Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Bloody Joy (31)

Grey Tribe Cultural Media Company is located in an old villa area in the city center, developed by Windfull Properties. It was once where the wealthiest people in Huiyong City lived, but later fell into decline. Small companies moved in, and the place was converted into office buildings.

Haishu stood in front of the villa with the "Grey Tribe" sign, noticing the crooked lantern hanging at the entrance. The villa had three floors, and while nearby companies were already operating with sounds of conversations coming from them, the villa only had lights on in the first floor.

Haishu pushed open the door. The receptionist, who was playing on her phone, looked up, seemingly not used to visitors. "Who are you looking for?"

Haishu glanced inside and saw many cardboard boxes stacked in the office. The computers weren’t even on, and there was no one in sight. It looked as if the place had been deserted. Haishu showed her badge. "I’m looking for your person in charge."

The receptionist was startled. "Ah, we... we haven’t started work today?"

Haishu asked, "When do you start working?"

The receptionist said, "I... I don’t know either. We’re working from home."

Haishu asked, "So you’ve been working from home since last October?"

"The higher-ups’ arrangement. I don’t know anything about it either," the receptionist responded.

The receptionist was quite pretty but lacked grace, clearly the type with an empty head, unable to organize her words properly. Haishu simply walked in, and the receptionist hurriedly chased after her in high heels. "Hey, don’t walk around!"

Haishu ignored her and casually picked up a dusty art catalog. It was a promotional booklet for Moonrise Villa, beautifully made. On the office walls, several detailed pictures of the villa were displayed. For Grey Tribe, Moonrise Villa was certainly a cash cow.

Unable to stop Haishu, the receptionist called her superior. Haishu reached the independent small office on the first floor. The frosted door was locked and wouldn’t open.

"Our boss will be here soon," the receptionist said, now sounding more confident. "Hey, don’t touch our stuff!"

Haishu asked, "Which boss?"

The receptionist said, "Brother Wang, our manager!"

Haishu asked, "What about Guang Yongguo?"

The receptionist was unfamiliar with the name. "Who?"

Haishu switched to another title. "Do you call him Mr. Guang?"

The receptionist said, "Ah, you mean Uncle Guang?"

"Yes."

"Uncle Guang doesn’t come often. He’s the boss, but doesn’t handle things."

Haishu went upstairs, and the receptionist followed her. Haishu asked, "How did you end up working here?"

The receptionist proudly replied, "I’m lucky. I used to dance part-time at the amusement park. Brother Wang said I danced well, so he asked me to come work here."

Another dancer. Haishu pointed to a door and asked, "Is this Uncle Guang’s office?"

"You can’t go in!"

Haishu had already entered. The style of this office was identical to the one Guang Yongguo had in the glass factory, except this one had almost nothing on the display cabinets.

Haishu turned around twice and noticed that the top shelf of the display cabinet had a hole dug out. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the hole was there for an air conditioner, with the plug passing through the display cabinet to reach the socket. Haishu stood on a stool and moved the plug aside. She suddenly noticed a gap on the right side of the panel. When she moved it, she found a pinhole camera hidden inside, and it was still running.

Someone was monitoring Guang Yongguo? Was Guang Yongguo trying to monitor people entering this office?

Brother Wang rushed over. He was a man of medium height with a square face. Upon seeing a female police officer, he straightened his back. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Haishu said, "We’re investigating a missing persons case, and some leads point to Moonrise Villa, so we came to understand the situation."

Brother Wang smiled. "Alright, go ahead. I’ll cooperate fully."

Haishu didn’t immediately mention the case. "What kind of projects does Moonrise Villa have?"

"All legitimate and lawful projects! Things like friend gatherings, banquets, acupuncture, and massages. We mainly help our guests relax. Of course, we cater to high-end clients, not everyone can afford it. Since not many people come, it inevitably becomes mysterious in the eyes of the public," Brother Wang said. "I know there are rumors that we offer those kinds of services, but I assure you, it’s all nonsense."

Haishu suddenly smiled.

Brother Wang paused, looking at her with suspicion.

“I haven’t asked yet, but you’re already explaining,” Haishu said. “You’re in a hurry to clear yourself of suspicion.”

