Afterlife Department

Chapter 170 – Investigation

"What did xiao Xue and xiao Zhang find?" Gu Xingfeng asked as he leaned his back against his swivel chair and played the pencil with his hands, ready to listen to his subordinate's report.

Jiang Xinduo placed the folder on Gu Xingfeng's table before he spoke. "Firstly, Lei Shan became the Film Emperor two months ago." He started. "This is known by all. However, that's not the only thing that happened in Tianxing Entertainment." He said. "Xiao Xie learned that the Tianxing Entertainment had an internal war and the Liang father and son are the main characters. Liang Jun who isn't supposed to lose against his greenhorn son Liang Lin, lost." He explained.

Gu Xingfeng fell silent. "There's someone who helped Liang Lin." He said..

Jiang Xinduo nodded. "Yes." he answered. "Xiao Ke looked up the shareholders of the Tianxing Entertainment, and there's one who is mysterious and suspicious." He said.

"Is it Lei Shan?" Gu Xingfeng asked.

Surprisingly, Jiang Xinduo shook his head. "That's what I initially thought. However, xiao Ke said that this person is overseas." He said. "He doesn't have a registered company, and – " he looked at Gu Xingfeng. " – he became a shareholder, and the largest shareholder, two months ago." He said.

"Even though Lei Shan is from a wealthy family, but he already renounced his inheritance." Gu Xingfeng said. "Even if he'd save up money when he started as an artist, but it isn't enough to buy a large share of Tianxing Entertainment." He explained.

Jiang Xinduo nodded. "He can't be this mysterious person." He said.

"We can't overlook this person, though. This'll be an additional work for xiao Ke." Gu Xingfeng said. "How about Lei Shan?" he asked.

"He went back to Tianxing Entertainment. However, the undercover I sent said he was scolded by the director. Someone disclosed what happened to the set and his fans were worried." Jiang Xinduo said. "However, the reason he was scolded is not only he was downcast after Huo Ling died, but that he also kept looking at his phone." He explained.

Gu Xingfeng patted the head of the pencil against his table. "He is really dedicated. Most artists would have already gone home to mourn, but he continued to film." He said. "After all, he's newly-crowned as a Film Emperor." He added.

Jiang Xinduo muttered an 'en'. "I'll have them continue to monitor Lei Shan." He said.

"Good." Gu Xingfeng said. "How about Gerard Jackson?" he asked. The moment he asked, he saw Jiang Xinduo's expression twisted. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Chief." Jiang Xinduo called. "Earlier during the interrogation, I heard that Gerard Jackson mostly is out of the country. However, from what xiao Zhang investigated, Gerard Jackson… he has been in the country for two months." He said and looked at Gu Xingfeng. "What's troubling is, Huo Meiying hasn't been reacting to the news of her husband earlier. And so, I think…" he muttered. "She doesn't know her husband is in the country for these two months." He explained.

"Such a sneaky act, indeed." Gu Xingfeng said. "It seems that the underworld has been chaotic lately…" he muttered before he looked at Jiang Xinduo. "From your words, Gerard Jackson and Huo Meiying are in bad terms." He said.

"Yes." Jiang Xinduo nodded. "The question is, why." He said. "Could it be Gerard Jackson is intimidated because Huo Meiying is a princess?" he asked.

"It's possible." Gu Xingfeng said. "You follow-up on this matter, too." He told him.

"Yes." Jiang Xinduo nodded as he noted it. "As for Huo Dakuan, Huo Ling's maternal grandfather, it seems that he's been close to the victim." He said. "Since Huo Meiying is a woman, his business will be inherited by his children from his wife that he remarried." he explained.

"Since he's close to the victim, if the victim didn't die, there's a big possibility that it'd be the victim who will inherit the Huo family's business, right?" Gu Xingfeng smiled. "After all, Huo Ling isn't only a prince, but that him also carrying the Huo surname made him a rightful heir." He said.

"That's right." Jiang Xinduo nodded. "The victim's relatives in the Huo family must be envious, added to the fact that he is Huo Dakuan's favorite grandson." He explained. "They must be itching to get rid of him." he added.

"Send people to investigate the Huo family, too." Gu Xingfeng said. "The underworld and the royal family are out of the country. It's harder to investigate them than the Huo family since we can't reach them." he sighed.

"Yes." Jiang Xinduo nodded in understanding. They should start investigating locally.

"Also…" Gu Xingfeng spoke.

Hm? Jiang Xinduo looked at his superior when he didn't hear him speak after that. "Chief?" he called when he saw Gu Xingfeng was looking at his phone in a daze.

