Chapter 119: Storming the Fortress (1) |
Sunday morning, Wei Hongsi had breakfast in the Dormitory, then went downstairs, scanned a shared bicycle, and rode to the nearest "Jiangnan Book City," planning to hunt down a few books to bring back.
Although buying books online was convenient, he felt it was only suitable when he had some understanding of the book's content and a fairly clear goal in mind. Plus, some books didn't quite match their product descriptions; he'd bought so-called "genuine complete editions" more than once that were severely abridged with heavy cuts.
Shopping at the book city avoided such problems. Though the price might be a bit higher, he could get a thorough look at the book's condition before deciding whether to buy it.
Wei Hongsi had been browsing for over an hour and had just picked out a set of books when his chest bag's phone suddenly vibrated repeatedly. Pulling out the phone, he saw it was Zhang Shengyong's number, so he placed the books on a shelf and stepped outside to take the call.
Zhang Shengyong's voice came through: "Teacher Wei, where are you right now? My boss arranged for me to pick you up."
Wei Hongsi couldn't help but smile. "I'm out right now. If it's not urgent, I plan to head back to the Dormitory first."
"So, twenty minutes?"
"No problem."
Wei Hongsi hung up, went back into the book city to buy the set he'd just picked out, then biked back to the Dormitory. After putting the books away, he went downstairs, and before long, Zhang Shengyong drove up.
"How do you know that?" Wei Hongsi's interest immediately spiked. "Was yesterday an operation arranged by the Task Force?"
If Zhang Shengyong was coming to pick him up, it meant the Task Force had new developments and wanted his input. This could be good news or bad news. But if those officers from the district police station yesterday were carrying out a Task Force mission, it meant the case had made significant progress.
At the very least, it confirmed that the main members of the Guide Light Society in Yuecheng were already under effective police control, as that was a crucial prerequisite for arresting those peripheral members.
Zhang Shengyong didn't answer but instead asked, "How did you end up there? Did you have any discoveries beforehand?"
Wei Hongsi said, "I have a colleague who's attended that Sharing Session several times. He mentioned there was a 'round-faced girl' inside, so I wanted to check it out."
Zhang Shengyong shot him a glance. "Next time something like this happens, tell us first. Is investigating that kind of thing your job?"
"I just heard about a 'round-faced girl.' There are plenty of people with that trait. How was I supposed to report that to you?"
"You still have to tell us first. In any case, leave professional matters to professionals. You're the one who handles the thinking, so don't keep charging ahead on your own."
"Fine, I get it." Wei Hongsi smiled and asked, "So that host, Ma Xiaoli, has issues?"
Zhang Shengyong said, "Sharing Sessions like the one you attended yesterday—she was running several groups at once. People came and went, and in total, there were nearly two hundred participants.
"She sold those people's information to Guide Light Society's peripheral members at a thousand yuan per entry. The content wasn't just basic info like names and phone numbers; it also included private details like personality descriptions, workplaces, mental states, income levels, and so on. But she didn't know who the real buyer was."
Wei Hongsi said, "Even if the total amount wasn't huge, at that high a unit price, she must have known something was wrong."
Zhang Shengyong snorted coldly. "Of course she knew something was wrong. The buyer said they wanted to do targeted client sales, and she chose to believe that. As for what they were selling, she didn't care at all."
Wei Hongsi nodded silently.
It was like high-priced shipping. Normally, freight might cost a hundred, or three to five hundred for express, but if the shipper offered five thousand or even ten thousand, wouldn't the delivery guy know something was off?
Once the Guide Light Society got hold of those people's information, they naturally listed them as potential targets. When the need arose, they'd pick suitable individuals, use special methods to control them, and drive them to complete certain tasks.
Thinking this over, he asked, "So Peng Jun and Li Yunxiang also came to the Guide Light Society's attention this way?"
"More or less." Zhang Shengyong nodded. "But not through those Sharing Sessions. The Guide Light Society has many ways of gathering information."
Wei Hongsi nodded. "So their move against Zhiwei Technology and the setup of the Plan B ad for Paradise Beverages wasn't a coincidence at all. It was carefully orchestrated."
"You're right. They picked their target first, then devised the plan, then chose a tool to execute it."
Zhang Shengyong sighed with some emotion. "We almost got led astray. That kid Mu Jie didn't tell a single honest word before he fell into a coma."
Wei Hongsi asked, "What stage is the case at now?"
Zhang Shengyong said, "Don't ask me. One, there are some things it's not convenient for me to say. Two, there's plenty I don't know either. Wait until you meet our boss to ask!"
"Alright." Wei Hongsi dropped the subject.
Actually, he didn't need to know the details of the case investigation. He wanted to find out whether they'd uncovered more core content about the Guide Light Society, because that related to completing the "System" task. What that core content was didn't matter to him.
When they arrived at the Criminal Investigation Unit Headquarters in the city, Wei Hongsi was already very familiar with the place, but Zhang Shengyong still escorted him to the Command Room before leaving.
Only Director Liang and Director Shi were inside the room. Seeing Wei Hongsi, both stood up with smiles to greet him.
"Teacher Wei!" Director Liang shook Wei Hongsi's hand as he spoke. "The insight you provided last time was crucial. It was the key to the major breakthrough in this case. We all owe you a great debt of gratitude!"
"Director Liang, you flatter me. This was my duty." Wei Hongsi smiled.
The previous two times he'd seen Director Liang, his brow had always carried a hint of gravity, but now it had relaxed, and the man looked much lighter overall.
Director Shi also shook Wei Hongsi's hand, smiling. "Thanks to Teacher Wei. But this time, we have a few more things to trouble you with."
"Whatever you need me to do, Director Shi, just say the word."
Seeing the mental state of these two leaders, Wei Hongsi knew the case investigation was going smoothly. Even if there were some remaining issues, they wouldn't affect the overall situation.
The three of them sat down. Director Shi first gave Wei Hongsi a general overview of the case's progress.
As the Task Force's special consultant, Wei Hongsi ought to be informed of many developments. The idea had been his, so naturally, he deserved feedback on the results, and this also had a direct bearing on the next steps.
When Director Shi said that the "round-faced girl" and the "student" were actually two different people, Wei Hongsi was quite surprised. He immediately realized he'd been misled by Mu Jie's four consecutive dream narratives.
When Director Shi also mentioned that a Matriarch had appeared and had been confirmed as a core member of the Guide Light Society abroad, Wei Hongsi couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
If the investigation had reached this point, there was no reason the "System" task wouldn't be completed, right?
