Chapter 590: Zhou Tiannan’s Movements

Chen Shi asked Xu Xiaodong to take Tao Yueyue for a walk outside, then said, “I also believe there was a murder warning. The Dahong Group has an unclear relationship with Zhou Tiannan. Either the Qu brothers received some ‘favor’ from Zhou Tiannan and didn’t pay back, or they were originally his subordinates or disciples and tried to break away, thus being purged. In any case…”

“Don’t jump to conclusions!” Lin Qiupu interrupted. “When we investigated the Dahong Group, we didn’t find a single document mentioning Zhou Tiannan. We can’t just assume they are connected. This is just your speculation.”

“Speculation? Among the people involved in the murder plan, several were recognized by Yueyue as the ones she saw talking to the man in the black hat at the café. This is already solid evidence. You don’t understand Zhou Tiannan. He operates very cleanly, never getting his own hands dirty. He’s just an ordinary middle school teacher, living in a 100-square-meter apartment, driving a good car, smoking expensive cigarettes, and frequently having different beautiful women visiting him. But when we checked their accounts, we didn’t find any gray income. He’s watertight. We need to think outside the box and not be confined by the evidence in front of us.”

Lin Qiupu pondered and asked, “Yueyue said this herself?”

“Yes, before coming here, I showed her the interrogation recordings. She recognized several of them.”

“What about those who haven’t appeared yet? Including Yan Ke!” Lin Dongxue asked. “Could it be that Zhou Tiannan has another action planned? Is he planning to kill the brother too?”

“It’s possible!” Chen Shi nodded.

“Tomorrow morning, we should meet Qu Jingli!” Lin Qiupu said.

The next morning, Lin Qiupu, Lin Dongxue, and Chen Shi arrived at Qu Jingli’s residence. After his brother’s death, Qu Jingli had low-key attended the funeral and taken over the entire Qu family business, working from home these past few days.

As they got out of the car, they noticed several vehicles already parked in the yard. Chen Shi said, “These are from a security company.”

They were greeted by a burly man in a suit. Qu Jingli had just woken up and was about to have breakfast. Lin Qiupu sat in front of him and said, “Mr. Qu, we need to talk.”

“About my brother’s death? I’ve said everything I could. Can you let me have some peace these days? I’ve been mentally and physically exhausted from all this.”

“I just have one question. Did your brother receive any death threats before he was killed?”

Qu Jingli raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Death threats? You’ve watched too many mystery movies. Who would notify someone before killing them? If we had received such a threat, why would we hide it?”

Qu Jingli picked up the orange juice on the table to drink. Chen Shi said, “Aren’t you afraid it might be poisoned?”

“That’s ridiculous!”

Chen Shi pointed to the bodyguard beside him. “Because this gentleman has already tested it, right? I noticed a drop of orange juice on his shirt and crumbs at the corner of his mouth. Why does your food need to be tested, and what’s with all the security guards in your yard? Just like the day your brother was killed, you had extra security. You knew something was going to happen but didn’t want to tell the police!”

Qu Jingli showed a hint of anger. “This is my personal matter! I don’t feel safe and hire people to protect me. What’s wrong with that?”

“Do you think bodyguards can protect you? You hired the same company as your brother. They already proved their incompetence that day… No offense,” Chen Shi added, directing the last comment to the bodyguard.

Qu Jingli slammed the cup down. “Do you solve cases by making wild guesses all day? Instead of investigating my brother’s case, you’re here bothering me? Are you insane?”

Lin Qiupu said, “Mr. Qu, we’re here for your safety. We need to understand the full story.”

Qu Jingli laughed and said each word clearly, “No comment! Don’t think you can use this as an excuse to investigate me and my company. You’ve already made my life a mess before. Please stop interfering. You’re detectives, right?” He pointed at himself, “If someone does kill me, you can investigate then. Since when did the police become so proactive, protecting someone before they’re dead? Is it because I have money and get special treatment?”

“What are you talking about?” Lin Dongxue said angrily.

“Calm down, beauty. You look better when you smile,” Qu Jingli said with a grin.

Lin Qiupu signaled Lin Dongxue not to argue with him and said, “If that’s the case, we’ll take our leave.”

“Goodbye!” Qu Jingli said.

As they left the house, Lin Dongxue grumbled, “Look at his attitude. He thinks we actually want to protect him.”

Chen Shi said, “He’s not going to cooperate. Zhou Tiannan’s motive for killing the Qu brothers is definitely connected to their past dealings. So many shareholders have mysteriously disappeared. There must be something behind it.”

Lin Qiupu checked his phone and said, “There’s an update… Since the last signing ceremony was disrupted, Qu Jingli has taken over the company and plans to sign with that foreign company again, scheduled for the day after tomorrow.”

“Is he crazy? Someone wants to kill him, and he still dares to show up? Is money more important to businessmen than their lives?” Lin Dongxue exclaimed.

“Maybe it is,” Chen Shi said.

“Regardless, since Qu Jing’an’s murder made headlines, we can’t let Qu Jingli get killed too. I’ll request the necessary procedures from the bureau chief. If needed, we’ll protect him by force,” Lin Qiupu said.

“Then I’ll do my thing,” Chen Shi said.

“Do as you like.”

Lin Qiupu left first. Lin Dongxue and Chen Shi walked around the neighborhood. Lin Dongxue said, “Zhou Tiannan is just like Moriarty, planning and having others do the dirty work. When can we finally catch this slippery guy?”

“Every time I see him, I want to punch him,” Chen Shi smiled wryly. “This can’t be rushed. We need to gather evidence bit by bit.”

“Do you think Zhou Tiannan is trying to silence people? Do the Qu brothers have something on him?”

“That’s possible! You’re getting very thorough with your thinking.”

“I have another idea. If Yan Ke is the next ‘pawn’ Zhou Tiannan is going to use, why don’t we start tailing him now? Find out what he’s up to, so we’re prepared.”

“Actually, I’ve already got someone tailing Yan Ke.”

“Your friends?”

“Yes.”