After seeing off a pair of "unwelcome guests," Ping An beckoned for them to continue their meal. Su Tang, watching her master decisively refuse the case, felt a strange sense of unease.
"Master, are you afraid I'll get hurt again, which is why you're not taking the case?" Su Tang asked cautiously.
"I'm busy rushing my novel and worrying about whether to let your aunt marry a policeman. It's all so bothersome, how could I have the mind to solve cases?" Ping An grumbled.
"Oh!" Su Tang replied obediently and continued eating.
"Ding-dong!"
It seemed this lunch wouldn't be peaceful. Just as the "unwelcome guests" left, more visitors arrived.
Ping An impatiently opened the door, only to find Yang Jiao and her family standing there.
"Jiaozi!"
"Su Tang!"
The two girls, seeing each other safe and sound, hugged each other excitedly.
Ping An glanced at Yang Jie and Liao Yuan, who were still standing outside, and politely invited them in.
The lunch was ruined. Hei Dou tidied up the dining room, while Ping An busied himself with pouring tea in the living room. Although he really didn't want to see this family at this particular moment, Yang Jiao was, after all, Su Tang's classmate, so basic courtesy was in order.
"My wife and I are primarily here to express our gratitude. At a critical moment, young Su Tang stayed by Jiaozi's side. Such a friendship is rare," Yang Jie said, choosing his words carefully. "Furthermore, we wish to express our apologies. After all, Su Tang was entangled in this, and unpleasant things happened, causing the child harm. We are truly distressed!"
Their attitude was sincere, their tone subdued. Ping An immediately recognized that this family had come with genuine intentions.
Truthfully, Ping An harbored considerable dissatisfaction towards the Yang Jie family, but with them arriving with gifts, it was difficult to express his anger. After a speech that was a mix of thanks and apologies, eight or nine-tenths of his resentment had dissipated. He had agreed to Su Tang visiting Jiaozi's home, and no one could have predicted what happened. In the first place, it wasn't entirely their fault.
"We've come with sincere intentions today, so we won't beat around the bush. Please accept this two hundred thousand yuan. Otherwise, my wife and I will have no peace of mind!" Liao Yuan placed a handbag on the table.
"You two need not do this! Your sentiment is enough. The money is absolutely out of the question!" Startled by the sum, Ping An began to ponder – this gift was quite substantial! Could they have another motive?
As expected, Liao Yuan spoke.
"We've heard that Reporter Ping An is not only an industry leader but also a very capable detective! In fact, we have another reason for coming."
"Oh, is that so? I'm not taking this case, so what happened at your home..." Ping An quickly declined.
"No, no, no! Reporter Ping An, you misunderstand. Our request is not for you to solve the case! You see, everyone has their specialty; cases should be handled by the police. That's their duty! We're here about something else," Liao Yuan said.
It turned out that recently, a series of murders had occurred in the Wind Power residential area, severely impacting the company's operations, sales, stock performance, and financing activities. The Wind Power company was currently undergoing a crucial financing round. This financing was being spearheaded by the provincial government, with a scale of twenty billion yuan. If successful, it would revitalize a batch of casting enterprises in the province through mergers, a significant undertaking for the entire province.
"This financing is of great importance; it's a matter of life and death for the Wind Power company! But at this critical juncture, with such incidents happening in our residential area, some international venture capital firms are demanding a re-evaluation, and our stock has seen continuous losses. The situation is dire!" Liao Yuan said, taking out a stack of documents from her bag.
"This stack of documents contains content recently compiled by a WeChat self-media account in this city. Its content is extremely inconsistent with the actual situation and has had a detrimental impact on this venture capital round. On one hand, we have already sought legal channels to defend the truth! On the other hand, we wish to publish some factual content through legitimate media channels. The clear will be clear, and we can naturally withstand the test of public opinion!" Liao Yuan said. "We've been visiting various places recently, hoping to find someone in the industry to speak up for us. Your newspaper was naturally our first thought, but some leaders and friends from your newspaper suggested I come to you, the former Director of the Social News Department, Teacher Ping An!"
