Chapter 386: The Fake Illegitimate Child

Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue pretended to be with Wang Haitao as they entered the reception room upstairs. A female employee brought three glasses of water, but Wang Haitao waved it off. “I don’t drink this. Bring Evian.”

The employee, flustered, replied, “Okay, I’ll go buy some right away.”

Lin Dongxue teased, “Wang, you’re quite the rich kid now!”

“Haha, Evian is expensive, and I don’t drink it usually… Although my father doesn’t expect me to take over the company, I try to save whenever I can. Speaking of business, I recently made a successful investment…”

“What investment?” Lin Dongxue asked.

Chen Shi subtly kicked Wang Haitao’s foot, signaling him not to mention the detective agency. Wang Haitao quickly said, “Stocks.”

Shortly after, three suited interviewers entered the room, visibly nervous, unsure who was interviewing whom. Before they could sit down, Wang Haitao asked, “What do you do here?”

“I am the company’s vice president, this is the marketing manager, and this is the HR manager… Mr. Wang, do we have the qualifications to interview you?” The vice president asked obsequiously.

“I want to interview your CEO.”

“Alright, I’ll go get him.”

A young CEO entered, enthusiastically shaking Wang Haitao’s hand. “Apologies for being late, I was handling some documents. So, Mr. Wang, what position are you interested in at our company? Is Mr. Lu planning to invest in our company? Haha, just kidding… Are these two your secretaries? You have a good eye.”

Wang Haitao gestured toward Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue. “These are my police friends. They have some questions for you.”

The CEO’s expression immediately changed, realizing it was a “trap.” Chen Shi said, “We’re detectives. Don’t worry, this matter won’t harm you; it might actually benefit you.”

“Alright, go ahead.”

“In 2008, when your father passed away, a secret will executed by a lawyer mentioned an illegitimate child who also received an inheritance. Is that correct?”

The CEO became interested and pulled up a chair. “Why? Is the police suspecting him too? I thought it was odd. My father was always cautious, yet there was a paternity test result, and he was already confused from his illness. So, it ended up in the will.”

“We suspect it might have been a scam.”

The CEO clapped his hands, not forgetting to flatter Wang Haitao. “Mr. Wang, you bring me good news… Officers, tell me more. Is there hope of retrieving the millions taken by that fraud?”

Chen Shi asked Lin Dongxue, “The money went to Du Xuemei and was later inherited by her nephew. Can it be recovered?”

“Legally, it’s possible but complicated.”

The CEO said, “That’s fine. The money isn’t the main issue. My father worked hard all his life; the money shouldn’t go to fraudsters… You mentioned Du Xuemei. I remember her. She was a shameless mistress who conned my father out of a lot of money. When my father fell ill, she suddenly brought an illegitimate child to claim an inheritance. My mother called her a slut, and it was quite unpleasant, but she got the money. Later, I heard she died in a fire. Serves her right.”

Chen Shi asked, half-jokingly, “Was the fire related to your family?”

The CEO was shocked but then laughed. “Officer, you’re joking. Our family has strict principles. My father taught us to be honest. We would never commit such crimes.”

His reaction seemed genuine, and Chen Shi thought the fire was probably unrelated to the Zhang family.

Chen Shi said, “If we were to file a lawsuit to recover the money, we’d need detailed information about Du Xuemei. Can you provide any?”

“Which aspects?”

Chen Shi showed him the screenshot KK had sent. “Does this company ring a bell?”

“Shida Software Development Company? Shida… I remember now. It used to be my father’s company. IT was booming back then, and my father invested millions. Later, when he broke up with that shameless woman, Shida was given to her as part of the settlement. It was in the early 2000s.”

“So, Du Xuemei became the CEO of Shida?”

“Hah, she knew nothing about IT and ran it poorly. I heard it was later acquired.”

“We already know who the fake illegitimate child is.”

“Please tell me!”

“Not yet. We have a way to prove he isn’t related to your father. We need your DNA to compare with his. If you aren’t related, it confirms the fraud.”

“Good idea…” The CEO hesitated, weighing the risks. “Alright, I need to confirm your identities.”

Lin Dongxue showed her police badge, and the CEO believed them. He immediately took a sample with a cotton swab and provided his contact information.

With that settled, the CEO returned to the “interview.” “Mr. Wang, are you still interested in a job here? Having you would be an honor for our company.”

Wang Haitao said, “I’ll consider it. You’ll hear from me.”

“Alright, I’ll see you out.”

The CEO personally escorted them downstairs. Wang Haitao rented a shared bike again. “Mr. Chen, Officer Lin… I’m off to buy groceries. Let’s eat together sometime!”

“Thanks for today.”

“No problem, no problem.”

Watching him ride away, Lin Dongxue remarked, “He’s such an unpretentious rich kid.”

“Forty years of living in poverty must have shaped his character… You take the DNA to Old Peng. I’ll visit Shida to see what I can find.”

“Give me a ride, then!”

After dropping Lin Dongxue at the station, Chen Shi went to Shida Software. Though the company had changed hands, they still had employee records. Chen Shi obtained a list and called Gu You while driving to the agency.

KK wasn’t there, but Sun Zhen, playing games, said he was out tailing a cheating spouse. While waiting, Chen Shi received a text from Lin Dongxue: “DNA doesn’t match. Are you coming over today?”

Chen Shi replied, “Still investigating, but I’ll be there tomorrow.”