dognovel Chapter 1649 The Truth Comes Out
Chapter 1649 The Truth Comes Out
Chapter 1649 The Truth Comes Out
December 30th, I'm in the steel city, just got off the plane.
It was only 4:15 in the afternoon, the sky was dark and it was hard to see each other, and snow was falling everywhere, the white covering the view.
Qi Yan carried two bags of luggage and walked quickly to the car. The driver helped him put the luggage in, and he got into the driver's seat.
"Has it been found out? How did he die?"
Li Xuewu's leather shoes crunched on the snow as Zhang Enyuan took an umbrella from the clerk who had come to pick him up and held it up for him.
Office Director Zhang Jing, however, paid no attention to these details and quickly reported with a thin layer of snow on his shoulders: "Not yet, the joint investigation team is handling this matter."
"You weren't involved?"
Just as Li Xuewu was about to get on the bus, he suddenly stopped, turned to Zhang Jing beside him, and asked, "Where's the security department?"
"The opinion of Team Leader Liu from the joint investigation team," Zhang Jing said with a serious and troubled expression, "she said she would handle this matter."
"But I haven't received an answer yet."
Li Xuewu gave Zhang Jing a deep look before bending down and getting into the car.
Zhang Jing knew his boss was dissatisfied with his work, but he still reached out and closed the car door before walking around to the other side.
He still had a chance to explain, from the airport to the office, that he had to give a clear account of why Jia Yun had died in a short time.
After a brief conversation with the other people who came to pick him up, Zhang Enyuan waved and got into the passenger seat.
The others quickly ran to the cars in front and behind, and the drivers started the engines instantly and drove away.
The snow was falling heavier and heavier, and airport ground staff were already responding to emergency procedures and deploying additional personnel to clear the snow.
But judging from the calm and uneventful state tonight, it seems like it's going to rain all night long.
Indeed, winter has arrived, and even heavy snow is reasonable. Besides, this land needs a heavy snowfall to restore peace.
Today is Monday, the day Li Xuewu was supposed to return to Gangcheng, but the sudden news added to his anxiety.
Li Huaide was somewhat reluctant to part with him. He had originally planned to hold another short meeting in the morning, but suddenly received a call from Gangcheng that Jia Yun, who was under investigation, had died. He had no choice but to ask Li Xuewu to come back quickly to put out the fire.
Zhou Xiaoling had seen his flight schedule long ago and proactively adjusted her flight schedule, but she didn't expect to encounter this situation. She was unable to speak to him throughout the entire flight.
On the plane, he held a meeting with the accompanying officials, his brow furrowed the entire time.
She watched the convoy leave.
The snow continued to fall, obscuring the road ahead, and the convoy could not pick up speed, especially after leaving the airport.
There were no streetlights on either side of the road, only the headlights of the cars in front and behind. The light inside the car flickered, shining on Li Xuewu's face, making Zhang Jing's heart tighten.
"At 10 a.m., the joint investigation team discovered the situation during their routine patrol. The person was already beyond saving."
Zhang Jing reported in a calm tone, "We received the message around 10:10."
What's the situation with Sun Ming?
Li Xuewu didn't get angry, because getting angry wouldn't solve the problem, but his tone was unmistakably gloomy.
Just like the weather outside the window, Zhang Jing had already sensed it.
“He was the first person I thought of,” Zhang Jing reported, turning slightly to the side. “When we arrived at the Unity Hotel, he had already been moved.”
"Does he know something's happened?" Li Xuewu frowned and asked, "Did he see it, or did he hear about it?"
"I'm not sure, the situation was very chaotic at the time."
Zhang Jing explained with difficulty, "The comrades in the joint investigation team refused our further feedback."
"So, they're still in charge of this matter?" Li Xuewu's jaw twitched, clearly exasperated. "Do they need time to cover it up, or what?"
"I'm afraid there might be another unexpected turn of events," Zhang Jing said, trying to explain to the investigation team, remaining relatively rational.
Li Xuewu knew there was truth to what he said, but he still said angrily, "People can get into trouble right under our noses, and it's the group's security department that's doing the security work."
He glanced at Zhang Jing and asked, "Does the Steel City Security Department have any trustworthy comrades?"
"You mean...?"
Zhang Jing looked at him hesitantly before reporting, "I still know that these comrades are reliable."
