The People-Finding Expert

Mad Detective

[Author: Kuang Hai Wang Hu]

[TL: Spades]

[PR: Blitz]

[QC: Lumi]

Chapter 34 — The People-Finding Expert

——————

"Bribery!"

On the drive to Lijiazhuang, Li Beini dropped the word, then explained, "At that piano competition, someone might've bribed the prodigy Li Dan, slipped her a fat stack to drop out of the finals! That way, without her as a powerhouse rival, the briber could take her spot!"

"Interesting!" Zhao Yu said, steering, "Or maybe someone didn't make the finals, ranked 11th, and bribed Li Dan to quit so they could sneak in as a replacement!

"That would mean the pregnant woman, 10th place, could she…"

"No!" Li Beini cut in, "Making the finals and final rankings are different. The 10th-place finalist could've theoretically won first!"

"Oh, so… we need to find who was the lucky 11th-place replacement that got bumped into the finals?" Zhao Yu mused.

"Wait… Senior, we might be off!" Li Beini quickly backtracked, "Not bribery! Think about it, the prodigy was gunning for top three. That's what would've changed her life, something money couldn't buy!

"If I were her parents, no amount of cash would make me throw that chance away, a once-in-a-lifetime shot!"

"True… then… maybe a threat?" Zhao Yu clenched his fist, guessing, "Someone threatened her to quit, or they'd wipe out her family!?"

"Ugh!" Li Beini pouted, "Sounds like some thug move. Back then, they were all piano kids, would they be that vicious?"

"Point is, something definitely went down at that competition! Otherwise, why would all the Hand-Chopping victims be finalists?" Zhao Yu said earnestly, speeding up, eager to crack the mystery.

But, to his utter frustration, another dead end awaited. After a morning of canvassing Lijiazhuang, he and Li Beini came up empty.

According to the village secretary and old neighbors, Li Dan's family sold their ancestral home over 20 years ago and left Lijiazhuang. They had a few relatives, but contact was sparse, and no one had seen them since the competition. Their whereabouts were unknown.

Li Beini had already checked their records at the bureau, finding nothing. They'd hoped the village visit would yield something, but it was another letdown.

The prodigy's family had vanished like smoke. Zhao Yu and Li Beini even wondered if they'd met some grim fate. Would the Hand-Chopping Case, still unsolved, drag up a murder case too?

Without finding Li Dan's family, the trail went cold again! Zhao Yu was beyond frustrated, feeling like a stretched spring ready to snap.

Damn it!

Why!?

Why was cracking this Hand-Chopping Case so damn hard?

Every time he clawed his way to a shred of a lead, it fizzled out, cut short!

Fuming, Zhao Yu slammed the steering wheel. Li Beini could only console him, "We can't waste more time. Let's go protect Li Xinhua!

"Today's the 26th! We can't let the culprit chop her hand!"

"We can't bet everything on that!" After a brief funk, Zhao Yu refused to give up, "If it comes to it, I'll visit the three victims. They didn't know the chopping tied to the competition. If I jog their memories, they might recall something!"

"Sounds good! Let's split up," Li Beini said, then remembered something, "Oh, wait! I just thought, we can keep searching for the prodigy! Maybe… we can get 'that guy' to help!"

"Who?" Zhao Yu was clueless.

"You don't know? We've got a people-finding expert at the bureau! If he steps in, he might dig something up!"

"There's such a guy?" Zhao Yu blinked, "Why didn't you say sooner?"

"Ugh! He's weak at casework but a top-tier people-finder. Word is, he's got a secret method for tracking down anyone, even years-lost cases, nailing them fast!"

"Whoa, that kind of talent?" Zhao Yu scratched his head, "So, he's in the Missing Persons Unit?"

"What! Playing dumb when you know?" Li Beini teased, "Zhang Jingfeng! The guy at the desk next to you!"

"What!?" Zhao Yu was stunned, "Him? Isn't he…"

"Right! Paired with Liang Huan on cold cases, the weirdest duo!" Li Beini explained, "I heard Zhang Jingfeng was a dedicated officer in Missing Persons, but after some screw-up, he got bumped to our cold case team.

"Since joining, he's changed, slacks off, no drive, got chewed out by Captain Liu plenty.

"Worst part? Finding people isn't his job anymore. I hear when colleagues ask for help, he demands perks!

"No perks, he stalls and half-asses it. They even nicknamed him 'Sly Eel'!

"So, if you want his help, brace to open your wallet!"

"Sly Eel? Interesting!"

Zhao Yu hadn't pegged Zhang Jingfeng for that type.

Before reaching the bureau, he called Zhang Jingfeng, laying out the situation.

Surprisingly, Zhang Jingfeng didn't dodge, agreeing readily, chuckling for Zhao Yu to send the details, saying he'd head to the office to check.

Hanging up, Zhao Yu shrugged at Li Beini, as if to say, See? He's cooperative, not like you said!

"Ugh!" Li Beini sighed knowingly, "That's his trick, acting all eager, but he won't lift a finger.

"He'll drag it out until you're desperate, then name his price. Don't meet it, and you could wait 10 months with nothing!"

"Really?"

Zhao Yu was skeptical, but back at the office, Zhang Jingfeng was indeed a no-show.

Calling him, Zhang Jingfeng claimed a stomach bug, saying he'd be late, telling Zhao Yu to wait.

Zhao Yu stressed the case's urgency, a critical lead, no room for sloppiness.

Zhang Jingfeng, all smiles, promised to hurry.

But 20 minutes later, he was still MIA. When Zhao Yu called again, the guy didn't even pick up!

"Told ya!" Li Beini smirked bitterly, "Guys like him are the worst. Watch, no bribe, no help!"

"Heh heh…" Zhao Yu just grinned, patting her shoulder, brimming with confidence, "Back in my street days, I specialized in handling punks like him! Watch me, I won't spend a dime, and he'll still work his ass off for me!"