But the detectives have already scrutinized the finances of Zhao’s company. The financial inflows and outflows over the past year are all in order, with no suspiciously unclear transactions. Both the finance staff and the company’s key personnel are cautious, showing that Zhao, despite his messy personal life, has managed the company well. Mrs. Zhao says he’s a workaholic, not entirely duped; he truly invests a lot of effort into his work.
Moreover, Zhao Dongsheng’s relationship with his secretary is purely professional. Although he’s known for his indiscretions, he follows the rule of not mixing business with pleasure, treating his secretary with respect, and they have had a pleasant collaboration over the years.
At his secretary’s wedding, he even attended and spoke as the company’s executive, extending his best wishes to the newlyweds.
In the investigation, Zhao’s secretary is one of the rare individuals genuinely saddened by Zhao’s death. To her, he was not a scoundrel nor an irresponsible husband, but a decent boss.
Each suspect was interrogated meticulously, with nearly a week passing in the blink of an eye.
Jiayi felt her life draining, yet she had no choice.
She finally understood what Fang Zhenyue meant about the most crucial traits for a detective being patience and attentiveness.
Patience truly is enduring, necessary to prevent rushing through these tedious interrogations.
Attentiveness means closely observing these individuals, carefully analyzing and thoroughly investigating their statements and reactions to capture any useful clues, ensuring not to let the real culprit slip through.
At this moment, she also better appreciated the power of her special ability.
Having the ‘Mind Flow Image’ truly saved so much time and spared so much effort for Team B’s detectives.
‘Straight to the point’—these four words sound simple, but in the process of detective work, they are incredibly significant!
Sometimes Jiayi even thought, if she were involved in particularly dangerous cases, like in a drug enforcement squad, having the ‘Mind Flow Image’ might not only save time and effort but could also potentially prevent the deaths of her colleagues and save lives…
At such times, the words Uncle Ben said to Peter in Spider-Man would echo in her mind: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
With a heavy heart, Jiayi struggled to close her eyes and take deep breaths, calming herself before swiftly getting back to work.
Sometimes, it’s really better not to think too much. Mental exhaustion seeps in everywhere; “Just plunge into work!” “Happiness is most important!” These sayings are so hard to live by.
…
After organizing the interrogation reports of all the women cleared of suspicion, only Gu Xiaolan and Mrs. Zhao remained. Due to too many entanglements, it was impossible to confirm whether they were suspects or not.
Gu Xiaolan’s social connections were too complex, and some people involved in gangs were sponsoring her film projects, making it difficult to tell whether it was just business or something else.
The investigation was proving very challenging.
Moreover, with Gu Xiaolan traveling all over the place, detectives had to stake out and monitor her, which not only made the investigation harder but also led to uncontrollable expenses.
Every day, Qiu Sushan looked at the expense reports with frustration; unable to crack the case yet constantly needing to apply for substantial reimbursements, writing this report was no easy task.
Furthermore, Gu Xiaolan was not very cooperative with the detectives’ inquiries. Clearly instructed to report certain matters to the police immediately, she acted as if their notices were mere hot air, continuing to do as she pleased.
Thus, even though Team B’s detectives initially thought she was quite attractive, almost like a celebrity, which felt prestigious, they soon grew irritated.
Indeed, after five or six days, they were fed up. Really, if someone doesn’t cooperate, no matter how attractive, they just can’t be appreciated.
On the other hand, dealing with Mrs. Zhao, Chen Tingting was another kind of challenge.
Chen Tingting really led a ‘leisurely’ life, spending her days painting at home or finding a scenic spot to paint, or just watching movies at home.
After nearly a week of surveillance, she only met up with a friend once. The friend was a roommate from her school days; they went to an exhibition, had tea, ate dinner, talked at home, stayed overnight, and the next day her friend drove off to work.
She didn’t have any particular social circle or peculiar habits; she was so simple that the detectives couldn’t find any fault.
The domestic workers at home were even more boring, moving between the market and home with no hints of any cliché ‘nanny falls for the boss’ drama.
Although there was some distance between the workers and Mrs. Zhao, every time they talked, everyone was calm and there were no conflicts.
During this time, the way Chen Tingting behaved was consistent with how her neighbors and wealthy friends described her.
She doesn’t seek the limelight, nor does she relish socializing. Preferring tranquility, she seldom finds common ground with most people. A simple life with sufficient food and the joy of painting seems to keep her quite content.
As for her husband, she doesn’t pay him much special attention. As long as the household runs smoothly and her husband has tasty meals and warm clothes, she considers it sufficient.
Even if there are rumors about her husband having affairs, she merely smiles if such gossip reaches her.
Her indifferent demeanor has led many wealthy wives to speculate that her marriage is merely contractual. As long as her husband contributes financially to the household and comes home without demanding much from her, it appears to be enough for them.
During his stakeout, Detective Liu Jiaming whimsically wondered if he could discern any deep-seated jealousy or hatred in Mrs. Zhao’s paintings.
Following this thought, the detectives examined all her artworks from the past two years.
Her paintings, vibrant oil landscapes and florals, were bold in color and avant-garde in composition.
Viewing these paintings, the detectives themselves felt uplifted, experiencing a sense of broad-minded relaxation.
Consulting experts from the University of Hong Kong, they also noted that her paintings conveyed brightness and were not at all gloomy.
Her style was completely different from certain Western artworks characterized by fierce, chaotic lines and sinister figures shaded in dark tones, often accompanied by grotesque displays of twisted minds using bright red blood.