“You make the arrangements,” Li Xuewu said after thinking for a moment. “We can’t stay out of this.”
“But…” Zhang Jing hesitated and asked, “Don’t the joint investigation team have work rules and requirements?”
"It's already this late—"
Li Xuewu looked at him, pointed with his finger, and said, "Are you sure they still want to stick to discipline and requirements?"
“Director Zhang is probably considering the responsibility involved.” At this moment, Zhang Enyuan, who was in the passenger seat, spoke up: “After all, our sudden intervention at this time will inevitably arouse suspicion.”
Zhang Jing was grateful for Zhang Enyuan's explanation, but his eyes remained fixed on Li Xuewu's face, not daring to miss even a fleeting change in his leader's expression.
Li Xuewu fell silent, his brows furrowed as he considered the pros and cons.
From the secretary's perspective, Zhang Enyuan broke his rules today; he shouldn't have spoken at this time.
But there were only a few of them in the car. Apart from the driver Qi Yan, Zhang Jing was the director of the Group's Liaodong Industrial Leading Group Office, while Zhang Enyuan had another identity, namely the deputy director of the office.
Therefore, Li Xuewu did not pay attention to his remarks, but instead changed his thinking and considered the issue from the surface level.
Was Comrade Liu Wei present at the scene?
As the car approached the industrial zone, signs could already be seen on the large roadside billboards.
Li Xuewu asked, "Has she informed you of the upcoming work arrangements?"
“I contacted him at 2 p.m., right after I finished reporting to the group company.”
Zhang Jing explained, "She informed me that the security guards and security officers on duty at the time, as well as the investigation team members who had been in contact with the target in recent days, are all under investigation."
“It doesn’t necessarily mean the crime was committed on the same day,” Li Xuewu asked thoughtfully. “You mean we can make a preliminary judgment that Jia Yun died from poisoning? Is that what you mean?”
"She didn't say, but I guess so."
Zhang Jing hesitated for a moment, then looked at him and reported, "I think Team Leader Liu made this decision out of a desire to protect him."
"You mean that if she voluntarily isolates herself, she can keep the problem confined to a small circle?"
Li Xuewu said calmly, "This is the mentality of localism. When faced with problems, one is too blind and too confident."
As the convoy approached the office building, Zhang Jing reminded him, "We could have stayed out of this."
“No, you’re wrong.” Li Xuewu looked at him, his gaze sharp as he emphasized, “We can’t stand idly by.”
-
Liu Wei had been busy all day. She had rushed back to Gangcheng from Yingcheng yesterday afternoon, hoping to get some rest, but unexpectedly...
The working group reported that Li Xuewu, the secretary-general of Honggang Group, had returned and was in the comprehensive office building of the metallurgical plant.
The joint investigation team's office was not located at the site provided by the metallurgical plant, but was instead set up at the nearby Unity Hotel.
This is also a common practice in supervisory work, and it also provides opportunities for working overtime and staying up late.
When Liu Wei received the news, Li Xuewu was convening a meeting with the metallurgical plant's leadership team. He had already spoken with Zhang Jing and knew that he couldn't remain indifferent to Jia Yun's death.
Zhang Minghua, the executive deputy factory director, has been in office for more than ten days. Although he is still in the stage of getting familiar with his work, he cannot escape responsibility either.
“We were not involved in this case from beginning to end, so it’s a bit unreasonable to ask us for our opinions now.”
Li Haiyang was the first to speak, and he was quite frank, spreading his hands and saying, "Before the incident, the joint investigation team was on guard against us."
He glanced around and said, "Has anyone here seen Jia Yun and Sun Ming again, or even been to the third floor of the Unity Hotel?"
"Get to the point." Li Xuewu glanced at him and reminded him, "I'm not asking for accountability, but rather to get to the bottom of this."
He glanced at everyone in the conference room, pointed at the conference table, and emphasized, "Before meeting with the joint investigation team, I need to at least confirm one thing: who did it."
These words were resounding and made everyone present tense. It was not hard to understand their doubts, but they also felt somewhat aggrieved.
“You want to shirk responsibility? Let me tell you, some responsibilities don’t need to be shirked, because they don’t exist at all.”
Li Xuewu stated bluntly: "There are some responsibilities that you cannot shirk; you must take them on."
