Chapter 21

Two police cars were parked at the entrance of Fengyuan Community, and several auxiliary police officers were checking the passersby at the gate. Since the discovery of the body last night, the parking lot had been cordoned off. The police had set up a barrier at the entrance of the parking lot, and a few officers were guarding it. Outside, a group of residents from the community had gathered. Some of them were anxious because they couldn't retrieve their cars from the parking lot, while others were just there for the spectacle. They chattered excitedly, and some even pestered the police guarding the barrier, asking when the parking lot would be reopened. The police officers maintaining the barrier remained expressionless and silent.

Among the onlookers, some recognized Liu Beiyun, the community police officer. They approached him to inquire about the situation, but Liu Beiyun couldn't say much. He waved his hand, indicating that it wasn't appropriate to discuss it, and said, "You'll know when you watch the news tonight." He had already seen a Chengdu TV news van parked at the entrance of the community.

Seeing the criminal investigation team from the district police station inside, Liu Beiyun didn't go in. He stood outside with the other officers, maintaining order. He was one of the first to arrive at the scene and had already seen everything he needed to see, satisfying his curiosity. Besides, looking at the bloodied and mangled bodies wouldn't exactly lift his spirits.

But Deputy Chief Liang of the district criminal investigation team waved him over, signaling him to come inside. Liu Beiyun hesitated for a moment before walking in. Liang was wearing gloves and holding a transparent plastic evidence bag containing a bloodstained ID card.

"Liu Zi, we found this ID card on the victim. I checked, and the address is in your jurisdiction. Do you recognize the name Li Lei?"

Liu Beiyun had seen the victim last night, but it was dark, and the body was face down. To preserve the scene, he hadn't moved the body, so he hadn't recognized the person. He nodded and said, "I've dealt with this person before. He's a bit of a troublemaker, known as 'Brother Lei' on the streets. I heard he's been hanging around with Zhao Liu's gang recently—never thought he'd end up dead here."

"Zhao Liu? Which Zhao Liu?"

"That Zhao Liu."

Liu Beiyun could sense the deep meaning in Deputy Chief Liang's gaze. Zhao Liu wasn't much, just a local thug, and no one took him seriously. But both Liu Beiyun and Liang knew that Zhao Liu had a boss called 'Brother Yue,' who was close to Deputy Chief Zhang of the district police. No one in the criminal investigation team was a fool. The fact that a deputy chief of the police who oversaw criminal investigations had a close relationship with a gang leader meant something, and everyone understood what that meant.

Deputy Chief Liang's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Trouble."

