Weisheng cleared his throat, reading the reports again before facing He Yanmei directly.
"Miss He," Weisheng calmly called her, "Your police statement notes that you questioned Mr. Yang Bo about taxes after he received a suspicious call from his bank. Is that correct?"
He Yanmei nodded, "Yes, it's correct. I've been Yang Bo's manager for about ten years before quitting. I wasn't managing his finances, so I never asked about it either. But that day, I literally caught him bribing the banker to fabricate reports!"
Weisheng quietly noted it down, "Anything else you found suspicious about Mr. Yang Bo's finances?"
He Yanmei cleared her throat, "I hear you've already received his financial manager's interview," She murmured, receiving Weisheng's nod, "I know an address he and Yang Bo frequented together. I suspect they hide the extra money there. I remember that every time they came back from that place, they'd throw a party with other friends."
Weisheng nodded, "I have a personal question that I will not include in the report. Is that alright?"
"Sure, go ahead," He Yanmei confidently smiled.
"Are you close with Mr. Yang Bo?" Weisheng asked, "Or were you close with him when you were still his manager?"
Xiaoling stared at Weisheng from the corner of her eyes, wondering why he asked a personal question.
"Um," He Yanmei seemed flustered, "I guess you could say we were quite close. I mean, I've known him for ten years."
"Then why do you think you were left out of this operation?" Weisheng asked bluntly.
"Excuse me?" She raised an eyebrow at the unusual question.
"Please don't take it seriously," Weisheng clarified, "This is a personal question. It won't be reported. It won't affect the case in any way."
He Yanmei cleared her throat, "In that case, I'm not sure why. Maybe because I respect the law. Yang Bo must've known I'd go to the cops."
"So," Weisheng narrowed his eyes, "You made this report out of a sense of justice?"
"Of course!" He Yanmei held her head up, "Law is above everything, after all!"
Weisheng smiled and nodded, "That will be all I need," He said before turning toward Xiaoling, "Miss Liu, if you have any questions, now is the time. Please keep it professional and unbiased."
Xiaoling looked at him and nodded. She was surprised that he was willing to let her participate.
"I only have one question, Miss He," Xiaoling said.
"Yes, please," He Yanmei replied gently.
"Why did you quit your job?" Xiaoling asked, "I hope this is nothing personal…"
"Oh," He Yanmei chuckled, "I was planning to get married, so I quit my job."
Xiaoling smiled, "Really? Congratulations!"
"Um," He Yanmei interlocked her hands nervously, "That plan has been scratched for now…"
Xiaoling awkwardly nodded. They bid farewell to He Yanmei and made their way to the next interviewee.
"I'm a little curious," Xiaoling looked at Weisheng as he drove them to Yang Bo's promised location.
"About what?" Weisheng asked.
"About the list of personal questions you asked earlier," Xiaoling said, "Can Mr. Prosecutor tell me what merit they hold?"
Weisheng chuckled slowly, "You asked me to put my heart into this. How about you watch me till the end, then?"
Xiaoling's eyes widened, "Is this the same Weisheng I know?"
Weisheng faintly smiled, keeping his eyes on the road. He cleared his throat, bringing his resting face back.
Shortly, they arrived at an apartment complex. Due to the rumors, Yang Bo wasn't willing to leave his house. He agreed to see Weisheng in his house.
Weisheng parked the car in the parking lot and walked to the elevator with Xiaoling.
"Is this safe?" Xiaoling asked, "Going to an alleged criminal's house?"
"If they haven't pleaded guilty, they're not criminals," Weisheng said, "Besides, we receive training to defend ourselves in the worst-case scenario. I'm sure you're making a lot of scenarios in your head. Don't worry. It's usually chill."
Xiaoling nodded, "I trust Yang Bo for now," She chuckled, "I'm sure he won't murder you and hide your body."
Weisheng shook his head in amusement. Maybe her youthful outfit brought about childish behavior. It was amusing, so he didn't complain.
They reached Yang Bo's apartment and rang the bell. Yang Bo opened the door and personally received them.
"Hello, Mr. Yuan," Yang Bo had a gentle smile, "Please come in."
He offered them slippers to wear inside before guiding them to the living room.
"Would you like anything?" Yang Bo asked, "Tea? Juice?"
"No need," Weisheng said, "Please take a seat, Mr. Yang Bo."
Yang Bo nervously sat before them.
"This is our intern, Miss Liu Xiaodan," Weisheng said, "You don't need to be cautious. Be at ease. Just remember that anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law."
Yang Bo nervously chuckled and nodded.
"Don't worry, Mr. Yang Bo," Xiaoling smiled, "I'm just here to study."
"Can I start interrogating you?" Weisheng asked.
Yang Bo gulped loudly. It was so loud that they could hear it even if they were in another room.
"Mr. Yang Bo?" Weisheng asked.
"Y-Yes," Yang Bo nodded, "Please, go ahead."
He was suspicious right off the bat. Xiaoling narrowed her eyes as she observed him. Would he be proven guilty? Would Xiaoling lose her chance to get his autograph?
"Charges against you state that you evaded tax through bribery and stored said amount of money at a private place," Weisheng said calmly, "Is that correct?"
Yang Bo nodded, "Those are the charges," He confirmed.
"And are those charges true?" Weisheng asked directly.
Yang Bo instantly shook his head, "No," He confidently replied, despite his nervousness, "My calculated net worth and funds in my bank come out to a similar value. I pay all my taxes myself. My company pays its taxes related to me before handing me my share. And then, from that share, I pay taxes myself."
"Can I see your records that state so?" Weisheng asked.
Yang Bo opened his phone and forwarded reports to Weisheng. These reports were original bank documents of paid tax. According to these, Yang Bo wasn't evading tax.