"Now, can anyone tell me for sure that I have nothing to do with this?"
He glanced at both sides of the conference table and emphasized, "If the investigation later finds that the problem originated within our team, it won't be something that can be resolved with just an explanation."
"There's really no way to explain this."
Luo Zhongkang, the deputy factory director in charge of the comprehensive management department, explained hesitantly: "Although the security work is handled by people from the group and the investigation work is handled by the working group, the logistics services are our responsibility."
He looked at Li Xuewu and shrugged, saying, "Especially in cases like poisoning, how can we determine who is right and who is wrong without understanding the route and source?"
"The joint investigation team reported a situation, which was mentioned before."
Zhang Jing first glanced at Luo Zhongkang, who had just spoken, then looked at Li Xuewu and said, "The food for those under supervision is the same as that for the security personnel."
"In other words, theoretically, the food eaten by the supervised personnel is no different from that of the security personnel; it's all from the same pot."
“They eat from the communal pot.” Luo Zhongkang perked up when he heard this, sat up straight, and reported to Li Xuewu: “The officers of the Beijing Security Corps are very cautious; they all get their meals from the canteen.”
"So, in other words—" Li Haiyang frowned and asked, "Unless there was poisoning during the process, and it has nothing to do with the food itself?"
“I can confirm that,” Luo Zhongkang nodded and reported, “At least so far we haven’t received any reports of food poisoning.”
"Then let's examine the process in detail."
Li Xuewu turned slightly to the side, placed his right hand on the table, and tapped the paper with his pencil, emphasizing, "Old Luo, you guys come down and give a summary report on the cafeteria management situation of the past week, based on this case."
"The report should specify the personnel involved in the entire process from food procurement to serving at the window this week."
At this point, he pointed at Luo Zhongkang with his pencil and said, "You keep a close eye on it yourself, with Zhang Jing cooperating with you. Use the security department's resources to investigate whether any unauthorized personnel are entering or leaving the canteen. This is very important."
"Okay, I'll take care of it right away." Luo Zhongkang knew that this was to help him get out of trouble, since the joint investigation team was definitely watching them now.
Immediately after the incident, the joint investigation team sealed off the Unity Hotel. Fortunately, there were no recent events and no outsiders staying there.
Even so, as the only guesthouse in the industrial zone, it still houses quite a few employees' family members or relatives.
The task force is organizing a special team to conduct investigations and clean-up, lifting the blockade in batches, and eliminating suspects.
"Comrade Zhijun, you still need to coordinate with the group."
Li Xuewu pointed to Wang Zhijun, the chief engineer in charge of security, saying, "Security work is a self-contained system; we can't just stand by and watch the show at a time like this."
He put the pencil down on the notebook, straightened up, and emphasized, "It's not necessary to interfere in the investigation. Providing necessary support and assistance can save the investigation team time and manpower, right?"
“I understand, sir.” Wang Zhijun nodded and said, “I haven’t taken any action on my end; I’ve been waiting for your instructions.”
"I will then connect with the working group and the group's security department."
He glanced at Zhang Jing and said, "I still need Director Zhang's assistance. I'm not very familiar with the working group, and we've been avoiding each other before."
“They learned their lesson this time,” Li Haiyang said with a slightly dissatisfied snort. “They thought they had an impenetrable wall, but they messed up.”
He curled his lip and looked at Li Xuewu with a hint of sarcasm, saying, "Perhaps at this moment, Team Leader Liu from Steel City is already in a state of utter chaos."
"To be fair, Team Leader Liu Wei is still on our side," Zhang Jing said at this moment. "Some things don't need to be said too explicitly, right?"
He glanced at Li Xuewu again before turning to Li Haiyang and saying, "The Secretary-General spoke to the Liaodong side back then for the sake of fairness."
"To put it bluntly, Team Leader Liu Wei led the team here to protect us, so it's not appropriate to make sarcastic remarks at this time."
"I'm not just making sarcastic remarks."
Li Haiyang tapped the desk with his finger, raised an eyebrow, and said, "When they were on guard against us before, I didn't say anything, did I?"
"When something goes wrong at this time, they think of us. Shouldn't we have the most basic trust and attitude towards this matter?"
He looked at Li Xuewu and emphasized, "We haven't received any notification from the joint investigation team all day today."
