Chapter 645: Break Through!

"It’s not him?"

Chen Xiao mumbled.

Then he shook his head.

He had no concrete evidence.

If he had concrete evidence, this matter could be concluded.

But right now, everything was pointing toward Huang Zhao.

The footprints left in the thirteen cells in the basement couldn’t fool Chen Xiao’s tracking skill.

The body data deduced from everyone’s footprints all closely matched Zhu Nianying and Huang Zhao’s wife, Li Muhong.

This alone was as good as nailed down.

But Chen Xiao was still missing a hammer.

The hammer to nail down all those nails!

And Guo Zhengchang’s body!

From the conversation with Guo Zhengchang, there were signs pointing to the possibility that Chen Xiao had fallen for Huang Zhao’s plot, which led to Guo Zhengchang’s mishap.

As for Guo Zhengchang being hoist by his own petard, that already had a conclusion.

When the return far exceeds personal loss, likely no one would refuse.

Just like some jokes on the internet, where one would be rewarded thousands for not using a phone for a month.

If such a joke were real, surely people would flock to it.

What’s more, if Guo Zhengchang was indeed a high-ranking member of the Sacred Heart Church, he should be absolutely confident in matching wits and skills with the police.

Even in his life’s resume, what he’s done is far beyond just this matter.

Decades of victories will make one supremely confident.

Absolutely unrivaled in the world.

Lastly, all the relationships of those involved could be organized into a network.

Zhu Nianying, Huang Zhao, Huang Zhao’s patient President Zhuang, President Zhuang’s driver Master Liu, and Master Liu’s mistress Xiao He, who is also President Zhuang’s wife.

All these special people involved have built connections with Zhu Nianying.

And almost every one of them is not clean.

Chen Xiao wasn’t affected by Lin Xi’s words but replied confidently:

"There shouldn’t be any more surprises. I think Grandpa Guo avoiding me and even creating an illusion of a major incident is because he might have figured everything out."

"It’s just a pity that he also lacks evidence, so he resorted to this strategy to lure the snake out of its hole."

Lin Xi smiled: "Since you’re so firm in your assumptions, there’s no need to worry. We’ll continue looking for Xiaoji and Black Cat in Hai City. As for Qin Fei, he is over there monitoring Huang Zhao’s every move in real-time."

Chen Xiao nodded but after taking a couple of bites, he suddenly asked:

"But why did you ask me that just now? Do you have other worries in your mind?"

Lin Xi hesitated and said: "I just feel that Zhu Nianying’s family is a bit too absent."

Chen Xiao immediately frowned: "Her disappearance happened because she left her family and came to Shencheng City. Her family has had virtually no contact with her for years, so their presence in this case isn’t strong."

"True, but what about her other past connections? Didn’t you mention someone named Kang Mao?"

Chen Xiao acknowledged: "It was he who told me Zhu Nianying’s character drastically changed and had an unusual relationship with President Zhuang."

"Then why did you later determine that Zhu Nianying’s character hadn’t changed?"

"Because there’s an issue with Master Liu and Huang Zhao’s relationship."

"But the first person who told you was Kang Mao."

"I know, but if everything started with the Zhuang Family, when a stranger appeared around Zhu Nianying, I don’t think Huang Zhao would do nothing."

"Taking preventive measures is indeed a common tactic among those seeking vast fortunes. They’ll use everything they know, see, and hear, just for the chance it might be useful someday, just like that black-hearted detective Jin Peng you encountered."

Chen Xiao chuckled: "Jin Peng told me, even though he hadn’t clearly seen the suspect’s face, the broad clothing hid their true physique."

"But after observing Huang Zhao, I can confirm that even if that old man seems frail, he’s actually still quite robust."

"And he’s a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, a truly skilled one, so what he can do, no one knows until he shows it!"

Lin Xi nodded firmly: "It seems all facets can be accounted for this way, but I still feel you’re too passive, husband."

