Chapter 20: Shi Wei and the Deceased Were Acquainted

Wang Qiang nodded. "Yes, Qin Yanbin was one of the investors. He invested with his friend, whom you should all know—Shi Wei, the owner of the 'First Encounter' bar."

"Shi Wei?" Shu Yan blurted out. "Have you told Captain Lu about this?"

Wang Qiang shook his head. "No. Does this have anything to do with Xia Linlin's death? Shi Wei shouldn't be involved in this case; Qin Yanbin was the one mainly in charge of that short drama. It seems Shi Wei just provided the funding and took a share of the profits."

Shu Yan asked, "How do you know the details so well?"

Wang Qiang replied truthfully, "Because I have a friend who is an editor, and he edited that short drama. He told me that Shi Wei was the most straightforward boss he’d ever met, always settling payments very quickly."

"Wait a moment, I’m going to call Captain Lu," Shu Yan said. She took off her gloves, grabbed her phone, and initiated a video call with Lu Chengfeng.

Lu Chengfeng answered quickly. "Do you have a lead so soon?"

Shu Yan replied, "No, we haven't started the autopsy yet, but Wang Qiang brought something to our attention that I think might be useful for your investigation, so I wanted to tell you right away."

Lu Chengfeng asked, "All right, what is it?"

Shu Yan said, "Shi Wei is one of the investors in that short drama, and so is Qin Yanbin. Wang Qiang said that Qin Yanbin fell in love with Xia Linlin at first sight after seeing her dance performance, which is why he invited her to act in the drama."

Wang Qiang added, "Qin Yanbin wasn't just an investor and the lead actor; he was also the director of that short drama. He graduated from the Performance Department of Licheng University of the Arts and spent a few years drifting in Beijing after graduation."

"Because he was always playing minor roles, he returned to Licheng last year and started preparing his own short drama. That drama reportedly made tens of millions, so Qin Yanbin and Shi Wei must have earned a good amount."

"That’s why they were already busy preparing the next one without a pause. Everyone was looking forward to seeing Xia Linlin and Qin Yanbin collaborate for a second time."

Lu Chengfeng said, "Thank you, Wang Qiang. This information gives us a direction for the investigation. I will contact Shi Wei as soon as possible to learn more about Qin Yanbin. You two should proceed with the autopsy and contact me once you have results."

Shu Yan replied, "Understood, we’re starting now. Let’s stay in touch."

Lu Chengfeng said, "Right, talk later."

Shu Yan hung up the video call, set her phone down, and put her gloves back on. "Let's begin."

While they carefully performed the autopsy on Xia Linlin’s body to determine the cause of death, Lu Chengfeng stepped aside to call Shi Wei. The phone rang for a long time before Shi Wei answered, sounding groggy. "Hello..."

Lu Chengfeng asked in a deep voice, "Do you know Xia Linlin?"

Shi Wei replied, "Xia Linlin? Yes, I know her. What’s wrong?"

Lu Chengfeng said, "She’s dead."

"What?" Shi Wei jumped up instantly. "She’s dead? When did she die? How did she die?"

Lu Chengfeng asked, "Guess where I am right now?"

Shi Wei asked, "Where?"

Lu Chengfeng replied, "At the Nancheng estuary. A passerby out for a morning run found Xia Linlin wedged in the rocks today. She has been dead for two or three days. Shu Yan has taken her back for an autopsy."

Shi Wei was incredulous. "How is that possible? We were drinking together at the club on Valentine's Day."

Lu Chengfeng became alert. "You were drinking with Xia Linlin that night? Who else was there?"

Shi Wei was stunned. "You suspect she was murdered? That’s impossible. She was well-liked; who would kill her?"

Lu Chengfeng thought for a moment. "Get up immediately and wait for me at the Municipal Bureau. I'm heading back from Nancheng now. Also, don't reveal this to anyone, especially Qin Yanbin."