"If it weren't for Director Zhang's constant coordination and inquiries, we probably would still be kept in the dark even after the person died."
“It’s not that bad.” Zhang Jing softened his tone and explained, “They were also panicked when the incident happened, but they still called me.”
He looked at the crowd and explained, "I controlled the spread of the message to avoid escalating the impact."
"Of course, I'm not speaking for anyone in particular, just stating a fact." Zhang Jing shrugged and said, "At this time, unity is more important than internal strife, right?"
Just as everyone was discussing, Zhang Enyuan pushed open the door to the conference room and walked in. Ignoring the gazes of others, he walked behind Li Xuewu and quietly reported, "Secretary-General, Team Leader Liu of the joint investigation team has arrived."
-
"Actually, Jia Yun is not a key figure."
In Li Xuewu's office, Liu Wei sat in a chair in front of his desk, his brows furrowed, holding a teacup as he spoke.
Outside the window, snow was falling heavily, its rustling sound filling my ears.
Perhaps it was too quiet, and the pauses in their conversation were so long that even the sound of falling snow could be heard.
"This is to intimidate and threaten Sun Ming."
Li Xuewu stood by the window with his arms crossed, looking at the dark night outside, and said, "Their timing was very subtle."
"It seems too late for me to talk about responsibility now," Liu Wei sighed, "but I was indeed carried away by my own success."
When she saw Li Xuewu turn around and look at her, she pursed her lips and explained, "Team Leader Fang warned me, but I didn't realize the danger."
"How is Sun Ming doing?" Li Xuewu didn't want to discuss the issue of responsibility with her, because it was too early to talk about that now.
Just as Zhang Jing said, Liu Wei was someone he had invited to protect the metallurgical plant, and he couldn't simply shirk responsibility when problems arose.
Even if her work error is to be dealt with according to organizational procedures, we have to wait until they have finished handling this matter.
“It has already been affected.” Liu Wei thought for a moment, then looked at him and said, “I’ve talked to him, and he’s been rather quiet.”
“Yes, Jia Yun is his uncle.” Li Xuewu nodded slowly, walking back from the window to behind his desk. “This kind of intimidation is too direct.”
"It will be a psychological blow."
He looked at Liu Wei across from him and reminded him, "You need to pay attention to Sun Ming's mental state; a person can break down in an instant."
“I’ve already arranged for someone to stay with him every step of the way.” Liu Wei thought for a moment, then hesitated before saying, “I have an idea, but I don’t know if it’s feasible.”
"If we could arrange for him to meet with his family..."
You could tell from her tone that the idea wasn't quite mature in her mind yet, which is why she spoke so slowly.
"Meet his parents?" Li Xuewu sat down, shook his head slightly and said, "I don't recommend it, because he will feel guilty."
"But I heard he got married."
"You mean—" Liu Wei opened his eyes wide and looked at him, asking, "Arrange for him to meet his lover?"
“Yes, it’s more appropriate than arranging for his parents to meet.” Li Xuewu pursed his lips and said, “This is my suggestion.”
"An adult's psychological defenses can be very strong at times, and very fragile at others."
He thought for a moment and explained, "I always try to show my mature side in front of my parents, and I only rarely show my true self in front of my lover."
“You are an expert in psychology,” Liu Wei nodded and said, “I will arrange for someone to pick up his wife in a little while.”
"Don't leave it overnight, and don't let it stay too long." Li Xuewu tapped his finger on the table and emphasized as he looked at her, "Tell Sun Ming not to be afraid."
"The fact that he was able to meet with his family at this time gives him hope to live and provides him with an outlet for his emotions."
"Yes, he is a little nervous."
Liu Wei nodded in agreement and, without hesitation, picked up the phone on his desk, called the Unity Hotel, and assigned the task.
After hanging up the phone, she hesitated and asked, "Can you lead the investigation of this case? After all, I'm not a professional."
“Moreover,” Liu Wei clenched his fist and looked at him bluntly, “I don’t trust anyone right now.”
“There’s no need for that.” Li Xuewu leaned back in his chair and looked at her, saying, “It’s precisely at times like these that we need to stay calm.”
"You must believe that the majority of comrades are good. As long as you can unite the majority, you will definitely be able to find this rat."
