Stolen Jade | Chapter 129 | Traces of the Vanished | Novela.app

Chapter 130 - Traces of the Vanished Fei Zuohua was still maneuvering the car into a parking space when the other three practically lunged out of the vehicle. They sprinted toward the police cordon surrounding the "Bai Residence," their silhouettes sharp against the fading light. Fei Zuohua watched them for a moment through the rearview mirror, his expression unreadable. He reversed the car with practiced precision, slotted it into place, and pulled the key from the ignition before stepping out into the cool air. The area was sparsely populated. Only a few stragglers remained—neighbors, likely—clutching their coats as they underwent police questioning. Fei Zuohua walked toward the house, his gaze immediately snagging on the mangled wreckage of the perimeter fence. Deep tire ruts gouged the lawn nearby. He crouched, pinching a bit of the soil between his fingers. It was still damp. Despite the violence of the tire tracks and the crushed flowerbeds, the surrounding greenery seemed to be thriving with a stubborn, misplaced vitality. He felt a pair of eyes on him. Turning his head, he saw a young girl standing a short distance away, a dog at her side. She spared him a fleeting, curious glance before looking away, focusing her attention back on her pet. Fei Zuohua considered approaching her, but before he could take a step, Shi Yuanchen walked over. There was a faint, almost imperceptible trace of relief in the professor’s eyes. "It’s not him," Shi Yuanchen said. Fei Zuohua looked past him toward the body. It lay flat on the ground, draped in a clinical sheet of plastic. Hou Qi'an stood beside it, arms folded tightly across his chest, his brow furrowed in a deep, troubled scowl. Kong Ping stood a few paces back, his face pale with the sickly pallor of someone who had just narrowly escaped a disaster, though he seemed to have little stomach for the corpse itself. Fei Zuohua gave a curt, cold nod. He turned back to find the girl with the dog, but she had already vanished into the shadows of the neighboring property. Terrio approached and shook Fei Zuohua’s hand. "Not the person you’re looking for," he confirmed. "Is the owner of the house the killer?" Fei Zuohua asked. Terrio hesitated, his gaze drifting toward the forensic team. "No conclusion yet. We’re waiting on the autopsy results. Oh, by the way..." He pulled a photocopied image from his pocket. "We got this from the estate management. Is this the other person you’re searching for?" Fei Zuohua and Shi Yuanchen leaned in to look. They shared a brief, meaningful look. "No," Shi Yuanchen replied. "Is this the person who registered the property?" Terrio nodded. "I figured as much. The man in the photo is French." He gave a quick nod of acknowledgment and hurried back to the center of the activity. Shi Yuanchen turned to Fei Zuohua. "What do you think?" "Bai Shi didn't use his real name to register," Fei Zuohua answered calmly. By then, Kong Ping and Hou Qi'an had joined them. Kong Ping glanced back at the body, a shudder running through him. "Thank God..." Hou Qi'an remained grim. He stared at the plastic-covered shape on the ground. "Whoever did this was ruthless." He glanced at Shi Yuanchen, his expression acknowledging the professor's earlier warnings. "It really is dangerous." Shi Yuanchen offered no reply. "What do you mean?" Kong Ping asked, looking between them. He hadn't dared to look closely at the remains. Hou Qi'an looked at Kong Ping, whose face was rapidly losing what little color it had left. He waved a hand dismissively and turned to Shi Yuanchen. "What’s the next move? If he’s not living here, where is he?" Before Shi Yuanchen could speak, Kong Ping chimed in. "I have an idea about that." He paused, thinking it through. "Let’s look for where he keeps his money. He must have a place to withdraw cash." Shi Yuanchen nodded in agreement. Fei Zuohua, however, kept his eyes fixed on the house next door. He had the distinct sensation of being watched from one of the upper windows. "Let’s split up. I’m going to do some door-to-door inquiries in the neighborhood." "I’ll go with you," Hou Qi'an called out. "You’ll need Terrio too, or they won't talk to you." The group agreed to the plan and divided into two teams. *** Fei Zuohua stayed close to Terrio as they made their rounds. The girl who had caught his attention earlier was named Laces. They started by questioning the adults in Laces's home. After Terrio finished the standard battery of questions, he glanced at Fei Zuohua to see if he had anything to add. Fei Zuohua shook his head. He could tell these people weren't going to offer much. When shown the photo of Bai Shi, their answers were vague and noncommittal. They were unwilling to admit he was a resident, preferring the narrative of a "secret squatter" or a stranger who had slipped in unnoticed. To them, admitting a criminal lived next door would shatter the illusion of their "paradise." They