Chapter 45 - 45 45 Taking a Different Path

Words : 2025 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

45: Chapter 45 Taking a Different Path 45: Chapter 45 Taking a Different Path “Logical loop? What does that mean?” Zhou Mei asked. Lin Xiaosu said, “My conjecture is completely different from yours! Qi Hongzhong is not Ghost Eye Old Seven, and those flaws he left before his escape were not actually flaws but deliberately created diversions!” “Explain your reasoning!” Zhou Mei’s heart skipped a beat... She had just had a burst of inspiration, which she thought was the culmination of years of accumulated insights, and she was excited after she finished speaking. But her excitement lasted no longer than three seconds before Lin Xiaosu threw cold water on it. Lin Xiaosu held up a finger: “I have two points! First, as a mastermind who has control of the Fengcheng underground syndicate, if they wanted to eliminate someone who posed a threat to them, there are a hundred ways to keep themselves out of it. It is impossible that for the sake of little me, a nobody, they would force themselves into a situation where they could never enter Daxia again!” Zhou Mei frowned slightly, finding herself at a loss for words with just a single sentence. Indeed, this operation in essence is an exchange, trading Lin Xiaosu’s death for the mastermind’s banishment from Daxia. If he really was Ghost Eye Old Seven, would he show such a lack of breadth of vision? An exchange one-for-one with a nobody? “Second,” Lin Xiaosu continued, “the drug trade is inherently a sensitive industry. Those who survive in this field are exceptionally shrewd. If they want to hide themselves, it’s definitely not something two cops could uncover so many flaws in in just a couple of hours.” Both arguments were persuasive. However, nobody knew that these were not his real reasons. The real reason was the phrase Lin Xiaosu read from lip-reading, which led to the logical loop here. He had traced back in time in the car to that man with glasses, who was Qi Hongzhong, telling the hitman an incomprehensible sentence: “If caught, rat me out!” He was initially baffled by this sentence. Now he understood it completely. It was deliberate! He intentionally revealed flaws, intentionally created misdirection, intentionally diverted the police’s attention to himself, and carried the name “Ghost Eye Old Seven” to secretively flee abroad, providing relief for the Fengcheng drug organization. Chief Zhang’s eyes lit up... He had thought of another doubt. During their interrogation of the two suspects, they had not struggled much to extract the name “Ghost Eye Old Seven” from them, more easily than expected. This could only make sense if it was intentionally done by the other party. Zhou Mei asked, “Then why would he do this?” “Simple, he uses himself to attract our attention, trading it for the temporary safety of the Fengcheng underground syndicate, just like the chess strategy of ‘sacrificing a rook to save the king’!” Chief Zhang’s heart thumped... He grasped Lin Xiaosu’s second point clearly. If the police lock onto Ghost Eye Old Seven as Qi Hongzhong, and with Qi Hongzhong leaving the country, all operations targeting Fengcheng must be put on hold. They want the police to stop. They may already feel the danger, so they use a Qi Hongzhong to buy time for their relocation. Without Lin Xiaosu’s warning, he might have truly fallen for this ruse. Even the superiors could have been deceived. Because this is the most basic rule in handling a case. Chief Zhang’s gaze flickered: “Say everything you’re thinking!” Lin Xiaosu said, “If we see solving a case as waging a war, then we must step out of the rails set by the other side. We need to control the pace and direction of the war ourselves! I suggest you put some effort into another aspect.” “Which aspect?” “Financial trails!” Financial trails? All sinister transactions in the world ultimately boil down to money because their goal is money. Hence, financial trails are the most valid chain... “Financial trails, of course, we are watching them!” Zhou Mei said, “The financial trails that were apparent to us were those of the Five Tiger Generals. Their wealth grew too rapidly, which alerted us. But since we realized that the Five Tiger Generals are not actually in charge of the organization, we also believed there must be another, more secretive and larger financial chain. Unfortunately, after a long search, we haven’t found such a financial chain.” This is common sense for criminal organizations. Criminal organizations aren’t founded on ‘charity.’ They are established for profit! If the Five Tiger Generals were the actual controllers of the group, the financial chain would end with them, completing the loop. However, they are not! There is a real person in control! That person should receive an even greater share of the profits. How and by whom these profits are obtained is the most vexing issue for law enforcement... Lin Xiaosu picked up the teacup, his gaze flickering slightly: “Let’s first follow the visible leads, the Five Tiger Generals’ funds are flowing too. Where has this money gone?” “Squandering!” Sun Yang spoke up: “All five are the epitome of extravagant debauchery, squandering their immense wealth gained from unknown legitimate or illegitimate means.” “How were they squandering it?” Sun Yang said, “That... to go into detail would take days and nights of explanation. In short, they engage in every conceivable kind of wasteful spending, including keeping mistresses, indulgent partying, buying luxury cars, renovating mansions, etc...” “Making a general statement is not enough!” Lin Xiaosu said: “Perhaps you can list out a detailed account— who, what they did, how much money they spent, where they spent it, specifically what they bought, who they were supporting. During the support, how much money was given, and how the supported person spent the money... Compile it all into a table.” Sun Yang was dumbfounded: “That’s... not a simple task.” “Fighting wits with a criminal syndicate, do