"Send people to follow Hao Baiyun." Gu Xingfeng said.

"… huh?" Hao Baiyun? Jiang Xinduo was puzzled. "The Hao family is distant relatives with the Huo family. But…" he said. But, they have no motive to kill Huo Ling, right? After all, the Hao family has already have their hands full of their own businesses.

"Only Hao Baiyun." Gu Xingfeng said.

"…" why? Jiang Xinduo looked at his chief with a puzzled gaze.

"I met him earlier. And – " Gu Xinfeng said as he tapped his pencil against the screen of his cellphone. " – he told me something." He said.

Jiang Xinduo's eyes narrowed as he nodded in understanding. What Gu Xingfeng meant to follow Hao Baiyun isn't to investigate him, but to protect him.

Hao Baiyun is an insider in this case, based from Gu Xingfeng's tone, words and actions. And, he is Huo Ling's distant cousin. It is said that, he's also close to Huo Ling as Huo Ling is as close to Lei Shan. However, before Huo Ling could meet Lei Shan, he met Hao Baiyun first, since they are a family. In other words, he can be considered as the elder brother figure of Huo Ling.

Hao Baiyun must know more about Huo Ling's life, as well as the people around him: Huo Ling's father, Gerard Jackson, his faction – the underworld, Huo Dakuan's faction, and the royal family's faction.

"Where is CEO Hao now?" Jiang Xinduo muttered in a low voice as he pondered. Honestly, he had overlooked Hao Baiyun in this case. If not for Gu Xingfeng mentioning Hao Baiyun, they would definitely be more at loss in the case

He was about to leave to ask Ke Congyi to look for Hao Baiyun's whereabouts using the public CCTVs when he heard Gu Xingfeng spoke.

"He's at my house." Gu Xingfeng said.

"Oh. He's at your house. That's good, that's good. We can follow him from there…" Jiang Xinduo nodded as he spoke when his voice suddenly trailed off after his brain registered Gu Xingfeng's words. His eyes widened in shock as his jaw dropped. "What?!" he exclaimed. "He's at your house?! Why?! How?! What's going on?!" he asked in succession. "Chief… how did you know him?" he added.

They are policemen while Hao Baiyun is from a wealthy family. Both sides live in different worlds. The only time the two worlds would meet is when there would be a crime. However, Jiang Xinduo, as Gu Xingfeng's adjutant, he had never seen Gu Xingfeng meeting Hao Baiyun. Thus, he was surprised to know that their chief personally knows Hao Baiyun. Not only that, but Hao Baiyun is also at their chief's house.

"Just former acquaintances." Gu Xingfeng answered before he paused. "That's not right. We're…" his voice tailed off as he pondered what is his and Hao Baiyun's exact relationship.

Seeing their chief's brows knotted, Jiang Xinduo raised his hand. "Chief." He called. "No need to tell me. I respect yours and CEO Hao's privacy." He said, though his hand he placed behind him on his back is trembling because of the shock he received.

Goodness! Our abstinent chief can actually have a romance?! And his paramour is a CEO?! He exclaimed internally, though externally you wouldn't see his thoughts. Even if you did, but Gu Xingfeng who is currently in a daze as he thinks about Hao Baiyun, missed his subordinate's inner monologue. And now, CEO Hao is in the chief's house?! What base did their relationship reach?! Is it what I think it is?! Jiang Xinduo added in his heart.

He is slightly off, but he isn't fully wrong. Before Gu Xingfeng could recover from his thoughts, Jiang Xinduo who finally recovered from his shock uttered an excuse and immediately left Gu Xingfeng's office.

Jiang Xinduo ran towards Ke Congyi's place in a haste, ignoring the gazes of the other police officers when they saw him wearing an expression as if his house caught fire. He stood behind Ke Congyi and leaned down, his lips beside the other's ears as he opened his mouth. "Xiao Keeeee!" he whispered a scream.

"!@#%##@%@!" Ke Congyi cursed and jumped out of his seat when he felt a breath against his ear. Goosebumps formed on his skin and his hairs rose. The screen showed '!@#%##@%@!', just like his curse, after he was startled and got frightened by Jiang Xinduo's action, causing his fingers to mistype. "JIANG. XIN. DUO!" he yelled, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot.

Everyone got frightened by Ke Congyi's voice and dark expression as he glared at Jiang Xinduo. They immediately left the place which will be a crime scene later after the usually calm and cool-headed police officer behead the adjutant and field officer.