might even move out in a few days to avoid the stigma. Following the principle of avoiding trouble at all costs, they claimed to have had almost no contact with the occupants of the Bai residence. Terrio tapped his notebook with his pen, a look of frustration crossing his face. He thanked them for their cooperation, knowing full well that these expatriates were notoriously difficult to handle. With no significant leads, they prepared to head back to the crime scene. As they reached the door, Fei Zuohua spotted the girl, Laces, hiding in the shadows of the stairwell. He caught her eye and pointed discreetly toward the house next door, signaling that they would be there. The identity of the deceased was soon established: a notorious pimp with a rap sheet involving rape, drugs, and organized crime. A firearm had been found at the scene. The house was a mess, showing clear signs of a violent struggle, yet nothing appeared to have been stolen. Fei Zuohua walked through the rooms, his eyes scanning every corner with clinical intensity. When he pushed open the master bedroom door, his eyebrows shot up. The room was massive, larger than his entire apartment. Hou Qi'an followed him in, his face set in a stern mask, but he froze when he saw the disheveled state of the bedsheets. Fei Zuohua circled the room once. Seeing Hou Qi'an still staring at the bed with a deep frown, he remarked dryly, "Yeah. It’s exactly what you think." Hou Qi'an snapped his head toward him. Fei Zuohua shrugged. "They were together. Romantically." "How is that possible?" Hou Qi'an asked instinctively. "I don't know." "Was he forced?" Fei Zuohua let out a sharp, cynical huff through his nose. "Maybe not." He walked over and yanked open the nightstand drawer. It was filled with discarded condom wrappers. He looked back at Hou Qi'an. "Doesn't look like he was being forced. Looks like they were doing just fine." He slammed the drawer shut with a loud *thud* and turned to leave. But Hou Qi'an reached out and grabbed his elbow. His grip was like a vice. "Do you have some kind of problem with Pei Cangyu?" Fei Zuohua looked at him steadily. "What kind of problem?" "Just because Bai Shi hasn't turned on him yet, don't go taking out your frustrations about Bai Shi on him." Hou Qi'an’s gaze was surprisingly oppressive, even without the use of force. Fei Zuohua wrenched his arm free, pulled out a cigarette, and stuck it between his lips as he walked out. He continued his meticulous search of the house. Beneath the television stand, he discovered a magazine covered in erratic, colorful scribbles. He looked up and saw Hou Qi'an crouching by the kitchen sink, occupied with something. He walked over. "Find something?" Hou Qi'an had his sleeves rolled up. He shook his head. "Not sure." He reached his hand deep into the plumbing void. "Pei Cangyu used to hide his smut in places like this." Fei Zuohua watched him. Hou Qi'an felt around for a long time, his arm scraping against the rough edges of the cabinet. When he pulled back, a red scratch beaded with blood lined his forearm. He ignored it, switched hands, and reached back in. Suddenly, his brow furrowed. He slowly withdrew his hand, clutching something. "A map?" Fei Zuohua crouched down. "Why hide this here?" Hou Qi'an unfolded it. "My guess? Bai Shi wouldn't let him have it." Fei Zuohua looked at Hou Qi'an as he studied the map. "Could you tell back then? About the... relationship between Pei Cangyu and Bai Shi?" Hou Qi'an stopped, giving Fei Zuohua a distant, guarded look. "Officer Fei, Pei Cangyu would never side with Bai Shi." Fei Zuohua’s lips quirked, though it was impossible to tell if it was a smile. A sharp tapping on the window startled them. They looked up to see the girl from next door. They were in the kitchen, and the girl was standing in what appeared to be an inner courtyard. It was unclear how she had gotten in. Fei Zuohua and Hou Qi'an shared a look. They pocketed the map and the magazine, choosing not to hand them over to the local police just yet, and went out to meet her. Terrio joined them a moment later. "Do you need something?" Terrio translated for the girl. "The two men you're looking for... can I see the photos again?" Fei Zuohua pulled the photos of Pei Cangyu and Bai Shi from his jacket pocket and held them up. The girl leaned in, studying them for a long moment. Finally, she nodded with newfound resolve. "I've seen them." *** "Professor Shi," Kong Ping asked as they drove toward the bank. "What did you mean when you told Monkey it was dangerous?" Shi Yuanchen shrugged. "Murder. That’s dangerous enough, isn't it?" Kong Ping stared at him. "I might not be trained like the three of you, but since I'm here..." Shi Yuanchen turned to him, his voice cutting through Kong Ping’s rising tone. "Did you look at the body?" Kong Ping hesitated, then shook his head. "The corpse had many unnecessary injuries." "...Like what?" "He was blinded." Shi Yuanchen kept his voice level to keep Kong Ping