Chapter 50

After listening to the widow of Fu Kang, Su Peng learned the general story.

Fu Kang, in his early years, had actually spent a short time in the gray area of the city. Later, he reformed and opened a small grocery store in the central area of Zhonghai City, where he married his current wife. By chance, Fu Kang received what he believed to be a reliable piece of information: Zhonghai University of Science and Technology was going to move to the old industrial area near his home. Overjoyed by this news, Fu Kang leased the second and third floors of a building in the area where the new campus was supposed to be, and opened an internet cafe.

The machines in the cafe were old and worn out, and it seemed there was little profit to be made, only enough to maintain a basic income. However, Fu Kang had his own calculations. He signed a ten-year lease and obtained the necessary business license, knowing that once the new campus of the university moved in, the cafe would become very popular. He believed that if he didn't act quickly, he would miss the opportunity to rent the place at such a low price.

However, his capital was insufficient. Even after selling his small grocery store in the city, he still needed 400,000 yuan. Determined, he borrowed the money from some of his old "friends" who were now involved in the city's underworld.

After acquiring the internet cafe, Fu Kang realized he needed more money for renovations and new machines, but the cafe was already operational. With the help of his mother, wife, and brother-in-law, he managed to keep the business running. Since the university's move would take about a year, he decided to find a part-time job to supplement the family income, and he found a job as a proxy gamer at Tianyi Studio.

However, he was fired after less than a month. Before that, the city's construction committee announced that the new campus of the university would not be located in that area.

This was like a bolt from the blue. With the high-interest loan, the failed business investment, and the loss of his job, all the pressure fell on Fu Kang. The loan sharks, upon learning this, began to harass him daily, driving away the few customers he had. Fu Kang, who had just returned home, was threatened: if he didn't pay back the money within a month, they would make him pay dearly.

The family lived in constant fear. To watch the store, Fu Kang stayed there. The next day, his wife came to take over, but she found Fu Kang dead in the bathroom of the internet cafe, with a large hole in his head.

After listening to the widow's somewhat incomplete account, Su Peng frowned as he looked at the woman, who was now crying.

"Excuse me, I need to understand the details... You said Fu Kang died the day after he returned home from work?" Su Peng asked the slightly overweight woman.

"Yes... He had found a job, but he was very secretive about it and never said what he did. The day he came back, he seemed very upset and said he had been framed. That night, the loan sharks came again, and Fu Kang had a fight with them. Xiao Hu wasn't there, and Fu Kang was afraid they would damage the store, so he stayed overnight. But... I never thought... How could he just leave like that..." The woman couldn't help but cry again.

"Don't cry. What did the forensic doctor say about the cause of Fu Kang's death?" Su Peng asked, his concern evident, though his tone seemed a bit harsh.

"The forensic doctor said he was killed by an arrow that pierced his back of the head. But the police searched the scene and found no arrow. The cafe wasn't open that day because Fu Kang had locked the doors to prevent the loan sharks from damaging the store. No one could have entered. The police also said the arrow must have been shot from a higher position, but there were no other buildings around, and the bathroom window was closed. They couldn't find where the arrow came from and didn't find any clues. They concluded that the killer shot Fu Kang and then entered through the window to move the body, and escaped the same way. But there were no footprints near the window," the woman said, her voice trembling, as if intimidated by Su Peng's stern tone.

"So, it was a locked-room murder?" Su Peng said.

After saying this, Su Peng frowned deeply, his mind racing with possibilities.

"Perhaps it was just an accident? Maybe someone in real life shot Fu Kang with an arrow and then disposed of the weapon to avoid leaving evidence?" Su Peng thought, considering the most logical and common explanation, which would be the typical police approach.

However, another thought simultaneously appeared in Su Peng's mind.

The scene of Xiao Lin's natural death flashed in Su Peng's mind, and then he thought of Fu Kang...

Su Peng seemed to see Fu Kang using the bathroom, when suddenly, a transparent and mysterious presence appeared behind him, raising an invisible but tangible bow and arrow, aiming coldly at the back of Fu Kang's head, and then... releasing the arrow, which shot into Fu Kang's brain.

Su Peng shivered, feeling a chill run down his spine at this thought.

Shaking his head slightly, Su Peng thought, "No matter what, the most logical explanation is that Fu Kang was killed by someone in real life, and the killer took the weapon away. This is the most plausible scenario."

Taking a deep breath, Su Peng stood up and said to the woman, "Sister, I have a general idea of the situation. I have some connections in the military and police, and I'll try to influence them to give you a proper resolution."

"Thank you so much... Fu Kang died without any clarity, and he couldn't rest in peace..." the woman said, her eyes red.

