning when I was at Huiyong University, and I don’t know anything about the expulsion. I met him in country F, and we hit it off right away. I studied business and also art, but I’ve always admired scientists since I was a child. I like listening to him talk about interesting things in scientific research.”

What Gong Zhao said matched Ju Ning’s account—how they became friends in country F, grew distant after returning to China, and later reunited in Huiyong City. Though they couldn’t meet up as often as when they were in school, Gong Zhao had sponsored Ju Ning’s project to help his friend and also to fulfill his childhood dream.

Gong Zhao emphasized that the funding had no problems. Sui Xing actually believed him, as the police had already been investigating Windfull for a long time, and problematic funds were gradually being exposed.

However, Gong Zhao’s story lacked any mention of Liang Lanjun, a key figure.

Sui Xing asked again, “You really don’t remember Liang Lanjun?”

Gong Zhao’s voice raised, “I don’t know him! I don’t know this person!”

Before Sui Xing could return to the bureau, she told Haishu about Gong Zhao’s situation in the car. Haishu had already started investigating Moonrise Villa, and was about to meet relevant parties. “Gong Zhao and Ju Ning are so closely related. Anything Ju Ning is hiding is probably something Gong Zhao is hiding too. This is a good opportunity, let’s make Ju Ning think that Gong Zhao has told us something.”

Sui Xing drove back to the city, and through the rearview mirror, she saw a car following her. She deliberately turned onto a side street, and the car followed her. When she braked, the car stopped too, then attempted to turn. She sped up, blocking the car. The door opened, and it was Ju Ning.

“Oh, Professor Ju, what are you doing?” Sui Xing said. “Not doing research, but playing detective? Who hired you? Even the police are being followed now?”

Ju Ning seemed nervous. “I wasn’t following you.”

“Then where are you going?”

“I…”

“Alright, Professor Ju, we’re both busy. Don’t play games with me here. Why are you following me?”

Ju Ning didn’t speak, but he couldn’t leave either.

Sui Xing said, “If you want to know where I’m going, you can ask directly. This is not good, what if we get into a car accident?”

Ju Ning glanced at her sideways. “By chance, by chance I ran into you.”

Sui Xing was direct. “I just came back from the detention center.”

Ju Ning immediately fell silent.

“You just want to know if I went to the detention center, right?” Sui Xing said as she pressed against the car door. “Yes, I went. I went to see Gong Zhao, to find out what happened at Huiyong University back then.”

Ju Ning muttered, “What did he say?”

Sui Xing countered, “What are you afraid he’ll say?”

“…”

“It has nothing to do with me!” Ju Ning said loudly. “I don’t care what Gong Zhao did. I have a clear conscience about the spot I got!”

On the other side, Haishu confirmed that Moonrise Villa had stopped operating since last October. The official explanation was that it was under renovation. The two real estate companies behind it stated that the specific operation was handed over to a cultural media company called Grey Tribe, and Guang Yongguo was the owner of that company.