Brother Wang then realized that this woman was not easy to deal with. He awkwardly smiled. “I’ve heard the rumors too, haven’t I? Besides, we run a legitimate business, pay taxes on time. If the police show up, it must be because some gossip reached your ears.”

Haishu said, “I did hear something. You and Starry Amusement Park are connected, right?”

Brother Wang became cautious. “We’re under the same company, but we only handle the villa. We do cooperate from time to time.”

Haishu asked, “So this so-called cooperation means you pick out the best of the temporary actors at the amusement park and send them to the villa to work?”

The receptionist froze upon hearing this. “Brother Wang?”

A hint of aggression flashed in Brother Wang's eyes, which didn’t match his usually calm and honest appearance. “Officer Haishu, you must have misunderstood. We did collaborate with the amusement park to hire staff, but it’s always a two-way selection. We never forced anyone.”

Haishu said, “I never said you forced anyone. So, what do they do at the villa?”

“They’re just regular service staff. We have high-end customers, so of course, our staff need to have good looks and demeanor.” Brother Wang no longer looked at Haishu. “We offer competitive wages.”

Haishu then took out a photo of Liu Xiang. “Do you recognize her?”

Brother Wang’s facial muscles tightened. “Never seen her. Who is she?”

Haishu stared into Brother Wang’s eyes. “Really don’t know?”

“Would I lie to the police?”

“Last summer, she was part of the amusement park’s float parade. She danced well and was beautiful. People still remember her. Why, didn’t you spot this gem and invite her to work at the villa?”

Brother Wang said, “Let me take another look... I really don’t remember.”

Haishu continued, “On July 30th, two years ago, she took the subway to the amusement park. There’s no record of her returning that day. She must have gone to work at the villa and then taken your staff car back to the city center that night.”

Brother Wang laughed. “Officer Haishu, your imagination is quite vivid.”

Haishu smiled back. “Yes, I also wondered why you used cash to pay her wages.”

Brother Wang’s smile stiffened.

Haishu said, “Is it because Liu Xiang’s income couldn’t be paid through electronic payments?”

Brother Wang replied seriously, “Officer Haishu, I don’t understand where your doubts are coming from, but we truly don’t have anyone named Liu Xiang at the villa.”

Haishu pointed to a photo of Xue Ninglin. “What about her?”

Brother Wang reluctantly glanced at the photo, then looked more closely. A trace of smugness showed in his eyes. “Never seen her. I don’t know.”

His reaction to the photos of Liu Xiang and Xue Ninglin was very different. He clearly had seen Liu Xiang but kept denying it, while Xue Ninglin seemed to have no connection to him.

Haishu put away her phone. “We need to search the Moonrise Villa. Please make it convenient.”

Brother Wang said, “That’s not possible!”

“Not possible?”

“We’re currently renovating the villa!”

Haishu said, “You’ve reminded me. The villa has been closed since October of last year, was it for renovations?”

Brother Wang said, “Of course, it’s all to provide better service.”

“But I went and saw, there are no workers inside,” Haishu said. “It looks more like it was shut down for some other reason.”

Brother Wang rubbed his hands together on his pants. “Isn’t it the New Year? The workers went back to their hometowns.”

Haishu spoke with him for a while longer, but he kept deflecting her questions. The Criminal Investigation team still didn’t have the authority to seize important items like the computers and documents from Grey Tribe. Haishu didn’t make a rash move. After returning to the police station, she called Guang Yongguo.

It was clear that Guang Yongguo had already received the news, and there was no surprise in his tone. After Guang Jun’s arrest, as his father, he hadn’t gone to help his son but instead focused on his work, staying in the city for most of the time. Haishu had heard people in Zhou Ping Town say that Guang Yongguo was an upright man who wouldn’t use his connections to help Guang Jun get away with things.

Anyone could believe that, but not the police. Haishu had always felt that Guang Yongguo’s reaction before and after Guang Jun’s incident was strange, as if he was hiding something. Now, she had finally grasped that clue—perhaps Guang Yongguo wasn’t reluctant to use his connections, but rather the timing wasn’t right, and he didn’t dare. His priority was to stay completely hidden and as low-key as possible, just like the closed Moonrise Villa.

