Police cars screeched to a halt in front of a residential building in the southern part of the city. Li Xinjian and Qiang Min led a squad of officers out of the cars. Qiang Min leaned close to Li Xinjian's ear, "Fifth floor, the right-hand apartment." Li Xinjian signaled, "Move!" They charged up to the fifth floor, where Li Xinjian pressed his ear against the door before commanding Qiang Min, "Go!" Qiang Min kicked the door open, and the officers, armed to the teeth, stormed in. A young woman in a nightgown emerged from the bedroom, her voice trembling, "What... what do you want?" Qiang Min held up a search warrant, "Police! We're here to search the premises. Where's Lv An?" The woman, stunned, stammered, "Lv An isn't home. I'm his wife. What has he done?" Qiang Min pressed closer, "Your husband will tell you. Now, where is he?" Lv An's wife, shaking, replied, "He said he was going to Beijing on a business trip..."
Qiang Min continued, "When did he leave?"
Lv An's wife responded, "He called around dusk, but he didn't come home."
Li Xinjian ordered Qiang Min, "Check the airport immediately!" Then he turned to the officers, "Search the place!" Qiang Min rushed out with two officers while the others efficiently searched the apartment. Li Xinjian scrutinized Lv An's wife, "Are you really his wife?"
She nodded quickly.
Li Xinjian eyed the much younger woman, "Legally?"
She lowered her head, reluctantly mumbling, "Of course..."
The officers returned from their search empty-handed, "No one here, boss."
Li Xinjian nodded to Lv An's wife, "Sorry to disturb you." He led his team out.
It was late at night, and the lights of Haizhou Grand Hotel gleamed even brighter. The third-floor office area was silent. Liu Mei, the General Manager, hurried through the dim corridor to her office, closing the door behind her. The bright light revealed a young, beautiful woman, no older than twenty-five or twenty-six, with slightly curly long hair framing her alabaster face. Her finely sculpted features were perfectly set, especially her mesmerizing eyes under arched brows, making it hard for anyone to look away.
She sat in the executive chair and gently picked up the phone, dialing a number with the lightest touch. After a few rings, a deep male voice answered, "How did it go?"
Liu Mei's eyebrows knitted slightly, "Lv An is in trouble."
The voice on the other end remained calm and slightly raspy, "Details."
Liu Mei replied, "The police are looking for him."
The voice said, "Eliminate the problem to ensure safety."
Liu Mei asked, "Should we hide him?"
The voice was cold and final, "Completely eliminate."
Her hand shook slightly, and she spoke with a hint of pleading, "He hasn't caused any trouble, has he?"
The voice responded with chilling logic, "He already has. In critical moments, we must be ruthless. Sacrifice a limb to save the body. As long as the head remains, we can continue to think."
Liu Mei's face twitched, "When?"
The voice replied, "Today. Immediately." Then it hung up.
Liu Mei stared blankly for a moment, then took out a "Marlboro" cigarette, preparing to light it. Footsteps outside made her quickly put it away.
Li Xinjian and Qiang Min entered with the officers. Liu Mei, surprised, stood up. Li Xinjian asked calmly, "Working late, Ms. Liu?"
Liu Mei, smiling, gestured for them to sit on the sofa, efficiently pouring tea and offering cigarettes, "Deputy Chief Li, what a rare guest."
Li Xinjian smiled, "Sounds like you welcome us here often?"
Liu Mei raised her eyebrows slightly, her smile carrying a hint of charm, "Of course, you're always welcome." Her smile had a touch of sultriness.
Li Xinjian responded coldly, "Not for investigating cases, I hope?" Liu Mei lowered her gaze, nonchalantly replying, "Feel free to investigate. We'll fully cooperate."
Li Xinjian tapped the tea table with his fingers, "At eight o'clock tonight, a man named Yang was murdered at Villa No. 8 on Golden Coast. Did you know that?"
Liu Mei, unperturbed, met Li Xinjian's direct gaze, "I've been busy at the hotel all evening. I've never seen such scenes outside of movies, and I've never been to that place."
Li Xinjian stared at her, "But your red Ferrari was at the crime scene." Liu Mei didn't avoid his gaze and calmly answered, "I found it stolen around eight o'clock when I was going home for dinner and reported it immediately. If you have any doubts, you can check with the security guard on duty and the 110 call center."
Qiang Min placed computer-generated images of Zhao Jiang and Zhao He in front of Liu Mei, "Do you recognize these two men?" Liu Mei examined the images carefully, then shook her head, "No impression."
Li Xinjian suddenly asked, "Where is your Deputy General Manager, Lv An?"
Liu Mei naturally replied, "He went home long ago. He's a family man." Li Xinjian picked up his tea cup and swirled it, "But his wife says he's on a business trip to Beijing." Liu Mei, seemingly surprised, widened her beautiful eyes, "Impossible. How could I not know?"
Li Xinjian met her gaze for a moment before abruptly asking, "Who's your boss?"
Liu Mei laughed, casting a sidelong glance at Li Xinjian, "Deputy Chief Li, you know that. Our boss is Guo Xiaopeng, chairman and president of Haizhou Pharmaceutical Group."
Li Xinjian set down his cup, "Can you call him? Let him know what's going on?"
Liu Mei brushed her hair back, "He's in Hong Kong. I can try his hotel room." She reached for the phone.
Li Xinjian suddenly changed his mind, "No need, thank you." He stood up, followed by Qiang Min and the other officers.
"Sorry to trouble you," Li Xinjian said as he led the officers out.
Liu Mei saw them to the door, "If you need anything, Deputy Chief Li, please let me know."