Chapter 200: Locked Onto the Same Person

[Uncle Blade]: Although there were many areas without surveillance along the way, which interrupted our tracking, we had already locked onto the target. Through some aggressive investigation, we still managed to trace his movements. On the stormy night you mentioned, he was indeed not at home.

A jolt went through Chen Mo as he read the message, and he immediately sent a quick reply.

[Chen Mo]: So, was he the one you saw?

[Uncle Blade]: The rain was too heavy; almost no camera could get a clear shot. We only confirmed that he wasn’t home that day. However, based on the footage, the clothes he was wearing when he left his house were a little different from what the person I saw was wearing.

[Chen Mo]: So you can’t confirm they’re the same person?

[Uncle Blade]: Not necessarily. Some jackets are reversible, for one. And since we lost track of his movements for large stretches, we can’t rule out the possibility that he changed somewhere. So we can’t eliminate him as a suspect entirely.

As a former detective, Chen Mo naturally knew all this. But it’s easy for an outsider to see things clearly, and he had been too caught up in it to think straight.

He quickly replied, as if something had just occurred to him.

[Chen Mo]: What about his height and build?

[Uncle Blade]: A perfect match. We’ve done multiple comparisons—their height and build are almost identical. In fact, he’s even taller than the measurements you gave me, which means he was wearing shoe lifts from the moment he left home. The man near your house was taller than your description of Lin Ranhai, but with shoe lifts, Lin Ranhai would be the exact same height.

[Chen Mo]: So, in your professional opinion, what’s the probability they’re the same person?

[Uncle Blade]: According to my friend’s analysis, it’s almost certain they are one and the same.

[Chen Mo]: Thanks, Uncle Blade. I appreciate you and your friend going through all this trouble. When I get a chance, I’d like to treat them to dinner to say thank you.

A gratified smile touched Blade’s lips as he read Chen Mo’s reply.

He was only bustling about to repay a debt of gratitude to Chen Mo’s parents and expected nothing in return, but he had still imposed on his friend.

Blade was pleased that the kid understood these social graces.

[Uncle Blade]: He’s not the type who enjoys that sort of thing. I’ll ask him next time and we’ll see.

[Chen Mo]: Sounds good. Your nephew’s wallet is always ready. Just say the word.

Reading Chen Mo’s "nephew" remark, the gaze of the usually stone-faced Blade softened, a warmth entering his eyes as he looked at his phone.

He had suffered an injury that left him unable to have children. As the only son, his family line would end with him. Consequently, he held a certain inexplicable affection for the younger generation.

Previously, he had only looked after Chen Mo as a favor to his parents, treating it as little more than a duty.

But Chen Mo’s reply struck a chord within him.

Now, his watch over Chen Mo felt less like a job and more like truly looking out for the younger man.

’Now that I know there’s something off about Lin Ranhai, things will be much easier to plan.’

’Some goals are hard to achieve through official channels, but easy to reach through unofficial means.’

Chen Mo was no longer a detective; he wasn’t bound by the shackles of due process.

’All that matters now is getting answers. The means are irrelevant.’

’What’s important is finding out the truth, quickly and accurately.’

He planned everything out in his mind.

The next morning, while everyone around him was studying diligently, Chen Mo was busy laying out his plan.

Just as he was concentrating on his plan, he suddenly received a transfer notification on his phone.

It was from Zhou Hao.

It was the bonus money he had promised to split with Chen Mo.

But when Chen Mo saw the amount, he found that the bonus Zhou Hao had sent was different from what they had discussed.

They had previously agreed on a bonus of 100,000 yuan, split fifty-fifty for 50,000 each.

But the amount Zhou Hao had transferred to him was a full 70,000.

[Old Mo]: Haozi, what’s the meaning of this?

[Haozi]: I just ran some errands for this. You’re the one who got the information, so you should get the bigger share. It should have been a 90-10 split, but I knew you’d never agree. So, 70-30 seems fair.

[Old Mo]: We agreed to fifty-fifty, so it’s fifty-fifty.

Without another word, Chen Mo transferred 20,000 yuan back to him.

Seeing the transfer notification on his phone, Zhou Hao was deeply moved.

[Haozi]: We’re brothers. Being overly formal would just be awkward. Since you’ve said so, we’ll leave it at that. Anyway, if you need anything in the future, just give your brother a shout. I’d go through hell and high water for you!

Chen Mo couldn’t help but smile at Zhou Hao’s message.

[Old Mo]: Can’t you wish your brother something good? What’s with all this hell and high water? From now on, we only share the good times, not the hardships.

Seeing Chen Mo’s reply, Zhou Hao smiled too.

[Haozi]: Then I’ll hold you to that.

After sending the message, Zhou Hao pulled up his bank balance again.

A whopping fifty thousand yuan.

This was money his brother had generously insisted he keep.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been entitled to any of it.

Zhou Hao firmly committed Chen Mo’s act of kindness to memory.

With his fifty thousand yuan share from Zhou Hao, Chen Mo now had some disposable cash.

’It’ll be much easier to get things done from now on.’

For now, however, he wasn’t focused on the money. Instead, he was planning his next steps.

Soon, Monday came to an end.

Su Yuqing noticed that Chen Mo was particularly different today.

Usually, she would always catch Chen Mo stealing glances at her.

Or he would just stare at her openly, completely lost in the moment.

But today, there had been none of that.

It was as if she no longer existed in Chen Mo’s world today.

This sent a sudden, inexplicable pang of panic through Su Yuqing. She had no idea what was going on.

But when she studied him closely, she couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. It was just that his gaze was often unfocused, lost in some unknown thought.

Back home, the two exchanged far fewer words than usual.

Chen Mo went straight to his bedroom to wash up.

Sensing Chen Mo’s strange mood all day, Su Yuqing was filled with curiosity.

But she resisted the urge to ask.

’If Chen Mo wanted me to know something, he’d tell me.’

’If he didn’t want to talk about it, asking would only lead to an awkward rejection and make things uncomfortable for both of them.’

Su Yuqing knew better than to push it.

As night fell, Chen Mo was still tapping away at something on his phone.

Su Yuqing continued to carefully observe Chen Mo over the next few days.

For the past few nights, he had been frequently skipping evening study sessions to go out, though she had no idea where he went.

Then, on Thursday, just as suddenly, Chen Mo was back to normal.