"This! I've already been demoted to a regular reporter..." Ping An had never expected that this couple would come to him for such a matter.
"Let's be frank. The Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government also attach great importance to this financing. The Municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department introduced us to the newspaper, and it was your newspaper's president who introduced us to you. Your president stated that you have extensive experience in this area, and you will be arranged to plan the strategy. The newspaper will fully cooperate!" Liao Yuan said. "Teacher Ping An, I believe your newspaper will approach you about this matter in the next day or two. We came today with respect for you, to inform you in advance."
Damn it! The police weren't hounding him anymore, but now the newspaper was starting! When had he become so sought after?
"I still need to consider this matter. I'll talk about it after my superiors approach me! In fact, our newspaper has many excellent senior reporters!" Ping An said humbly.
"Three years ago, a flight attendant from Hechuan Civil Aviation fell into a passenger's arms, and unscrupulous media spread rumors calling her a 'flirtatious flight attendant'! You, based on the actual situation, interviewed the passenger's wife and wrote about a couple who had been loving for decades, moving the entire Hechuan. The matter was resolved amicably... Two years ago, Hechuan Metro Company Three accidentally dug up villagers' ancestral graves! You took an unconventional approach, helping this family secure relocation fees that should have been issued but were withheld by unscrupulous village cadres. This matter was also resolved amicably... On the 9th of last month, your childhood friend, a lawyer abroad, was defending a police officer who had accidentally injured a citizen while firing his weapon due to high tension. Unable to help, he threatened you with your junior high school nude photos. You initiated a 'I'm Safe, Please Hug' campaign, urging citizens to hug police officers first, indirectly illustrating the helplessness of police officers under high pressure abroad, turning the tide. Not only was that officer acquitted, but his tearful embrace with the victim's family at the courthouse became the most touching scene in that city..." As Liao Yuan spoke, she picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then stared directly at Ping An.
Su Tang, sitting beside him, looked at her master blankly. She never imagined that her seemingly slovenly master was actually a super-skilled crisis management expert!
Ping An was also stunned! What Liao Yuan said was indeed what he had done, but how did they know such detailed information?
"You're making me too embarrassed. I'm not that capable!" Although he had been spoken about so frankly, as the person involved, Ping An found it quite satisfying to listen.
"So, this time, we're truly troubling you!" Liao Yuan stood up and bowed to Ping An.
The couple left, and Ping An naturally refused the two hundred thousand yuan in cash. After the bow, the two families tacitly exchanged a few words about the events of the night, and then they hurried away. Ping An pretended that nothing had happened, went to work as usual that afternoon, sent Hei Dou away upon returning that evening, coaxed Su Tang to sleep, and then began to examine the materials Liao Yuan had brought.
Some say that in the media industry, emerging self-media and traditional old media should be enemies. But in reality, these two mediums can coexist peacefully because their starting points are fundamentally different.
Being in this circle, Ping An knew media like the back of his hand. In the industry, be it self-media or traditional media, anyone with a bit of standing, he basically knew. Yet, this particular self-media, he had never heard of before.
"Hechuan Voice!"
"When did this WeChat public account appear?" He picked up his phone and searched for WeChat public accounts. He found that this public account had only been established recently, and its articles were all similar, commenting on the Wind Power company's murders.
"Poor Quality! Peeping is Rampant! Who Drove the Pretty Female Manager to Her Death?"
"Financing Imminent, Stock Dilution, Who Suffers the Most?"
"The Murder is Just the Tip of the Iceberg, Why Hasn't Anyone Investigated Yet?"
"Silencing – When Will the Hidden Truth Be Revealed!"
Four articles, each crafted from a different angle. Setting aside the content that was taken out of context or based on hearsay, the writing skill in these articles was quite good.
