248: Chapter 248 Ye Qingcheng's Follow-up Plans

As soon as the call connected, the Director's voice came through impatiently: "Qingcheng, is there any progress in the investigation? Have you found out where Hongmen is hiding?"

"Sigh," Ye Qingcheng frowned slightly and sighed helplessly before responding, "Director, it was a false alarm. Chen Mo doesn't know the exact hiding place of Hongmen."

On the other end of the phone, the Director stood up abruptly, his face turning pale. He hadn't expected the interrogation to turn out like this; he had given his word to the higher-ups. If he couldn't get any results, his time as the Director of the Security Bureau might be over.

Then, his eyes widened, and his voice rose an octave: "What?! What happened? What did he confess then?"

Ye Qingcheng felt the Director's anger and quickly tried to soothe him: "Director, please don't be anxious. Although Chen Mo doesn't know Hongmen's hiding place, he provided some other important clues regarding Hongmen!"

"Oh? What did he say?" Hearing this, the fire in the Director's eyes subsided slightly. He sat back down in his chair and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

Ye Qingcheng sensed the change in the Director's mood and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she organized her thoughts and reported the key points of Chen Mo's confession to the Director.

...

More than ten minutes later, Ye Qingcheng finally finished her report. She lightly pursed her dry lips, paused for a moment, and continued: "Director, that's roughly the situation Chen Mo confessed."

After listening, the Director's tense expression gradually relaxed. He leaned back in his chair, exhaled deeply, and thought to himself: "To dig up so much information from a small fry is already quite good. At least, with these substantive things on hand, I can give an account to the higher-ups."

He nodded with relative satisfaction and said to Ye Qingcheng: "Very good, Qingcheng. This information is very important. However, you'll still have to work hard; make sure to organize the interrogation content and send it to me today. The higher-ups are all waiting for our response."

"Understood." Ye Qingcheng responded. After a moment's thought, she spoke again: "Director, since Code Name X's identity is now known, shouldn't we update the wanted poster?"

Upon hearing Ye Qingcheng's words, a sharp light flashed in the Director's eyes. He immediately understood and laughed heartily: "Right, right, right. You've thought of everything. Once the wanted poster is updated, Hongmen will know that Chen Mo has confessed everything. This way, killing Chen Mo will no longer be meaningful to them. In my opinion, we might as well release the wanted posters for the other three together to keep them from acting recklessly!"

"No." Ye Qingcheng rejected the Director's suggestion without hesitation and explained, "Director, we shouldn't act too hastily. If we reveal the identities of the other two now, it might alert the enemy and cause Hongmen to change their strategy. If they send new people into the Dragon Nation then, our previous efforts will have been in vain."

After hearing Ye Qingcheng's explanation, the Director suddenly realized. He patted his forehead: "Oh, you really do look further ahead. So, in your view, how should we deploy next?"

Ye Qingcheng pondered for a moment and spoke slowly: "From Boss Lei's arrangements for Chen Mo and Old Third Zhang Min, they clearly want to penetrate our economy through high-level routes. However, Zhao Lintai hasn't become a major force yet. But it's worth noting that he has an engagement with Si Yao of the Southwest Si Family. As Si Zhengxiong's biological granddaughter, Si Yao is highly likely to inherit the Southwest Si Family in the future. I suspect Hongmen's true goal might be to control the Southwest Si Family through Zhao Lintai, and thereby manipulate the economy of the Dragon Nation."

At this point, a grave expression appeared on Ye Qingcheng's face. The Director was also shocked by what he heard and took a sharp breath: "What wild ambitions!"

"Exactly." Ye Qingcheng nodded. "However, behind Zhao Lintai is the Zhao Family, and we don't have the authority to directly investigate Old Master Zhao. I think regarding the Zhao Family matter, you should report to the higher-ups, Director, and see what their opinion is."

"As for Chutian Group," Ye Qingcheng continued, "I will first find an opportunity to test Chu Weiguo. As far as I know, Chu Weiguo's brother Chu Weimin passed away long ago, yet he has suddenly appeared on Hong Kong Island. There must be something fishy about this. It won't be too late to act once I've cleared up the situation."

The Director thought for a moment and felt that Ye Qingcheng's proposal was steady. After all, Zhao Weiguo's status in the Dragon Nation was transcendent; without instructions from above, it would be difficult to move against him. Moreover, Chutian Group was no small enterprise. If a real investigation were launched, it would likely affect the entire industry chain—a single move could affect everything.

Having understood this, the Director nodded and replied: "Alright, the Zhao Family matter is indeed of great importance and requires instructions from the higher-level leadership. I'll handle that. I'll leave the matters in Modu to you. If you need any resources, just let me know, and I will fully coordinate and support you!"

"Mhm, thank you, Director." Ye Qingcheng thanked him softly. After a brief pause, she continued, "There's one more thing, Director. There's someone I think we need to investigate more deeply."

"You mean that guy named Qin Yi?" The Director raised an eyebrow and asked back.

