Chapter 642: The Truth Revealed

On November 24th, Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue went to Wang Mengqi’s workplace. They were informed by the secretary that Manager Wang was attending a funeral today. Lin Dongxue sighed, “Seems like we came for nothing!”

“No, I intentionally chose today,” Chen Shi replied to the secretary. “We’d like to take a look at Manager Wang’s office.”

“I need to ask for permission,” the secretary hesitated.

“Just a quick look. We won’t touch anything. Manager Wang is an upright person; I doubt there’s anything to hide.”

Reluctantly, the secretary agreed and led them to Wang Mengqi’s office, standing nearby to prevent any tampering that could be hard to explain later.

Lin Dongxue asked, “There are plenty of clues to investigate. Why are you fixated on Wang Mengqi?”

“In investigations, the real culprit often appears right in front of you. Wang Mengqi fits the profile of our suspect.”

“Alright, I’ll trust your instincts!” Lin Dongxue chuckled.

Chen Shi pointed at the phone on the desk, “What’s the number for this phone?”

The secretary recited the number, and Chen Shi dialed it on his mobile phone. The office phone could communicate with the outside world. Chen Shi then asked, “Was Manager Wang in the office on the evening of November 19th?”

“November 19th?” The secretary pondered. “I can’t recall exactly, but Manager Wang usually stays late to handle documents alone. So, he should have been here.”

Chen Shi nodded and picked up the office phone, noticing a sticky substance on the receiver. He quietly took a sample.

After the “tour,” they retrieved as much surveillance footage from nearby areas as they could find and brought it back to the office.

Back at the station, Chen Shi went straight to Peng Siyue and asked, “Where’s that thing?”

“Here you go,” Peng Siyue handed him a file containing photos found at Geng Changle’s home, along with a comparative analysis by a facial recognition expert. Chen Shi covered the result with his hand and showed Lin Dongxue, “Do you think these two women look alike?”

“The one on the right is much heavier. Hard to tell,” Lin Dongxue replied.

“Geng Qing said the girl in the photo was her mother. I later found her biological mother’s ID photo. The more I looked, the less they seemed like the same person, so I consulted an expert,” Chen Shi revealed the result, which showed they were not the same person.

Lin Dongxue wasn’t too surprised. “Geng Changle was quite the playboy in his youth. It’s not surprising he had other girlfriends.”

The next page contained another comparison, confirming two individuals as the same person. Chen Shi showed it to Lin Dongxue, “But I found the girl in the photo.”

“Who is it?”

“Guess!”

“Damn it, stop teasing!”

“It’s Wang Mengqi’s biological mother.”

Lin Dongxue was stunned, “No way!”

“I checked. Wang Mengqi’s parents have a 20-year age gap. I confirmed with the local registry that his father is not his biological father.”

“I think I overheard something!” Peng Siyue interjected.

“Old Peng, I need another favor. Compare this with the deceased’s DNA.” Chen Shi handed him a hair sample from Wang Mengqi’s office.

While waiting for the results, Lin Dongxue’s mind raced with thoughts. Could such a dramatic coincidence really happen? Wang Mengqi and Geng Qing were close, and Geng Changle approved of Wang Mengqi, yet secretly tried to separate them. It all made sense now.

“That day, you mentioned they looked like a couple. Upon closer inspection, they do share some features. With other hints, I believe the truth is evident. Wang Mengqi and Geng Qing might be siblings,” Chen Shi explained.

Lin Dongxue still found it hard to accept. “In TV dramas, I always thought such melodramatic plots couldn’t happen in real life. How could two siblings meet in such a vast world?”

“This is known as genetic sexual attraction. Siblings growing up together lose sexual attraction due to familiarity. But if separated early, they might be attracted to each other due to similar genes. It’s a common occurrence.”

“You seem confident!” Peng Siyue threw cold water on him. “The results are in. They are not related.”

Chen Shi, confident in his deduction, replied, “You enjoy messing with me, don’t you?”

Lying to Chen Shi was futile. Peng Siyue laughed, “Just wanted to see your reaction. They are indeed related.”

“See, case solved!” Chen Shi exclaimed.

“Is this the motive for murder? Geng Changle knew Wang Mengqi was his son, so he obstructed their relationship. But Wang Mengqi killing Geng Changle would be patricide,” Lin Dongxue questioned.

“From Wang Mengqi’s perspective, Geng Changle was just a stranger. He had deep feelings for Geng Qing. Imagine his shock when the future father-in-law tells him they are siblings. Unable to resolve the issue, he might have decided to eliminate the problem source. Once Geng Changle is dead, no one can object to their relationship. Usually, even long-married couples don’t suddenly get a DNA test… Wang Mengqi’s biological mother passed away years ago. With Geng Changle dead, the secret is buried forever.”

“Such irrationality. They could have gone abroad!” Peng Siyue commented.

“That’s an outsider’s view. For the involved parties, this solution would stir many factors, the most direct being whether Geng Qing could accept it. Murder is often seen as the ultimate solution,” Chen Shi explained.

“Shall we bring in Wang Mengqi for questioning?” Lin Dongxue suggested.

“Not yet. Let’s gather more evidence and prepare thoroughly.”

“I still hope this is just his secret, not a motive for murder. The thought of a brother killing his father to be with his sister is hard to accept,” Lin Dongxue confessed.

The case lacked one piece of the puzzle: the origin of the 400,000 yuan. Wang Mengqi’s account showed no such expenditure, but there was a small transaction of 3,000 yuan to a loan company.

They visited the company, which refused to disclose client information. Chen Shi took their interest rate chart and calculated that a 400,000 yuan loan required a monthly interest payment of exactly 3,000 yuan.

Despite having savings, Wang Mengqi borrowed money to pay Geng Changle, who then used his card to buy poison. This meticulous plan might have gone undetected if Chen Shi hadn’t suspected him. The case could have been dismissed as an accident, but now the truth was about to be revealed…