Shi Wei protested, "Yanbin? He couldn't be the killer. He loved Xia Linlin very much. He was even preparing to take her to meet his parents to discuss marriage. It couldn't be Yanbin."

Lu Chengfeng said, "If Shu Yan's autopsy results indicate homicide, then anyone who knew Xia Linlin—especially those who met with her that night—is a suspect, including you, Shi Wei."

Shi Wei was stunned speechless. "I'm getting up now to wait for you at the bureau. I will confess everything I know. See you soon."

Lu Chengfeng hung up, called Liu Xun over to explain the situation, and divided the tasks. Liu Xun took a few investigators to stay behind and search for clues in the vicinity. The remaining investigators returned to the bureau with Lu Chengfeng to take Shi Wei's statement. They would start by learning about the relationship between Qin Yanbin and Xia Linlin from Shi Wei.

It was past the morning rush hour, so the roads were clear, and a colleague’s vehicle with sirens led the way. They returned to the Municipal Bureau in just forty minutes.

Lu Chengfeng spotted Shi Wei's flashy pink sports car in the parking lot at a glance. Seeing Lu Chengfeng return, Shi Wei quickly opened his door and stepped out, carrying two large bags of coffee.

He greeted the investigators he knew with a smile and handed out the coffee. "Thanks for your hard work, everyone."

An investigator named Heipi teased, "Brother Wei, I didn't expect you to be a schoolmate of our Captain Lu, and such close friends at that. Thanks for the coffee."

Shi Wei chuckled and reached out to drape an arm over Lu Chengfeng's shoulder. "That's right. Chengfeng and I are so close we’ve practically shared underwear and beds. He’s staying at my place right now, and the car he’s driving is mine."

Heipi said, "Captain Lu told us. Let’s go, Brother Wei. Shall we go inside and chat while we drink the coffee?"

Shi Wei looked up at the bureau's new office building. "I haven't visited your new office building yet. I didn't expect to be visiting under these circumstances. Can we avoid the interrogation room?"

The investigators laughed. "Let's go to the special investigation team's conference room, it's over by the Forensic Center."

Upon hearing the words "Forensic Center," Shi Wei instantly perked up. Walking beside Lu Chengfeng, he lowered his voice and asked, "Is Shu Yan in the autopsy room? If there's extra coffee, save a cup for her and say it’s from you. See, I’m looking out for you, aren't I?"

Lu Chengfeng glanced at Shi Wei sideways. "Shut up."

As they walked into the Forensic Center, Shi Wei looked around and couldn't help but comment, "Nice, really nice. It feels like a research institute. They should promote this in all major cities. Building more modern forensic centers like this one—it doesn't look any worse than what they have abroad."

Heipi replied, "Domestic forensic technology has developed rapidly in recent years and is no longer inferior to foreign standards. The time taken to solve cases has shortened significantly. We really have to thank our colleagues in the forensic field."

Shi Wei nodded vigorously and asked deliberately, "Is the head of the Forensic Center still Director Liang?"

Heipi said, "Yes, but Director Liang says he wants to retire early to go home and look after his grandchildren. Who knows, if you come back in a few years, the director might be someone else."

Shi Wei asked a question he already knew the answer to: "Someone else? Who?"

Heipi replied, "Director Shu—Shu Yan. You remember her, don't you? The police beauty of our bureau."

Shi Wei said, "Remember, remember. How could I forget Director Shu? She's a forensic genius. Is she in charge of this case today? It’s been a long time; I actually miss her. She should remember me, right?"

Heipi said, "She definitely does. Even if others don't, Brother Wei, your reputation precedes you, so how could she forget?"

Shi Wei laughed happily.

However, he received a sharp, piercing glare from Lu Chengfeng and quickly clamped his mouth shut.

Walking into the special investigation team's conference room, Lu Chengfeng pulled out a chair and sat down, saying to Shi Wei, "Tell me, where were you all gathering on Valentine's Day? Who was present, and was there anything unusual?"