"Exactly." Ye Qingcheng nodded. "Zhao Lintai opened Underground Banks in both Jingnan and Modu. When the bank ledgers went missing, Qin Yi was also in those locations."

The Director frowned slightly and pondered: "You mean, it's possible Qin Yi took the ledgers?"

"Yes. I've investigated before. Qin Yi's father was originally the owner of the Huajian Steel Plant in Jingnan. The plant's operations were doing quite well, but half a year ago, the steel plant suddenly went bankrupt due to poor management. The reason for the bankruptcy was that they took out usurious loans, and the banks withdrew their loans during that period, causing the steel plant's capital chain to break. And the one who provided those usurious loans was precisely Zhao Lintai's Underground Bank in Jingnan."

"Who owns Huajian Steel Plant now?" the Director pressed.

"After the bankruptcy liquidation of Huajian Steel Plant, it changed hands several times. Now, the original industrial land has been converted into commercial land!"

"Damn it, then there's no need to think; it's definitely collusion between officials and businessmen! Those parasites in the organization!" The Director couldn't help but curse.

"Indeed. I think so too. Moreover, I suspect that Qin Yi might have already found out something, which is why he's retaliating against Zhao Lintai. If we can find a Breakthrough through him or get evidence regarding Zhao Lintai from him, we might be able to take down Zhao Lintai in one fell swoop!"

After hearing this, a flash of admiration appeared in the Director's eyes. "Good, since you already have a plan, then go ahead and do it. I will support you fully!"

"Thank you, Director." After Ye Qingcheng thanked the Director, the two ended the call.

In the hall, Han Hao was sitting in front of a stack of monitoring screens, his fingers tapping continuously on the keyboard, tracking Sister Hong's trail.

Shen Jianan had just printed out the organized transcript. Seeing Ye Qingcheng walk back after finishing the call, she immediately went to meet her and handed her the transcript.

"Captain Ye, the transcript is all organized. Please take a look." Shen Jianan's tone carried a hint of expectation.

Ye Qingcheng took the transcript and looked down to read it, her brow revealing her seriousness. After a moment, she looked up, a flash of satisfaction in her eyes, and nodded with a smile: "Mhm, well done, Jianan. I'll fax this to the Director right away."

As she spoke, she turned and walked toward a nearby fax machine, her fingers pressing several keys with practiced ease. Shen Jianan followed behind her, a look of hesitation on her face, as if she had something to say but didn't know how to start.

Ye Qingcheng keenly noticed Shen Jianan's abnormality. While operating the fax machine, she turned her head and asked in a teasing tone: "What's wrong, Jianan? Are you worried about your sweetheart?"

Having her secret thoughts exposed, Shen Jianan's cheeks warmed slightly, and she turned her head away in slight embarrassment. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her shyness, and then spoke slowly: "Sister Qingcheng, stop teasing me. I wanted to ask, how do you plan to investigate Qin Yi?"

Hearing this, Ye Qingcheng didn't stop operating the fax machine. The corners of her mouth curled into a meaningful smile: "Investigate? Who said I was going to investigate Qin Yi?"

"Ah?" Shen Jianan was stunned and looked at Ye Qingcheng in confusion. "Doesn't Qin Yi have suspicion?"

"Suspicion? What suspicion? Did he kill Liu Hailong? Did he kill Chen Hu?"

"Uh, well, no..."

"Then that's it. Since he didn't kill them, why investigate him?"

"Uh, but the ledgers of the Jingnan and Modu Underground Banks are both missing. According to Chen Mo's account, Qin Yi should be very suspicious."

"Chen Mo only said that person's kung fu and appearance were similar to Qin Yi's; he didn't say it was Qin Yi himself." Ye Qingcheng interrupted Shen Jianan. "We can't convict someone based solely on one person's word. Besides, the missing ledgers might not necessarily be Qin Yi's doing."

After hearing Ye Qingcheng's words, although Shen Jianan still had some doubts, she had to admit they made sense. She frowned and continued to ask: "Then... Sister Qingcheng, do you mean we'll just leave Qin Yi alone?"

"Of course we have to deal with him." Ye Qingcheng smiled, a flash of craftiness in her eyes. "However, we have to pay attention to our methods. That kid Qin Yi doesn't seem simple; if he really did take the ledgers, his methods are more than what we've seen."

"Uh, Sister Qingcheng, do you think Qin Yi might also know the Disguise Technique? Or, does he have some connection with Sister Hong?" Shen Jianan's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief and curiosity. As she spoke, she suddenly seemed startled by her own thought and couldn't help but take a sharp breath, "Or could it be that Qin Yi... is also from Hongmen?"

However, as soon as this thought emerged, she dismissed it herself. Shen Jianan shook her head vigorously: "No, if he were from Hongmen, it would be impossible for him to have a conflict with Chen Mo."

Watching Shen Jianan's series of reactions, Ye Qingcheng couldn't help but chuckle.