you think it’s easy, Officer Sun?” Lin Xiaosu said. “Of course it’s not simple, but this matter itself is not the main direction of the case... Is it necessary?” “Necessary!” The meeting room fell silent. Zhou Mei and Sun Yang looked at each other with a sense of helplessness in their eyes. This kid is getting a bit too arrogant with favoritism. Relying on Chief Zhang’s trust, he started assigning tasks to others. And you think this task is that simple? Five people, squandering money every day, and you want me to list out their specific expenditures? These five individuals have sensitive identities, even the police find it hard to get close, where am I supposed to find these details? Even to find out who they’re financially supporting, for heaven’s sake, regardless of who is supporting whom, it’s a highly secretive affair, and you want to check how much money these beneficiaries received and what they’re using it for? Do you know how much work that will involve once the investigation begins? Chief Zhang slowly raised his head: “Little Su, why do you think it’s necessary to do this?” “Because I’ve seen a case before, which has similarities with this one. Nothing under the sun is new, many crimes are actually repetitive.” This was true, the case he had seen was recorded in the “Reverse Time” case file. That case file was not a paper book but an electronic version; just knowing its file size would indicate its enormity, totaling 8000G, encompassing almost all representative crime cases. Not just those since the founding of the nation, but also spanning ancient and modern times, both domestic and foreign. It would take an ordinary person years to finish reading this case file, and even with the exceptional memory of Human Tao Orchid Heart, it still took him a full two days and nights to finish. This is probably why he dared to open a Detective Agency, his real reliance, his information reservoir. “There’s nothing new under the sun, many things are repetitive! I like that sentiment!” Chief Zhang lifted his hand and dialed a number: “Come over!” About five minutes later, the elevator dinged, and a thin police officer with slightly greying hair walked in. His name was Wang Donghe, once a vigorous member of the Criminal Investigation Team, but during an operation he was stabbed three times, sustaining lung injury, and thus was semi-retired. However, tonight, Chief Zhang’s call had him arrive in less than five minutes, what did that mean? It meant that he was actually working overtime in this building! He wasn’t as leisurely as everyone thought. “Donghe, three years ago when you stepped back from the front line due to injury, you volunteered for a task, which might have been meaningful!” Chief Zhang said: “Because this Fengcheng Detective, has suggested the same approach as you!” A flush of color suddenly appeared on Wang Donghe’s pale face: “Captain Zhang, do you want to know everything?” “Come! Present the results of your three years’ work.” “Yes!” Wang Donghe approached the computer... Opened his phone case, inside which was a tiny USB drive. The USB was inserted into the computer, and on the screen, various documents were projected. Brother Hu’s financial flow... Brother He’s financial flow... Sister Feng’s financial flow... Underneath the financial flows were lists, photos, amounts, and the names of those bribed, albeit with their pictures blanked, identified only with code names. For the women they financially supported, their photos were also blank, likewise identified with code names. Zhou Mei’s eyes lit up... Sun Yang’s face showed rapidly changing expressions... As a high-achieving police academy graduate, he had thought Lin Xiaosu’s proposal was foolish, but in a blink, an experienced detective arrived and presented the results of his three years of work, which matched Lin Xiaosu’s suggestion. What did this mean? At least it meant that Lin Xiaosu’s proposal wasn’t foolish. Because this experienced detective, who had been battered in the field of criminal investigation for a full thirty years, retired on the pretext of his injuries three years ago, continued to work, and did something completely in line with the suggestion made by Lin Xiaosu. The only person in the Criminal Investigation Team who knew about this was Chief Zhang. You might call Lin Xiaosu foolish, but could you also say that thirty years of criminal investigative experience is worthless? If he was willing to spend three years on this, how could it possibly be without value? “Admirable!” Lin Xiaosu said: “It turns out Chief Zhang had already made arrangements.” Chief Zhang said: “The Five Tiger Generals have sensitive identities, and any approach by the police would startle them, so on the surface, we have not come too close, but that does not mean we have not deeply investigated them. This information is of great importance. It involves many individuals. You don’t need to know the specifics, just the general direction of the financial flow.” “This information is very detailed already!” Lin Xiaosu said. “Good, what did you find?” Lin Xiaosu said: “A judgment, and a doubt!” “Oh? Do tell!” Lin Xiaosu said: “A judgment is that: The Five Tiger Generals must be involved in underground dealings!” How did he determine that? Their main business income is far from keeping up with their actual wealth accumulation, which is to say, their main business income simply cannot support their lavish expenditures. There must be another hidden source of income. “And the doubt?” “The doubt concerns Sister Feng!” Lin Xiaosu said: “She squanders far more than the other four tigers, is her position in the organization higher? Does she receive more illicit income?” Sister Feng alone spent forty million at the Fengcheng Jewelry Store, while the other four tigers, despite their luxury cars and mansions everywhere, are actually not that valuable in a small place like Fengcheng; put together, they might not even be worth forty million.

Chapter 45 - 45 45 Taking a Different Path

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