novelraw Chapter 446 - 267: Irregular Bank Transactions
Chapter 446 - 267: Irregular Bank Transactions
"I think, we still need to find the sponsor first. Right now, everyone speculating here is useless. So, Tianhe District, Lai Jiyun and I will make a trip there."
Qi Liyan was about to leave with Huanhuan when she discovered that Li Xiang was standing at the door watching everyone.
"Captain Li, have you rested well?"
Seeing Li Xiang, Qi Liyan immediately flashed a bright smile, naturally and confidently.
A while ago, Li Xiang had been pulling all-nighters, so in the past few days, they hadn’t disturbed him and instead resolved any issues internally on their own.
They wanted to give Li Xiang a surprise — by the time he reappeared, it would be best if they had already solved the case, or at least clarified the victim’s identity.
Indeed, they did not let Li Xiang down. After Li Xiang optimized the facial recognition system for them, they really took advantage of it to find the victim.
"Yes, I’m well rested. What are you guys busy with now? How’s the case going?"
"Since you’re here, we can report to you. We’ve identified the victim’s identity: Tian Lifen, 21 years old, from Yungui. She used to study at a college next to Yuncheng and was murdered just a month after starting her internship here. We’re following this lead, and her school and workplace have already sent people to investigate further."
Qi Liyan reported the investigation status truthfully to Li Xiang. After listening, he nodded and said, "Well done. You are indeed the experts sent by the provincial department. The efficiency in solving cases is indeed remarkable."
Li Xiang displayed a satisfied expression; the more capable they were, the more he benefited. Naturally, he wanted to encourage them and boost their morale.
"We dare not claim credit. It’s all thanks to your brilliant facial recognition system, Captain Li. If not for your system, we couldn’t have possibly found the victim so quickly."
Li Xiang thought about how he had used the old facial recognition system before and found it annoyingly rudimentary, with a speed akin to a tractor. He had long wanted to upgrade it, but was always too busy at the time. It was Zhou Jian who reminded him of it, and since the special task force for the Yuncheng case was fully investigating, he thought he could take this time to finally get it done.
"Where are you heading now?"
"Oh, we checked Tian Lifen’s bank account and discovered she had a mysterious benefactor, also a Yuncheng native, who supported her financially for four years, covering all her living and tuition expenses. We’re planning to visit him to learn more about the situation."
"Oh, okay, you go ahead."
Li Xiang nodded, then let them go.
There was no need for him to take action personally. All he had to do was oversee and direct.
Yes, sipping tea and taking care of his health while in command.
"Captain Li, starting health maintenance at such a young age? Is this a sign of weakness?"
Ji Huanhuan noticed that Li Xiang had goji berries and red dates in his thermos, and teased him.
"Who’s weak? I just want to add some flavor, plain water is too bland."
Li Xiang would never admit to being weak. How could he be weak?
You know, with his stamina, an hour-long workout is no problem. Whenever he gets Lin Feifei going, she’s left begging for mercy?
Ji Huanhuan: "Oh~"
-----------------
Tianhe District, Building 5, Room 301.
Before coming, Qi Liyan had already looked into the homeowner’s situation.
The homeowner, Jiao Changrong, whose wife passed away twenty years ago, has no children, lives alone here, and does not have a phone, making it impossible to contact him beforehand.
Indeed, a solitary elderly person, who could he contact by phone?
"Jiao Changrong is also a pitiable person; not only is he without a partner, but he also doesn’t have children. He’s a truly isolated elder."
Qi Liyan sighed and continued, "He’s nearly 70, and life becomes more inconvenient as time goes on. I hope the local community has a policy for caring for isolated elders."
"They should, right? He’s truly unfortunate. Originally, he intended to support an orphan through college so they could take care of him in his old age, but unexpectedly, even the person he supported died." Lai Jiyun also sighed along.
"This might just be the fate of a solitary star."
"You believe in fate?"
"Not completely, my mom believes in it more."
While chatting, they arrived at the door of Room 301 in Building 5.
*Knock knock knock*
"Who is it?"
After knocking, no one inside responded, but a neighbor poked their head out and asked.
"Is Grandpa Jiao at home?"
"No, he usually goes for a walk in the park at this time."
"Oh, okay, we’ll go look for him."
They went to the park, strolling around, and approached elderly people, asking if they had seen Jiao Changrong.
"Jiao Changrong? He’s over at the square watching the square dance."
"Oh, alright. Thank you, sir."
Getting the address, they hurried towards the square.
"Hello, have you seen Jiao Changrong?"
Not knowing what Jiao Changrong currently looked like, Qi Liyan asked someone again, who pointed and said:
"Isn’t that him?"
"Oh, okay, thank you."
Sixty-nine-year-old Jiao Changrong now had gray hair, but his overall spirit seemed good.
"Hello, are you Grandpa Jiao Changrong?"
"I am. Who are you?"
"Hello, we’re from the police department. We came to ask you about a matter. Do you know Tian Lifen?"
"Who?"
"Tian Lifen!"
"I don’t know her, you have the wrong person."
Jiao Changrong shook his head and turned to leave.
"He doesn’t know her? The wrong person?"
Qi Liyan was stunned. She hadn’t expected this result. Could Zhou Jian have made a mistake?
She quickly called Zhou Jian to inquire about the reason.
"No mistake. The transfers to Tian Lifen’s bank account were from that account—there can’t be any errors."
Zhou Jian carefully verified the bank account again; there were no issues.
"Could it be that someone else was using his bank account?"
In many cases now, the users of bank cards aren’t the cardholders themselves. Could it be that Jiao Changrong’s card wasn’t being used by him?
"We can’t rule out that possibility; I’ll check the card’s activity. Hold on."
Zhou Jian coordinated with the bank again, checking the card’s activity in recent years. He found a transaction where 10,000 yuan was withdrawn last year.
It was a withdrawal at the bank counter.
Zhou Jian promptly requested the surveillance footage from when the cash was withdrawn. Since there were time stamps, it was easy to find.
"It was him using it."
By checking the bank’s provided surveillance, they confirmed that the person who withdrew the money was indeed him; he had been the sole user of the card all along.
With this result, Qi Liyan was puzzled. Why did Jiao Changrong not remember Tian Lifen? Could it be that he sponsored her for four years casually, without taking it to heart?
"Has he been sponsoring anyone else?"
"Currently, there are no records."
"That’s strange. He clearly sponsored Tian Lifen, so why does he not remember? Could it be Alzheimer’s?"
At his age, that’s certainly a possibility.
"What Alzheimer’s? Can someone with dementia live alone and come out to watch dance routines?" Lai Jiyun said with annoyance.
"You have a point."
"Let’s go to his home to understand more. Maybe he doesn’t remember the name Tian Lifen, but he surely remembers someone he sponsored before."
"Yes, yes, let’s check his home."
The two returned to Jiao Changrong’s place, only to be met with a closed door; he wouldn’t let them in.
"Hello, Grandpa Jiao, we’re with the police department and need to verify some information with you. Please open the door first."
"Yes, Grandpa Jiao. Do you remember a female college student you sponsored ten years ago? We’re here about that. If you remember, please open the door and let us in to talk. We’ll only take a few minutes of your time."