"I know the feeling of being passive is uncomfortable, but I can’t find a suitable way to break out of this passive position."

Chen Xiao said helplessly.

Lin Xi also sighed.

Unexpectedly, Guo Qing called at that moment.

Seeing the phone light up on the table, Chen Xiao answered it.

"Hello, Old Guo, what’s up?"

"Chen Xiao, I know contacting you at this time might disrupt your thoughts, but a new plot of land has come up. It’s not the one we previously thought, but one positioned at the future development center!"

"The value of that land is conservatively estimated to be at least double that of the one at Yang Lake! And I’m sure this news coming out now is beyond everyone’s expectation, including the Qi Family’s Qi Li!"

"Also, if you hadn’t allied with the Qi Family before, even if we combine forces with Li Hai, we’d stand no chance. Now with the Qi Family, we have a fifty-fifty chance!"

Listening to Guo Qing, Chen Xiao felt a tremor in his heart.

In his past life, he had been to Shencheng City many times.

But back then, he was just an ordinary worker.

The news he knew was merely from the internet.

But the internet would only truly flourish many years later.

In the current juncture of 2006, Chen Xiao’s memories weren’t extensive.

So Guo Qing’s call made Chen Xiao feel a twinge of unease in his heart:

"Did you stay in Li Hai today? How was Qi Wei’s performance? And internally in Li Hai, was there anything unusual?"

Guo Qing replied with confusion: "No, this news was from Qi Wei. As yet, Dragon Cauldron is still an outsider business, and we’ve been in Shencheng City too short a time. Our speed in acquiring firsthand news lags behind others."

"That’s normal. A strong dragon can’t suppress a local serpent, as the saying goes. But Old Guo, you must be cautious in the coming cooperations, especially not to lead. Regardless of what Qi Wei and Qi Li say, if they want Dragon Cauldron to go all out, we must refuse."

"The prerequisite for going all out is for all three parties to show their utmost sincerity!"

"From your words, it sounds like we’re falling into a trap?"

"I allied with Qi Li because I believed cooperation could be mutually beneficial. But regardless of one’s objectives, cooperation is a fixed concept, yet partners are changeable. Besides, no matter how Qi Wei and Qi Li act, they’re both Qi!"

Chen Xiao didn’t dare overlook any details, and Guo Qing understood the stakes involved.

"I understand what you’re saying. Rest assured, we’ve never been foolish enough to put all our eggs in one basket."

"Okay, concentrate on the company’s matters and call me if you need to discuss anything."

As Chen Xiao said this, Guo Qing didn’t say much more before hanging up.

Just as Guo Qing hung up, Lin Xi grabbed Chen Xiao’s hand.

"Husband, I think Guo Qing is right; you might really be walking into a trap. But unlike in business, Dragon Cauldron might be surrounded by the Qi Family, Li Hai, and the Sacred Heart Church."

"And as for the case, you’re caught in a web of relationships the suspect began weaving many years ago!"

Chen Xiao frowned: "What do you mean by a web of relationships?"

"The name speaks for itself, all various relationships involved in the case! Too many, too tangled, that whenever you try to approach from one person’s side, you still can’t find the method. For example, when pondering whether Zhu Nianying’s character has really changed, Kang Mao’s words contradict what Huang Zhao and Zhu Nianhong said, don’t they?"

"Secondly: When Kang Mao’s account made you think Zhu Nianying had truly changed, Zhu Nianying’s own nature made you hesitate again!"

"So I think, the reason this disappearance case is so complex is that it’s entangled with too many people. A hundred people have a hundred Hamlets, so everyone familiar with Zhu Nianying has their unique view of her."

"When these views have been factored in early on, they lose reference value. So, being deeply caught in this network, you need to find a unique direction to break through."

"This direction could be a person everyone overlooks, or a particular incident. Finally taking that person as the basic tone for all reasoning, you eventually make a breakthrough!"