Chapter 7 of 10

Chapter 7

16 min read3,974 words

At the gate of No. 4 High School, the flow of students leaving after school was constant, with students in their blue-green uniforms everywhere, making the area bustling. Walking among them, one felt the crowd pressing in from all sides. From Saturday afternoon to Sunday evening, No. 4 High School would have a day and a half off, and many students whose families were in Jingcheng City would return home. Besides, it was dinnertime, and the students of No. 4 High School, tired of the cafeteria food, were eager to treat themselves.

In terms of holidays, No. 4 High School was better than Yinghua International, which was diagonally opposite. No. 4 High School had a day and a half off each week, while Yinghua International only had two days off at the end of the month.

Liu Bing was not tall, of medium build, a few centimeters shorter than Lu Jing, who was 1.78 meters tall. He had a middle part hairstyle, wore a gray textured suit, and his leather shoes were polished to a shine. He had a delicate appearance and a refined demeanor.

Lu Jing recognized him at first sight. Having worked in the government for a long time, he dressed and carried himself very differently from the parents picking up their children.

Liu Bing shook Lu Jing's hand vigorously and smiled, "I wouldn't have recognized you if you hadn't called me."

Lu Jing laughed, "Brother Liu, you're joking." His appearance was about 70% similar to his father's, while his older brother's appearance resembled Mrs. Luo. Therefore, the two brothers did not look much alike, and it was normal for Liu Bing not to recognize him.

"Don't, don't, I can't accept that. Just call me Xiao Liu," Liu Bing said, not daring to accept the title. The deputy director, Lu, was his actual brother. He was just the secretary to Director Lu, so he couldn't act presumptively.

Lu Jing smiled, "Let's each stick to our own. There's a pretty good Western restaurant in the university town. Brother Liu, let's go and try it."

Liu Bing smiled, "As the guest, I'll follow your lead. You decide."

In the morning, after the old man and his older brother ended their call, Lu Jing mentioned it again to his older brother, wanting to stay updated on the latest developments. His older brother then called his secretary, Liu Bing, and arranged to meet Lu Jing for lunch that day, to have a meal and chat, to build a rapport and facilitate communication.

Although Lu Jing usually acted like a good-for-nothing, his reasoning this time was somewhat sound. His older brother took his opinion more seriously and agreed to his request to stay updated on the latest developments.

From the crossroads to the right of No. 4 High School, heading northwest along East Lake Road, it took less than twenty minutes to reach the university town of Jingcheng City. This area was home to several well-known domestic universities, including the famous Yanjing University and Huaxia University, located by Yanzi Lake.

In April, Jingcheng City did not have the picturesque scenery of southern Jiang with its lush grass and blooming flowers, but the waves in Yanzi Lake rippled, the breeze was gentle, and the willows by the lake were swaying, creating a refreshing and pleasant atmosphere. Along the way, they saw many pairs of college student couples whispering by the lake.

"Young people are so lucky!" Liu Bing said with a sigh. He was 34 years old, a secretary chosen by his older brother after he came to the ministry. He was a talented writer, a high-achieving graduate of the literature department at Minzu University, which was in the Xiyue District, not in the university town.

Lu Jing smiled, "Brother Liu, you're at a good age to advance in your career."

The two laughed heartily.

The Western restaurant named Cafe105 had a pleasant environment, perfect for casual chats with a few friends. The rich aroma of cappuccino could be refilled for free, and the central piano stage occasionally had someone playing the piano. One could spend the whole day here without getting bored, making it an excellent spot for university couples to date.

Through the bright glass, Lu Jing watched the passing college students, sipping his coffee and chatting with Liu Bing. After their Western meal, the two sat down to chat.

The main topic was Yu Yi. The key to the entire incident was that the disciplinary inspection team, led by Liu Weijia, an opponent of his older brother, failed to find the whereabouts of the 2 million yuan, but the materials provided by Yu Yi hinted at a mysterious connection between the 2 million yuan shortfall and his older brother.

Lu Jing couldn't figure out why Yu Yi was willing to be used by Liu Weijia, but he was very eager to know the whereabouts of the 2 million yuan. Where did Yu Yi hide it, and what was its purpose?

According to Liu Bing, Yu Yi was strict with himself, had outstanding business skills, and was a trusted assistant to his older brother. His family was harmonious, and his wife was virtuous. His son, Yu Feng, whom Liu Bing had met a few times, was polite, humble, and academically excellent.

Lu Jing naturally wouldn't tell Liu Bing that Yu Yi would be placed under double regulation in a few days. Things were often different from different perspectives.

Liu Bing probably never imagined that the good cadre he saw, Yu Yi, had the audacity to embezzle 5 million yuan and had been involved in corruption of about 1 million yuan.

"If you need anything, call this pager number, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible," Liu Bing said, handing Lu Jing a small piece of paper with his Chinese pager number written on it.

In 1993 and 1994, only the "big bosses" could afford the large brick-like mobile phones, so the relatively cheaper pagers became the preferred choice. Of course, when pagers first appeared in China, they were also valuable items.

By 1995, with the rise of mobile phones, the market for pagers, which only had paging functions, gradually shrank, and the number of users stopped increasing. By 1996, the number of users began to decline, and the number of paging stations was significantly reduced.

It was foreseeable that with the passage of time, pagers would be replaced by mobile phones, a trend that could not be reversed.

"Okay!" Lu Jing put the small piece of paper away, shook hands with Liu Bing, and said goodbye. He sighed, thinking how convenient it would be to have a mobile phone. Watching Liu Bing get into a blue taxi from the Jingcheng City taxi company, Lu Jing returned to the Western restaurant, ordered a cup of coffee, and began to think carefully.

