180: Lily's encounter, murder in the bar

“Mr. Gao, my brother is not trustworthy.”

“He’s always been lazy and idle, doing nothing all day but hanging out at bars, playing games, and flirting with girls. He’s never done anything serious. If I hadn’t been supporting him, he would have starved to death in Donghai City long ago.”

Lili was unusually emotional, her eyes red-rimmed.

Only when people expose their vulnerable and pathetic side do they show such intense and desperate emotions. Family was a secret Lili found hard to speak about.

Gao Ze knew about Lili’s background through the intelligence system.

She came from a rural area in Su Province. Her father died young, and her mother raised her and her brother. Lili was naturally strong-willed; after graduating from a top university, she fought tooth and nail in Donghai City, building her own career and network.

Her brother, however, was very ordinary, even possessing many bad traits. But due to family ties, Lili had no choice but to take care of him, to be a doormat.

“I know, but let your brother speak!”

“Mr. Gao, I really didn’t lie, I feel like someone really wants to kill me!”

Hearing Gao Ze’s voice, Li Hao grabbed onto it like a lifeline and said, “Because my friend has already been murdered!”

“How was he killed, and where was he killed?”

“Two days ago, he died in a bar called Chun He Jing Ming Bar in Huangpu District. According to the Huangpu District Criminal Police and the forensic doctor’s examination, he drank a highly poisonous cocktail and then died.”

A criminal murder case that occurred two days ago, the Huangpu District Criminal Investigation Brigade has probably already taken over and is investigating.

Gao Ze looked at Li Hao and asked, “What’s the name of your friend who was murdered? What happened during the murder, and why do you think you will also be killed?”

“My friend is Zhu Zhirong. He was my university classmate in Donghai City. His family background is good; he’s a rich second-generation.”

Li Hao said seriously, “If my friend had simply died by accident, I wouldn’t have any worries, but when he and I went to Spring and Scenery Bar for a drink, I accidentally heard him mention something.”

“He said that the last time he came to Spring and Scenery Bar, someone slipped a note into his pocket.”

“Originally, he thought it was some kind of romantic note, but he didn’t expect the note to say, ‘Only death can cleanse the sins on your body.’ At that time, he didn’t take it seriously at all, treating it like a joke when he told me.”

“But on that very day, my friend Zhu Zhirong was murdered. I was scared stiff at the time, and the most terrifying thing was when I walked out of the bar, I found that there was also a note in my pocket identical to my friend’s.”

Li Hao, with trembling hands, handed a note to Gao Ze and Lili.

The note had printed text, short in content, reading: “Only death can cleanse the sins on your body.”

“Li Hao, what kind of evil have you done to get entangled in a murder case?!”

The moment she saw the note, Lili completely believed him, her eyes wide with anger as she questioned, “Did you do something bad?!”

“Sister, no, I didn’t!”

Li Hao shook his head, crying, “You know me. From childhood to adulthood, I’ve been very jealous of your abilities, and I’m also lazy and like to enjoy the fruits of others’ labor, but I’ve never dared to do anything illegal.”

“And you also know that our family was never well-off since childhood. I was always the poorer one in my classmates’ eyes. How could I have the conditions to do bad things?”

“It’s only been these past few years, after you earned a lot of money, that I haven’t been timid and have dared to go out and have fun!”

Lili fell silent, her brows deeply furrowed.

Her brother Li Hao was not wrong. He was a coward at heart, a little tyrant towards her and their mother, yelling when his demands weren't met, but outside, he was timid and dared not be ostentatious, not even daring to speak loudly to others.

It was only in the past two years, after she made money, that her brother Li Hao dared to pretend to be a rich second-generation.

“Mr. Gao, my brother is indeed not lying. What do you think?”

Professional matters should be handled by professionals. Lili looked at Gao Ze.

“If you didn’t do bad things when you were little, did you not do them in college?”

There is no smoke without fire. Gao Ze did not forget the details of Zhou Xiaodong’s kidnapping case. Xu Ning霜 sent a text message to Han Jingmei, asking her to pay the price. The same goes for Li Hao.

Even though he didn’t do it when he was little, what about college?

Li Hao and the deceased Zhu Zhirong were university classmates.

“I didn’t do it in college either!”

Li Hao shook his head and said seriously, “When I was in college, my sister hadn’t made money yet, and my personality was still the same as when I was a child; I didn’t dare to offend others.”

“It’s only been these past two years, after my sister made a lot of money, that I dared to do some excessive things like some rich second-generations, such as showing off wealth, being ostentatious, cursing people, throwing money to flirt with girls, and so on.”

Truth!

Gao Ze glanced at Lili; her face flushed slightly, and she whispered, “I’m sorry, I didn’t manage him well!”

“Your friend Zhu Zhirong was murdered. How is the Huangpu District Criminal Police’s investigation progressing? Did they ask you about the note?”

“I don’t know the progress of the Huangpu District Criminal Police’s investigation. I asked their captain, and they only told me they are investigating vigorously.”

Li Hao said, “As for the note, they comforted me and told me not to be nervous. They sent two Police officers to patrol where I live and told me to call the Police immediately if anything unexpected happened.”

“But I’m scared!”

“I feel like they haven’t found the killer at all, and that killer is still watching me in the dark. I feel like I’m about to be killed!”

Perhaps Li Hao’s perception was not wrong; the killer had always been hidden in the dark.

Gao Ze asked curiously, “Then do you think finding your sister is useful?”

“My sister has money; she can pay to send me abroad!”

What a simple and crude method. Gao Ze: “.........”

“Lili, how rich are you exactly? Jiang Qianyu said she offered you an annual salary of two million, plus the salary Jiang Ruiming offered you. It seems you’re a rich woman!”

“Mr. Gao, please don’t tease me.”

Lili’s face was flushed crimson, looking at her brother Li Hao with both anger and frustration, wishing she could slap him and then find a hole to crawl into.

“Going abroad is indeed a good method; I support it.”

“Because I think if you go abroad, it will definitely force the killer to appear and speed up their action against you!”

“Ah?”

Li Hao’s face stiffened upon hearing this, and he said, “Then what should I do?”

“Wait for the Police to solve the case and find the killer, otherwise you won’t escape the shadow of being killed!”

“This method won’t work. Those Police haven’t found the killer for so long. If I wait any longer, my risk of being killed will only increase day by day!”

“Mr. Gao, you’re with my sister, so you must be a big shot. Can you think of a good method for me? My sister is so beautiful; if you save me, you’ll definitely gain her favor.”

Li Hao saw that Gao Ze’s identity was extraordinary. He grabbed his hand, his voice full of pleading.

Lili’s face, however, darkened. Her dignity was completely lost today.

“Li Hao, I’m telling you, Mr. Gao doesn’t need to gain my favor. My greatest fortune is being able to gain his favor.”

“Also, don’t even think about going anywhere. Just quietly listen to Mr. Gao. If the Police couldn’t find the killer before, Mr. Gao definitely can!”

“Why?”

Li Hao scrutinized Gao Ze with suspicious eyes. Although the man in front of him had an extraordinary demeanor and looked like a wealthy big shot, what good was money in front of a crazy killer?

Who isn’t afraid of death?

“Because he is a Police, our hero of Donghai City!”

As Li Hao questioned, a strong voice suddenly came from behind him. It was Liu Wenzhong, the captain of the Huangpu District Criminal Police, leading several Criminal Police officers.

“Officer Gao, I really didn’t expect to run into you. This kid has looked down on our Huangpu District Criminal Police.”