She raised her hand and lightly tapped Shen Jianan's forehead: "It seems you're not stupid. If the matter of knocking out Chen Mo and stealing the ledgers really is related to Qin Yi, then there are only two possibilities. One is that Qin Yi really knows the Disguise Technique, or he has some connection with Sister Hong, but this possibility is relatively low. The second possibility is that Qin Yi has an accomplice whose Cultivation Technique and physical build are extremely similar to his."

After hearing this, Shen Jianan nodded thoughtfully: "Mhm, that makes sense. Then... what should we do next?"

The corners of Ye Qingcheng's mouth turned up, revealing a crafty smile. She winked at Shen Jianan and said in a teasing tone: "Jianan, you're close to Qin Yi, so I'll leave this task to you. Go feel him out and see if you can dig anything up."

"Me?" Shen Jianan was stunned, then a look of hesitation appeared on her face.

"Yes, you'll be fine. I have faith in you," Ye Qingcheng replied with a smile.

While they were talking, several pages of the transcript had already been faxed to the Director.

Then, seeing Shen Jianan still standing there without moving, Ye Qingcheng added: "Alright. Don't dawdle, go now. You haven't been home for several days, right? Go back and see Uncle Shen, take a bath, and change your clothes. I also need to check for Sister Hong's trail again."

As she spoke, she turned toward the busy Han Hao. She said as she walked: "By the way, Jianan, after you go back, have Uncle Shen arrange for the Modu police force to investigate Chen Hu, who was taken out by Chen Mo. We need to verify what Chen Mo said. Remember, don't alert the Jingnan police force, to avoid alerting the enemy."

"Understood, Sister Qingcheng." Shen Jianan responded and immediately began to prepare.

By this time, Ye Qingcheng had reached Han Hao's side. She looked at the monitoring footage on the computer screen and frowned slightly: "How is it? Han Hao, have you found any sign of Sister Hong?"

Han Hao looked up at Ye Qingcheng, a look of gravity on his face: "Captain Ye, look here." He pointed to a spot on the monitoring screen. "After Sister Hong fled the scene on a motorcycle, she appeared at this monitoring point two kilometers away. I tracked her all the way along the surveillance and found that she finally disappeared on the Beibu Gulf winding mountain road. But strangely, only the entrance camera caught her; there's no footage at the exit."

"She was only caught by the camera two kilometers away?" Ye Qingcheng's frown deepened. "Were all the cameras within those two kilometers destroyed?"

"Yes," Han Hao said solemnly. "Centering on our position at the time, all surveillance within a two-kilometer radius was destroyed during that period."

Ye Qingcheng's heart stirred, and she thought to herself: Could this be the work of Zhang Yu's 'Supreme Soul Suppressing Art'? If that's the case, isn't its range of influence exactly two kilometers?

She took a deep breath, calmed her emotions, and then continued to ask: "So where does the Beibu Gulf winding mountain road lead?"

"After the winding mountain road, there's a fishing village in the northern part of Modu," Han Hao explained. "From there, one can take a boat directly out to sea."

"You mean Sister Hong might choose to escape by sea?" Ye Qingcheng's tone revealed a hint of urgency.

"It's very likely." Han Hao nodded.

"Mhm, well done! Send me the location where Sister Hong last disappeared immediately. I'll take some people over to check it out right away." As Ye Qingcheng spoke, she immediately turned to gather personnel. At the same time, she called Shen Zhendong to request police support.

On the other end of the phone, Shen Zhendong agreed to her request without hesitation.

...

Meanwhile, on the runway of Modu International Airport, a passenger plane from the Southwest landed slowly.

Si Wenruo pulled his suitcase and walked out of the VIP passage with a composed pace. Outside the passage, Si Hongfei was already waiting.

"Eldest Young Master." Seeing Si Wenruo appear, he immediately went to meet him, greeted him respectfully, and then naturally took the suitcase from Si Wenruo's hand.

Si Wenruo nodded slightly as a response. He looked around, scanned the inside of the car, and then asked: "Where's Yaoyao? Why didn't she come to pick me up?"

Hearing this, Si Hongfei explained: "The Young Miss should be at the Sway Club at this hour."

Hearing this, Si Wenruo's brow furrowed slightly, and a flash of displeasure crossed his face. He sighed lightly and muttered to himself: "Yaoyao is really getting more and more inconsiderate. Her own brother is here, and she didn't even think to pick him up at the airport." As he spoke, he sat in the car of his own accord.

Seeing this, Si Hongfei quickly put the luggage in the trunk and then sat in the driver's seat. He looked at Si Wenruo through the rearview mirror and asked: "Eldest Young Master, shall we go find the Young Miss first, or...?"

Si Wenruo pondered for a moment and then said: "Let's go to the Sway Club first. I want to see how Yaoyao's bar is doing."

Si Hongfei responded with an "Okay," started the car, and drove steadily toward the Sway Club.

Meanwhile, at the Bund Center, T3 Office Building, Qin Yi, Xu Qian, and Qin Xiaoyue also finished their day's interview work.