Chapter 18-Resentment XV

Ma Youwei, Tang Mi, Xiao An, and the rest of the team gathered in the meeting room, their attention fixed on the screen at the front. Using their iPads, they added pictures, keywords, and various symbols as they discussed.

Ma Youwei pulled up images of Zhang Tongtong, Lu Xiyun, and Yang Jiahui as he began, "Firstly, let's address Zhang Tongtong's disappearance. Suspicion arose from the car that had been following her in the period leading up to her vanishing. This car led us to the Lawless District, where witnesses reported seeing a woman named Sister Luli riding in the same car before her disappearance. It was then discovered that Sister Luli and her coworkers were also missing.

Secondly, we have Lu Xiyun's case. The kidnapper's familiarity with avoiding surveillance and knowledge of the youth's itinerary strongly suggests close contact with him. Yang Jiahui is the primary suspect. Thirdly, our attempts to contact Yang Jiahui have been unsuccessful. She has not been found at her school, workplace, or home. She is known to be a hardworking student without conflicts with her peers and a supportive daughter and sister for her financially struggling family. Initially, all of these leads have either reached dead ends or produced insignificant findings. However, thanks to everyone's diligent investigations day and night, we have uncovered important information and finally identified a common thread."

Another officer added, "After examining records obtained from Zhang Tongtong's phone company, we found that the last text she received at the café came from an untraceable one-time-use phone card. However, the message, which referred to Zhang Tongtong as 'older sister,' strongly indicates it was from her sister, Zhang Feifei." He then displayed an image of Zhang Feifei, establishing the connection between the sisters.

Next, Tang Mi displayed Li Wei's criminal record. "Regarding Sister Lulu and the other missing women, their colleagues and boss believed they simply quit and found better opportunities elsewhere. It's not unusual for sudden departures without notice in the Lawless District. What ties these women together is their frequent patron, Li Wei, who was the last person they all served. Li Wei has multiple criminal records for robbery, drugs, and sexual assaults. After his release, it seems he's turned over a new leaf."

Xiao An followed up by adding more connections, "Considering our suspicions regarding Yang Jiahui in connection with Lu Xiyun's case, we looked into her past employments, one of which was a bar. It was notably the only place where Yang Jiahui mingled with questionable characters, including Li Wei. Undercover investigation revealed that Yang Jiahui was well-liked by customers, known for her charm and ability to uplift their spirits. Some of them even expressed romantic interest in her, but she had a lover who frequented the bar often. Surprisingly, this lover turned out to be Zhang Tongtong's sister, Zhang Feifei. They also divulged that Yang Jiahui was involved in drug dealing, which was how she crossed paths with Li Wei."

Ma Youwei concluded, "In addition, there's Lu Xiyun, who was acquainted with both Yang Jiahui and Zhang Tongtong. With all these connections among these individuals, it became evident that these were not mere coincidences. Hence, our foremost task is to locate Zhang Feifei, Yang Jiahui, and Li Wei for interrogation."

-

The team tried different methods to track their whereabouts, including questioning individuals in areas they frequented and monitoring for any recent unusual activities. They also traced their financial transactions for potential leads. Despite their efforts, progress was slow.

After days of monitoring surveillance footage from nearby cameras, including those at the bar, they finally caught sight of Li Wei. They swiftly dispatched personnel to apprehend him.

Now, Li Wei sat in the interrogation room, facing Ma Youwei, with Xiao An taking notes on the side.

"So, why am I here, officers? I didn't do anything wrong."

Ma Youwei replied firmly, "Let's talk about your relationship with Yang Jiahui."

Nonchalantly, Li Wei responded, "Jiahui? We're just acquaintances, Officer Ma. Nothing more."

"That's not what we're hearing, Li Wei. People are saying you were involved in drug dealings with her."

"People talk. You can't just believe everything you hear."

Pressing harder, Ma Wei stated, "But we have evidence linking you to her. Witness statements, surveillance footage—"

Interrupting him, Li Wei interjected, "Circumstantial at best. You can't pin anything on me based on hearsay."

Leaning in with a low voice, Ma Wei continued, "Look, Li Wei, we know you're involved in something illegal. We just need you to cooperate and tell us what you know."

Li Wei shrugged, "I don't know anything worth telling you guys."

"You expect us to believe that? You were seen with Yang Jiahui on multiple occasions, exchanging packages."

"Just because we were seen together doesn't mean anything. Maybe we were just exchanging gifts."

"Gifts? In unmarked packages, hidden away from prying eyes?"

"You're reaching. You have no concrete evidence against me."

Ma Wei stood up, his voice stern. "We'll find the truth one way or another."

Li Wei remained calm. "I'll be waiting, Officer Ma."

Ma Youwei anticipated Li Wei wouldn't say anything. He knew they had to dig deeper into Li Wei's activities, even seemingly insignificant details could be crucial. So, along with his team, they delved further into Li Wei's connections and history, leaving no stone unturned.

After apprehending Li Wei, they found that he had been living at a friend's place, saying that he was merely borrowing the space while his friend was away in their hometown.

The room was cluttered with furniture of mismatched origins—a worn-out sofa with mismatched throw pillows, a coffee table with chipped edges, and a cabinet with magazines scattered across its surface. It was a simple, somewhat disorganized layout commonly found in a bachelor's living space.

The team meticulously searched every surface for any evidence.

Ma Youwei's attention was drawn to a dusty bookshelf tucked in the corner, its shelves filled with an assortment of novels and trinkets. It seemed unlikely that Li Wei was an avid reader, but there were some spots on the shelves that were conspicuously dust-free. Amidst the clutter, a single photograph caught his eye—a snapshot tucked between the pages of an old paperback.

