Volume One, Chapter Six: An Enviable Sisterly Bond

“Yes.” Zhang Lei seemed to have no intention of hiding anything. As he recalled, he said, “If I’m honest, there’s a lot to talk about... When I first bought shares in Yi Media, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. But what I didn’t expect was that later they tampered with the finances. That really infuriated me. I always felt like they were deliberately trying to cheat me!”

Yang Chenxu said, “Tell me more.”

Zhang Lei continued, “When we first invested, we agreed to distribute profits proportionally. Everything was fine at the start, and I trusted them. But then Lin Xiaoyang had someone manipulate the financial records. In other words, the company’s expenses and revenues I knew about were completely fabricated. To be more specific, I paid my share of expenses, but my share of the profits was halved, or sometimes didn’t exist at all... Tell me, wouldn’t that make you mad?”

“How did you discover that?” Yang Chenxu asked.

“By checking the original vouchers! Many of them were fake!” Zhang Lei grew a bit agitated. “This is just... so dishonest!”

“Was it Lin Xiaoyang who suggested you leave Yi Media?” Yang Chenxu asked again.

“No!” Zhang Lei immediately denied it. “I was the one who asked to leave. I didn’t want to continue working with them. Isn’t that obviously just cheating?”

Yang Chenxu paused. “Since they didn’t ask you to leave, why did you clash with Lin Xiaoyang?”

“I demanded they return my principal, but Lin Xiaoyang kept dragging her feet...” Zhang Lei’s anger flared again. “If she weren’t a woman, I really... Forget it, it’s all in the past!”

“And then?” Yang Chenxu asked. “Did you get your principal back?”

“Yes,” Zhang Lei said. “It was eventually returned by Fang Yi through the finance department.”

Yang Chenxu followed up, “I heard that after you withdrew your shares, you and Lin Xiaoyang had a confrontation at a hotel. What happened?”

“At a hotel?” Zhang Lei was momentarily stunned, then suddenly recalled something. “That time, I just suddenly remembered everything and was upset, so I said a few things to her... She got embarrassed and angry, snapped back at me, and we exchanged some words. But I didn’t stoop to her level—I left after a brief argument.”

“When was the last time you saw Lin Xiaoyang?”

“That was it,” Zhang Lei said. “At the hotel.”

Yang Chenxu and Zhuang Jie asked a few more questions, and Zhang Lei cooperated fully in answering.

When everything was over, Zhang Lei took the initiative: “Officers, you can investigate all aspects of my recent life. I’m willing to cooperate fully. I just want the truth to come out quickly and clear my name as a ‘suspect,’ so I can openly be a good man again.”

Yang Chenxu smiled, “As long as it wasn’t you, you’ve always been an upright man.”

Zhang Lei smiled in agreement, “As long as the investigation is ongoing, I can’t completely shake off the suspicion, right?”

...

After leaving Zhang Lei’s home, Lin Xiaobing said to Yang Chenxu, “Zhang Lei has had the most conflicts with my sister lately, and he’s a petty person. I think he’s very likely the culprit.”

“Based on the timeline, it’s almost impossible for him to have committed the crime,” Zhuang Jie said.

Lin Xiaobing thought for a moment and then asked, “Could he have hired a hitman?”

Yang Chenxu said, “Ms. Lin, I understand how you feel. It’s not wrong to suspect and theorize, but ultimately, evidence is needed. Rest assured, we will investigate thoroughly.”

Along the way, Lin Xiaoyang kept expressing her grief over losing her sister, while constantly speculating on different possibilities regarding the murder and discussing her family situation. Throughout the process, her expression was solemn, her eyes red as if her tears had never dried...

After covering about two-thirds of the route, Lin Xiaobing got off the car to continue posting missing person notices.

She told the police that although she had already posted online, she still wanted to put up physical notices. She didn’t want to miss any chance to find Lin Xiaoyang. She was willing to endure any hardship as long as her sister could be found.

After Lin Xiaobing got off, Zhuang Jie’s gaze followed her, her expression complex.

Yang Chenxu asked, “What’s wrong? Did you find something suspicious about Lin Xiaobing?”

Zhuang Jie stared at Lin Xiaobing for a while longer until the car moved farther away, and Lin Xiaobing’s figure gradually became a small dot in her sight...

Only then did she slowly turn back and, inexplicably, say, “I suddenly feel that Lin Xiaoyang is lucky to have such a sister.”

Yang Chenxu was surprised. “Why do you say that?”

Zhuang Jie paused briefly before answering, “I don’t know how to put it, but I envy all deep sisterly bonds.”

“Isn’t close sisterly love normal?” Yang Chenxu said. “Before marriage, besides parents, siblings are the closest.”

Zhuang Jie didn’t reply, instead glancing out the car window again before straightening her head and looking ahead, seemingly lost in thought.

After a while, she asked, “Brother Xu, do you have siblings?”

“No, I’m an only child,” Yang Chenxu said. “When I was little, I really wished for a little brother so I could bully him a bit and experience the glory of being the older brother. I wished for years, but it never happened. Now I’m used to being alone, and it’s pretty good. How about you? Are you an only child?”

Zhuang Jie was silent for a moment before answering, “No, I have a younger sister.”

“That’s good,” Yang Chenxu said. “Close sisterly love.”

After hearing this, Zhuang Jie quickly changed the subject. “I heard that Lin Xiaoyang’s partner Fang Yi is flying back from France, and his new girlfriend... what was her name again? I suddenly can’t remember...”

“Jiang Shishi,” Yang Chenxu added.

“I heard she’s a poet,” Zhuang Jie said. “This Fang Yi really is something... People with no connection at all somehow manage to get together.”

Yang Chenxu smiled, “He’s expected back around nine tonight. We’ll have to work overtime.”

“Understood.”

...

At 10:30 p.m., Fang Yi arrived at Guangnan Public Security Bureau.

His expression looked heavy, as if filled with great dissatisfaction.

When Zhuang Jie saw Fang Yi, she was momentarily stunned.

How could he look like a suspect? Even though his brows were furrowed, he still looked like the leading man straight out of a romantic drama...

But she quickly composed herself. “Why did you come alone?”

After sitting down, Fang Yi asked, “Who else should be here?”

“What about Jiang Shishi?” Zhuang Jie asked.

Fang Yi’s expression was calm, and the tight frown suddenly relaxed. “She doesn’t need to come, right? She has no connection with my wife, we basically don’t know each other...”

Yang Chenxu quickly interrupted, “Since we summoned her, she should comply.”

“Who summoned her?” Fang Yi retorted. “You only summoned me.”

“Fang Yi!” Yang Chenxu raised his voice. “This is the police station. What is your attitude?”

“Precisely because this is the police station, I have this attitude!” Fang Yi’s voice was not loud, but every word was firm, even carrying an air of arrogance.

Fang Yi’s attitude left Zhuang Jie somewhat dumbfounded.