Chapter 77

"Is something wrong? Do you feel there's something off?" Deng Xiancheng, who was meticulous, noticed that Yang Jie's expression changed when he heard those names, and asked in a serious tone.

"They are all retired veterans, about the same age as my father, and they all participated in the Vietnam War. Therefore, when my father learned that they were living in poverty and had no jobs, he hired them as drivers at the winery. Dai Xiaoqiang once taught me how to drive; he is my master, and I am very familiar with all of them. I don't think they would kill Wang Guixi over the shares." Yang Jie's face was clouded with gloom; he never expected that this matter would be related to these six people.

Deng Xiancheng was not familiar with these people, but seeing Yang Jie so certain, he said seriously, "If Wang Guixi's death is really related to the share distribution, then these six people, who are not on the list, have a motive to kill. No matter what, we will investigate their whereabouts last night."

Yang Jie frowned and said, "It's your duty to investigate, Captain Deng. I won't interfere or obstruct. However, I would like to share my personal thoughts with you."

"Please go on!"

Deng Xiancheng had already seen Yang Jie's accuracy in deducing the case when he was in Yang Xinhua's office. So far, the situation basically matches Yang Jie's previous deductions, which is why he wanted to hear Yang Jie's opinion.

"I believe Captain Deng has also investigated the Wuhu Winery. The predecessor of the Wuhu Winery was a collective enterprise in Yangjia Village. Later, due to poor management, it was on the verge of bankruptcy. At that time, my father, who had just been transferred back, used his disability pension to take over the winery. Although the legal representative of the winery is now my father's name, the winery still has to pay an annual lease fee to the village. When Jimmy invested in Wuhu and co-founded Wuyang Liquor with my father, this winery, which is worth about two million, had to be changed from a collective enterprise to a private one to be included as a fixed asset of Wuyang Liquor.

My father gave the winery employees and the villagers a two percent share in Wuyang Liquor. One reason is to remember the neighbors, and the other is to hope to exchange the shares for the ownership of the winery. It's reasonable to exchange shares worth over twenty million for a small winery with total assets of less than two million." Yang Jie's words made Deng Xiancheng nod in agreement.

The total assets of the winery that Yang Xinhua contracted are about two million, and the lease period still has ten years left. Yang Xinhua used one percent of the shares to distribute to all the employees and another one percent to the village. From any perspective, the winery employees and the village are the beneficiaries.

"Zhang Bo, Yuan Qiuhua, Dai Xiaoqiang, Zhao Huayuan, Ma Dajun, and Wang Cheng are just drivers hired by the winery. They are neither original employees of the winery nor residents of Yangjia Village. It's not a problem that Wang Guixi didn't give them shares. Moreover, although Dai Xiaoqiang and his team have poor living conditions, they are very loyal. The winery and my father have treated them well, so how could they do such a thing?

Furthermore, Zhang Bo and the others are experienced reconnaissance soldiers. Not to mention how they would know about the share distribution list, even if they did, with the complicated clues near the murder scene, how could they leave such a big clue on the share list for us!" After Yang Jie finished sharing his thoughts, Deng Xiancheng fell into deep thought.

If it really was these six people, then after they knew the share distribution list, they would have had time to go to Wang Guixi's office and destroy the list that omitted their names after the murder. However, the meticulous Deng Xiancheng decided to first meet these six people. Regardless of whether they committed the crime, they are still major suspects, and this suspicion will not be reduced by Yang Jie's words.

"Comrade Yang, we have already grasped the situation you mentioned. We will pay attention to the methods during the investigation to ensure that no innocent person is wronged and no criminal is let off. Thank you for your support of our investigation. If there's nothing else, I'll go and get to work!" Deng Xiancheng shook hands with Yang Jie and then led the two detectives back to Yangjia Village.

Watching Deng Xiancheng and the others leave, Yang Jie patted his protesting stomach and decided not to look for more clues. He turned and walked back to Yang Xinhua's office, accompanying Yang Xinhua to the winery canteen for a lunch that could be called an afternoon tea.