Haishu already suspected the villa had shut down for some reason. October, the time the villa closed, was easy to associate with Xue Ninglin’s disappearance. However, Brother Wang’s reaction had separated Xue Ninglin from the Moonrise Villa.

So, what else happened in October?

Gong Zhao killed Zhang Gu in June. The police had begun focusing on him and his accomplices in the “Silver Nest.” By October, the investigation had spread to Windfull Properties. If the nature of Moonrise Villa was similar, of course, they needed to lay low.

Guang Yongguo probably didn’t expect that Gong Zhao’s troubles would be over soon, but Guang Jun had just created a huge mess for him. He hadn’t even finished evading the police’s gaze, how could he dare to use his connections to help Guang Jun escape the crime?

Haishu requested a meeting with Guang Yongguo for a detailed discussion, and he had no excuse to refuse. He arrived at the police station.

“Officer Haishu, you’ve really been working hard. I heard that the case in Zhou Ping Town is still dragging on, and now you have a new case?” Compared to when they were in Zhou Ping Town, Guang Yongguo seemed to have more to say.

“Yes, it’s all with familiar faces, so I won’t beat around the bush,” Haishu said as she placed a cup of hot tea in front of Guang Yongguo. “The reason I asked you to come is because I’ve received some clues that there are illegal services at the Moonrise Villa. You know about Gong Zhao, the one who was recently arrested? It’s very similar to what he was doing.”

Guang Yongguo shook his head with a smile. “I’ve been wronged! Who spread such rumors? I’ll make sure they pay for it in court.”

Haishu said, “The female student who committed suicide at the Science and Technology University, Liu Xiang, she may have worked at the Moonrise Villa before the incident.”

At the mention of Liu Xiang, Guang Yongguo’s gaze flickered for a moment, but it quickly returned to normal. “May have? What’s the basis for that? Officer Haishu, what evidence do you have?”

Evidence, for the Criminal Investigation team, was the most difficult part right now—lack of evidence. Haishu saw unease and confidence in Guang Yongguo’s eyes, two contradictory emotions. Guang Yongguo seemed to be aware of what had happened to Liu Xiang, but Liu Xiang was already dead. The dead wouldn’t rise to accuse the Moonrise Villa. Moreover, Liu Xiang’s suicide was already a matter from March of the previous year, so even if there was evidence, it was likely to be impossible to find.

A surge of anger flared up in Haishu’s heart, but she knew she had to suppress it.

“Factory Director Guang, you’ve been staying in the city recently, so maybe you don’t know the progress of the Wan Zeyu case?” Haishu said.

Guang Yongguo adjusted his clothes. “The Wan Zeyu case has nothing to do with me. I’m just an ordinary citizen. Whether the case progresses or not, I have no right to know.”

Haishu said, “I can tell you a few things.”

“I don’t want to…”

“It’s not entirely unrelated to you.”

Guang Yongguo furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”

Haishu said, “It’s mainly related to the old workshop. Didn’t you say that the workshop moved to the east side because of the bones found there? They very likely belong to the Luo family, who were massacred, and the perpetrators were your old friends, the Wan brothers.”

Guang Yongguo’s face tensed up completely.

“You…” Haishu said, “You didn’t do anything convenient while they were handling the bodies, did you?”

Guang Yongguo’s smile was forced, “Officer Haishu, don’t push it too far.”

Haishu smiled, “Let me tell you something else. I went to your office at Grey Tribe. Guess what I found?”

Guang Yongguo’s brow furrowed deeply, perhaps really thinking about what Haishu meant.

Haishu took out an evidence bag. “A pinhole camera, aimed at your desk. Everything you say and do, someone is listening and watching.”

Guang Yongguo’s pupils contracted like the pinhole camera, and he quickly grabbed the evidence bag, his expression torn. “How is this possible?”

Haishu said, “Surprised? What did you think I found?”

Guang Yongguo fearfully slammed the evidence bag onto the desk. “Impossible!”

Haishu raised an eyebrow. “Impossible? Do you mean, I’m lying to you with this thing? What would I gain from that?”

