82: Chapter 82 Returning to the Banquet Hall

In the small conference room of the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Economic Crimes Division, Lin Ning leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed. He shut out all sensory input, let his consciousness sink, and returned to that banquet hall from that day.

He suddenly discovered that it was much easier than the last time, and he could "see" more "clearly."

He saw himself and Wang Qiao following Brother Tao into that well-dressed, colorful hall.

At that moment, a reserved version of himself and a poised Wang Qiao stepped into a brand new world.

Lin Ning pulled back his thoughts. Scanning the entire hall, he cast his gaze toward Duan Pingheng deep inside. Even looking from the entrance of the hall, the splash of red on his head was the most eye-catching thing in the entire room.

Lin Ning followed "Lin Ning" as he walked inside, occasionally observing the people around him through "his" eyes, focusing specifically on those with red names.

Wherever "his" gaze landed, though it might have only been a split-second glance at the time, now, under Lin Ning's review, everything was revealed in vivid detail.

He carefully observed the expressions and actions of every person he "saw."

Whether it was because these people had no issues or because they were accustomed to wearing masks all day, Lin Ning truly didn't find anything unusual; they were all engaged in conversations, either enthusiastically or humbly.

Walking toward the center of the banquet hall, Lin Ning suddenly paused. The entire world seemed to have the pause button pressed, then rewind—play—pause again.

Lin Ning confirmed his discovery and looked at the top of this middle-aged woman's head—red [Gao Hongying, Investment Manager].

Although Gao Hongying was chatting and laughing with the people around her, her gaze kept drifting unintentionally toward the direction of Duan Pingheng and President Huang.

Recalling Brother Tao's introduction at the time, he spoke up, "Gao Hongying, Investment Manager at Hexinhe Investment Management Company. Suspicious. Pending."

Zhao Tianming and Tao Shuyu, who were sitting quietly to the side, were startled.

Even though there was recording equipment here, Zhao Tianming subconsciously and quickly wrote it down in his notebook. Then, he took a deep look at Lin Ning.

He was a veteran policeman. From the Public Security University to the front lines, step by step to where he was now, especially in Capital, the capital city, his experience was naturally vast. He had originally just wanted Lin Ning to think about whether there were any suspicious or strange people at the time, without holding much hope, as it was difficult for ordinary people without training to recall detailed memories from more than seven days ago.

He hadn't expected Lin Ning to give him a professional memory recall right then and there.

Looking at how proficient he was, he didn't even need anyone to assist or guide him.

Plus, the "friends" who came last time were clearly unusual—they were obviously guards from the military and political system; he wasn't blind.

Lin Ning's identity gave him many guesses, but the only thing that reassured him was that he could be certain he was on their side.

Tao Shuyu had been allowed in to assist Lin Ning, for instance, in cases where Lin Ning might forget someone's name but could describe their appearance.

He hadn't expected to see such a magical scene. Little Lin seemed to be resting with his eyes closed, then suddenly reported a name, his tone confident and solemn. Of course, he had seen classic movies and knew what Lin Ning was doing, but seeing someone around him actually do it in real life felt particularly amazing.

Lin Ning continued to wander in that banquet hall of memory. The situation this time was much more difficult than before at the Chuangxinzao Building; there were many people, a chaotic mix of colors, and a complex spatial environment.

Until his forehead began to ache faintly, Lin Ning reported two more names—

Li Xiaoliang, Account Manager at Meike Securities.

Liu Bo, Financial Consultant Analyst at Huihe Jinshi.

Lin Ning rubbed his forehead and opened his eyes. It had been too long, and the energy spent was a bit overwhelming even with his increased Psychic Power.

Regarding the three people he provided, Lin Ning was certain in his heart that they had definitely committed a crime, but they weren't deep red, which caused him a lot of interference. Therefore, it was uncertain whether they were related to Duan Pingheng's fraud.

Therefore, he didn't mix in his own subjective thoughts and directly stated the suspicious points he had "observed" in a straightforward manner.

"At the time, Gao Hongying was on the periphery, not far from Duan Pingheng. Although she was constantly socializing with others, her position hardly changed. She didn't take the initiative to go elsewhere, always waiting for others to come over and chat. And she was always 'inadvertently' looking toward Duan Pingheng."

After finishing, he looked at Tao Shuyu. He couldn't judge whether Gao Hongying was behaving this way because she had a favor to ask of President Huang or wanted to get to know Duan Pingheng. Brother Tao was more familiar with the people present, and he needed his input.

Tao Shuyu pondered for a moment and said, "Given Gao Hongying's nature of work and usual behavior, she has always been quite proactive in making connections with potential clients. So, it is abnormal to say she didn't move all night. Moreover, she and President Huang are old acquaintances; if she really had something to ask, she should have taken the initiative to find someone."

Zhao Tianming perked up and drew a star next to Gao Hongying's name, marking it as a priority.

Lin Ning continued, "Li Xiaoliang had been using his phone in a partitioned corner of the banquet hall since we arrived. I basically never saw him come out to socialize. Twice, after he finished using his phone, he looked up toward Duan Pingheng's direction, but I only 'saw' Duan Pingheng looking at his phone at the same time once—that was about five minutes before you brought us to President Huang."

Tao Shuyu frowned immediately. "The business requirements for Li Xiaoliang's company are very high, and the competition is extremely fierce. Therefore, you can basically see him at anyone's gathering, actively developing clients. To say he didn't come out to socialize is a situation that has never happened before."

"Liu Bo had a conversation with Duan Pingheng at a corner when he went to the restroom. It was just the two of them. After Duan Pingheng left, he waited in place for a while before re-entering the hall."

This was the last person. Lin Ning and Zhao Tianming looked at Tao Shuyu simultaneously.

Tao Shuyu stuttered slightly under the gaze of the two. "Liu Bo, I'm quite familiar with him. We have a small circle that often exchanges investment techniques. He... did he have any other behavior? Listening to you, I don't feel there's any problem."

Zhao Tianming looked at Lin Ning, and Lin Ning shook his head directly. He had looked back and forth inside three or four times, and that was all.

Looking at Lin Ning's slightly pale face, he stood up and reached out to thank them, "Thank you very much, Lin Ning, Mr. Tao Shuyu. You've worked hard. We will follow up with all our efforts!"

"You're too kind, you're too kind. Then we'll be heading back."

In the hallway, one could feel that their people were running around frantically, so it wasn't appropriate to ask or chat more. After exchanging a few polite pleasantries, Lin Ning and Tao Shuyu said their goodbyes and left.

At the entrance of the Municipal Bureau, Lin Ning declined Tao Shuyu's invitation to dinner. "Brother Tao, let's meet up later. Wang Qiao and I won't stand on ceremony with you, and you must not treat us as outsiders either. You look like you've got dark circles under your eyes; hurry back and get some good rest. We have plenty of time, hahaha, the two of us still need to learn about investment from you!"

Tao Shuyu was indeed tired. On this trip to Shanghai, the time was compressed but the workload hadn't decreased. He had also barely slept last night. Now that the earlier excitement had passed, the feeling of exhaustion doubled.

But he still couldn't help but gossip, "Who do you think is the mole among these three?"