Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 826: Bullets

In front of the university gate.

After getting out of Lin Feng's car, Xiao Bao quickly turned to him and said, "Thank you for bringing me here, Brother Feng." Lin Feng waved his hand and said, "Alright, hurry up and go get the materials from your professor and come back out. I’m in a rush to grab something for Sir Ma." "What are you getting?" "Baby supplies!" Lin Feng said with a helpless expression. "Isn’t Madam Ma already several months pregnant? Sir Ma is absolutely doting on her and has already had someone buy a bunch of baby supplies." Xiao Bao laughed heartily, "When did your department become this idle? The future star of the Criminal Investigation Team is actually running errands for baby supplies?" Lin Feng reached out and lightly tapped Xiao Bao's forehead. "Aren't you also just playing around in the office every day with that fantasy game? Are you going in or not to get those things from your professor? Otherwise, I’m leaving!" "It’s Professor Ouyang!" Xiao Bao quickly corrected. "He is our Section Chief Qin's mentor, a very impressive forensic expert! He retired a few years ago and came here to teach!" "Fine, fine, fine, Ouyang it is. Hurry up and go!" After giving Lin Feng a mock salute with his third finger, Xiao Bao hurriedly ran into the university campus. He had come here because he recently encountered a particularly tricky case, and he heard that Professor Ouyang had handled similar cases before, so he specifically sought him out for information. Since Section Chief Qin was on indefinite leave, Xiao Bao had to fend for himself. In Xiao Bao's eyes, this was the teacher of his mentor, someone on the level of a grandmaster. So, when he arrived at the office door, he hurriedly tidied his clothes. "Professor Ouyang is out for something; this is what he asked me to give you." However, the person Xiao Bao saw was a young female teaching assistant. He was instantly disappointed, let out a sigh, and took the materials handed to him, saying, "Oh, you look familiar! Did you graduate in '14? I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere." "I graduated in '15." "So, you’re a junior sister..." Since I didn’t see the grandmaster... then I’ll flirt with the junior! Xiao Bao blinked. "Um... could you help me with some things? They’re a bit heavy." The female assistant pointed to a few boxes nearby. Xiao Bao immediately patted his chest and said, "No problem!" So the two of them walked out of the office. As the door of the office clicked shut, another door within the office also clicked open at that moment. A man in a black suit quietly glanced inside before closing the door again. Inside the office, an elderly balding man was wide-eyed in fear. He was tied up with ropes, and two men were holding his shoulders. The man in the black suit was playing with a dagger as he sat on the desk, calmly saying, "Professor Ouyang, let's continue our discussion about the previous matter, shall we?" He had the tape ripped off Professor Ouyang's mouth, and the professor exclaimed in terror, "What do you want to do? Is this a kidnapping?" The man said, “I’ve already explained my intentions. We just want to ask Professor Ouyang some questions, and once we’re done, he will naturally be safe. So, I hope you can cooperate.” The gleaming dagger reflected the sunlight outside, shining into Professor Ouyang's eyes. He was flustered and said, “W-What do you want to ask?” “Do you remember the armored car heist that happened about four years ago?” The man bent down. “That case was quite sensational; seven armed robbers clashed with the police. Many people died, including a police officer named Luo Qi. You were still serving in the bureau back then, right? You can’t possibly tell me you don’t remember anything about it?” “I... I remember, I remember.” Professor Ouyang's face changed slightly, and he quickly added, “Comrade Luo Qi was an excellent public servant… W-Why are you asking about him?” The man moved the dagger closer to Professor Ouyang's face. “I heard that in the autopsy report, it stated that Luo Qi was shot seven times, six of which were not fatal, but one directly hit his heart… What a shame, such a good officer lost his life because of that shot.” “Indeed, it’s really a pity.” Professor Ouyang nodded, but his gaze remained fixed on the dagger pressed against his face. “I heard that you personally examined Luo Qi’s body, right?” Professor Ouyang nervously nodded. The man suddenly said, “Not long after that, you applied for retirement. But at your age, retirement