"It doesn't seem like it was written by amateurs chasing traffic. Although most of it is speculation, the articles are cleverly conceived and definitely written by a seasoned hand!" Ping An patiently read all four articles, then picked up his teacup and began to ponder – who in Hechuan City could write such articles?
As dawn broke, Gao Xiaofei's wake-up call had already rung three times.
Ping An, uncharacteristically, made rice porridge, baked milk buns, fried chrysanthemum fritters, and pan-fried water eggs. He also meticulously sliced a plate of pickled vegetables. Seeing Su Tang standing outside the kitchen with disheveled hair, swallowing her saliva, he smiled knowingly and poured a spoonful of sizzling red chili oil over the pickled vegetables, filling the kitchen with a fragrant aroma.
"Wash your face and brush your teeth, it's time to eat!" Ping An said with a smile.
"Master!" Seeing her master's gentle smile, Su Tang pouted and hugged him.
After leaving the hospital, Ping An never mentioned the events of that night. Although Su Tang still seized every opportunity to recount the situation, all she received was a "Hmm" from her master.
No criticism! No comfort! While he was protective, he hadn't warmed Su Tang's heart. After all, she was just a child. Having gone through such an ordeal, she was scared and hoped for her master's heartfelt comfort. However, her master's face had been ashen, so she had to pretend to be indifferent. Now, smelling the smoke from the kitchen, the child finally felt a belated sense of comfort.
"Good girl! Master has had so many things happening these past few days. When you got hurt, I was also distressed, but I didn't know how to express it!" Listening to her master's words, word by word, while in his arms, Su Tang felt much better.
"I wasn't born a master to others. I'm also a first-time master, so my precious disciple should be a little understanding!" Ping An lowered his head, kissed Su Tang's forehead, and said softly, "If you're scared, we won't go. Whatever happens, happens. You just stay with me, and if any little devils dare to come, I'll shoot them dead!"
"Hehehe!" Su Tang was amused by her master's words.
"It's okay, Master. As long as you're with me, I'm not afraid. I have to grow up eventually," Su Tang said obediently.
After an extravagantly long breakfast, just as Gao Xiaofei was about to doze off for the third time in the driver's seat, the master and disciple finally left.
"Godfather!" Su Tang looked to be in good spirits. Because it was raining, she wore a long dress. Her usual braids were replaced by a hair clip, making her look much more docile.
"My girl looks so beautiful today! After this is over, Godfather will treat you to pizza! Godfather got paid today!" Gao Xiaofei said arrogantly.
Inside the Hechuan City Public Security Bureau's main conference room, Xiang Wanfeng, who had just returned from an external research trip, was listening to a case report from Qiao Yidan, the director of the Riverside District Bureau. Although this case did not have the same impact as the major cases last year, it had caused quite a stir in society. Especially whether the Wind Power company's financing plan would be affected by this case, it had become a top priority case that the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government were paying close attention to and demanding a prompt resolution.
By the time Ping An and Su Tang arrived at the Municipal Bureau, the meeting was nearing its end. It was Su Tang's first time participating in such a meeting, and seeing a room full of police officers made her a little nervous. If her master hadn't been holding her hand, she would have genuinely wanted to back out and not participate.
In the conference room, Xiang Wanfeng gave Ping An a meaningful look, smiled dotingly at Su Tang, and then continued listening to the report. Gao Xiaofei led Ping An and Su Tang to sit in the last row of the conference room.
At this point, Qiao Yidan was delivering his concluding remarks.