It was hard for the detectives to imagine a person like Mrs. Zhao Chen Tingting, who possessed the lightness of tea and the grace of chrysanthemums, being involved in a conflict so severe it could lead to murder.
While investigating the possibility of a crime of passion, the detectives also explored the other suitors of Gu Xiaolan.
A gang-related man, recently busy investing in the film industry to cleanse his past, showed a consistent pattern of activities matching his recent movements, indicating his attention was not divided by Gu Xiaolan.
It seemed unreasonable for such a man to suddenly decide to kill Zhao Dongsheng.
With no viable motive, lack of corroborative evidence, and solid alibis from his social circle, they had to temporarily dismiss him as a suspect.
Another person of interest, Director Zhang Jing, possessed considerable talent. Having previously directed adult films and commercials, he had successfully transitioned to creating credible art films.
Jiayi, reflecting on this era as a golden age for Hong Kong’s film and television talents, did not hold back in investigating Zhang Jing. They even unearthed a childhood incident where he had threatened to kill someone’s entire family during a fight, but regarding the murder of Zhao Dongsheng, he had a very reliable alibi.
Moreover, since starting his career, although Zhang Jing was known to have scolded people on set, he had never been violent.
He had never acted recklessly over a woman, and even when gossip magazines hinted at an ambiguous relationship between Gu Xiaolan and Zhao Dongsheng, Director Zhang remained calm, expressing only admiration for Gu. If Gu were to fall in love with someone else, he would sincerely wish her well.
Indeed, he had acted accordingly, even stating he wouldn’t mind directing a movie if Zhao Dongsheng decided to fund a project starring Gu Xiaolan.
Such a broad-minded person, would he suddenly risk ruining his entire life to kill someone?
That isn’t like killing a small cat or dog; it’s taking the life of an actual, living person, and not just any person but one of high status, with considerable financial resources and social standing.
The motive for murder is equally untenable, with no evidence and suspicion close to zero.
With no other options, they must continue to stake out, hoping to extend the threads from these people and uncover a genuinely useful clue.
Jiayi grits her teeth and adapts to the investigative environment, even though this time, since she joined Team B, it’s the closest they’ve come to a case going cold and turning into an unsolved mystery.
Turning off the lights, she leaves the office and steps out of the police station under the starlit sky.
Fang Zhenyue consulted Da Guangming on the upper floor about some information, reviewing all the reports the Central District police station’s forensic department had submitted with Da Guangming once more before finally letting him off for the day.
As he exits the station and heads toward the garage, he coincidentally meets Jiayi.
Da Guangming cleverly slips away, leaving Jiayi and Fang Zhenyue to briefly discuss the case. By the time Fang Zhenyue comes back to his senses, they are the only two left in the entire garage.
“I’ll give you a ride,” Fang Zhenyue insists, picking up Jiayi’s bicycle and walking off.
Jiayi doesn’t refuse his kindness and obediently follows, thinking of catching a little nap on Brother Yue’s ride home.
True to form, Fang Zhenyue doesn’t mention work at all on the road, crafting a dim and steady restful space for Jiayi.
With eyes closed and half-asleep, Jiayi seems to smell a sudden whiff of soapberry scent, perhaps from shampoo or possibly hand soap.
It feels like there’s a slight weight on her head, or perhaps not.
Maybe it’s just a fleeting dream or a wonderful shadow caught in a haze.
When she groggily wakes up, Jiayi thinks she’s slept for a long time, only to find that it’s been just half an hour.
But the ride from the police station to home takes only about fifteen minutes, and Jiayi knows Brother Yue has already arrived downstairs; he just didn’t have the heart to wake her.
She smiles apologetically, her eyes crinkling like crescent moons.
She gets off the bike and earnestly bids Brother Yue a happy farewell.
As he turns the steering wheel and is about to step on the gas, Jiayi stands under the building and loudly wishes him goodnight.
Fang Zhenyue sees the elegant policewoman reflected in the rearview mirror, her smile imprinted on it as he turns the corner and disappears from view.
Jiayi returned home to find everyone getting ready to turn in for the night. Jiaru, toothbrush in mouth, emerged from the bathroom and mumbled with a laugh, “Big sister, your ‘good night’ was so loud, the whole building heard it.”
“How do you know she wasn’t just saying goodnight to all the neighbors?” Jiajun, stepping into the bedroom, couldn’t resist a retort.
Ignoring the usual bickering of the younger two, Jiayi headed straight to the bathroom for a shower.
She was so exhausted that she could hardly think of anything else. After washing up and blow-drying her hair to semi-dryness, she collapsed into bed.
The last thought before drifting off was thankfully about her short hair, spared the trouble of trying to dry long, dripping locks.
The next day, the family gathered at Yi Ji Restaurant for breakfast.
Jiaru, fishing through the kitchen’s big brother’s vegetable basket, grabbed today’s newspaper and casually mentioned while holding a section of celebrity gossip:
“My goodness, what’s with people these days? So creepy.”
“What happened?” Yi Jiadong, while helping Sun Xin arrange the tables and chairs, asked without looking up.
“That pop idol, Gu Xiaolan, the one big brother mentioned was so beautiful recently. The headlines say she’s being stalked every day, how scary!” Jiaru made a face of disgust.
Yi Jiajun set the chopsticks neatly and suddenly paused, turning his head to look at Jiayi, he asked:
“Big sister, the gossip reporters aren’t talking about your Team B detective, are they?”