Chapter 530: The Man in Gray

Chen Shi asked Lü Hao, “Where did Lin Hui get that money?”

Lü Hao shook his head repeatedly, “I really don’t know. I asked her many times, and she assured me it wasn’t stolen or robbed. She said the person who lost the money wouldn’t dare to report it. I thought maybe she took it from the company since she’s an accountant and has access to the company’s funds.”

“When was the first time she mentioned the money?”

Lü Hao thought for a while, “Mid-August, I think?”

“Did you notice who was following her?”

“Once we were walking on the street, and she suddenly got very nervous and dragged me away. When I looked back, I saw two men in sunglasses, but I can’t remember the details.”

“When was this?”

“Earlier this month.”

There was nothing more to glean from Lü Hao, so Chen Shi let him go. After his “release,” Lü Hao shamelessly asked Lin Dongxue for her contact information, which earned him a scolding.

As they left the police station to get some food, Lin Dongxue said, “It’s unbelievable. Mixing up the bags with 10 million? Even for a few thousand, you’d check carefully. Could he be lying?”

“I don’t think he’s lying. When the amount of money is too large, it becomes just a number… Lü Hao is on the fringes of this situation. He doesn’t know the core details.”

“Two men in sunglasses… It seems the opposition is a small organization, maybe a gang? But Lin Hui was just an accountant. How could she get involved with a gang?”

“Let’s not worry about that now. Let’s eat. Today has been exhausting.”

The next morning, Chen Shi woke up in the hotel bed, sneezing. The hotel wasn’t as clean as home, and he didn’t sleep well.

They leisurely strolled the streets of Lieyang looking for breakfast. Chen Shi asked, “Any progress from the team?”

“Nothing. Oh, Xiaodong compressed the surveillance footage and sent it to me. Do you want to see it?”

“Let me see.”

He watched the footage on the phone for a while. There was no surveillance at the spot where Lin Hui disappeared, but cameras on both ends of the street captured her and her car passing by, followed by nothing unusual.

Chen Shi thought, if it weren’t for his familiarity with the police, he might have been the first suspect.

Chen Shi called Peng Sijue, saying, “Old Peng, can you examine the money for clues? We urgently need a breakthrough.”

“What can I find on the money? Fingerprints?”

“Give it a try, please.”

A sigh came from Peng Sijue on the other end. He reluctantly agreed, “Alright, alright. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks! I’ll treat you to breakfast. Listen…” Chen Shi bit into a fried dumpling, making a crunching sound. Peng Sijue hung up before he finished.

“Guy has no sense of humor!” Chen Shi laughed, putting down the phone.

Lin Dongxue was also on a call. “The local police said there was a shooting incident nearby. It might be related to our case. Want to check it out?”

“Let’s go see!”

After breakfast, they went to the precinct where the police said the shooting happened on the evening of September 10th in a neighborhood called Green Community, which was about to be demolished. Many residents had moved out. That evening, there were two gunshots, not as loud as in movies. At first, residents thought someone was setting off firecrackers.

One bullet hit the glass of a smoke shop on the first floor. The shop owner saw a man in a gray trench coat holding a gun-like object, aiming at a woman in a red coat carrying a bag.

The gunshots alarmed the property management. The man in the trench coat hurriedly left, and the woman disappeared.

The police showed Chen Shi a bullet found at the scene. It was a steel pellet with gunpowder residue. Chen Shi said, “This is a homemade gun!”

“The firearms expert at the precinct said the same. Judging by the impact, its velocity is comparable to a real gun. It could kill if it hits a vital spot.”

“Is there surveillance?”

The police showed them the surveillance footage. Around 6 PM, a woman in a red coat walked in, followed by a man in a trench coat. Chen Shi paused the footage and zoomed in, saying, “This could be Lin Hui.”

Fast-forwarding, at 6:20 PM, the woman hurried out with a woven bag. Five minutes later, the man in the trench coat followed.

Lin Dongxue said, “Was Lin Hui carrying the money? Based on the timing, she should have been heading to meet Lü Hao.”

“Then this neighborhood was a temporary hiding place for the money. Let’s check the rental information and surrounding surveillance to find the shooter’s car.”

The precinct took on these tasks, also investigating the shooting incident. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Chen Shi pondered if the missing bullet might have hit Lin Hui. But if she were injured, Lü Hao would have mentioned it. She might have encountered the assailants again after leaving Lü Hao, which could explain the blood in the car.

But there was also a possibility that the blood didn’t belong to Lin Hui.

Waiting around was frustrating. Chen Shi suggested, “Let’s visit Lin Hui’s neighborhood and see if we can find any clues.”

The results were disappointing. Lin Hui’s neighbors didn’t even know her name. The couple had recently moved in. The wife worked in Long’an, and the husband was a homebody. Neighbors knew almost nothing about them.

After asking around, it was already afternoon. As they walked out, Lin Dongxue nudged Chen Shi, gesturing with her eyes.

They saw a suspicious man in sunglasses hiding in the greenery, smoking a cigarette and holding a walkie-talkie. When he noticed them looking, he immediately turned and left.

Chen Shi chased after him. The man in sunglasses, sensing danger, started running. He sprinted out of the neighborhood and jumped into a car, which then drove off.

Chen Shi, panting and holding his knees, said to Lin Dongxue as she caught up, “Damn, he got away, but I got the license plate number.”

He took out his phone and sent the license plate number to the Long’an police for investigation. Lin Dongxue asked, “Are these people also looking for the money? Are they a gang?”

“If they were a gang, their methods might be more aggressive. I don’t think so.”

Soon, the investigation results came back. The car belonged to a 20-year-old college student, unrelated to the case. Lin Dongxue asked if they should find the student. Chen Shi shook his head, “No, it’s probably a fake plate. These guys are highly vigilant, professionals. Could they be… private detectives?”