seems reasonable. Then you were re-employed here at the university as the head of the forensic department. Hmm… your wife is also a university teacher, and she’s already graduated. You have a daughter who works at a state-owned enterprise, and your son-in-law is a sales manager at 4S dealership… Oh, and your grandson is about to enter high school, right?” “What do you… what do you want?” Professor Ouyang struggled. “Please don’t harm my family!” The man pressed down with both hands, “Calm down, let me finish… Your family seems quite good; you could say it’s happy and harmonious. But it’s strange, why do you have a villa abroad? And it’s quite valuable... Hmm, let me think, based on your salary, including your pension and your entire family’s income, even if I double it…” He smiled and leaned closer. “It doesn’t seem to add up, does it? How did you manage to buy it?” “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about!” The man scoffed, “Professor, you’re quite clever. Initially, the property wasn’t registered in your name, and it wasn’t until early this year that you quietly transferred it to yourself. Furthermore, we found out you have an account abroad with a fair amount of money in it.” Professor Ouyang’s face changed drastically. The man suddenly grabbed Professor Ouyang’s head and slammed it against the desk, then pressed the knife beside his ear, saying indifferently, “Professor, do you think it would be a problem if I cut off your ear right here?” “I’ll talk, I’ll talk… Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me… I’ll tell you everything!” Professor Ouyang’s eyes widened in terror: “I… Someone secretly gave me a large sum of money to alter the autopsy report… The bullet that hit Luo Qi’s heart didn’t match any of the guns found at the scene. It was… an unknown gunshot wound…” “Unknown?” The man suddenly tightened his grip on Professor Ouyang’s neck. “It was… a police-style bullet! That person asked me to switch it out for a similar type of bullet used by the robbers; the bullet was also provided to me by that person!” “Someone gave you money? Who?” The man tightened his grip on the professor's head without any sign of loosening. The pressure caused Professor Ouyang great pain, and he struggled to say, “It’s… it’s… it’s…” “Who!!” “I-I don’t know. He didn’t tell me who he was, and we never met. We only communicated over the phone… But he threatened me, saying that if I don’t, he wouldn’t spare me or my family. I had no choice… Don’t kill me, don’t kill me…” The man pulled out the dagger and suddenly stabbed it down—only to have it plunge into the table. Professor Ouyang's eyes widened in shock, and then he went limp. One of the henchmen glanced over and said, “He fainted; scared him to death.” “Coward.” The man disdainfully tapped Professor Ouyang’s head with the knife and shook his head. “But most heroes die at the hands of cowards.” “Brother, how should we deal with this guy? Can we trust what he said?” “A timid guy like him can’t hide anything…” The man picked up Professor Ouyang’s phone, checked it, and then sneered, “As for how to deal with him… oh, this professor seems to have had quite the romantic escapades; there are so many photos with his female students… Fearing for his life, he’s just an old lecher. Let’s make this Professor Ouyang a famous man.” He casually handed the phone to his subordinate. “Take care of it; I’ll go report back to President Shi.” --- The man quickly left the university and got into a black Bentley. Inside the car waiting was Shi Shijie from the Zhang Group, who looked at the man and asked indifferently, “A Long, how did it go?” The man, A Long, quickly replied, “This old man definitely has problems…” A Long recounted the situation and continued, “This guy just fainted from fright. Heh heh, we were just scaring him. Why would we need to do anything that draws blood?” Shi Shijie nodded. “If it hadn’t been for the breakfast meeting with Director Gao the day before yesterday, when I casually asked about this matter and noticed his unnatural demeanor, I wouldn’t have traced it back to Professor Ouyang.” A Long added, “If you hadn’t insisted on thoroughly investigating Rocky’s cause of death, we wouldn’t have found Professor Ouyang by reviewing the hospital records, especially since that record was intentionally destroyed this year.” Shi Shijie asked indifferently, “Do we have results?” A Long speculated, “Luo Qi was likely murdered. During the clash with the robbers, he was shot several times but could have been saved. However, someone secretly shot him from