Chapter 254: I Like You

Lin Dongxue munched on her pancake as she wandered down the road beside the police station with Chen Shi. “So, you’re not mad at me anymore?” Chen Shi asked.

“Why would I be mad at you? I know it was a misunderstanding… But you used to be a thug, you must have frequented those places, right?”

“Yeah, I did go there often, but I’ve reformed. You don’t have to worry about that,” Chen Shi admitted.

“You’re funny. Why would I worry about your actions?”

“I’m your advisor. If I lose face, it reflects poorly on your team and on you. So, please, on behalf of the organization, trust me!”

Lin Dongxue chuckled, “Alright, alright, you’ve reformed. I trust you!” She crumpled up the pancake wrapper and tossed it into a trash can.

“You’ve got something on your mouth,” Chen Shi noted.

“Where?” Lin Dongxue frantically wiped the wrong side of her mouth.

“Come here.”

Chen Shi reached out to brush the crumbs from the corner of her lips. They stood under a plane tree, with few people around and the morning light just waking the city. Lin Dongxue looked into Chen Shi’s eyes and said, “It’s not that I dislike you, I just… well, we’ve known each other for a while, so… it’s just that…”

“I know, you like me.”

Lin Dongxue’s face turned red, and she looked away. “Sure, I like Peng too, and Xiao Dong, and Old Zhang…”

“I like Peng too, and Xiao Dong, and you.”

Though Chen Shi had said he liked her before, this time it felt different to Lin Dongxue.

Seizing the moment, Chen Shi cupped Lin Dongxue’s face in his hands. She instinctively closed her eyes, but the anticipated moment didn’t come. Instead, Chen Shi suddenly pulled away. Lin Dongxue followed his gaze to see Lin Qiupu emerging from the parking lot. He quickly ran over upon seeing them together.

Lin Qiupu noticed Lin Dongxue’s flushed face and questioned Chen Shi, “Were you two arguing?”

“No!” Lin Dongxue’s face reddened further.

“You… come here!” Lin Qiupu pulled Chen Shi aside. They had a lengthy conversation punctuated by Lin Qiupu’s gestures before he finally left.

When Chen Shi returned, Lin Dongxue asked, “What did my brother say?”

“He basically told me not to bully you.”

“As if you could bully me! If you try, I’ll beat you up!” Lin Dongxue said, playfully raising her fist.

“Spare me!”

“Don’t run away!”

Lin Dongxue chased Chen Shi all the way to the station entrance, where they both resumed a more serious demeanor. From a nearby bush, Lin Qiupu, who had been watching, muttered in surprise, “Are they really hitting it off?”

Today, the team continued investigating Yuhua Pharmaceutical. They gathered all available documents in a conference room. During this, Peng Sijue called Chen Shi to the tech unit. “I’ve reviewed the reports from the three precincts. Besides the fact that all three deaths were falls, I noticed they all happened between 8 and 9 PM.”

“That’s when residential areas are usually quiet?” Chen Shi asked.

“No, they all had just finished dinner. If they were given oral anesthetics, it would take two to three hours to take effect.”

Chen Shi stroked his chin. “I remember one of them had half a bottle of wine left on the table, but nothing was found in the wine? Of course, the usual trick is to swap the food after the murder.”

“You talk as if you’ve solved many cases before,” Peng Sijue scoffed. “The chief pharmacist from Yuhua died in his hometown. The local police did an autopsy and found possible drug residues in his body, but their equipment wasn’t advanced enough to determine what it was. However, the coroner was diligent and kept a liver sample. I’ve contacted him, and it’s on its way here.”

“Good, there’s still hope.”

“How did you explain the prostitution incident to Dongxue?”

“You switch topics too smoothly. Anyway, it’s all cleared up.”

“I won’t comment on your character…”

“Why comment on my character?”

Peng Sijue rolled his eyes. “Just be careful and avoid doing such reckless things.”

Leaving the tech unit, Chen Shi pondered Peng Sijue’s words. He had suspected that Peng Sijue knew his true identity, given their past closeness. But because Peng was Peng, Chen Shi didn’t worry about him spilling the beans.

By midday, the team had organized their findings. The three deaths occurred in this order: the chief pharmacist on June 7 at 9 PM, the production manager on August 13 at 8 PM, and the actuary on September 1 at 9 PM. The incidents happened in different precincts and were treated as separate accidental falls.

Moreover, Huo Yue’s bank and credit card records showed he visited the chief pharmacist’s hometown before his death. Over the period when the three were dying, he deposited a total of four million yuan in small amounts into six different accounts.

Chen Shi said, “It looks like Huo Yue was the hitman, rewarded financially by someone. The only one with the motive and means is the president, Ma Wanli.”

Lin Dongxue asked, “Five years ago, Yuhua Pharmaceutical was sued for causing deaths. Why didn’t they kill people back then and waited two years?”

Old Zhang offered, “The president, secretary, production manager, chief pharmacist, and actuary were probably a joint interest group. Maybe they had a falling out over dividing the spoils.”

“Dividing what spoils? After causing deaths and paying compensation, did the company still make profits?”

Lin Dongxue’s casual question hit the mark. This was exactly what Chen Shi wanted to know—what was the benefit of silencing these people?

Xiao Dong asked timidly, “What does an actuary do?”

“They manage finances for businesses.”

“Do you really need a special person for that? Can’t you just use a calculator?”

“They handle not just accounts but also profits, efficiency, and complex calculations. It involves advanced math, not something you can do with a calculator.” Chen Shi suddenly realized he used the term “algorithm,” which triggered a thought. “Get me all of Yuhua’s financial records for the past few years! We need an actuary to check for any discrepancies.”

“There are no discrepancies. These records are from the tax office and they gave me a headache. They haven’t evaded taxes.”

“It’s not about tax evasion. It’s about how much profit they’re making from using that drug formula.”

Peng Sijue, who had been listening at the door, said, “No need to find an actuary. I’m good with advanced math. I’ll handle it! Also, the sample from the local police arrived. I’ve sent it for testing.”