Han Feng held his breath, about to explain when You Mingxu spoke in a matter-of-fact tone: “Campus lending is when illegal operators trick university students into taking loans, which are essentially high-interest loans. They then use various illegal methods to collect, such as threats, harassment, and even physical detention. Two years ago, the state introduced several policies to ban campus lending. But some slip through the cracks and continue operating. Look up the rest online yourself.”
Yin Feng immediately nodded: “I understand.”
Han Feng suddenly realized that the other man might not have been being sarcastic earlier—could he not have known? Moreover, this consultant… seemed more like You Mingxu’s subordinate. Where was the gravitas expected of an expert consultant?
Han Feng still explained: “After Zhao Feier’s case last year, we thoroughly investigated the campus lending angle: in the three months before her death, Zhao Feier had borrowed over a hundred thousand yuan from three loan companies. But we eventually ruled out any connection to the loan companies and their personnel. First, she borrowed from two companies through online platforms without meeting anyone, and the amounts weren’t large. We verified alibis for all relevant personnel and ruled them out as suspects. The third company, called ‘Fenjinbao,’ gave her the largest loan of nearly 90,000 yuan. She had even borrowed another 20,000 just two days before her death. But this company was also cleared because, during the days between Zhao Feier’s disappearance and death, the entire company was in Thailand for their annual meeting. Besides, the motive doesn’t fit—with Zhao Feier dead, the loan couldn’t be repaid. Every handler would lose money.”
Everyone nodded. You Mingxu also found this reasonable, as campus loan companies only sought profit and rarely got involved with the murder.
Then she saw the provincial consultant blink his watery eyes and say, “Oh, did Liu Yisha borrow from any of these campus loan companies? She was planning to open an online store and needed startup capital. She probably didn’t have other funding sources, right?”
Everyone froze.
Old Tan looked around and asked, “Still haven’t found Liu Yisha’s phone?”
“No.”
Old Tan: “What about her phone communications recovery and bank statements?”
Fan Jia, who was in charge of technical matters, replied, “We’ll have everything shortly.”
Old Tan nodded: “Verify this situation as soon as you get them.”
—
The provincial special case team was staying at the guest house next to the Huaicheng Police Station. That night, when You Mingxu returned to the guest house, she learned that she was supposed to share a double room with Fan Jia, but Chen Feng had already booked her a single room next to Yin Feng. Fan Jia covered her mouth and laughed, happy to have a room to herself. You Mingxu didn’t mind and went straight to her new room.
It must have been the largest room in the guest house, complete with an old-fashioned tea table and sofa. Sitting down, You Mingxu felt herself radiating the aura of a middle-aged senior cadre. Her room was on the first floor, and outside the window lay the deep night and a quiet street. Occasional pedestrians passed by.
Just then, Ding Xiongwei called: “Xiao You, I have good news. I showed the case materials you sent to my police academy classmate, Professor Fan Shuhua, during our call. Fan Shuhua is a renowned domestic criminal psychology expert and Ministry of Public Security consultant. She’s very interested in this case and said she’ll send us her preliminary criminal psychological profile later tonight. I told her to contact you directly.”
You Mingxu was delighted while thinking to herself: I have a criminal psychology expert here too. But Professor Fan’s credentials and experience were incomparable to that kid’s. She laughed, “Well, well, Old Ding, you’ve got connections with Ministry experts.”
The usually serious and reserved Ding Xiongwei gave a rare light laugh, saying, “Of course, she’d do me this favor as an old classmate.”
You Mingxu suddenly remembered that Ding Xiongwei had been widowed for over ten years, dedicating all his energy to work, earning him the nickname “Merciless Master.” A thought struck her, and she asked, “Is Professor Fan single?”
Ding Xiongwei paused, then said flatly, “Clever devil. She’s currently on a business trip in America. Wait for her call.”
You Mingxu was still smiling after hanging up, thinking that although winter was approaching, even Ding Xiongwei was experiencing romance.
At this thought, her mind automatically conjured up Yin Feng’s image from today—jacket and slacks, tall and straight-backed. When he wasn’t grinning foolishly, his handsome features and distinguished bearing were striking.
She closed her eyes and then opened them, thinking that the desire for food and sex was human nature, but she must look past his perfect exterior to see the idiot within.
Just then.
Her head snapped up as she caught sight of a pair of eyes through the window, beneath the large tree outside. They were cold, unfamiliar eyes that instantly reminded her of a snake’s flickering tongue. Immediately after, a dark figure flashed past. You Mingxu sprang from the sofa, rushed to the window, and jumped out in one fluid motion.
But the street was silent, the streetlights mute, with only a few hurrying pedestrians who stared in surprise at the woman who had suddenly jumped out. You Mingxu frowned and ran in the direction the shadow had disappeared. But after sprinting over a hundred meters, she hadn’t seen a single ghost of a figure. Or perhaps the person had already disguised themselves as one of the pedestrians who had passed her.
In her years of police work, You Mingxu had never encountered anything like this. Walking back with a grim face, she wondered—someone was watching her.
A chance voyeur?
Is someone seeking revenge from a previous case?
Her heart was suddenly struck by an even colder possibility, as she thought of two more options—
Was it connected to the serial murder case she was working on?
Or perhaps, it had something to do with Yin Feng.