The veins on Guang Yongguo’s neck were taut, his eyes darting around. Haishu nodded. “Right, think carefully, why would there be such a thing in your office? Who is watching you? Why are they watching you? And just to clarify, this is not something from our police department.”

Guang Yongguo seemed to finally calm down, wiping his sweat with a handkerchief. “Thank you. I’ll go back and investigate this matter thoroughly.”

Haishu escorted Guang Yongguo to the door. “Factory Director Guang, we’ll meet again.”

Later that evening, Sui Xing returned, and Haishu asked what Gu Ning had confessed. Sui Xing took a big gulp of water and shook her head. “He refused to talk about his time at Grey River University. It’s clear he and Gong Zhao are hiding things about their time at Grey University, and it all revolves around Liang Lan Jun. The more he dodges, the more I believe my guess.”

Haishu said, “Tell me.”

Sui Xing sat down. “Gu Ning’s process of getting the quota wasn’t legitimate. Back then, he and Liang Lan Jun were competing for the quota. Liang Lan Jun’s score was higher than his, that’s the most objective standard. What Gu Ning mentioned about comprehensive quality, foreign language level, and interpersonal relationships—those are too subjective. Gu Ning and Gong Zhao knew each other back then, and their relationship wasn’t ordinary. Gu Ning got the quota with Gong Zhao’s help. This was all behind-the-scenes manipulation, which explains why Liang Lan Jun was so angry later.”

Such things were common even now, let alone almost twenty years ago. Haishu said, “To take away someone’s future, and force the victim to drop out—if it was really like that, they went too far.”

Sui Xing said, “I actually don’t understand this part. Liang Lan Jun had his quota taken away. Gu Ning must have felt guilty. Logically, he would have tried to comfort Liang Lan Jun, right? After all, the last person who would want things to get out of hand would be Gu Ning. But in the end, they didn’t offer Liang Lan Jun any benefits. Instead, they sabotaged him, leading to his expulsion. How much hatred must that be?”

This was a subtle logic problem, easily explained away with “everyone has a different way of thinking.” But Haishu knew very well, these subtle problems often pushed cases forward.

“Gong Zhao helped Gu Ning this much. Their relationship may not be as simple as just friends,” Haishu and Sui Xing exchanged a look, both of them instantly understanding what the other was thinking.

Sui Xing said, “I’ve met Gu Ning’s wife. She’s also into research. They don’t seem very affectionate, and their home doesn’t look like a normal home. Considering Gong Zhao’s promiscuous nature and the fact that Zhang Gu, whom he played with, was a man... Gong Zhao and Gu Ning may be in a homosexual relationship.”

Haishu said, “Liang Lanjun became the victim of their relationship.”

After this hidden line emerged, the cases in the town and city became even more complicated. Haishu reported the clues she had collected over the past few days to Qiao Heng, and after analyzing them one by one, both of them agreed that the most feasible place to start was the Moonrise Villa. Qiao Heng made the decision and officially launched an investigation into the Moonrise Villa and the Grey Tribe.

After receiving the files, Haishu stood up and was about to leave. As she reached the door, she turned back. "Captain Qiao."

Qiao Heng responded, "Hmm?"

Haishu said, "I’ve been working on this case with scattered leads, but I appreciate your trust."

Qiao Heng smiled, "An excellent criminal investigator wouldn’t miss any lead, even if it’s scattered. Go ahead."

For now, the Grey Tribe was under police control. The front desk, Wang Ge, and the employees they referred to as 'working from home' were each being questioned. The police had pulled up customer records and transaction details from the Moonrise Villa, and many of the clients were well-known wealthy individuals from Grey River City.

Contacting them proved difficult, but luckily Haishu had the support of her direct superior. The wealthy clients showed different attitudes toward the police investigation. Some smiled widely and answered every question, though none of their answers addressed the key points. Others openly showed disdain and rejection, and some even said things like "We feed you."

But Haishu noticed that everyone remained calm. She had long been accustomed to the styles of such people. No matter the city, the wealthy tended to behave in the same way.