“But I don’t have time.” Liu Wei frowned. “News came from the capital that Sanhe’s granary Ping Er has confessed everything.”
"This included providing Suweide with assistance in the form of automobiles and funds, as well as inside information from previous negotiations with Honggang Group."
She looked into Li Xuewu's eyes and said, "It's only a matter of time before this case is escalated for further investigation, and I'm afraid I won't have the chance then..."
She didn't say what came next, but Li Xuewu understood.
It was simply that the case was beyond her control, and after it was escalated for review, she lost the opportunity to make amends for her mistakes.
In the end, it's good if the merits and demerits cancel each other out. The worst case scenario is that the demerits outweigh the merits, resulting in a thankless and arduous effort.
"Perhaps you already know."
Liu Wei cautiously explained, "We found some information about the ships in Yingcheng, and Su Weide is also involved."
"About warships, right?" Li Xuewu nodded slowly and said, "I've heard about it."
"My investigation focused on the warships, while Team Leader Fang's investigation focused on the source and destination of the funds," Liu Wei explained. "Both of our investigations encountered resistance."
"The source is unclear, but we could all feel the pressure when we communicated with them."
She thought for a moment before continuing to explain, "Team Leader Fang obtained the information from my side and found out some of the fund flows."
"Sanhe Co., Ltd. has problems."
"What's the problem?" Li Xuewu asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Are they involved in funding?"
“Yes, some of the funds went into their accounts,” Liu Wei explained. “According to Sun Ming’s confession, he had to hand over a certain percentage of the proceeds from each transaction during his smuggling operations through this channel.”
"These proceeds were transferred to Sanhe Co., Ltd."
She took a document out of her briefcase and handed it to Li Xuewu, indicating, "We used our connections with the United Savings Bank to contact the Oriental Times Bank in Hong Kong and obtained this transaction record."
"Records show that for every income Sanhe received, a sum of money would be transferred from their account at Oriental Times Bank to an account of a certain foundation."
Liu Wei pointed to the information marked on the material and said, "Some of the funds were left in the country, and a small portion of them went to Yingcheng Shipbuilding."
"Of course, we have verified that Yingcheng Shipbuilding did receive the order and carried out the demonstration and design in accordance with the procedures. There is no problem with the money."
After emphasizing this, she pointed to the list on the materials and explained: "The account of the Hong Kong City Foundation is a bit complicated. The spending records include luxury cars, motorcycles, watches, handbags, clothes, and so on."
She paused here, looked at Li Xuewu opposite her, and asked, "You already know what I'm going to say, right?"
-
Li Xuewu still refused Liu Wei's offer to take over the investigation of Jia Yun's poisoning case, but he didn't abandon it either.
The reason I didn't get directly involved was because I was worried that going too far would be counterproductive, and that my influence as a person could skew the case.
However, he obtained all the interrogation records, as well as the accommodation and travel records of guests at the Unity Hotel.
Finding clues from records is a huge and complicated process, and given Li Xuewu's current rank, he doesn't need to go through such a difficult time.
If even this basic work requires his responsibility, then what's the point of having investigators in the security department?
However, he had to buy time for Liu Wei and solve the case as soon as possible, so he had to do it himself and stay up all night to look at the information.
Looking at the information may not necessarily identify the suspect, but a tense atmosphere will definitely make the other party give themselves away.
So right after Li Xuewu finished talking with Liu Wei, he made a phone call to Hu Ke.
Hu Ke didn't ask Liu Wei about his responsibility; she simply said she'd wait for his news and hung up.
Liu Wei is from Gangcheng and is not under Hu Ke's jurisdiction, but in this matter, they are his own people.
Moreover, the reason why Liu Wei joined the joint investigation team was due to the relationship between Li Xuewu and Hu Ke.
So soon, when Sun Ming's wife arrived at the metallurgical plant, the small building where Sun Ming was located was already surrounded by a huge crowd.
The guards on duty were no longer from Honggang Group. The people being monitored in this small building were not only Sun Ming, but also those being investigated.
Especially since the investigation and security personnel involved with Jia Yun were also among them, the joint investigation team could no longer contact them.
So who will investigate the case next?
Hu Ke provided a solution at Li Xuewu's request, and criminal investigation experts he randomly selected from the local area had rushed to Gangcheng overnight.