His older brother could not have embezzled the 2 million yuan, so it must have been Yu Yi who did something. Yu Yi either transferred the money through some means or spent it.

Based on the post-incident handling of Yu Yi in his previous life, Lu Jing believed that it was highly likely that Yu Yi used the casino at the Yongji Nightclub to transfer the money abroad, which is why the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection's investigation team found no traces. If there were any traces, Liu Weijia couldn't have covered it up, as the case had once attracted the attention of a State Councilor. Liu Weijia wouldn't take the political risk to cover for Yu Yi.

What he could do was to guide Yu Yi to push the unknown risks to his superiors, leaving a way out for his life after release.

Yu Yi had confessed that part of the 1 million yuan he embezzled was used to pay off his son Yu Feng's gambling debts at the casino on the third floor of the Yongji Nightclub.

It was not surprising that he had some connection with the Yongji Nightclub.

Lu Jing was inclined to believe that Yu Yi had transferred the money. If he had spent it, the investigation team would have found some traces.

Yu Yi's secretary, Li Zheng, might know something. In this case, Li Zheng played a very negative role, almost naming his older brother. However, his weight was much lighter than Yu Yi's, and the investigation team did not use his materials in the formal inquiry.

Lu Jing wondered where Li Zheng, who was in the lowest-level comprehensive department of the Minimum Living Standards Office, was now. If he could talk to him, it might yield some results.

Lu Jing sighed, took a sip of coffee, and called a waiter in a tuxedo to bring him a ballpoint pen and a notepad. He planned to recall Li Zheng's whereabouts based on his memory.

At that moment, a familiar piano melody played joyfully, interrupting Lu Jing's thoughts. He took a sip of the slightly cool, slightly bitter coffee and listened quietly.

This was a famous piano piece, Beethoven's "Für Elise." The cheerful melody, through repetition and smooth notes, portrayed a gentle, beautiful, and lively young girl, expressing admiration for her angelic image.

A series of ascending triplets and the subsequent smooth, lively half-step descending notes naturally led to the third repetition, ending the piece in a joyful and lively atmosphere.

The familiar notes struck Lu Jing's heart, and his mood became inexplicably cheerful. This was probably the charm of art.

Cafe105 had a circular layout, with the piano placed on a platform about one meter high in the center of the café, allowing every guest to hear the piano clearly.

Leaning forward, he saw a bright and graceful girl with a ponytail, wearing a white dress, playing the piano with concentration. Her head moved naturally and smoothly with her hands, making her stand out, like the Alice depicted in the piano piece.

Lu Jing looked at her for a while, and her profile seemed very familiar. Suddenly, a beautiful figure from his memory surfaced and slowly merged with the girl in front of him.

Lu Jing smiled, wrote a note, and asked the waiter to deliver it to the girl.

...

Dong Bing played two piano pieces at Cafe105 every Saturday afternoon, both to practice her performance and to support her friend.

She had just stepped down from the piano platform when a male waiter handed her a small note, "Miss, the gentleman at table 12 asked me to give this to you."

Dong Bing smiled, didn't take it, and instead picked up her Chanel beige shoulder bag from the rosewood counter under the piano platform. Then, she took the round sun hat hanging on the black metal stand with her left hand. Passing notes was more common in bars, not so much in cafes.

She smiled, "Thank you! Please throw it in the trash." Then, she turned to leave.

At that moment, her eyes caught the figure at table 12 on the left. She saw a boy waving at her with a smile.

Her face changed slightly, and she bit her lower lip with her white teeth. After a moment's thought, she walked over.

"Lu Jing, what are you doing here?" Dong Bing looked at Lu Jing, who was smiling, and was quite surprised.

Lu Jing gestured, "Would you like to sit down and have a cup of coffee?"

Looking at the bright-eyed, tall, and graceful Dong Bing in her white dress, Lu Jing remembered that this No. 4 High School beauty had a good future. She later studied in the UK, joined a multinational company, and obtained British citizenship, flying back and forth between Beijing and London. Her fate was much better than that of another school beauty.

Dong Bing put on her hat, looking like a British lady, and waved her hand, "No, I need to go home soon. Uh, Lu Jing, don't tell anyone at school that I play the piano here!"

Lu Jing leaned back in his seat and smiled, "I'm just passing time here. If I run into an old classmate, why would I go back to No. 4 High School and spread it? Haha, this place is quite nice." He pointed out the window, meaning that the area was bustling, and sitting alone in the café was peaceful.

Just as he spoke, a tall, long-haired beauty in a fitted long-sleeved black top and dark blue jeans was walking toward them. His finger pointed at the beauty through the glass.

This changed the meaning of his words entirely.

"You're a pervert! You came here just to look at beautiful girls. Aren't you afraid I'll tell others?" Dong Bing laughed, her beautiful eyes curved like a crescent moon.

She was a student in Class 10 of Grade 2 at No. 4 High School and the vice president of the student council. Her family background was good, and she had interacted with Lu Jing a few times before, knowing that he wasn't a bad person. How many boys didn't like to fight, especially someone as skilled as Lu Jing?

Lu Jing touched his nose awkwardly. He was indeed looking at the girls while thinking, but it wasn't appropriate to admit it in front of a female classmate, and his words didn't mean that.

A hint of curiosity flashed in Dong Bing's pure, clear eyes, "Lu Jing, you really don't know that Ding Ling likes you?"

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