Chapter 564: The Fallen Genius

Chen Shi asked KK how the investigation was going. KK showed him the list they were working through, with many names already crossed off. “There are still a dozen apartments we couldn’t check because people were home.”

“Add one more,” Chen Shi said, asking KK to check Li Xiang’s aunt’s apartment as well.

Nearing lunchtime, the three of them went to Pizza Hut for a meal. KK sat down casually and said, “Only kids like this stuff! Chen, you really spoil Yueyue, always asking her opinion on everything.”

“Doesn’t your dad do the same?” Tao Yueyue asked.

“My dad?” KK chuckled. “He’d only take me out when he was drunk. When he sobered up, he’d forget all about it. He died in a funny way too—went out to steal a manhole cover to buy booze, and fell into the manhole he had uncovered the day before. I’ve been telling that story for ten years!” KK laughed until he cried. “I always think, if my family were better off, I could have been like Jack Ma!”

Chen Shi looked at KK’s scarred face and said, “In some ways, you and Jack Ma are similar.”

“Yeah, both regret what they did when they were young!”

Tao Yueyue asked, “How did you two meet?”

“Ha, that’s a great story…”

“Don’t!” Chen Shi interrupted.

“Do you want to hear it?” KK raised an eyebrow.

“Shut up!” Chen Shi said.

Luckily, a phone call saved Chen Shi. It was Sun Zhen, who was on speakerphone. Sun said, “I checked Wei Yi’s information. He lied to us. He’s not an investment broker at all; he’s an unemployed drifter.”

“No way, can he afford the fee?” KK was agitated.

Chen Shi said, “I wondered why his place was so messy. I thought he was saving money, but he just has no money.”

“Damn it, let’s confront him now!”

“After lunch!” Chen Shi said.

KK kept cursing, complaining that he had turned down several other jobs to work on this one and had been deceived.

After lunch, the three of them went to Wei Yi’s house. The lights were on inside. KK said before they knocked, “Yueyue, stay out. This might not be suitable for kids.”

“Are you planning to hit him?” Chen Shi asked.

“He made us waste our time. Of course, I’ll teach him a lesson!” KK said indignantly.

“Calm down. Regardless of his ability to pay, we need to solve this case. I think there’s a criminal element involved. If he can’t pay, I’ll cover it.”

KK calmed down and became polite again. “No way, we can’t take your money. Without you, this agency wouldn’t exist.”

“Be polite inside… Never mind, I’ll talk. You keep quiet!”

When Wei Yi opened the door, he was wearing a tank top and looked delighted. “Mr. Chen, since I stopped drinking the milk, my symptoms have improved a lot. Thank you so much! How’s the case going?”

“Wei Yi, we need to talk!” KK said sternly.

Chen Shi continued, “You lied to us. You’re actually unemployed and have no income.”

Wei Yi looked flustered. “I… I do have legitimate income. I can definitely pay the fee.”

KK shouted, “Look at how you live. You can’t afford 20,000 yuan! Stop fooling us!”

“You stop talking!” Chen Shi said. “Wei Yi, what’s your actual job?”

“Um… supermarket promoter, flyer distributor, medical trial volunteer, freelance writer, internet troll.” All unstable and unreliable jobs. Wei Yi added, “I do have a steady income. Come in and sit!”

He let them in and took out a poorly printed booklet. “I print and sell these myself. They make enough to support me every month.”

Chen Shi opened it, while KK exclaimed, “Wow… Damn… Oh my God!”

“Uncle Chen, let me see!” Tao Yueyue’s curiosity was piqued.

Chen Shi quickly closed the booklet and said seriously, “You can look at this when you’re twenty.” He turned to Wei Yi, “You print these to sell? Do you have buyers?”

“Yes, I have a steady customer base. They come by regularly.”

KK shook his leg and commented, “Only a crazy person would read this. The person who draws it must be crazy too.”

Wei Yi said shamefully, “Even those websites won’t accept this content. I can only distribute it privately. Please don’t tell the police, or I’ll have no way to make a living.”

KK laughed, “Tell the police, and you won’t have to worry about food or shelter.”

Chen Shi said, “That’s not my concern. Do you have anything else to hide from us?”

Wei Yi scratched his head. “I didn’t see the zombie from the passenger seat. I saw it head-on.”

“Does that make a difference?” KK asked.

“That car had tinted windows. You can’t see inside unless you get close. I leaned in and suddenly saw a horrifying face, which scared me. Then a man buying cigarettes in the supermarket turned and gave me a very vicious look.”

“Why didn’t you mention this detail before?”

“Because if I said I saw it from the passenger window, I wouldn’t have seen the supermarket.”

“Huh, you’re pretty thorough with your lies!”

KK asked, “Why were you at the front of the car?”

Wei Yi looked down shamefully. “Stealing… stealing the car badge.”

“Stealing car badges?”

“It’s a small hobby. Wait a moment.” Wei Yi took out a box filled with various car badges, both domestic and foreign. “Whenever I see people my age driving fancy cars with girls, I get annoyed. Why can they live better than me? So, I take their car badges and collect them at home. It creates some business for 4S shops and helps the GDP in a small way. It makes me feel balanced, and it doesn’t hurt them much.”

Chen Shi and KK were stunned. KK nodded, “I’m starting to like this guy.”

Wei Yi took the chance to sell, “Do you want any? Ten yuan each. This Hongqi badge looks great on any car.”

“Put them away!” Chen Shi said, waving his hand. “By the way, you sell these… ahem, booklets and have regular buyers. Do you recognize all of them?”

“Some I know, some I don’t.”

“Do you know most of them, or not?”

“I know most of them. If I don’t know them, I ask…,” he lowered his voice and mimicked a sleazy salesperson, “Are you here for that? If they say yes or mention a referral, I sell to them.”

“Did anyone you saw at the supermarket come to buy from you later?”

Wei Yi thought, “No… I don’t think so. Maybe he changed clothes. Anyway, a stranger came the next day, bought a booklet, paid, and left… Could he be the one?” Wei Yi covered his mouth in fear.

Chen Shi thought, maybe that person planned to kill Wei Yi to silence him but then decided to drive him insane because Wei Yi seemed unhinged and not credible.

“Do you remember his appearance?”

“I forgot. He had his collar up and wore a hat.”

Chen Shi flipped through the booklet and asked, “Last question, do you have a mental illness from making this stuff?”

“No, I’m just a fallen genius!” Wei Yi said confidently, revealing his yellow teeth in a smile.