Li Xuewu will act as the mastermind behind the scenes, providing these people with a landing point for quick intervention in the case before they arrive.
Just when the case was at an insurmountable stalemate, Li Xuewu's return brought Liu Wei new ideas and solutions.
The machine was restarted, and Liu Wei went back to boost morale, completely abandoning the investigation of the case and instead focusing on the naval vessel case.
She admitted that Li Xuewu's analysis was correct.
The target of the assassination attempt was actually a key figure, Sun Ming. Because they had protected Sun Ming so well that they had no way to carry out the assassination, the other party was forced to choose Sun Ming's uncle, Jia Yun.
For Sun Ming, the death of his uncle-in-law was also a warning.
Now Liu Wei has to race against time with the opponent, encouraging Sun Ming and the team alike, pushing forward despite the difficulties.
The other party was afraid, afraid that they would find out the truth, so they had no choice but to use the most direct and easiest way to leave loose ends: killing to silence them.
Killing is easy, but cleaning up the mess is difficult.
This case was already serious enough to warrant attention from higher authorities, but the addition of a murder case shows that the other party was desperate and resorting to any means necessary.
Just as Li Xuewu said, the more this is the case, the more calm we must be, and we must unite all forces that can be united. We must trust the majority.
The restart plan kept the two office buildings of the metallurgical plant brightly lit, and the canteen even activated its emergency plan, preparing a special late-night snack.
Around 1 a.m., Zhang Enyuan walked in carrying a lunchbox covered by his coat and gently reminded Li Xuewu, who was still looking at documents, "Boss, have some millet porridge to warm your stomach and take a rest."
In public or when outsiders are present, he addresses Li Xuewu as Secretary-General, but in private, he refers to him as Leader.
Li Xuewu nodded slowly, put down the documents, pinched his eyelids, and asked with a voice that couldn't hide his fatigue, "Is the cafeteria still open?"
"It was Director Zhang who instructed me to do it." Zhang Enyuan placed the lunchbox on the large desk, which was used to store documents or view blueprints.
The desk Li Xuewu is currently using is piled high with case files, leaving no room for a lunchbox.
"The head chef cooked a pot of millet porridge and steamed white flour buns."
As Zhang Enyuan set out the lunchboxes, he said, "Everyone said the pickled vegetables tonight were delicious, so I gave you a little extra. Please try them."
"Okay." Li Xuewu first went to the door to wash his face and hands, which helped him regain some energy. When he came to his desk, he looked at the green vegetables and felt a sense of appetite.
The case seemed to have reached a stalemate; at least he couldn't glean any clues from the interrogation records.
The team he led, composed of elite guards from the capital, was unlikely to falter on minor issues or details.
The first document Liu Wei sent him to look at was the work record provided by the security department, in order to determine where there were any security loopholes.
He was quite familiar with the third floor of the Unity Hotel, and based on the analysis of the records, there should not be any situation where outsiders could have contact with Jia Yun.
After ruling out external defense vulnerabilities, we need to look for the cause internally. There are roughly three channels for poisoning: food, water, and air.
Since Jia Yun's room was not enclosed and did not have ventilation openings or other facilities for storing toxic gases, the airborne medium could be ruled out first.
With only food and water remaining, the water issue can be ruled out.
He checked the water supply, which was fraught with uncertainty. Unless the bodyguards supervising Jia Yun personally took action, it would be impossible to accurately deliver the poisoned water to Jia Yun's room.
Furthermore, to prevent suicide among those under supervision, their movements are restricted, and they require the assistance of security personnel for eating, drinking, and daily living.
The security guards did not operate alone; it is not difficult to find from the review records of the security guards that the two parties were not directly related.
The security personnel of Honggang Group are undoubtedly clean, and their training and development are systematic and professional.
Even if someone could obtain the personal information of the guards outside Jia Yun's room through special connections, they still wouldn't be able to contact them directly.
From the moment they began this mission, their lives, like those of Jia Yun and others, were confined.
Moreover, the same few people aren't on duty 24/7; the shift system allows for a lot of uncertainty in the other party's plans.
Li Xuewu has asked the hospital to expedite the autopsy and toxin analysis of Jia Yun's body, hoping to find clues through this channel.
At the same time, he turned his attention to food as the last medium.
