Chapter 335: The Money Outlasted the Man (Third Update, Additional Updates Tomorrow)

Officer Li Min’s words left all the policemen present astonished. Throughout their careers, they had encountered many shameless individuals, but never anyone as despicable as the deceased Zheng Guohao.

Lin Qiupu made a note of what Li Min said and replied, “I’ll verify your claims. Stay in Long’an for now and keep your phone on.”

Li Min pounded his chest and declared, “I’ve done nothing wrong; I’ve got nothing to hide. Investigate all you want… but can you keep my daughter’s situation confidential?”

“Don’t worry about that.”

After leaving Li Min, Lin Qiupu found a message from Lin Dongxue in the special task force group chat: “Lawyer Bai has been murdered. Those who can come, hurry to this address…”

“No way!” Lin Qiupu directed his team, “Let’s go, quickly.”

Lawyer Bai had been found dead in his home. Earlier, Lin Dongxue and Chen Shi had called him but got no response. When they went to his office, colleagues mentioned he hadn’t shown up that day. At his house, Chen Shi noticed the curtains were drawn and Lawyer Bai’s car was parked outside.

After knocking several times without an answer, Chen Shi had a bad feeling and broke in, finding Lawyer Bai dead on the sofa.

He was wearing a shirt, casual pants, and slippers, slumped on the sofa with his eyes rolled back. He had been stabbed in the chest with a sharp object, leaving a large bloodstain. He still clutched some documents, and more papers with blood drops were scattered on the floor.

Chen Shi glanced at the documents and remarked, “These are all from previous sexual assault cases. This guy only defended rapists, didn’t he?”

Lin Dongxue noted, “The door lock is intact… it looks like he was discussing a case when the killer struck. His attire…”

“What do you think?” Chen Shi prompted.

“It seems he had just come home and was about to rest when he was interrupted by a visitor, so he hurriedly put on a shirt.”

“Exactly!” Chen Shi checked the bathroom. “The hot water is still running. If not for this deadly visitor, he might have bathed and gone to bed… the murder likely happened last night.”

Chen Shi crouched to examine the glass coffee table, noting, “There were cups here that are now gone.”

“Could it be poison again?”

In the kitchen, Chen Shi observed that Lawyer Bai was meticulous and possibly obsessive-compulsive, with everything neatly arranged. He opened the cupboards and found a drawer for glass cups, noticing two with water marks placed haphazardly.

“The killer washed the cups and put them back to hide their presence,” Chen Shi said, closing the drawer and preserving the scene for Pens Jue.

Chen Shi then went to the study and picked up Lawyer Bai’s schedule from the desk. There was no mention of a visitor the previous night.

Lin Dongxue asked, “Do you think the killer is the same person?”

“Efficient and clean work, likely the same person. The killer could be a young, attractive woman, which is why Lawyer Bai let his guard down. He was holding documents on a sexual assault case, which isn’t his usual field, suggesting the killer was persuasive.”

“If it’s the same person, we should focus on victims of Zheng Guohao who might want revenge on both him and Lawyer Bai.”

“Maybe,” Chen Shi replied skeptically. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. Earlier, we considered the possibility of two female killers. There might be no connection… Let’s get some fresh air. The blood smell in here is overwhelming.”

Outside, Chen Shi felt the urge to smoke and habitually reached into his pocket.

“Hmm?” Lin Dongxue raised an eyebrow, gently warning him.

Chen Shi smiled, “You don’t know how hard it is without a smoke. I couldn’t sleep well last night.”

“Did you smoke at home?”

“No, no, you can ask Yueyue.”

“Good boy!” Lin Dongxue patted him and handed him a small candy. “Here’s your reward.”

Chen Shi chewed the candy, saying, “If only it had a nicotine flavor.”

“Get out of here!” Lin Dongxue nudged him.

Soon, Peng Sijue and Lin Qiupu arrived with a tech expert who started examining Lawyer Bai’s computer. Chen Shi said, “I’ll take a look.”

Lawyer Bai’s large desk and chair were comfortable. Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue browsed through the files, finding nothing inappropriate—only professional legal forums.

Earning a million annually wasn’t just for show; his life was his work and vice versa. Yet, thinking about how Lawyer Bai died young with so much money in the bank, Chen Shi couldn’t help but recall a line from a Zhao Benshan comedy sketch: “The man died, but the money wasn’t spent.”

One folder contained all the cases Lawyer Bai had handled. As they reviewed them, Lin Dongxue asked, “How many scumbags did he defend?”

“You can’t put it that way. The justice of the court lies in allowing even the worst criminals to have a lawyer. That’s true judicial fairness.”

“That’s true, but if something like this happened to me, and after a court battle, I was slandered instead of vindicated, I’d probably go rogue… Maybe the killer thought the same.”

“I strongly support Singapore’s caning punishment. These rapists and sex offenders commit heinous acts without shame. They think it’s disgraceful for the victims but not for themselves. Public caning would be a deterrent.”

“Caning is too mild; chemical castration is more fitting!” Lin Dongxue laughed.

“Don’t discuss the law lightly. Remember your role!” Lin Qiupu, passing by, reprimanded.

“Can I comment as the driver?” Chen Shi raised his hand.

Finally, they found the case files related to Zheng Guohao. The records were shocking. Over ten years, Zheng Guohao had committed six cases of child molestation and rape. Lawyer Bai helped him win five of these cases, and in the remaining one, Zheng was convicted of soliciting a minor and sentenced to five years. However, he was released early for good behavior.

Zheng Guohao seemed to be a major client of Lawyer Bai. Chen Shi noted all the information, planning to visit each involved party later.