Chapter 528: Flip-Flops!

"How old are you, still playing with stones!"

Old Chen wasn’t really blaming him.

It was just casual teasing.

Chen Xiao smiled, "I was thinking about something, and my hands couldn’t keep still."

"If you can’t figure it out, don’t dwell on it. Your brain can’t handle too much at once; you need to take breaks sometimes, right?"

Old Chen was actually worried about Chen Xiao.

How could he not see that Chen Xiao was taking this very seriously this time?

He never thought that solving a case could be so exhausting.

Even though he hadn’t seen Chen Xiao exert any physical effort, the constant state of contemplation.

Anyone who has experienced it knows the hardship.

Chen Xiao stood up, intending to explain to Old Chen that he wasn’t tired.

But Old Chen quickly patted his shoulder and said,

"Take a walk with me, we haven’t had a casual chat between father and son for a long time."

Chen Xiao was momentarily stunned, and Old Chen immediately put on a stern face:

"What’s wrong, are you too grown up now to take a walk with me?"

Chen Xiao chuckled, "Come on, let’s go then, it’s no big deal!"

"You know my temperament, if you’re absent-minded when talking to me, I’ll get angry."

"I know, you’ve taught me to be polite since I was little!"

"Hmm."

Old Chen grunted and then walked out with his hands behind his back.

Chen Xiao obediently followed behind him.

Though Old Chen’s words were domineering, finding a topic to chat about was truly difficult for him.

As Chen Xiao walked, seeing how uncomfortable Old Chen was, he could only bring up a topic himself:

"By the way, Dad, how’s the Lobster Base doing recently?"

"It’s going well. For the past few months, we’ve been busy with the base construction, and we’ve invited experts to teach the villagers technical skills. By next year, we can release the shrimp seedlings, and by May, we can get the first batch of profits."

Chen Xiao nodded.

The Lobster Base wasn’t something that could succeed overnight.

Just like Guo Zhengchang’s investment in the Food City, it’s still in the decoration and creation phase.

Despite how lively Chen Xiao’s career seems, the timeline is still quite short.

So, many things are still at the starting stage.

But for the hometown folks in Songshanping, they were mentally prepared.

If they couldn’t even endure this time frame, how could they talk about making money?

Moreover, the expert teaching the breeding skills and the base are mostly funded by Chen Xiao, while they only contribute a small portion.

"Hmm, the villagers shouldn’t be too anxious, right?" Chen Xiao felt the villagers would understand, but he couldn’t help asking.

Old Chen snorted:

"The people who stayed at home used to rely entirely on those few acres of land. Now they’ve learned a skill, and it doesn’t cost much. If they still can’t endure it, they’d be better off holding onto their savings and live out their days."

Chen Xiao gave a thumbs-up to his father:

"Dad, your words have really become more powerful."

Although Chen Xiao was just joking, Old Chen became quite sentimental at his words.

He took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to Chen Xiao.

Since Chen Xiao had refused before, and Old Chen insisted on him having one this time, Chen Xiao didn’t refuse.

Old Chen insisted on lighting it for him, which made him feel a bit uncomfortable.

After a deliberate puff, Old Chen said,

"You’re not the only one telling me this. Many people say I walk with a swagger now."

"Haha, if anyone had such an outstanding child as you, which parent wouldn’t walk with a swagger? Chen Xiao, Dad... honestly feels very proud now!"

Chen Xiao smiled sheepishly without responding, and Old Chen continued:

"I’m proud not just because of how much you can earn right now, though, of course, that can’t be denied. More importantly, what you’re doing makes me feel proud!"

"After all, I’ve met many wealthy people now. Elder Guo is rich, right? And the late President Zuo, he was rich too, right? But no matter how rich President Zuo was, he still needed you to bring him peace!"

Old Chen wasn’t very educated.

So his words were blunt.

But Chen Xiao could understand, and most likely everyone could understand what Old Chen meant.

When it came to Zuo Shu, a thought suddenly crossed Chen Xiao’s mind:

"Dad, did you know he was wealthy from the beginning?"

"I didn’t know at first. His appearance made me think he was just a passer-by in our Songshanping. You saw him too; besides driving, he usually wore flip-flops — those toe sandals. When I first saw him, that’s exactly how he was dressed!"

"And when he sat with me to talk, he didn’t act formal at all, occasionally scratching his feet."

Old Chen’s words made Chen Xiao frown.

Zuo Shu truly didn’t resemble a typical big boss.

However, people from Shencheng City and Xiangdu often wore flip-flops in hot weather.

Of course, in formal settings, Zuo Shu would definitely be dressed appropriately.

During their casual chat, Chen Xiao took out his phone and called Zhang Xian.

"Hey, did you meet with Zhao Hai?" Zhang Xian asked about the business as soon as he picked up.

"Yes, we met."

"How did it go? Did he slip up?"

Chen Xiao glanced at Old Chen, seeing he wasn’t upset, and said:

"Let’s put the conversation aside. I have a question. During the investigation at the scene, did you find a pair of flip-flops?"

"Flip-flops? Who would wear those!" Zhang Xian responded instinctively.

However, Chen Xiao was stunned by his response.

"Are you saying there were no flip-flops in the car?"

"Did Zuo Shu wear those flip-flops?"

Zhang Xian’s tone also turned peculiar.

No one in Dongzhou customarily wore flip-flops; most people wore sandals.

Moreover, Zuo Shu’s identity would cause many misconceptions, especially since he was found murdered in the car in a formal suit and shoes. Who would think he wore flip-flops before getting in the car?

"Yes, when he met my dad, he wore flip-flops and a T-shirt. But when he saw me, he changed into formal attire, the appearance we saw him last in."

Chen Xiao’s firm statement left Zhang Xian silent for two seconds, then said,

"You mean there’s possibly a pair of missing flip-flops now?"

"Very likely!"

Saying this, Chen Xiao turned to Old Chen and asked,

"Dad, Zuo Shu was with you the whole day, right? Did he go anywhere?"

"No, he was at our house the whole time waiting for you."

"Then where did he change clothes?"

"In our house."

"My room?!" Chen Xiao asked in surprise.