After completing this round of questioning, the amount of useful information gathered was limited. Haishu recalled the contradictory expression on Guang Yongguo’s face, and she began to understand. Guang Yongguo was scared, but he also had confidence. He knew it would be difficult for the police to dig up anything. The wealthy clients admitted to frequently visiting the Moonrise Villa, and there were records of their expenditures, with every detail listed clearly, none of which involved illegal activities.

The Moonrise Villa had always been very cautious. It had never had any issues. After Gong Zhao's incident, Guang Yongguo didn't hesitate to shut down the Moonrise Villa. He was far more experienced and cautious than Gong Zhao.

Liu Xiang's suicide might have been the only thing that worried him, like a wound that could break open at any time.

Hmm? Haishu pulled her thoughts back. Experienced and cautious.

The group of Moonrise Villa members the police were focusing on were generally much older than Gong Zhao and were about the same age as Guang Yongguo.

They served different groups, so even though both were considered part of the “Silver Nest” in the public’s mind, young Gong Zhao didn’t truly understand the Moonrise Villa.

But what would this point to?

Haishu's mind was in turmoil, while Guang Yongguo in front of her remained as calm as ever, almost as if he were saying: "See? I haven’t broken any laws, right?"

The Criminal Investigation team entered the Moonrise Villa to search, but if they couldn’t find the evidence to support their deductions, the investigation would be hard to continue. Haishu, as the newly appointed team leader, faced even more pressure, and the case from Zhou Ping Town was still unresolved.

The pinhole camera retrieved from Grey Tribe was examined. It was made in Country A and was very expensive, with the notable feature of extremely high clarity. However, despite many efforts from Sui Xing, they still couldn’t track who was monitoring Guang Yongguo.

"I don’t know who installed it," Guang Yongguo was calmer than before. "I’ve already asked all the employees, and none of them know. I think it was just someone’s prank. Fortunately, I rarely work at Grey Tribe, and as long as I behave properly, I’m not afraid of anyone monitoring me."

Lying.

Haishu could see the deliberate calmness on Guang Yongguo's fake face. It was like he was using the pinhole camera incident to emphasize his innocence once again. Last time, he was genuinely shocked and scared by the camera, but now he knew who installed it.

The Moonrise Villa had a total of nine villas, plus a luxurious main building. The level of luxury was unimaginable to ordinary people. Once the wealthy clients’ status increased, they could come here to live a life built entirely from wealth.

Even after the closure in October, there were still workers doing cleaning and gardening, with no signs of any renovations. But the evidence Haishu was hoping for never appeared—there were no torture devices that Gong Zhao and the others had used, no specially remodeled rooms, and no young men or women locked up. They were simply wealthy, and wealth was not a crime.

The Criminal Investigation team even used luminol but still returned empty-handed.

Guang Yongguo smiled. "Officer Haishu, I’m an upright businessman. How are you going to explain this to me now?"

Haishu did not back down. "But I still want to hear your explanation. Why did you say the villa was closed for renovations in October, but there were no renovations?"

Guang Yongguo said, "Does this imply that I’m guilty of violating laws or rules? I can make plans and change them. Officer Haishu, you women always think too naïvely."

The investigation hit a deadlock. Haishu knew there had to be something wrong with the Moonrise Villa. It directly led to Liu Xiang’s suicide, and Liu Xiang had close ties to the missing Xue Ninglin. But the Moonrise Villa had two service systems. Girls like Liu Xiang would not leave any records, and ordinary employees couldn’t see the truth behind it. Gong Zhao’s incident had given the Moonrise Villa ample time to prepare.

The police couldn’t find any girls similar to Liu Xiang, and thus couldn’t break through that wall.

Haishu thought again about the pinhole camera. Someone was monitoring Guang Yongguo. Was there someone behind him? Were there cameras only at Grey Tribe, or were there cameras in Guang Yongguo's other offices, his home, or even the Moonrise Villa? Guang Yongguo’s reaction was also baffling.

Haishu picked up the camera, as if a pair of eyes were watching her.

What did those eyes see?

Suddenly, quick footsteps sounded outside the door. Sui Xing rushed in. "Captain Haishu! I received an email!"