"In summary, based on our preliminary investigation, the deceased Wang Huanan, Zhang Ziteng, and Wang Shun were colleagues. However, due to different departments, Wang Huanan had almost no interaction with Zhang Ziteng and Wang Shun, at least according to our current investigation. Based on the scene investigation, Zhang Ziteng was suspected of peeping at Wang Huanan. Wang Shun's home also contained a telescope, and the target of the telescope was also Wang Huanan. Therefore, we concluded that both Zhang Ziteng and Wang Shun were peeping at Wang Huanan. Wang Huanan's time of death was in the early morning of July 8th. However, video footage received from the local police station shows that she was already murdered in the early morning of June 28th! So the question arises, who died on July 8th? Could Wang Huanan have died twice? Unless the death in the video was a fake death. Secondly, Zhang Yiteng's time of death was in the early morning of July 8th, even earlier than Wang Huanan. According to the scene investigation, the door lock was undamaged, and the victim was stabbed directly in the back of the neck with a sharp weapon, dying from excessive blood loss. Given that the deceased was openly peeping at the time of death, the killer was likely an acquaintance of Zhang Ziteng, and it can be assumed that he willingly opened the door to let them in. The person who committed the murder at Zhang Ziteng's home was also likely a peeper. Finally, Wang Shun's death is extremely unreasonable. He was on a high-rise rooftop, and died from falling, which cannot be explained! Based on the current investigation, we infer that the recent peeping incidents in the Wind Power residential area are likely not isolated incidents by one or two individuals, but a group of organized and premeditated peeping teams. Therefore, our next steps will be to first conduct an in-depth investigation into the peeping situation by canvassing the public to ascertain the extent of the peeping; secondly, based on the professional telescopes found in Zhang Ziteng's and Wang Shun's homes, we will visit the stores to try and identify the purchasers; and finally, we will investigate the deceased's social relationships one by one to find anyone or any matter with whom they had conflicts."
Qiao Yidan's deployment was considered shrewd. The current case indeed only had these investigative directions. Unless there were some creative ideas, like Ping An's, which attracted much attention at today's case analysis meeting.
However, Ping An seemed to have no intention of speaking. After Qiao Yidan finished his report, Xiang Wanfeng briefly introduced some information about Ping An and politely asked if he had any thoughts to share. To the anticipation of most, Ping An firmly shook his head, stating that he had no ideas about this case.
Seeing Ping An's rather uncooperative refusal, Xiang Wanfeng smiled wryly and declared the meeting adjourned, leaving only the specific case handlers to prepare for Su Tang's interrogation.
At Ping An's repeated insistence, the interrogation did not take place in the interrogation room. Gao Xiaofei, responsible for the interrogation, looked at Ping An placing the voice recorder in front of him with a mixture of tears and laughter, saying, "Why don't you do the asking? You know the regulations. When can the police conduct interrogations with a third-party recording?"
"The child is young and inexperienced. What if she falls into a trap?" Ping An said with a grim expression.
"You old bastard, I'm also Su Tang's godfather! How could I harm the child?" Gao Xiaofei was displeased.
"People like you never put your own people first, only right and wrong! I'm afraid you'll scare the child later!" Ping An said nonchalantly.
Listening to their argument, Xiang Wanfeng, Qiao Yidan, and Cheng Jian, who were sitting nearby, found it both amusing and exasperating.
After a period of bargaining, the interrogation finally began. In fact, Gao Xiaofei didn't need to ask much. Su Tang recounted the situation she encountered that day, as well as the previous request from Jiaozi to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the puppy downstairs, in full detail. She even mentioned that to this day, she couldn't be sure if Wang Shun had said the word "ghost" before he died.
"Some of the things you've mentioned, Yang Jiao has also reported. So, the small parts that came out of the puppy's stomach also disappeared, is that right?" Gao Xiaofei asked.
"Yes, that's all I could notice!" Su Tang replied decisively after thinking for a moment.
"Xiaofei, why don't you take your goddaughter out for a stroll!" After the interrogation, Xiang Wanfeng didn't allow Ping An to leave and kept Qiao Yidan as well.
"Ping An, this is Director Qiao Yidan of the He'an District Public Security Bureau!" In the office, with only Xiang Wanfeng, Qiao Yidan, and Ping An remaining, Xiang Wanfeng introduced them.
"I've heard a lot about you!" Ping An politely stood up and shook hands with Qiao Yidan.