The metallurgical plant's service system has begun self-examination and rectification, but from the perspective of the "iron rice bowl" system, there should be no problem with the production process.
Li Xuewu didn't eat the steamed bun; instead, he sipped his millet porridge while thinking about clues.
With his exceptional memory and work ability, he quickly absorbed the information Liu Wei sent him.
Now, under his brainstorming, the clues are broken into pieces and then reassembled to form new clues.
However, these clues are disjointed and need a trigger to connect them, which is what's giving Li Xuewu a headache.
Zhang Enyuan was right. In this kind of weather, millet porridge is indeed warming to the stomach when staying up late. He could even feel a cool sensation coming up when he burped.
Even though the office was quite warm, he always wore slippers to work, and only wore a shirt with a thin wool overcoat.
Perhaps the coldness in his stomach came from his entire body, a reminder to him to rest and not stay up late.
If given the choice, who would want to stay up all night?
Li Xuewu finished his millet porridge and ate most of the side dishes. Just as he was wondering whether he should eat some more so as not to waste food, he froze.
Zhang Enyuan was the first to notice the situation. Seeing the leader frowning and staring at the side dishes, he thought there was something wrong with what he ate.
"Boss, this side dish..."
"No, no, that's not right!" Li Xuewu suddenly stood up, walked back to his desk, and found the interrogation record he wanted.
The pages rustled as he flipped through them quickly until he found the page he remembered.
Zhang Enyuan walked over with some confusion and worry and asked, "Has something happened?"
"I think I've found a crucial clue."
Li Xuewu carefully examined the interrogation records in his hand once more before turning to Zhang Enyuan and asking, "Is the joint investigation team still working?"
“That should be the case,” Zhang Enyuan quickly explained. “I even ran into their people when I came back from getting food.”
"Okay, you go and pack up first."
Li Xuewu picked up the phone and asked for Liu Wei's temporary office. The call was answered shortly afterward.
"Comrade Liu Wei, this is Li Xuewu."
He said on the phone, "Is it a convenient time for you to talk now?"
"Sure, please go ahead." Liu Wei seemed to know what he was going to say and asked excitedly, "Is it a discovery—"
"Yes, there's someone named Song Shiyun, right?"
Li Xuewu first asked a question, and after hearing the affirmative answer from the other side, he said, "He had come into contact with Jia Yun's lunchbox."
"Lunchbox?" Liu Wei seemed not to understand at first, then realized and exclaimed in surprise, "You mean—"
"Yes, if I'm not mistaken."
Li Xuewu calmly explained, "We were wrong. We shouldn't start calculating the whole process from the cafeteria; we should start from the washing of the lunchboxes."
According to the interrogation records, Song Shiyun, a member of the working group, was the person in charge of supervising Jia Yun and also the person in charge of directly liaising with the security team.
Jia Yun's daily life required their cooperation, including the most detailed tasks such as cleaning up his lunchbox.
Previously, considering that Jia Yun had suffered from food poisoning, I kept thinking that there was poison in the food, and I habitually thought of Jia Yun's mouth from the cafeteria.
This process was investigated again and again, but no independent action or room for manipulation was found.
The only thing I didn't expect was whether the lunchbox was poisoned before it was filled with food.
The food was monitored, and the lunchboxes were cleaned in the bathroom. Leftovers were simply thrown away, and the cleaned lunchboxes were placed in Jia Yun's room.
During this time, no one would notice what was in the empty lunchboxes except for the person responsible for washing them.
"I understand, thank you!"
Liu Wei said excitedly, "I'll arrange for people to take action against him right now."
"Let's wait a bit," Li Xuewu said calmly. "The people Director Hu arranged should arrive before dawn, so it won't make a difference if we wait a little longer."
His nerves relaxed, and he felt sleepy. He yawned and said, "He probably can't sleep at this time. Let's extend the time and add some psychological pressure to him."
"I understand." Liu Wei nodded and said, "I'm sorry for causing you trouble."
"There's no need to say such things, we're on the same side."
Li Xuewu smiled and said, "Fortunately, this person is neither from Liaodong nor from our Honggang Group."
"It's my fault, I didn't manage it well."
Liu Wei also breathed a sigh of relief and said, "After this matter is over, I will personally request the organization to take disciplinary action against me."