Chapter 586: The Signing Ceremony

After listening to the other person, Yan Ke was surprised. “Is that it?”

“Not satisfied?” The other person tilted his head. “Don’t underestimate this task. You need to do exactly as I say and complete it perfectly.”

“It’s not that. I can do more. To be honest, I’ve killed before!” Yan Ke stared into the other person’s eyes, trying to appear more menacing.

The man laughed and waved his hand. “Alright, alright, I know you’re capable. No need to rush. As long as you’re useful, Mr. Zhou won’t overlook you. Just focus on completing this task well.”

“Alright then… I’ll take my leave.”

Not long after Yan Ke left, another man sat down in front of the man in the black hat and whispered, “Mr. Zhou sent me.”

The man in the black hat nodded. “Your task is…”

Across the street at a beef noodle shop, Tao Yueyue furrowed her brows suspiciously. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she knew it wasn’t good.

Before she knew it, Tao Yueyue had been sitting there for a long time. Chen Shi called her, anxiously asking where she was. Tao Yueyue said, “I’ll be back soon.”

“Are you with friends?”

“No, I… I have something to do.”

“Do you need me to pick you up?”

“Sure, I’m at a noodle shop near the school.”

By the time Chen Shi arrived, the man in the black hat had already left the cafe. He laughed with relief. “What were you doing? Not going home after school. Who are you investigating?”

Tao Yueyue motioned for him to sit down and showed him some photos she had taken. The photos were grainy, taken with a phone through the window from across the street. They showed the man in the black hat meeting with different people.

“I saw Yan Ke sneaking around today. He met this guy, and then this guy met with ten different people.” She no longer called Yan Ke “Mr. Yan.”

Chen Shi glanced across the street. “Thanks for the intel. But don’t do anything so dangerous next time. What if you get caught?”

“I won’t. I want to avenge Cao Rui. Didn’t you say Yan Ke has backing? Could it be related to this guy?”

“That group is too dangerous for you.”

Tao Yueyue shrugged. “I’m just a kid. Who can I provoke? I can always hide.”

“Alright, alright. You have a point… Have you eaten?”

“I had three bowls of beef noodles…” Tao Yueyue burped.

The next morning, Chen Shi brought the ten photos Tao Yueyue took to the police station. The quality was too poor to make out the people, and the meeting spot was cleverly chosen to avoid surveillance cameras.

Finding the suspects wouldn’t be impossible, but it would take a long time sifting through surveillance footage, which could delay the investigation.

Lin Qiupu said, “These meetings were definitely arranged by Zhou Tiannan. He’s planning something big… Can’t you buy Yueyue a better phone?”

Chen Shi sighed. “Should I get her a professional camera and have her skip school to spy on Yan Ke and Zhou Tiannan full-time? I already told her not to do such dangerous things.”

“But that girl’s alertness is impressive. She must have picked it up from living with you. I haven’t met her yet!” Lin Dongxue added.

Lin Qiupu said, “If you meet her, you’ll like her. She’s smart and cute, the best of both worlds.”

Chen Shi proudly said, “She’s my kid!”

Lin Qiupu smiled. “Alright, alright, we know. Let’s start the meeting!”

The morning meeting mainly discussed the recent investigation into Dahong Group. Working with the economic police, they uncovered various crimes like tax evasion, fake invoicing, and illegal financing. The economic police were enthusiastic about the case, while the criminal police provided support.

“Our investigation has been going on for a week, and we haven’t found any substantial links between Dahong Group, the Qu brothers, and Zhou Tiannan. The shareholder disappearance case is also at a standstill,” Lin Qiupu summarized.

Chen Shi, leaning back in his chair, said, “I think the connection is simple. Zhou Tiannan helped the Qu brothers rise to power in exchange for money. We should follow the money trail.”

“You make it sound easy. Look at a listed company’s annual financials—it’s a mess. It would take at least a year to untangle… By the way, the Qu brothers are signing a contract with a foreign company today. You don’t have to go.”

“They’re still doing business under investigation? But business is business. Money always comes first. Such investigations won’t impact them immediately.”

“Great!” Lin Dongxue cheered. “We’ve been digging into Dahong Group for days, and it’s giving me a headache.”

“We’re not completely free. We still have the disappearance case and the ‘Zhou Xiao’ serial murders to investigate.”

Everyone groaned. Criminals hate old cases because evidence disappears over time, making it more challenging than archaeology.

Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue took a break from the meeting and went to the hotel where the contract signing was taking place. Media vans and security guards were everywhere. Lin Dongxue asked, “Why are we here?”

“I want to see what the Qu brothers look like up close.”

“You’ve been slacking off these past few days.”

“This kind of investigation isn’t my forte. If there were a bizarre murder case, I’d be the first on the scene.”

“Don’t jinx it! We can’t handle another big case right now.”

Rumor had it this cooperation would transform a district in Long’an. The signing ceremony was bustling but dull, with reporters crowding the entrance. They stood back, watching from afar. The hotel’s entrance was decorated with flower baskets and a stage set with a long table where the two CEOs would sign the contract.

Inside, a press conference seemed to be underway. Suddenly, a shared bike arrived, ridden by Wang Haitao in a suit. His arrival drew the media’s attention.

“Mr. Wang!” Chen Shi called out.

Wang Haitao saw him, smiled, handed his bike to a staff member, and jogged over. “Let’s get away from these reporters!”

They went to a nearby milk tea shop, escaping the journalists. Wang Haitao said, “Mr. Chen, long time no see. Thanks for the investment advice. I made quite a profit.”

“You give investment advice?” Lin Dongxue asked, surprised.

Chen Shi laughed. “Mr. Wang mentioned he wanted to invest, so I suggested he try projects that didn’t seem profitable. If a project sounds unrealistic but still seeks investment, it means they genuinely want to succeed.”

Wang Haitao said, “Following your advice, I invested in rare disease drug research, disability vehicles, new streetlights, and pet grooming. Most of them have been profitable. You have quite an eye, Mr. Chen.”

“Not at all. I’m just an amateur, giving casual advice. It was your insight and luck.”

Lin Dongxue thought, Chen Shi sure knows how to give bold advice. Good thing it worked out.