Chapter 116: A Case within a Case
On January 4th, the trial for the online gaming uncle’s murder officially began. Lin Dongxue and Chen Shi attended as observers. The evidence collected by the police was overwhelming. After half a day of hearings, the defendant, Deng Zhongming, was convicted of intentional homicide and sentenced to twenty years in prison.
Throughout the trial, Deng Zhongming appeared dazed, as if the matter didn’t concern him. As he was being escorted out by the bailiff, he suddenly broke free and whispered something to his defense lawyer before being forcibly taken away.
Chen Shi approached the lawyer and asked, “What did he just say to you? We’re the police involved in this case and would like to know if it’s related to the case.”
Lin Dongxue whispered, “You’re getting better at pretending to be a cop.”
“It’s probably unrelated,” the lawyer said. “He asked me to call Shengshi Company and check if the online game would still be available in twenty years.”
“Typical gamer!”
As they left the court, Chen Shi said, “Tao Yueyue is a bit exasperating.”
“What now?”
Chen Shi recounted the incident where she avenged herself on a classmate. Lin Dongxue was shocked, “No way, that’s almost criminal-level ingenuity.”
“I’m really worried that when she grows up, she’ll use her intelligence for the wrong things. She doesn’t like playing, just studying. All her teachers praise her diligence and quick comprehension. It’s driving me crazy. I’m considering buying her a game console or Barbie dolls to make her as lazy and playful as other kids.”
“You can’t just give her pocket money and ignore her.”
“How should I care for her? As a grown man, if I get too close to a little girl, people might suspect something inappropriate.”
“That’s why I think she needs a mother.”
“How about you take care of her for a few days?”
Lin Dongxue waved her hands repeatedly, “No way, I’m too busy with work.”
“What are you busy with?”
“That fraud insurance case. I’ve reviewed many insurance claims from recent years and found several fraudulent ones. I suspect they have inside help, but these beneficiaries won’t reveal the mastermind’s identity.”
“Who handled the insurance policies they benefited from?”
“A large portion of them were handled by an agent named Yang Min. He’s jumped between several insurance companies and is currently missing. We don’t know if he’s the mastermind.”
Chen Shi suggested grabbing a meal, and Lin Dongxue was about to agree when she got a call from Lin Qiupu. “Is the trial over?”
“Yes, do you need something?”
“We found something while processing the gaming uncle’s evidence that might relate to your fraud case.”
“I’m on my way!” Lin Dongxue hung up and said excitedly, “We’re not out of luck yet. My brother found some clues. Let’s go back.”
Lin Qiupu was at the evidence center. With the investigation concluded, some evidence was to be destroyed, and some valuable items were to be handed over to heirs. The gaming uncle and his son died on the same day, leaving his wife as the sole heir.
Nearly a month had passed since the incident, and the gaming uncle’s wife hadn’t appeared, which puzzled Lin Qiupu. Today, the cyber police discovered a large sum of two million in her account, which was the life insurance payout for the gaming uncle and his son.
Lin Qiupu, with professional suspicion, investigated further and found that the gaming uncle not only had life insurance but also a disability insurance policy, which took effect just days before the incident.
After hearing this, Lin Dongxue said, “You can’t accuse her of insurance fraud based on this alone. Buying insurance is a normal commercial activity.”
“What about this?” Lin Qiupu laid several copies of insurance contracts on the table.
Lin Dongxue saw Yang Min’s name as the agent and was stunned, “It’s him again?”
“That’s why I think it’s related to your fraud case. If you need this evidence, keep it for now.”
Chen Shi glanced at the evidence from the gaming uncle’s case, including the peculiar mask. He pondered, “Disability insurance?” and then picked up the mask, deep in thought.
After setting down the mask, he asked, “What was the gaming uncle’s financial situation like?”
Lin Qiupu replied, “He worked at a foreign company, earning over forty thousand a month, which is quite good. But his game expenses were even higher, averaging a hundred thousand a month. He sold his house and car and took on high-interest loans to fund his gaming habit, struggling to pay even the interest.”
“His game account must be valuable.”
“Yes, it’s personal property. His wife listed it for sale online along with other items, priced at four million!”
“Even though I’m not addicted to games, I’d be thrilled to have such an account.”
“Why are we talking about games again!” Lin Dongxue interrupted. “Chen Shi, what do you think this mask is for? We never figured it out.”
Chen Shi picked up the mask, “It’s strange. It covers one eye but leaves the other exposed. It’s like a welder’s mask, meant for protection…”
“If it’s for protection, why not cover both eyes?”
“The maker probably intended to damage one eye. You mentioned the gaming uncle bought disability insurance and needed money for gaming…”
Chen Shi left Lin Dongxue to piece it together. She clapped her hands in realization, “This is a tool for faking an accident. By covering the face with the mask and splashing corrosive liquid, one eye would be blinded, making it look like an accident.”
“The insurance company wouldn’t accept such an accident!” Chen Shi said. “If it’s an accident, it must involve everyday hazards. Let’s check his belongings!”
Chen Shi logged into a consignment website and found all the gaming uncle’s items listed for sale. Among them was a new CRT monitor, large and bulky.
In today’s age of LCD screens, why would anyone use such a monitor? Chen Shi remembered that when they visited the gaming uncle’s home, there was an LCD monitor on the desk.
Lin Dongxue noticed Chen Shi’s reaction and searched online, saying, “This company’s monitors had quality issues and even had incidents of cathode ray tube explosions… Did he buy this monitor to injure his eye and claim insurance money for more gaming funds?”
“If his mastermind did a good job, he could even sue the manufacturer for compensation. It’s a two-for-one deal… This monitor might have been tampered with. We must prevent it from being sold to avoid innocent casualties.”
“Buy it right away.”
Chen Shi was about to purchase it when the website showed it had already been sold. The two exchanged shocked glances…