Chapter 124: Suspicious Voices (1) |
Tang Jinxia had gone out early Friday morning to meet Ji Cheng, never expecting to be questioned by the police. By the time Wei Hongbo and Zhang Shengyong left, she had figured out that Ji Cheng had deliberately arranged this.
However, Ji Cheng hadn't gone back on his word about introducing friends to her. The two new people she met were indeed worth knowing, but this encounter had dampened her enthusiasm for singing.
Tang Jinxia found an opportunity to pull Ji Cheng aside and asked, "Director Ji, what's the background of that police officer just now?"
Ji Cheng said, "I don't really know either."
Tang Jinxia grew annoyed at this. "Don't you try to fool me! If you didn't know, then why did you use him as an excuse to get me out here?"
Ji Cheng replied, "It's precisely because I don't know that it shows things aren't simple. Teacher Tang, don't you tell me why he was looking for you either."
Tang Jinxia fell silent. Seeing Ji Cheng's serious expression, it didn't seem like he was lying to her.
Ji Cheng continued, "Teacher Tang, I dare say it won't be long before you sincerely thank him from the bottom of your heart."
Hearing Ji Cheng's meaningful tone, Tang Jinxia wanted to snort coldly and fire off some sarcastic words.
But her upbringing and current status wouldn't allow her to do that. She could only force a smile and say, "Oh my, then I'll thank you in advance, Director Ji!"
After that, Tang Jinxia was somewhat distracted. One moment she thought Ji Cheng was unreliable, the next she felt that things might really be complicated. But she didn't spoil the mood for everyone, and they continued until two in the morning before parting ways and heading home.
A day and more passed. Just when Tang Jinxia was about to forget the whole thing, that police officer showed up at her door.
Around ten o'clock Saturday morning, she was in the kitchen preparing lunch for Shen Qing when she heard the doorbell ring. She went to open the door.
Seeing Wei Hongbo, she couldn't help but frown and blurted out, "You again?"
"Hello, Teacher Tang." Wei Hongbo greeted her first, then showed her his police ID and an interrogation notice.
Seeing this setup, Tang Jinxia set aside all her displeasure and stepped aside to invite Wei Hongbo and his group inside. Only then did she notice there were four of them, including two women.
After everyone settled in the living room, Wei Hongbo said, "Teacher Tang, thank you very much for the clues you provided. We have arrested Zhou Huai, and it has been confirmed that he is an important member of a criminal organization."
Tang Jinxia's heart immediately tightened. "What crime did he commit? Does it involve our Shen Qing?"
"That's exactly why we're here." Wei Hongbo's expression was grave. "Zhou Huai and his accomplices were planning to use Shen Qing for serious criminal activities, but he refuses to disclose the details."
"You police can't get it out of him either?"
"He absolutely refuses to talk, but we can be certain that he has already done something to Shen Qing."
Tang Jinxia felt her heart race. In her understanding, if a suspect would rather die than speak, it had to be something that would mean death if revealed.
The other officers present were all impressed by Wei Hongbo's skillful wording. Wei Da hadn't told a single lie, yet he had carefully sidestepped details that couldn't be disclosed during the investigation.
Wei Hongbo had no choice. He had dealt with Tang Jinxia once before and knew that if he didn't make the situation sound serious enough, it would be difficult to get her full cooperation. And what Shen Qing was involved in was indeed very serious, though some details couldn't be revealed.
Tang Jinxia asked nervously, "Then what do you plan to do?"
Wei Hongbo said, "We hope Teacher Tang can provide us with more information about Zhou Huai. Then we'll talk to Shen Qing to understand the situation."
"Ah, you want to talk to Shen Qing too?"
"Of course. There are things only she, as the person directly involved, would know. But please rest assured, Teacher Tang. When we speak with Shen Qing, you can be present the entire time."
Tang Jinxia knew she couldn't stop the police from investigating, but she was still reluctant. "I'm just afraid it'll scare the girl."
Wei Hongbo said seriously, "Teacher Tang, to be honest, we could have gone directly to Shen Qing to understand the situation. You saw the content of the interrogation notice just now.
"But since you were introduced to me by Director Ji, and we're not strangers, I thought it best to come to you first, and then we can go see Shen Qing together.
"You've met my colleagues here. We all dressed in plain clothes today specifically because we considered Shen Qing's status as a public figure and wanted to avoid attracting unnecessary attention."
Tang Jinxia nodded involuntarily, suddenly feeling that this Officer Wei was actually quite a nice person. She immediately cooperated with Wei Hongbo's questioning and told him everything she could think of regarding Zhou Huai.
Wei Hongbo said, "Thank you, Teacher Tang. Then let's head out."
Tang Jinxia said, "Officer Wei, could you wait a little longer? Let me finish cooking and bring the food along. Also, I'd like to talk to Shen Qing first and let her prepare a bit?"
Wei Hongbo considered this and said, "Alright, but please be quick."
"Thank you, thank you!" Tang Jinxia said repeatedly. She sent a message to Shen Qing, showing it to Wei Hongbo before sending it.
Seeing Tang Jinxia's cooperative attitude, Wei Hongbo knew they had achieved their goal. The reason they had taken this roundabout approach was to gain more of Tang Jinxia's trust.
After all, Shen Qing was not a criminal suspect, so they couldn't forcefully interrogate her. And the details of personal interactions were private matters, especially for a celebrity. If Shen Qing was unwilling to cooperate, the investigation would be difficult to carry out smoothly.
With Tang Jinxia's support, it would be easier to gain Shen Qing's trust, making it much more convenient to ask questions.
While Tang Jinxia was busy in the kitchen, the two female officers helped her out, saving her considerable time and also bringing them a bit closer.
When everything was ready, everyone went downstairs. The two female officers helped carry things and ended up riding in Tang Jinxia's car, with Wei Hongbo and the other male officer following behind in their vehicle.
When they arrived at the apartment building where Shen Qing lived, Tang Jinxia greeted the security guard, and the two cars drove into the underground parking garage.
After parking, Tang Jinxia led Wei Hongbo and the others into the elevator, swiped her card to go upstairs, and arrived at the apartment door, where she used facial recognition to unlock the electronic lock.
Tang Jinxia invited everyone to sit in the living room, then raised her voice and called out, "Qingqing!"
Shen Qing responded and came out from the creative studio inside. She had been immersed in her work these past few days and hadn't had time to care about her appearance. After receiving her aunt's message, she had only done a bit of tidying up, wearing her hair in a bun on top of her head, a pair of large black-rimmed glasses, and a T-shirt with jeans.
She smiled and greeted everyone, then looked at her aunt, waiting for an introduction.
Tang Jinxia hesitated for a moment, then said to Wei Hongbo, "Officer Wei, let me talk to her first, okay?"
Wei Hongbo nodded. "Go ahead."