He flicked the ID card in his hand, looked up at the sky, and suddenly felt the sunlight glaring and scorching. He said to Liu Beiyun, "Forget what I just said. I just received a notification that the city police have decided to take over the case. Inspector Yan is on her way. We'll leave the rest to them."

~~~

At that moment, Zhao Liu was walking quickly down Chang'an Street. He hurried into the Qin Family Gold Shop at the end of the street and saw Qin Yue sitting in a rattan chair, reading a book. He approached quickly and whispered, "Brother Yue, something's happened."

Qin Yue looked up from his ancient book, scanned Zhao Liu with a calm gaze, and said, "What could happen in broad daylight?" He placed the book on the coffee table and gestured, "Sit down, have a cup of tea, and tell me slowly."

Zhao Liu sat down, took a cup of tea, and drank it in one gulp. He whispered, "Brother Yue, last night, you asked me to send someone to bring that kid over, right? I sent Lei Zi, Hua Mao, Fei Liao, Gao Lao, and Hu Zi. They went at one o'clock last night, but they haven't come back, and I can't reach them on the phone."

"Really?" Qin Yue's face showed surprise. "No one answered? Not even turned off?"

"Five phones, three didn't answer, and two were turned off. I can't contact any of them."

Qin Yue's eyes narrowed. He was cunning and suspicious, and his first thought was that his subordinates might have found a lot of gold at the university and decided to keep it for themselves, planning to run away with it.

He muttered, "They defected and ran away?"

Zhao Liu was startled and waved his hands. "Brother Yue, that's impossible! Lei Zi and I are close friends, we've been through a lot together, and we've been in prison together. If Lei Zi wanted to leave, he would have called me to explain. Besides, Brother Yue, you've always been good to us, and we respect you. Even if one of them wanted to leave, it's impossible for all five to leave without someone reporting it."

Qin Yue didn't comment. He picked up a cup of tea and sipped it slowly. After a long pause, he asked, "What do you think happened?"

"I've thought about it, and the only possibility is that Lei Zi and the others had an accident last night. They might have been caught by the police while doing the job, and that's why they can't answer the phone. Brother Yue, can you use your connections in the police to find out if anyone was arrested last night?"

Qin Yue nodded. "Good idea. I'll check with the district police first to see if they responded to any calls last night."

He made a few calls to some acquaintances and then shook his head at Zhao Liu. "I've already checked with the district police. The police station and the district police didn't receive any reports of a robbery or make any arrests last night."

Before he could finish, Qin Yue's phone rang again. He picked it up, and his expression turned serious. He put on a smile and answered, "Chief Zhang, good morning. What instructions do you have? ... Ah, Li Lei? I've met him a few times, had a few drinks, but I'm not very close to him. What about him? ... Ah ... What? Not just him? How many others? Five in total? ... Oh, and guns are involved! Oh, that's serious. I'm not the type to get involved in such violent things. ... Yes, it's not related to me. I don't know anything about it. ... I don't associate with those people anymore. I just focus on running my business and making a living. ... Oh, Chief Zhang, I'm almost fifty, I don't have the energy to fight and kill like those young guys. ... You can rest assured, we won't do anything illegal. ... Zhao Liu? I haven't seen him in a while. The last time I saw him, he mentioned doing business in Lingnan. ... When he'll be back? I'm not sure, maybe during the Spring Festival. ... Yes, if I see him, I'll tell him to go to the district police and cooperate with your investigation. ... Not the district police? The city police's criminal investigation team? ... Yes, I understand. ... Don't worry, I know what to do. I'll be careful and won't cause any trouble. ... Thank you, Chief Zhang. When we have time, let's play golf again. ... Yes, after you're done with this, we'll talk. ... Goodbye."

After hanging up, Qin Yue's face turned ashen, and his gaze was fixed.

Zhao Liu sensed something was wrong and asked cautiously, "Brother Yue, what did the police say? What happened to Lei Zi and the others?"

"They're dead."

"Ah?!"

Qin Yue's face was tense, and each word seemed to be forced out through his teeth. "All dead. Lei Zi, Hua Mao, Fei Liao, Gao Lao, and Hu Zi. Five of them. The police found their bodies in the parking lot of Fengyuan Community. The city police's criminal investigation team has taken over the case."

Zhao Liu's face turned pale. He was no stranger to death, but this time, it was his own subordinates, and five of them at once. The news was too shocking for him to accept.

They looked at each other, both seeing the same question in each other's eyes: "Who did it?"

Zhao Liu hesitated and said, "Could it be that university student?" Then he shook his head. "I don't think so. I've dealt with him before, and he doesn't seem capable. He's too inexperienced—just a bookworm!"

Qin Yue nodded. He had met Xu Yan and agreed with his subordinate's assessment, but he still said sternly, "Don't be too hasty. Don't jump to conclusions. Find out what really happened to Lei Zi and the others first. Do you know anyone in the district criminal investigation team?"

"There's a Captain Li in the district criminal investigation team. I've dealt with him a bit. He's quite flexible."

"Good, that's helpful. Find him and get some information. Even though Deputy Chief Zhang said the city police have taken over the case, the district police were the first to arrive at the scene, so they should know something. Don't be afraid to spend money. Don't delay—call him right away, but not here. Go to the back room to call. If he asks where you are, you know what to say."

Zhao Liu obeyed and went to the back room. After about ten minutes, he came out, looking even worse than before. Qin Yue looked at him. "Did you get any information?"

"I did, but ... it's hard to believe!"

Qin Yue, impatient, said, "Just tell me. What's there to be skeptical about? They're dead, after all."

"Yes, he said the bodies were first discovered around four in the morning by an early-rising resident of the community, who immediately called the police. The police station arrived at the scene around five, and they notified the district criminal investigation team. They found five bodies in total. So far, only Lei Zi and Gao Lao have been identified. The identities of the other three are still unknown, but I guess they must be Hua Mao and the others. Oh, and they found a gun on Lei Zi."

Zhao Liu spoke hesitantly, but Qin Yue listened patiently. He asked, "What else? Did the police say how they died?"

"The district criminal investigation team and the forensic experts concluded that they died from falling from a high place. All five fell from at least the tenth floor and died from the impact."

"Falling from a high place?" Qin Yue was puzzled. "No other injuries? No gunshot wounds or knife wounds?"

"Captain Li said the forensic experts found only injuries consistent with a fall from a high place, no other wounds like gunshot or knife wounds."

"That's strange. They were all armed, and Lei Zi had a gun. How could they be forced to jump from the roof? Even if they were overpowered, they should have fired a few shots. Why would they jump rather than fight back?" Qin Yue pondered for a moment. "Did you ask which building they fell from?"

Zhao Liu's face turned even paler, and he said bitterly, "Boss, it gets even stranger—Captain Li said there are no buildings taller than ten floors around the parking lot. The nearest building is only five floors high and is about forty to fifty meters away from the bodies. This morning, the police conducted an experiment and found that even if they threw something from the top of that building, it couldn't reach the parking lot."

"Captain Li said all five clearly died from falling from a high place, but they couldn't find the building they fell from. It's very strange, and the police are also confused. Some even suggested it might be some supernatural force at work."

At this, Zhao Liu's face changed, and he looked fearful. These uneducated gangsters, living a life of violence, were often very superstitious and easily believed in ghosts and spirits.

Qin Yue sneered. "Nonsense. Don't believe in that. We worship Guan Yu, who protects us from all evil and misfortune."

He thought for a moment and made a quick decision. "Liu Zi, Lei Zi and the others are dead, and their phones are in the hands of the police. You've called them so many times, and the call records will lead the police to you."

"Yes, Boss, should I go to Lingnan Province to lay low for a while?"

"Are you crazy? This isn't a simple case. It's a murder involving guns, and the provincial police will be involved. The Ministry of Public Security will oversee it. You can't just hide and hope it will blow over. If you hide, it will look like you're guilty, and the police will issue a warrant for your arrest. Where will you hide then? Don't hide. Go home, and when the police come to question you, be smart—do you know how to handle it?"

"Yes, I'll tell them I don't have much to do with Lei Zi and the others, and I haven't been in touch with them for a while. I don't know what happened to them."

Qin Yue looked at him. "What about the call records? Why did you call him?"

"That was for a card game. We were short one player, so I called Lei Zi to join us for a game and some drinks, but he said he had something else to do. That's all I'll say, and I'll stick to it."

Qin Yue sighed. "That's the best we can do. Once you're in, I'll find someone to look after you. You're not a suspect, just a witness, so they shouldn't be too hard on you, but you'll still have to endure some hardship. Stay strong and don't let them intimidate you into saying anything you shouldn't."

~~~

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