calm. "It wasn't necessary for the kill. There was a gun at the scene, but the victim died from a blunt force trauma to the head. The blinding happened before the fatal blow." "Maybe... they didn't intend to kill him at first? Maybe his eyes were injured during the struggle?" Shi Yuanchen offered a thin, reassuring smile. "Perhaps." Kong Ping glanced at him and looked away. "You're all like this..." Shi Yuanchen fell silent and continued driving. He circled the neighborhood, searching. A community like this would certainly have a bank catering to its wealthy residents. They had tried one already with no luck, but he was certain there was another. "Hey, there’s one," Kong Ping said, pointing toward a street corner. Shi Yuanchen nodded and found a place to park. This time, they found what they were looking for. The manager was clearly on edge due to the recent events in the neighborhood, but his initial reaction to the photos was a flat refusal to disclose information. Shi Yuanchen didn't bother asking about Bai Shi. Instead, he made a show of preparing to call the police. He painted a vivid picture: the police swarming the bank, the manager being escorted into a patrol car in front of his high-end clientele. No matter how expensive his cologne, how flamboyant his silk tie, or how polished his shoes, he would lose the trust of his wealthy patrons the moment he was seen as a person of interest. And yet, here were two "friends" standing before him, offering a much simpler path. A small request now, and they would handle the explanation to the police later. Only a couple of officers would come for a routine inquiry—no trip to the station required. It was a bargain. Kong Ping glanced at Shi Yuanchen. The professor had the smiling, clever face of an old fox, his long fingers adjusting his glasses with practiced grace. The manager looked at Shi Yuanchen, fully aware of the exaggerated threat. But after weighing his options, he realized this was a graceful way out. He lowered his eyes in a silent gesture of compliance. Shi Yuanchen looked at Kong Ping, who spoke up. "We want to see the signature on the withdrawal slips." The seal used for the withdrawals belonged to "Bai Yilong." "Bai Yilong?" Shi Yuanchen stared at the seal, his fingers drumming lightly on the desk. "Isn't he dead?" They found no other leads at the bank. The more Kong Ping thought about it, the stranger it seemed. "It’s impossible that the cameras didn't catch anything." Shi Yuanchen gestured for him to look up. "There are no cameras here." Kong Ping huffed. "Do rich people care that much about privacy?" "Now we can only hope the police can pull fingerprints for Bai Shi or Pei Cangyu from the scene." "But wasn't there a murder? The guy was covered in blood. Shouldn't there be something?" Kong Ping looked at him. "In TV shows, the victim always grabs the killer's clothes or something before they die." Shi Yuanchen looked at him solemnly. "It seems you really didn't look at the scene." "What do you mean?" "The body was stripped bare. It had been doused in something—I suspect a highly concentrated form of hypochlorous acid, or perhaps a custom chemical cocktail. It was very effective." Shi Yuanchen brushed a stray lock of hair back from his forehead. "Except for the face, everything else was unrecognizable." Kong Ping stared at Shi Yuanchen. His mind involuntarily filled in the gruesome details, and combined with the lingering scent he had caught earlier, a wave of nausea hit him. "But even if we get fingerprints, we might not have anything to compare them to. Bai Shi and Pei Cangyu aren't registered criminals, and they haven't been officially reported as missing persons." Shi Yuanchen frowned slightly. Kong Ping thought for a moment. "Maybe they'll go looking for Bai Yilong?" Shi Yuanchen shook his head. "Bai Yilong won't be easy to find either." As they sat in silence, Fei Zuohua called. He wanted them to return immediately. *** "A camera?" Kong Ping looked at the device in Fei Zuohua’s hand. "Why would he borrow this?" Fei Zuohua shook his head. "I don't know. The girl said she lent it to him. He used it frequently to take photos. She doesn't know what he was photographing, but she thought it might be useful, so she gave it to us." He glanced at Hou Qi'an before adding for the benefit of the other two, "She said that from her perspective, he didn't seem to be doing well. He was being monitored." Kong Ping looked at Shi Yuanchen. The professor turned on the camera and connected it to the television. They all watched the screen as he scrolled through the images one by one. "Wait," Fei Zuohua said, his brow furrowing. "What is it?" the others asked. "Why would he take pictures of a magazine?" "What magazine?" Fei Zuohua stood up and showed everyone the magazine he had found hidden earlier. Kong Ping looked at the foreign text he couldn't read. "What does it say?" Shi Yuanchen flipped through the pages, looking genuinely perplexed. "...It’s entertainment news."