Chapter 252: Are You Planning to Be Me Forever?

Chen Shi held three faxed death certificates in his hand, sent from two different district police stations and one from a station in another area. He walked into Lin Qiupu’s office and said, “Look at these, see any commonalities?”

“Accidental fall from height. Accidental fall from height? Accidental fall from height!”

“There’s another common point; all three belonged to the same company. I want to initiate a case.”

“You initiate a case? You’re not even a cop!”

“You can let Dongxue file the case, and I’ll handle the investigation.”

Lin Qiupu shook his head, “How old are these cases? How did you dig them up? Do you know how stretched we are right now? What about the Zhou Xiao case, should we just drop it?”

Chen Shi placed his hands on the desk, “Please, Lin team, help me this one time, and I’ll commit fully to catching Zhou Xiao afterward.”

“Not this… ” Lin Qiupu made a face as if in pain, “How are you going to investigate? Do you have any evidence?”

“Please, this is personal. I need to get justice for a friend, I’ve actually wanted to investigate this case for a long time.”

Seeing Chen Shi’s earnest request, Lin Qiupu reluctantly agreed, considering the numerous cases Chen Shi had helped the second team crack. It seemed only fair to return the favor.

So, he picked up the phone…

When Lin Dongxue heard she’d be working with Chen Shi on the case, she protested, “I refuse! I won’t work with him!” She glared at Chen Shi as she spoke.

Normally, Lin Dongxue was always eager to work on cases with Chen Shi, but Lin Qiupu noticed her change in attitude and asked, “Did something happen between you two?”

“Nothing, I have my own matters to handle!” Lin Dongxue said stiffly.

Chen Shi pleaded, “I just ask for your help this one time. Whether you want to work with me on cases in the future is up to you. This case involves a friend of mine, and honestly, it’s been weighing on me for three years, every single day.”

“Why bring it up now?” Lin Qiupu asked.

“I felt that our relationship was solid enough now that you’d help me.”

“So you had an ulterior motive when you first approached us?”

“Remember? It was your siblings who ‘invited’ me over. I was just going with the flow. This case is personal, but the real perpetrator is still at large, which is also your official business.”

“Smooth talker!” Lin Qiupu scoffed. “Dongxue, go handle the filing for the case.”

Lin Dongxue grudgingly agreed, “This is the last time I work on a case with you.”

The special investigation team was quickly assembled, consisting of familiar faces like Lin Dongxue, Xu Xiaodong, Little Li, and Old Zhang. Chen Shi explained the case, and after he finished, everyone discussed among themselves. Old Zhang, holding his thermos, said, “Chen, this case is entirely based on your speculation. There’s no evidence!”

“I believe that as we investigate, the evidence will gradually surface. I’ve already identified a suspect, Hou Yue, the former secretary of Yuhua Company’s CEO. After the three consecutive deaths, he resigned from the company but received a large sum of money. He now runs a health spa in Long’an. I went there a few days ago and, unexpectedly, got arrested for solicitation and had to pay a fine.”

Lin Dongxue stared in disbelief, and Old Zhang asked, “Why didn’t you say so earlier, and why act alone?”

“I suspect Hou Yue is also responsible for a friend’s death, but I have no evidence. You all know my background wasn’t exactly clean; I used to get into fights and was sort of a street thug before I turned my life around. Since it involves my past, I was somewhat reluctant to bring it up to you.”

“How do we proceed?” Old Zhang asked.

“Let’s start with the motive. Focus on examining Yuhua Company’s financial transactions over the past few years. Also, I’ll contact a lawyer who once sued Yuhua Company; he might provide some help.”

After assigning tasks and as the workday neared its end, Chen Shi said not to rush, they would start investigating tomorrow. Lin Dongxue, however, stayed behind. Her complex expression did not escape Chen Shi, who knew his words had had an effect.

“So, getting arrested for solicitation was because of this?”

“In fact, there was no transaction that day.” Chen Shi pulled out a document, “Here’s my bank statement for the past few months if you want to check.”

“Who wants to check your accounts? You should have saidearlier! You made me think…”

Lin Dongxue walked away, visibly annoyed.

Chen Shi exhaled in relief, feeling the weight of the conversation lift slightly. He had managed to cover one lie with another, but deceiving Lin Dongxue didn’t sit well with him.

He dialed Lawyer Liu’s number, expressing his desire to obtain help, insisting on paying for the services himself. Lawyer Liu generously offered to waive the fees but mentioned that if the case went public, he wanted to be credited in the reports.

For a lawyer with some renown, visibility was often more valuable than money.

Chen Shi considered whether to offer Lin Dongxue a ride home, but before he could decide, Wang Daji called him, “Bro, let’s go out for dinner!”

Initially inclined to refuse, Chen Shi thought better of it, considering Wang Daji was a loose cannon better kept in sight. “Where are you? I’ll come to you.”

Surprisingly, Wang Daji had ventured into a bustling commercial street. Chen Shi drove up beside him and waved him into the car. Wang Daji hopped in, all smiles, “Any progress?”

“We’ve filed the case. Investigation starts tomorrow.”

“You really get things done! I’ll treat you to a good meal tonight.”

“Though I think the death of your brother, Meng Ergou, might not be deeply tied to Yuhua Company.”

“Why did you file the case, then?”

“There are other cases linked to Yuhua Company.”

“As long as we can bring down that damned CEO and his secretary, I don’t care whose case it is. Putting them behind bars would at least appease my brother’s spirit!”

“That’s not like you. I thought you’d handle it directly.”

“Come on! I’m not stupid. When you’re from the streets, you don’t just kill people randomly. We street fighters keep it to a minimum; only greenhorns use a dagger to kill.”

“Ever killed anyone?”

“Does taking a girl to get an abortion count?” Wang Daji joked with a grin.

Chen Shi was relieved. Despite his unsavory background, at least he hadn’t been involved in any homicides.

He took Wang Daji to a secluded side street and chose a small eatery. Wang Daji remarked, “You’re too frugal, man. What’s good to eat here? Let’s go to the Full Han Tower for some fancy dishes.”

“First, there are no cameras on this street; second, this place’s sweet and sour ribs are not bad.”

“Do we need to be this cautious? Just say you’re a twin.”

“I’m currently living a huge lie in front of the cops; I have to be careful.”

Once seated, Wang Daji, with nothing better to do, started peeling garlic at the table. “Bro, you’ve been using my name for three years. Any trouble?”

“A few times. But I’m pretty slick. I drive to places with cameras, and those looking for trouble usually back off.”

“That’s playing it safe! Ever thought of being Song Lang again?”

“Plastic surgery is irreversible. Even if I did it again, I might not look the same as before. Too risky.”

“So, you plan to be me for life?”