Red Bean Lives in the Republic of China - Chapter 29.2

Chapter 29.2

Yu Chongyi handed over a big sack of case investigation files to Director Bai three days later.

“This is Chen Jinsheng’s confession. The evidence is solid. This guy can’t deny it. He has admitted everything. He claims that when he was a Taoist priest in Peking, he picked up some Siamese mystical arts from an old Taoist priest. Since his son was running out of time and his wife struggled to have kids, he feared the Chen family line would end, so he devised this cruel method. The ritual needed an unclean Yin person as a sacrifice. Chen Jinsheng had intended to search for a sacrifice everywhere, but it was too risky. He worried that if the ritual went wrong, it would lead to serious trouble, so he hesitated for a long time.

Director Bai: “…”

“According to Chen Baidie’s confession, on August 22, she had plans to hang out at Mingquan Mountain with some friends. After coming back from the theatre that night, she borrowed a mansion in Mingquan Mountain from a friend. Later, she discovered a note from the Lu family on her dressing table. She recalled the Lu family’s villa in Mingquan Mountain. So she decided to borrow the Lu family’s villa for a few days of fun.

“So the phone number she left on the mirror belongs to a mansion in Mingquan Mountain?” Director Bai leaned back in his chair and asked.

Yu Chongyi caught a whiff of alcohol from Director Bai.

“Yes. She reached out to a taxi company to order a car. Her plan was to head back to the film company to pick up the script. However, when she made it downstairs, she unexpectedly ran into the driver of the young master from Nanbao Foreign Trade Company. Chen Baidie remembered that she needed to ask the Lu family for the key to the Mingquanshan Villa, so she asked the driver about that. Chen Jinsheng was still on the fence, but upon seeing Chen Baidie, a well-known celebrity and socialite, approaching him, he figured this was what they call “an arrangement in the dark”, and he naturally agreed. The moment Chen Baidie got into the car, Chen Jinsheng knocked her out, and she has been held captive ever since.”

“Chen Jinsheng is truly a madman.” Director Bai burped and propped his long legs on the table. “What about Wang Meiping? How did she end up being picked by Chen Jinsheng?”

“Chen Jinsheng always had to follow the Lu family’s orders, leaving him with little free time. Plus, he needed to finish the formation within 21 days, so he had to quickly find the next sacrifice. Lu Jingheng frequently used the car, and Chen Jinsheng was worried the young master might get suspicious. So when he was thinking about how to find a suitable person, he remembered there were prostitutes looking for clients in the old hut by the train station. He went there and met Wang Meiping. She was wearing green and gold, and she stepped out of the alley alone at night. He figured she was a ‘shady’ woman. Since he had to return to the Lu Mansion to drive for Lu Jingheng at night, he couldn’t waste time, so he impulsively kidnapped Wang Meiping,” Yu Chongyi said.

Director Bai listened to Yu Chongyi with keen interest and said, “Yu Chongyi, you’ve really come a long way. You managed to crack such a tough case in no time.”

Yu Chongyi felt guilty already. But thinking revealing too much information would cause some trouble, he decided to stay silent.

Director Bai studied the young man for a moment before saying with a forced smile, “Could it be that you got some outside help?”
Yu Chongyi was taken aback and quickly replied, “No, I always stick to the rules when dealing with cases and would never act on my own.”

“We’ve tracked down Wang Meiping’s murderer, located Chen Baidie and Pan Yuqi alive, and successfully brought the ruthless criminal Chen Jinsheng to justice. If I promote this, it’ll definitely make you, Yu Chongyi, a household name in Shanghai.” Director Bai picked up a gold pen from the table and toyed with it in his hand, with a smile playing on his lips.

Yu Chongyi managed a forced smile and replied, “You’re too generous, Director.”

“You’re quite capable; getting promoted to three levels should be a benefit for you. The police station is about to undergo some personnel changes, so let me know how I can commend you as your superior,” said Director Bai with a chuckle.

“I’ll adhere to your guidance and strive to be honest. Whether it’s cracking a case or taking down a criminal, it’s all about protecting the law. It’s not about promotions or career advancement,” Yu Chongyi humbly replied.

“Good! Good! Good!” Director Bai clapped his hands, uncrossed his legs from the table, and stood up. “Not too shabby; your case management skills have really improved, and your speaking skills have gotten better too. If you keep this up, it would be a real shame to have you working under me in the future, right?”

Yu Chongyi felt a drop of sweat run down his back. “I’ve been under Director Bai’s mentorship since I joined the police force. I’ve never even thought about anything else. Wherever you send me, I’ll go without a fuss.

Director Bai chuckled and replied, “It was just a joke. Why are you so nervous? Well, you’ve put in a lot of effort these past few days. Now that the case is wrapped up, go home and take a break. I’ll take another look at the case in a few days. The department is going to have some changes soon, so I’ll make sure you get some rewards and promotions. Your hard work won’t go unnoticed.”

Yu Chongyi felt like he had been given a second chance and quickly said, “Then I’ll take my leave now.”

After he left, another officer came in and handed Director Bai a bunch of newly printed photos. “Yu Chongyi has been spending a lot of time with Wang Peter lately. I think the reason he was able to solve the case so quickly is closely linked to Wang Peter’s help. Besides Wang Peter, He Mengmei’s second son has also been hanging out with Yu Chongyi a lot. I wonder if He’s second son is involved in solving the case.”

Director Bai flipped through the photos one by one and scoffed, “Yu Chongyi seems very trustworthy, but he’s got a lot of tricks up his sleeve. Wang Peter and I have been rivals for ages. Why would he go to Wang Peter? It shows he doesn’t respect me as the director at all.”

The young cop glanced at the promotion recommendation form on Director Bai’s desk. “Director Bai usually looks out for Yu Chongyi, but he just won’t align with the Director. This time, to get a promotion, he even spilt the case details to outsiders. If we really analyse it, it’s not just neglect of duty but also breaking the law. If Director Bai were stricter, a prison sentence would be too lenient for him.”

Director Bai shot him a knowing look but stayed silent. He looked through the photos for a bit and was about to toss them when he noticed a stunning girl in the corner of one. She was vibrant and cheerful, with a slender figure. Even though it was just a fuzzy black-and-white image, you could still see the sweet, soft glow on her face.

He picked up the photo and examined it for a moment without saying anything. Upon closer inspection, he spotted He Yunqin standing not far from Yu Hongdou. He scoffed and remarked, “They’re nobody special, just tagging along with He Yunqin. No wonder these siblings look down on everyone else. But they don’t realise that the He family isn’t exactly prestigious. It’s too soon for them to be trying to climb the social ladder.”

When the officer recognised He Yunqin’s name, something clicked in his mind. He pulled out a note from the stack of documents he had under his arm and handed it to Director Bai. “It’s Mrs. He’s birthday. Just thought you might want to have this invitation.”

Director Bai took the invitation, looked it over carefully, and then slipped it into his pocket.

“Director, what should we do with this stack of photos?” With a promotion coming up, the officer continued, reminding Director Bai about Yu Chongyi’s oversight.

Director Bai pulled out a cigar from the box and replied, “Keep it safe. Don’t misplace it. There’s a lot of public outcry right now, and my police department is facing criticism. I’m going to sort this out. If any officer under my command dares to leak the department’s top-secret case files, they won’t just lose their job; they’ll face serious investigation and punishment.

End of chapter 29

Have a nice day!