Around four o'clock in the afternoon, County Bureau Chief Yang Hua and Secretary Zhou's secretary Jiang Yi arrived at the Wuhu Winery in two separate cars.

Yang Jie, having listened to the phone recordings intercepted by Xiao Liù and the call from Yang Hua to Deng Xiancheng, knew they were almost at the winery and returned from the village.

Jiang Yi did not ride in the county office's Santana but in a 212 Jeep. Seeing Jiang Yi get out of the Jeep, Yang Jie smiled and greeted him, "Brother Jiang, why are you here too?"

"I have been transferred to Wuhu Township as the Party Secretary. Minister Luo from the Organization Department personally sent me to take office in the township. After learning about the incident at the winery, I came here with Director Yang after the welcome ceremony. How is the situation? Have you found any clues?" Jiang Yi's eyes sparkled, and he looked full of energy.

It seems that Secretary Zhou, who is about to leave, has already started arranging for his staff.

"The case is still under investigation, and we have already gathered some clues. I believe we will soon catch the suspect. Thank you, Secretary Jiang, for your concern about the winery. Secretary Jiang, you have just taken office in Wuhu Township and have come to inspect the winery. On behalf of all the employees, I thank you for your attention to the winery and welcome you to inspect the work here." Yang Jie's words made Jiang Yi and Yang Hua smile.

Seeing the serious Yang Jie, Yang Hua, standing beside him, said, "Brother Yang, we are all family. Why be so formal? No one wants to see such an incident at the winery. Our police will do our best to solve the case quickly and give the deceased a fair judgment."

"Brother Yang, you are too formal! Just because I am no longer Secretary Zhou's secretary, you won't even call me brother?" Although Jiang Yi was satisfied with Yang Jie calling him Secretary, he knew that after Secretary Zhou's promotion, he would no longer have a supporter in the county.

The Yang family has a close relationship with Secretary Zhou, and the Wuhu Winery has a very high status in Wuhu Township. Yangjia Village is also well-known in Wuhu Township. He had just arrived and needed local support, so he came to Yangjia Village first, showing his emphasis on the winery and the village.

"Brother Jiang, in private, we can call each other anything. But now you are the leader inspecting the winery, so I must call you Secretary Jiang. Director Yang, isn't that right?"

Yang Hua didn't expect Yang Jie to ask him, but being a smooth-talker, he nodded and said, "Little Yang is right. In private, we can call each other anything, but in public, we need to pay attention to the impact. After all, Brother Yang is also in the system and shouldn't give others the impression of not respecting his superiors."

Yang Jie, using the detective assistant system, analyzed Jiang Yi's micro-expressions and determined that his visit to the winery was not purely out of concern for the case. However, Yang Jie did not say this. After a few polite exchanges in the winery parking lot, Yang Jie led the two to Yang Xinhua's office.

Upon learning that Yang Hua had arrived at the winery, Deng Xiancheng, along with two detectives, hurriedly returned from Yangjia Village to the winery. In Yang Xinhua's office, after meeting Yang Hua, he reported the basic situation of the case.

The criminal investigation team found no useful clues at the winery or in Yangjia Village. Both the winery employees and the villagers had a good impression of Wang Guixi. He never argued with anyone in the village or the winery and was a good person. No one could understand why someone would kill Wang Guixi.

The employees who worked the night shift at the winery last night were also investigated. They all had alibis and were not at the crime scene when the incident occurred. The six people who were missing from the list were also questioned by Deng Xiancheng. Three of them had delivered goods to Fuxin Tungsten Mine and returned at noon, so they had no time to commit the crime.

As for the other three, they also had alibis, as they were resting in the dormitory during the incident and did not go out, thus ruling out their involvement.

The investigation was now in a deadlock, with all clues cut off and suspects cleared. The only option left was to investigate the recent arrival of retired soldiers in Wuhu Township and to delve deeper into whether Wang Guixi had any past conflicts. Deng Xiancheng hoped to visit Wang Guixi's hometown to gather more information.

(Thank you to 'Liu Li Feng' for the 588起点币 support! Thanks!)

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