"Not at all, not at all!" Qiao Yidan replied courteously.
"Alright, now that you know each other, I won't beat around the bush. Ping An, are you interested in this case? Director Qiao would like to invite you to be a consultant for this case."
"I'm truly sorry, but as I said before, I'm not interested!" Ping An replied.
"Why?" Qiao Yidan asked, hearing Ping An's firm refusal.
"Two reasons! First, there are too many family matters recently, and I'm tied up. Second, one of the companies preparing to invest in the Wind Power company's latest financing round is my mother's company. At this critical juncture, it would not be good for me to investigate, no matter what I discover. Therefore, I need to recuse myself."
"I didn't know about this!" Xiang Wanfeng asked, frowning.
"You can ask my mother when you get back!" Ping An stood up, patted his backside, and said, "I'm really not interested in this case. I'm leaving now."
With that, Ping An briskly left the office.
"Brother, this isn't like you. Why aren't you taking this case?" At a dessert shop near the Municipal Public Security Bureau, Gao Xiaofei, Ping An, and Su Tang were sitting by the window, enjoying their morning sweets.
"Have you heard the saying 'everyone has their specialty'?" Ping An said, taking a bite of cake.
"Heard of it. What about it?" Gao Xiaofei asked curiously.
"I just want to spend a comfortable holiday with Su Tang and don't want to be bogged down by these troublesome matters," Ping An said. "Also, I'm investigating some things recently and really don't have the time."
"Are you referring to Mr. Ke, oh no, as you call him, the whereabouts of the Immortal Guest?" Gao Xiaofei said.
"Yes, I won't hide it from you. It's been over half a year, and this mysterious organization has a thousand-year history. It's unfathomable," Ping An said. "I've searched through ancient book libraries all over the place and found that the so-called Immortal Guests originated in the Sui Dynasty and were passed down through generations by prominent families. After the Ming Dynasty fell, one branch of the organization's descendants went to Japan, and another went to Malaysia. Therefore, I assume that the contemporary organization must have flourished in Japan or Malaysia."
"Can't you put aside such a nebulous matter? The Wind Power小区 case is the top priority right now," Gao Xiaofei said. "I live in that小区 too. What if I'm harmed one day?"
"Get lost! What are you talking about so early in the morning!" Ping An glanced at Su Tang, who was quietly eating her cake beside them, and said sternly.
In Xiang Wanfeng's office, after Ping An left, Qiao Yidan seemed unsure of what to say, looking at Xiang Wanfeng for an explanation.
"When he encountered strange cases before, he was desperate to get involved. Why is he so indifferent now?" Qiao Yidan asked curiously.
"He has other cases to handle," Xiang Wanfeng said after some thought and hesitation.
The current Ping An indeed had cases to handle, but they were not investigation cases, but rather media-related cases.
After parting ways with Gao Xiaofei at the dessert shop, Ping An and Su Tang strolled home on the road, one after the other. If they had paid a little more attention, they would have noticed a black BMW car following them at a leisurely pace.
"Is this man as formidable as you say?" Inside the BMW, a well-dressed middle-aged man wearing black sunglasses was speaking on a Bluetooth headset.
"In short, he's not an ordinary person. With the incident in the小区, people from all walks of life would expect him to investigate. The police have also unusually invited him, but he adamantly refuses to come," said a male voice on the other end of the phone. "His mother is the head of the An Corporation. The old man dreams of that twenty billion yuan investment. At this juncture, I actually think it's for the best that he's not involved in the case investigation."
"Thanks to you. Anyway, I'll have to face him. Let's exchange a few blows first," the man in the BMW said, abandoning the pursuit and turning into a nearby street corner.
"If you really can't figure him out, just don't bother with him. Our business is just one step away from completion," the man on the other end of the phone said, completely ignoring the other's complaint, and hung up.
"Ping An? Interesting!" Putting down the Bluetooth headset, the middle-aged man smiled.