"Yes... By the way, sister, here is a card with 100,000 yuan. The password is six ones. Fu Kang's death has left you with many expenses, and this money can help you in the short term," Su Peng said, handing her a bank card.

"This... How can I...?" The woman was taken aback. While others had visited and left some money, it was usually in the range of 300 to 500 yuan, and rarely 1,000 yuan. This man had left 100,000 yuan!

"Please take it. I'm relatively well-off, and I got along well with Fu Kang. Consider it a gesture of goodwill. If you feel uncomfortable, consider it a loan," Su Peng said, his tone gentle but firm, reminiscent of his grandfather's manner.

"Big sister, the family is in a tough situation. This brother is kind-hearted, so take the money," the young man said. The woman, not strongly opposed, reluctantly accepted the card.

Su Peng, not planning to stay longer, bid farewell. As he was leaving, the young man asked for his phone number. Su Peng hesitated for a moment and gave him a rarely used number.

...

Leaving the internet cafe, Su Peng walked downstairs and took a deep breath.

During their time working together, Su Peng and Fu Kang had not gotten along well. Su Peng found Fu Kang too calculating and manipulative, lacking in responsibility, and had looked down on him. However, he never expected that Fu Kang had such a story, bearing the responsibility of supporting his family, and that such a person had met such an end.

Over the years, Su Peng had saved about 2.6 to 2.7 million yuan as a private detective. Leaving 100,000 yuan for Fu Kang's widow was a way to show his respect and support.

Adjusting his mood, Su Peng was about to head to the office when his phone rang.

Seeing the number, Su Peng's spirits lifted. He answered, "Hello, is this Auntie San?"

"Yes, it's me. I just got back from the U.S. and heard from Uncle San that you needed to talk to me?" The voice on the other end was warm and reassuring, giving a sense of trust.

"Yes, Auntie San, I have a research project I'd like to consult you about. Have you heard of reverse hypnosis?" Su Peng organized his thoughts and asked.

"Reverse hypnosis? Is that the standard Chinese translation? I haven't heard of it... But many cutting-edge psychological studies have different names in English and Chinese. If you want to discuss it, come to my studio. It's not convenient over the phone," the woman on the other end said, her voice full of emotion.

"Okay, I'll be there in about 40 minutes," Su Peng replied.

"Alright, call me when you arrive," the woman said, and they hung up.

Su Peng took a deep breath, hailed a taxi, and gave the address. The taxi headed towards the city center.

After about 25 to 30 minutes, the taxi got stuck in traffic.

Su Peng looked outside. The destination was not far, just across an overpass and a short distance. He decided not to wait and paid the driver, getting out of the car and walking towards the overpass.

The traffic below was heavy, but the overpass was clear. As Su Peng walked up the overpass, he noticed several bird enthusiasts with monoculars and cameras, observing something. Not finding it unusual, he continued walking along the edge of the bridge.

As he walked, a man with a nervous expression passed by, almost bumping into Su Peng.

After the man passed, Su Peng frowned, his excellent memory recognizing the man as familiar.

After a moment's thought, Su Peng remembered that this was the man with the one-meter-long hair who had spoken to Team Leader Lei Ming in the company cafeteria the morning before.

"Is he from the company, from the Hu Ben team?" Su Peng turned to look at the man, who was walking quickly and soon disappeared down the bridge. Su Peng stood on the bridge, watching him cross the traffic and stop at a fountain in a green area about 100 meters below the overpass.

There, another man was waiting. They met and began talking by the fountain.

Seeing the man waiting for the long-haired man, Su Peng frowned.

Looking around, Su Peng found a man renting monoculars, gave him 10 yuan, and used the monocular to observe the two men.

"Indeed..." Su Peng muttered, as he saw the man in the monocular wearing a gray coat with the collar up. While it might not be the same man in gray who had spoken to him at the office, the attire suggested they were connected.

"The man in gray must represent an organization... Could this long-haired man be their mole in the company, just like me?" Su Peng thought.

"Boom..." Suddenly, Su Peng heard a loud noise. He put down the monocular and looked up to see...

A heavy truck suddenly sped out of the lane and crashed into the fountain in the green area!

"Crash..."

A loud collision echoed, and Su Peng was stunned. The truck had directly hit the long-haired man from the company, crushing him under its wheels. The large tires crushed the man like a watermelon, and Su Peng saw his intestines spill out, blood pooling on the ground. It was clear he was dead.

The man in gray, who had narrowly avoided the truck, stood in shock, staring at the scene.

Su Peng, in a daze, quickly raised the monocular to focus on the truck's door.

The truck's door opened immediately, and a man in black, wearing dark sunglasses, jumped out with a cruel smile. He pulled out a shiny, flexible sword from his belt and charged at the man in gray!