behind. Professor Ouyang said it was a bullet fired from within the police force. But with his authoritative forensic report, combined with the chaos at the scene, the truth was probably covered up by someone in the shadows.” Shi Shijie frowned. “Are you saying this was done internally by the police?” After thinking for a moment, A Long replied, “It’s a possibility, but it could also be a counterfeit or even a lost weapon from within the police. That’s also a possibility.” Shi Shijie remained silent for a moment before saying, “The second possibility is slim. If this was an assassination planned from the beginning, why would they later seek out Professor Ouyang to fabricate evidence? They certainly wouldn’t use a weapon that could easily be traced back. I suspect the real killer acted on impulse at the moment… A Long.” “I'm listening!” Shi Shijie said seriously, “You go check the police personnel who were on duty when that case occurred back then. Years have passed, and those in the shadows have likely destroyed a lot of evidence. It might be a hassle to investigate, so be thorough and don’t miss any possibilities. I need to return to the old lady now.” “Don’t worry, investigation is my forte!” A Long smiled slightly. Shi Shijie said calmly, “Of course, I trust the elite investigator from the force. Afterward, go to the company to collect some hardship pay for your brothers so they can work properly.” “Thank you, President Shi.” --- As for those who are crying, Luo Qiu had quite a bit of experience handling it. The sorrow and sadness of Old Man Song had been buried for decades. Instead of blocking it up, it was better to let him cry it out, releasing the pent-up feelings within; that was the best approach. He didn’t plan to console the old man, and neither did Song Haoran intend to comfort his father. The housekeeper, Uncle Wu, probably had similar thoughts. Song Tianyou’s sobs began to lessen, and he let out a sigh, finally calming down. At this time, Luo Qiu handed him a handkerchief. Song Tianyou was taken aback for a moment before accepting it. He wiped his tear-stained face and gave an awkward smile. “It’s rare for young people to carry handkerchiefs.” Luo Qiu chuckled and said, “It’s probably because I’m a bit old-fashioned. Plus, using a handkerchief isn’t wasteful and is more environmentally friendly.” “‘What a gentleman, gentle as jade,’” Old Man Song smiled slightly and suddenly asked, “Can you give me this handkerchief?” Luo Qiu nodded. Old Man Song then said, “Please light some incense in front, as a way to pay respect to your ancestors.” Luo Qiu complied without hesitation. Old Man Song then said, “It’s about time. Let’s go eat.” --- Eating together not only fills the stomach but also carries the meaning of gathering. It’s a way for people to connect and share emotions. At the round table, in a small hall, there were three people and four stools, but it seemed one was missing—probably the niece, Song Ying, that Song Haoran mentioned. “Grandpa, Uncle!” A clear and melodious voice came from the side door of the small hall shortly after Luo Qiu and the other two sat down. She wore a qipao that was perfectly tailored, and her pink hair, styled in a bun, was striking at first glance. Due to the lighting, the pink seemed to have a hint of purple. The color shifted and transformed under the light from different angles, creating a wonderful effect. Old Man Song pointed at the girl in the qipao and said, “This is Song Ying, my granddaughter. This is Luo Qiu…” Song Tianyou slowly exhaled, “He is my brother’s grandson, the legitimate heir of our Song family.” Uncle Wu felt a tremor in his heart. Although he had nearly guessed it since Old Man Song took him to the mourning hall, the conversation in the hall confirmed his suspicions. However, it was Song Tianyou's words that were the most shocking. Because what Song Tianyou said directly established Luo Qiu’s position in the Song family, which had extended all the way to South America... the first legitimate grandson. Song Tianyou was a person who placed great importance on traditional values and ethics, and he had never changed in all these years. Even after establishing the new Song family empire, he had never claimed to be the head of the Song family in front of his closest relatives. Old Man Song stated that this belonged to his brother, and he was merely safeguarding it, managing it well on his brother’s behalf. Without his brother, there would be no him. “Song Ying, we’ve met before.” At this moment, Song Ying calmly extended her hand towards Luo Qiu with a gentle smile.