He retrieved the photograph, examining it closely in the sunlight. Initially, it appeared to be a street photo capturing everyday life in a local market. However, upon closer inspection, he noticed a subtle detail that had escaped casual observation. In the background of the image, Lu Xiyun's profile was visible, as if he were looking at something. Turning the photo over, Ma Youwei found the letters "X-B" written on the back.

Showing the photo to his team, he instructed, "Everyone, gather all these books." Upon their return to the police station, they meticulously combed through each book.

In the same book where Ma Youwei discovered the photo, there were additional pictures. Some focused on individuals amidst bustling crowds, while others captured a single figure. What tied them together was the presence of the letters "X-B" on the back.

Among the other books, they uncovered similar photographs, yet on their backs, different letters were written.

The team scanned these photos into the system to identify the individuals. Upon finding matches, they dispatched personnel to contact them and inquire about any unusual occurrences. Upon cross-referencing with databases, they discovered that some of these individuals were also reported missing.

As they reached out to these individuals, one man noticed something peculiar. He couldn't be certain if he was simply being overly sensitive, but he felt as though he was being followed in recent days. Prior to this, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred in his everyday life. They assigned someone to keep a constant watch on him.

As they were engrossed in their tasks, they received visitors asking for Ma Youwei. He went outside, where he was surprised to see Ke Yixing waiting for him.

-

After exchanging greetings, they made their way to Ma Youwei's office.

Curious, Ma Youwei asked, "What brings you here, Mr. Ke?"

Ke Yixing responded, "We have some clues that might assist you with the case you're working on." He retrieved some papers from an envelope and placed them in front of Ma Youwei.

Ma Youwei accepted the papers and began reading while Ke Yixing explained further.

-

After receiving the name 'Li Wei', Ke Yixing ran a background check on him, finding information similar to what the police had uncovered. They didn't let Yan Mingyu call the phone number immediately; instead, they waited for a while to make Li Wei believe that Yan Mingyu was hesitating. They also anticipated that Li Wei wouldn't sit idle and would likely investigate Yan Mingyu. Fortunately, Yan Mingyu rarely made public appearances, and the general public only knew about the youngest child of the Yan family being a son. They also fabricated a fake background with a mix of truths and lies.

When everything was prepared, Yan Mingyu made the call to the phone number. After a few rings, Li Wei answered the phone.

"Hello?"

Yan Mingyu asked skeptically, "Can you really help me?"

Li Wei replied confidently, "Yes."

"But I've been told by doctors that even with skin grafts, there may still be scarring."

"Don't worry. Our surgeons use advanced techniques that are much more effective."

"Really?" Yan Mingyu asked hopefully.

"Absolutely. If you trust us, we can make those burns disappear completely."

Yan Mingyu didn't respond immediately, but Li Wei remained patient.

After a long pause, Yan Mingyu finally said, "Okay, I'll do it."

Li Wei smiled and said, "Great! I'll meet you at the bar in a few days. I'll contact you once everything is ready."

Despite Yan Mingyu not going to the bar as planned, Ke Yixing still had people monitoring it. They informed him when the police apprehended Li Wei. That's when Ke Yixing decided to speak with Ma Youwei.

Ke Yixing understood that while he wanted to help people, ultimately, it was the responsibility of the police to deal with these. 

-

Ke Yixing didn't withhold any information, including details about Zhang Feifei's current lifestyle, the questionable circumstances surrounding the B-list actress, and the interactions between Yan Mingyu and Li Wei.

Ma Youwei sat at his desk, surrounded by a clutter of documents and photographs. He took a moment to absorb all the information before him, drawing a deep breath as he delved into the details once more, searching for the elusive thread that would lead him to solve the case.

"Zhang Tongtong's disappearance," he murmured to himself, his fingers tracing her photo. "The untraceable message from her sister, Zhang Feifei, and the ties to Yang Jiahui."

With a sudden surge of clarity, Ma Youwei exclaimed, "All roads lead back to Li Wei—whether directly or indirectly—amidst the disappearances, Lu Xiyun's photograph, and Yang Jiahui's involvement." But what was his motive?

As Ma Youwei pieced together the fragments of evidence, a new revelation dawned upon him—the B-list actress and her miraculous recovery from disfiguring burns, along with Li Wei's approach to Yan Mingyu.

Ke Yixing didn't interrupt Ma Youwei's thought process and played with his phone. When he heard Ma Youwei speak to him, he placed his phone down.

"If possible, we would like to ask your friend for a favor. We promise to protect him from any harm." Since Li Wei was interested in Yan Mingyu, why not take advantage of that? They could send their people to capture Li Wei's interest, but that would require more time.

Ke Yixing didn't immediately agree. "Give me a moment. Let me make a call to my friend," he said, dialing Yan Mingyu's number.

"Xing-ge?"

Ke Yixing got straight to the point. "The police want you to help them with their case. Are you interested?"

Yan Mingyu answered enthusiastically, "Yeah! But what do I need to do?"

"Come to the police station now."

So, Yan Mingyu found himself seated in Ma Youwei's room, eager to hear the details of the plan.

Ma Youwei explained his plan for Yan Mingyu to act as bait, while their team would secretly follow him throughout the entire process. Ke Yixing also emphasized that he and his team would need to be involved in the operation to protect Yan Mingyu. He assured him that they wouldn't interfere with the police's operation. Ma Youwei didn't have any objections and trusted Ke Yixing. He also understood that if he declined this request, Yan Mingyu wouldn't be allowed to participate.